Vow to anti-dam troops: 'You can have the fight'

3rd April 2008

Thomas Chamberlin

A clear promise was made yesterday by the man standing in the shadow of Environment Minister Peter Garrett.

"You can have the fight. You can have a strong and clear fight. And that's what we will be doing," he said.

Federal Opposition environment spokesperson Greg Hunt yesterday vowed to take on Mr Garrett over plans for the proposed Traveston dam.

On a visit to the Mary Valley with federal Nationals leader Warren Truss, Mr Hunt said it was hard to imagine a worse site for a dam in Australia.

"The answer is pretty clear," he said.

"The site is for a food bowl, not for an evaporative pond. We (the Opposition) are not against dams. We're supporting a number of dams around the country.

"But this site is one that happens to be one of the shallowest potential dam sites proposed in the last 30 years," Mr Hunt said.

He said the Mary Valley had a "significant proportion" of the world's ginger crops, mangoes, avocados, beef and dairy.

Also concerned about what effects the dam would have on the flow of the river, Mr Hunt said he was preparing a joint submission with Mr Truss to give to Mr Garrett as soon as possible.

"It is a highly viable agriculture area in a flat valley," Mr Hunt said.

"At Traveston Crossing itself, the water was flowing mildly today and that was after heavy rain. It is a deep concern.

"For significant parts of the year it would be reduced to a trickle. We'll have that battle. We are going to work with local communities but you have to have this fight across many fronts," he said.

Mr Hunt said he plans to visit the Fraser Coast as soon as possible and meet with other anti-dam campaigners. Mr Garrett visited Gympie earlier this year but has not announced any plans to visit the Fraser Coast.