Townsville Greens The Greens Listen

Toxic waste from heavy industry around Townsville is being regularly discharged into our Marine Parks and the State Government is unable to control it.

Greens candidate Jenny Stirling is concerned that both BHP Billiton Yabulu (QNI) and Sunmetals have both been releasing toxic heavy metal waste from their tailings dam into the Marine Park.  The regulatory agency, the EPA has no control over these discharges.

Just recently, QNI released waste from their already full tailings dams into the marine environment, as a pre-emptive action in the event of potential damage and uncontrolled discharge in the event that TC Hamish struck near Townsville.  However the Greens understand that such discharges are not unusual, as it was reported by QNI that 600,000 L of tailings dam waste was released into the GBRMP last year.

Ms Stirling asks “We have a wet season every year, for which QNI should be prepared. Why were QNI not required to have a back-up system that allowed waste to be pumped into trucks to be managed in a more environmentally sensitive way?”

The Greens are outraged that the State Government continues to promote heavy industry along our coast, yet fails to consider the impacts of controlled or accidental contamination of heavy metals into the Great Barrier Reef.  “This toxic waste is just as damaging to our marine environment as the oil spill in Moreton Bay. Our reef is already under pressure due to climate chaos and coastal activities, yet the State Government is willing to allow it to be used as a waste sink”, said Ms Stirling.

Studies of marine mammals Cleveland Bay have already identified higher than normal levels of heavy metals in their system that can be directly attributed to industrial waste discharges.  Ms Stirling said “Discharge of toxic waste into the GBR can make our fish unsafe to eat, promote algal growth that smothers coral and destroy our tourism industry. This abuse of our reef is not acceptable, and North Queenslanders will not tolerate it”.

Environmental groups are also angered by the government’s promotion of development at all costs along our coastline.  Gail Hamilton of the Nth Qld Conservation Council said that the  Qld ALP government allows all new industrial projects to developed under special legislation that exempts them from normal state planning and environmental regulations and removes the right of public appeal. “We have seen with the recent contamination discharges of the Leichhardt River and the Marine Park that self management by mining industries is not safe for our environment.”

More information:

Jenny Stirling, the Greens  04 170 123 11 or 47290226

Gail Hamilton, NQCC 4778 5351, 0447 032 455