Garrett Says 'No' to Traveston Dam

Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett has rejected the Queensland Government’s bid to build a dam at Traveston Crossing near Gympie in the south east of the state.The Minister says he considered the options carefully but decided against the proposal on its dubious environmental grounds.

“After considering the Traveston Dam proposal and the best available scientific evidence and other material … it is my intention to say no to the Traveston Dam,” Mr Garrett said in Brisbane today.

“It is clear to me that the Traveston Dam cannot go ahead without unacceptable impacts on matters of national environmental significance,” the ABC reported.

Sunshine Coast Mayor Bob Abbot attributed the result to a win for science and people power.

“This decision today shows the Minister was fair dinkum when he said he would make his decision based on the science,” he said.

“I am absolutely delighted that Peter Garrett, a former head of the Australian Conservation Foundation and a vocal campaigner against the damming of the Franklin, has had the courage and the decency to block this terrible dam,” said the mayor to mysunshinecoast.com.

“This decision supports the independent assessment of the project, it means the Hervey Bay fishing industry has a future, local endangered species will be protected and the Mary Valley community who battled for this result have finally been rewarded for their efforts.”

“There were never any reasonable grounds to support the dam and the Minister’s decision supports the view we expressed right from the beginning.”

The announcement of the decision is a preliminary one with the reasons for the no verdict to be delivered on November 18.