The Mary Valley – in the region I call home, today welcomed the news that every feared would go against them – the blocking of the Traveston Dam. If you know this region, and the people in it, the Mary Valley is one of the most fertile and scenic regions in South East Queensland. The creation of a dam and the flooding of this area would have been a travesty – and a sad waste of land.
That Peter Garrett, former frontman for Midnight Oil and now Federal Minister for the Environment, had the foresight to stand up to the Queensland Government and knock the proposal on the head speaks volumes – especially since they are from the same political party.
I cannot help but think that privately, Anna Bligh, the Queensland Premier, is somewhat relieved to see this decision. The original decision was made by her predecessor although he was acting on her strong advice but as time has gone on, the whole proposal has started to look too ambitious. The Government’s own Auditor found over 1000 issues that needed addressing.
What now for Queensland and their future water needs? That of course is the next question. What now for Gympie and the Mary Valley? That too will be interesting to see. So many lives have been devastated by the original decision. Homes have been forcibly bought by the government with some already demolished.
For myself, I had mixed feelings about the dam. I didn’t like the idea of flooding what is fertile land, nor did I like the idea of forcing people from their homes. If we had to have a dam, I also saw the benefits particularly for construction workers now and, down the track, for tourism.
Now it’s time to rebuild. For those families affected by the threat of a dam, I hope they can now start to rebuild their lives.
