The failure of local and State Governments to address the underlying causes of regional water shortages in the past coupled with environmentally unsustainable growth, wastage and inefficient water usage has led to conservation groups throughout Queensland protesting about the building of more dams and weirs in our State as a consequence of global warming and climate change affecting supplies of this precious resource.
Governments should be developing more sustainable solutions for solving water consumption issues by including recycling, water tanks, water efficiency, intelligent growth, better planning, water restrictions, investing in new and better technologies and higher subsidies for water saving devices and appliances. Local and State Governments should be encouraging drip filter systems, the planting of native species and the use of paving, pebbles and mulch in public and residential gardens.
The reasons for not raising the Hinze Dam to its full height include:
It’s a small catchment
Raising the dam to 16 metres will provide only 24 megalitres per day at a cost of $100 million
Raising the Dam to 4 metres will provide flood mitigation
The water pipeline from the Wivenhoe Dam has already cost $100 million
There is a need to provide ecological flows for the health of our rivers and its species in order for their survival
It will drown 450 ha of high biodiversity forests adjacent to the Springbrook World Heritage National Park causing habitat loss
High cost: $100 million for small catchment area, therefore, not cost effective to end user
Photo of the Hinze Dam
The reasons for not building the Mary River Dam include:
Permanent damage to the natural flows
Rare and threatened species of the Mary River Cod, Queensland Lungfish, the Mary River Turtle and the Giant barred frog will be in danger of extinction
The loss of precious arable land
The destruction of farming communities
The viability of fishing and recreational tourism industries will be greatly affected as the Mary River has its headwaters in the spectacular Conondale Ranges flowing to the World Heritage listed Great Sandy Straits located between Frazer Island and Harvey Bay
High cost $150 million for low catchment area, plus loss of valuable arable land therefore, high cost to end-user.
Further effects on endangered species include:
Fish passage: expensive to construct and build fish ladders with high dam walls
Genetic distribution and migration for spawning will never be returned to its natural state after the construction of a dam
Impede the flow of genetic material between upstream and downstream populations of the Great barred frog
The Mary River Cod and the Queensland Lungfish cannot breed within impounded water, relying on cool, shaded pools containing large woody debris, (snags,) to breed successfully
Poor quality water known as stratification where deep cool waters with little dissolved oxygen turnover when surface waters heat up, impacts on these species and causes algal growth and weed
Reduction in flow will be reduced by 20%
Rathdowney Dam
The state government is proposing to build a mega dam at Rathdowney on the upper reaches of the Logan river. An action group has been formed opposing this environmental and social disaster.
No Dam for Rathdowney Action Group:
To access the “No Dam for Rathdoney Action Group” go to the Rathdowney website at www.rathdowney.org.au and click the “No Dam for Rathdowney Action Group” link (last item on left-hand menu) and then select “Click here for why” located at the centre of the page, or access the page directly here. Note that these are external links. Gecko has no control over any of the content.
The reasons for not building a dam in Rathdowney include:
It is an unsuitable site for a dam
There is no water currently at the site
It is an environmentally sensitive area
The State Government has not thought through the issues of sound alternatives to building dams that are environmentally acceptable
The loss of precious arable farming land
High cost for low catchment area, plus loss of valuable arable land, therefore, high cost to end-user