SCEC is continuing its campaign against the Poultry industry being so close to international wetlands and in coast al catchments. The waste discharge from this intensive farming industry is alarming and it adds to the ever increasing pressures on the passage. High nutrient levels found in the waste can be distributed by up to 3km via the shed ventilation used and easily find their way into creeks and rivers that flow into the passage. These discharges are increasing the algae bloom events that are already affecting fish stocks and sea grass beds.
Then of course there is the issue of bird flu. SCEC outlined the dangers of the flu for the poultry industry being so close to wetlands that see 80 000 migratory birds that may have the disease. We presented our case earlier in the year at a meeting with Desley Boyle, the minister for the environment. SCEC would like to see the EPA take control of the administering of their own guidelines (currently delegated to individual councils) and for the Government to look at an exit strategy away from the coastal areas of South East Queensland to drier areas in the west. This will allow for easy quarantining of the industry in the possibility of future mutations of the current strain or a new strain all together. This isn’t the first case of avian flu and it won’t be the last.
Click Here to See SCEC’S Submission on the Poultry Guidelines