Comments on: Approval for a devil of an issue in the Tarkine http://www.crikey.com.au/2012/12/19/approval-for-a-devil-of-an-issue-in-the-tarkine/ now with extra source Thu, 23 May 2013 07:29:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Hugh (Charlie) McColl http://www.crikey.com.au/2012/12/19/approval-for-a-devil-of-an-issue-in-the-tarkine/comment-page-1/#comment-233209 Hugh (Charlie) McColl Fri, 28 Dec 2012 07:38:14 +0000 http://www.crikey.com.au/?p=339225#comment-233209 Clearly, Coalition and Labor governments have no real philosophy about conservation of nature. The EPBC Act has been amended into irrelevance (by both Howard and Labor) and is now just a shell of its former self. The Minister has very little power because the loopholes in the act make litigation automatic and very difficult to win. So the minister makes the occasional pathetic effort (witness Garrett in Tasmania), departmental officers occasionally make something more, and even halfwit lawyers for developers can mow and slash their way to a profitable outcome with the Commonwealth usually picking up the legal tab. Conservation (let alone preservation and presentation) is only as pathetic as the electorate wants it in Australia. Honestly, most people couldn't give a fuck, they think 'bush' is alien and concepts like conservation are like the Catholic Church talking about sin or manhood. Clearly, Coalition and Labor governments have no real philosophy about conservation of nature. The EPBC Act has been amended into irrelevance (by both Howard and Labor) and is now just a shell of its former self. The Minister has very little power because the loopholes in the act make litigation automatic and very difficult to win. So the minister makes the occasional pathetic effort (witness Garrett in Tasmania), departmental officers occasionally make something more, and even halfwit lawyers for developers can mow and slash their way to a profitable outcome with the Commonwealth usually picking up the legal tab. Conservation (let alone preservation and presentation) is only as pathetic as the electorate wants it in Australia. Honestly, most people couldn’t give a fuck, they think ‘bush’ is alien and concepts like conservation are like the Catholic Church talking about sin or manhood.

]]> By: drovers cat http://www.crikey.com.au/2012/12/19/approval-for-a-devil-of-an-issue-in-the-tarkine/comment-page-1/#comment-232712 drovers cat Thu, 20 Dec 2012 02:20:56 +0000 http://www.crikey.com.au/?p=339225#comment-232712 I have lost all confidence in Tony Burke - sooner he gets shoved off this portfolio the better. Truckies watchful of avoiding roadkill - and pick it up when they do ... yeah, that'll work ... laughable I have lost all confidence in Tony Burke - sooner he gets shoved off this portfolio the better.
Truckies watchful of avoiding roadkill - and pick it up when they do … yeah, that’ll work … laughable

]]> By: Kelly Goldacre http://www.crikey.com.au/2012/12/19/approval-for-a-devil-of-an-issue-in-the-tarkine/comment-page-1/#comment-232697 Kelly Goldacre Wed, 19 Dec 2012 22:44:27 +0000 http://www.crikey.com.au/?p=339225#comment-232697 Seriously? Less than ten extra vehicles an hour on a public road is <blockquote>difficult to reconcile...with the statutory requirement that the conservation of biological diversity and ecological integrity … be a fundamental condition in decision-making</blockquote> and evidence for <blockquote>the urgent need for an overhaul of the federal environmental and heritage laws and the re-establishment of an independent national heritage body that can ensure areas of world and national heritage significance receive appropriate protection</blockquote>? Get. A. Grip. If this was carried to its logical conclusion, every second public road in Tasmania would have to be shut. A Tarkine National Heritage area covering "only" those parts of the region that are already included in reserves or for which there are no known significant commercial uses is still a massive tract, with more than enough room for multiple viable devil populations and much else besides. Even a 'worst' case development scenario would see less than 5% of the region affected by mining footprint, cumulatively, ever. Sparky, devils are scavengers, so they'd be attracted to carcasses left on the road, with obvious potential consequences. shreeminerals.com/downloads/FinalEIS/HB08208H021_33P_EIS_Response_Rev_00_20120309.pdf Seriously? Less than ten extra vehicles an hour on a public road is
difficult to reconcile…with the statutory requirement that the conservation of biological diversity and ecological integrity … be a fundamental condition in decision-making

and evidence for

the urgent need for an overhaul of the federal environmental and heritage laws and the re-establishment of an independent national heritage body that can ensure areas of world and national heritage significance receive appropriate protection

?

Get. A. Grip. If this was carried to its logical conclusion, every second public road in Tasmania would have to be shut.

A Tarkine National Heritage area covering “only” those parts of the region that are already included in reserves or for which there are no known significant commercial uses is still a massive tract, with more than enough room for multiple viable devil populations and much else besides. Even a ‘worst’ case development scenario would see less than 5% of the region affected by mining footprint, cumulatively, ever.

Sparky, devils are scavengers, so they’d be attracted to carcasses left on the road, with obvious potential consequences.

shreeminerals.com/downloads/FinalEIS/HB08208H021_33P_EIS_Response_Rev_00_20120309.pdf

]]> By: sparky http://www.crikey.com.au/2012/12/19/approval-for-a-devil-of-an-issue-in-the-tarkine/comment-page-1/#comment-232679 sparky Wed, 19 Dec 2012 09:06:11 +0000 http://www.crikey.com.au/?p=339225#comment-232679 Why is this, "and removing carcasses from the road every day", little gem in the agreement? Why is this, “and removing carcasses from the road every day”, little gem in the agreement?

]]> By: Hugh (Charlie) McColl http://www.crikey.com.au/2012/12/19/approval-for-a-devil-of-an-issue-in-the-tarkine/comment-page-1/#comment-232675 Hugh (Charlie) McColl Wed, 19 Dec 2012 07:28:09 +0000 http://www.crikey.com.au/?p=339225#comment-232675 Tasmania is not the only island being administratively pillaged during the Xmas shut down. The Cockle Bay Transfer Station on Magnetic Island (World Heritage listed, part of the GBR), with critically endangered bat species right there on site, has just been signed over by the same minister with equally perfunctory dismissal. That means Campbell Newman can now assess whether any instruments of his government will intervene in the issuing of the mandatory State Government environmental licence. Basically, there is no one left at the Queensland EPA except the skip guy looking for his money for the dump fee. Tasmania is not the only island being administratively pillaged during the Xmas shut down. The Cockle Bay Transfer Station on Magnetic Island (World Heritage listed, part of the GBR), with critically endangered bat species right there on site, has just been signed over by the same minister with equally perfunctory dismissal. That means Campbell Newman can now assess whether any instruments of his government will intervene in the issuing of the mandatory State Government environmental licence. Basically, there is no one left at the Queensland EPA except the skip guy looking for his money for the dump fee.

]]> By: Microseris http://www.crikey.com.au/2012/12/19/approval-for-a-devil-of-an-issue-in-the-tarkine/comment-page-1/#comment-232666 Microseris Wed, 19 Dec 2012 06:23:24 +0000 http://www.crikey.com.au/?p=339225#comment-232666 The sad thing is that there was never any doubt this application would be approved. If all proposals had to be presented and assessed cumulatively, maybe the outcome could be different. Then again with pro development objectives for both major political parties, maybe not. With foxes, DFTD, mining, logging, etc. the Tarkine and Tasmania's natural values are being eroded away until they will be on a par with the mainland. The sad thing is that there was never any doubt this application would be approved. If all proposals had to be presented and assessed cumulatively, maybe the outcome could be different. Then again with pro development objectives for both major political parties, maybe not.

With foxes, DFTD, mining, logging, etc. the Tarkine and Tasmania’s natural values are being eroded away until they will be on a par with the mainland.

]]> By: paddy http://www.crikey.com.au/2012/12/19/approval-for-a-devil-of-an-issue-in-the-tarkine/comment-page-1/#comment-232644 paddy Wed, 19 Dec 2012 03:49:59 +0000 http://www.crikey.com.au/?p=339225#comment-232644 Amazing & tragic! Still, it's obviously a necessary evil, because Australia is so desperately short of iron ore to mine. #facepalm Amazing & tragic! Still, it’s obviously a necessary evil, because Australia is so desperately short of iron ore to mine. #facepalm

]]> By: michael crook http://www.crikey.com.au/2012/12/19/approval-for-a-devil-of-an-issue-in-the-tarkine/comment-page-1/#comment-232636 michael crook Wed, 19 Dec 2012 03:16:10 +0000 http://www.crikey.com.au/?p=339225#comment-232636 does anyone now doubt that the ALP is in the pocket of the mining corporations. this is crazy. does anyone now doubt that the ALP is in the pocket of the mining corporations. this is crazy.

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