Writing this newsletter I feel a sense déjà vu. It is a similar feeling to what I experienced from 1971 to 1977 while I was seeing the sandminers off K’gari. We are again opposing mining that is being supported by the Queensland Government. The big differences are that now the mine for coal and not for mineral sand. Although the mine is located about 30 kms from K’gari’s western shore K’gari will be undoubtedly suffer from the annual discharge of 946 megalitres of untreated mine water. Translated this means that 200 litres per second (equivalent of 10 x 20 litre containers per second or 600 jerry cans per minute) will all be dumped in the Mary River at Dundathu and find its way just a little downstream to Great Sandy Strait. Here it will be trapped by tides coming from both the north and south. This is where most of the pollutants will fall out. It should come as little surprise that the Queensland Government although of a different colour to that of the 1970s has already rushed to approve this mine.
John Sinclair AO FIDO Honorary Project Officer
How to help FIDO’s campaigns
There are many ways that FIDO supporters can assist in some vital FIDO campaigns.
- FIDO has three cruises planned for January and March before the amazing masses of trans-equatorial waders take off for Siberia. Every passenger on these wonderful cruises are contributing $30 to the research fund to study potential impact on the water quality of this special Ramsar waterway. Helping recruit passengers helps to build our research fund.
- The more funds we have to support the research to expose in detail the potential environmental impact the better. You can now make tax-deductible donations and/or encourage others to donate.
While FIDO’s working bees in winter are more popular there is important work to be done combatting weeds at other times and there is one place available for Eurong 25th February to 3rd March and two places for working with the wonderful Peter Shooter in Happy Valley 11th to 17th February.
Download FIDO’s K’Gari E-News 12