In This Issue

Fraser Island Run Down; Political Impotency 2

Decision making Paralysis; Financial Starvation 3

Federal Funding Not much better; Budget Anomalies 4

Fraser’s Economic Value; Local Government 5

Fire management, World class interpretation 5

Overseas Impacts on Fraser; Waders; Climate 6

Vale Judith Wright; Coastal acid sulphate; Snippets 7

Fishing Expo; Walking Tracks; Roads & Rail 8

New Law Protects World Heritage 9

Flying to Orchid Beach? Dingos, Visitor Numbers 10

New in Brief; Lighthouses Protected 11

FIDO 's 2000 President’s Annual Report 11-12

Two Key Documents

MOONBI 98 carries two extremely important Educational Supplements. These are relevant to the most urgent of the Fraser Island management issues which FIDO is busy addressing. Continue to use these basic documents as references. Feel free to copy them.

“Summary of Reviewed Fraser Island World Heritage Values” is the unedited version prepared by the Fraser Island Scientific Advisory Committee after a long process of consultation and research. It identifies those values which Australia as a party to the World Heritage Convention is sworn to protect and which have now been adopted as the basis for Fraser Island management priority.

“Values of Fraser Island Tourism” outlines both the positive and negative benefits of tourism on Fraser Island. Fraser Island tourism is now worth over $250 million to the Queensland economy. However it produces many negative impacts. Neutralizing and containing these negative impacts to ensure that they don’t detract from the World Heritage values described above is the greatest challenge to the management of the island. The key point to note is how easily the patterns of recreation form and become entrenched. Everybody concerned with the future of Fraser Island needs to address issues to ensure that the patterns of recreation having negative impacts are not allowed to continue to be self exacerbating.

Fraser Island Is Running Down

Beattie Government short-changes Fraser Island again: For the second successive year funds allocated by the Beattie Government for National Park management have failed to reach Fraser Island. At the time of going to press the QPWS Southern region had not advised if any funds would be allocated to Fraser Island. With more than a third of the financial year expired, this is disgraceful. The Beattie Government had indicated that it planned to match the Federal Government contribution to the Fraser Island World Heritage site in its 2000-01 budget.

Financial Deprivation: Fraser Island is the most financially deprived all of Australia's 14 World Heritage sites when visitor impact is taken into account. It needs an annual budget of at least $10 million to sustain the current rate of visitation. Currently the whole cost of managing the island, (including salaries for 34 ranger staff, all maintenance and some capital expenditure) is coming out of the $3.7 million visitor access fees collected by the Recreation Areas Management (RAM) Board and the $628,000 contribution by the Federal Government.

The Commonwealth is also short changing Fraser Island. The budget for Fraser Island needs to be at least comparable with Kakadu and other heavily visited World Heritage sites. (See Rundown)

Since MOONBI 97

While there have been a number of positive signs that better management for Fraser Island may be on the way, nothing much has yet occurred on the ground. A promising start has been made towards better the fire management on the island. A workshop has been held which reached strong consensus on the action needed; many of the old fire trails have been reopened; and Rangers have achieved more effective burns this year than they have for a decade. The interpretive signs on the island are having a positive impact.

On the negative side has been the failure to implement some key elements of the Management Plan including road and beach closures. The snail pace progress towards resolving some of the most intractable issues such as the impact of the existing patterns of recreation (roads, camping impacts, etc.) and moving towards establishing more sustainable patterns of recreation can’t all be blamed on lack of resources. Misplaced priorities and poor management have played a part. The Fishing Expo (see p8) consumes a huge QPWS effort while nothing is done about a Walking Plan. On the larger scene one page of this MOONBI is devoted to global issues and their direct impact on Fraser Island (p6). Another is devoted to the implications of the new Commonwealth EPBC Act (p9).

Fraser Island Run Down

There is little dispute amongst experts that Fraser Island is in serious trouble. It is now by almost any standard the most neglected World Heritage area in Australia. It now has the most dubious distinction of being Queensland's most poorly supported National Park. Everybody in a position to objectively judge and compare the condition of Fraser Island a decade ago with its condition at present to supports that assessment.

The Run Down

The Fraser Island run down is both literal and metaphorical. Literally the run down is due to surface sediments filling the lakes and lower areas as a result of accelerated erosion. This is mainly due to the failure to address the impact of vehicle based recreation. Sand is literally running down hill and pouring into many of the lakes every time the island receives heavy rain. In one downpour in the last two years about 2 metres of sand was deposited at the Pile Valley turn-off from the Central Station –Eurong Road.

Metaphorically it is due to the hopeless delays and virtual paralysis in decision making and because that Fraser Island is now the most poorly funded World Heritage area in Australia.

There are many aspects to the Fraser Island run down. These include:

1. Political impotency: This includes both a paralysis in decision making and a failure to provide adequate funds, particularly in the light of the enormous financial significance of Fraser Island to the state and national economy

2. Failure to assess environmental impacts: There has been a reluctance to evaluate of the impacts of roads and access as a basis for decision making.

3. Poor Visitor Management: Two years ago a visitor management plan was developed but implementation of this languishes due more to the lack of will to implement it than to the lack of resources. The continuation of the Fishing Expo despite its much greater impact at the Orchid Beach site has been apparently sanctioned. The camping management plan has been stalled for 15 months. But the Walking Track Management Plan has been hidden from the public for five years.

The only one glimmer of light on the horizon has been some progress towards a Fire Management Plan. But that has been a poor consolation when it is realized that there are inadequate resources available to implement any Fire Management Plan, which is, developed. About $4 million allocated to recreation management on Fraser Island this financial year, more than 90% of the total budget, but with only $223,000 allocated to natural resource management and $19,000 for cultural management, the resources which attract the visitors as being degraded and invaded at an accelerating rate.

Political Impotency

The degradation, which is now, alarming FIDO has continued irrespective of which political party is in power. During the last decade we have seen both Labor and National-Liberal Party Governments in Queensland. It doesn't seem to matter which party is in power because neither government is willing to honour its promises or obligations when it comes to Fraser Island and there seems to be positive discrimination against it.

Goss Government: After more than two decades of political hostility to FIDO and a determination to exploit the natural resources of Fraser Island to a maximum, the election of the Goss Government was a welcome change. They saw Fraser Island placed on the World Heritage List but then when presented with the Management Plan failed to provide neither the statutory basis nor the funds to implement the Management Plan. They splashed money around to buy out the former Orchid Beach resort and then allowed Orchid Beach to become a planning shambles. Most of the $38 million Growth and Development Package it developed with the Hawke Government to compensate for the loss of the timber industry was spent on paying out industry and employees. Some was squandered on such poorly devised plans such as Orchid Beach. Virtually no money went into natural resource management on Fraser Island.

Borbidge Government: The brief history of the Borbidge Government proved to be a nightmare for Fraser Island. Borbidge promised to invest $10 million in developing Fraser Island infrastructure. Instead it cut out spending any consolidated revenue at all to Fraser Island for one year. It ignored the Management Plan and revoked part of the National Park to reopen the Orchid Beach airstrip. They splashed around ten times more money developing the Mary River Heads car park to facilitate access to the island and reopening Orchid Beach airstrip than they spent on natural resource management. They installed a political crony, Lin Powell, as CAC chair to try to silence criticism. It was a big step backwards.

The Borbidge Government made other decisions contrary to the Management Plan. At the behest of Toyota they relocated the Fishing Expo back to Orchid Beach where it has had extreme environmental impacts. They slowed and reversed implementing parts of the Management Plan.

Beattie Government: When the Beattie Government came to power in mid 1998, FIDO was optimistic that there would be a real improvement. In Opposition, Labor has shown so much concern for the state of Fraser Island and with commendable political commitment. They have yet to deliver on any of their policy in relation to Fraser Island. So far this year the Beattie Government has failed to allocate any consolidated revenue to manage Fraser Island. Fraser Island now receives the least amount of money from consolidated revenue of any National Park in Queensland. A separate source of revenue from the visitor access fees can only be used for recreation management. It can’t be used for natural resource management.

It is not just failure to provide adequate funding which disappoints, the Beattie Government has been very slow in taking any real decisions which will get the management of Fraser Island back on track. It should start by correcting the places where the Borbidge Government changed the Management Plan.

Decision Making Paralysis

* The Orchid Beach airstrip remains open. For another 2 years it was funded from the Beattie Government. FIDO understands that the QPWS was prepared to contribute $5,000 for airstrip showing that it has not got its priorities on the public interest or the environment straight. QPWS has been far too enthusiastic about facilitating access and visitation.

* The roads and beaches reopened by the Borbidge Government remain open. (It would require less than $200 to close them to traffic). There appears to be no will to ever make the two kilometres of beach south of Waddy Point vehicle free as prescribed in the Plan.

* The Fishing Expo continues at Orchid Beach despite the extremely critical report of the 1999 event. More than five months after the 2000 Fishing Expo QPWS Officers were still busy sanitizing a report to justify allowing this environmentally undesirable and unsustainable event to continue at the site where it has the greatest impact.

* Subsidiary management plans for walking tracks, visitation, camping and fire management which should contribute to the improvement of the management to Fraser Island continue to languish almost two and a half years after the Beattie Government assumed power.

* The Visitor Management Strategy has stalled in the face of opposition from vested Commercial Tour Operators.

* The Camping Management Plan has yet to see the light of day more than 15 months after time to respond to the very bad Draft Plan.

* There were promises that the CAC would see the Draft Walking Track Management Plan, which has used up the entire financial allocation for it in 1996 before the July meeting. The CAC has still to see a draft and nobody seems to be held accountable for producing no results after spending tens of thousands of dollars of taxpayers money. A good Walking Track Management Plan could be worth millions for the regional economy, yet the bureaucrats seem to be accountable to no one as they continue to inexplicably stall.

* The Dingo Management Strategy is still being drafted more than two and a half years after it began.

* There appears to be no intention to give any priority to assessing the contributing factors for Island roads being a major cause of environmental degradation.

* Thus there is no support for evaluating feasibility of a Fraser Island light rail system as an alternative form of access. It has been relegated to the lowest priority.

Labor's Electoral Commitments seem to have been shelved when it comes to Fraser Island:

#230 Implement World Heritage Area Management Plans so that core areas are protected from vehicle impact; restrict vehicle access to the periphery areas and reject proposals for development which are inconsistent with World Heritage objectives and values.

#231 Ensure that any future .... road access in the Great Sandy Region is consistent with the Management Plan and subject to sustainability.

The paralysis in making positive decisions to address the real issues on Fraser Island continues irrespective of which political party is in power.

Financial Starvation:

FIDO was advised in September how the RAM Board decided how user pays funds would be spent on Fraser Island. This is the proposed distribution of RAM funds.

NOTE: Queensland's whole contribution from user pays visitor fees collected by the Recreation Areas Management Board. Queensland Government's contribution from consolidated revenue $0.00.

History Repeated: It is interesting that FIDO's calculations of the proportions of funding allocations don't differ significantly from the figures given by a QPWS speaker at the Fire Management Workshop in August. Then the analysis which is presumably for the last financial year and as we recorded it was: General operations — 65.2% of the budget, management infrastructure — 8.7%, recreation management 14.5% — visitor management —4.1%, natural resource management — 4.9%, and fire management — 1.3%.

MINISTERIAL Council Finally Meets

The joint Queensland - Federal Ministerial Council for Fraser Island met in Canberra on 7 November (Melbourne Cup day). It was the first time it had met in over three years. There has been an incredible logjam of some very basic decisions such as filling vacancies on the Scientific Advisory Committee, which have failed to be filled for four years. Thus only three members out of a full strength committee of eight remain after five years. The failure to fill positions on the Scientific Advisory Committee is mainly blamed on Environment Minister Senator Robert Hill's refusal to accept the nominations forwarded by the Queensland Government. Until the influential politicians accept that Fraser Island deserves a much higher political priority then it will remain Australia's most neglected World Heritage area.

Federal Funding Not Much Better

The Howard Government has not given Fraser Island a fair share of Federal funding. This year the Commonwealth Government provided funding in two parts. $34,500.00 for the operation of the Fraser Island Committees (CAC, SAC, Management Committee) which has to be matched by the state. In addition this year it has provided $662,500 from the National Heritage Fund (which is due to run out in 2001) for specific projects

The following are the projects approved by the Commonwealth for 1999-2000 announced in May doesn’t coincide with the advisory committee priorities. Senator Hill refused to fund a very high committee priority a Transport and Access Study:

$300,000.00 Central Station campground

$106,500.00 new toilets at the start of the Wabby Lakes walking track, (not where FIDO wanted them)

$80,000.00 management of vehicle use (roadworks)

$50,000.00 Lake Allom foreshore works

$45,000.00 design for redeveloping the Lake McKenzie site in the future (to remove camping)

$45,000.00 replacement of Ungowa toilet. The committee saw (this as a very low priority).

$662,500 may seem like a generous contribution until it is compared with what the Commonwealth Government contributed to other Australian World Heritage sites. With its $662,500 in 1999-2000, Fraser Island received a mere 1.28% of the Commonwealth Government handouts for World Heritage sites. The full list Commonwealth allocations are as follows.

Sites managed wholly by the Commonwealth

Great Barrier Reef — $24,200,000 (46.76% of the total Commonwealth World Heritage spending)

Uluru - Kata Juta — $3.980,000 (7.69%)

Kakadu— $10,590,000 (20.46%).

It is interesting to compare Kakadu with Fraser Island. Both were identified as potential World Heritage sites by Commonwealth Environmental Inquiries in 1975-76. Kakadu Stage 1 became a National Park in 1978. It was inscriber on the World Heritage List in 1983 — 9 years before Fraser Island. As a result it started receiving funding for resource management more than a decade earlier than Fraser Island. Kakadu has a much more robust environment and is larger than Fraser Island but with slightly lower level of visitation. However with 20.46% of the Commonwealth World Heritage funding, Kakadu receives 16 times more than Fraser Island. It has more than twice the overall budget of Fraser Island.

Sites managed by Joint Agreement between State and Commonwealth Governments

Tasmanian Wilderness — $5,730,000 (10.34%)

Wet Tropics — $3,852,500 (7.44%)

State managed sites with some Commonwealth Government financial contribution

Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves of Australia (CERRA) — $785,000 (1.51%) involves both New South Wales and Queensland.

Fraser Island — $662,500 (1.28%)

Lord Howe Island — $453,000 (0.87)

Australia Fossil Mammal Sites (Naracoorte SA) — $417,720 (0.81%)

Australia Fossil Mammal Sites (Riversliegh Queensland) $395,193 (0.76%)

Shark Bay — $450,250 (0.87%)

Willandra Lakes — $340,000 (0.66%)

It is clear that World Heritage sites which have been nominated without a political brawl between the Commonwealth and respective State Governments have been short changed in subsequent Commonwealth allocations to assist the management of those sites. By whatever standard you adopt, Fraser Island has missed out.

The Federal Budget foreshadows a reduction in funding for World Heritage areas from $15.7 million (which doesn't include the Great Barrier Reef, Kakadu and Uluru) to $10 million by 2002.

One positive benefit from the Commonwealth Government is its newly proclaimed Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) is discussed on p9 of this MOONBI.

Contributions by Other States

It appears that Fraser Island is the only site, which does not receive any contribution from general state revenue for management of the World Heritage sites. As MOONBI 98 was going to press, FIDO has not been able to obtain an analysis of each State's separate contribution to the particular World Heritage sites. FIDO is attempting to obtain this obscure data from New South Wales, Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia

FIDO will be represented at the meeting of the World Heritage Committee which will be meeting in Cairns, Queensland from 23 November to 2 December, 2000.

The Economic Value of Fraser Island

The whale-watching industry is now estimated to be worth at least $8 million to the Fraser Coast economy. It attracts 80,000 visitors a year, most of whom spend just an extra day or half day in Hervey Bay to see the whales.

Ten years ago Noosa National Park was estimated to generate an additional $24 million annually for the regional economy and again it is adding only marginally to the mean length of the visitor stays in Noosa.

In addition to time spent on the island itself, Fraser Island adds over a million visitor days to the time visitors stay in the Fraser Coast Region. Based on the estimated economic values of other major natural areas such as the Wet Tropics, Kakadu, Noosa and Cooloola, FIDO conservatively estimates that Fraser Island contributes more than $250 million to the state economy annually.

Local Government

All three levels of government abuse Fraser Island financially. FIDO cannot get any response from either the Maryborough or Hervey Bay City Councils over their pocketing of revenue collected on Fraser Island.

Nothing seems to have happened since we published the following statement in MOONBI 94:

The 1996 Local Government Boundaries Review said (p16) "Hervey Bay City has a net excess revenue of $122,000" for its portion of Fraser Island. This is "after allowing a pro-rata contribution to general administration' of 10%. In addition the portion of Fraser Island under Hervey Bay "attracts Financial Assistance Grants and Road Entitlement estimated to be some $160,000 per annum."

FIDO is very concerned particularly at the incredibly poor management of that part of Fraser Island in the Hervey Bay City Council jurisdiction. Three issues particularly concern us.

1. The Council has refused to implement the Development Control Plan, which was drafted at great public expense to be compatible with the Great Sandy Region Management Plan. The Council’s “go-it-alone” policy has effectively thumbed its nose at its responsibilities under the Management Plan.

2. Hervey Bay Council has deliberately turned a blind eye to quite obvious breaches of its own zoning laws and building codes to sanction huge mansions on Fraser Island being built and then sub-let as multi-unit dwellings. This practice has allowed Orchid Beach to become a model of appalling planning.

3. Having neglected its responsibilities to control weeds and oversee proper planing for the northern half of the island, the Hervey Bay Council has now decided to draw up its own Coastal Management Plan. To date the drafts and Discussion Papers have effectively ignored the fact that more than three-quarters of the coastline of the City of Hervey Bay is located on Fraser Island. A huge amount of government money has already been granted to facilitate this planning process but it looks like Fraser Island is again going to be the Cinderella as Hervey Bay City moves to develop its own Coastal Management Plan. We suspect that this is to avoid adhering to the regional plan which takes in the coast from Noosa to Miriam Vale

Fire Management Under Way

MOONBI readers will be well aware of FIDO’s growing agitation over the failure to develop and implement a Fire management Plan for Fraser Island. This was resulting in alarming ecological changes on the island which were threatening many of the island’s World Heritage values.

On 21-23 August the QPWS hosted a very comprehensive Fire Management Workshop at Hervey Bay involving more than 30 community, scientific and ranger staff representatives who, with the guidance and input of a number of experts, explored and discussed the options for the best fire management regime on Fraser Island.

It was encouraging to appreciate the strong consensus that more management burning was required particularly from the island ranger staff. The workshop identified all of the special island ecotypes and their special fire requirements. For example coastal casuarinas are very fire sensitive and may take years to recover on foredunes after severe fires so they need to be protected. On the other hand there is an invasion of casuarinas on Indian Head which is threatening a very specialized and rare grassland headland ecotype. It was agreed that there needs to be a management burn on Indian Head to reduce the casuarina invasion of that special ecotype. Appropriate fire regimes have similarly been identified for the whole island.

We now await the final outcome which should appear in the form of a draft plan. However, at the speed that several plans on Fraser Island are progressing at it may be years before that occurs.

In the meantime the Rangers have already been busy conducting management burns within the constraints of their very limited resources. In so doing (and they have made more progress this year than they have done for several years) they are building up a better understanding of the science and ecology of fire for Fraser Island.

One Got Away: One management burn at Sandy Cape escaped this year but because this area had been burnt two years ago with by a very benign wildfire, this fire was much more benign than it may have otherwise been. FIDO thinks it is inevitable that there will be some mistakes as the skills to better understand and manage fire in this environment are developed. One can learn from mistakes, but if nothing is done, nothing is learnt.

World Class Interpretation on Fraser

MOONBI would like to give the QPWS another bouquet to for the excellence of the interpretive signage. This now causing more visitors to be better informed about the issues and to appreciate the island more. John Sinclair, who explored National Park management in Utah in July, and who annually visits most leading National Parks in Australia says the interpretive signs are exceptionally good and could be judged world class. FIDO would like to express particular appreciation to Sue Olsen for her work in producing the excellent signs and brochures. The establishment of tour operators workshops (such as are conducted at Kakadu) and more Ranger guided activities of the quality offered in American National Parks would provide Fraser Island the very top quality interpretation.

Overseas Events Impact on Fraser

Goldman Reunion: During the Goldman Environmental Prizewinners' Reunion held last July, 2000 in San Francisco, FIDO's John Sinclair (Snr) met other laureates from 35 countries and learnt a lot more about the projects which had helped them to earn this most prestigious prize for voluntary conservation. John Sinclair also used his sponsored visit to San Francisco to explore more of the United States particularly the management of the National Park system. He added to the experience he recorded in 1998 when he visited the Grand Canyon and Mesa Verde World Heritage sites by visiting four National Parks three National Monuments, two National Recreation Areas and other protected lands in Southern Utah. Full reports of his observations can be found on his web site: www.sinclair.org.au. However there are a number of observations which MOONBI readers need to appreciate and which impact directly on Fraser Island. What was of most concern was the number of issues which these amazing people were addressing and how many had some impact, albeit sometimes remote on Fraser Island.

Fraser Island’s Migratory Waders

The most significant and potentially alarming was to learn from the Korean Prize winner, Choi Yul, that a Korean project to destroy and fill in the Saemangum Mud flats, tidal wetlands in Korea will certainly impact on the populations of trans-equatorial waders in Great Sandy Strait. The Saemangum Mud flats are Ramsar listed wetlands

The Korean Government proposes to build a 37 kilometre long sea wall and then convert about 40,000 hectares of what is now rich tidal mudflats into agricultural land to feed the growing Korean population. However, the mudflats are used annually by a vast population of migratory waders who nest and breed in the tundra areas of Siberia during the northern summer and then make epic flights to Australia. While some follow a route through China and others through Japan, the area proposed to be transformed is a significant stopover point for these waders who gorge themselves in a feeding frenzy for just a few days to build up reserves for the long flight.

If this project proceeds then many birds will be weakened as a consequence and may not survive the long flight. Thus it will inevitably impact on the populations of migratory species using Great Sandy Strait. The species and the impact are not yet known but Choi Yul's Korea Federation for Environmental Movement (KFEM) which is spearheading strenuous opposition to this scheme are planning to gather more data during forthcoming migrations both to and from Australia. More details can be found on KFEM's web site at www.kfem.org.

While there is a Japanese Australian Migratory Bird Agreement (JAMBA) and Australia has a similar agreement with China (CAMBA) to mutually protect the birds and their habitats, there appears to be no international treaty between Australia and Korea which would protect equivalent habitats in Korea. FIDO is now urging both the Australian Government and the Korean Government to begin the development of such a dialogue and to abandon this project which will have such an adverse impact on the numbers of waders frequenting Great Sandy Strait and other Australian wetlands.

Globalization

The so-called "Battle of Seattle" forced a rethink of the policies and impact of the World Trade Organization (WTO) as a result of the strong protests by non-government organizations. Australian media presented images of chaos and anarchy allegedly created by a loose coalition of environmentalists, unionists, supporters of the third world and others. Innocent government delegations going about their lawful business were portrayed as the "victims" because citizen actions paralyzed the meeting. There was little analysis of who would benefit most and who would be disadvantaged as a result of the business of the meeting.

Since the Seattle WTO debacle where protest had to be suppressed by American armed, there has been a more considered revaluation of the WTO. Many agencies are now assessing the impacts of "globalization" and particularly how it is affecting the environment, poorer countries and the bulk of the world's population.

It appears that there are fewer and fewer beneficiaries and the impact on the global environment is more catastrophic than most had imagined. For example, Australia now can't effectively enforce quarantine laws which had been trying to affect what Brisbane writer, Tim Low, describes in "Feral Futures". This is likely to add to the number and impact of feral pests and weeds on Fraser Island, an isolated island that has escaped much of these injurious agencies.

Climate Change

Another major global issue is climate change. Politicians euphemistically use soft, warm terms such as "Global Warming" or "Greenhouse Effect" to describe the accumulation of gases in the atmosphere which are changing our climate. Both of these terms deny the reality. "Climate Destabilization" is a much more accurate term. It defines the outcome rather than the symptoms. Conservationists should be use Climate Destabilization instead of the political “weasel words”.

Rising sea levels: Although the effect of sea level changes on the Pacific Island nations has been widely publicized there has been little focus on howsuch changes will affect Fraser Island. . If the sea rises over the next few centuries it will erode away over about 15% of the island's total area or about 24,000 hectares.

A rising sea will also take with it many of the more interesting ecosystems such as the fens which scientists have just come to appreciate. A large area near Moon Point on the western side of the island and the swamps creeks from Eurong south are vulnerable if the sea level rises as little as a metre. They were created about 5,500 years ago when the sea levels fell just one metre. Climate change is expected to cause the sea level to rise just one metre from their present level.

Just these two issues show that global activities have a very significant impact on Fraser Island. While FIDO continues to fight to achieve better management of Fraser Island in Queensland, we can't ignore what is happening on the world stage. Some of the impacts may not immediately affect Fraser Island but the long-term implications are very profound.

FIDO will continue to use its many networks with other voluntary conservation groups both within Australia and overseas to address these very important issues.

Vale Judith Wright 1915 -2000

Judith Wright was best known as one of the most eloquent Australian writer and poet. However it was as one of this nation's foremost pioneer conservationist that will be her most enduring legacy Australian society. She co-founded the Wildlife Preservation Society of Qld (WPSQ) in 1963, was an original Councillor of the Australian Conservation Foundation, Patron of Australians for an Ecologically Sustainable Population Inc (AESP). She was a guiding light for FIDO and one of John Sinclair's foremost mentors and inspirations. In 1975 she helped coordinate other voluntary conservation groups to support FIDO's submission to the Fraser Island Environmental Inquiry which led to the cessation of sandmining.

In her Foreword to "Reef Rainforest Mangroves Man - A Focus on Cape York Peninsula" she wrote:

"Finally, however, the core of the problem in Far North Queensland as everywhere in the world, is the nature of man himself and the question whether we are capable of overcoming our past priorities and re-directing ourselves and our societies in wiser ways. The present exponential rise in world population and in consequent resource use, in a world of dwindling options, affects Australia in many ways. We are one of the world's quarries, and one of its only remaining grain suppliers; and at Weipa on Cape York much of this quarrying is done. North Queensland is not exempt from any of the problems we make for ourselves.

We may not realise that 'exponentiality' is built into our biology, as into that of other species. Only predation keeps the natural balance among species, and we have done away with most of our predators and greatly increased our consumption wants. .... ....

The Workshop's scope was widened to a biological world-view ... which starkly scans the biological. Yet there are 'quantum jumps' in man's developmental history. The emergence of human language everywhere in the world was one such jump. We are the only species which has produced a mechanism of information-storage and of inter-individual and inter-social communication on a conscious level through symbolisation in speech, writing, and mathematics. Indeed, it was this very achievement which has brought us to our present dominance, and to the problems which arise from it. We now have another great gap to jump - one which would make us capable of overcoming a genetic programming now no longer appropriate to our survival. Maybe it can be done."

FIDO and Australia mourn her passing.

We also mourn the passing of Kathleen MacArthur of Caloundra. She was also co-founder of the WPSQ and was one of the prime movers in the initial Cooloola and helped promote public appreciation of the Wallum and the Noosa River. She had also been a strong FIDO supporter. Kathleen died not long after Judith.

Coastal acid sulfate soils

Both the Commonwealth and Queensland Governments are now starting to spend a lot of money to address the environmental impacts of acid sulfate soils. Such soils occur naturally along most of Australia's coastline. Once drained or disturbed these soils react with oxygen in the air to produce sulfuric acid. This dissolves heavy metals into a highly toxic cocktail of chemicals that are carried in run-off water into creeks and estuaries. Acid sulfate soils can cause massive fish kills, corrode cement and steel structures and strip land of vegetation. Most marine life is particularly sensitive to any changes in pH and thus disturbance of acid sulphate soils is one of the major contributors to the decline of the marine productivity in our coastal areas.

Until now the impacts of acid sulphate soils have largely been overlooked. The evidence is now compelling that the chain reactions set off by disturbing such soils by canal estates, drainage, marinas, boat ramps, etc. are too serious to allow to continue unchecked. We are already paying a very heavy a price for past mistakes in dealing with these soils. Acid sulfate soil affects the entire coastal community and there is an urgent need to discover and adopt effective techniques to manage this vast problem.

The protection of Australia's coast is vital as it provides habitat essential for Australia's unique biodiversity, nurseries for commercial fish species and resting habitat for migratory birds.

Acid Soils and Fireweed? There is a strong suspicion also that the disturbance of acid sulphate soils is the major contributor to the escalation in the occurrence of "fireweed" (Lyngbya majuscula) off Fraser Island and elsewhere in Southern Queensland. Queensland has announced plans to spend $370,000 on research to develop a Lyngbya Management Strategy by early next year to limit the impact of these algal outbreaks.

This blue-green algae settles on the surface of sea-grasses and reduces the capacity of sea grass to photosynthesize and be as productive. It is suspected of being responsible for the alarming loss of sea grass after the floods of 1994, which decimated the Hervey Bay dugong population. It is now acknowledged to be slowing the recovery of some areas of Hervey Bay and Moreton Bay catchments.

Snippets

Lyngbya (Fireweed) is a voracious and highly toxic algae which can spread at a rate of up to 100 square metres a minute. It causes blistering, rashes and second degree burns in humans. It tends to appear at the height of South Queensland’s tourist season around Christmas. It also has the potential to devastate sea-grasses and dugong and turtle populations.

A seasonal closure of part of Hervey Bay to trawler fishing has drawn the ire of professional fishers. Seafood Industry Association spokesperson, Ted Loveday, wants the area and the time of closure reduced.

Some Hervey Bay City Councillors were opposed to a proposal to extend the Hervey Bay Marine Park.

While some other parts of Australia fared better, rainfall on Fraser Island for the 12 months to the end of October was only 60% of the average. The unseasonal drier weather highlighted the fire risk and it has also enabled more management burns to be undertaken.

Fishing Expo

QPWS’s official report on the conduct of Toyota’s 2000 Fishing Expo from 20 to 26 May was finally received in mid October. It accords with reports which came out during the Fishing Expo itself that the behaviour of the 1289 competitors and 400 associates/friends was much improved on that of 1999. In summary it concluded that there was a decline in yobbo behaviour. This was attributed to three key factors:

The weather allowed the launching of boats and this reduced the amount of vehicular traffic and impacts.

Organizers responded to the justified criticism of the previous event and improved their behaviour.

Fewer people competed than in 1999 and there were many fewer campers (251 camps and 878 people in 2000 compared with 326 camps and 1307 people in 1999 — a 33% reduction).

The QPWS, which is responsible for managing this World Heritage site cannot do a Pontius Pilate and absolve itself of responsibility for the fish stocks. FIDO understands that the Primary Industries Dept received almost $13,000 this year ($10 per entrant) but it has not produced any sort of report on the event or its impacts.

This is not good enough. The Fishing Expo shouldn’t continue at Orchid Beach.