MEDIA RELEASE
ACTION GROUP TO HOLD INDEPENDENT MEETING TO ASSESS SOCIAL IMPACTS
Dam opponents will hold their own meeting to record the anticipated social pain of the downstream communities should the proposed Traveston Crossing Dam go ahead.
The Save the Mary River Co-ordinating Group will facilitate the meeting to be held in the Maryborough City Hall on Tuesday 21 August at 7.00 pm.
“This meeting will give every member of the public the opportunity to participate in a social impact assessment and not just the select few invited to the workshop run by the State government a few weeks ago,” said Kevin Ingersole, the group Chairman.
“Queensland Water Infrastructure is required to do a social impacts assessment and they deliberately have not asked residents as individuals for their response. Well, we are giving the people their opportunity. The responses collected at this meeting on a confidential basis will be included in the information sent to the Federal Government which will make the final decision on whether this dam is built or not,” he said.
At the meeting, Mr. Ingersole will explain the QWI approach to the Social Impacts Assessment and why the Save the Mary River Group does not support it.
To give residents the opportunity to speak freely, media representatives will not be invited.
In helping to organise the meeting, Tiaro Councillor Darryl Stewart said that the conservative estimates of a $300 million downturn in economic activity downstream if the dam is built ensures that the social impact of the dam will be tragically enormous from Gympie right out into Hervey Bay and all communities in between.
“The Premier and his Deputy have completely ignored and dismissed out of hand all consideration of the downstream communities in pushing their unnecessary and unwanted political barrow,” he said. “Consultation and democratic rights are obviously words not included in the Premier’s dictionary.”
Maryborough Mayor Barb Hovard and her Council are fully supportive of the need for people to have input into the process.
“This meeting will probably be the only opportunity for our regional residents to tell the government how they believe the proposed dam will affect them,” she said. “I urge as many people as possible to find the time to come along and be heard.”
For Further Information, contact :
Kevin Ingersole Ph. 54884219 Mob 0419538499
Darryl Stewart Ph 41296190
Dam opponents will hold their own meeting to record the anticipated social pain of the downstream communities should the proposed Traveston Crossing Dam go ahead.
The Save the Mary River Co-ordinating Group will facilitate the meeting to be held in the Maryborough City Hall on Tuesday 21 August at 7.00 pm.
“This meeting will give every member of the public the opportunity to participate in a social impact assessment and not just the select few invited to the workshop run by the State government a few weeks ago,” said Kevin Ingersole, the group Chairman.
“Queensland Water Infrastructure is required to do a social impacts assessment and they deliberately have not asked residents as individuals for their response. Well, we are giving the people their opportunity. The responses collected at this meeting on a confidential basis will be included in the information sent to the Federal Government which will make the final decision on whether this dam is built or not,” he said.
At the meeting, Mr. Ingersole will explain the QWI approach to the Social Impacts Assessment and why the Save the Mary River Group does not support it.
To give residents the opportunity to speak freely, media representatives will not be invited.
In helping to organise the meeting, Tiaro Councillor Darryl Stewart said that the conservative estimates of a $300 million downturn in economic activity downstream if the dam is built ensures that the social impact of the dam will be tragically enormous from Gympie right out into Hervey Bay and all communities in between.
“The Premier and his Deputy have completely ignored and dismissed out of hand all consideration of the downstream communities in pushing their unnecessary and unwanted political barrow,” he said. “Consultation and democratic rights are obviously words not included in the Premier’s dictionary.”
Maryborough Mayor Barb Hovard and her Council are fully supportive of the need for people to have input into the process.
“This meeting will probably be the only opportunity for our regional residents to tell the government how they believe the proposed dam will affect them,” she said. “I urge as many people as possible to find the time to come along and be heard.”
For Further Information, contact :
Kevin Ingersole Ph. 54884219 Mob 0419538499
Darryl Stewart Ph 41296190
No comments:
Post a Comment