Campaign Paddles into Sydney Harbour

A crowd of media and supporters gathered in Sydney on Saturday afternoon, to welcome protest-kayaker Steve Posselt, after his long paddle down the coast from Queensland. Steve’s mission was to deliver several thousand letters of protest to Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett about the proposed Traveston Crossing Dam.

Minister Garrett was there at the Man-o-War wharf on the Botanic Garden side of the Sydney Opera House to greet Steve as he arrived with the protest letters.

Glenda Pickersgill from the Save the Mary River Group, who was in the crowd of welcomers, said, “It's not a small feat to paddle all the way to Sydney from Queensland and we thank Steve for the huge personal effort."


"Dams are a risky investment in a drying climate," said Jeff Angel, Director, Total Environment Centre. "They produce hundreds of tonnes of carbon-intensive methane from flooded vegetation and this contributes even more to climate change."


Cate Faehrmann, Executive Director, Nature Conservation Council, was also there to welcome Steve on his arrival. "More rain falls on Sydney and Brisbane each year than the total water used,” she said. “We need to capture it with rainwater tanks and stormwater harvesting. Dams are not a smart solution to water shortages in Sydney, Brisbane or anywhere else."


"We hope that Minister Garrett will reject the dam," said Kate Noble from the Australian Conservation Foundation. "The Traveston Crossing Dam will have a devastating impact on the Mary River and on species like the Lungfish that should be protected by Australia's environmental laws.”