Wild Rivers

[JoondalupJ]

Who can tell me in simple terms what the Wild rivers legislation means , allows, or stops and why?

 

[Power Raid]

Wild rivers limits activity within a certain distance (1km) from "rivers", creeks, fllod plains, basins and streams to "preserve" their natural value.

It was sold as a low impact piece of legislation that wouldn't stop activity within the buffer zone but it turned out to be a nightmare of bureaucracy. It was one of those situations where a great idea became terrible in practice.

Aborigines were the first to protest against the legislation as it had an immediate impact on the economic and employment opportunities (beef industry). Effectively it was just another "white man's" law locking them off their land by restricting how they could use their land.

 

[Power Raid]

some interesting links

http://theconversation.com/overturn-axe-and-bury-the-lnp-and-queenslands-wild-rivers-act-8576

http://theconversation.com/the-wild-rivers-act-controversy-5663

http://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/LEGISLTN/CURRENT/W/WildRivA05.pdf

 

[JoondalupJ]

Wild rivers limits activity within a certain distance (1km) from "rivers", creeks, fllod plains, basins and streams to "preserve" their natural value.

It was sold as a low impact piece of legislation that wouldn't stop activity within the buffer zone but it turned out to be a nightmare of bureaucracy. It was one of those situations where a great idea became terrible in practice.

Aborigines were the first to protest against the legislation as it had an immediate impact on the economic and employment opportunities (beef industry). Effectively it was just another "white man's" law locking them off their land by restricting how they could use their land.

Thank you for that info.

Also the beef industry ? Would that mean they couldn't take cattle to water because of restrictions to that 1 kilometre?

 

[Power Raid]

Also the beef industry ? Would that mean they couldn't take cattle to water because of restrictions to that 1 kilometre?

I know a number of mining companies were effected as well as some construction developments. However, these guys didn't make a lot of noise as they would have received little sympathy.

The aborigines were the noisiest as they would lose the native title agreement royalties and the ability to run cattle on the land and the flow on effect of not being able to open abattoirs. I don't know the full details on the cattle industry issue but will have a better insight later this year as "the mining boom evolves into a dining boom".

Australia is in for interesting times as protein becomes more valuable than gold (figuratively speaking).