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Canoeist spreading the Mary River message |
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Written by Les Fawkes
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Saturday, 19 April 2008 |
As a result of a worsening water
crisis in 2007 and 2008 the Queensland Government has panicked and
proposed a dam on the Mary River at Traveston Crossing south of
Gympie. The Traveston Dam is but a small part of The Queensland Water
Commission’s fifty year plan.
The Mary River Catchment is one of the most diverse catchments in Queensland. It covers 9595 km2 from Maleny to Fraser Island and contains a population of over 100,000 people, both on the land and in urban areas and rural subdivisions. The Mary River is 310 kms long winding through a very complex catchment.
Many people are opposed to the site of this dam as they believe it to be a flawed decision. To assist those who oppose the dam, Steve Posselt, adventurer, speaker and conservationalist set out on at noon Saturday 12th April from the West End boat ramp aiming to finish back in Brisbane Sunday 11th May having completed a kayak journey down the Brisbane and Mary Rivers.
| Steve's canoe at rest between the Brisbane River and the Mary River catchments with the Glasshouse Mts in the background
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On April 18th a band of supporters went bush just outside Maleny to meet Steve as he crossed from the Brisbane River to the Mary River catchment. That night he camped at the Conondale State School.
Steve said, “It’s been tough at least two days, the Conondales were pretty tough. Every time you say it’s going to get easier, it never does.”
Steve continued, “It is impossible to paddle the Brisbane River because of impenetrable water hyacinth infestations and a choking seas of weeds. There are kilometres of the stuff. If the Mary is dammed, the same thing is going to happen to it.”
On Sunday 20th there will be a canoe rally at the proposed site of the dam wall and Steve intends to be taking part in it.
Steve has previously paddled some 3000km from Brisbane to Adelaide in 2007 to draw attention to the disastrous state of the Murray-Darling taking his conservation message with him.
Steve believes that the water that falls on Brisbane in the form of rain is part of the answer to the need for extra water in the south east corner of Queensland and it is not even being considered in the overall plan. This water is said to be one and a half times the amount of water Brisbane needs and there are ways and means of catching this.
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