Wild Rivers declaration proposed
03.06.2006
Groups wild over green river policy
QUEENSLAND
A MEETING today at remote Musgrave station in central Cape York will join pastoralists and indigenous land owners in an unlikely alliance to oppose legislation introduced by the Beattie Government to lock up so-called wild rivers, ostensibly to protect them from environmental damage.
The Wild Rivers Act 2005 was an election promise to appease the Greens. However, the legislation has upset everybody else involved, principally the indigenous land owners and local pastoralists.
Before the legislation was introduced last year, the Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Policy wrote to ministers warning the legislation infringed the rights of pastoralists and traditional owners, who depended on the rivers for their daily existence, and that neither group was consulted.
The document says: ``As the majority of affected constituents will be indigenous, DATSIP encourages the adoption of a community engagement approach [to develop] policy accepted by all stakeholders.''
Tony Koch
