| E-Bulletin - 23/07/2010 |
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Sunshine Coast Environment Council E-Bulletin - 23rd July 2010
Events and Happenings
Dear All A big thank you to all those who have contributed to the selling/purchasing of raffle tickets for this year. This is a major fundraiser for SCEC providing necessary funding towards our efforts in preserving the Sunshine Coast environment. Helen Hutchison will be at Eumundi Markets tomorrow selling tickets and will do the final draw. Good luck to everyone! Enjoy your weekend. Kind Regards  A Note from the Executive Officer On behalf of the management committee and all staff I want to thank Narelle for all the hard work she has put into SCEC over the past five years. We wish Narelle all the best in her campaign as she contests the seat of Fairfax as the Queensland Greens candidate in the federal election. Wiebe ter Bals CURRENT CAMPAIGNSDEVELOPMENT The public submissions on the Caloundra South Structure Plan closed in May. The Council is now evaluating the submissions and compiling its response back to the State Government. The Council will decide if and how it intends to amend the proposed Caloundra South Structure Plan. The Minister for Infrastructure & Planning will then reconsider state interests and will advise council to adopt the Caloundra South Structure Plan. Depending on the outcomes of the state government’s recommendations on the structure plan, council will review its position in relation to any changes proposed by the minister and consider whether further action is required. The Caloundra South proposal is the biggest and most significant development the Coast will experience – it is a city the size of Gladstone on the southern entry to the Sunshine Coast. SCEC is particularly concerned about the cumulative impacts that an additional population of at least 50,000 people will have in addition to the existing and other proposed developments will have on the Internationally recognized Pumicestone Passage. Although public comments on the DRAFT Structure Plan have closed, it is not too late to voice your concern to your local Councillors and State politicians. Click Here to find the contact details for your local Councillor. Click Here for your State representatives. Also write to Minister Garrett and advise him of your concerns for the iconic Pumicestone Passage and the matters of National Environmental Significance. Click Here to contact Minister Garrett. GLOBAL WARMING - CLIMATE CHANGE Evaluate Each Party’s Policy on Climate Change on August 21st When casting your vote on Saturday, August 21st, carefully evaluate each party’s policy on climate change. Are they committing to positive action on climate change and do they have real strategies. Certainly young people will be scrutinizing each party’s policy for real action. A survey of groups representing young voters has found climate change; unemployment and education are some of the key issues for the election campaign. Click Here for ABC Full News Article. New research shows that Australia can reach 100% renewable energy within a decade, using technology that is commercially available right now. The report by Zero Carbon Australia shoes that we have the there is no excuse to maintain Australia’s reliance on fossil fuels. We have the technology to move to 100% renewable now! Click Here to Download the Full Report. BIODIVERSITY Ecosystem Services are simply as “the benefits people derive from Ecosystems”. Besides resources like food, wood and other raw materials, plants, animals, fungi and micro-organisms provide many regulatory services such as pollination of crops, prevention of soil erosion or water purification. A study by the United Nations which shows that on average one third of the Earth's habitats have been damaged by humans, is also putting an economic cost on this biodiversity loss. The threat to the world's biodiversity is well documented. In Australia, 427 animal species are threatened with extinction and more than 1,000 plants are also on the brink. The study shows that despite growing awareness about the problem, it continues on a large scale. The report found we need a massive increased investment in biodiversity protection from both the business community and from government. The ancient flightless Southern Cassowary is endangered. The Rainforest Information Centre has launched a new national campaign, Save the Cassowary to help protect vital Cassowary habitat in the Wet Tropics of FNQ. Take Action to urge the Government to assist with buyback of undeveloped land in the Daintree and Mission Beach. If you can help distribute and get postcards signed, please email Ruth at Click Here to Take Action Now. Rainforest Information Centre Mangrove Forests Endangered Global mangrove forests are being lost up to four times faster than land forests, the first international assessment in more than a decade has shown. The World Atlas of Mangroves is the outcome of a five-year research collaboration headed by the United Nations Environment Program. It says about one-fifth of global mangroves have vanished since 1980; the present rate of loss is 0.7 per cent a year. The assessment estimates that close to 50,000 square kilometres, one-quarter of original mangrove cover, has been lost as a result of human intervention. Click Here for Full SMH Article. WASTE MANAGEMENT Draft Waste Management Strategy for Public Comment The State Government has released its Draft Waste Management Strategy for public comment. Submissions being accepted until 31st July 2010. Click Here to view the document. MARINE Petition Against the Grounding of Shen neng 1 in the Great Sandy Marine Park The petition of the residents of the State of Queensland draws to the attention of the House, the grounding of the Shen neng 1 and the subsequent decision to use the Great Sandy Marine Park (GSMP), as a place of refuge under S 10 & 11 of the Protection of the Sea (Powers of Intervention) Act 1981. The incident is a pertinent example of the potential for the place of refuge (GSMP) to be considered the ideal safe anchorage for future coal export shipping incidents along the Queensland coastline, which is contrary to the acceptable use of a designated Marine Park. The Queensland government has declined to participate in a strategic assessment under S 146 of the EPBC Act 1999 for a determination of the likelihood of significant impacts from coal and gas export, to the following Matters of National Environmental Significance (MNES): World Heritage Area Values, National Heritage Values Wetlands of international importance (Ramsar Wetland values), listed threatened species and communities, listed migratory species and the Marine environment. Click Here to Sign the Petition. Garrett Praises Queensland Oil Spill Clean-up Today marks the end of the restoration program after the worst environmental disaster in Queensland's history. About 270 tonnes of heavy fuel oil washed up on beaches on Moreton and Bribie Islands and the Sunshine Coast in March 2009 from the damaged container ship Pacific Adventurer. Federal Environment Protection Minister Peter Garrett has praised the volunteers for the restoration work. "The activities of the community have been absolutely outstanding," he said. "I'm really pleased that I'll be able to come up to the Sunshine Coast and commemorate all the big efforts that have been undertaken by by the community in helping clean-up this spill and by the way, cleaning it up really well". SEQ Catchments spokesman Simon Warner says more than $4 million has been spent on various projects involving almost 1,500 volunteers."There was quite a lot of revegetation", he said. "There was particularly a lot done with the wetlands on Moreton Island so a real variety of activities underway that were all designed to help us better understand how we were impacted by the oil spill and to put in place those things that could begin the restoration process after the oil spill." POPULATION GROWTH Population, Water Key Election Issues: The Queensland Farmers Federation (QFF) says both sides of politics need to look at population growth outside of metropolitan areas during the federal election campaign. The QFF also says it wants climate change policies to be prominently debated during the campaign, as well as water policy and agricultural production. Prime Minister Julia Gillard is promoting her sustainable population policy, while Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says he would set targets to manage population growth. QFF spokesman Dan Galligan says growth is a major issue in many marginal seats in Queensland. "Politicians, when talking about a growing population, tend to focus on the south-east Queensland corner", he said. Click Here for Full Article. WATER QUALITY, QUANTITY, CONSUMPTION and WATERWAYS Minister to Front Meetings over Carcinogenic Water The Government says the Cougar Energy took too long to report the test results at its Kingaroy plant. (Damien O'Sullivan) Mines and Energy Minister Stephen Robertson says he will attend meetings in Queensland's South Burnett region today over a water contamination scare. Cougar Energy's pilot gasification project near Kingaroy was ordered to shut down after carcinogenic chemicals were found in water supplies. Click Here for Full Article. GENERAL/ENVIRONMENT New Cert III in Eco – Tourism course starting at TAFE Monday, 2nd August for 15 weeks at Noosa Campus SIT 30107. Eco-Tourism reflects both the aims of modern conservation: management of resources and protection of the environment. Modern Eco-Tourism strives to be sustainable, so that the activities that are taking place can continue to do so. Click Here to Download Flyer. TAFE Dual Diploma in Sustainability There is still time to enrol in the Sunshine Coast TAFE Dual Diploma in Sustainability Within this dual diploma you’ll learn how to: apply the concepts of sustainability to a major challenge; develop and implement a program to support behavioural change and sustainable practices; develop a business plan for responsive and sustainable businesses; and analyse the long-term outcomes of sustainable production and consumption. Click Here for Further Information.
EVENTS and HAPPENINGS If you would like your event to be included here, details will need to be with us at least 3 weeks prior to the event so that they can be included (small files please – many flyer files are too large to be included. If a link to a website is available, let us know). Community Planting for National Tree Day  Back to Nambour Festival Come and enjoy a great weekend ahead. There will be music, displays, great food and fun for all the family.   Deep Ecology and the Conservation of Nature Internationally respected John Seed - Sunshine Coast presentation and workshop. A weekend of experiential deep ecology at Bellbunya on the Sunshine Coast. The evening of September 16 will offer a multi-media presentation titled "Deep Ecology and the Conservation of Nature". As well as spoken word, it includes music, poetry and a short film. Earlier this year John returned from India where he made this presentation 30 times sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs. Click Here to Download Flyer Movies That Matter 'Movies That Matter' is a Monthly Film Night showcasing important international documentary films on Nutrition, Sustainability and Health. The events are held at the Sunshine Coast's Innovation Centre at the entrance to The University of Sunshine Coast. The evenings start at 6.30pm with delicious healthy snacks and drinks available before each film. After the screening a panel of experts will come to the podium for Q & A and discussion centred around the topics addressed in the film. Below is the poster for our upcoming screening on Wednesday, the 11th of August, 2010 - which is "Dirt - The Movie". Click Here to view the trailer and book your tickets.   Reality Bites: The Truth About Non-Fiction ‘Australia’s premier literacy non-fiction festival’ Click Here for more detailed information. Birdman Lands on the Sunshine Coast Dr Yossi Lesham, Internationally renowned ornithologist, talks on birds, aircraft, biological pest control and regional cooperation on environmental issues in the Middle East. 7pm at Millwell Road Community Centre, Maroochydore on Tuesday 3rd August.  In our ongoing commitment to our valued members, we are undertaking the first phase of a reinvigorated membership engagement program with member groups. Trevor Lloyd, who has done invaluable work with Healthy Waterways and other significant programs, will be visiting groups on our behalf in the near future. Don’t forget, if any of your contact details change please notify us and please forward this newsletter onto anyone you think may be interested . . . . SUNSHINE COAST ENVIRONMENT COUNCIL
3 Porters Lane, Nambour QLD 4560. PO Box 269 Disclaimer: |
