Vern Veitch
Fax: 07 4771 6034
Chair
Mobile: 0418 729496
Email: vernv@sunfish.org.au
GOVERNMENT INACTION LEADS TO FISH KILLS
A
recent spate of fish kills in the Herbert River district is a direct result of
Government inaction. With a 5th
kill reported to SUNFISH NQ late today, the outlook for the rest of this wet
season is looking grim.
SUNFISH
NQ has repeatedly expressed concern to the Queensland Government that urgent
action is needed to address this problem but they continue to sit on their hands
and hope that the problem will go away.
In
the recent budget, The Premier cut funding to critical programs that go part of
the way to addressing some of the issues that cause water quality degradation.
Is it any wonder that The Government still do not have any strategies to
address problems such as weed infestation, loss of riparian strips and clearing
of wetlands.
The
Premier talks about “JOBS, JOBS, JOBS.”
We would like The Premier to explain to the community just what this
continuation of fish kills will do to jobs in the tourism and recreational
fishing industries.
The
record so far after only the first summer downpours is 2 minor kills, 2 medium
events with about 100 fish dead, and 1 large kill about which there is little
detail but which we believe may have destroyed the fish population along a 10 Km
stretch of tidal estuary in Cattle Creek.
The
Premier needs to tell the community how he intends to address this problem with
no money in critical operational funds for our now toothless Environmental
Protection Agency.
For
more information contact Vern Veitch on 0418 729496.