North Queensland Conservation Council

Our National Parks NEED YOU!

Donate to our National Parks Campaign here!

Queensland’s National Parks are rare and tranquil landscapes where biodiversity and natural processes can flourish, virtually untouched by commercial development.

Disturbingly however, the Queensland Government is now putting National Parks at risk by offering private, long-term leases to commercial operators within National Parks.  Now, no National Park is safe from development including North Queensland’s very own Hinchinbrook Island National Park.  This kind of development leads to companies gaining a monopoly on accommodation and trails within National Parks, threatening the area's environmental values while reducing free access to National Parks for members of the public and other responsible tourism operators.

By ensuring privately owned accommodation and facilities are situated OUTSIDE National Park boundaries, the Queensland Government can support regional employment opportunities AND restore the appropriate level of protection for Queensland's National Parks. 

Background

In October 2018, the Minister for Innovation and Tourism Industry Development (DITID) Kate Jones, in partnership with Environment Minister Leeanne Enoch, released an Expressions of Interest (EOI) process on Hinchinbrook Island NP (Thorsborne Trail), Whitsunday Island NP (Whitsunday Island Trail) and Great Sandy NP (Cooloola Great Walk). The EOI gives proponents opportunity to develop and operate eco-accommodation and tour guidance within the boundaries of these three National Parks.

The Government is prepared to provide the successful proponent with state-owned land within these National Parks for accommodation, including exclusive ground leases for a term of up to 60 years, assistance during the approval process, a “one-government” approach to comply with other government requirements and a contribution of up to $5 million for eco-accommodation built along the Whitsunday Island Trail.

The Queensland Conservation movement is opposed to the current trend of opening up National Parks to commercial interests. This includes (but is not limited to) the EOI process. The Government is attempting a complete change of their business model and hope that the public won't realise the impact on the natural values of our state's most fragile places. When in opposition, both the ALP and the LNP have taken the position that leasing public land is as good as selling it off because Government control is lost over those properties. 

We know how much Australians value National Parks, so we are ensuring that public awareness is high, while putting pressure on the relevant politicians to acknowledge the conservation value of national parks above commercial interests. To secure a safe future for our National Parks, tourism development needs to stay outside their boundaries.

Ok, so this month may not have reached the heights of excitement experienced last month, but July has still been a busy time for us. Much like a duck paddling away under water whilst floating calmly along the surface, we've been working quietly yet furiously behind the scenes. So, while we have no exciting events to reminisce upon this month, we hope you'll enjoy this rather informative edition of Paperbark, containing some important updates on some of our biggest campaigns.

Also, if you've been attempting to limit your use of plastics this month, well done! The most important step is raising awareness around how prevalent it is in our lives and how dangerous it can be for the environment. Feeling overwhelmed by the endeavour to reduce your impact? Read this article.

In this edition:

• Polystyrene balls on Magnetic Island
• "One in a Billion" - Starting Conversations
• National Parks campaign update
• Toolakea Beach Development Submission
• JCU Intern Placements at NQCC
• August Green Drinks
• AGM coming up!

We hope that you have enjoyed time with friends and family this month, and that the Easter Bilby came to visit. Need a pick-me-up after returning to the usual routine after the holidays? Enjoy this good news story about some new baby bilbies here in Townsville. May is absolutely filled with events, so make sure you keep an eye on your inbox and follow us on Facebook to keep up-to-date!

In this edition:

• Hinchinbrook stall in Cardwell
• Member Event: Wednesday 1 May
• Clean Energy Rally: Wednesday 8 May 
• Green Drinks: Friday 10 May
• Candidates Forum
• Postcard Art Exhibition Opening: Friday 17 May
• Some Reminders

Well, what a month it has been up here in North Queensland! If any friends or relatives needed convincing that climate change is happening right now (and not in a few decades' time), this month should quell any doubts for sure. 

We hope that you and your loved ones are safe and getting any and all support required. It has been heartwarming to witness the acts of compassion showed during this one-in-five-hundred-year event. North Queenslanders have a long history of resilience, which will serve us well as we head further into the Anthropocene. 

Here at the office, we've been very fortunate to escape the floods with nothing more than a bit of mould, so rest assured our work continues (we just smell a bit more like vinegar and clove oil than we probably would like).

In this edition: 

• What We've Been Up To:
  • JCU O-Week Market Day
  • Tarquin's Visit to Cardwell
• Upcoming Events:
  • Green Drinks
  • Schools Strike for Climate
  • The Australia Institute Presentation 'Heatwatch'
  • Climate and Health Alliance Workshop
  • Postcard Exhibition Rescheduled (Artworks still welcome!)
• Campaign News
  • Help us Raise $3,000 to save National Parks!
  • Some Background Info
  • New Life for Your Old Hiking Boot
• Other Opportunities
  • Toilet Paper Fundraiser
  • Containers for Cash
  • Review of Queensland’s Environmental Offsets Framework
  • EcoFiesta Speakers Program

Welcome to the first edition of Paperbark for 2019! We hope you have entered the New Year with renewed passion and energy for all things conservation, just as we have! This month we just have a few brief notices to keep you up-to-date...

In this edition:

• Save Hinchinbrook Stall - Strand Night Market
• Help us reach 3,000 signatures!
• 'Defend Our Water' - Skill Up & Campaign Launch
• Postcard Art Exhibition - artworks due 31 January
• Containers for Change - how your recycling could help support us
• Green Drinks - it's back, baby!
• Loo Rolls - a quirky fundraiser that feels good
• Work for AYCC in Townsville
• Volunteers Wanted!

Click here for our list of local hands-on environmental conservation volunteer projects.

Townsville/NQ groups are listed first on this page, then broader state, national and international groups. We have added a few words of description where their aims are not obvious from their names.

Other internet resources for environmental information and engagement are endless, of course, but we are still keen to add links to relevant local (NQ) organisations - please contact us if you are one or know one.

• Australian Youth Climate Coalition - Townsville branch on Facebook or national home page.
• Kittens for the Reef, a project of NQCC in 2015. On Facebook.
• Dry Tropics Biodiversity Group, Inc. (conserving natural environments, Townsville and NQ) http://www.drytropics.org/
• MINCA Magnetic Island Nature Care Association http://www.minca.org
• Wildlife Qld Townsville branch of Wildlife Preservation Society of Qld http://www.wildlife.org.au/contact/branch/townsville.html (National: http://www.wildlife.org.au)
• Coastal Dry Tropics Landcare Inc. Landcare group running conservation and revegetation activities around Townsville http://www.cdtli.org.au
• Permaculture Townsville http://permaculturetownsville.org/ and their Facebook group.
• Ecoville http://www.ecoville.org.au information about the environment, sustainable living, organic and locally grown food, wildlife, volunteering, recycling, etc, in the Townsville area.
• Lower Burdekin Landcare Association http://www.lowerburdekinlandcare.org.au/ based in Ayr.
• CAFNEC (Cairns and Far North Environment Centre) http://cafnec.org.au, an umbrella group like NQCC covering the area to our north.
• MCG Mackay Conservation Group http://www.mackayconservationgroup.org.au, an umbrella group like NQCC covering the area to our south.
• EDO NQ (Environmental Defenders Office North Queensland) http://www.edonq.org.au/, a non-profit, non-government community legal centre specializing in public interest environmental law, providing free environmental law advice and advocacy to members of the public.
• Wide Bay Burnett Environment Council https://wbbec.wordpress.com
• Sunshine Coast Environment Council http://www.scec.org.au, another group like NQCC but further south again from Mackay and the MCG.
• Queensland Conservation aka QCC http://qldconservation.org.au/ the umbrella group for the whole state. There's a big list of member groups (pdf) at http://qldconservation.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/V12QCCMembersProfiles-Dec-2013.pdf
• National Parks Association of Queensland Inc. http://www.npaq.org.au/ advocates for the protection, expansion and good management of the protected areas in Queensland; offers a bushwalking and outdoor recreation activity program; and provides opportunities to participate in community conservation and Citizen Science projects.
• Environment Centre NT http://www.ecnt.org our neighbour to the north-west.
• Northern Australia Environmental Resources Hub, https://www.facebook.com/NESPNorthern/, based at Charles Darwin University, Darwin. 

National and international

• Greenpeace Australia Pacific http://www.greenpeace.org/australia/en/
• The Wilderness Society http://www.wilderness.org.au
• Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) http://www.acfonline.org.au

Single-issue groups

Coal and Coal Seam Gas

• Bimblebox Nature Refuge, opposing Galilee Basin coal http://bimblebox.org
• Lock The Gate Alliance, national coalition of community groups opposing coal and CSG projects http://www.lockthegate.org.au

Marine Issues

• Sea Turtle Foundation http://seaturtlefoundation.org
• Ghost Nets, dealing with marine debris on Australia's northern coastline http://www.ghostnets.com.au
• Australian Marine Conservation Society http://www.marineconservation.org.au
• Fight for the Reef http://fightforthereef.org.au/
• Tangaroa Blue, https://www.tangaroablue.org/, focuses on beach clean-ups.

Renewable Energy

• Beyond Zero Emissions is a Melbourne-based not-for-profit research and education organisation working to design and implement a zero emissions economy for Australia.
• Solar Citizens is an off-shoot of 100% Renewable Energy; it's Australian, with a Sydney/Melbourne centre of gravity. Historical resources and information are still on the 100% Renewable Energy site but it is no longer being updated.
• The Transition Decade, an alliance of Victorian sustainability groups working on a ten year social and structural transition that enables the restoration of a safe climate.

Climate Change

• The ABC is probably the most reliable source of Australian news on climate change. This link will take you to the latest news stories they have tagged "Climate Change".
• The Climate Council After thousands of Australians chipped in to Australia's biggest crowd-funding campaign, the abolished Climate Commission was relaunched as the new, independent Climate Council. Tim Flannery is the most visible member of the management team.
• Climate Reality Project Australia (formerly The Climate Project) is the Australian branch of Al Gore’s climate change leadership program.
• Australian Youth Climate Coalition, 'inclusive and diverse', but particularly focused on young people, and 'political but non-partisan'.
• 350.org A global climate movement. Online campaigns, grassroots organizing, and mass public actions are coordinated by a global network active in over 188 countries.
• Desmogblog The DeSmogBlog project began in 2006 and quickly became one of the world’s primary sources for accurate factual information about global warming misinformation campaigns.
• Skeptical Science, explaining climate change science and rebutting global warming misinformation, examines the many standard climate (pseudo-) skeptic arguments and exposes their weaknesses.

Volunteering opportunities

• Volunteering NQ links volunteers with non-profit organisations http://www.volunteeringnthqld.org.au
• Conservation Volunteers recruits volunteers from Australia, New Zealand and around the world to join important environmental and wildlife conservation projects. http://www.conservationvolunteers.com.au
• GoVolunteer is a government-supported initiative aiming to match people interested in volunteering with appropriate opportunities. http://govolunteer.com.au

Government agencies

Listed here because we often need to contact them for one reason or another.

• Federal Department of Sustainable Environment, Water, Population and Community
• The Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM) was split up in 2012 and its functions allocated as follows:
  • Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service to the Department of National Parks, Sport and Racing. https://www.npsr.qld.gov.au/
  • Natural resources areas to the Department of Natural Resources and Mines. https://www.dnrm.qld.gov.au/
  • Forestry management to the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/
  • Environment and Resource Sciences to the Department of Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts. https://www.qld.gov.au/dsiti/
  • Queensland Climate Change Centre for Excellence to the Department of Science, Information Techonology, Innovation and the Arts. https://www.qld.gov.au/dsiti/
  • Indigenous Cultural Heritage Co-ordination to the Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Multicultural Affairs. https://www.datsip.qld.gov.au/
  • Water supply policy areas to the Department of Energy and Water Supply. https://www.dews.qld.gov.au/
  • Water resource allocation areas to the Department of Natural Resources and Mines. https://www.dnrm.qld.gov.au/
  • Remaining areas renamed as Department of Environment and Heritage Protection. https://www.ehp.qld.gov.au/

(With thanks to Together Qld for the list!)

Welcome to the June edition of Paperbark. With an election approaching, there has been a flurry of activity at the NQCC office. In this issue: AMCS – membership – Election forums for Herbert and Dawson – Great Barrier Beer – Wendy’s launch party – Golf course watering – Letters to the Bulletin – Vegetation Management – Election scorecards – Cash for containers – National Parks win – Emu research