North Queensland Conservation Council

Another busy month has passed, and we are filled with gratitude for the amazing people in our community doing great things. From those who got their gloves dirty on Clean Up Australia Day, to those who swam for our rivers and those who have come together to stand up for our trees. You are what inspires us!

Some good news to come out of this month...

Queensland Environment Minister Meaghan Scanlon announced the 56ha expansion of Girringun National Park, to protect more habitat of the endangered Mahogany Glider. This has been a long time coming, but we are so glad this time has come!

Queensland has also announced a ban on many single-use plastics that will come into effect from September this year. Yay!

Well done to everyone whose advocacy has contributed to these decisions!

In this edition:

• NQCC Updates:
  • Clean Up Australia Day
  • Swim for Our Rivers
  • Tree Vigil for Change
• Coming Up: 
  
  • Green Drinks
  • Postcard Art Exhibition
• In Other News...
  
  • Tour de Carmichael
  • Pint of Science: Online
  • Have Your Say, Townsville

For us, February kicked off with World Wetlands Day, followed by a lovely Green Drinks gathering, a mention in Wild magazine, a temporary Facebook ban and the registration of our first teams for our Swim for Our Rivers fundraiser. What a month! 

We look forward to your support as we launch into March! There are a few fun ways to get involved this month: participate in our Clean Up Australia Day event, get creative for our Postcard Art Exhibition and of course, get behind our Swim teams as they raise money and are put to the test on Saturday 20 March!

In this edition:

• NQCC Updates:
  • World Wetlands Day
  • Green Drinks 
  • Wild Magazine: Luxury Lodges = Wilderness Lost
  • Treasurer Position Available
• Coming Up: 
  • Clean Up Australia Day
  • Swim for Our Rivers
  • Postcard Art Wanted
• Online Activities:
  • Tell Siemens to Reject Adani
  • Resources Dept. Community Information Session

Welcome to 2021! The year has been off to a strong start for NQCC. We've already met with Queensland's new Minister for the Environment and the Great Barrier Reef, facilitated our first Green Drinks on the beautiful Magnetic Island and made a submission on the Burdekin Falls Dam Raising Project and Urannah Dam (both available here). 

And yes, you guessed it - we're just getting started! Are you as excited for this year as we are? 

In this edition:

• NQCC Updates:
  • Ministerial Meeting with Meaghan Scanlon
  • Green Drinks 2021
  • Treasurer Wanted!
  • Container Recycling Update
• Coming Up: 
  • World Wetlands Day
  • Swim for Our Rivers 
• Local Heroes:
  • Hunger Strike for Climate
  • Townsville Citizens of the Year
  • Rodney the Unicorn Fish ready for reading
  • Reusables Back on Track

With 2020 wrapping up, we'd just like to say a big thank you for being a part of our journey this year.

Here we have some final updates and actions, followed by a little highlights reel from the year that was. Enjoy!

P.S. Did you spot us on the ABC News a few weeks ago? The Great Barrier Reef's conservation status is now "critical". We got to tell the nation exactly what we thought about our Government's inaction on climate change. Read the article here. 

In this edition:

• Treasurer wanted
• Our Islands, Our Home
• Boomerang Bags update
• Have your say:
  • Burdekin Falls Dam Raising project
  • Polystyrene ban
• 2020 Highlights!

How has your November been? After such an impossibly long year, it's hard to believe 2020 is beginning to wrap up at last. We hope you enjoy our latest updates and a round-up of some interesting news stories and local activities.

In this edition:

• November News Overview
• State Election Update
• Smart, Clean Futures Roundtable
• Bushland Beach Clean-Up
• Trivia Night
• Green Drinks in 2020
• Our Islands, Our Home Virtual Town Hall & Townsville March
• Liz Downes: Queensland Volunteer of the Year
• Krissy Regan with The Koala Who Lost His Heart

With the state election upon us, it's been a pretty hectic time! We've been busy advocating for the environment in meetings with MPs and candidates, producing our Environment Report Card and even joining a colourful media launch behind QCC's "Power Up Queensland" Report! 

While the next few years of Queensland's environmental policies hang in the balance this weekend, we know that we have a lot of work to do, regardless of the outcome. Luckily, we have a broad and powerful network of supporters in people like you.

You can show your support in a number of ways, such as participating in some of our events! There are some exciting things coming up in November and we hope that you can get involved in some way.

Please enjoy this edition of Paperbark...

In this edition:

• NQCC News:
  
  • Qld Environment Report Card
  • Power Up North Queensland
• Upcoming Events 
  • Bushland Beach Clean Up
  • Fundraising Trivia Night!
  • Final Green Drinks of 2020
• Local Activities:
  • Climate Quiz & Solar Farm Tour
• Online Activities:
  • Community Organising Training

You may be wondering why you're reading your September Paperbark in October. The answer is quite simple - with so much happening in the lead-up to our AGM, we thought we'd hold out until the Official Business was over before sending you our monthly update. Apologies for the suspense!

There has been a staggering amount of environmental news to report on over the past several weeks, but as this edition of Paperbark is a little longer than usual (jam-packed with updates, opportunities and other interesting stuff), we'll dive right in. 

In this edition:

• NQCC News:
  • Our AGM 
  • Annual Report
  • Membership Drive Update
  • Burdekin Basin Seminar
  • Green Drinks
  • Trivia Night announcement
• Local Activities:
  • Solar Citizens yard signs available
  • GBR Clean-Up: Hinchinbrook Island
  • Save the date: Quiz and Solar Farm Tour
• Online Activism Opportunities:
  • QCC's Power Up Queensland Vision
  • Townsville Alliance Assembly
  • Victor Steffensen's Cultural Fire Webinar
• Interesting Things:
  • Research survey: exploring the psychological impacts of climate change
  • Umbrella Studio exhibition: "Final Curtain"
  • Compost with your neighbours through ShareWaste

August has certainly had its ups and downs as far as the environment is concerned. Here's a quick recap of what has happened this month:

The 22nd of August was World Overshoot Day - that is, the date when humanity will have used "all the biological resources that Earth can renew during the entire year". 

Wangan and Jagalingou Traditional Owners delivered Adani an eviction notice and are standing their ground to enforce the eviction, while a second major Korean brokerage announced it would be withdrawing financial backing from Adani's coal projects. 17 global insurers have refused to work on the Carmichael project already, but British firm Aon is brokering a last ditch effort to insure the project. You can tell Aon what you think of this decision by signing this petition or sending this electronic letter.

Into some more positive news, we were excited by the announcement by the Queensland Government regarding their three Renewable Energy Corridors. You can read more about what benefits this announcement has for Queensland in QCC's media release. 

Other great things that have come out this month include Radio National's "Rear Vision" radio excerpt entitled "Threat of extinction - how Australia's environment law failed" and the ABC's engaging new series, Fight for Planet A (featuring Craig Reucassel - the guy from "The Chaser", "War on Waste" and "EcoFiesta 2019").

Jealous, anyone?

In this edition:

• NQCC News:
  • State Election Campaigning - volunteers wanted!
  • Membership Drive Update
  • 2020 AGM announcement: Wed 30 September
  • Green Drinks 
  • iMac for Sale
• Online Activism Opportunities:
  • QCA Civic Academy online
  • North Queensland Waste Strategy
  • Our Islands, Our Home
  • Power Up Queensland
  • Reef 2050 Review
• Local Activities:
  • A Walk on the West Side with MINCA 

Welcome to July's Paperbark! Read on for some of the environmental news highlights of the month before plunging into NQCC's exciting news and events...

After some delay, Independent Reviewer Graeme Samuel has released the EPBC Act Review Interim Report. The report finds severe deficiencies in the department's processes, and recommends an "independent cop" to oversee our national environmental laws. However this recommendation has already been rejected by the Federal Government, because who wants independent oversight?. Meanwhile, a university student from Melbourne has sued the Australian Government for not disclosing the financial risks of climate change. 

The Queensland Community Alliance (QCA) has announced their "Maroonprint" for Queensland's COVID-19 recovery, with environmental conservation playing a significant role. This month also saw our State Government move to ban single-use plastic and commit $10 million in funding for priority environmental projects in Great Barrier Reef catchments.

Meanwhile, here in NQ, Collinsville's proposed coal-fired power station continues to make headlines and flying foxes are being removed from their roost in Charters Towers using controversial methods. 

In this edition:

• NQCC News:
  • Hells Gates Dam and Burdekin River Campaign Update
  • State Election Campaign: info session coming up!
  • Volunteers wanted!
  • Membership drive update
  • The Story of Plastic: backyard screening
  • Green Drinks (Fri 14 August)
• Member of the Month
• Other News and Opportunities:
  • Solar Citizens new Townsville shopfront
  • Don't tax the sun!
  • Townsville Yellow Crazy Ant Taskforce 

Welcome to June's edition of Paperbark! Yes, this shocking year is halfway through. This month we've seen a renewed push from Whitsundays MP Jason Costigan for a coal-fired power station in Collinsville (without a feasibility study) while Townsville's Sun Metals is powering ahead with a green hydrogen facility - a potentially exciting new industry for North Queensland. The discussion around "just transitions" continues, as state and federal governments struggle to commit to socially and environmentally responsible economic recovery strategies. 

This month we were also deeply saddened by the passing of Dr Jon Brodie, and dedicate this edition of Paperbark to his courage and his dedication to science and conservation.

In this edition:

• Dr Jon Brodie Remembered
• Updates from the Team
  • State Election Campaign
  • Membership Drive
  • Climate Conversations 
• Coming up in July
  • Green Drinks
  • Plastic Free July
  • Film Screening
• Online Activism
• Other News and Events