Terri Irwin waits for Steve's Place decision
THE family of crocodile hunter Steve Irwin and mining company Cape Alumina are still waiting to learn if Steve's Place will be protected.
The State Government has deferred a decision on whether to give Far North Queensland's Wenlock River basin environmental protection.
Yesterday, Natural Resources and Mines Minister Stephen Robertson said in a statement the decision to declare the basin a "Wild River" would not be made until an independent assessment of natural springs, the Coolibah Springs complex, was complete.
"I believe it is prudent to await this further data prior to making a decision on the proposed wild river basin to ensure the best scientific information is taken into consideration," Mr Robertson said.
"This should occur in the first quarter of next year."
The proposed Wenlock Basin Wild River Area covers about 7435 sq km in the west of the Cape York Peninsula, taking in the Wenlock River and 13 major tributaries.
The Coolibah Springs complex is on the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve.
Terri Irwin, the wife of the late crocodile hunter, has campaigned for environmental protection of the area and has so far collected nearly 250,000 signatures opposing a proposed bauxite mine that would be built between five kilometres and 15km from the Wenlock River.
The mine would also take in 135,000ha of the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve.
Cape Alumina has proposed to build the Pisolite Hills mine.
The company released a statement to the ASX on Tuesday saying it was disappointed the State Government had delayed its decision, but believed the mine still had the chance to eventually be approved.
"The proposed declaration has the potential to adversely affect the Pisolite Hills bauxite project if the boundaries of the buffer zones surrounding the river and associated features are set in an arbitrary rather than a scientifically sound way," the company said in an earlier statement.
"Cape Alumina has confidence in the scientific studies which show that the important environmental features of the Wenlock River Basin can be protected and the development of the Pisolite Hills project can proceed as planned."
Cape Alumina said the mine could generate up to $4 billion in export revenue from bauxite sales and hundreds of millions of dollars to the Queensland government and taxes to the Commonwealth.
It was hoping to finish its Environmental Impact Statement on the project by the first half of next year and start construction by 2012.
The government received 3900 submissions during the consultation process for the proposed wild river declaration.
- October 2009: Scientists bid to stop mining
- August 2009: Cockatoo fears at Steve's Place
- August 2009: Erin Brockovich joins fight
- April 2009: Russell Crowe joins fight over Irwin land
- May 2008: Miner OK on Irwin land
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Steve's Place: Entrance to Bertiehaugh Cattle Station on Western Cape York, which is part of land bought by Terri Irwin and promoted as a wildlife reserve.
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