Land Clearing

6 April 2004

New large scale clearing plan – an ecological catastrophe for the Daly River

The Environment Centre of the Northern Territory (ECNT) today attacked plans by the NT Department of Primary Industries (DPI) for a massive increase in landclearing in the Daly River catchment.

The plan was unveiled at the latest meeting of the Daly River Community Reference Group. "Senior NT Government Officials from DPI have proposed that a further 110 400 hectares of mature forests and woodlands would be bulldozed in the next 10 years in the Daly River catchment. This is an area almost 3 times the size of Darwin Harbour."

The proposal includes large scale landclearing on:

"The Daly River is widely recognised for its very high environmental values. This proposal is definitely not ecologically sustainable and will lead to the permanent degradation of the Daly River." said Mr Henry Boer northern woodlands campaigner with the ECNT.

"Large scale landclearing will lead to a massive increase in topsoil erosion. Research in the Daly River catchment has shown that up to 100 tonnes could be washed off every hectare of land that is cleared. Most of this soil will wind up in the Daly River wiping out habitat for Barramundi and the endangered Pig Nosed Turtle."

"Clearing of forest and woodlands is recognised as the biggest threat to native wildlife in the Daly River catchment. Bulldozing 110 400 hectares will destroy approximately 22 million trees, which provide homes for around 4.5 million native animals. Most native wildlife will die immediately or soon after clearing of their habitat has occurred."

"Chief Minister Clare Martin announced a plan for ecologically sustainable development for the Daly River region." But Mr Boer said, "this proposal to clear vast areas of forests and woodlands will be nothing short of an ecological catastrophe."

"This contradiction poses a very big problem for the Clare Martin Government On the one hand the Government talk's biodiversity conservation, meanwhile the DPI wants to increase the rate of biodiversity loss through large scale landclearing."

"The NT Government should stop paying lip service to one of the Territory's premier Barramundi fishing destinations. If the NT Government is truly committed to protecting the Daly as an NT icon they should permanently rule-out further large clearing in the catchment." Mr Boer concluded.

For more information contact:
ECNT
08 8981 1984
Email: ecnt@octa4.net.au

Back to top