Other Issues

26 November 2001

Conservation groups attack cotton plans for Northern Australia

The Wilderness Society
Queensland Conservation Council
Environment Centre of the Northern Territory
Environs Kimberley

Conservation groups today attacked new plans by the Cotton industry to move into northern Australia. A report just released by the Cotton Industry Cooperative Research Centre identified 21 areas for expansion of cotton crops across northern Australia – in Cape York, the Gulf Country, the Top End and the Kimberley.

"What we need for northern Australia are development visions that keep the extraordinary abundance of nature and provide long term economic and social benefits for northern people. What the Cotton Industry and associated irrigated agriculture will deliver, if allowed, is to repeat the mistakes of the south- short term cash gains for a few companies- and salinity, degraded rivers, depleted groundwater, damaged fisheries and toxic chemicals. It is crucial that state, territory and federal Governments act quickly to block these plans." said Ms. Maria Mann, Coordinator of Environs Kimberley.

"Most disturbing in the industry plans is the revelation that the irrigation industry wants to systematically target some of the few remaining wild rivers in Australia. Rivers such as the Fitzroy in the Kimberley, the Daly in the Northern Territory, and the Flinders in Queensland still have natural flows. Irrigated crops such as cotton on northern rivers will damage the ecology of these rivers, which support some of the biggest concentrations of wildlife in Australia," said Jann Crase, Landclearing Campaigner with the Environment Centre of Northern Territory.

"Irrigated crops such as cotton require large volumes of water. Such irrigation on our northern rivers will reverse the normal Wet/Dry cycles, putting at risk the huge northern fishing industries that depend on natural seasonal flows of clean water," said Ms. Kerryn O'Conor, Rivers Project Officer with the Queensland Conservation Council. "Cotton is of particular concern due to the high level of pesticides the crop requires. Contrary to statements by the industry, genetically modified cotton varieties still require pesticide use. Southern beef producers living near cotton growers face a constant problem of chemical residues. The north can avoid this."

"We will be talking and working with other community and industry groups across the north to ensure that these proposals don't proceed," finished Dr. Barry Traill, Landclearing Campaigner with The Wilderness Society.

For further information contact the ECNT:
Phone: 08 8981 1984
Email: ecnt@octa4.net.au

Back to top