With the decision by Minister Garratt to say 'no' to the proposed Traveston Dam, I could not let this whole saga go 'unblogged'. Three and a half years ago Premier Peter Beattie announced that there would be a dam on the Mary River. This decision set off a train of events that have continued since that first day. The decision to dam the Mary River caused an enormous amount of pain and suffering to the people of the Mary River community and surrounds. Consequently a 'no dam' campaign began.

This campaign was supported by a variety of community groups and organisations. They galvanised the community in opposition to this decision, and began the enormous task of collating information to go into the Environmental Impact Statement [EIS]. To me it was clear from day one, that this proposal was unsound on Economic, Social and Environmental grounds. An army of people gave their time, knowledge and heart into the campaign. Some of these groups included the Save the Mary Group, the Greater Mary Association and the Mary River Catchment Coordinating Committee, to name a few. They had a great deal of support from other groups and individuals. I sat on the Senate review into the dam, speaking on the issue of aquatic weeds. As someone who has had a bit to do with aquatic weeds, this proposal would have meant the biggest infestation of aquatic weeds in Australia. Some of these weeds are virtually impossible to get rid off, so the cost of containing them would have been very expensive and ongoing. Aquatic weeds was just one issue.

To all the people that have contributed to Minister Garratt saying 'no', I offer my admiration and congratulations. You have shown the power of a well organised and dedicated group, united in their opposition to this flawed proposal.

In the aftermath of the decision, the people of the Mary Valley still have a lot of work to do. Many people have left the valley, and the social disruption cannot be repaired over night. It must be remembered that the Minister made his decision based on the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act [EPBC]. We now have an opportunity [indeed an obligation] to work together for a plan for the future of the Mary Valley. To this end discussions with all the parties involved have already commenced, with the Council of Mayors having a pivotal role. The Mayor of Gympie Regional Council, Ron Dyne has thrown his support behind this 'renewal' process and is to be commended for this.

I have to also say that one of the biggest disappointments I see out of this whole sorry saga is the Bruce Highway upgrade. Yes, we need to upgrade this section of highway, but when I walk to the top of my ridge and see the absolute carnage that is going on, I get very dismayed. Here we have a highway being carved through the hinterland with all the associated fragmentation and loss of habitat...and it did not need to be. I was part of the original campaign to get a better route for the highway. [This was the result of leaflet stuck in my letterbox] This fight resulted in the Main Roads Department putting on their website "the highway will follow the existing route, as favoured by the community, should the Traveston Dam not go ahead". Well, the Traveston Dam is not going ahead, but we are stuck with this environmental disaster.