MCG unreservedly opposes the planned destruction of 20ha of mangroves and fish habitat area for a new road that will save trucks a few minutes to the Mackay Port
Mackay Port Access - Public Comment
Make your public comment by midnight, Friday 7 March 2025
Mackay Conservation Group unreservedly objects to this proposal to revoke fish habitat and destruction of mangroves and natural area within the Bassett Basin for the construction of a new road to service the coal fields and other areas.
The destruction of the area
Mangroves are vital in storm surge prevention, which are increasing due to climate change, largely driven by the burning of fossil fuels. Mangrove areas are also vital for creating ecological areas for fish species. The Bassett Basin area, as stated by your publication acknowledges that “the habitats and ecological processes within the FHA are critical to supporting the lifecycle of those commercially targeted species”.
Mangrove areas are also internationally recognized as being important in tackling climate change through “blue carbon” - vegetation that store carbon in water or marine environments. By further destroying high-carbon sequestering vegetation like mangroves, it is a death by a thousand cuts to our climate and environment.
Mangroves
Mangroves are under threat worldwide due to rising sea levels. As sea levels rise, mangroves also need to ‘retreat’ to higher grounds to survive or be killed in higher waters. The destruction of mangrove habitats are a huge problem globally and are internationally recognised to be crucial habitats to be protected. Mangrove communities are highly important for storm-surge reduction and fish, invertebrate and wetland habitats.
Offsets
The pitch that more fish habitat would be added to the area is also not justifiable. The new areas proposed to be added to the fish habitat area (FHA) have been assessed as already being of high ecological value and “quality, connected areas of fish habitat”. These proposed areas are therefore already identified as being connected and part of the existing fish habitat. Adding a label to them as ‘additional’ does not actually add anything to the area, only legally. These areas should be instead already protected for their ecological value they are already providing and protected from this, and all other future development. This is a classic example of the fallacy of offsets being adequate systems of justification for projects.
The justification for the road does not stack up
Building a new road to service the coal fields is not justified. The infrastructure to service these areas already exist, otherwise they would not be operating. The other argument against the justification of this road - which will likely blow out the proposed cost of $350 million of taxpayers money - is that this will only save a few extra minutes of time for trucks to get to the Mackay Port. The devastation of the mangroves is not worth the extra time saved for port traffic.
We are at a time when we need to planning for the long-term and how our region will be moving away from fossil fuels. Plans to destroy an irreplaceable natural area for 70 years use of a road for fossil fuel traffic is not warranted.
Flood risk
We are also highly concerned of the flood risk this area poses and would be increased by due to this destruction. As climate change increases and we see the continuing growing climate impacts, such as the recent floods in Ingham and our northern roads and bridges being cut off from the rains, the addition of a new road in a wetland area raises clear red flags. As sea levels are modelled to rise, the use of this road may be rendered useless within a few years anyhow due to weather or higher sea levels - leaving the destruction of the area as another mistake we could have easily avoided. Even assuming the road may be planned for projected flooding until 2100, this only gives 75 years of use to this road, when the destruction of the high-value area is permanent.
Mackay Conservation Group again objects to this destructive, unjustifiable project and unreservedly denounces this road from going ahead, protecting our vital mangrove areas and recognising the areas which are still continuing to act as FHA be added to the current FHA map.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Emma Barrett, MCG Coordinator
0402 966 560
[email protected]
Make your public comment by Friday 7 March 2025