Magnetic Island Community Development Assoc
Heritage Infrastructure and Planning Group
PO Box 133, Nelly Bay,
Magnetic Island, Queensland 4819
ABN 88 303 909 978 Incorporated Association: 11505
Contact: Lorna Hempstead, President
email gibhemp@bigpond.net.au
Ph 0419 804 847
Or 4758 1125
4 August 2014
Northern Australia Taskforce
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
PO Box 6500
CANBERRA ACT 2600, Australia
Green Paper on Developing Northern Australia
This Association has the following reservations about the potential effect of the draft
Green paper on the North Queensland Region, and in particular Magnetic Island,
especially the biodiversity integral to its World Heritage Values. We are conscious that the
purpose of the Green paper is to set out a “timely policy platform for realising the full
economic potential of the north, including a plan for implementing these policies over the
next two, five, 10 and 20 years.”
We comment below first on three of the “Tell Us What You Think” questions included in
the Green paper to prompt discussion, and second on several issues of infrastructure
development.
A. “Tell Us What You Think”

Section B (page 18):
8. Are the North's natural assets and resources underutilised? What can be
done to realise the opportunities provided by the region’s unique natural
qualities?”
Comment
The reference to the natural assets of Northern Australia in the Green paper is totally
inadequate to identify any opportunities they provide:
Page 5 the Green Paper refers to World Heritage locations in Northern Australia:
“The north is home to seven World Heritage Sites with outstanding natural and
scientific values: the Great Barrier Reef, the Wet Tropics of Queensland, Kakadu
National Park, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Ningaloo Coast, Purnululu National
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Park and the Riversleigh Australian Fossil Mammal Site. The cultural values of
Kakadu and Uluru-Kata Tjuta are also recognised on the World Heritage List.
The Government is committed to caring for the unique Australian landscape
through direct and practical policy measures under the four pillars of clean air,
clean land, clean water and national heritage.”
Pages 26 - 27 of the Green Paper in relation to Natural Resources state that
“Many opportunities for northern development flow from the region’s unique
natural qualities, including valuable resources and environmental assets found
nowhere else on earth........Iconic land and seascapes such as the Great Barrier
Reef, Purnululu National Park, Kakadu National Park and the Wet Tropics of
Queensland are major tourist destinations.......As well as supporting the multibillion dollar tourism industry, the region’s natural landscapes are integral to the
lifestyles of northern Australians........The conservation and natural resource
management sector also makes an important contribution to the northern
Australian economy. The growth markets for biodiversity and ecosystem services
could provide further economic opportunities, particularly for Indigenous
communities.
Effective management of these unique landscapes will create opportunities for
increased tourism and ensure future generations continue to enjoy these world
class environments.”
This description is not sufficient to reflect the natural assets of North Australia. For
example, Magnetic Island in the Townsville region could be seen to be included in the
Great Barrier Reef, but it is much more than “iconic land and seascapes”:
The Australian Government’s EPBC1 Act Policy statement 5.1 (2010) states that
Magnetic Island is located within the dry tropics region of north Queensland and the
Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area (GBRWHA) and that matters of environmental
significance (MNES) relevant to Magnetic Island include “listed threatened species and
ecological communities, migratory species protected under international agreements,
the GBRWHA, the Great Barrier Reef National Heritage Place and the Great Barrier
Reef Marine Park.”
Add to this that the June 2014 State of the Tropics Report2, developed by a
partnership of universities from across the world, included the Forests of East
Australia in mapping of biodiversity hotspots (“characterised by exceptional levels of
plant endemism and significant levels of habitat loss”)(page 135). These include the
Burdekin Dry Tropics on the Queensland Coast, and embrace Magnetic Island.
As noted above the Green paper states that it is effective management of these
unique landscapes that will create opportunities for increased tourism and ensure
future generations continue to enjoy these world class environments.
We suggest that if the Green Paper were to include information on what these
management mechanisms are, in itself this highlighting could tip the balance of public
and business perception in favour of ensuring survival of these natural assets.
This matter also begs the question where does this effective management
responsibility lie? This is given that there is more to conservation and resource
management than opening up national parks for ecotourism3. This also raises the
matter of devolution of Commonwealth EPBC responsibility.
1
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 2009 as amended
http://stateofthetropics.org/the-report
3
http://www.nprsr.qld.gov.au/tourism/pdf/final-ecotourism-plan-2013.pdf
2
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We raise this question of management in the context of our experience of the
management of Magnetic Island by all levels of Government, where the multiplicity of
jurisdictions can amount in practice to no jurisdiction and no protection.
Two cases in point are:
1. the current proposal for the expansion of the Port of Townsville, in the context of
the likely impact of dredging on the World Heritage values of Magnetic Island and
its surrounding marine environment (EPBC 2011/5979), and
2. the recognition by the Townsville City Council in the draft Townsville City Plan and
its response to the MICDA submission on that draft of the World Heritage Values
of Magnetic Island , and Council’s reliance on the Australian Government’s EPBC
to protect these matters of national environmental significance (MNES). We are
conscious that the protection of MNES is being devolved to the State/Territory
governments and have made public representations on this matter to the Senate
Environment and Communications Committee.
Suggestion
The Green paper should include more detailed and specific reference to the natural
assets of Northern Australia, additional to the iconic locations mentioned, and to the
mechanisms that exist for management of natural assets, both for conservation/
preservation and for tourism. The reference to the “direct and practical policy
measures under the four pillars of clean air, clean land, clean water and national
heritage” is so broad brush as to be meaningless.
Section D (page 44)
“3. What should be the respective roles of the Commonwealth, state,
territory and local governments, the private sector, non-government
organisations and communities in pursuing these policy directions?” and
“5. In view of these possible policy directions, what specific actions should
be taken to develop northern Australia? By whom? Over what time
period?”
Our above comment on local government planning and devolution of Commonwealth
environment protection legislation to the State/Territory Governments refers.
B. Infrastructure
Power generation
The green paper on page 20 in regard to a growing global energy demand states
“As the emerging economies become more affluent, consumers will demand more
reliable energy access, greater efficiency and better environmental standards. At
the same time, concerns over long term energy security will persist and remain a
driver of national energy policies. New fuels and technologies will progressively
capture market share and diversify the world’s energy supply. The share of
renewables, such as hydroelectricity and solar power, in primary global energy use
is expected to rise from 13 per cent in 2011 to 18 per cent in 2035.
Northern Australia is well positioned to take advantage of these trends and support
the world’s emerging energy needs, drawing on its rich and diverse resources. This
includes seeking to further expand coal and gas markets and to develop clean and
efficient energy sources (see Figure 10) (Geoscience Australia 2013b). Despite
being a relatively high cost producer, Australia is considered an attractive and
stable location for energy projects, with a robust economy and low social, political
and environmental risk.”
The paper then refers to oil and gas, LNG but no comment on renewable energy. And
solar is only mentioned once as quoted above. And no project proposals are
canvassed.
We are also aware that our local MP (Ewan Jones) advocates a coal fired power
station for Townsville
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Comment
The Magnetic Island community actively supported the trial of domestic solar generation
under the Solar Cities Scheme by Ergon Energy consortium4 , with demonstrable
success. Magnetic Island from 2005 to 2013 was a dedicated solar suburb of
Townsville’s Solar City project and much of the Magnetic Island community is interested
in issues of ecological sensitivity and sustainability. We are informed that this project
reduced the island’s electricity usage by 11 %, reduced greenhouse gas emissions by
50,000 tonnes, and that over 200 domestic solar systems now generate 650Kw of solar
power. This demonstrator project contributed to the successful introduction of solar
power generation in Queensland and the establishment of 330,000 households investing
$2bn of their own money to install residential solar panels equating a 759MW power
station.5
We are also aware of the recent establishment by the ACT government of the Royalla
solar farm, and of an emerging national and global trend to micro power plants and
community based power generation. The media reported national take-up of solar
energy off the grid power generation is noteworthy.
We also note that the Green paper position on energy seems to be out of step with the
position of the just launched Northern Queensland Strategy (NQS) and its Fact Sheets
April 2013 )6 developed by Regional Development Australia Committees in Northern
Queensland7, The NQS Fact Sheet on Energy, Water and Climate Adaptation,
acknowledges that “There appears… to be a number of opportunities to develop new
generation based on large and already identified renewable energy assets in the region,
as well as coal and gas.” And in analysis of ‘Where to from here’, this Fact Sheet puts
forward as needed: to seek Federal and State Government support for renewable energy
generation and transmission (there is an existing agreement to support the connection
of renewable energy to transmission in the north-west Queensland Area), to develop
renewable energy solutions for remote locations and to attract private sector investment
into energy infrastructure.”
We further note that in regard to infrastructure the NQS Fact Sheet appears to support
the next stage of Townsville Port expansion, but on the face of it, not channel dredging
(with its inevitable environmental impact).
Suggestion
The Green Paper offers the opportunity to set new directions with renewable energy and
take up the opportunities for regional community participation, rather than just continue
to exploit coal, oil and gas resources.
Firm proposals such as the expansion of renewable energy including domestic solar
generation or commercial solar generation arrays such as the ACT solar farm have a
place in Northern Australia. The current focus of the Green Paper with old technology
will make Northern Australia out of date in less than 5 years and North Queensland will
be in catch-up. Review and redraft is necessary.
Yours sincerely
Lorna Hempstead AM
Hon President
4
Queensland Government, Townsville City Council, Delfin Lend Lease, Honeycombes Property Group, Chester
Holdings (Federation Place) and Cafalo Pty Ltd.
5
Queensland Solar Council News “Queensland’s Solar Double Standard” Issue 4 June 2013
6
http://www.rdanwq.org.au/nq-strateg
7
Far North Queensland and Torres Strait, Townsville and North West Queensland, Mackay-Isaac-Whitsunday,
and Fitzroy and Central West
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