MEDIA RELEASE: 20 March 2009
for immediate release
Community organisations rally residents to save South East Queensland lifestyle
An alliance of environmental and community groups wants South East Queensland residents to demand the State
Government stop destroying the region’s environment and quality of life with huge population increases.
Under the State Government’s Draft SEQ Regional Plan 2009-31, the population of the region would swell by
another 1.3 million people within 20 years – to the same size as Sydney.
‘This massive planned increase in population will condemn SEQ to an ever-worsening quality of life and eliminate
any chance we might have of living sustainably,’ said Simon Baltais, spokesperson for the alliance of groups that
includes the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland, Sustainable Population Australia, the Nerang Community
Association, Queensland Conservation Council, Sunshine Coast Environment Council, Gold Coast & Hinterland
Environment Council (Gecko) and the Community Alliance for Responsible Planning (CARP) Redlands.
‘The numbers proposed under the draft plan will bring SEQ’s total population to 4.4 million,’ Mr Baltais said.
‘This draft plan will push another 750,000 dwellings into existing urban areas and wildlife-friendly greenfield sites.’
‘This population growth will further stress an already overpopulated region, placing more pressure on SEQ’s already
ailing water supplies, hospitals and health systems,
transport systems and affordable housing.
It will
massively
increase demand for more carbon-generating coal-fired energy supply, threaten koalas and other wildlife with
extinction through habitat loss and will likely push the fragile Moreton Bay fishery to final collapse.’
The alliance has placed large coupon-style advertisements in next week’s major regional newspapers from the
Sunshine Coast to the Gold Coast. The combined readership could be up to half a million people.
‘We want concerned residents of SEQ to clip and send the ready-made submission to the State Government,’ said
Mr Baltais.
‘We’ve made it easy for everyone to say we don’t want 1.3 million more people shoe-horned into this corner of the
State.’
Queenslanders have until Friday 3 April to respond to the Draft SEQ Regional Plan 2009-2031.
Attached – Clip’n’Send Half Page Ad & Ready-made Submission
-ends-
Contact:
Wildlife Queensland: Simon Baltais 0412-075-334
Sunshine Coast Environment Council: Narelle McCarthy 0424 465 487
Gecko – Gold Coast & Hinterland Environment Council: Sheila Davis 0423-305-478
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