The Hon. Ms. Kate Jones has now abandoned her portfolio as Minister for the Environment and resource Management, but before leaving she has attempted to win votes and influence people by offering incentives to the Tourism Industry this includes allowing tour operators to move from three-year permits to 15-year agreements, but operators are worried that the costs of “new best practice” might hit their bottom line. The ex Minister has also established an enforcement unit to crack down on environmental
vandals and investigate breaches of the law.
At a cost of more than $27 million dollars these enforcers will audit businesses and sites across Queensland, but perhaps the Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM) would be better off auditing their own management practices before embarking on a crusade to save the State.
The government has an abysmal record of managing National Parks none more evident than the degradation of Fraser Island..
An internal report by the University of the Sunshine Coast (2009) on the water quality of Fraser Island found contamination in the ground water to be of serious concern and management action required.
The perched lake system is also under threat by overcrowding and inadequate infrastructure.
Marine debris washes up along the shoreline and mixed with human waste is left to rot.
The iconic Fraser Island dingo is constantly harassed, trapped and treated inhumanely and unethically by DERM rangers.
This is just one example of environmental neglect by the current government.
So who is auditing the auditors? Who are the real environmental vandals? Perhaps those millions could be better spent cleaning up the governments own environmental mess?
