Kempton hits back at Wilderness Society



Tuesday February 18th 2014

Kempton hits back at Wilderness Society

David Kempton, Member for Cook, has slammed claims by The Wilderness Society that the reported outcomes from his forum on the draft Cape York regional plan were "misrepresented."

“I am very disappointed TWS has tried to derail the recommendations that came out of the forum,” he said.

“Allegations the forum was stacked against the environment and the outcomes misrepresented are utter nonsense and an in insult to the 150 plus people who took part on the day.”

Mr Kempton said representatives from TWS attended the forum and actively participated in formulating the outcomes.

“They claim indigenous groups have not been consulted.

“I am confident the department has been very thorough in its engagement process and the indigenous councils are well represented on the Deputy Premier’s working group.

“TWS do not represent the indigenous people of Cape York and they are just scaremongering because the call for balance by the Cape people does not sit with their view of the world.”

Mr Kempton said no Cape York landscape was under immediate threat and the plan would “get the balance right.”

“Wild Rivers couldn't have been more divisive, whereas the final Cape York Regional Plan will have broad scale community support,” he said.

“All TWS have to offer is more National Parks.”

Mr Kempton said while he believed the landscape needed to be protected the scope of the conservation economy only offers limited opportunities.

“I want to see Cape York investing in the real economy not relying on handouts,” he said.

“I have said it before and I will say it again, my forum was a huge success, now it is important everyone in the Cape put in individual submission by the March 25 deadline.

"In essence, miners want to know that their mining tenements are secured, indigenous communities want to know the economic potential of their lands will not be locked up in national parks and pastoralists want to know they can plan well into the future without their properties being hamstrung by wild rivers and other totally inappropriate environmental schemes,” he said.