DOUGLAS Shire Mayor Julia Leu is seething at the conduct of the Department of Natural Resources and Mines over the planned Paws and Claws site.

Leu could fly to Brisbane as early as tomorrow to confront Minister Anthony Lynham over the handling of a comprehensive submission by Council regarding the suitability of Yule Point land for the animal shelter.

The Department say approval is needed from five separate environmental bodies before a decision is made on the refuge’s new home. The major sticking point continues to be the belief that the area is inhabited by cassowaries.

Leu released a copy of the submission to the media today ’so people can make up their own minds about who is misleading who.'

See Council's submission here!

“I’ve made the decision to publicly release our submission today so the public and the media can see for themselves how comprehensively we have approached this issue,” she said.

“All of this confusion could have been cleared up months ago if the Department had of come and visited the revised site with us in the first place so we can talk through the issues furnished with the facts, not fiction.”

Part of the confusion surrounds the Queensland Conservation Council’s ‘false assertions’ to the Department, according to Leu. They say the land will not be sold for the Paws and Claws shelter and ‘will instead be protected as remnant rainforest and cassowary habitat.”

The Douglas Shire must now negotiate with the Australian Conservation Foundation, World Wildlife Fund, Cairns and Far North Environment Centre, North Queensland Conservation Council, Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland (FNQ branch) and Wilderness Society (Cairns) before any decision is made.

However, none of the environmental groups have raised any concerns or objections over the site with Council. 

Leu said she had no issue obliging the Minister’s request and encouraged all department heads of the environmental groups to meet ‘on site’ so they can prove their objections are based on a fallacy.

“I’m astounded that this is how the process has evolved, where Council is instructed to seek the approval of a number of groups, at least one of which has provided the Department with false information, before deciding whether to approve our request or not,” Leu said.

“The Queensland Conservation Council’s claims to the Department that the proposed site ‘has significant conservation values, comprising remnant rainforest that includes essential cassowary habitat’, is clearly false as our submission to the Department details.”

The Yule Point site currently includes vegetation of little concern according to the Department’s own guidelines, while there is yet to be a single cassowary sighting confirmed in the area.

Leu said the level of engagement had been ‘extremely disappointing’ throughout the process with the Department and grievances surrounding the land were misinformed.

“Is this how the State Government conducts its business these days? Do major projects in Brisbane, Cairns or anywhere else for that matter require this to occur before a proper assessment of the facts is made?” Leu said.

“It is also extremely disappointing that these environmental organisations have not bothered….take into consideration the reality that unless this facility is built at this location, native wildlife will be killed by wild abandoned animals that would otherwise have been cared for at the facility.”

See the Council's submission here!

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