Bimblebox Nature Refuge

Clive Palmer has again come out in the media trying to diminish the conservation values of Bimblebox Nature Refuge (you can listen to his interview on the Steve Austin show here). He has a clear vested interest in casting these aspersions given that he intends to destroy the property through open cut and underground mining as part of his proposed China First thermal coal mine. You can hear a response to Clive Palmer’s comments on the Steve Austin show here.

The problem for Clive is that he appears to have little idea about the nature refuge, which he has never set foot on. Below are a few simple facts to set the record straight:

• The property was bought in 2000 by a small group of concerned landholders and residents to save it from being cleared. The previous landholders continue to be well respected graziers in the region
• In recognition of its high conservation values, the National Reserve System program (at the time of the Howard Liberal Federal Government) contributed around $300,000 towards the purchase – see the documentation here
• A ‘perpetual’ Nature Refuge Agreement was signed with the State Government in 2003 which is the highest level of protection that can be afforded to private land in Queensland. Bimblebox also forms part of the National Reserve System of Protected Areas
• Bimblebox is situated in the Desert Uplands bioregion, considered a biodiversity hotspot, but where less than 5% of the area is held is conservation reserves
• Bimblebox Nature Refuge consists of over 95% remnant woodland (woodland that has never been cleared) with an understory made up predominantly of native grasses and shrubs
• There is abundant wildlife on the property, with around 150 bird species counted so far
• Bimblebox is widely regarded as supporting one of the highest levels of native plant diversity in the region. Qualified botanists who recently visited the property made a list of at least 220 plant species
• Bimblebox currently serves as an outstanding example of the coexistence of cattle production and biodiversity conservation. Private productive lands are increasingly recognised for their important role in contributing to landscape scale conservation in Australia and form a major part of the National Reserve System 
• A number of long term research projects are conducted on Bimblebox that will contribute towards better land management outcomes in the region

This isn’t the first time that Clive has tried to peddle the same lies about Bimblebox, which we responded to with this simple youtube clip.

The premier screening of Bimblebox a huge success

Following the premiere of Bimblebox at the Byron Bay Film Festival on March 11^th there were sell-out screenings also held in Toowoomba and Brisbane. Before a crowd of several hundred people spilling out of Tribal Theatre in Brisbane on March 13th, Bimblebox co-owner Paola Cassoni delivered a heartfelt speech about the predicament facing Bimblebox, and the significance of this case for all of us. You can listen to her speech here.


QLD election results: Will Clive Palmer get red carpet treatment to dig up Bimblebox?

Queensland had a change of government on Saturday 24^th March. After nearly 23 years of a Labor government, the Liberal-National Party (LNP) is now in power, with Campbell Newman at the helm. What does this mean for Bimblebox Nature Refuge and other conservation areas threatened by mining? It’s hard to say, but there were some interesting developments in the lead up to the election.

The Lock the Gate Alliance conducted a questionnaire prior to the election, asking the ALP, Greens, KAP and LNP what their position was on various aspects of mining. The LNP answered YES in response to the question “Will you protect biodiversity by prohibiting coal mine development and associated infrastructure in Nature Refuges and other areas of high conservation value?” The same answer was given by the Greens and the KAP, but the ALP did not respond at all.

An answer to a questionnaire is of course not a hard policy decision, but the LNP will be pressured to stick to this position given that both Anna Bligh and Bob Katter have specifically said elsewhere that they would protect Bimblebox Nature Refuge from Clive Palmer’s proposed mine. There will be many people keen to scutinise the LNP’s actions in this case given that Clive Palmer is the LNP’s largest financial donor.

Significantly, GetUp! launched an online campaign to protect Bimblebox and other areas of high conservation value in the lead up to the election, and the matter was raised in Federal Parliament on the 22^nd March when Senator Larissa Waters asked Senator Conroy what the Federal Government will do if the LNP gives Palmer’s project the green light and how they will justify the spending of tax-payers money to help protect Bimblebox in 2000, only for it to be mined by Waratah Coal in 2013. After a lot of stalling Senator Conroy eventually said “We will be very carefully making sure that all rules and laws are complied with”… which still offers little certainty for landholders investing the time, energy and money into biodiversity conservation. For the full transcript, you can download it here.

Senator Water’s question followed a flight that she and Senator Bob Brown made over Bimblebox Nature Refuge in late February 2012. Listen to Bob Brown’s press conference here:

In a surprise announcement, Anna Bligh has promised to protect Bimblebox Nature Refuge from Clive Palmer’s proposed “China First” mine!

Responding to the current  GetUp! campaign, Anna Bligh has stated (see full letter here):

“The Government is committed to ensuring the protection of nature refuges with high conservation values. I am advised the Commonwealth has assessed Bimblebox as having environmental values worthy of conservation as habitat.

Given this assessment, I can confirm that Labor’s policy would have the effect of ruling out mining in areas like the Bimblebox nature refuge.”

However, with the Queensland election to be held tomorrow and the polls suggesting a win for Campbell Newman and the LNP, the real pressure is now on Campbell Newman to step up to the plate and promise that he will not allow Bimblebox to be destroyed by the LNP’s largest donor, Clive Palmer.

Please spread this widely – we only have 24 hours to go before the election!

We’re excited to announce the world premiere screening of the documentary Bimblebox at the Byron Bay Film Festival on Sunday 11th March 2012!

Byron Bay: Byron Bay Community Centre, Sunday 11th March, 10.30am – 12.30pm, $7.00

Lismore: Birch Carroll & Coyle, Saturday 10th March, 4.30 – 6.30pm, $11.00

This important new film is aimed at drawing international attention to the issues surrounding the huge expansion of coal and coal seam gas mining in Australia (particularly the expansions planned in Queensland and New South Wales). While clearly exposing the destructiveness of this industry, the film also features solutions and viable alternatives for the future. The stories from people whose communities and their natural values have been either totally undermined or are currently under threat from coal mining activities puts a ‘real face’ to this issue.

As the world’s largest exporter of coal, Australia has a responsibility to contribute to a sustainable future for our nation, our children, and the planet. Bimblebox projects a convincing argument for doing things better, and smarter.

You can follow the thread on Facebook, and see a preview of the film here. For updates and future screenings, keep an eye on this special Bimblebox movie website.

Click here to buy your own DVD copy of the film.

The Bimblebox Team wishes to send out a big warm thank you to everyone who took the time to send a submission to the Coordinator General in support of Bimblebox Nature Refuge.

On September 26, 2011, Waratah Coal finally released the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for its ‘China First’ mine (otherwise known as the ‘Galilee Coal Project’). The EIS details a plan of destruction that would see an open-cut mine destroy more than half of Bimblebox Nature Refuge, and long-wall mining under the other half, resulting in subsidence and major interference with hydrology.

After years of silence and uncertainty, Waratah Coal has finally made it clear its ‘China First’ mine would entirely destroy the ecological integrity of Bimblebox Nature Refuge. The EIS claims that the mine “will not be viable without coal reserves under the [Nature Refuge]” (Executive Summary, p20). That means that either the ‘China First’ mine goes ahead or Bimblebox remains intact.

This is a significant case because it will set a precedent for other nature refuges subject to mining. In their support for mining on nature refuges, the State Government is shamefully abandoning conservation covenants they signed with landowners designed to protect the conservation values on these properties ‘in perpetuity’.

We call on everyone who supports the preservation of nature (and especially this isolated patch of intact arid ecology in a vast area of cleared grazing land) to make a submission to the government commenting on Waratah Coal’s EIS. Submissions must be in by the 19th December 2011 (the original deadline of 7th November has been extended for 6 weeks due to Waratah Coal failing to provide a complete EIS on their website).

We, the caretakers and friends of Bimblebox are endlessly busy fighting this coal mine proposal. But on the ground there is still plenty of work to provide basic care for the Nature Refuge.

At the moment we are getting ready for a potentially bad bushfire season. The extended wet season has left us with wall to wall long, dry, grass and a rare mass germination of tree seedlings. So now we have the important job of burning wide breaks to prevent large hot fires that could destroy the precious flora and fauna. We burn the breaks at night when conditions permit, and we are looking for volunteers to help!

We are also preparing for a series of trial burns for the Queensland Herbarium to see if we can establish just how the mix of fire, weather and grazing has shaped the mix of grasses, shrubs and trees we see today. These trials will provide vital information about the best way to manage our important rangeland environments.

The shortfall in all of this is a rag-tag fire brigade. A couple of enthusiastic volunteers for a couple of months, or the piecemeal equivalent, would make our fire protection strategy a reality. It would also deliver bonus points in arguing the case against turning Bimblebox into a coal mine. This is interesting if arduous work, with plenty of opportunity to learn about fire and ecology, and to gain bush skills. Please don’t delay if you have half a mind to join us.

Travel costs, food and accommodation will be provided. The days that we work depend entirely on the weather (wind). There is ample quiet time and space for study during the day, so you could bring your uni work with you.

Please help spread the word and get in touch if you are interested to find out more.

Other events throughout the year to help out on Bimblebox (like weeding out the introduced grasses after the rains) will be advertised on the Bimblebox Nature Refuge Facebook page or on this website or just give us a call.

Visitors Counter
as from Oct 2011