E-Petition

The petition of Queensland residents draws to the attention of the House the need to ensure that the Wild Rivers Act,
promised by Premier Beattie on the 28th of January 2004, ensures the long term protection of all of Queensland's wild
rivers.

Queensland is home to some of Australia's most beautiful wild rivers. Wild Rivers are those rivers without dams and
weirs, which are free from intensive irrigation and flow reduction and which continue to maintain all or most of their
environmental values.

Queenslanders have an historic opportunity to protect these priceless rivers for future generations, to maintain healthy
fisheries and to provide limitless recreational and economic opportunities that help define our way of life.

Your petitioners therefore request the House to:

1. protect all wild and free flowing rivers that remain in Queensland;
2. ensure the proposed Wild Rivers Act protects the three classes of rivers - wild and natural, regionally significant, and
heritage;
3. create a $60 million fund to generate employment opportunities and to ensure high level protection for nominated Wild
Rivers;
4. create an expert panel to ensure ongoing protection of rivers;
5. protect native title interests in river management;
6. ensure a community nomination process and moratoria on new developments or resource use once a river is
considered for protection;
7. ensure regular legislative review of the effectiveness of the Wild Rivers Act; and
8. ensure the inclusion of offence provisions with public enforcement rights in the Wild Rivers Act.

Queensland's wild rivers: Requesting the
House to ensure that the Wild Rivers Act
ensures the long term protection of all
Queensland's wild rivers