A former owner of a Cape York Peninsula cattle property purchased by the State Government for reef conservation believes it was politically motivated and fears it will thwart attempts to shore up water supplies for Lakeland.
Graham Elmes, whose parents ran Springvale Station for 50 years and he and wife Sue for 15 years, said it was impossible to believe that sediment from the property would end up at the Great Barrier Reef.
“It’s impossible for sediment to get from Springvale to the reef for the sole reason of distance,” Mr Elmes said.
“It’s 300 km to the reef.”
Mr Elmes said the purchase was politically motivated and an attempt to stop a new dam for Lakeland.
“The dam site is just above the Springvale and Butchers Hill boundaries,” Mr Elmes said.
“The Federal Government has given $800,000 for a feasibility study on the Normanby Dam.
“There are two sites, one there and one on the Palmer River, but the Normanby Dam is the preferred option because you can get a bigger dam and you have more options.
“You have 5000 acres of cleared country on Springvale below the dam and you have all extra farming land in Lakeland.”
Mr Elmes said the money would have been better spent on fixing up issues in Lakefield National Park.
“For the bit of stabilisation they have to do on Springvale it will not make one iota of difference to the water going down to the reef,” Mr Elmes said.
“It takes one of our major cattle production properties out of production and our farming land out of production.
“This has a big impact on our economy.
“Once it becomes a national park they don’t pay rates and our economy breaks down.”
Mr Elmes said the money could be used to address sediment run-off from the roads through Lakefield and Kalpower National Parks and providing better toilet facilities.
“Lakefield could be what Kakadu is to the Northern Territory.”