Queensland Conservation Council

The Federal Government has just committed $250m to fund preserving Australia's biodiversity! Nicky Moffat, our Protected Areas Campaigner, said: "This funding is great, but long overdue, as Queensland remains the worst state in the country for protected areas coverage - less than 9% of our land is formally protected. Hopefully this announcement gives the Crisafulli government impetus to get moving on reaching 17% protected areas in Queensland by 2030."

Last chance to RSVP to join us tomorrow for the launch of ⚠️ Climate Action Now ⚠️ in Bardon! Get some culture, meet the artists, listen to Dave Copeman, and support our ongoing work raising awareness around climate change: https://loom.ly/sJ8_v1o

This was powerful. In front of a full media scrum, members of communities from as far as Hervey Bay, the Gold Coast, the Northern Rivers and Mt Tamborine shared their stories of how they have been impacted by Cyclone Alfred and called for more action on climate change and more funding for building resilient communities. Aunty Barb, a Traditional Owner from Hervey Bay said. “I have never seen anything like the cyclones that have affected my Country – the severity of people losing their homes, the damage to the waterways, erosion of sand, rising sea levels. Enough is enough. We need change today for our children and their children. Aunty Barb was joined by Marie Carvolth, a mum from the Gold Coast who shared her story of five scary days and nights of torrential rain and wind bringing down trees and powerlines near them; and Moss Cluney, 21 year old from the Northern Rivers who spoke of the high emotional toll on young people and their community as these unnatural climate disasters get worse and more frequent & their community has less and less time to recover. Bowen Harding, whose home was flooded in Woolloongabba led a trail of 7 wheelbarrows of his flood damaged belongings and dumped them at the gates of Qld Parliament house. It was a devastating and powerful visual symbol of the damage that these unnatural climate disasters are causing to our homes and our communities.

Wealthy coal and gas companies are making huge profits while Queenslanders are cleaning up after another climate-fuelled unnatural disaster. Join us for a snap action to hear from cyclone survivors as they share their stories and demand our governments protect our communities, not profits for wealthy multinational coal and gas corporations.

Just one more sleep until the Leichhardt Reef, Climate, and Energy forum in Cairns/Gimuy! Come on down to Hemingway's Brewery, Cairns, at 530pm on Wednesday 19th to hear what candidates are going to do to protect the reef, drive the clean energy transition, and build climate resilience for Far North Queensland.

We're amplifying stories of how people and communities have been impacted by ex-cyclone Alfred to keep up pressure on our politicians to deliver real climate action and increase community resilience. You can let us know how you were impacted by ex-cyclone Alfred here: https://loom.ly/zVvgj1U

The Attorney-General has scrapped a two-year review into mining lease objections in Queensland just months before the final report was due. The review's draft recommendations included better consideration of First Nations rights and access to independent expert advice, which was opposed by the Queensland Resources Council. QCC Director Dave Copeman said, "We are very concerned this could signal that the Government wants to make it harder for communities to object to mining developments. We are calling on the Attorney General to rule out any changes to the merits review of mining leases." Lock the Gate Alliance National Coordinator Ellen Roberts said, “It’s extremely unusual for a high level review of this kind to be cancelled right before the recommendations were due to be delivered. We can only conclude that the LNP Government has intervened because the findings were not popular with the mining industry.”

Cyclone Alfred is a sign of things to come for Anthony Albanese and The Hon. Peter Dutton MP, unless they take clear climate action to protect future generations. Dave Copeman, QCC Director: "People should be angry. I know I am. If Australia keeps pumping out carbon pollution at the current rate we can expect more unnatural disasters, like this cyclone, more frequently. It’s time that politicians put our communities ahead of profits for wealthy international fossil fuel companies"

As hundreds of thousands of our fellow Queenslanders sit and wait for Tropical Cyclone Alfred, Dave Copeman is looking at past and future natural disasters in the sunshine state and calling for stronger climate action.

Apply now to work with us at QCC!