Controversial Land Use Projects
The following is a list of controversial development projects due to concerns of environmental effects. This list includes projects required to submit an Environmental Effects Statement.
| Project/Area affected | Activity | State | Began | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| British nuclear tests at Maralinga | Nuclear testing | South Australia | 1955–1963 | Massive radioactive contamination. Continual cleanup operations. Long-term health effects on the traditional Aboriginal owners of the land and former personnel. |
| Uranium mining in Australia | Uranium mining | 1980- | Possible contamination of land with radioactive mine tailings. Ranger mine contained within Kakadu National Park. | |
| Franklin Dam | Damming | Tasmania | 1983 | Damming of forested area, watercourse damage, reduced water flow. Catalyst for the foundation of the Australian Greens. |
| Yarra Valley | Logging | Victoria | 1993- | Deforestation. Threatening of a major water catchment. Threatening the endangered Leadbeater's Possum. |
| Tiwi Islands | Deforestation and woodchipping | Northern Territory | 2001 | Deforestation approved by the Howard government. Operators significantly breached environmental laws resulting in excessive irreparable land clearing. |
| Nowingi toxic waste proposal | Toxic waste | Victoria | 2004 | Toxic waste disposal plant. Threat to surrounding settlements, Murray River and environment. |
| Bell Bay Pulp Mill | Logging | Tasmania | (proposed) 2006 | Deforestation. Threatening of old growth forests in the Tamar Valley. Claims effluent could harm of Bass Strait marine life. |
| Styx Valley | Logging and woodchipping | Tasmania | 2006 | Deforestation. Destruction of old growth forests. |
| Wonthaggi desalination plant | Desalination | Victoria | 2007 (under construction) | Uneconomic. Pollution of the Bass Coast. Accusations of government/private entity corruption. Lack of consultation with community. No justification for perceived requirement. Insufficient initial assessment. Insufficient EES. |
| Port Phillip Channel Deepening Project | Dredging | Victoria | 2008- | Dredging in heavy metal-laiden shipping ports posed contamination concerns. Destruction of marine environments. Catalyst for the foundation of the Blue Wedges community group. |
| Oyster Point | Land use | Queensland | ||
| Magellan Metals | Lead poisoning |
Read more about this topic: Environmental Issues In Australia
Famous quotes containing the words land and/or projects:
“Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high,
There’s a land that I heard of
Once in a lullaby.”
—Yip Harburg (1898–1981)
“But look what we have built ... low-income projects that become worse centers of delinquency, vandalism and general social hopelessness than the slums they were supposed to replace.... Cultural centers that are unable to support a good bookstore. Civic centers that are avoided by everyone but bums.... Promenades that go from no place to nowhere and have no promenaders. Expressways that eviscerate great cities. This is not the rebuilding of cities. This is the sacking of cities.”
—Jane Jacobs (b. 1916)