By Amelia Willmer
Sparked by reports in this newspaper, the controversial Cambanoora Gorge near Killarney was the lead news item last Friday on Channel Seven’s 6pm bulletin.
The camera crew footage showed the depth of water over one of the three river crossings into which the Southern Downs Regional Council plans to pour concrete.
The television footage showed various vehicles travelling through the deep water on the Condamine River Road.
Traditional owner Melissa Chalmers spoke of her people’s deep connection to the gorge and scientist Tamielle Brunt warned vieweres about the risk to the platypus. Gorge protestor Barabra George asked viewers to imagine the toll to wildlife and the environment of the anticipated 500 vehicles over the Easter break.
Southern Downs Regional Council Mayor Vic Pennisi was interviewed.
He told viewers there were only two options.
He said one option was the status quo, but then contradicted this by saying the status quo was not an option.
He said the other option was “bedlevel concrete crossings”.
Protests group spokesman Peter George, commenting later on the news coverage, asked: “How can an option not be an option?”
“Cr Pennis did not come across very well in the interview. His comments lacked clarity and he didn’t seem very convinced by what he was saying.
“In fact, there are many options for the Condamine River Road.
“An evaluation report commissioned by the previous council evaluated at least seven options.”
Mr George said these were: do nothing; start a permit system; move the road; put in low level roadways (causeways, fords, spoon culverts); put in high level culverts (box culverts, open culverts, arch culverts, bridge culverts); build single span bridges and, the final option, a combination of bridges, causeways and culverts.
The protest group say they have been given permission by Cr Pennisi to give a 15-minute address to the council when it meets in Warwick on March 22.
Other members of the group wish to attend and closely follow any debate which may later ensue among councillors each of whom, except for the mayor.
Other councillors have been mute on the issue. Under the council’s media management policy, Cr Pennisi has been nominated as the “subject matter expert”.
The protest group is hoping the strict Covid restrictions on numbers of the public allowed in the council chamber will have been lifted on March 22.
“Even the hospitals are allowing people in without masks and with total freedom of movement, “ said Mr George.
“So we can see no reason why our group should not be welcome in the chamber.”
