As an environmentalist, I've long opposed the proposal for a 4-Lane Highway between Smithfield and Kuranda.
The debate has often been portrayed in simplistic terms as a conflict between ‘progress’ and ‘the environment’. We must move beyond this fruitless dichotomy.
I believe the 4-Lane Highway (aka Kuranda Range Upgrade) will never be built, mainly because at this time in history no responsible government will spend a billion dollars or more on transport infrastructure that will lock future generations into car dependency – not when there opposition will be loud, strong and intellectually irrefutable opposition and there are better alternatives.
The Kuranda Range 4-Lane Highway Proposal was the intellectual product of an era when oil prices were predicted to remain under $50 per barrel and there was no real commitment to meeting stringent greenhouse gas emissions standards. Times – and minds - have changed.
The only kind of development we can afford from now on – environmentally and economically – is sustainable development. Any other kind, by definition, leaves future generations with additional burdens to bear. We simply can’t afford to get our infrastructure wrong anymore on a large scale.
I believe Kevin Rudd, Peter Garrett, Anthony Albanese and Penny Wong won’t risk a long battle with the national environment movement over a project they'll learn - when fully briefed - is indefensible. Nor, I believe, will Anna Bligh or her more forward-looking Ministers. These are modern, intelligent politicians with the smarts to spot a dead duck. The Kuranda Range 4-Lane Highway proposal is a dead duck.
What MAY attract funding from Federal / State Governments in the foreseeable future is a new, state of the art rail connection between the Cairns coastal plain and the Tablelands.
Kuranda and Mareeba are already linked to Cairns via a historic but antiquated and woefully under-utilized railway line. Kuranda and Mareeba are the nearest highland village and town to Cairns. It makes sense to connect Cairns and the tablelands via Kuranda and Mareeba.
If the Chambers of Commerce of Cairns, Mareeba and Kuranda get behind modern rail, this part of the Tablelands could be joined to Cairns by a low-emissions, energy-efficient, comfortable, fast, affordable and frequent rail service.
That would provide a suitable transport backbone for future population growth on the tablelands, if there is to be growth. Whether there can and should be future population growth should be largely dependent, in my opinion, on whether we are smart enough to move quickly to a sustainable way of life. Sustainable transportation is a key part of the equation.
Transport is at the heart of a region’s economy. FNQ can’t afford to miss out on the new opportunities created by a change of Government in Canberra and a new bipartisan consensus for serious action on greenhouse gas emission reductions.
The opportunity may be forthcoming for funding of cutting edge transport solutions that fulfill several key government objectives at once. These include switching to a low-emissions and low-energy usage way of life, moving to a nodal, medium density settlement pattern (best-serviced by rail transport) and protection of the Wet Tropics World Heritage values.
From a local perspective, modern rail would revitalize Kuranda and Mareeba – and connect small settlements in between such as Mantaka, Kowrowa, Koah, Bilwon and northern Mareeba. Commuting between Mareeba and Cairns would at last become safe and pleasant.
Modern rail would bring Kuranda many more visitations throughout the day and evening, both from locals and tourists. These would be visitors with time to spare in the village and money to spend in cafes and restaurants, pubs and entertainment, stalls and shops. It would help bring life – and a wider range of business opportunities – back into Kuranda, It would also distribute the economic benefits of high visitation numbers more broadly throughout the business community.
Clinging on to advocacy of the Kuranda Range 4-Lane Highway proposal is a loser for this region’s economy. I call on business people and their representative organizations to reconsider the best and most feasible transport infrastructure for this region, thinking laterally as well as long-term.
Better dialogue is overdue between this region’s business and environmental community. I believe there is a lot of unexplored common ground which could lead to rapid, innovative and very beneficial solutions for the entire community.
Some months ago I phoned Jeremy Blockey, currently Chairman of the Cairns Chamber of Commerce, to suggest dialogue over the best long-term transport infrastructure for the region. He kindly took the time to listen and discuss the issues in brief. We agreed to maintain dialogue. I hope we shall.
Svargo Freitag - a successful Koah businessman - has long opposed the 4-Lane Highway and has made interesting contributions to debate over alternatives. I'm sure there are other people in commerce with a passion for making this region a leader in sustainable development. If so, bringing modern rail to the tablelands in an environmentally smart way is a great project for co-operative effort.
I welcome contact from anyone in this region’s business community who’s keen to put substance into the ideal of truly sustainable development in FNQ – especially (but not only) in relation to transport infrastructure.
Environmentalists and business folk in this region have a historic responsibility to stop bickering over projects that aren’t likely to happen anyway - partly because we disagree so strongly about them – and start working together to find common ground.
Exciting and highly beneficial infrastructure projects have every chance of happening if we work together for truly sustainable development.
That would be real ‘progress’.
For clarification or further comment please contact Syd Walker
Phone 07 4093 8384 ; Email: syd@sydwalker.info
More background information at www.sydwalker.info
See also 'Dreaming
Rail' (A Report from the Future)
and 'Let's
Get Together Over Rail' in my campaign
blog