| Candidate |
Q 1. Urban Development
Remaining habitat and natural
areas in our region continue to be lost to expanding urban development. The
Integrated Planning Act (IPA) has ecologically sustainable development as its
core objective.
a. Do you believe the IPA is
delivering ecologically sustainable development in our region? |
Jason O'Brien
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The Integrated
Planning Act (IPA) in itself is only as strong or as weak as the local
government and councilors who apply it. That's why the Bligh Government has
developed the 2031 plan to protect the region from inappropriate
development. This instrument enshrines a number of important panning principles
like protecting waterways, wetlands and wildlife habitat and locking in the
urban footprint
The biggest threat to sensible, sustainable and
environmentally sensitive development in my electorate would be the election of
an LNP government which would be controlled by the National Party’s
'development at all costs' philosophy. The Liberal National Party will rip up
the planning instruments that have been put in place to manage development and
protect our natural environmental assets |
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b. What do you consider to be key
aspects of IPA that need reform? |
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| c. Do you support a two year,
use-it-or-lose-it, sunset clause to be placed on all Pre-IPA development
Approvals? |
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| Q2. What do you consider to be the
most important environmental issues
faced by our region over the coming decade? |
Jason O'Brien
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| Q3. Sustainability: When talking about a sustainable future of Queensland - the longer
term outcomes need to be considered against other short term interests. It is
our lack of application of sustainability principles that has led to many of
the current ecological, social and economic problems we now face locally and
globally.
a. How do you apply the concept
of Ecologically Sustainable Development to policy decisions? |
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| b. What is your view on the
sustainability of ongoing population growth in our region (considering water,
sewerage and other waste, green-space and transport) and what policy measures
would you advocate to deal with the impacts of this increase, or to limit it? |
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| Q4. Climate Change: Please indicate which, if any, of the following you support:
a. By 2020, reducing Energy Deman by 30% and Support Renewable Energy by 40%.
Support/Don't support
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Jason O'Brien
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Labor efforts to stop broad-acre tree clearing
has had the greatest impact on addressing climate change. This policy is
opposed tooth and nail by the Nationals.
We are also putting serious money into alternative energy and clean coal
technology. Better public transport is also a priority.
All members of the Bligh Government take climate
change seriously; this contrasts with the climate change denial that infests
the ranks of our opposition. Lawrence Springborg, until relatively recently,
was an unabashed climate change denier, whist he now grudgingly acknowledges
the reality of climate change he still questions the extent to which human
activity is responsible, citing evidence of volcanoes causing global warming
and what he calls credible scientific evidence to cast on the
extent of climate change and the need to reduce human-caused carbon emissions. |
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| b. Adopting a Gross power model
for the payment of electricity generated through grid-connected household solar
systems, where households are paid for all the power they produce, rather than
the current Net model. Support/Don’t support |
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| Q5. Public Transport
a. How do you think public
transport services in the Cairns region can be improved? |
| Jason O'Brien | Labor has a range of
policy initiatives designed to deliver better public transport and get more
people in urban and metropolitan Queensland using public transport. Our
investments in public transport infrastructure are designed to provide a powerful
incentive to get people out of cars on onto bus and rail, thus reducing carbon
emissions and pollution while providing jobs through the building of public
transport infrastructure. |
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| b. What do you think is a
reasonable target for public transport use by commuters? For example, 20% of
commuters on public transport by 2015. |
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| c. Do you support the creation of
a regional public transport coordination body to oversee a regional approach to
public transport planning and investment? |
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| d. What alternative transport
solutions do you support for the Kuranda Range Road? |
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| Q6. Protecting Our Coasts:
The failed False Cape
development remains an open sore on the gateway to Cairns, and provides a prime
example of the failure of State Government regulatory apparatus in adequately
controlling coastal development. Investigations into the safety of the rocky
slopes above the development have yet to be carried out, despite being
identified as "essential"
by experts advising council.
a. Will you support the State
government intervention to prevent any further work until the safety of the
entire site has been investigated? |
| Jason O'Brien |
The issue of coastal development is of particular importance in parts of
the Cook electorate and ties in very closely with the issues around Urban
Development and sustainability discussed above.
By far and away the biggest threat to our coastline lies in the
potential for a LNP government in Queensland. The coast of Queensland is still
struggling with the legacy of the laissez-faire approach to coastal development
of the National Party governments of the 1980s and 1990s. This unrestricted
development mentality also drove the planning decisions of the previous
Cairns local government and their Liberal / National party mayor Kevin Byrne.
Our pristine and environmentally sensitive coastal
areas will be the main beneficiary of the 2031 plan for regional development
and the FNQ 2025 plan which will make more areas off-limits to developers
and protect the coastlines and waterways. |
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| b. Will you support the concept
of a whole-of-government buy back and rehabilitation of the site? |
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| c. Canal developments continue to
be approved along the Queensland coast, despite ALP promises that no more will
be approved. Will you support the banning of canal and lake-based coastal
developments, including those utilising land reclamation? |
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| Q7. Habitat Protection:
The FNQ Regional Planning
process represents a missed opportunity for a significant increase in the level
of protection of remaining habitat networks Coastal development has
heavily impacted on species such as the cassowary and Mahogany glider, to the
point some coast populations of these species are now at risk of local
extinction. The FNQ Regional Plan provides only limited, non-binding,
protection important habitat areas.
a. What is your position on the
FNQ Regional Plan in its current form? |
| Jason O'Brien |
We have a comprehensive approach to habitat
protection ranging from the expansion of environmental reserves, national parks
and wildlife corridors, through to the rehabilitation and protection of
wetlands, legislation to protect the Great Barrier Reef from chemical
runoff and strong management of our fisheries resources.
In the Cook electorate the $15 million dollar buyback of high
conservation blocks in the Daintree rainforest is a direct effort to conserve
this unique environment and eco-system following the sell-off to developers by
the National Party.
Again, I have grave fears for the protection of
areas like the Daintree, Wet Tropics World Heritage areas and Great Barrier
Reef given the Liberal National Party opposition to our measures to protect the
environment and bio-diversity such as the bane on broad scale tree
clearing and the protection of wild rivers |
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| b. Do you support statutory
measures to protect important habitat and wildlife corridors? |
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| c. Do you support a strengthening
of the Vegetation Management Act to include protection and management of
remnant vegetation in Queensland? |
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| Q8. Water and Rivers:
CAFNEC is concerned about the
lack of water efficiency and water reuse and plans to build new water
infrastructure that impacts heavily on our environment.
a. Under what circumstances would
you support the construction of the Nullinga Dam? |
| Jason O'Brien |
The 2031 plan referred to above ensures tighter controls and buffer
zones for wetlands and waterways
The Bligh Government has also legislated for the protection of wild
rivers for current and future generations with the Wild Rivers Act.
No other Australian State or Territory has such comprehensive laws to
preserve the natural values of their wild rivers.
The historic legislation requires the government to consult widely
before any wild rivers declaration is finalised. In my
electorate this process is co-managed with the relevant indigenous organisations.
Unfortunately these initiatives are not supported
by the Lawrence Springborg led opposition and there is a high risk that a
Springborg government would roll back the environmental protections Labor has
established over the last 10 years |
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| b. Do you support the Wild Rivers
legislation and, if elected, would you work towards the declaration of Queensland's
remaining Wild Rivers? |
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| c. Do you commit to providing
ongoing funding of the Wild Rivers Indigenous Rangers Program?
Yes/No |
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| Q9. Cape York Peninsula:
a. If elected, will you support
World Heritage nomination for identified areas of Cape York Peninsula with the
free, prior and informed consent agreement of Traditional Owners? Yes/No |
| Jason O'Brien |
Yes, I support World Heritage nomination for identified areas of
Cape York Peninsula with the free, prior and informed consent agreement of
Traditional Owners and absolutely commit to appropriate and ongoing
resourcing of Indigenous employment to support the return of country to
Traditional Owners.
In 2007 the Bligh government enacted the historic
Cape York Peninsula Heritage Bill, with significant and historic benefits for
the environment and Indigenous land management |
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| b. If elected, will you commit to
appropriate and ongoing resourcing of Indigenous employment to support the
return of country to Traditional Owners? Yes/No |
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| Q10. Uranium Mining:
Do you support a legislative
ban on uranium mining in Queensland? Yes/No |
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| Q11. Campaign Transparency :
Can you provide a
list of the top five individuals, organisations or corporations that have
donated to your campaign? |
| Jason O'Brien |
I support and will be abiding by the statutory election funding
and reporting requirements which ensure transparency around financial support
for election campaigns.
By and large my campaign expenses are met through self funding and the
support of ALP members and local branches.
Unlike the LNP, I receive no support from Clive
Palmer. |
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| Q12. Could you provide us with your published environmental policies (web
reference if possible)? |
| Jason O'Brien |
Thank you for the opportunity to provide
feedback on the issues you've raised. I am immensely proud to represent what I
believe is the most culturally and ecologically important region of Australia.
I believe the Bligh Government has an impressive environmental record and
I am proud of my record as a staunch defender of the ecological values of my
electorate
My concerns about what the election of an LNP government, or a strong
vote for the LNP in the seat of Cook, may mean for the environmental icons
of my electorate - such as the Daintree, Great Barrier Reef, wetlands and
waterways, pristine coastal areas, unique bio-diversity and wildlife habitat -
are sincere and deeply held.
Published environmental and other policies can be found at:
www.qld.alp.org.au
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