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Fraser Island Defenders Organization FIDO, “The Watchdog of Fraser Island”, aims to ensure the wisest use of Fraser Island’s natural resources. |
Media Release 14th May, 2006 FIDO Fights Fraser FirebreaksA leading Fraser Island campaigner claims that the Beattie Government is inflicting more damage to Fraser Island than all of the logging operations in 1991. John Sinclair, Honorary Project Officer for the Fraser Island Defenders Organization was commenting on the recently completed 40 kilometre long firebreak and 20 metre wide firebreak which stretched from Hook Point to Dilli Village and across Fraser Island to Ungowa. “The people who were supposed to be the guardians of Fraser Island’s World Heritage values have deliberately created 80 hectares of bare earth and this single operation is worse than any logging operations carried out during 125 years of logging operations”, Mr Sinclair said. He said that FIDO became aware of the extent of the environmental damage created by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service in the World Heritage National Park during the Executive’s inspection last month but only decided to go public when the Service refused to change its policy and insisted that it intends to construct another 100 kilometres of similar firebreaks across the island in northern parts of the island. FIDO wants a different sort of firebreak because 20 metre wide swathe across the island act as barriers preventing the movement of many species of small mammals and birds daring to cross because of the higher exposure to predation. “The wider the gaps in natural vegetation the more fauna species which are isolated in small islands of undisturbed habitat making them more vulnerable when fires move through their diminished habitat. This means that the Service which is supposed to protect wildlife is exposing them to ever greater danger from natural disasters,” Mr Sinclair said. FIDO supports an alternative system of firebreaks such as were most effectively operated by the Queensland Forestry Department on Fraser Island for many decades. These are two metre wide double tracks about 50 metres apart with the vegetated areas between regularly burnt. “This was the type of firebreak which recently stopped a fierce wildfire on Moreton Island but the QPWS has now rejected this option out of hand for Fraser Island and insists on establishing a new network of wide bare earth fire-breaks which may ultimately cause them to bulldoze down many more trees than the sandminers did in 1976”, Mr Sinclair said. “FIDO is not going to sit quietly by and watch the current Fraser Island managers inflict this devastation to the very island which it has fought so hard for more than 30 years to protect,” Mr Sinclair concluded. For further information contact: FIDO Honorary Project Officer John Sinclair on (07) 3356 8616 or 0418 650 535 Note: FIDO can Email copies of the attached photographs. 
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