Developer accused of incitement against greens

By Bill Mason

BRISBANE -- Port Hinchinbrook developer Keith Williams has been accused of inciting anti-green violence after telling ABC radio on October 25 that conservationists "have outstayed their welcome" and "ought to be dispensed with".

Williams is locked in a legal battle with conservation groups over his plan to build a major tourist resort near Cardwell in north Queensland which endangers local dugongs and the environment of nearby World Heritage areas.

Australian Conservation Foundation campaigner Peter Wright said on October 25 that Williams' statement "could encourage some people to threaten or assault representatives of the conservation movement, or even those who are just concerned about the environment".

Meanwhile, the Federal Court on October 24 granted the conservation group Friends of Hinchinbrook a restraining order to prevent Williams cutting mangroves at the site until a legal challenge to the federal government's approval for the project had been heard.

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