People reclaim World Environment Day

BY LESLIE RICHMOND

ADELAIDE — Five hundred people marched on Glenelg's Grand Hotel
on June 4 to denounce an official government World Environment Day conference.
Rally organisers called Adelaide's “official host city” status a farce
because South Australia has one of the worst environmental protection records
in the country.

The rally was organised by the Save Our Gulf coalition, comprising community
organisations, environmentalists and industry groups concerned about the
environmental damage being done to the Spencer Gulf. SOG's Patrick O'Sullivan
said the rally aimed to get the government to listen to the community and
to not treat the environmental problems facing the state merely as an afterthought
in the wake of uncontrolled development.

The key to this, O'Sullivan said, is the repealing of legislation that
allows the state government to shortcut or override measures designed to
protect the environment.

Local researcher Dr John Hailes called for an integrated management
plan for the whole of Spencer Gulf and marine biologist Dr Mike Bosley
called for stormwater control, noting that stormwater currently poses one
of the greatest threats to coastal marine environments.

The rally was joined by a large contingent of anti-nuclear protesters
who had earlier staged a “radioactive spill”. The action was organised
by Everyone For a Nuclear Free Future to protest against the proposed nuclear
waste dump in SA.

Neither Premier John Olsen nor Prime Minister John Howard responded
to calls from the crowd to come outside the hotel and make themselves accountable.

In Canberra, a similar spirit reigned as environmentalists, horticulturalists,
activists, politicians and Saturday shoppers braved the cold for a World
Environment Day festival in Garema Place on June 3.

Leigh Hughes reports that urban services minister Brendan Smyth announced
grants totalling almost $400,000 to wildlife and environment organisations,
saying, “it's not hard making people happy when you're handing out money”.
However, his speech was overshadowed by a vibrant and noisy protest by
Save the Ridge, a group of residents and environmentalists opposed to the
building of a motorway through parkland on O'Connor Ridge. They say that
Smyth's grants are a feeble attempt to placate increasing public anger
at the Liberal government's mismanagement of environmental issues in the
ACT.

From GLW issue 409