A PALMWOODS landholder on one of the routes being considered for
the proposed Allgas pipeline, fears valuable rainforest will be destroyed
if the resumption goes ahead.
Russell Garrad, whose Winston Road property is being considered for a 25
metres pipeline easement said he objected to the way authorities had gone
about the project.
"Landholders are being issued with a Notice of Intended Entry on hand.
Under this notice, the holder, Allgas and/or its agents have the right
to enter on the lands described on the notice without the permission of
the landholder," Mr Garrad said.
"In actual fact Allgas and its agents are only seeking the mutual consent
of the landholder - they may still enter even if the forms are not signed."
He said there was nothing a landholder could do if Allgas wanted to resume.
"When I expressed concerns about the significant stand of endangered species
of plants and established rainforest on my property 1 was told by the Department
of Environment that no formal impact assessment would be undertaken.
The Environment Department advised that it had been included as an advisory
body on some aspects, mainly cultural heritage, but reliance would be on
studies to be conducted by Allgas under direction from the Department of
Mines and Energy.
Mr Garrad has owned the property since 1986 and, with his father's adjacent
property, has worked to establish a successful wholesale plant nursery.
He said he had been advised by the office of Member for Nicklin Neil Turner
that no further public meetings would be held as Allgas had already fulfilled
its requirement.
"I can only hope that they will keep to public land as they have advertised,"
he said. "My main objection is the way they have gone about it, considering
easements on private land when it was to be on public land when the consultation
meetings were held."
The alternative route being considered would keep the line to public land
along Winston Road and the Palmwoods Woombye Road to the Bruce Highway.
Introduction - Palmwoods District News
Contents - April 1997