Oil slick, Moreton Island

[subybrumby]

I, like most people have been shocked by the extent of the oil sludge on Moreton Island. Lets hope that it gets cleaned up and the Island can get back to its former glory.

Years ago, a mate of mine owned a house at Cowan Cowan and we used to go over there and sit eating Spanner crabs boiled up in a copper pot on the beach just up from Tangalooma.. He made nets out of bed frames and used a lot of the old telephone wires from across the island to haul them up. It was hard work and we were in the shipping lanes in Moreton Bay in a dingy with ships passing real close.

I'm sure the four wheel drive fraternity would be devestated by whats happened there this week and I would hope that future Governments realise that there are other perceived threats to these pristine areas than the perceived intrusions by four wheel drive enthusists who generally care for these areas and appreciate their beauty, otherwise we wouldn't be there.

I heard a guy on Brisbane Radio the other day go right off, saying how he has paid and paid and paid for permits to visit these areas, which he added that he did not mind, because ultimately the money would go back and preserve the island for future generations. How a ship could do this much devestation in one foul swoop had him really stirred up and I don't blame him.

Lets hope that when all the fingerpointing has finished, there will be a renewed realisiation that these wilderness areas are for everybody, to be conserved for all by all and for the future as well. These events should be foreseen, preventable and in the event of an occurrence, reaction should be swift and rehearsed.

My 10cents

T.

[Gannon]

Its simply a travesty

Interestingly, a few months ago, i saw show that had 2 guys who had designed a liquid that turns oil spills to a sticky foam that can be easily scooped up.

I'll try to find it