Media Release

KAP Federal member for Kennedy Bob Katter has warned that any proposal to list North Qld’s entire Cape York Peninsula as a World Heritage Area will punish First Australians for having kept the area pristine since time immemorial, by denying them vital economic opportunities.

Mr Katter warned as “extremely serious” any proposal to World Heritage-list the entire Peninsula.

“Do you think that one-tenth of our country should be controlled and effectively owned by a sub-committee of the United Nations?,” he said.

“Absolutely not. Australians will look after Australia, not some remote body based in New York.”

Mr Katter said the people of Cape York who were mainly First Australians should not be deprived of the right to their land and seas.

“First Australians have managed the land beautifully since time immemorial… Why are they being punished and the future of their economic self-determination put in jeopardy for keeping the area in its pristine state?”

Mr Katter pointed to the benefits of bauxite mining around Weipa to the Western Cape people, who have been provided with hospitals, doctors – but more importantly jobs.

“First Australians don’t just hunt kangaroos to eat anymore – they desperately need jobs and a decent income. And Weipa has provided this – not as much as we would like – but it still has provided job opportunities for First Australians.

“Unfortunately, a lot of mining has had a bad name because of the very irresponsible actions taken by coal seam gas mining companies, of which we have been tenacious opponents.

“But groups such as The Wilderness Society and the Greens political party who do not support mining in such prescribed ecological environments would oppose mining at Mount Isa or Moranbah.

“These people are not to be taken seriously. For them it is all about selling First Australians up the river to buy the Green vote and feed the ‘greenie monster’.”

Mr Katter said World Heritage listing of the entire Peninsula was another unnecessary level of bureaucratic ‘green’ tape on an area already over-burdened by restrictions imposed in recent years in the name of ‘environmental protection’ – such as vegetation clearing and wild rivers laws, national park expansions and reef run-off regulations.