The Environmental Protection Authority has decided to do a comprehensive assessment of a proposed 50 billion litre dam and irrigation project at Gogo Station, citing strong community concerns as a reason.
Thanks to pressure from the community, the road ahead just got a bit harder for the proposed Gogo Station dam and irrigation project.
During the public comment period, hundreds of Kimberley supports contacted the EPA calling for improvements to the draft scoping document for the assessment of the proposed dam and irrigation project on Gogo Station, on the banks of the Fitzroy River.
The final scoping document was recently released with many of the improvements we recommended. The project will now face a rigorous assessment process. This will include the need to properly assess the impacts of taking flood waters on endangered sawfish and cherished species like barramundi and cherabin.
If you would like to view the document, it can be found here.
Not only will these inclusions ensure that Gogo Station has a stronger set of environmental guidelines to measure up against, but it also sets a precedent for the standard of assessment that will be required for future mining or irrigation projects in the Fitzroy Catchment.
We fully believe that a robust assessment of the social, economic and environmental costs and benefits of this project can only lead to one conclusion: that the dam at Gogo Station is the wrong type of development for the National Heritage Listed Fitzroy River.
Let's keep the pressure on to make sure that the dam is rejected, and the mighty Fitzroy is protected for future generations to enjoy. The river needs protection and sustainable development, not Murray-Darling style irrigation.
