Irwin refutes eco damage claims

Terri Irwin has vowed to fight Cape Alumina's plans to explore the Cape York reserve that is a "perpetual memorial" to the work of her late husband, Steve. Photo:Chris McCormack/174695
The battle between Australia Zoo’s Terri Irwin and a mining company over a remote eco reserve set up to honour her late husband has escalated, with both sides labelling the other environmental vandals.

Media reported yesterday that Mrs Irwin had approved secret plans to build 31 dams and quadruple to 8000 the number of cattle grazing on the land north of Weipa on Cape York.

Queensland company Cape Alumina, which wants to mine bauxite on 12,000ha of the 135,000ha Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve, said Mrs Irwin was planning a “massive commercial venture” that threatened an ecologically sensitive area.

Australia Zoo’s Wildlife Warriors group is engaged in a campaign to stop Cape Alumina mining on the reserve.

Mrs Irwin’s property manager, Ken Hicks, said yesterday that mining posed the only eco threat to the area.

Mr Hicks denied cattle posed a threat to ancient, dry vine forests on the land.

He said reports stating the number of cattle would climb to 8000 were wrong.

“There’s only approximately 1000 head of cattle on the land, and the original lease holders now have part of the land to continue their operation exactly as they would have done,” he said.

“Australia Zoo makes no money out of that, and the benefit to the reserve is we have people on the property to look after fire management, wheat management, feral animals and anyone who wants to damage the property.”

Mr Hicks said the sole purpose of the reserve was to establish a research centre that would provide scientific studies on the Cape for generations to come.

“The mining company (Cape Alumina) plans to exploit a very important part of the reserve and walk away after 10 or 15 years,” he said.

Cape Alumina chief executive Paul Messenger was quoted as saying the group was not asked by the state government to provide an environmental impact statement for the reserve.

Mrs Irwin’s development company, Silverback Properties, purchased the property for $6 million after the Howard government gave her a grant in 2007.