Today Anna Bligh has called on Prime Minister Julia Gillard to stand up to “radical” Green groups, however her own government is content to march to the beat of the green drum and give in to the group’s demands in Queensland, Queensland Nationals Senator Ron Boswell said today.

“The Wilderness Society calls to list the Ducie River Basin, which includes the Jackson, Doughboy and Skardon rivers, will test the Bligh government’s commitment to indigenous Queenslanders.

“The Wilderness Society is heavying Queensland Environment Minister, Kate Jones, into a move that will be detrimental to future live hoods of hundreds of indigenous Australians,” Senator Boswell said.

 “The organisation has already publicly come out and said its main priority is to fight the Bauxite Hill mine.

 “If Kate Jones bows to the demands of the Wilderness Society, and lists the Ducie Basin preventing the Bauxite Hills mining project to go ahead, she will not only wipe out hundreds of potential jobs for Indigenous people but will also prevent the injection of $1.2 billion dollars into the economy,” he said.

“Aboriginal organisations desperately want the Bauxite Hills project to go ahead so the locals will have the ability to get off welfare.

“If the listing goes ahead, it will be proof positive that the Wilderness Society and green groups are running Queensland.

“In October 2008 the Wilderness Society proved how much influence it wields over the Queensland government.  Traditional owners approached the then State Environment Minister, Craig Wallace, for an extension of time on the listing of the Archer, Lockhart and Stewart rivers.

“Mr Wallace told the traditional owners they had to get the permission of the Wilderness Society before any extension was granted.

“The extension was rejected by the Wilderness Society and the government meekly accepted the societies ruling. 

 “If the new Minister bows to the Wilderness Society, as she has foreshadowed, and lists the Ducie river basin to prevent the Bauxite Hills project to go ahead, she will not only lose hundreds of jobs for Australians, but will also be allowing a lobby group to run Queensland.

“Kate Jones should show more respect for the indigenous community and learn to assert her authority and use her good sense in this matter.  There is no doubt that through the government’s passive compliancy with the Wilderness Society’s wishes, the government is showing it couldn’t care less about indigenous people,” he said.

ENDS