Calls for a wild listing | Gladstone News | Local News in Gladstone

THOUSANDS of signatories have shown their support for the Friends of the Baffle Basin (FOBB) as the push to have the Queensland Government declare Baffle Creek a "wild river'' continues.

Petitions calling for government legislation to ensure Baffle Creek is never dammed have flooded throughout the Gladstone Region, as residents sign up in shops, schools and local businesses.

However the support has not been restricted to the local area, as electronic versions of the petition have been swamped on the internet from wider Queensland, nationally and internationally.

FOBB president Dr Sabine Holt said that the support to save the Baffle had been strong and hundreds turned up at a public rally last Sunday at 1770 to lend their support and sign the petition.

"We had strong support from the Agnes Water/1770 community at the meeting and messages of support from a number of others including CEO of Burnett Mary Resource Group, David Brown, Councillor Clyde Cameron, who provided us with a letter of support and (Member for Burnett) Rob Messenger, who was unable to attend,'' Dr Holt said.

"It seems we have support from all sides of politics and all sorts of people, but we just need to get it (a guarantee Baffle Creek will not be dammed) into legislation.''

Premier Anna Bligh came out publicly to declare Baffle Creek would not be dammed during her premiership after information came to light, via a Freedom of Information search earlier his year, that there existed departmental proposals that included the damming of Baffle Creek.

Dr Holt said the most logical next step to ensure Baffle Creek is saved is to have the pristine waterway declared a "wild river''.

"It seems the next logical step in the declaration of wild rivers that Baffle Creek joins that list and therefore cannot be dammed under Queensland law,'' she said.

"The wild rivers legislation was designed to move from the more remote northern rivers to take in rivers in more developed areas and Baffle Creek is the obvious next choice.

"We just need it put into the legislation so it will always be safe.''

Dr Holt said the petitions were to be returned to FOBB in the next week and eventually presented to government.

The FOBB are holding a strategy meeting at Kahunas Bar and Restaurant in Agnes Water today at 7pm.