Murray-Darling kayaker Steve Posselt again took to the waters on Saturday. Launching from West End in Brisbane, he began what will be a 29 day paddle up the Brisbane and Stanley Rivers, down the Mary River, returning to Brisbane via the Great Sandy Straits in the lee of Fraser Island.

The trip, dubbed “Don’t Murray the Mary” is to focus attention on the unwillingness of both the Queensland Government and the Queensland Water Commission to examine alternatives to the Traveston Crossing Dam.

Recently the Water Commission released its fifty year plan for water for south-east Queensland but it began with Traveston Dam, both Stage one and Stage Two as givens, even though they have yet to receive the necessary federal environment approvals.

The plan then places Traveston and Wyaralong as the last dams to be built in the south-east corner before becoming more reliant on sources like desalination. Steve is no newcomer to the water industry having spent more than three decades as a water engineer and is a Past President of the Australian Water Association.

He was farewelled on his kayak epic by a crowd of well-wishers, many from the Mary Valley as well as members of the Gubbi Gubbi people led by Dr Eve Fesl, who have refused to accept what they dub a “state government bribe” to relinquish native title claims over the area.

Democrat Senator Andrew Bartlett, who was part of last year’s Senate Enquiry that found that the dam should not go ahead, spoke both eloquently and passionately against the proposal before launching Steve on his way.

It will be almost a week before Steve will manually tow his kayak up the steep slopes of the Conondale Ranges that separate the Stanley and Mary catchments and descend to enter the Mary River near Conondale in the Sunshine Coast hinterland.

Steve plans to be at Traveston Crossing on Sunday April 27 to be part of a canoe “floatilla” to mark the second anniversary of the dam announcement.

Steve Posselt’s contact – 0438 138 982
April 27 Anniversary Flotilla contact – Glenda Pickersgill (07) 5484 3150 or 0411 443 589

Regular updates as well as a map and rough itinerary are available on www.kayak4earth.com