Woman threatened for dam views | Noosa News | Local News in Noosa

the last time i checked we were in a democratic society and we all have rights. It seems at times the anti damers think they are the only ones with rights. What about the rights of our youth, what about the rights of our unemployed, what about the rights of people who wnat to skill themselves for the future and what about the rights of our many varied businesses who will all benifit from this huge investment in our area. It's time to get on with it and grow socially and economically.

Hey ridgey - do you happen to be Maree James? Hey ridgey - do you happen to work for QWI (the dam builders)? Hey ridgey, sorry Maree - WERE YOU PAID TO RUN THIS STORY. Isn't it funny that every time a PRO DAM person steps forward it is proven that they actually got paid to be a pro-dammer. I could list them but they know who they are so I won't bother. Oh and for the readers - that is a yes for all the above questions.

I have followed this incident closely, all the opportunities the anti dam lot have had to reply to this, not one has shown any compassion for the attack on Maree. from Glenda down, all they have done is carry on the NO DAM tirade.
So do we then deduce they support the attack on Maree.
They have had a lot to say about how they have supposedly been treated, there were witnesses to this who have come forward so it is not ALLEGED assault.

RMITCHELL from Federal, I personally do not support any ALLEGED assault on Maree and I am certain that anti Traveston campaigners condone it as well. I use ALLEGED as under our legal system her claims are just that, until proven in court..

shellyt from Eumundi has made an interesting statement, care to comment?

Maree James the incident, as reported, is unfortunate and is not supported by me or anyone that I have had dealings with in the Save the Mary Committee. After 3 years of what has been a very stressful and emotional period for many residents in the Mary Valley, such incidents have been thankfully rare. Personally I would prefer to keep that way.

Correction- just to clarify my first statement "anti Traveston campaigners condone it as well" it should read "anti Traveston campaigners do not condone it as well." That behaviour in unacceptable, and freedom of speech is the cornerstone of a functioning democracy.

Must engage brain as well as spell checker.
Apologies.

Ridgey, and others saying there will be economic growth and jobs if Traveston is built, need to stop thinking about their own current paychecks and look at a bit of history. How many jobs were created when the last dam was built by this Gov, Paradise Dam? Almost all workers were brought in and left again when dam wall completed. The Dam now have a very small staff - a mowing person/handyman, a couple of people who monitor the dam and fishladder , and a part-time ranger. For Traveston most building works are done by machine - there will be no contractors pushing around wheelbarrows of concrete. Get real. The only employment available are those like Maree who are currently employed by the ones selling the dam idea.

I don't condone the verbal attack on Maree. But do we have proof it actually happened or is it part of the publicity machine she is a part of?

Yes, shellyt from Eumundi there is proof that it actually happened - and they they are called ... WITNESSES.
Publicity machine? Being threatened by some w****r when you are minding your own business and doing your shopping is hardly being part of a publicity machine. It is threatening, frightening and completely uncalled for.
What an unpleasant creature you are shellyt, it is people like you who give the anti dam movement a very bad image.
Most anti dam people are good people who have a belief that they are free to express.
Why not accord the same freedom without the accusations and insinuations to those who would like to see the dam built - no matter what their reasons are.
Freedom of thought, freedom of expression.
This is Australia, isn't it? Or have we floated off to North Korea while I wasn't looking???
We have had yellow and black stickers in our faces for the past three years - up and down the highway, in the media, on cars, on signage - everywhere.
Surely those who reckon the dam is a good thing should be able to put a Traveston Jobs Now sticker on a back window of their car without persecution.

Absolutely stevemil, it has been a very stressful time for EVERYBODY in the valley, those who want the dam AND those who do not. Did you sell out to the state govt? Did you lose the place that you loved and planted trees on and had babies on and wanted to live on the rest of your life??
It is just a matter of getting on with your life. If the dam happens, it happens. If it doesn't, then it doesn't - but the valley has already been targetted more than once for a dam. If it doesn't happen now, then it will sometime down the track.
If it is coming then people should just make the most of it and live again.
All this festering angst and bitterness won't help anyone.

Paula, I am so glad there are still some people in the world that care for others and not just themselves. Ok you decided to take the money and make your life else where - not all of us just think about their own lives and just move on when the times get tough. To sell is your choice, and I hope you are happy. There is a bigger picture.

My choice and the choice of hundreds of others, is to fight to the end to get rid of a bad proposal. I am in it for the river and the animals. I am it for the millions of animals who will die as a result of the dam. I am in it for the farmers who will lose everything they ever dreamed and the ones left cut off from their stocks only water source. And the downstream farmers who will have their water allocations cut. I am in it for the 300 year old trees that will be bulldozed. I am in it for the animals of the Great Sandy Sraits who will die as a result of loss of food supply when the water is cut off. And the endangered animals who will go extinct if the dam is built.

I could sell and go else where - but I stay and fight for those who can't fight their own battles. Yes my property is where I raised my children and planted trees and I hope to live here for the rest of my life. But this is not about me - it is about a bad proposal to destroy the Mary River.

As far as I can see the bitterness comes from QWI employees who claim to be little innocent shoppers. Balony - ask the lady does she or does she not work for the organisation that is tasked with destroying the valley.

You know - the Nazi soldiers claimed innocence as well after they did the deads they did.

Doesn't the man, who I guess is someone who probably have a lot to lose, (and I have no idea who it is) have a right for his opinion. He did it the wrong way but sometimes anger gets in the way when you can lose everything important to you.

I agree with you that is angst is unnecessary. And I agree that the lady should not have been abused. But if you dance with the devil you are bound to get burnt eventually. Why doesn't she come clean with who she is? Embarrased maybe. Isn't hard to work out - just ring QWI and ask.

No more comments from me. That is all I have to say on the matter. I actually don't think we disagree - just that I choose to stay and you chose to go.

Paula, I fortunately have not been pressured into selling. Unfortunately I have witnessed the community that I live in wither away on a political "wet dream" that does not stack up socially, environmentally and will in all probability fail to deliver the trumped up promises of Beattie and Bligh.

Building Traveston may eventually deliver a few temporary jobs, if approved. Will these replace those already lost? How many businesses have closed down? Productive farms bought out? Schools scaled down as residents move away. It is not only the “nimby” residents in the Valley that are affected. The flow on effects follow the course of the Mary all the way to the Great Sandy Straits.

This dam has not even been approved Federally and if approved work will not start till 2013, at the earliest. That is without factoring in the legal challenges already waiting in queue or any probable change in government and policy at the next state election.

If the EPA is to be taken seriously and is, as promised by Kevin Rudd, made without political pressure then in two weeks time the project should be canned. Hopefully we can then get on with our lives, many though unfortunately have been badly scarred and for them it not as simple as telling them to just get over it.

I have no problems with people plastering their cars with stickers, or holding pro dam views, we do not live in North Korea. I am also confident that Maree's complaint will be dealt with through the legal process and I will leave it to that process to judge the merits of her complaint. I also do not believe the alleged actions of one person should be used to smear a campaign that has, for over 3 years, actively discouraged incidents as described in the article.

Shellyt from Eumundi asked a valid question, still no reply.