Jim McIlroy, Brisbane
"Now's the time — we're in the trenches", Platypus Action Group spokesperson John Woodlands told protesters on June 24. "Enough is enough. It's now or never.... We're not moving until we save this place."
Woodlands was describing the confrontation looming between protesters who have been occupying a controversial site in the Sunshine Coast hinterland town of Maleny since June 19, and developers acting for the giant shopping chain Woolworths, who have been attempting to build a supermarket on the site for three years.
People opposing the development, after a long campaign, have permanently occupied the land near Obi Obi Creek, which they say contains more than 50 platypus burrows. They argue the project should be banned, as the platypus is a protected species in Queensland.
Camp Platypus involves local residents from Maleny, regularly strengthened by supporters from Brisbane.
"This is an issue that at first divided the town, but has now united it", local veterinary biologist Antara May told the June 25 Brisbane Courier-Mail. "Now that we know the extent of the platypus colony here, they cannot develop the site."
However, police told the protesters on June 30 that they would be evicted in the near future, probably in a dawn raid. John Woodlands said: "I explained that we didn't want anyone to get hurt. But our position has always been that we're not moving."
Developer Hutchinson Builders has vowed to repossess the site and instigate legal action against the main protesters.
On June 27, the protesters discovered a roughly camouflaged set of spy cameras trained on the camp. It was the second set of cameras found by the group in a week.
"We've been trying to look at the funny side of it but the protest in Maleny has shown there has only been moderate change in Queensland since the Joh Bjelke-Petersen days", Woodlands said.
In April 2004, the conflict hit national and world headlines when the infamous Deen Brothers moved on to the site and began clearing trees. About 400 protesters attempted to stop the clearing work. They clashed with a contingent of about 70 police. Seven demonstrators were arrested.
After that, development was temporarily halted, while another
year of court challenges and other moves ensued. Now, Queensland Labor environment minister Desley Boyle has declared that there were no more legal moves available, and that the protesters should just "go home and cry".
The conflict is another round in the battle between major corporations that are pushing for commercial development of environmentally important regional sites, and local communities in places like Maleny, a town with 6000 inhabitants that has a history of being ecologically conscious. The broad support gained already by the Maleny campaigners represents a hopeful sign that rampant, destructive big-business development can be successfully challenged by people power.
From Green Left Weekly, July 6, 2005.
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