We've been back on the mainland for less than a week and it's been an interesting one. I was tasked with organising the sale of 'Save Keswick, Save Australia' t-shirts prior to Australia Day in an effort to raise awareness about Keswick Island and the issues we have been fighting for over 18 months. I naively advertised them on various local public groups. After copping serious abuse from certain sections of the community (2 or 3 people at most), someone commented on my post "so you sell a shirt but you can't say why."
I'm sure this person was being deliberately obstructionist, but I can probably write an essay on why we are trying to raise awareness. Activities on Keswick Island have been ungoverned for far too long and our island lifestyle is becoming more and more challenging as the Head Lessee and their management team seem to be intent on making our lives increasingly difficult. They have also made reaching the island harder and more expensive for the average person as well as limiting access to the National Park.
Tonight I watched a documentary on coral reefs and it struck me that what has been happening on Keswick Island environmentally is nothing short of criminal. We have been gifted the most incredible natural environment which is the envy of people from all over the world. The actions of Island Management and the lack of governance by State Government Departments have resulted in unprecedented environmental catastrophes.
So my answer to "why I am selling a shirt" is that the issues on Keswick Island go beyond the sub-lessees and their problems, they go beyond the multiple breaches by Island Management in not obtaining permits and approvals. What is probably the most important thing is to protect the natural environment on and around Keswick Island. Keswick Island is a gem in a sensitive ecosystem called the Great Barrier Reef. Many a fisherman would vouch for the excellent fishing grounds around the island, One of our previous guests described the hard and soft corals off the island as the best they had seen in the world and they had dived in numerous countries.
It is not acceptable to grade a beach and destroy nesting habitats of turtles, birds and other dune creatures.
It is not acceptable to defy the environmental laws that prevent excavating quarry material.
It is not acceptable to take a tele-handler onto the intertidal zone and move rocks without an environmental impact assessment.
It is not acceptable to remove vegetation and build roads without appropriate erosion control causing untold damage to sensitive underwater ecosystems.
It is not acceptable to cut down protected species of trees.
It is not acceptable to pollute the ocean by not disposing of rubbish appropriately.
And the list goes on...
The sub-lessees have been accused of being anti-development. Australia has strict regulations regarding development approvals and that is the protocol that should be followed - even more so on Keswick Island which is situated within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. If the Head Lessee is unable to perform their development responsibly, they should not be allowed to continue with their environmentally threatening behaviour. Without environmental consciousness, development on the island should not be done.
The Government needs to ensure that the past and current illegal activities are restored to an environmentally sustainable state. How can silt still be allowed to erode into the ocean destroying coral reefs six months after notice has been given about a breach? How can someone in charge of island operations so blatantly ignore the environmental laws of Australia with impunity?
So, that is one reason why we are selling t-shirts - to bring awareness about Keswick Island, to save the island and its surroundings before it is too late. We are passionate about Keswick and don't want to lose the island or the invaluable reefs and ecosystems surrounding it. It is a resource that should be nurtured for future generations. Save Keswick Island, save Australia.
PS. If you want to buy a shirt, either message Keswick Retreat on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Keswick-Retreat-311299632344204) or leave a message here. Cost per shirt is $35.