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Religious leaders join dam protest

Published: November 04, 2009

St Patrick's Catholic Church in Pomona will host an ecumenical service in protest against the Traveston Dam, bringing together spiritual leaders, activists and others who are opposed to the project.

Father Mark Franklin, of the Noosa Catholic Parish, said participants would pray that federal government politicians were guided by wisdom in making a decision about the dam, the Sunshine Coast Daily reported. The 3pm service on Sunday will be followed by a sausage sizzle.

Father Franklin said the dam proposal had been devastating for many parishioners in the area and the neighbouring Gympie parish.

"Some people have been greatly affected by it. Their whole life has been turned upside down," he said.

The Reverend Iain Watt, of the Uniting Church at Imbil, who will speak in the liturgy, said the emotional, social and economic fall out of the dam was continuing more than three years after then premier Peter Beattie announced the dam.

He likened the state government's push for the dam to a cyclone from which the community was unable to recover.

Adele Coombs, from the Save the Mary River Coordinating Group, said the prayer service was being held because a decision was imminent. Environment minister Peter Garrett is expected to announce within the month whether or not he will approve the dam.

FULL STORY

Spiritual leaders join against dam (Sunshine Coast Daily)

 

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Recent Comments

  1. A shame but think of wider good! Water for a wider population and who knows, when the lake is in place many people will visit and a new list of industries and occupations will spring up for enterprising locals. Think laterally, people!

  2. When down-to-earth commonsense, widely publicised community concern and a body of scientific advice is against the proposed dam and pig-headedness of the State Government, where else can we turn but to the Lord in our troubles. May God bring wisdom to those in authority that they make decisions in the interests of all those concerned.

  3. A service in a Catholic Church should be about worshipping God, not a weapon to exert pressure on a politician in favour of one side of a political dispute. This is even more inappropriate when it appears that there is no one side of this dispute which is unequivocally morally correct according to Christian doctrine. I suggest that any parishioners who are upset at this misuse of their church (even if they oppose the dam) should officially complain to their archbishop.

Delicious

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