Bob Brown
1. Lake Pedder was, and will again be, one of the planet's most gently beautiful places. It is three kilometres long and wide, an area of nine square kilometres, 300 metres in altitude, in Tasmania's western mountains. World authorities, including the World Conservation Union have called for the lake's restoration.
2. Lake Pedder is a unique type of glacial lake. Dr Kevin Kiernan, a Tasmanian Geomorphologist, describes it as an 'Šextraordinary landform complex thatŠhas no replicate on Earth and is akin to a biological species for which only one solitary and vulnerable individual remains'. It is of world scientific interest. Its recovery is already sparking international attention.
3. A study by Professor Peter Tyler's expert team from Deakin University has found that the lake bed, its dunes, Lake Maria, and even the sand patterns on the beach are still intact, awaiting recovery. Only a few millimetres of fine silt covers the scene.
4. Economist Brian Kohl, has found that there will be no cost from draining the impoundment over Lake Pedder. This is because the flooding of Lake Pedder provides only 60 megawatts of electricity, while Tasmania has an excess of 130 megawatts, and when Comalco goes, that will be 170 megawatts more. That is, Tasmania can spare the 60 megawatts at no loss or cost to our economy.
5. Tourism expert Dr Louise Crossley, estimates that even if the lake's recovery drew only an additional 4 percent of visitors to Tasmania, and increased local tourism by only 2 percent, this would boost spending in Tasmania by $20 million annually, and could mean an extra 620 jobs in Tasmania's service industries.
6. Restoring Lake Pedder and the Serpentine River would create a 'wild' trout fishery of the type which is most popular these days. At present, the impoundment is the least popular of Tasmania's seven top trout fisheries, with the worst catch rates.
7. The Pedder 2000 Committee and Dr Louise Crossley have recommended a centre of excellence in restorative ecology be set up-to decide how best to restore Lake Pedder. The centre's studies and experience could then be used for similar projects overseas.
8. The whole world would win. What a symbol of optimism, as we celebrate the new millennium, the Pedder 2000 Project (alongside 'Sydney 2000') would be a symbol of human-kind turning around at least some of the destruction of the twentieth century, in a gesture of goodwill to nature and to all future generations.