1. UNIT 4: OUTCOME 2 ATTITUDES TO THE ENVIRONMENT 1972-1983 VCE Australian History

2. Key Knowledge You are to demonstrate key knowledge of differing attitudes to Australia's environment comparing the flooding of Lake Pedder (1972) to the Franklin Dam decision (1983): A range of attitudes at each point in time; The connections between the two significant points in time; The degree of change in attitudes between the two significant points and the reasons for any change.

3. Lake Pedder Lake Pedder is located in Tasmania’s southwest and was a natural lake popular with bushwalkers. It has a historical connection to local indigenous communities who are considered to have been living in the region for at least 20,000 years. 1835: Surveyor John Wedge named it Lake Pedder after the first Chief Justice of the colony Sir John Pedder. Famous for its three km beach and Serpentine River drainage. It was also located in a particularly beautiful part of Tasmania surrounded by a mountain range the Frankland Range and the Serpentine Valley.

4. Ecological Uniqueness Lake Pedder was a very popular destination for bushwalkers. Bob Brown considered Lake Pedder to be a “jewel in the wilderness, a magnificent untouched natural formation”. It was highly regarded by many to contain a vast natural untouched beauty unique to the world. Its beach was vast with pinkish white sand. Great seasonal changes in water level (inundated in the winter and spring and uncovered in the summer). Behind the beach were tea tree-covered dunes and flowing channels and creek of the Lake Maria-Maria Creek system.

5. Lake Pedder and Unique Fauna Before the flooding of Lake Pedder a research report found that the Pedder-Lake Maria created one of the most important or the most important of habitats for “13 endemic species” and “3 rare species” (Lake). According to Brown Pedder was home to “more than a dozen creatures found nowhere else on Earth – caddis flies, strange fossil-like shrimp, tiny snails and aquatic worms in the beach, a freshwater crayfish and Galaxias pederensis – the Pedder trout.” Pedder also contained “wombats, Tassie devils, wallabies, native quolls, platypuses, dusky marsupial mice, possums, tiger cats, black swans, rare ground- parrots and emu wrens” (Brown)

6. Bob Brown and Lake Pedder Bob Brown wrote a book on Lake Pedder simply called Lake Pedder which was more of a collection of photographs that attempted to capture the beauty of the lake. Here are some quotes… “Buttongrass plains of the region had extensive accumulatiosn of peat from which the water, acidic like tea drained to give the lake sand streams their special amber colour.” (Brown) “Simmonds peppermints, ti-trees, silver banksias and melaleucas grew together on the dunes” (Brown).

7. Task Choose ONE of the photographs from Bob Brown’s Lake Pedder and explain what you see in the photo and why it would drive someone to campaign to save it. Consider Content, Context and Function (CCF).

8. Descriptions of Lake Pedder’s Beauty “Deeply moving beauty” (Bonyhady) “Wagnerian cloudscapes” (Kiernan) “Moodiness and mystery” (Brown)

9. Bushwalkers and Lake Pedder Many Bushwalkers enjoyed the untouched terrain of Lake Pedder. Bushwalkers were reassured that Lake Pedder would be protected when their submissions for a national park in the region were accepted by the government in 1955. A park enclosing the lake was declared on 8 March. One of the oldest conservation groups in Australia, the South-West Committee (SWC), brought together bushwalkers, other interested groups and individuals, was formed in 1962. It resolved to form an organisation to work for the conservation of the area and for the introduction of a rational plan for the development of its resources.

10. South West Committee The SWC after much consultation and research put together a plan to protect Lake Pedder and its surrounding environment in 1966. Among other things, the submission suggested areas particularly suited to be set aside for reserves, together with the type of development desirable within each area. Proposals were also submitted for the type of authority best suited to administer the area.

11. The Hobart Walking Formed in 1929 in meeting led ET Emmett the Director of the Government Tourist Bureau. Its express purpose was to organise official walks and engage in various outdoor activities around Tasmania. It has a long history in conservation issues however many of its members were also associated with the Hydro-Electric Commission (HEC).

12. Tasmanian Government Tasmania was governed by Labor rule for 35 years (from 1934 to 1969). During the Lake Pedder issue the government was led by Labor Premier Eric Reece for two separate terms: 1958 to 1969, and from 1972 to 1975. Between Reece’s premiership the Liberal Angus Bethune became premier through a coalition government (Liberal-Centre Party) with a one seat majority (1969-1972).

13. Hydro-Electric Commission (HEC) Hydro-Electric Power and Metallurgical Company came to being through working on the first hydro scheme in Tasmania on the Great Lake in 1911. The Company was bought out by the Tasmanian government for £140,750 and was renamed the Hydro- Electric Department. The Hydro-Electric Department was quite proactive in gaining various supply agreements and acquisitions including the Hobart Gas Company and the Electrolytic Zinc works. Since 1914 the Hydro-Electric Department has adopted a policy “encouraging large power consuming industries” (Thompson).

14. Hydro-Electric Commission (HEC) In relation to electric power in Tasmania consumption from people in urban areas amounted to around less than 2,000 horsepower in 1916 (Thompson). Conversely power needed in the major industrial industries like electro-chemical and metallurgical was much greater than that. In one contract alone, according to the Hydro- Electric Departments own JH Butters in 1916, will require “30,000 horsepower”. (Thompson)

15. HEC In describing the HEC Geoffrey Blainey says ‘more powerful perhaps than any government instrumentality that Australia had known in times of peace’—and what it said should happen usually happened. HEC was also described by many commentators as ‘a State within a State’. Greg Buckman called the HEC the ‘electric Kremlin’.

16. Electric Eric Premier Reece was well-known for his support of hydro-electric development to the point that he was called “Electric Eric”. 1967 the HEC proposed the flooding of Lake Pedder in order to create a hydro-electric plant. Reece announced the Gordon River Power Development Scheme or the Middle Gordon Scheme He soon introduced the legislation into Parliament. There was no debate on saving Lake Pedder... the Bill went through the Lower House in Hobart in record time.

17. Electric Eric Quotes “There was a National Park out there, but I can't remember exactly where it was... at least, it wasn't of substantial significance in the scheme of things.” “We had to double the output of power in this state in ten years in order [to] supply the demands of industry and the community.” The scheme was “big, imaginative and nationally significant”. Eric Reece described dams with glowing terms, ‘Our engineers have changed contours, with the aesthetic achievement of landscape gardeners’

18. HEC and the Public Tasmania was perpetually concerned that it was seen as being economically backward. Subsequently hydro-electric plants created an atmosphere of progress and industrial advancement. According to the HEC hydro-electricity would encourage greater industrial investment and would mean more jobs for Tasmanians. Furthermore the Tasmanian southwest was considered to be an isolated and an “empty quarter” of the state.

19. HEC Road to Flooding In 1963, funds from the federal government were sought to construct a road into the very heart of the South West. Two HEC roads were built in the region. One led to the eventual site of the Gordon Dam beyond Strathgordon—a small town created especially to house the construction workers—and a second road branched southwards at Frodsham Pass south of Maydena to the site of the Scott’s Peak Dam. This road passes along the shores of the artificial Pedder impoundment to within about ten kilometres of the Western Arthur Range.

20. HEC and the Public The HEC employed many people in Tasmania and provided 90 percent of the power to the state. The scheme was successfully presented to the wider public as an opportunity to create cheap electricity to the public and industry currently and well into the future. Both parties and most of the people of Tasmania supported the legislation. Peter Hay observes "an overwhelming majority of Tasmanians were right behind the Hydro-Electric Commission.“ The HEC had a long history of “direct interference in political process” (Thompson). The HEC was also well funded – between 1969-70 Tasmania spent 54% of its loan fund on electricity compared to 18% in most other states.

21. SWC and the Save Lake Pedder Campaign In 1967, the Save Lake Pedder National Park Committee was formed. 10,000 signatures were collected as a petition against the flooding of Lake Pedder – the biggest in Tasmania’s history. A Select Committee of Enquiry was formed by the Upper House of the Tas. parliament to investigate the viability and alternatives to the flooding of the lake.

22. Select Committee of Enquiry Over 9 weeks the committee met with 44 witnesses and written evidence from 6 sources. The Committee was presented with an alternative plan however it would cost a further $11m – a large sum at the time. The Committee ended up supporting the HEC’s plans. The Hobart Mercury described the Committee as “level-headed men” who reached the “inevitable” decision. Construction began almost immediately.

23. The Hydro-Electric Dam The plan that finally went ahead involved three dam walls being built around Lake Pedder to trap the flows of both the Serpentine River which flowed westward and the Huon River which flowed to the east. The two flooded river systems would join above a low dividing range near Scott’s Peak so creating a giant Pedder Impoundment. The waters of the enlarged lake would only be used to top up the nearby and larger Lake Gordon on which the power station was situated. According to Brown and Toyne the scheme “produced only 170 megawatts of electricity” less than the power needed for the State’s Comalco aluminium plant.

24. Attitudes to the Environment In that era, belief in the value of conserving natural areas was at the fringes of society's thinking (not considered important). At the time, those who could see value in retaining places of beauty were far too few and far too inexperienced to project their views in a world of vastly more adroit bureaucrats and politicians. To some extent Pedder was lost because of the decisions of a group of older politicians whose thinking belonged to a past era. They could not adjust to the changes in environmental ideas that were at that time beginning to surface (Rankin).

25. Save Lake Pedder – A National Campaign Conservationists refused to accept the Tasmanian government’s decision and campaigned hard to save the lake. Peter Sims organised a national campaign where he argued, “If Lake Pedder goes, every Australian state is going to suffer. It’s too big for Tasmania to handle. It’s an Australian issue. The eyes of the world are on us.” Olegas Truchanas was also a part of the national campaign. In the 1950s he had canoed the Gordon River from Lake Pedder to Strahan. He had intimate knowledge of the area and his beautiful photographs of the region were regularly used to present the case to save the lake.

26. Save Lake Pedder – A National Campaign They called public meetings in the Hobart Town Hall and showed capacity audiences what was about to disappear forever. People were deeply moved In 1972, Olegas Truchanas drowned while photographing the Gordon River. He became one of the immortals of the conservation movement. According to Kevin Kiernan Lake Pedder became “an issue about how Tasmania should progress in future”.

27. Tasmania under the Libs In 1969, Labor lost government in Tasmania for the first time since the depression of the 1930s. Liberals leader, Angus Bethune, had once called Pedder "a scenic gem", but as Premier he aligned himself with the powerful Hydro - and threatened power shortages if the scheme did not go ahead. It did not matter which party was in power the HEC was able to push on with its agenda regardless.

28. Save Lake Pedder The conservationists was able to successfully extend boundaries of Lake Pedder National Park in 1968 (revoked in 1969). However construction of the hydro-electric scheme continued. Protesters organised a Lake Pedder pilgrimage where 2,000 people visited the lake. Peter Sims approached other conservationist organisations to help in saving Lake Pedder – he was met with varying response. Very public support from akin organisations like Judith Wright from the Wildlife Protection Society Queensland – WPSQ who wrote letters to premier Reece and campaigned. Ambiguous responses from more establishment/conservative groups like the Australian Conservation Foundation.

29. Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) The ACF was formed in 1965 by largely Canberra-based scientists who were deeply concerned with the conservation of eco-systems. According to Hutton and Connors the ACF was a product of the “conservatism of the 1960s”. The ACF was also unique in that it sought out political and economic elites to make up the leadership group. Early members included Sidney Myer, Sir Maurice Mawby (chairman of the Australian Mining Industry Council), Sir Garfield Barwick and later Prince Phillip. Unsurprisingly during the 1960s and 70s the ACF was the most well funded (privately and publicly) environmental organisation in the country.

30. ACF and Politics The ACF was apprehensive about directly confronting the political establishment in regards to saving Lake Pedder. As many of its leading members were made up of political and economic elites it did not support any form of radical politics and preferred safer options like creating policy recommendations, organising meetings with political leaders and press conferences where they would voice “concerns” but never aggressively attack the government.

31. Sims and ACF Peter Sims attempted to get the board of the ACF to support the campaign. ACF were sympathetic to the cause but did not actively get involved. According to Lines, “they did not want to confront the state government”. Furthermore Lines quotes ACF leader Francis Ratcliffe calling Save Lake Pedder activists “hot shots” and “small-time, emotional conservationists”.

32. Political Advancement Despite the lack of support from major conservationist groups like the ACF Save Lake Pedder activists were able to generate enough momentum to turn the tide of public opinion in Tasmania. In 1971 polling showed a majority of Tasmanians were in favour of saving Lake Pedder. With this kind of support amongst the people yet not in parliament led to the activists to form two organisations.

33. Political Advancement The Lake Pedder Action Committee – LPAC (1971) would be solely devoted to activism and public awareness to save the lake. They even setup their own store that shared photos, literature and merchandise that celebrated/defended Lake Pedder and environmentalism. In March 1972 the United Tasmanian Group (UTG) would become a political party that would campaign for a seat in the state parliament. The first green party in the world.

34. UTG Founded on ecological principles and led by biologist Dr Richard Jones, the UTG made the environment the dominant issue. It 'was as much concerned with society and the need for satisfying employment as it was with a wholesome and stimulating environment'. 'The New Ethic' of the UTG was based on the four pillars of Ecology, Social Justice, Participatory Democracy and Peace

35. UTG UTG ran 12 candidates (including Bob Brown) in four electorates and the main political hope was to gain the balance of power in the Tasmanian parliament. If successful they could block legislation until Lake Pedder was saved. LPAC worked in tandem with the UTG running public meetings, slide shows, pamphlet distribution and money- raising for the election campaign. Support came from outside of Tasmania including the Australian Union of Students and various actions in Melbourne.

36. 1972 Tasmanian State Election The HEC made a concerted effort to stop the advance of the UTG. They funded a comprehensive media campaign (state and national) against the new party using their abundant government funds. The UTG was still able to present a formidable campaign yet on election eve 21 April 1972 the HEC placed a newspaper advertisement that warned that saving Lake Pedder would result in “heavy increased costs” which consumers would pay for through a tariff. As it was immediately before election day the UTG had no time to counter this misleading threat.

37. 1972 Tasmanian State Election On election day UTG polled more than 7% in two electorates. Sir Alfred White a former ALP politician who had left the party over the Pedder issue and joined UTG narrowly lost his seat. Ron Brown (former president of the SWC) lost by only 150 votes. The party immediately requested a royal commission into the activities of the HEC (it was rejected).

38. Post-Election Activism Following the election the UTG and LPAC opened up an office right on the shoreline of Lake Pedder. They promised a vigil against the rising waters. In July 1972 the UTG presented Reece 17,500 signatures in a petition to save Lake Pedder. LPAC and the UTG also attempted to stop the flooding through court action. The case was that the flooding was contravening the National Parks and Wildlife Act. In response, Premier Reece pushed the Gordon River Doubts Removal Bill through Parliament. This legalised the flooding retrospectively.

39. 1972 Dec 1972 also saw the federal election of the progressive Whitlam government who had raised concerns over the flooding of Lake Pedder but were not willing to openly attack a sitting Labor premier. The Whitlam government had galvanised the vote from various protest movements. And following the election had sought to bring national prominence to the Lake Pedder issue. The Whitlam Government had signed a World Heritage Treaty at the United Nations.

40. Lake Pedder Committee of Enquiry After the election, the new Environment Minister, Dr Moss Cass, formed a Committee of Enquiry and flew to Tasmania to see the situation for himself. June 1973 the committee reported that Lake Pedder was too important to be flooded. It recommended a moratorium on the flooding, but the Tas. Labor government refused. The report also recommended that the federal government cover the cost of the moratorium and any further costs that would be incurred in saving Lake Pedder.

41. The Whitlam Govt and Lake Pedder The moratorium was rejected by cabinet but overturned by the Labor caucus (Hutton and Connors). This now meant that federal Labor was willing to write a blank cheque to pay for the costs of stopping the hydro-scheme even though Whitlam never directly communicated this to Reece (Kiernan). This was most likely due to caucus supporting the moratorium not federal cabinet led by Whitlam.

42. The Whitlam Govt and Lake Pedder Bob Walker: “The Federal Enquiry demonstrated quite clearly that the flooding of Lake Pedder had been a mistake, and, more importantly, it came up with some options and offered a moratorium. So it was very much a justification for all the work that so many people had done for the last ten years.” The report gave much needed credibility to the UTG and legitimacy to the environment movement in general.

43. The Whitlam Govt and Lake Pedder The UTG and LPAC put much pressure on Moss and Whitlam to intervene federally but Whitlam did not want to confront a fellow Labor leader (Hutton and Connors). Eric Reece remained as immovable as the HEC on the issue. "I'm not entitled to be made a bloody goat on this," he said," and I don't propose to be kicked all over the footpath. As far as Lake Pedder is concerned, the sooner they fill it up the better.“

44. Lake Pedder’s Flooding Reece stubbornly refused to seek negotiations over funding a moratorium and alternatives to flooding Lake Pedder. He was supported by the conservative Tasmanian unions and the media who had already declared Pedder “sunk”. The vigil at Lake Pedder remained until March 1973 when water was too high for them to remain any longer. According to Kiernan, “the air seemed so full of death”.