Alliance to Save Hinchinbrook (ASH Inc.) Archive
This large archive concerning the environmental organisation known as Alliance to Save Hinchinbrook (ASH), was donated to JCU by Margaret Moorhouse. It has been organised in terms of: firstly, themes; and secondly, chronology. Many of the documents in this collection deal with what became a legal battle over the development at Oyster Point having a detrimental and irrevocable impact on the ecological and aesthetic values of the region. Removal of mangroves along the foreshore and dredging the Hinchinbrook Channel was believed to pose a significant threat to the survival of wildlife in the area, particularly the already endangered dugong communities.
The correspondence also notes the debate concerning build-ups of acid sulphate soil as having the potential to wreak great ecological damage on the area. Non-government organisations involved in the movement against developing Port Hinchinbrook (and represented in the archive here) included the Friends of Hinchinbrook, the Wilderness Society, Wildlife Preservation Society, North Queensland Conservation Council, etc. Throughout all proceedings, the development companies firmly held that there would be no detrimental environmental impacts, that adequate environmental controls would be strictly adhered to and that any small impacts would be overridden by the potential for social and economic gains generated from a strong tourism industry in the area.
Archive Location: 426L-428R
Detailed Listing
Correspondence
ASH/Environmental Groups/1/ Australian Academy of Science
ASH/Environmental Groups/2/ Australian Conservation Society
ASH/Environmental Groups/3/ Friends of Hinchinbrook
ASH/Environmental Groups/4/ North Queensland Conservation Council
ASH/Environmental Groups/5/ North Queensland Conservation Council – October-December, 1993
ASH/Environmental Groups/6/ North Queensland Conservation Council – Outgoing, 1995-1998
ASH/Environmental Groups/7/ Wildlife Preservation Society
ASH/Environmental Groups/8/ The Wilderness Society
ASH/Environmental Groups/9/ Margaret Moorhouse
ASH/Environmental Groups/10/ Letters of Support for Hinchinbrook Campaign
ASH/Environmental Groups/11/ David Haigh
ASH/Environmental Groups/12/ Applications for legal funding
ASH/Non-Environmental Groups/1/ Cardwell Properties
ASH/Non-Environmental Groups/2/ Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
ASH/Non-Environmental Groups/3/ Queensland Police
ASH/Non-Environmental Groups/4/Office of the Co-ordinator General
ASH/Non-Environmental Groups/5/ James Cook University
ASH/Non-Environmental Groups/6/ Commonwealth: Internal Documents, 1993-1994
ASH/Non-Environmental Groups/7/ Criminal Justice Commission
Correspondence: Media Releases
ASH/Media Releases/1/ North Queensland Conservation Council
ASH/Media Releases/2/ Environmental Groups other than the North Queensland Conservation Council, 1997
ASH/Media Releases/3/ North Queensland Conservation Council and partnering groups, 1997
ASH/Media Releases/4/ Politicians' media releases and letters
ASH/Media Releases/5/ All non-government organisations, 1994 and earlier
ASH/Media Releases/6/ All non-government organisations, 1995-1996
Briefing Papers, Action Plans
ASH/Briefing Papers/1/ Responses to the proposed Port Hinchinbrook development
ASH/Briefing Papers/2/ Oyster Point campaign discussion papers, 1994
ASH/Briefing Papers/3/ Draft versions of arguments on maintaining Hinchibrook region free of development, 1994-1995
ASH/Briefing Papers/4/ Dugongs at Oyster Point
ASH/Briefing Papers/5/ Cardwell Properties proposals for Oyster Point: comments
ASH/Briefing Papers/6/ Hinchinbrook draft management plan
Legal, Court Matters
ASH/Legal/1/ Cardwell Properties development at Oyster Point
ASH/Legal/2/ Hinchinbrook Environment Lawyers League
ASH/Legal/3/ Hinchinbrook Environment Lawyers League: Oyster Point consent proposal documents
ASH/Legal/4/ Hinchinbrook Environment Lawyers League, 1993-1994: application to remove mangroves, dredging, preliminary assessment record, special leave, tripartite deal
ASH/Legal/5/ Townsville Community Legal Service Inc.: advice to protestors, correspondence with police, Queensland government state departments
ASH/Legal/6/ Hinchinbrook: file with notes
ASH/Legal/7/ Friends of Hinchinbrook Court Judgements, 1996-1997
ASH/Legal/8/ Friends of Hinchinbrook Legal Action Documents, including notes for affadavits
ASH/Legal/9/ Brief to Barrister: witness statements regarding protest at Hinchinbrook development site
ASH/Legal/10/ Hinchinbrook: statement of reasons; appeal dismissed; notes and observations regarding the brief
ASH/Legal/11/ Hinchinbrook development/Cardwell Properties-related documents:
i. latest leaks
ii. Hinchinbrook Environmental Lawyers League - checklists
iii. legal aid
iv. draft court documents
v. briefs to counsel
vi. advices of counsel
vii. other legal advices (David Haigh)
viii. correspondence to Queensland state government departments
Hinchinbrook Development Decisions
ASH/Decisions/1/ Proclamations, including media releases by Senator John Faulkner, 1994
ASH/Decisions/2/ Statements by Senator Robert Hill regarding Consent, 1996
ASH/Decisions/3/ Deed of Agreement, Oyster Point; including analysis, amendments, comments
Development of Management Plans for Hinchinbrook, Coastal Region
ASH/Plans/1/Historical File: Tekin, Resort Village Cardwell; Company Searches; Permits; Keith Williams' purchase 1993
ASH/Plans/2/ Oyster Point and Hinchinbrook Regional Coastal Plan [blue file]
ASH/Plans/3/ Oyster Point and Hinchinbrook Regional Coastal Plan [green file]
ASH/Plans/4/ Senate Environment, Recreation, Communications and the Arts References Committee, Hinchinbrook Channel Inquiry: Cardwell Hearing; on spine of file is inscription '1998-99 Senator Margaret Reynolds' file-submissions'
ASH/Plans/5/ Cardwell/Hinchinbrook Regional Coastal Management Plan (CHRCMP): letter from ATSIC; newsclips; summary of submissions; miscellaneous; briefing to DG (EPA); this file includes CD: 'Files from ASH Collection' comprising Regional Coastal Management Plan, correspondence, and dredging and sea-dumping issues
Chronology Files
ASH/Chronology/1/ Documented events/issues, 1983-1993
ASH/Chronology/2/ 1993-1994: Freedom of Information and advice (legal, Attorney-General)
ASH/Chronology/3/ 1993-1994: GBRMPA files
ASH/Chronology/4/ 1993-1994: Project Description (Oyster Point development proposal), and Freedom of Information
ASH/Chronology/5/ 1994, January-June
ASH/Chronology/6/ 1994: Attorney-General, Seagrass Draft, Valentine Report, Freedom of Information
ASH/Chronology/7/ 1994: Development of Deed, and Monitoring Programs
ASH/Chronology/8/ 1994: PPAR, Proclamation
ASH/Chronology/9/ 1994: Freedom of Information requests, letters
ASH/Chronology/10/ 1994: GBRMPA Freedom of Information requests; cultural assessments; dredging assessments
ASH/Chronology/11/ 1994: Reports-
i. Resort Village Cardwell
ii. Harbour Entrance
iii. Dredge Spoil Disposal
iv. Cultural Heritage
v. Coastal Engineering
vi. Information Compilation: Office of Co-ordinator General
ASH/Chronology/12/ 1994-1995: GBRMPA documents regarding Oyster Point development
ASH/Chronology/13/ 1995: Oyster Point development documents
ASH/Chronology/14/ 1995-1996: GBRMPA documents - reports, correspondence, memos, minutes, media releases, marginalia
ASH/Chronology/15/ 1995-1996: GBRMPA Freedom of Information requests; 1996: Oyster Point development consent
ASH/Chronology/16/ 1995-1996: North Queensland Conservation Council/Friends of Hinchinbrook: submissions and correspondence
ASH/Chronology/17/ 1996: Oyster Point development consent: statement of reasons; GBRMPA documents; marginalia
Media/Newspaper reports
ASH/Newspaper articles/1/ 1995 to August 1996
ASH/Newspaper articles/2/ Oyster Point: September 1996 to December 1996
ASH/Newspaper articles/3/ 1997, January-August
ASH/Newspaper articles/4/ 1997, September-December
ASH/Newspaper articles/5/ Oyster Point-Hinchinbrook, 1997-1998
ASH/Newspaper articles/6/ Oyster Point, 1999
Miscellaneous
ASH/Additions/Correspondence/1/ Original faxes, 1995-1996
ASH/Additions/Correspondence/2/ Original faxes, 1996-1997
ASH/Additions/Photographs/1/ Oyster Point, late 1994 or early 1995: after mangroves were cleared
ASH/Additions/Tekin/1/ Microfilm
