The battle begins
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The 1960s was a decade of political upheaval and protest movements. During this decade some Australians became concerned about destruction of wilderness areas. This was particularly the case in Tasmania, where untouched wilderness areas such as Lake Pedder were destroyed. In 1976 Conservationists were horrified to learn that the State Government planned to build a dam along the Franklin River. The planned dam, while unpopular with some sections of society, was popular with other sections of society such as unions and business. This forced lobby groups into action. The Australian Conservation Foundation and the Tasmania Wilderness Society began a campaign to ‘Save the Franklin’. They utilised the following actions to get their messages across:
These methods were so successful that in a year their membership had increased fivefold. New branches were formed and a rally in Hobart was held with more than 10 000 attending. In an effort to please the protesters, Lowe’s Tasmanian Labor Government proposed to build the dam at the Gordon River, just above the Franklin River. The proposal was rejected by the opposition who preferred the original plan and resulted in a deadlock in the Tasmanian Parliament.
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Franklin River below Andrew River looking downstream from the dam site. |
