12:00a.m. 17th May 2008

| By Carolyn Tucker

Coast MP Carolyn Male has called on Brisbane-based Cape Alumina to scrap its plans to mine bauxite on the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve.

The firm has lodged an application for a mining lease which includes 12,300 hectares of the 135,000 hectare reserve in Far North Queensland.

It intends to extract more than 50 million tonnes of bauxite over a 10-year period commencing in 2010.

The former federal government provided $6 million under the National Reserve System Program last year to assist with the purchase of the land formerly know as Bertiehaugh Station.

It was renamed in honour of the late Crocodile Hunter and is owned and managed by his widow Terri.

Cape Alumina’s application will follow a lengthy process through the Land Court and undergo environmental assessment before the minister for mines has the final say on whether the lease is granted.

The minister, Geoff Wilson, has declined to comment on the mining application.

Mrs Male, who was named Wildlife Warrior of the Year by Terri Irwin two months ago for “her continued and active support of the zoo”, has vowed to work behind the scenes and do everything possible to prevent the mining project going ahead.

She said it was disappointing that Cape Alumina was pursuing the application and it should “do the right thing” and walk away.

“You’d expect Cape Alumina to realise the inherent conservation values of the land but for them it seems to be all about money,” Mrs Male said.

She said Cape Alumina could utilise a large number of less environmentally sensitive sites on Cape York and it was curious that this project appeared to have been brought forward.