Cane farmers do care

IN response to Romayne Westwood (CP, 16/08).

Your letter shows a passionate concern for the Great Barrier Reef. However your unwarranted attack on cane growers as the main, or as it would seem from your remarks, the only source of pollution affecting the Reef is grossly unfair.

The muddy plume you refer to is a natural occurrence whenever we have a heavy wet season. Have you ever noticed the huge landslips high up in pristine rainforest on the mountains along the coast? You should also have a look at the banks of creeks that have been ripped to pieces and soil turned over by feral pigs.

This soil and debris is carried in heavy rain events and contributes substantially to the plume you refer to.

Your statement that the number of cane growers who are doing the right thing is massively outnumbered by those who don’t is misleading and, in fact, quite wrong. The majority of cane growers do in fact farm according to best management practice as approved by the State Government, though they may not as yet be officially accredited by the relevant authority. Vivian Wienert, Fishery Falls 1630: Lemonade is invented in Paris. 1997: Former US boxer Muhammad Ali hand delivers food and gifts to Liberian war refugee children forced by civil war to flee their country. 2002: The United Nations announces that the world will fail to achieve its goal of halving global hunger by 2015, and will probably miss the target even by 2030. 2015: Qantas CEO Alan Joyce announces a $557 million after-tax profit for the 2014-15 financial year, a stunning turnaround from the Australian airline’s $2.84 billion loss the previous year. 2016: Jamaican runner Usain Bolt (above) wins his ninth gold in Rio and sets a world record by scoring the “triple-triple” in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay at the last three Olympics.