MEDIA RELEASE
June 13, 2007

Economic cost of War Games goes beyond local business

This week Rockhampton Regional Development are boasting the profits they will make over the Talisman-Sabre 07 war games.  However, the true costs of these war games may overshadow the short term economic benefit some local business people expect.  Those costs include the risk to the environment, local health and safety and the long term international reputation of Australia.

Peace convergence organiser and spokesperson for the Shoalwater Wilderness Awareness Group, Steve Bishopric says, “While some business people are boasting of ‘filled coffers’ from the US presence in the Capricornia region we need to remember that less quantifiable costs come from this military incursion in our region.

Mr Bishopric continues, “The natural values and the tourism that our region attracts is of greater value than any dubious relationship with the US military.  We need to protect our special areas, not allow the military to exploit it and risk our priceless environment.  In Vieques for instance, US naval presence has ruined their economy, because of the damage their ships have done to fishing grounds and the poison left in their land and water.  We don’t want to see whales floating belly up and fish breeding grounds decimated because of  military presence.”

Kim Stewart, speaking for Friends of the Earth Brisbane says, “The US military are the world’s biggest industrial polluters.  Perchlorate rocket fuel from their weapons contaminates the groundwater in 20 US states, to name just one common pollutant.  US bases expose local communities to noise, low flying craft, increased crime and sexual assault, and compromise overall safety.  The US military have not compensated one community they have contaminated and their mess remains in locations all over the world.  Even when they were last in Australia for TS05, their shipboard waste was washing up on Queensland beaches.”

Treena Lenthall from the Peace Convergence collective adds, “Our joint excercises with the US military effects our relationship with international neighbours, damaging out reputation by association. It marks us as a collaborator in their misguided wars, implicates us in the deaths of 655,000 or more Iraqis and over 3,000 troops. Now that’s not an easily quantifiable cost.”

Media contacts:
Steve Bishopric, Shoalwater Wilderness Awareness Group 0439 745 442
Kim Stewart, Friends of the Earth Brisbane 0413 397 839
Treena Lenthall, Peace Convergence  0432 563 967

The Peace Convergence is a collective of groups and individuals dedicated to peaceful non-violent actions against war and militarism

Ahimsa House - Anti Nuclear Alliance of WA  - Australian  Anti-Bases Coalition - Australian Democrats - Australian Greens - Brisbane Anarchists Subverting the Aust Representative Democracy - Brisbane Stop the War Collective - Byron Bay Peace Convergence - Cairns and Regional Environment Council - Dr. Helen Caldicott - Fanai Castro: Chamorro Movement, Guam - Christians Against  All Terrorism - Citizens Against Depleted Uranium - Cycle Against the Nuclear Cycle - Depleted Uranium Silent Killer - Food Not Bombs - Fremantle Anti Nuclear Group - Friends of the Earth Australia - Friends of the Earth Brisbane - Frontline Films - Greenpeace Australia Pacific - Dr. Zohl de Istar, Aust. Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies - Just Peace Queensland - Terri Keko'olani, Kanaka Maol Movement, Hawaii - Medical Association for the Prevention of War - Melbourne Peace Convergence - NSW Greens - Nuclear Free and Independent Pacific - Peace Convergence collective - People for Nuclear Disarmament (WA)- Pine Gap 6 - Professor Kevin Clements, Director Aust. Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies - Quakers Queensland - Queensland Conservation Council - Queensland Democrats - Queensland Greens - Queensland Nuclear Free Alliance - Sea Shepherd Conservation Society - Senator Andrew Bartlett - Shoalwater Wilderness Awareness Group - Spirit of Eureka - Sunshine Coast Environment Council - Dr. David Suzuki - Sydney Stop the War Coalition  - Uniting Church Justice Reference Group (Melb) - Whalecall - Wildlife Protection Association Australia - Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom - Ya Basta Collective, Kuranda