Media release
18 July 2013
Kowabunga! A lucky green sea turtle was
released off The Strand in Townsville today
by Federal Environment Minister Mark Butler
following its solar-powered ‘hydro’ treatment
at the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s
Reef HQ Aquarium turtle hospital.
‘Kobi’ was brought to
the turtle hospital on 15 May this year
after Balgal Beach locals reported that
the animal was having difficulty diving.
Mr Butler said Kobi
had recovered well thanks to the special
care and rehabilitation, including an immune-boosting
warm bath in a treatment tank at the turtle
hospital, which has cared for 152 turtles
to date, with many of these returning to
the wild after significant recovery.
“I am delighted that
Kobi is now healthy enough to be released
back into the Great Barrier Reef Marine
Park,” Mr Butler said.
“It is fantastic for
us to see first-hand how Reef HQ Aquarium’s
turtle hospital benefits these protected
and iconic species of the Great Barrier
Reef.
“A strong and vibrant
turtle community is very important to the
Great Barrier Reef and to see a rehabilitated
animal return to the Marine Park is very
satisfying”.
During Kobi’s recovery
at the turtle hospital, Reef HQ Aquarium
reached a new environmental milestone with
an expansion of its solar power project
by an additional 44 kilowatts, taking the
rooftop photovoltaic system to 205kw (kilowatts)
and over 1,511 square metres of solar panels.
Mr Butler said with
funding of $1.3 million from the Labor Government
for the roof mounted solar power system,
it was one of the country’s largest and
was helping to minimise the aquarium’s energy
use and carbon footprint.
“Reef HQ Aquarium is
a ‘Climate Action Business’ and is the only
tourism attraction in Queensland that is
a registered solar power station under the
Australian Government’s Clean Energy Regulator,”
Mr Butler said.
“The state-of-the-art
solar power system is producing enough energy
to offset between 25 and 30 per cent of
the aquarium’s overall energy needs or enough
to power 49 Queensland homes.
“This amounts to a 360
tonne reduction in carbon pollution per
year”.
“Based on past usage
rates, the energy produced by the solar
power system should offset the aquarium’s
energy needs by up to 100 per cent during
the winter months.
Mr Butler said the use
of renewable energy such as Reef HQ Aquariums
solar power systems were vital to reducing
our impact on the environment and acting
on climate change.
“Here in Queensland,
it is imperative we adopt sustainable practices
to protect the environment including the
Great Barrier Reef,” Mr Butler said.
“Due to climate change,
we have seen rising ocean temperatures and
an increase in extreme weather events, such
as the Queensland summer floods in ’08,
’09 and ‘10 that have severely impacted
the Reef and all of its animals.
“We must protect one
of our greatest natural assets, remembering
that visitors contributed almost $6.2 billion
to the economy last year and 120,000 Australian
jobs are dependent on the long-term future
of the reef.
“A smooth transition
to an emissions trading scheme in 2014 will
ensure we move towards more sustainable
practices with some of our biggest polluters.”
