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AC/DC May concert in Austria threatens rare birds - appeal to change venue
Monday 22 February 2010
With AC/DC in Sydney, NSW Greens MP Lee Rhiannon is asking that the band work to relocate the site of another big gig in Wels in Upper Austria in May, which nature conservationists, including the World Wildlife Fund, fear will destroy rare birds at nesting time and fragile pristine steppe plants.
(Sun Herald today,
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/rare-birds-at-risk-in-acdc-lark-20100220-omqb.html).
"AC/DC is set to hold a concert with 80,000 visitors on an old
airfield in Wels, Austria. The site – an old airfield - is home to
many rare animals and plants and in particular, rare ground nesting
birds in the middle of breeding season.
"Two alternative sites have been identified so the concert can still
proceed, but the City of Wels is pushing ahead regardless.
"AC/DC should do the responsible thing, sit down with the organisers
and arrange for the concert to be shifted to one of the two other
sites. Fans can still enjoy AC/DC at a nearby site without trashing
the environment.
"The band will be playing to an audience of 80,000 fans who will
unwittingly destroy rare nesting birds and plant life on this fragile
steppe.
"Failing to act to protect this sensitive habitat for rare birds would
tarnish the band's popularity and disappoint many of their Australian
fans.
"Negotiating with the City of Wels to move the concert is the right
thing to do. We don't want AC/DC to come out of this with a bad
reputation on the environment.
"The City of Wels' Mayor is claiming that he has solved the problem by
meeting with conservationists, but this is not true as only paid
consultants attended not key groups.
"It looks like AC/DC is being unwittingly used by the City of Wels as
a tool to push its plans to use this old airstrip for industrial and
residential development after the concert.
"With millions of fans across the world, AC/DC can afford to kick up a
stink, resolve this problem and save the breeding habitat of these
rare birds.
"Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett must keep a watching brief
on this issue and step in if the City of Wels digs its heels in.
"If the City of Wels doesn't do the right thing it will be a real case
of dirty deeds, done dirt cheap," Ms Rhiannon said.
For more information: Lee Rhiannon 9230 3551, 0427 861 568
