Wednesday 27 January 2016

"ILUKA DA Have Your Say!" is online at Facebook



A number of Iluka residents have created a public Facebook page alerting the community to a proposed 162 lot residential subdivision bounded by Hickey and Elizabeth streets and, by Iluka Road adjacent to Iluka Nature Reserve and World Heritage littoral rainforest.

It can be found at:

One of the interesting posts contains this image of the formal development application notification sign which besides being so modestly sized as to be almost unnoticeable also has an incorrect submission period date so that any person reading it would assume that all chance to comment on this DA had slipped away.


Another post also points out that there appears to be no intention to create covenants prohibiting pet ownership for the hundreds of people who will reside in this proposed subdivision on environmentally sensitive land within 100 metres of a world heritage area. 

The mind boggles at such planning stupidity, given that vulnerable koalas and endangered coastal emus are known to use this parcel of land.

Tuesday 26 January 2016

Brough's small target strategy at work?

The Guvmin Gazette on 6 December 2015 attempted to put the best spin possible on what MP for Fisher Mal Brough was required by precedent to do:

Special Minister of State Mal Brough has asked for a $108,000 pay cut and to move from a ministerial suite to a backbench office as he stands aside from his post while the Australian Federal Police ­investigate him for any wrong­doing in the Peter Slipper affair.
Malcolm Turnbull announced last week, on the same day as junior minister Jamie Briggs’s resignation, that Mr Brough would step aside from his ministerial ­duties pending police inquiries into the alleged 2012 illegal copying of the official diaries of the then Speaker Mr Slipper.
Mr Brough wrote to Speaker Tony Smith on the day of the ­announcement requesting the ministerial component of his ­salary not be paid from that day and for the 
allocation of an office in the House of Representatives wing.
“Mr Brough’s requests were communicated to the Department of House of Representatives on the same day, and appropriate action is being taken to action them,” a spokesman for Mr Smith said.
Mr Brough’s ministerial salary of $307,329 will drop to a backbench salary of $199,040.
The Australian has also been told Mr Brough has relinquished ministerial entitlements, including a mobile phone…..

One has to wonder if the interview, media release or phone call to journalist which is the likely trigger to this newspaper article is part of Brough’s strategy to make himself the smallest target he can manage ahead of the start of the 2016 parliamentary year, when more questions about his past conduct are bound to be raised with the Prime Minister by the Opposition.

BRIEF BACKGROUND

Questions by Mark Dreyfus MP Labor Oct 2012 - Dec 2015

Are federal Liberal-Nationals MPs and senators about to do to environmental protections what they did to the NBN?


“For the first time in Australian history, a Commonwealth Government has undertaken a thorough and accurate stocktake of all federal regulatory costs and is consistently measuring and reducing the cost of Commonwealth government red tape on Australian businesses, organisations, families and individuals,”….
“Now, for the first time, a Commonwealth government has, with a very high degree of accuracy, publicly reported to Parliament a downturn in the total amount and cost of federal regulation. [Kevin Hogan, Nationals MP for Page, Media Release, Coalition decisions to cut red tape now total $2.45 billion, 19 March 2015]

A news article in The Age on 23 January 2016 should set alarm bells ringing in Australian rural and regional communities as this is what federal Liberal-Nationals MPs and senators, such as Nationals Member for Page Kevin Hogan, mean when they talk of reducing federal “red and green tape”:

Numerous large Australian coal mines have had their environmental regulations relaxed, in changes the federal government hopes will make life easier for the struggling industry.

Certain coal mines owned by Glencore, BHP Billiton and Whitehaven Coal have received favourable changes to their approval conditions within the past month, which in some cases reduce the environment minister's ability to demand changes and reduce public oversight of miners' compliance with approval conditions.

Certain coal mines owned by Glencore, BHP Billiton and Whitehaven Coal have received favourable changes to their approval conditions within the past month, which in some cases reduce the environment minister's ability to demand changes and reduce public oversight of miners' compliance with approval conditions…..

Approvals for two Glencore coal mines in the Hunter Valley, Bulga and Liddell, have had environmental conditions revoked within the past month which appear to remove the environment minister's ability to request changes to environmental management plans.

The Caval Ridge coal mine that BHP operates had eight conditions on its approval altered last week, including one which means the company no longer has to wait for written approval from the minister if it wishes to change the way it manages offset areas or threatened species, so long as the companies believe their new plan will not have an increased impact.
Some miners were also told they can report on compliance with their environmental conditions less often, with BHP now allowed to report on Caval Ridge once every two years rather than annually.
The alterations also mean BHP no longer have to publish their compliance reports for Caval Ridge on their websites, and instead need only submit their documents to the environment department.

BHP's Mt Arthur coal mine in the Hunter Valley and the Tarrawonga and Werris Creek coal mines run by Whitehaven have also had their environmental approvals altered….

The spokeswoman said that 34 project approvals had been changed over the past nine months, with the environmental conditions loosened in 21 of those cases.

The spokeswoman said the changes were being made to a range of project approvals, not just coal mines.

But coal mines appear to be very well represented, with Fairfax Media aware of at least seven coal approvals which have been changed in recent months.
Fairfax Media is aware of just one copper mine (BHP's Olympic Dam) and one iron ore mine (run by BC Iron) which have had conditions changed…..

Monday 25 January 2016

Moggy Musings [Archived material from Boy the Wonder Cat]


A doin' a donges musing: In Clarence Valley Council's May 2015 CG&W business paper a favourite ploy has been brought into play by a management eager to get its own way - summarise the 48 submissions received regarding the Coldstream-Yamba intersection roundabout so that the authentic voice of Yamba residents is not entered into the public record. Tsk, tsk.

A taken to the court again musing: In April 2015 it was Kerry Maree Durrington v Clarence Valley Council in the District Court at Coffs Harbour, in May it is Janie Terese Emms v Clarence Valley Council in the District Court at Grafton.

An it's been going for yonks musing: Geoffrey William Good Leviny is back in court on 12 May 2015 for a mention at Maclean Local Court (criminal jurisdiction) in the matter of NSW Police v Geoffrey William LEVINY.

A he said what?! musing: Local government watchers in the Clarence Valley will have no difficulty in recognizing who it was that allegedly said this to a worker exiting the toilet - I don't pay you to pee on my time.

An expensive GM musing: There is a rumour doing the rounds that in 2015 the poor management practices of a certain NSW North Coast general manager have cost the local government council he works for an IR court-approved payout of tens of thousands of dollars in a matter brought on behalf of a member by the United Services Union, the largest local government union in NSW.

An iVote musing: According to the NSW Electoral Commission only 2,491 voters out of 54,474 registered voters in the Clarence electorate used the digital iVote system at the 28 March 2015 NSW state election. Of these, 53 digital ballot papers contained errors and were therefore declared Informal.

A Gawd, not another political party! musing: On 24 February 2015 ex- Palmer United Party senator Jacqui Lambie applied to the Australian Electoral Commission to form the Jacqui Lambie Network.

A did you know musing: The Abbott Government's Commission of Audit wants the Minimum Wage to grow by less than the CPI for the next ten years, so that by 2025 it will be only 44% of national average weekly earnings instead of the 56% it is today.

A new nickname musing: Well that didn't take long! Only nine days since News Corp brought into APN News & Media and north of the Rio Tweed they are now calling these regional newspapers the feral murdochs :-)

A what a load of whoppers musing: Slyvester the tom cat who patrols a section of Yamba Road tells me that his hoomin was telling friends that the Nats Chris Gulaptis must hold the Clarence candidate record for telling the most political fibs over this election campaign. Apparently they flow effortlessly from his lips.

A scary fact musing: In 2014 Facebook gave Australian government agencies information about 1,032 people with Facebook pages.

A wheels of the bus go round and round musing: NSW Industrial Relations Commission Court list for : 16/03/2015 11:00am Report Back and Further Compulsory Conference IRC14/833 - USU & Clarence Valley Council re alleged treatment of member.

A hand me the Jaws of Life musing: I'm still laughing over this description of the Clarence Valley Council General Manager's 'open door' policy - you have to use a tin opener to get in to see him.

An it must be galling musing: I wonder how a NSW North Coast local government general manager feels knowing that a former councillor, who contested a code of conduct complaint and won handsomely with costs awarded, is now living the good life on a fine 1,000ha plus rural property with a large very attractive farm house, while this administrator is facing the prospect of legal action against yet another council which employed him?

A your vote or no bridge musing: This is the position Nationals MP for Clarence Chris Gulaptis takes on the second Grafton Bridge in the Clarence Valley - The NSW Coalition has committed to building a second bridge in Grafton and we have reserved $177 million from Restart NSW to its construction. The $177 million is currently listed as unallocated on the Statement of Uncommitted Funds released by NSW Treasury. The Coalition would have to be re-elected to ensure the $177 million was allocated to the construction of the Grafton Bridge.
I hope Clarence Valley voters are noticing the admission that there is no $177 million allocated in the 2014-15 NSW Budget or forward estimates. Apart from the $429,275 covering the quality assurance contract won by Geolink this year there appears to be no guaranteed money and any further funding to actually progress and build the new bridge may not be in the 2015-16 budget – or in the budget the year after that or the year after that or the year after that……

An arrogance personified musing: After the first Clarence Valley Council meeting he attended an angry little local pollie, elected by default in 2015 and with a little over one year's past experience in local government 27 years ago, is reportedly "pleased with the overall performance" of his fellow councillors – all of whom have represented their communities for far longer than he. Happy to plead 'new chum' status to avoid sitting on more than one committee, but willing to try and bully the meeting when it went on too long for his liking. Oh, dear. This does not bode well for the future.

A candidate who? musing: Rumours are circulating that former Nats MP for Clarence Steve Cansdell was thinking about standing at the March 2015 NSW election – until the Nationals allegedly threatened him with looking into his false statutory declaration again. Surely not!

A questioning musing: What was one of Adani Mining Pty Ltd's company cars doing parked at the corner of Victoria & Prince streets in Grafton on or about 29 January 2015? Apparently once this car was sighted around 20 metres from Nationals MP for Clarence Chris Gulaptis' electoral office speculation began about what a representative of this multinational Indian mining company was doing in the Clarence Valley.

A telling it like it is musing: In the Sunshine Coast Daily on 31 January 2015 - News Corp's biased coverage during the campaign was appalling. Its agenda was clear with the front page headlines claiming bikies were backing Labor, followed up by a front page endorsement of Mr Newman last Sunday. The growth of social media, and alternative, independent news sources meant the paper's view mattered little in the end.”

Port of Yamba Expansion Deconstructed*: Des Euen is running out of timetable very fast


This was Clarence Valley Mayor Richie Williamson in February 2011, on his own initiative, endorsing the heavy industrialisation of the Port of Yamba:
Click on image to enlarge

This was the Mayor in March a year later when approached by a journalist from The Daily Examiner:

Clarence Valley Mayor Richie Williamson was succinct in his opposition to the proposal.
"In the words of Darryl Kerrigan (in The Castle), 'tell 'em they're dreaming' - it's not going to happen," he said.
Referring to the plan and other dubious ideas of diverting the Clarence inland, Mr Williamson said: "They probably want to fill the carriages up with water and take them back."

By then Des Euen appears to have two deregistered shelf companies behind him and was on the way to creating a new one.

Come July 2013 and local sentiment had filtered down to Macquarie Street, with then state treasurer and now NSW Premier Mike Baird having this to say on the subject:

NSW Treasurer Mike Baird has denied speculation the Port of Yamba would be developed to load coal from mines in north-western NSW….
he project was not endorsed by the Northern Rivers branch of RDA, which said the project would be met with community opposition in the Clarence Valley.
Rumours have abounded since.
When the State Government leased ports in Newcastle and Port Kembla to the mining sector, many asked if Yamba was next.
Shenhua Watermark, a mining company owned by the Chinese government, was thought to be a potential buyer of the lease of Port Yamba.
The lease is controlled by the NSW Government corporation Sydney Ports.
But Shenhua confirmed it expects to be able to freight all of the coal from its Gunnedah mine out of Newcastle.
A Shenhua spokesman confirmed an environmental impact statement had sanctioned this action.
Mr Baird's office also denied any offer had been made.
A spokeswoman said the NSW Government's asset transaction program had been very clear; there were no plans to lease the Port of Yamba.
When asked if any approach had been made by the mining sector she gave the following response:
"The port is not for lease," the spokeswoman said.
"The Treasurer does not comment on private meetings, however, we are not aware of any approaches on this occasion."

By August 2013 Mayor Williamson had adjusted his position and was singing a slightly different tune according to The Daily Examiner:

"We would welcome responsible and sustainable development and jobs in the Clarence Valley," Cr Williamson said.
"And any proposal that reflects that should be given due consideration on its merit."

Also in 2013 Euen began to link to material on the Internet such as: http://www.slideshare.net/informaoz/michael-sutton-paper  - a document said to be a presentation at two-day Regional Ports Conference in 2013.

Mr. Euen added at least one other registered company to his personal stable of shelf corporations in 2014.

In May 2014 NSW Nationals MP for Clarence Chris Gulaptis came out with a strongly worded statement for ABC News :

But Clarence MP Chris Gulaptis says the plans are a pie-in-the-sky idea.
He says a reef at the mouth of the Clarence River has indigenous significance, and the area is plagued by flooding.
Mr Gulaptis says nearby residential and agricultural areas could also be affected.
"There are significant constraints with Yamba," he said.
"Anybody who lives in the local area understands the dynamics of the river, they understand the problems that you need to overcome.
"And those problems, to be quite honest, are insurmountable.
"I don't think that we would tolerate that level of environmental destruction."
"Where he's proposing it is just out of the question to be quite honest."

In that same ABC news item, Mayor Williamson moves back in line with community sentiment:

The Clarence Valley Mayor Richie Williamson says while there is potential for growth at the port, something of the scale being proposed by Mr Euen is unlikely.
"I'm struggling to come to terms with the proposal... there's some issues that certainly need to be addressed," he said.
"Building a 650-kilometre train line for a start is something that I'm struggling to come to terms with, to even service this sort of facility.
Cr Williamson says Y-P-R Australia has had some early discussions with council regarding the development, but the information provided is limited and it is not a realistic plan.
"I don't really know the exact parcel of land that is subject to this development at this stage, let alone the impacts of flooding and river depths and the cane industry, the tourism industry, the fishing industry, the environment and our general way of life," he said.
"The details have been very very scant.. it seems to be a long way off, if ever... and I think there would be considerable opposition".

In 2014 Des Euen placed two more presentations online  and, in June made a presentation to Moree Plains Council on Yamba Port & Rail 2023, followed up by contact with an Inverell councillor who spruiked for him at a September council meeting.

Somewhere along the line Euan launched another two documents into cyberspace:


The public service began weighing in by 20 October 2014 when Nationals Senator John Williams questioned Infrastructure Australia and the Australian Rail Track Corporation at a Senate estimates hearing:


Click on images to enlarge


Alert readers will notice that the completion date for the industrialization of the Clarence River estuary is given as 2023 - less than seven years away as I write this post.

Even some supporters of the 'New England rail trail project' apparently have their doubts about Mr. Euan and his proposal:

“I’d contrast that with what we have seen, where we know that all around NSW and including in Northern Tablelands, there are groups that are putting proposals into the transport and planning office,” Mr Goldstein said. 
“Anyone who is proposing any kind of major infrastructure project in NSW needs to sit down with minsters and with planning authorities. 
“They can’t expect to get anywhere without having those conversations.” 
He said there are still some considerable doubts over the project. 
“It’s a big if,” he said. “I think there are too many ifs to give a satisfactory answer.”

Come early 2015 and another slideshow blipped its way across Clarence Valley radar screens: 
http://www.slideshare.net/DesEuen1/the-new-transport-era-yamba-port-rail.

Sometime in 2015 there also seems to have been an unofficial name change to one of his little companies and yet another appeared allegedly created in Hong Kong.

At one unknown point in this timeline Des Euen has apparently acquired a professional lobbyist, Keith Blythe of Creative Customs Strategies.

Given the collective common sense of NSW North Coast National Party MPs is obviously not that high, it came as no surprise that Chris Gulaptis failed to rule out Euen’s grandiose plans when speaking to The Daily Examiner in June 2015:

A PROPOSAL to upgrade the Clarence Valley's link to the Northern Tablelands has been gaining traction in the corridors of Parliament House, Sydney, says the Member for Clarence Chris Gulaptis.
Mr Gulaptis said he has been discussing a proposal to upgrade the Gwydir Highway between Grafton and Glen Innes with the Member for Northern Tablelands, Adam Marshall, with a view to forming transport hubs at either end.
"We're about to have an upgrade north-south link with the Pacific Highway, so having an east-west link to the Tablelands is the obvious next step," Mr Gulaptis said.
"When I began discussing it with the Member for Northern Tablelands, he thought it was a great idea."
The pair has presented their idea to State Minister for Roads Duncan Gay, who has encouraged them to work on it……
He said the east-west link would complete the requirements for a transport hub near Grafton, where road, rail and air links were all close by as well as suitable, available land.
He did not rule out including the Port of Yamba, but said there were still issues to consider there.

At the time it was rumoured that Gulaptis and Euan were in contact.

It is now only two years until 2018 and, Des Euan had told the world that he expected that part of his proposed bulk shipping terminal would be operational by then. 

I can find no evidence that: he has a commitment to his plan from either the federal or state governments; his company has purchased land on Goodwood Island; anyone entered into dredging or construction contracts relating to any port expansion; he has even begun organizing the many proposed development reports/assessments that would be required. 

In January 2016 Mr.Euan himself is somewhat uncharacteristically silent. Perhaps he has been too busy trying to breathe new life into his daydream by cut and pasting mythical new project start and completion dates into the pages of his power point slide collection.

* And yes, I am laughing at Mr. Euen's peculiar theory of port expansion lobbying

The only way Tony Abbott will leave the Australian Parliament is if the voters of Warringah kick him out



Apparently desperate to hang on to his seat, parliamentary salary and entitlements, as well as intent on regaining the prime ministerial position he now recalls he ‘left’ rather than was sacked from – far-right politician Anthony John “Tony” Abbott is renominating in the Warringah electorate as a candidate in the 2016 federal general election.




THE HONOURABLE TONY ABBOTT MP

FEDERAL MEMBER FOR WARRINGAH 

RENOMINATION FOR WARRINGAH


After leaving the prime ministership, I said that I would spend some time talking to family, trusted colleagues and local Liberals about my future. I have been heartened by the support and encouragement I’ve received to continue to serve the country as a member of parliament. 

Therefore, I am renominating to represent the people of Warringah for another term as their Liberal MP.

I am proud of my work to establish the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust that has done so much to improve the amenity of former military land on North Head, Middle Head and Georges Heights. Should I be renominated and elected, I am looking forward to working with Premier Mike Baird to ensure that the Warringah Peninsula gets better transport links to the rest of Sydney.

It has been a great honour to serve the people of Warringah for 22 years and I hope to retain their trust and confidence.



Though I am not sure that the NSW Division of the Liberal Party of Australia or the voters of Warringah are quite as enthusiastic as Abbott about his candidature.


Cartoon by Cathy Wilcox at http://cathywilcox.com.au/
The Sydney Morning Herald, 19 December 2015:

Former prime minister Tony Abbott should quit Parliament at the next election to make way for new talent according to a majority of electors within his own safe Liberal seat of Warringah.

With Liberal MPs and supporters reading the signs of growing disunity within the Turnbull government as Mr Abbott and other malcontents continue to speak out, exclusive ReachTel polling conducted for the Australian Institute, has found most voters in the 65 per cent Liberal electorate believe the ex-PM's time has passed....

The New Daily, 21 January 2016:
Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s habit of undermining the Turnbull government means he should quit politics before the next election, former Liberal Party insiders say.
Since being dethroned in September last year, speculation has been rife that Mr Abbott wants the country’s top job back.

Reports emerged this week that he had decided to contest the 2016 Election.

However, despite a distinguished record in federal politics and a formidable run of election wins in Warringah, Mr Abbott is being urged to quit because staying would hurt the Liberal Party.
Former Liberal Party leader John Hewson told The New Daily that Mr Abbott would be harmful to the party if he kept behaving like he had since losing the leadership challenge to Malcolm Turnbull.

“If he used it [his position in parliament] as a platform to criticise the government I don’t think it is terribly helpful to them,” Mr Hewson said.

When asked if Mr Abbott had been destabilising the Turnbull government since being dumped as PM to get the job back, Mr Hewson said: “Well there has been some inspired comments by his colleagues and himself … More or less inspired.”

Political commentator and electoral voting analyst Peter Brent emphatically agreed.

“I think it would be better for the Coalition and the Liberal Party if he bowed out [before the 2016 election] because as long as he is around he is a focus of discontent,” Mr Brent told The New Daily.

“With him gone at least everything won’t be interpreted as part of a push to bring Abbott back [as the PM].

“Every time one of them says something it is seen through that prism [trying to get the PM job back]. It would be in the interests of the party if he went away.”

Former media advisor to John Howard in the 1990s and political columnist for The New Daily Paula Matthewson said his true intention was only to disrupt any government he wasn’t leader of.

“I think it has become fairly clear that his intentions are more than upholding the broad church that is the Liberal Party in making sure there is enough conservative voices in it,” Ms Matthewson said.

“The fact is that he nurses the hope of going back to the leadership.

“Really, his true intention is about destabilising and finally trying to remind people that he should be leader.

“On that basis I would say no, it is not good for him to stay.”….

UPDATE

The Australian, 25 January 2016:

Tony Abbott clearly maintains a “flicker of ambition” to resume the prime ministership and any cast-iron guarantees he gives to remain on the backbench are “worthless”, says Victorian Liberal president Michael Kroger…..


The Australian, 25 January 2016:

Tony Abbott’s decision to renominate for the seat of Warringah at the next election carries a twin message for Malcolm Turnbull and the Liberal Party: the former Prime Minister has considered his options and decided to remain in Parliament and conservative Liberals are reacting to what is seen to be a “scorched earth” policy of retribution.

Abbott’s personal decision was tortured and complicated, he could have chosen “anything” within the power of the Turnbull government to deliver and had it. He could have pursued a lucrative conservative international speaking career and made money.

Instead he’s decided to turn it all down and seek to become the local MP for the Northern beaches electorate of Warringah where he started 20 odd years ago and promised to work with the popular Liberal leader - Mike Baird - for the local people.

As far as Abbott’s pysche goes that’s about it. All the talk of him going to an ambassadorial posting or government appointment is gone. He’s probably still not even sure himself but the decision has been made and the challenges arising from it are clear.

The biggest test Turnbull faces, as has been the case from the moment he and Julie Bishop knocked off Abbott, is how he handles the conservative side of the Liberal Party and the growing sense of disillusion and fracture in the Liberal and National parties which could become much more than just being about Abbott’s leadership…..

There were attempts to “flush out” Abbott about his intentions as part of the move against his supporters in NSW - that’s failed dismally and Turnbull now faces a bigger challenge than he did just two weeks ago before the moves against so many conservative MPs got out of hand and took on a Party-wide significance.