A running joke musing: Not content with proposing a coal terminal in the Port of Yamba and later changing it to a transport hub which would ship agriculture, produce, forestry, petrochemical products, refined fuel, minerals and assorted machinery - now Desmond Euen is turning his eyes to Casino and Murwillumbah.
The Northern Rivers Guardians' Facebook page carries this notice of the Northern Rivers Railway Action Group Save our Tracks Forum; Yamba Port and Rail proposal’s managing director Des Euen will be one of the speakers at the Rail Meeting at Lismore Workers Club on Saturday the 22nd of November in relation to his intention to reopen the Casino to Murwillumbah rail service. The meeting goes from 2pm to 5pm. Hope to see some of you there.
There appears to be no end to Des Euan's self-promotion drive.
A matter of journalistic spine musing: My faithful slave has been quietly giggling ever since she found out the excuse APN's The Daily Examiner was giving for not picking up the phone and asking Clarence Valley Council about its taping of conversations occurring in council chambers - apparently it just didn't have the manpower available at the moment.
Her giggles turned to a hoot of laughter on Wednesday 17 November 2014 when the much smaller free community newspaper the Clarence Valley Review, with fewer journalists and a smaller budget, managed to publish a Page 3 article on the subject, Little brother is listening.
A when a half-truth is a pork pie musing: An 18 November 2014 Clarence Valley Council mayoral minute states: There is a shift in NSW towards allowing elected mayors to serve in office for periods of longer that one year, as is the current practice. The NSW Government Fit for the Future report states that “We will introduce longer terms for Mayors and clearer roles for council leaders. These changes will help to bring more stability and accountability to councils”.
What the minute didn’t state was that this only applied to a mayoral election by councillors according to the Baird Government.
Something that will occur at mayoral elections in the Clarence Valley which will be held every two years after 10 September 2016 if Mayor Richie Williamson fails in his bid to establish popular mayoral elections and a mandatory 4-year mayoral term in the Clarence Valley.
Hopefully, councillors will insist that this fact is included in the For and Against cases the council is obliged to advertise before the 21 February 2015 referendum, in which valley voters will be asked if they want to have a mayor elected by popular vote, with ratepayers funding that second type of election as well as the election of nine councillors.
In 2012 Coffs Harbour City councillor and mayoral elections totalled a combined $289,290 cost against that council's bottom line according to the NSW Office of Local Government.
A council by-election musing: There is one rumour doing the rounds that retired Grafton District Services Club manager and friend of Clarence Valley Council Mayor Richie Williamson Arthur Lysaght is considering standing at the 2015 Clarence Valley local government by-election and another that disgraced former NSW Nats MP for Clarence Steve Cansdell is thinking of standing as well.
A shirt-fronted Tony Abbott musing:
As I hopped into the laundry tub for a nice cool dip in today’s heat, the G20 ganged up on the Oz Prime Minister and ignored his insistence that the summit did not mention the war climate change. G20 leaders included this item in the official 21 point communique, “19. We support strong and effective action to address climate change. Consistent with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its agreed outcomes, our actions will support sustainable development, economic growth, and certainty for business and investment. We will work together to adopt successfully a protocol, another legal instrument or an agreed outcome with legal force under the UNFCCC that is applicable to all parties at the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) in Paris in 2015. We encourage parties that are ready to communicate their intended nationally determined contributions well in advance of COP21 (by the first quarter of 2015 for those parties ready to do so). We reaffirm our support for mobilising finance for adaptation and mitigation, such as the Green Climate Fund.”
Best of all was reading the 35 page G20 Climate Finance Study Group –Report to the Finance Ministers – 2014 aka The Green Fund document – a fund Mista Rabbott has been resisting at various international forums since he first came to office. No doubt about it, he was right royally shirt-fronted by the world’s most powerful between 15-17 November 2014.
A microchipping musing: Clarence Valley Council is holding a reduced-rate microchipping day for cats and dogs at Grafton Animal Pound on Saturday 15 November 2014 from 11am to 2 pm. No appointment necessary. Cost $27 with payment by EFTPOS or cheque only. Remember to bring your cat in a carry cage or your dog on a lead. The pound is located at 16 Induna Street, South Grafton. Phone contact is 6642 5689 (direct) or via council's switchboard 6643 0200.
Council is trying to organise a second reduced rate microchipping day sometime next year specifically for public and social housing tenants. If you love your moggy or doggy please get it a microchip so that it has a chance of coming home if it accidentally becomes separated from its human family.
A local government election musing: Clarence Valley Council is understood to be holding a by-election in February 2015 to fill the vacancy caused by the tragic death of Cr. Jeremy Challacombe.
An itchy feet musing: Which North Coast local government general manager has never stayed more than four years in any job since about 1992? Eight jobs in 22 years. Wow! He’s got almost 20 years to retirement and at this rate should be able to cram in at least 7 more councils before collecting his superannuation.
A Love, Tony musing: These letters to aged pensioners that Prime Minister Abbott churns out appear to be making a bit of a stir - in November 2014 Centrelink's call centre automated response lists "Prime Minister's Letter" as one of the options. Tony Dum-Dum sent out individually addressed letters in which he informed pensioners that their pensions will not be reduced. Obviously lotsa members of the grey brigade don't believe him if Centrelink has to channel calls in this way. On a feline scale of trust Mr. Wabbott scores NIL.
A sad musing at 11.21am 28 October 2014: A local Clarence Valley couple died in a car crash in Tyson St at around 2.30pm on Monday, 27 October 2014. The husband is believed to be a Clarence Valley shire councillor.
A who dunnit musing: If Clarence Valley Council's general manager answered all the numerous questions he took on notice from Cr. Baker on 14.10.14 he was careful not to say during the subsequent monthly meeting and, Cr. Baker is apparently being equally silent. Some local wags have been jokingly taking bets as to whether the general manager was asked who was really behind the two complaints which triggered the unsuccessful Code of Conduct proceedings against Cr. Toms.
A rod for their own backs musing: Clarence Valley Council is about to place its 2014 Draft Keeping Of Animals Policy (bees, birds, livestock, poultry, dogs, cats, ferrets etc) on public exhibition. While few would dispute council’s right to make policy on this issue; the fact that people living on land zoned residential will have to seek permission and meet certain building/enclosure standards if they wish to keep three or more dogs or cats will pose a problem, if council does not clearly define the seeking permission process in its policy, how/by whom this will be managed and, how frivolous/malicious complaints will be dealt with. Laughingly, it seems to believe that the only risk it takes is if residents ordered to get rid of their pet moggies ‘n’ doggies challenge the order in court. What they are actually setting up is a classic scenario for a rapid escalation in neighbourhood disputes - for this policy as written has the potential to be used as a tool for spiteful payback.
A what about me musing: More than a little worried about when I'll get my Sunday dinner - my two-legs just realised that there are only nine weeks left until Christmas and she has retired whimpering to the bedroom. What's the problem? Santa pays for everything doesn't he?
An into the light musing: A very cool kitten just told me I had named the wrong redevelopment - so I've adjusted accordingly.
The projected project costs at concept stage for works/operations/maintenance depot and office rationalisation have been one of those closely guarded secrets beloved of Clarence Valley Council’s general manager. At a Corporate, Governance & Works Committee Meeting on 14 October 2014 a motion by Cr. Toms (Seconded by Cr. Simmons) to publish these costs was unanimously agreed to and a little light has entered in time for community discussion of this issue. *Cheshire cat smile on the dial*
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