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Matt Golding |
Saturday 22 June 2024
Friday 21 June 2024
So what do we know about the two NSW sites Dutton is claiming he will build nuclear reactors on if he wins government in 2025?
These are the two sites in New South Wales that Opposition Leader & MP for Dickson (Qld) Peter Dutton announced on 17 June 2024 as marked for nuclear power plants. Intended sizes and capacity as yet unknown, intended build and projected running costs not specified and commencement of construction to completion dates not given.
Liddell Power Station, located near Liddell, 7kms north-west of Ravensworth (est. pop. 12), approx. 15kms south-east of Muswellbrook (est. pop 16,778) & 25kms north-west of Singleton (est. pop 27,719) in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales. It sits in an electorate not held by a Coalition MP.
Owned by AGL Energy Ltd, and operated as a thermal coal-fired power station until shuttered in 2023.
Currently being refitted as a 500MW, two-hour duration, grid scale battery due to become operational mid-2026.
The owners have previously stated they have no intention of selling the site. The company's Top 25 shareholders are predominately institutional investors and est. 99 per cent of shareholding generally is held by persons/entities within Australia.
The power plant is in an active open cut coal mining area. The nearest state government air quality monitoring station is at Muswellbrook. Nearest water sources are Lake Liddell (capacity 150 gigalitres) and Plashett Reservoir (capacity 67 gigalitres) which are dedicated water storage areas.
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| Mount Liddell Power Station Image: Blake Sharp Wiggins/The Guardian, June 2024 |
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Mount Piper Power Station, located at Blackmans Flat near Mount Piper, in vicinity of Portland (est. pop 2,448), approx. 7kms from Wallerawang (est. pop 2,431) & 26km north-west of Lithgow (est. pop 20,742) in the Central West of New South Wales. It sits in the Calare electorate which is not held by a Coalition MP.
Owned by Energy Australia a subsidiary of the Hong Kong CLP Group and operated as a black coal fuelled, 1,420 megawatt power station.
Energy Australia has not stated an intention of selling this power plant and, will not retire the plant before 2040. CLP Holdings Pty Ltd Top 10 shareholders are dominated by entities associated with the Kadoorie family of Hong Kong and shareholding generally is held by the Kadoorie family, international institutional investors and retail investors in Hong Kong.
The power plant is set in a predominately rural area. The nearest state government air quality monitoring station appears to be at Newcastle. Nearest water body is Lake Wallace, surface areas 125 ha with 4,300 megalitre water capacity.
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| Mount Piper Power Station Image: Utility Magazine, July 2019 |
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The NSW Minns Labor Government has stated it will not remove the state prohibition on nuclear power plants. Premier Minns questioned how Mr Dutton would constitutionally force states to build nuclear reactors, with energy policy and infrastructure falling under the purview of state governments. His concerns were echoed by his fellow Labor premiers in Victoria and Queensland.
Thursday 20 June 2024
So the Coalition appears to believe that a homegrown nuclear power policy will get it over the line at the 2025 general election? Despite the fact that it will take too long reaching operational status, costs up to 85 billion to build & once all 7 reactors are up and running will need many billions of megalitres of water annually to function
On Wednesday, 19 June 2024 the Leader of the Coalition Opposition & Liberal MP for Dickson Peter Dutton (Qld) held a joint press conference with Leader of the National Party & MP for Maranoa David Littleproud (Qld), Liberal MP for Farrer Sussan Ley (NSW), Liberal MP for Hume Angus Taylor (NSW) and Liberal MP for Fairfax Ted O'Brien (Qld).
These representatives of their parties have sat in the Australian Parliament for approximately the last 22, 7, 22,10 and 7 years respectively.
From that Wednesday press conference an est. 10,047 word transcript was produced which alleges to outline a Coalition policy on nuclear power as part of Australia's energy mix, with 7 nuclear power plants to be constructed in the vicinities of Tarong and Callide in Queensland, Blackmans Creek and Mount Piper in NSW, Traralgon in Victoria, Collie in Western Australia and Port Augusta in South Australia.
All 7 of these projected sites according to Dutton & Co are to be compulsorily acquired from the existing owners on behalf of the Commonwealth and it is anticipated that the nuclear build will begin sometime in the next 10 years (before 2035) and the first two nuclear power plants will be complete in the next 11 to 12 years (2035-37) with the remaining five being completed by sometime in the 2040s.
When it comes to the projected cost of the build no estimation is given other than "it will be a big bill, there’s no question about that".
However the CSIRO GenCost 2023-24 report calculates a 7 large-scale power plant build as costing up to $85 billion in today's dollars, with the first nuclear power plant completed at est. cost of up to $17 billion. While a small scale SMR nuclear power plant (as yet commercially unrealised) has a tentative est. build of somewhere between $5.1 and $9.3 billion. A total cost for 7 small scale plants being between est. $ 35.7 to $65.1 billion in today's dollars.
The Australian Energy Council, peak industry body for electricity and downstream natural gas businesses operating in the competitive wholesale and retail energy markets, is not critical of CSIRO's timetables and costings.
The CSIRO GenCost 2023-24 final report also indicates an estimate of total build years to completion for 7 large-scale nuclear power plants as 40.6 years - with a most optimistic completion date in 2064-2065 if construction commenced immediately. While the report also states estimated total build years to completion for 7 small-scale nuclear power plants is 30.6 years - with a most optimistic completion date in 2054-2055 if construction commenced immediately.
In the joint press release transcript it states: "we’ve looked at water" as part of the basis of making the announcement of Coalition intentions to build those seven nuclear power plants if elected to govern in 2025.
However that brief mention did not qualify or quantify nuclear power production water needs, which according to a nuclear power-neutral Smart Water Magazine quote:
one nuclear reactor requires between 1,514L and 2,725L litres of water per MWh. It equates to billions of gallons of water per year, and all this water requires filtering somehow.
This would see Queensland & New South Wales required to each find an additional est. 27,786 megalitres of water per annum and Victoria, South Australia & West Australia each required to find an additional est. 13,893 megalitres per annum.
To put that into some perspective two nuclear power plants operating for one year in NSW would require the equivalent of 557 years of Clarence River average water discharge into the sea.
Further, in the joint press release, this quartet of Coalition politician also appear to be asserting that an Australian nuclear power industry will supply "cheaper" electricity.
The Australian Energy Council states:
Australian retail household electricity prices in the National Electricity Market (NEM) are the lowest they have been for eight years, and on an international comparison are the 10th lowest of the 38 OECD countries. The average cost per unit of electricity has fallen to 27 cents/kWh according to the most recent Australian Competition and Consumer National Electricity Market (NEM) data. When compared against other countries using a purchasing power exchange rate, Australian average prices per kilowatt-hour are equivalent to 17.6 US cents (c/kWh), well below the OECD average cost of 24.2 US c/kWh and less than many European countries.
World Nuclear Association graph, 30.04.24. Click on image to enlarge
According to the World Nuclear Association in 2024 there are nuclear power reactors operating in 32 countries plus Taiwan.
Looking at the graph of 58 countries above, 5 of the 15 countries with the highest household electricity prices were countries with nuclear power in the mix.
The Czech Republic operating 6 nuclear reactors has the second highest household electricity price, Belgium operating 5 nuclear reactors the 7th highest, Spain with 7 nuclear reactors the 10th highest, Slovenia sharing 1 nuclear reactor the 12th highest and the United Kingdom operating 9 nuclear reactors the 14th highest.
The full transcript of the 17 June 2024 joint press release can be read at:
Wednesday 19 June 2024
One millionaire developer within the West Yamba Urban Release Area had his latest Miles Street subdivision application refused by the Northern Rivers Regional Planning Panel. Will he now run to Macquarie Street crying foul?
Then Director Environment & Planning at Maclean Shire Council & now town planning consultant engaged by Kahuna No 1, Rob Donges, on the subject of the West Yamba Urban Release Area, in The Sydney Morning Herald, “Coming to this swamp – suburbia”, 19 March 2007
The Daily Examiner online masthead in use by The Daily Telegraph, 18 June 2024:
Developers have failed to convince an independent planning panel to give the go-ahead for a controversial multimillion dollar development for 248 residential lots in Yamba.
In making their assessments for the flood prone site on Miles St, the panel “considered the proposal through a risk based lens”.
The Northern Regional Planning Panel, an independent planning panel governing regionally significant development applications, denied the application for the controversial project from the developers, Kahuna 1, on Monday.
In denying the application, the panel cited flood mitigation as a major issue, including the additional fill required to develop the lot, the site being in “a high-risk flood catchment” and community concern and anxiety about the project including flooding issues, insurance costs and isolation from flooding.
The panel received a total of 57 unique submissions objecting to the development.
The panel was also not satisfied that an adequate Acid Sulphate Soils Management Plan for the development had been supplied to the Clarence Valley Council.
The determination panel was not unanimous in refusing the application, however, with three voting against the development they outvoted Penny Holloway who voted against the decision.
Members of the community from Clarence Valley to Yamba, have reacted expressing relief and hope for the future.
Clarence Valley Council Councillor Greg Clancy, who addressed the planning panel as an individual, told The Northern Star the outcome was “a well reasoned decision”.
“I’m hopeful that this is the beginning of the end of flood plain development,” he said.
Medical issues, contamination and road openings
A member of Yamba Community Action Network, Ms Helen Tyas Tunggal, also expressed the panel’s decision was a sign of the tide turning for development plans on flood plains.
“What’s happened yesterday is history making,” she said.
“The panel have actually listened to the evidence given by the residents of Grevillea Waters, the people that are living right next door to where the development is proposed, who were cut off in the floods last year, and they’re all over, 55 a lot of them don’t drive and a lot of them need medical help.”
It is noted that the Kahuna No. 1 Pty Ltd Miles Street subdivision application was submitted to the Northern Regional Planning Panel with a Clarence Valley Council recommendation for "Approval", subject to the draft conditions of consent. Gordon Merchant as sole director & owner of this registered corporation may on that basis feel encouraged to challenge the regional panel's decision or submit yet another development application on the land in question.
Whilst ever Lot 46 and 47 DP 751395 (52-54 Miles Street Yamba NSW) retain a residential zone status nothing is resolved with any finality.
BACKGROUND
The Sydney Morning Herald ,19 March 2007:
FOR 250 kilometres, the Clarence River snakes through northern NSW before it meets the coast at Yamba.
There, during heavy rain and high tide, the estuary spills its briny current over a huge flood plain just west of the town. The 340 or so hectares of salt marsh, melaleuca forest and mangrove swamp act like a giant sieve, filtering the floodwaters as they make their way into Lake Wooloweyah to the south.
Now though, the Clarence Valley Council is one vote away from rezoning the West Yamba flood plain and turning it into a busy residential area.
In a monumental decision, the council has foreshadowed dumping 270,000 truck loads of fill on the area to raise it high enough to make it habitable....
But green groups say the proposal, first mooted in 1995, will put Yamba at risk from rising sea levels, and represents a dramatic threat to the area's sensitive wetland ecology.
And even the proposal's architect, the council's environment and planning director, Rob Donges, acknowledges it is out of step with today's planning regime.
"There are acknowledged problems there. It is flood-prone, low-lying land with a high water table," he said. "We have never hidden the fact that if we were to start the process of West Yamba today there would be doubts as to whether council would proceed."
The council has not yet received the findings of a flood risk management plan, commissioned to examine the effects of altering the area's natural drainage corridors, but Mr Donges has recommended the draft local environment plan go ahead anyway.
He insists the wheel has turned too far to stop now.
"It has a long history and commitments [have been] made by the council.".....
The original 127ha West Yamba Urban Release Area (WYURA) sits on a 690ha natural flood storage plain.
This was an established fact in the early 1990s when urban settlement of this area was first mooted. It was still an established fact in 1995 when the local council adopted its Land Use Strategy.
It remained an established fact when WYURA first came into effect in 2010 with amendments to the Maclean LEP 2001 allowing the amalgamated Clarence Valley Council to house between 2,000-2,500 people on flood liable land within a reduced 121ha urban release area.
It continued as an established fact in 2015 when Clarence Valley Council confirmed its ongoing intention to allow more dwellings per hectare via manufactured housing estates and therefore more people to be settled on this floodplain within the larger Lower Clarence River floodplain.
Something then Clarence Valley Mayor and now current NSW Nationals MLA for Clarence Richie Williamson called "good news for local development". Going on to say; "There's between 950 to 1000 lots and other land owners in the area will be moving forward with their developments. It's a massive development."
It was definitely an established fact in the years from 2015 to May 2023, during which Clarence Valley Council received at least 9 large scale and 2 small scale subdivision applications on this flood liable land.
The proposed layout of the 52-54 Miles St, Yamba subdivision within the contentious West Yamba Urban Release Area in November 2023, then comprising 277 low-density residential lots, 1 medium density residential lot, a commercial development, drainage reserves and an open space area.
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| IMAGE: Clarence Valley Independent, 22.11.23 |
This is the second reiteration of the Kahuna No. 1 Pty Ltd attempt to overdevelop this flood prone land, a 287 lot DA Sub 2023/0001 resubmitted as a 284 lot subdivision in December 2022 (comprising 277 low density residential lots, 1 medium density residential development lot, 1 commercial development lot, 1 low density development lot, 3 drainage reserve lots, 1 open space reserve lot) refused by Northern Regional Planning Panel on 17 June 2024.
The first attempt being a 310-lot subdivision application withdrawn by the Kahuna No. 1 in September 2022, before it was set to be determined by the Northern Regional Planning Panel.
Tuesday 18 June 2024
AUSTRALIA STATE OF PLAY 2024: when repeated warnings are given concerning climate change-induced risk along vulnerable coastal shorelines and on floodplains but few in the three tiers of government appear to take heed
Almost two decades ago in 2009 the Australian Government's Dept. of Climate Change in a first pass assessment warned the nation:
"Over the last 6,000–7,000 years sea level around Australia has been relatively stable, which has generally allowed current landforms and ecosystems to persist without large scale modifications.
Since 1788 settlements have been built along our coast in expectation that sea level would remain broadly unchanged. Significant settlement of low-lying areas has occurred, and structures were designed and built to standards defined by a relatively narrow period of experience.
Those conditions are now changing. A new climate era driven by global warming will increase risks to settlements, industries, the delivery of services and natural ecosystems within Australia’s coastal zone."
At least a decade ago it was reported in the media that the Insurance Council of Australia considered that it would not be the high cost of repair to residential properties in the 7-10km wide coastal strip most at risk of inundation and/or land slippage which would make these homes uninsurable – it would be the fact that the land on which such housing was built had become worthless.
By 2011 Australian coastal local governments were acknowledging the issue of land valuation and future liability on residential lot owners.
"A number of respondents highlighted the potential risk to existing private homes and the possibility of future depopulation and disinvestment in exposed locations. Similarly, local planners expressed difficulties in evaluating decisions that may quarantine future development potential on private land.
“There’s a big social dilemma – how do you tell someone their land is worthless and they can’t develop it?” (local government participant, March 2011).
One climate change consultant described a bifurcation whereby site based assessments fail to consider issues of transport and services. This means that individual sites might be approved for development due to their elevation, but lack secure provisions for road access via existing or planned road reservations. It was suggested that servicing these sites may become a future liability for local government areas.
“The house might be safe but the road’s going to be underwater and it’s going to be unsafe for access. If local governments are going to accept development in the areas where this additional service cost to maintain access or service [will arise], they’ll have to have a strategy to suggest that they impose that additional cost on the residents who choose to live in these places, but that’s not yet been resolved” (private sector consultant, March 2011)."
[Syd Uni Faculty of Architecture, Design and Planning, Gurran, N et al in Report No. 4 for the National Sea Change Taskforce November 2011, "Planning for climate change adaptation in Coastal Australia: State of practice", pp 26-27]
Such warnings with regard to very real climate change risks to coastal urban areas have been repeated again and again in the years since.
In 2022 financial services and analytics firm CoreLogic announced that calculations based on 30 years of tidal & shoreline retreat data indicated $5.3 billion worth of properties were at very high risk within 800 metres of the shoreline, and another $19.5 billion were at high risk. With dramatic changes to vulnerable coastlines within the next 30 years.
By October 2023 the Australian Government National Emergency Management Agency and the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience had put their names to a warning that coastal properties with est. value of $25 billion were at "substantial risk" due to coastal erosion and inundation.
In particular noting: As calls from homeowners for greater protection from coastal erosion increase, the effects of bad decisions (e.g. building seawalls) will become more critical. Local governments needs to address coastal erosion adaptation and the equity between politics, private rights, environmental protections and public amenities of the beachfront.
Further noting: Australian coastal communities will become increasingly vulnerable to rising sea levels and extreme weather events and many beachfront properties will become stranded assets due to loss of property values as well as insurance and banking sectors retracting from the coastal property market. The Reserve Bank of Australia modelled that the number of high-risk properties could grow by over 74,000 due to climate change (Bellrose, Norman & Royters 2021).
Despite these warnings state governments have stubbornly resisted meaningful changes to planning policy and legislation. While both state and local governments generally have further entrenched internal cultures highly resistant to curbing the ambitions of both small and large professional property developers and land speculators - particularly those in the approx.100km wide & 29,900km long mainland coastal zone (including Tasmania) with its est. 49 per cent of soft shore lines and associated coastal rivers, estuaries and flood plains.
Digital Earth Australia, Geoscience Australia-CSIRO mapping of incidence from 1988 onwards showing most pronounced coastal shoreline loss by m/year in gradients of pale pink to red.
When it comes to riverine or sea water inundation this latest warning is quite specific.
The Daily Telegraph, 15 June 2024:
The Going Under Report predicts the seaside holiday village, which was completely cut off during the floods in 2022, has a 56.63 per cent risk of becoming uninsurable by 2030.
The report analysed close to fifteen million addresses in fifteen thousand suburbs across Australia.
According to the report, by 2030 588,857 (or 21 one per cent) of Australian homes will ‘have exposure to some level of riverine flooding’ with NSW by far the most impacted.
An Insurance Council of Australia spokesperson responded to the report findings stating the current risk to 230,000 Australian properties is a five per cent risk “of catastrophic flooding each year”.
“More than half of these (123,475) are in New South Wales, with the bulk of the remainder in Queensland and Victoria,” said the spokesperson.
NSW's most uninsurable towns
In NSW, 206,622 individual homes were identified as being at high risk of becoming uninsurable by 2030. This compares with 382,235 homes in all other states put together.
While the Climate Council’s Nicki Hutley told The Daily Telegraph the report findings were a reflection of updated climate science, the University of NSW (UNSW)’s Climate Research Centre Professor Andrew Pitman disagrees.
“The science behind this report isn’t robust but that doesn’t mean there aren’t risks from climate change and an imperative to act according to climate science risk.” he said.
Grafton’s Clarence Valley Council Councillor Greg Clancy told The Daily Telegraph that options for towns like Grafton, built when the river was used for transport, include relocation....
While these are an option for river towns like Grafton with existing residences, Mr Clancy raised concerns about new developments in flood prone areas such as a controversial application for a $48 million 284 lot subdivision at Mile Street in Yamba.
The Going Under Report predicts the seaside holiday village, which was completely cut off during the floods in 2022, has a 56.63 per cent risk of becoming uninsurable by 2030.
This concerns Mr Clancy who personally opposed the “flood plain development” application which is currently being determined by the Northern Regional Planning Panel, which assesses and determines regionally significant development applications.
“Basically, the developers would be creating islands, so the new houses are going to be on fill but will get cut off,” he said.
A spokesperson from the Insurance Council of Australia said that “in December 2022, National Cabinet tasked planning ministers to develop a national standard for considering disaster and climate risk and declaration that “the days of developing on flood plains need to end”.
“The ICA strongly supports the decision and has long been calling for governments to commit to stopping development in areas of high flood risk and commence work on planning reform with appropriate risk mitigation on flood plains,” the spokesperson said....
Coastal towns and villages on floodplains that empty into oceans are well aware of the triple threat climate change brings into their homes:
the high volume concentrated rain dumps which create flash flooding, inundate low lying points within town/village boundaries and overwhelm the stormwater system;
record breaking river flooding which stretches almost to breaking point both the community & local emergency services capacity to respond; and
the dangers of a twin event where a strong sea storm surge meets a river flood front, forcing more water into the river or estuary at the same time the flood front unable to travel unimpeded out to sea spreads across coastal land increasing flood height and duration there.
Yesterday Northern NSW communities gave evidence at NSW Legislative Council's Portfolio Committee No. 7 – Planning and Environment Inquiry into the Planning system and the impacts of climate change on the environment and communities.
I listened via the live feed to the morning of that hearing day, as representatives of their communities from South West Rocks, Coffs Harbour, Yamba, Maclean and Evans Head spoke with authority and insight about the very real climate change-induced risks they already face, the increased dangers predicted to occur as the climate crisis deepens and, drew attention to the lack of political will within state & local government, absence of detailed strategic planning required to avoid or at least significantly mitigate against destructive changes to flood & stormwater behaviour frequently caused by inappropriate large-scale development and, need to cease further urban development on floodplains and in the immediate vicinity of vulnerable coastlines.
When the 17 June hearing transcript is posted on the NSW Parliament website, a summary containing the principal arguments and observations will be posted on North Coast Voices.
Monday 17 June 2024
So how is agricultural production holding up in this new era of increased adverse weather disruptions to state & local supply
With the concepts of climate crisis and population resilience both becoming more frequently mentioned when discussing rural and regional Australia, perhaps a brief overview of aspects of the nation's agricultural inventory might be of interest as an indication of how the country is coping when it comes to food produce security.
Australian Bureau of Statistics, Latest Release, 14 June 2024:
Australian Agriculture: Horticulture
Statistics on the production and value of a range of horticultural crops
Reference period
2022-23 financial year
Released
14/06/2024
First release
Key statistics
The local value of Australian fruit production (excluding wine grapes) was $6.3 billion in 2022-23 with 2.7 million tonnes sold in 2022-23
Local value of vegetable production was $5.8 billion with 3.6 million tonnes sold
Local value of cut flowers, nurseries and turf sold was $3.4 billion
Local value of nut production sold was $721.2 million
Local value of wine grapes was $983.1 million with 1.3 million tonnes crushed.
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Key results for 2022-23 include:
Fruit:
The local value of Australian table grapes was $918.6 million, with 233,000 tonnes sold
Apples had a local value of $647.0 million with 285,200 tonnes sold
Bananas had a local value of $583.3 million with 374,300 tonnes sold.
Vegetables:
Potatoes had a local value of $1.0 billion nationally with 1.5 million tonnes sold
Leafy salad vegetables had a local value of $736.5 million with 75,700 tonnes sold
Tomatoes had a local value of $570.6 million with 321,700 tonnes sold.
Nuts:
Almonds had a local value of $523.4 million with 103,400 tonnes sold
Macadamias had a local value of $104.0 million with 48,400 tonnes sold.
*****
Macadamias experimental estimates
In 2022-23:
Australian production was 48,400 tonnes
Local value was $104 million
Total crop area was 40,800 hectares
The bearing area was 24,300 hectares.
In 2022-23, 60% of the national macadamia crop area was bearing. Queensland had the largest planting area 24,700 hectares, of which only 11,500 hectares (or 46%) was bearing. This reflects that there is a significant area of younger plantings in Queensland. New South Wales has the second largest planting area with 16,000 hectares of which 12,800 hectares (or 80%) was bearing.
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In 2022-23, Queensland produced 70% (34,100 tonnes) of Australia’s macadamias followed by New South Wales with 29% (14,200 tonnes).
In 2022-23, Queensland macadamia production had a local value of $73 million, followed by New South Wales with a local value of $31 million.
NOTE: Value refers to local value which is the farm gate value that farmers receive for their products. This is lower than the gross value which includes transport and marketing costs.
Queensland's production is highly concentrated in the Bundaberg region. In 2022-23 the two largest Statistical Area 2 (SA2) regions were Bundaberg Surrounds (North and South), which accounted for 44% of national production sold. In New South Wales, Lismore Surrounds and the adjacent Ballina Surrounds were the largest producing SA2s, accounting for 21% of national production.
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In the Northern Rivers region in 2022-23 macadamia produce by in-shell weight was:
Lismore Surrounds - 5,203 tonnes
Ballina Surrounds - 4,994 tonnes
Bangalow - 1,539 tonnes.
Lismore Surrounds came in at 3rd place in the Top Ten macadamia production areas of Australia, with Ballina Surrounds following at 4th place and Bangalow in 6th position.
Elsewhere BOM noted:
The value of livestock disposals declined one per cent to $23.3 billion in 2022-23. Cattle was the largest contributor at $13.9 billion, a drop of 2.4 per cent while poultry bucked the trend, increasing by 15.6 per cent to $3.6 billion.
At 30 June 2023 there were 29.9 million head of cattle, a 4 per cent increase on the previous year.
“This is the largest cattle herd in the past five years as rainfall and favourable conditions supported farmers rebuilding their herds....
In 2023 the New South Wales cattle herd estimates stood at 6.14 million cattle. With beef cattle comprising 5.87 million head and dairy cattle 268,000 head.
According to ABS local value of all NSW cattle disposals was $3.11 billion in 2022-23.
Lower rainfall through the early stages of 2023 reduced producer confidence and may have affected livestock disposals generally.
ABS does not publish herd estimates at NSW regional or district level so it is not possible to compare Northern Rivers cattle numbers.
However, a University of Technology Sydney (UTS) June 2023 report did suggest the possibility that beef cattle dominate agricultural gross value product (GVP) in two of the seven local government areas - Clarence Valley & Kyogle. With beef cattle agricultural GVP being a significant factor in Richmond, Lismore & Tweed local governments areas. While dairy cattle agricultural GVP also contribute to the agricultural GVP mix in four of the local governments areas - Clarence Valley, Lismore & Byron.
Sunday 16 June 2024
Yamba Community Action Network Inc to give evidence at NSW parliamentary committee hearing re Planning System and the Impacts of Climate Change on the Environment and Communities, Monday 17 June 2024. Live link via NSW Parliament website
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| YambaCAN protest banner |
News release, 13 June 2024:
YAMBA CAN WILL PROVIDE EVIDENCE IN PARLIAMENT HOUSE ON MONDAY 17 JUNE 2024
The Portfolio Committee No. 7 – Planning and Environment has invited two representatives of Yamba CAN to give evidence at its next hearing for the inquiry into the planning system and the impacts of climate change on the environment and communities.
Date: Monday, 17 June 2024
Appearance time: 11.00 – 11.30 am
Location: Jubilee Room, NSW Parliament House
Yamba CAN welcomes the invitation and has replied to the Committee informing that our two representatives attending Parliament House shall be Lynne Cairns and Helen Tyas Tunggal.
Portfolio7 Committee hearings can be viewed live via the government’s website
To watch live, use this link https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/Pages/webcasts.aspx .
Video recordings of previous hearings can be found on the NSW Parliament's YouTube channel here. [Portfolio Committee No. 7 - Planning and Environment: Planning system and the impacts of climate change on the environment and communities - YouTube]
Chairperson
Yamba Community Action Network Inc (Yamba CAN Inc)
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