Tweed, Ballina, Lismore & Clarence candidates standing in the NSW State Election on Saturday, 23 March 2019

These are the Far North Coast sitting members in the NSW Legislative Assembly (Lower House):

Geoffrey Keith PROVEST, NSW Nationals MP for Tweed 

Tamara Francine SMITH, NSW Greens MP for Ballina

Thomas GEORGE, NSW Nationals for Lismore - not standing for re-election 

Christopher GULAPTIS, NSW Nationals MP for Clarence

These are all the candidates standing in the four state electorates and the positions they drew on ballot papers for the 23 March 2019 NSW State Election:

TWEED 

BALLINA 

LISMORE

CLARENCE

See: https://www.elections.nsw.gov.au/Ballot-paper-templates-for-2019-NSW-State-election

Want to tell Chris Gulaptis MP how strongly you feel about keeping coal seam gas exploration & mining out of the Page electorate?

Then gather outside his electoral office at 10.30-11am 2 pm tomorrow Tuesday 25 September 2012, when likeminded residents will be holding a peaceful protest at 11 Prince Street, Grafton, NSW. Opposite Clarence Valley Council’s main building.

What Chris said yesterday ...

The Member for Clarence, Chris Gulaptis, provided these little gems yesterday:
"... the Australian public love the monarchy. ... The love of the monarchy has even extended to Pippa's derrière—we just cannot enough of it."
(Mr Christopher Gulaptis (Clarence) [6.34 p.m.]: speaking to the Constitution Amendment (Restoration of Oaths of Allegiance) Bill 2011)

Cripes! We pay good money to have a local represent us in Macquarie Street and that is what we get. Is the bloke for real or is he a fruit cake?

Source: Hansard, NSW Legislative Assembly, 29/5/12

What one voter thinks of the Member for Clarence

The email received by North Coast Voices was short 'n' sweet and produced a guffaw when passed around:

He wouldn’t have the faintest idea about this.  

http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/Prod/parlment/hanstrans.nsf/V3ByKey/LA20120523?open&refNavID=HA4_1

How right this voter is.

I wonder if ‘Steve’ Gulaptis stands in front of the bathroom mirror to practice the words written for him? How many times does he have to rehearse each piece before he stops stumbling over sentences?

Clarence community - well done!

Member for Clarence, Chris Gulaptis, recognised a number local community endeavours in state parliament yesterday.

COMMUNITY RECOGNITION NOTICES

Mr Gulaptis moved that the house:

PORT OF YAMBA HISTORICAL SOCIETY EXHIBITION

(1) Congratulates the Port of Yamba Historical Society on its success in putting together the Ghosts of WWI-101 Local Heroes Exhibition which opened recently.

(2) Commends the exhibit's architect and researcher, Peter Edmunds, the Society's President, Maria Buist, other society members, and members of the special interest group for their commitment and dedication in putting on this exhibition.

ALLEN WHEELER MEDAL RECIPIENT DON WALDRON

(1) Congratulates Don Waldron, of Casino, on being presented with the Allen Wheeler Medal, one of the NSW Greyhound Racing industry's highest honours.

(2) Commends him on his commitment and dedication to the greyhound racing industry, in particular the development of the Casino Greyhound Club and his service as Secretary/Manager of the club for more than 40 years.

HARWOOD HILTON CRICKET CLUB

(1) Congratulates the Harwood Hilton Cricket Club on winning the Clarence River Cricket Association's Premier League grand final.

(2) Recognises the performance of the runner-up, South Services Club.

(3) Acknowledges the sportsmanship, commitment and dedication given to the Harwood Hilton club over many years by retiring captain, Tim (Ferret) McMahon, and wishes him well in the future.

GRAFTON MIDNIGHT BASKETBALL

(1) Congratulates Midnight Basketball on its successful eight-week midnight basketball program at the Grafton Regional Sports and Entertainment Centre.

(2) Recognises the aim of Midnight Basketball is to give kids something positive to do with their time in a safe environment.

(3) Acknowledges the commitment and dedication of the chair of Midnight Basketball, Grafton, Craig Howe, and his committee members, Alan Grainger, Jackie Milsom, Dylan Parbery, Emma Hannan, Glen McClymont, Deborah Stafford and Pat Hagan.

(4) Recognises the support given by numerous organisations in the Clarence Valley, including Clarence Valley Council and individual volunteers, to enable the program to be conducted.

 PRIVATE MEMBERS' STATEMENTS

 

GRAFTON RELAY FOR LIFE

Mr CHRISTOPHER GULAPTIS (Clarence) [5.52 p.m.]: Tonight I acknowledge the wonderful contribution that the Grafton Relay for Life has made to the New South Wales Cancer Council since the early 2000s, in particular the contribution it made on 31 March last. On the last Saturday in March I was astounded by the turnout at McKittrick Park in South Grafton, especially when it had been raining through the week and the weather on the day was threatening. But that did not deter 107 teams from nominating and 1,408 Graftonians from participating. To put it into perspective, Grafton has a population of about 18,500 people and the total of those participating in that event was 7.5 per cent of the city's population. In any circumstances that is a remarkable turnout and a testament to the dedication and generosity of the Grafton community.

It was a day to remember loved ones who had lost their battle with cancer, celebrate with those who had cheated cancer, and provide support for those who are battling the disease. Whilst the day started out with rain clouds, it turned out to be a hot afternoon. The mood at McKittrick Park complemented the weather—it was joyful and charged with excitement. Teams were dressed in all manner of weird and wonderful costumes and they had a marvellous time as they chatted and joked around the course. But the serious side of the Relay for Life is the reason behind it. Every five minutes another Australian is diagnosed with cancer. While survival rates are improving every day, cancer remains a leading cause of death. That is why it is so important that we raise funds to fight cancer.

Every dollar raised at Relay For Life helps the Cancer Council to help the people living on the far North Coast who are suffering from cancer. Cancer Council NSW is 96 per cent community funded. This year in the far North Coast region more than 1,930 people will be diagnosed with cancer and more than 660 people will die from the disease. Last year 143 cancer patients in the region were provided with financial assistance to relieve them of the high costs associated with treatment and care. This year 590 cancer patients were taken almost 60,000 kilometres to hospital appointments in the region using Cancer Council NSW transport and home support services. Last year 525 people affected by cancer across the region received free, confidential information and support from cancer health professionals through the Cancer Council Helpline.

I sincerely commend the Grafton Relay For Life committee for running such a successful event, which raised $132,178—over double the amount raised in 2010 and with double the number of teams participating. Volunteering and community participation is alive and well in Grafton. Grafton Relay for Life has been so successful because of the hard work of its committee. Rosemary Munro is the chair of the committee and Debbie Brooks, Graeme Hicks, Kay Strong, Brenda Howe, Judy O'Keeffe, Leila Thompson, Kathy Smidt, Narelle Redhouse, Michael Sexton, Elaine Stevenson, Denise and Cec Hyde, Denise Barnier, Vorna Cooper, Roger Green and Gail Brotherson are the other dedicated committee members who have made the Grafton Relay for Life such a success over a long period. I commend them for the work they have done for the local community and the Cancer Council of NSW.

Source: Hansard, NSW Legislative Assembly, 3/5/12

Will Clarence MP speak up?

Yesterday in the NSW Legislative Assembly the Road Transport Legislation Amendment (Offender Nomination) Bill had another airing. The Bill is designed primarily to get companies to reveal the identity of persons driving their vehicles when they are guilty of road camera offences.

Proceedings in the chamber made for interesting viewing via the parliamentary webcast.

However, this viewer was disappointed one local MP, Chris Gulaptis, Member for Clarence didn't push himself forward and remind the house that his very presence in that place was due to a parallel act of skulduggery committed by his predecessor, the disgraced former Member for Clarence, Steve Cansdell.

Government members queued to speak and support the bill, but Mark Coure, the Liberal Member for Oatley, said it all by remarking that companies had to stop implementing the deliberate ploy of shielding their offending drivers by not nominating them and having them take responsibility for the offences.

Perhaps, if he had the chance to do it all over again, Cansdell could have obtained an ABN and used a company car whenever he risked going within lens reach of those !@#! road cameras.

Credit where credit's due

At 9 o'clock last night Chris Gulaptis, Member for Clarence, took the opportunity to make a private members' statement in the NSW Legislative Assembly about the value of the Grafton Agricultural Research and Advisory Station.

Mr Gulaptis concluded his statement with the words, "I offer my unreserved support for the Grafton Agricultural Research and Advisory Station."

Good work, Mr Gulaptis, but will your words do any good? Who was listening to the statement? More to the point, do they care and will they support you?

Earlier this week The Daily Examiner reported, "The once-prominent Grafton agricultural station appears to be dying a death of a thousand cuts. Following the closure of the hardwood forestry research facility and changes to the fisheries research facility, it has now been confirmed there are no beef cattle researchers on site and all stock are to be moved to Glen Innes."

Oh, and by the way, Mr Gulaptis still hasn't managed to get his portrait on the Members' Page on the parliamentary website. C'mon, Mr Gulaptis, get yourself down to the studio and have a happy snap taken - it's only a camera shot, not a rifle shot.

Another call for seatbelts on school buses

Two school buses collided in Maclean yesterday morning, resulting in an 11-year-old child being taken to hospital with suspected neck injuries. Another eight students were treated at the scene.

The Greens transport spokeswoman, Cate Faehrmann, will today give notice of a private members bill in which buses on some rural routes would need to be fitted with seatbelts. The routes would travel on unsealed roads or roads or highways with a speed limit greater than 80km/h.

While it's not clear if the measures proposed would have alleviated yesterday's incident that occurred before school in Maclean, the call is loud and clear: MPs, extract the digit and move to upgrade the safety of school bus travellers now!

Pollies can roll out statistics till the cows come home about how much safer bus travel is compared with other forms of motorised transport but that will not alter one simple fact ... it's only a matter of time!

Good to see Ms Faehrmann's move!

The $64 question locals in the electorate of Clarence will have on the tips of their tongues will be: And what is our local MP, Chris Gulaptis, who resides a stone's throw (okay, okay, so he lives over the hill and a few streets away from the site of yesterday's crash) prepared to do about improving bus safety by having school buses fitted with seat belts?

Mr Gulaptis, it's over to you.

Sources: The Daily Examiner, The Sydney Morning Herald

Pic credit: The Daily Examiner

The Cansdell Saga: surely even O'Farrell wouldn't be so stupid?

One paragraph in a letter to the editor in The Daily Examiner on 14 March 2011 certainly raised a few eyebrows in the Clarence electorate:

The other opinion [allegedly that of an unnamed party stalwart ] might be even funnier – Premier Barry O’Farrell is about to announce Steve Cansdell’s appointment as a parliamentary or ministerial adviser.

Chris Gulaptis in the chamber (Thursday, 15/3/12)

Chris had a rather quiet day at work yesterday. Hansard records him as an early riser, having spoken about Community Recognition Notices not long after the starting whistle was blown at 10.00am.

He spoke in relation to the Grafton Daily Examiner Hockey NSW Media Award  and then the Grafton Regional Gallery Foundation. After that he kept a low profile. Perhaps he'd been told to keep his head down while another north coast National MP, Geoff Provest the Member for Tweed and Parliamentary Secretary for Police and Emergency Services, donned a flak jacket and readied himself for the cross fire heading his way.

During Question Time the Leader of the Opposition, John Robertson, asked What action will the Premier take against the Parliamentary Secretary for Police, given his electoral returns clearly demonstrate he received a donation from a property developer on 30 March 2011?

The Premier replied, I am happy to seek advice on that question from the Election Funding Authority ... .

O'Farrell then added,  I will seek the advice of the Election Funding Authority, but I also make the point that we are all expected to abide by the law and if we do not, it is the Election Funding Authority and Mr Barry who will take action.

Provest jumped up at when question time finished and provided the following explanation:
 I wish to make a personal explanation. Earlier today during question time the Leader of the Opposition asserted that I accepted a political donation from a property developer. Let me say at the outset, I have always been full and frank with my parliamentary affairs—hence, the detailed nature of my pecuniary interests. I did not realise that Power Industries and/or James Power may have been prohibited donors. I am now seeking advice from the New South Wales Election Funding Authority. If those donations are not permitted under the legislation, they will be dealt with accordingly.  (Expect to hear a lot more about this in coming days.)

What is it about NSW National Party MPs and the position of Parliamentary Secretary for Police? The former, now disgraced, Member for Clarence, Steve Cansdell obtained his 15 minutes of fame as a consequence of events he was associated with when he was in that position. Is it just a matter of a couple of good local MPs having a run of bad luck or is it something more sinister?

Here's what Gulaptis said earlier in the day:

 Grafton Daily Examiner Hockey NSW Media Award
 (1) Congratulates The Grafton Daily Examiner on winning Hockey New South Wales's top media award for Outstanding Coverage in 2011.

(2) Commends sports writer Gary Nichols for his reporting on local hockey activities in the Clarence Valley.

(3) Commends the Grafton Hockey Association, in particular Robyn Anderson, Stephen McIlveen and photographer Shane Sedger for the role they play in compiling articles on local hockey.

 Grafton Regional Gallery Foundation
 (1) Congratulates The Gallery Foundation, its Chairperson George Burkitt and Committee, on the successful d’Art 7th Anniversary Dinner and Art Auction on 2 March 2012.

(2) Thanks author Dr Shirley Walker being the guest speaker for the evening.

(3) Commends the Foundation for its commitment and dedication to support the Grafton Regional Gallery through various fundraising activities during the year to fund the gallery's collection and facilities.

(4) Notes the economic benefits from the gallery and its contribution to the cultural, social and educational life of the Clarence Valley.

The adventures of Chris in Macquarie Street

Yesterday, Wednesday 14 March, Chris Gulaptis MP, spoke twice in the chamber (see below). 

The Member for Clarence is yet to get his portrait on the parliamentary website. Why? He's never been known to be camera shy. 

1. At 8.13pm he spoke to support the Government Information (Public Access) Amendment Bill 2011. That was a rather simple, straightforward task. After all, the bill was being given bipartisan support.

2. At 9.04pm he was on his feet again, making a Private Members' Statement on the Maclean Highland Gathering. Again, no big challenge.

Mr Gulaptis commenced his speech with an acknowledged of the efforts of the Lower Clarence Scottish Association for its continued support of the Maclean Highland Gathering.

He then went on to add:

Maclean is of course renowned for being the Scottish town in Australia. Maclean's Scottish character originates back to the 1830s and 1840s in Scotland following the Jacobite's defeat at Culloden, the Highland Clearances, potato blight famine and prevailing disastrous economic conditions. The only future lay in emigration. In Australia John Robertson pushed through Parliament the Free Selection Act legislation, which provided for anyone to take up land from 40 to 320 acres for a down payment of 5 pence per acre with three years to pay. Some 450 Scottish families settled in Rocky Mouth. Surveyor-General Alistair Maclean ordered the town to be properly laid out. That was done in 1862 and named Maclean after the Scottish-born Surveyor-General. Many of its new streets were named after places in Scotland—Argyll, Morvern, Clyde, Oban and the like. Commerce and hotels sprang up under Scottish businessmen, such as Alexander Cameron, Samuel MacNaughton and John McLachlan. Churches were an intrinsic part of Scottish life and elders of the Free Kirk erected their church in 1868. It remains the oldest church still in use in the Clarence.

In 1886 the Murray Brothers, natives of Thurso, and local sawmillers, sponsored the first local Highland gathering in Maclean, and with the exception of the war years it continues to this day. This year at Easter will be the 108th Highland gathering. The Lower Clarence Scottish Association was formed in 1893. It has now existed continuously for 119 years. A pipe band was formed in 1898 under Donald Mathieson—formerly from Inverness—and has continued to this day. The primary function of the association is to organise the annual Highland gathering held at Easter each year. It is a major function of State and national significance in Scottish circles. The association has always required a chieftain as its head, and usually the chief remains in the post for many years. The current chief is Chief Peter Smith and the immediate past chief was Reverend Kenneth Macleod, he being a native Scot and probably the only Gaelic speaker currently in the Lower Clarence. The current secretary, Robert McPherson, OAM, and previous secretary, Norman McSwan, have held the secretarial portfolio for at least 57 years between them. Current senior chieftain is Roger McLean, junior chieftain is Graham Anderson, and Treasurer—for some 34 years—is John McPhee.

At this year's gathering 25 inter-district bands from Sydney, Brisbane and New Zealand will attend the gathering in a competition arena and there will be sports and fellowship. Competitions commence on Good Friday in drumming and solo piping, and on Friday night the main street is closed for a street festival with bands, dances, massed bands, a civic welcome and a concert in the Civic Hall. Easter Saturday commences with a full regalia street march of visiting and local bands through the shopping centre. Activities then take place at the Maclean showground where drumming, piping, dancing and bands compete, and there is a full array of Highland games such as caber tossing, pole wrestling, tug of war and the like. The finale of the day is always a very stirring massed bands display—a fitting end showing what Maclean is all about.

In 1986 local bank manager Mr Graham Leach initiated the thematical idea of rediscovering the town's Scottish heritage. Thus the Maclean Scottish Town in Australia Association was formed. The association's committee has undertaken numerous tasks to benefit the town's Scottish identity, including erecting a Scottish cairn in a town park, a pioneers memorial wall, painting some 220 power poles with Scottish tartans, organised concerts for Tartan Day and Kirkin' o' the Tartan Services for Easter Sunday. There have been only two presidents of the Maclean Scottish Town in Australia Association—Howard Cowling for two years and Robert McPherson, OAM, for the past 24 years. Secretary for 24 years is Warren Rackham and Treasurer is Roger McLean. Hardworking member Nancy Bain, OAM, has also been on the committee since its inauguration. I commend the efforts of the Lower Clarence Scottish Association.

At 9.10pm his parliamentary colleague Craig Baumann (Member for Port Stephens and Parliamentary Secretary (Regional Planning)) [9.10 p.m.] " congratulate(d) the hardworking member for Clarence on advising the House of the upcoming Maclean Highland Gathering."

Mr Baumann added, "Many of us have Scottish skeletons in the closet and these gatherings and festivals are a great way to enjoy and celebrate that heritage. 

"I notice there is a tradition of developers naming streets after their children. It is good to see that in those days surveyors-general named towns after themselves."

Source: Full Day Hansard Transcript (Legislative Assembly, 14 March 2012, Proof)

Cansdellgate - believe it or not!

A Daily Examiner correspondent has expressed his amazement [and it's most likely the same view that thousands of others have] about the speed with which the NSW DPP worked on the stat dec matter associated with disgraced former MP for Clarence, Steve Cansdell.

Source: Letters, The Daily Examiner, 14/3/12

Cansdell continues to haunt the NSW parliament

According to Hansard former and disgraced Member for Clarence, Steve Cansdell, was in the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday 13 March 2012 a bit after 3.30pm and voted with the government on its Education Reform motion That this House supports the Government in delivering on its election commitment to give decision-making power back to local schools and school communities.

How very convenient  it must be for the newly elected Member for Clarence, Christopher Gulaptis, to be able to sneak out of the house when a division is called and know his good old best mate Steve is ever ready to stand in for him.

Cansdellgate - up to episode 10001 and there's more to come

A correspondent to The Daily Examiner has thanked the paper for running a piece last week (Was it the ghost of Steve? 29/2/2012) about Hansard inadvertently showing the former and disgraced MP for Clarence Steve Cansdell as having voted in parliament recently, despite the former MP having hastily resigned from parliament as a consequence of failing Stat Decs 101.

FUNNY STORIES

Thanks for your funny story about how Steve Cansdell still gets to have his vote recorded in the NSW Government six months after he resigned.

Would be even funnier if it wasn't serious.

Nevertheless, I'm sure there are some other funny stories with which you can entertain readers no end, by adding a little detail.

Firstly, isn't it funny that Mr Cansdell is still driving when he supposedly lost his licence due to losing all points as a serial speeder?

Secondly, who owns the car?

Wouldn't it be funny if the NSW Government has forgotten to repossess it?

And the ultimate funny story: if a statutory declaration is made falsely under the Oaths Act, there has historically been a mandatory four-year jail term - no ifs or buts.

If Mr Cansdell has admitted to such a falsehood, isn't it funny the law is not applied and taxpayers are pacified with the old "ongoing investigation" furphy?

Is this like the "ongoing investigation" of Wollongong council's planning decisions, involving many other state members?

How funny is that?

Mike Gorrie, Grafton

Source: The Daily Examiner, 5/3/12

Read Clarencegirl's piece on the Cansdell-Gulaptis Roadshow here. 

Former Member for Clarence, Steve What's-his-name, gets an unfavourable mention in Hansard

On 22 February the former MP for Clarence, Steve 'Stat Dec' Cansdell received a mention in the Legislative Assembly but it was not one that he is expected to obtain a copy of and paste in his scrap book.

Craig Baumann, the member for Port Stephens (he's a member of the Liberal Party) remarked to the current MP for Clarence, Christopher Gulaptis:

As one who sat next to Steve in this place for four years, I think Steve held the record for being late for question time. I think you, Mr Assistant-Speaker, would agree.

Source: Hansard, NSW Legislative Assembly, 22/2/12

'Steve' Gulaptis MP - Wannabe Koala Killer

When I first heard on the grapevine that Nats MP for Clarence Chris Gulaptis was going to honour one particular so-called promise of that notorious speedster and disgraced former Clarence MP Steve Cansdell I was gobsmacked.

Last Saturday The Daily Examiner confirmed the gossip – Gulaptis is asking NSW Roads and Maritime Services “to review the speed limit on Iluka Road within the next two months, with a view to returning the limit to 100kmh from its present 80kmh”.

For the sake of cutting 2-3 minutes off a journey into or out of the sleepy little coastal village of Iluka, former land developer Gulaptis wants to risk local wildlife – including the increasing rare coastal emu and koala populations.

I’m betting fellow Nat and Roads and Ports Minister Duncan Gay is probably endorsing this move. He doesn’t have a clue about this local road or how the Lower Clarence feels about its wildlife and I'm sure Gulaptis will be careful to keep it that way.

Grandpa Koala's response to this irresponsible political vandal:

ABC Radio NSW Sound & Reference Library - Koala - grunting and growling Powered by abmp3 search engine

Nats MP ignores local crime stats and tries on a bit of Goorie bashing while pretending that he isn't

The Daily Examiner on 17^th February: “EIGHT to 10 juvenile offenders, mostly residing in Ngaru Village, are holding the town of Yamba to ransom on the issue of crime, Member for Clarence Chris Gulaptis said yesterday. Mr Gulaptis said police had informed him that the removal of these career criminals from the system would not only scuttle the need for a 24-hour police station in Yamba, but would help stop younger residents being led astray.”

Perhaps this political nong might like to read Uses and abuses of crime statistics which was published by Don Weatherburn in November 2011 and BOCSAR's Clarence Valley LGA excel tables (2.9Mb) which cover crime records from 2006 to 2010 before talking through his rear end.
It was left up to the police to hose down the more outrageous of the crime rate claims and Yaegl elder Veronica Pearce to label the media response for what it is - "highly offensive to the indigenous community", "sensational reporting", "racist" in places and "irresponsible and damaging".

*Thanks to Clarencegirl for the stats links

Cansdellgate: NSW Opposition asking questions

ABC North Coast Radio reported this morning:

Five months after former Clarence MP Steve Cansdell confessed to signing a false statutory declaration he is yet to be charged.

The NSW Opposition's spokesman for Police, Nathan Rees, is asking why an investigation of the former state member for Clarence continues to drag on, five months after a public confession.

Steve Cansdell resigned last September, after admitting to signing a false statutory declaration to avoid a speeding fine and keep his licence.

The former Nationals' MP faces a possible prison term if charged over the offence, and Police Media says inquiries are continuing.

Nathan Rees says questions need to be answered.

"I'm more than happy to allow the usual processes to take their course, whether it's this case or any other usually," he says.

"But this has been going on for some months now and even people in the government have been raising questions about this privately and want some finality to the issue.

"I consider Steve Cansdell a pretty straight-up-and-down fellow, and certainly his outright confession at the start is consistent with the man I know, but it does raise issues subsequently when neither the police nor the Attorney General have seen fit to make a determination on what is an issue that I'm sure would bring Mr Cansdell some closure and indeed the community."

Source: ABC North Coast Radio

Member for Clarence says, "I didn't lie"

Chris Gulaptis, the Member for Clarence, says a group claiming he'd said the O'Farrell Government had set aside $300 million for a new Grafton bridge either misunderstood what he was saying or didn't understand the budgetary process.

"If they think I have lied to them I apologise for that, but I certainly didn't lie to them," he said. [Daily Examiner, 31/1/12]

Seems the message sent from the mouth of the MP and the message that arrived at the ears of members of the group was not one and the same thing. Who do you believe?

Read today's Daily Examiner report here.

Member for Clarence careless with the truth

 Today's Daily Examiner's front page reports:

Member for Clarence Chris Gulaptis has either lied to The Daily Examiner or to the Concerned Citizens Group in relation to funding for a second Grafton bridge.

CCG member Lynne Cairns said Mr Gulaptis had told her and three other members of the group, at a meeting on December 7, that the O'Farrell Government had $300 million set aside for the new bridge. Her claim was backed by fellow CCG members Kim Dahl, Sue Hillery and Lynne's husband, Bob.

But, fielding questions from The Examiner on Friday, Mr Gulaptis emphatically denied he made such a revelation.

"There's funding for planning ... but there's no funding set aside in this budget," he said. "Our commitment is that it will be physically started in this term (before March 2015).

"I apologise if people have misunderstood."

Mr Gulaptis said he understood if the community was sceptical about the bridge being started anytime in the near future, considering Bob Carr made a similar promise in 2002.

"But we will have an option in place by the middle of this year, Bob Carr didn't have that, so we are well on our way."

Various members of the CCG, a group opposed to a new bridge coming into central Grafton, also expressed disappointment at Mr Gulaptis' apparent shift in stance on the issue of where the new crossing should be.

"Before the election he was emphatic that all the heavy traffic needed to be moved out of town and now he's saying it should be left to the experts," Mr Dahl said.

"He's really mucked us around with his position," Mrs Cairns said.

Mr Gulaptis said he would not speculate as to which option the RMS would select as the preferred route but said each one required further technical investigations.

He said there was no point speculating on the options unless you were a technical expert.

Source: The Daily Examiner, 30/1/12