Iluka hall packed for information night on the risks of large scale port dredging

No-one moved as they listened to Dr. Matt Landos

The community hall in Iluka filled quickly and it was standing room only when around 162 people gathered on the night of 21 July 2016 to hear Dr. Matt Landos give a talk on the effects of large scale port dredging on marine environments using Port of Gladstone, within the boundaries of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage area as an example** and, explain what the as yet unrealised proposal to industrialise the Clarence River estuary might mean for the environment, local communities, tourism and the commercial fishing fleet.

Aboriginal elder Elizabeth Smith gave the Welcome to County and briefly spoke of how the elders were against this mega port plan.

Residents from Iluka, Yamba, Harwood, Grafton and elsewhere along the river sat intently listening for almost two hours as the potential risks were laid before them.

The response to this information predominately ranged from increased concern though to shock and outrage.

Here are some quotes from the Facebook page No Yamba Mega Port:

People talking in groups as organisers pack up the chairs at the end of the night

Photograph: Debrah Novak

**Gladstone: Development at any cost - Govt/Industry Science Spin by clarencegirl on Scribd

https://www.scribd.com/document/319121314/Gladstone-Development-at-any-cost-Govt-Industry-Science-Spin 

Further information:
https://www.scribd.com/document/319064034/Status-Great-Barrier-Reef-World-Heritage-Area-Gladstone-Region-post-dredging

UPDATE

The Daily Examiner, 25 July 2016:

ANY attempt to build a mega port on the Clarence River estuary will meet a similar show of community strength to the one that stopped CSG mining here, says community activist Ian Gaillard.

Mr Gaillard was among a crowd of 162 who packed into the Community Hall at Iluka to hear an address from marine scientist Dr Matt Landos about what they can expect if a development of that size goes ahead in the Clarence estuary…..

Mr Gaillard said sedimentation, acid sulphate and heavy metals disturbed by dredging were key contributing factors to the loss of water quality, sea grass beds and mangroves.

Dr Landos said if the port development went ahead the dredging would be ongoing and that movements of massive ships in the port would also create major problems.

These would include pollution from paints and anti-foul, fuel and oil contamination as well as the introduction of pests from other parts of the world.

Mr Gaillard said people needed to be alert to the possibilities, although he did gain some comfort from statements from political figures who have dismissed the project.

"But I think that if they can get their project up as something of state significance it could appeal to the government we've got in Sydney at the moment," Mr Gaillard said.

"They've had one attempt and failed but they're not going away."

Meetings are planned for Yamba and other communities along the Clarence this year.

Clarence Valley pouring cold water on wanabee dam builders

"Water in the Clarence catchment area river systems does not belong to Australia as you assert and, only nominally belongs to New South Wales.

It more truly belongs to the land through which it flows and, is held in trust by local communities for future generations." [A Clarence Valley Protest, It'sWar, June 2007]

ABC North Coast Radio, 22 July 2016:

A council in the south of New South Wales is lobbying to have water piped inland from the Clarence River.

The Griffith City Council has submitted a 30-year-old proposal to divert water from the Clarence River into the Murray Darling Basin via a tunnel through the Great Dividing Range.

The submission has been made to an NSW Upper House inquiry into dams, flooding and water management.

Councillor Dino Zappacosta said it could be done without any adverse effects to the Clarence Valley.

"Our preliminary studies have shown that the amount of water which we'd be looking at diverting would be around about 25 per cent of the water that currently flows into the seaboard," he said.

"That would not affect any activities currently going on along the Clarence at the moment.

"A few engineers have looked at the scheme and by using only gravitational methods through tunnels, the cost would be reduced," Cr Zappacosta said.

"At the same time we would be able to use that flow of water for hydro-generation as well, so it has an extra benefit.

"If we're going to look at Australia developing, particularly west of the ranges where there is so much fertile area all over the place, and if we're going to be the food bowl of the world we must be looking at ways to have more water in our region."

Proposal 'unlikely' to get support: Clarence Valley Mayor

Director of the Centre for Ecosystem Science at the University of New South Wales, Professor Richard Kingsford, is not a fan of the idea.

"The water that comes down rivers and goes out to sea is not wasted water," he said.

"We're learning that our estuaries, our fisheries, are so dependent on not just the water that comes down but the nutrients and the sediment."

The Clarence Valley Mayor Richie Williamson said the idea was floated every five or six years.

He said it would cost billions of dollars and was unlikely to get much support at a state or federal level.

"I've previously raised this with the Deputy Prime Minister, Barnaby Joyce, when this was part of his ministerial responsibility," Cr Williamson said.

"He told me absolutely that any proposal was not certainly on the Federal Government's radar.

"My understanding is it's also not on the State Government's radar in any way shape or form."

The Clarence Valley Independent, 20 July 2016:

Save his breath to cool his porridge

Ed,

What is it with many of the local councils and councillors in the Murray-Darling Basin?

They seem to be firmly of the belief that the Clarence Valley catchment is an est. 22,700 sq. km supermarket whose shelves can be browsed at will.

Where they can pile their trollies high with items which will enhance their own regional economies and, when they get to the checkout pay for the natural resources they take not with dollars but with degradation, destruction and death.

Approximately once every twenty years these councils lobby state and federal governments to industrialise the Port of Yamba so they can export minerals, ore, grain, cattle etc., through the Clarence River estuary and, at least twice a decade they want to dam and divert water from the Clarence River catchment so that they can grow their own regions at the expense of Clarence Valley communities.

Each and every time these local government raiders appear on the horizon the people of the Clarence Valley point out the limitations and risks of these grand plans for an ancient floodplain and river system that began its life at least 23 million years ago and, which due in part to happy historical accident and good management remains a relatively health system to this day.

They politely point out the fact that like north-west NSW they too suffer from the same droughts and rely on this particular river system to see us through them. They tell them the limits of safe water sharing have been reached because the catchment already supplies drinking water to the growing Coffs Harbour region further south.

They remind them that river system flows in the catchment are highly variable and natural freshwater flows are vital to keep a highly productive main river (which is saline for almost half its length) healthy and biodiverse in order to sustain our own agricultural, commercial fishing and tourism industries into the future.

Locals also point to the environmental studies done down the years by various governments which are not in favour of altering the rate or volume of river flows, that the native title holders are very protective of these waters and, when these councils won’t listen they stop being polite and put their foot down.

If Cr. Zappacosta of Griffith (The Area News, 11 June 2016) doesn’t remember the last time that happened I’m sure Bourke Shire Council will, because that was the time that it proposed a Clarence River water diversion plan which relied on the estimated $1.5 billion dollar cost being “financed by the private sector against sales of water licences and long-term operation and management rights” and was actively seeking to identify sources of diversion funding [A Clarence Valley Protest, 23 August 2007].

That was the time the Clarence Valley declared “Not A Drop”, successfully lobbied a NSW Coalition government, gave evidence before a Senate inquiry and saw off a federal government in late 2007.

Cr. Zappacosta would be wise to save his breath to cool his porridge because he can talk to each and every politician in Canberra and Macquarie Street but it will get him nowhere if the people of the Clarence don’t agree with his current plan to divert 1,000 gigalitres of fresh water annually – and I strongly suspect that they won’t.

Judith M. Melville, Yamba

A reminder of why there has been no successful water raids on the Clarence River or its tributaries during the protracted water wars of the 21st Century

Northern New South Wales

Proposals similar to the Bradfield Scheme have also been suggested for the coastal rivers of New South Wales. A review of 22 coastal catchments found that only nine had western boundaries on the Great Dividing Range. Even though diverting some of these nine rivers was technically possible, the cost was too high to justify construction.

Later, proposals were raised for inland water diversion from the Clarence River. However, none of these proposals for the Clarence River were supported by cost– benefit analyses or environmental and social impact assessments. The Clarence River basin is unique in that it lies in a transition zone between temperate and tropical flora.

This makes it a region with high biodiversity values. A 1999 Healthy Rivers Commission report argued that any proposal to divert significant quantities of water out of this river basin would pose significant risk to the health of riverine ecosystems, and the activities and values those systems support.

In 2003, an analysis of 23 options to divert water inland from the Clarence River was undertaken by Hunter Water Australia. The study estimated that the final delivery cost to irrigators for diverted water would range from $163 to $2807 per ML (approximately 10 to 200 times greater than the existing irrigation costs).

Similarly, a desktop analysis of 40 options to capture and divert water from the Northern Rivers of NSW (including the Clarence River) to north east NSW and south east Queensland was undertaken by the Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation Australia in 2007. The study estimated that the best value option was to deliver up to 100 000 ML of water per year from the Clarence River, at a delivery cost to users of $1730 per ML. The study also found that a more detailed environmental analysis would be required before any of the options could be progressed.

[Australian Government Dept. of the Environment, “Water for the Future - Moving water long distances: Grand schemes or pipe dreams?”, 2011]

The water raiders have turned their eyes once more to the Clarence River system

Bumper sticker from the successful 2007 community campaign

The Abbott-Turnbull Government’s ‘100 dams’ plan lives on into 2016.

He said….

The Area News, 11 July 2016:

A Griffith group’s push to send an extra 1000 gigalitres of water down the Darling River is gaining momentum with Bourke Shire Council jumping on board.

The Clarence River Diversion, originally mooted in the early 1980’s by engineer David Coffey and buried by the Hawke government, was resurrected by Griffith councillor Dino Zappacosta and the Build More Dams committee. Cr Zappacosta said he was pleased Bourke council was supporting their campaign for state and federal governments to carry out a feasibility study.

“Bourke Shire Council is fully supportive of the plan,” he said.

“They actually said many years ago they tried to get water from there.”

The scheme, if it went ahead, would see a number of dams built high in the Clarence River catchment, west of Grafton. From there, collected rainwater would run through the Great Dividing Range in an 80-kilometre tunnel and flow into the Dumaresq River before eventually finding its way into the Darling River.

She said….

Email sent to North Coast Voices by Debrah Novak of Yamba, 13 July 2016:

I AM WANTING to point out to Griffith councillor Dino Zappacosta, the Build More Dams committee and Bourke Shire Council if you think you can bulldoze your way into the Clarence Valley and take 1000 gigalitres of water for the Murray-Darling River system you have definitely got a big fight on your hands.

The plan you are resurrecting is over 30 years old however the fact you have had no community consultation with the people of the Clarence and the fact you think you have a right to access our water is downright gob smacking, plain rude and who the hell do you think you are?

Our Clarence River is one of the last remaining wild rivers in NSW and hell will freeze over before our community will let you have one single drop. 

If you divert the Clarence River westward you will not only destroy our regions three greatest economic drivers, fishing, tourism and agriculture you will severely impact the replenishing of the Tweed, Gold Coast and Frazer Coast beaches. You take us on you take them on too.

Earlier this year I invited world acclaimed Australian geologist Dr John Jackson up to the Clarence River Gorge to explain to me how if the Clarence River were dammed or diverted, how it would impact on the lower reaches of our region.

He said " wetlands and fish habitat needed for the very foundation of our entire professional and recreational fishing industry would be destroyed. 

It has taken millions of years for the Clarence River to course its way through the mountains and valleys and then wind its way down to Yamba and then out into the Pacific Ocean. Currents then take all this sand north and in the process has created Fraser and Moreton Bay Islands and the beaches of the Tweed and Gold Coast".

Yes the Clarence River floods almost biannually and thank God it does because during that process it scours out all the chemicals that have built up over time from local industrial and agricultural businesses.

And finally do you think the five Aboriginal Nations for which the Clarence River is their life blood would allow you to divert their water west, sorry but you are dreaming.

The Murray Darling Basin is broken because of greed, a sense of entitlement and the inability for your community to take responsibility for compromising Mother Nature.

We value what we have here in the Clarence River and Valley and I guarantee the 53,000 of us who call this place home would stand shoulder to shoulder to protect her.

A little bit of history....

Excerpt from a North Coast Voices post, 19 October 2010:

Commonwealth Hansard:

Page Electorate: Clarence River 
Ms SAFFIN (Page) (10.57 am)—I have a message on behalf of my community in Page that I want to give to the parliament and everybody who is going to be involved in the Murray-Darling Basin plan and debate. The message from my community, which is home to the Clarence River—and a lot of people seem to be talking about wanting to get their hands on it and are looking at it for diversion—is this: not a drop. Right across my electorate thousands of cars have that on their bumper stickers: not a drop. In effect it is saying hands off the Clarence River.
The idea that the Clarence River can be diverted is one of those issues that have been around for quite some time.
Everybody has raised this issue at different times. In particular, there was some engineering plan that it could be done. My message to the two Tonys is: not one drop will be taken out of the Clarence River. I have also been told, and I do not want to verbal the honourable member for Kennedy, that on the member’s website he talks about those not in favour of looking at some sort of diversion as being political pygmies. While I am not going to comment about my size and whether that is correct, I would say to the honourable member that the people in the Clarence Valley and in Page are certainly not political pygmies. The catchment area of the Clarence River falls within 100 kilometres of the New South Wales coastal strip. Our industries are fishing—we have a huge commercial fishing industry—and agriculture, and the economy is heavily underpinned by that commercial fishing. There is also forestry and tourism. It is all worth a lot to us. This debate is one of those debates that come up every now and then. Engineering wise, we can do anything—we can do marvels—but in terms of the environment and also the viability of the Clarence it would be a disaster. They can look all they like but—
The DEPUTY SPEAKER (Hon. Peter Slipper)—Order! In accordance with standing order 193, the time for members’ constituency statements has expired.

A Clarence Valley Protest, 25 November 2007:

Clarence River now safe from water raiders 

The Howard Government was soundly defeated at the Australian federal election last night, with outgoing Prime Minister John Howard tipped to be ousted by Labor in the seat he has held since first entering parliament.
The Nationals look like going into Opposition, along with their coalition partner the Liberal Party, with a reduced number of regional and rural seats.
The NSW Northern Rivers now has two of its three elected federal representatives drawn from the Australian Labor Party which gave a firm commitment earlier this year not to dam and divert waters from the Clarence River catchment area.

To see how the local political battle played out go to North Coast Voices:
northcoastvoices.blogspot.com

What will happen to the more than 40,000 year-old fishing rights if the NSW Clarence River Estuary is industrialised?

Dredging activities impact on the marine environment by smothering benthic biota and habitats and degrading water quality through elevated turbidites and bioavailability of pollutants. In addition, alterations in seabed morphology and bathymetry, and consequently to wave energy and water circulation, result in modified patterns of littoral drift (NSW Fisheries 1999, Watchorn 2000). The effects of this can include progressive accretion of sediments on some parts of the coast, and erosion in other areas (Winstanley 1995). Biota are obliterated during dredge removal and may take months or years to recover (Coleman et al. 1999). Species directly affected include invertebrates, fish and seagrass, although mangrove and saltmarsh communities are indirectly affected through altered water flows within estuaries (Edgar 2001). Dredging has been implicated in the disappearance of some invertebrates from port environments, such as a number of hydroid species that have not been recorded in Hobsons Bay, Victoria, since the advent of dredging programs (J.E. Watson, pers. comm., cited in Poore and Kudenov 1978b). Studies elsewhere have shown that the long-term influences of dredging on benthic infauna occur through permanent modification of the sedimentary environment (Jones and Candy 1981). [Commonwealth Dept. of Environment, National Oceans Office, Impact from the ocean/land interface, 2006]

Many North Coast Voices readers will be familiar with reports that deep and/or sustained dredging of tidal rivers and ocean harbours negatively impacts marine biodiversity resulting in species richness and abundance declining over time.

Environmental problems in the Port of Gladstone around 794kms to the north of the Port of Yamba have been in the news for years.

The Clarence River estuary is the largest combined river-ocean fishery in New South Wales and home to the biggest commercial fishing fleet in this state.

It is also a river which for a significant part of its length is held under Native Title by the Yaegl people (Yaegl People #1 & Yaegl People #2) of the Clarence Valley - from the waters approximately half-way between Ulmarra and Brushgrove right down to the eastern extremities of the northern and southern breakwater walls at the mouth of the river.

Here are the official maps outlining in green Native Title officially held to date:

On 2 June 2016 the CEO of Australian Infrastructure Developments was careful to note that this speculative company - lobbying for heavy industrialisation of the Clarence River estuary via a mega port covering 36 sq. kms or 27.2% of the entire estuary area - was yet to approach the Yaegl community or the trust created by traditional owners to manage these native titles.

Surely, with indigenous fishing rights recognised at law as existing on the Clarence River since time immemorial, any responsible company with a plan to extensively alter the riverine and marine environment should have asked the Yaegl people first before approaching the NSW Government with this:

Based on preliminary mapping published by Australian Infrastructure Developments Pty Ltd, yellow block overlays indicate bulk, liquid & container cargo terminals and shipping berths with grey overlays indicating proposed industrial areas

But then, Des Euen and his small band of backers have not yet publicly approached any of the Lower Clarence communities most affected by this prime example of environmental vandalism.

HOLIDAY COAST not TRADE COAST: protesting a plan to industrialise the Clarence River Estuary

Contributed by Clarence Valley resident

The Daily Examiner, 25 June 2016, page 5:

A "POP UP" protest at tomorrow's Yamba Markets could be the start of early and concerted opposition to a proposed mega port for the Clarence River estuary.

The Greens candidate for Page, Kudra Falla-Ricketts, said the successful fight against CSG companies coming into the Clarence Valley showed the value or organising protests early and not allowing the proposals to gain momentum.

"If the proposed redevelopment were ever to proceed it would irreversibly damage the character, economy and environment of the Lower Clarence," Ms Falla-Ricketts said.

"I have been meeting with residents there and their concerns are very real and heartfelt.

"It reminds me of the anguish that the threat of industrial gasfields generated in this region."

Australia Infrastructure Developments Pty Ltd and Deakin Capital Pty Ltd are currently lobbying government to allow the construction of a large industrial port in the Clarence River estuary.

The latest version of this proposal has increased the size of port infrastructure so that is covers an estimated 36 sq km of the Clarence River estuary.

That's more than 27% of the entire estuary covered with container, liquid and bulk terminals and at least 14 associated shipping berths - operating 24 hours a day year-round.

"Industrialisation of the Clarence river on this scale would do untold damage to the tourism and fishing industries of the region, damage the riverine and marine environment and potentially open the door to coal and coal seam gas exports and even live cattle exports," Ms Falla-Ricketts said.

"The commercial fishing industry is worth at least $92m annually, and generates over 400 jobs. Tourism is one of the Lower Clarence's greatest economic asset generating $280m annually.

She said the pop-up protest would begin at the markets from 9am.

Ms.Falla-Ricketts also told North Coast Voices:

“Add to this the destruction of the relaxed lifestyle for residents of Yamba, Iluka and beyond and you have an industrialisation proposal that is immensely destructive of our region’s more sustainable industries.

Instead of investing in yesterday’s fossil fuel economy, we should be proud of region’s assets and support our existing sustainable  industries and lifestyles.

The threat of livestock export out of Yamba would also horrify many people and it is also a threat to family farming. The Chinese agricultural companies prefer to buy farms rather than farm produce so this port could also initiate a foreign land grab in the region.

This is another destructive corporate thought bubble that threatens our region. At a time when we should be investing in renewable energy, sustainable fishing, tourism and farming, we are being threatened with this major industrialisation project.

Communities of the lower Clarence and throughout the Page electorate can make their opposition to this proposal clear on July 2 by voting 1 Green then preferencing which ever other candidates can give an assurance they will oppose this destructive plan.”

Quote of the Week

All the major economic sectors in the lower Clarence Valley are dependent to a considerable extent on understanding and protecting the estuary’s and floodplain’s natural processes and values. [DLWC, Umwelt (Australia Pty Ltd, 2003, Clarence Estuary Management Plan: The Clarence Estuary - A Valued Asset]

Des Euen holds a jaw dropping transport infrastucture "summit" in Casino

Des Euen as he appeared for much of his presentation

Clarence Forum image

Desmond John Thomas Euen, self-styled CEO of Australian Infrastructure Developments Pty Ltd¹ (a private company created in 2012 and having only three directors and six shareholders) decided to hold a “summit” in Casino on 2 June 2016 to display his plan for a ‘super port’ at Yamba.

It was an eye opening performance by the small handful of advertised keynote speakers² who actually took to the stage.

Euen told the attendees that:

*He was 66 years of age on 14 June 2016 and has kids and grandkids. [He ignored the elephant in the room which was his now unnaturally jet black hair];

* He is the owner of a successful national road transport business [to date North Coast Voices can find no online evidence of this business or the wealth Mr. Euen professes to have];

* He picked the name of his company because the initials would spell out AID – and the company wished to aid the environment and the economy. [Presumably it will do this by constructing 35 sq kms of loading docks and berths covering est. 27.2 per cent of the total Clarence River estuary area];

* The company had done no projects of any kind to date, this would be the first one;

* “I am a people person, I am compassionate”;

* Australian Infrastructure Developments is backed by companies who “have built half of Australia”;

* He was probably a victim of the “tall poppy syndrome” and his detractors are misleading people. “A person with 10 cents worth of knowledge becomes a dangerous person” not only to themselves but to everyone else;

* “You are the poor cousins” of the big cities and “you are now in the position to be a golden goose that lays the golden egg”;

* The port expansion will be financed by Chinese companies and Australian superannuation funds;

* “If the Australian Government supports it the [Chinese] money will be there”;

* The Turnbull Government had invited the Baird Government to sell-off public infrastructure and that federal government would match the sale price dollar for dollar;

* The government was looking for money to increase infrastructure not just Des Euen;

* His company will hold 35 per cent of shares in the company created to lease and manage the ‘new’ Port of Yamba and he is expecting a long lease - possibly 99 years;

* He has personally sunk $14 million into the port project;

* Cape size and Post-Panamax container and bulk shipping³ would be using the expanded port of Yamba;

* No Environmental Impact Statement covering the Clarence River estuary had even been commenced yet;

* no land has been brought;

* His company would supply environmental and tourism offsets to compensate for any loss occurring in the area covered by the port precinct. [Potential numbers and locations of these offsets were not specified];

* The will be no coal, no gas and no resources cargo going through the new port infrastructure, but he could not guarantee that once the port has been operational for a number of years [A pledge which was somewhat puzzling as only two months earlier Queensland Bauxite Limited was telling the Australia Stock Exchange that it had been in discussions with Mr. Euen with regard to Handymax ships eventually freighting its product overseas through the port⁴];

* The Port of Yamba would have the capacity to put 70 per cent of freight onto rail;

* He met with people from the NSW Dept. of Premier and Cabinet on the “day Barry O’Farrell resigned”. [Which would make that meeting on or about 17 April 2014];

* He has been in discussions with the Dept. of Defence with regard to the proposed port expansion but he can't talk about it;

* He expects the NSW Government will sign off on taking to this unsolicited proposal to Environmental Impact Statement level in about eight weeks’ time;

* He is pretty sure that a representative of Clarence Valley Council had been at the “Namoi council meeting” which discussed his rail and port plan⁵;

* Clarence fishing co-op representative wants the port expansion;

* He met with Clarence Valley Mayor, Richie Williamson, which he said the mayor now denies happened. [Or as one attendee recorded in notes of answers Euen gave in the Q&A session he also said - “If Richard Williamson was here today, I’d look at him face to face and call him a liar as that is exactly what he is”⁶];

* “If you people are reluctant to [stand up and create a legacy] I’m not”;

* He would only walk away from this project if the government, traditional custodians and the majority of northern New South Wales said no to the plan. [Which presumably means if Clarence Valley Council, Yaegl Local Aboriginal Land Council and/or Lower Clarence communities are in the minority in objecting to the environmental, cultural, social and economic rape of the estuary and the towns of Yamba, Iluka and Maclean he will ignore their refusal to support the proposal]; 

* He stated words to the effect that he wasn’t going to get into a discussion on “political correctness” when women in the audience individually objected to him repeatedly calling them dear and/or sweetheart. [These incidents were made remarkable by the number of times that his female assistant resorted to physically taking the microphone off him to stop his verbally aggressive responses]; and

* He told one woman attending that he wouldn’t have someone like her for a sweetheart anyway.

Euen’s fellow speakers told the room that:

* The Clarence River mouth needed to be dredged to restore the health of the river;

* People who object to the port expansion plan are probably NIMBYs;

* Des Euen will save us from the effects of climate change – he will save Australia;

* Des wants to end poverty;

* The new port and rail line would provide 1,000, 10,000, 100,000 jobs; and

* The "summit" is part of the company's a community consultation.

The “summit” primarily consisted of drawn-out, stream of consciousness ramblings by Mr. Euen and overall it failed to give any real detail of how the proposed port expansion and extensive railway system would be realised on the ground. A number of people who were at the event commented that his presentation was all about “Me, me, me”.

It was disturbing to hear Euen mock what he did not understand about the largely unregulated Clarence River and its natural processes and, it was obvious he didn’t understand that all coastal rivers are not identical and that the highly regulated river to which he was comparing it was a very different body of water.

The majority of questions asked during the Q&A session appeared to indicate levels of scepticism, concern and opposition to the Yamba super port plan within his audience.

The summit was abruptly ended by Des Euen hours before its scheduled 4pm finish. 

Including those individuals who accompanied Euen and some media representatives, attendance numbers didn’t exceed about sixty-two people.

It is worthwhile noting that when Des Euen got into a verbal exchange with one Woombah landowner during the Q&A session a designated “bouncer” began to suggest that the landowner keep quiet.

It will have come as no surprise to North Coast Voices readers to find that the next day The Daily Examiner reported:

GRAND PLAN: Des Euen (right), the man pushing a dramatic redevelopment of the Port of Yamba, is questioned by one of the people who attended the forum at Casino. David Moase

APPROVAL for work on an Environmental Impact Statement for a multi-billion project to turn the Port Of Yamba into an international freight centre could be granted in “about eight weeks”, according to the man behind the plan.

But that is news to Planning and Environment NSW, the department that would have to give the go-ahead for the EIS.

A spokeswoman said yesterday the proposal was not in front of the department and they didn’t know anything about it.

Des Euen this week outlined his plans to transform the Port of Yamba into Eastgate Port to handle containers, petrochemical products, agricultural commodities, heavy machinery, vehicle imports, forestry products and possible live cattle exports.

The port facilities would be linked to inland New South Wales by a rail line Mr Euen wants to build across the Great Dividing Range to Moree…..

“I put my money behind this project because I know transport and I know freight logistics, probably one of the foremost experts in Australia on it, even though the government might not like me and some other people might not like me……

A spokesperson from the Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight said an unsolicited proposal for the project was sent to the NSW Government in 2014.

“An assessment was carried out and the proposal did not proceed any further.”

Perhaps the final word should go to Jase Sheaffy over at Facebook: "hung around for a few hours after the event , saw Des leave with some of his team and later saw him back at the club , maybe more talks with the potential investors , wasn't overly impressed with the presentation as the facts were all over the place and really don't need to know his life story which seemed to be the bulk of the presentation."

FOOTNOTES

1. AUSTRALIAN INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENTS PTY LTD

ACN: 160 159 222

ABN: 50160159222

Registered in: New South Wales

Registration date: 31/08/2012

Status: Registered

Company type: Australian Proprietary Company

Class: Limited By Shares

Subclass: Proprietary Company

Current Registered Address:

C/- NORTON ROSE FULLBRIGHT GROSVENOR PLACE, Level 18, 225 George Street, SYDNEY NSW 2000

Current Principal Place of Business:

IJR ACCOUNTING, Suite 6 Level 1, 1741 Pittwater Road, MONA VALE NSW 2103

Current Directors:

DESMOND JOHN THOMAS EUEN,  5 Shellbach Street, IPSWICH QLD 4305, Born: 14/06/1950, CARLTON, VIC, Appointment date: 31/08/2012

THOMAS CHOR WING CHIU, Suite 20, 1 Central Avenue, THORNLEIGH NSW 2120, Born: 26/11/1950, HONG KONG, HONG KONG Appointment date: 06/05/2015

LEE CHARLES PURVES, 23 Apple Gum Court, ROBINA QLD 4226, Born: 05/05/1989, SYDNEY, NSW Appointment date: 27/09/2015

Current Company Secretary:

DESMOND JOHN THOMAS EUEN

Current Shareholders:

DESMOND JOHN THOMAS EUEN,  5 Shellbach Street, IPSWICH QLD 4305 – 30,200,000 ordinary shares (beneficially held) and 387,350,000 (not beneficially held)

DEAKIN CAPITAL PTY LTD ACN: 128 036 831,  Suite 2, 3 Short Street, SOUTHPORT QLD 4215 – 74,000,000 ordinary shares (not beneficially held)

SUE MARIE CLARKIN, 5 Shellbach Street, IPSWICH QLD 4305 – 2,000,000 ordinary share (not beneficially held)

RICHARD WELLS, 930 Major West Road, COWRA NSW 2794 – 200,000 ordinary shares (beneficially held)

JANET KAYES, 74 Erskine Street, SYDNEY NSW 2000 – 200,000 ordinary shares (beneficially held)

JULIA HOLMES, 30 O'Flynn Street, LISMORE HEIGHTS NSW 2480 – 50,000 ordinary shares (beneficially held)

NOTE:

Beneficially held usually means that the owner of the shares is entitled to the direct benefit from the shares. For example, benefits could include the entitlements to payments in relation to any dividends.

Shares held by a person as trustee, nominee or on account of another person are non-beneficially held. (i.e. the member holds the share for the benefit of someone else). When a trustee or executor is listed as the holder of shares, the shares should be shown as not being beneficially held. This requirement does not apply to a listed company. [See http://asic.gov.au/for-business/running-a-company/shares/]

2. These were the advertised keynote speakers:

Mr. Des Euen A.I.D. CEO/Founder – spoke at length

Prof Thomas Chiu – A.I.D Chairman - spoke

Mr. Andrew Morrison CEO – Ecological Australia – spoke

Mr. Richard Wells (Senior Project Manager – Environment) – spoke in answer to questions from floor only

Aurecon Australia: Mr. Andrew Keith

Strategic NSW LGA Representatives

Mr. Andrew Ross: Consultant

Mr Luke Bodley: (President of Casino Chamber of Commerce)

Indigenous and other community representatives

Mr. Nathan Axelsson: Regional Development Australia (RDANI)

Supply Nation: (Indigenous Business Development)

Mr. Peter Stone: (Principal-Real Estate of Distinction)

3.  Post Panamax container and bulk vessels are typically at least 366m long, 49m wide with a draught of 15.2m and  Cape Size vessels are typically 280m long, 47m wide with a draft of 16m.

4. See http://www.asx.com.au/asxpdf/20160304/pdf/435lqnp45v0yyd.pdf. Handymax vessels are typically 150-200m in length.

5. No Clarence Valley Council representative is listed as attending the Namoi Councils Joint Organisation meeting at Gwydir on 5 May 2016.

6.  The Daily Examiner, 4 June 2016:

THE man pushing a multi-billion dollar proposal to turn Yamba into a major freight port, that has been described as "pie in the sky", has launched stinging attack on Clarence Valley Council Mayor Richie Williamson.

Des Euen called the mayor "an out and out bloody liar" during a question and answer session at a forum held in Casino to outline his plans.

The claim referred to events that followed a meeting Mr Euen said occurred about two and a half years ago in which he said he showed Cr Williamson, the council's manager environment, planning and community Des Schroder and at least one other person plans for the proposal.

He said the response was, "Wow, we didn't think this project had got that far, this is really something.

"A couple of weeks later somebody gets a bit of a whiff that we've had a meeting and Richie Williamson comes out and denies he even met me. Never met me? Hello? I'm not in the habit of telling lies."

He went on to say:

"Well I tell you something. If Richie Williamson was here today I'd look him right in the eye and say, "You're an out and out bloody liar" because that's exactly what he is.

"If he's the person in charge of taking your region through to create socio-economic development and look after your well-being then you better think again."

Cr Williamson yesterday rejected Mr Euen's claim, saying he had not denied the meeting......