This blog is open to any who wish to comment on Australian society, the state of the environment or political shenanigans at Federal, State and Local Government level.
Showing posts with label New South Wales. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New South Wales. Show all posts
Warnings
of the possibility of thunderstorms occurring across New South Wales
began to build on the morning of Wednesday,15 January 2025 and by the
afternoon these warnings began to increase, by way of a mix BoM
bulletins, broadcast news and social media.
Stay safe Sydney.. In fact NSW.. massive storm front smashing from Scone to Ulladulla on its way east .. keep your pets inside! ⛈️ 🙈🐾🐾 pic.twitter.com/StgmkN6D12
On
the morning of Thursday 16 January many New South Wales communities
woke to either hear the news of severe storms elsewhere across the
state or to survey by light of day the damage caused by the violent
weather they had just experienced.
Severe
storms battered large parts of the state overnight.
The
state emergency service has received more than 2,250 requests for
help in the past 24 hours, and one man in his 80s died in Cowra when
a tree fell on his car.
100,000
homes remain without power on the Ausgrid network, which encompasses
Sydney and the Hunter Valley.
NSW
SES has received more than 2,250 calls for assistance and responded
to more than 1,800 incidents as severe weather battered the state
overnight.
Severe
thunderstorm cells hit across Sydney and parts of the state's
north-east, north-west and central west Thursday morning, including
Newcastle and Wollongong.
More
than 140,000 homes have been without power at some point in the last
24 hours.
A
home at Mudgee in the central west was completely destroyed by a
fire, after a downed power pole landed on the property.....
In
Dubbo, fire crews were called to Eden Park where it's believed
lightning struck a tree near a leaking gas pipe.
The
area was closed for an hour while fire crews managed to bring the
blaze under control, and the power company isolated the gas leak.
Cheryl
Clydsdale is a farmer at Rouchel in the Upper Hunter and said the
storm demolished a hay shed at her property....
Elsewhere
in the Hunter, a roof at Cessnock High School was torn off, as well
as a roof at the NSW Port Authority at Honeysuckle in Newcastle....
Line
of storms
Bureau
of Meteorology (BOM) senior meteorologist Christie Johnson said the
wild weather was produced by a cold front that triggered a "massive
line of storms".
"At
one stage we basically had a line of storms extending from almost the
Queensland border down to Tasmania," she said.
"We
did see some super cells, those super-strong thunderstorms and they
did develop along the line.
"Sometimes
they can actually suck the energy out of the storms around them ...
so you can get one area that is really badly hit, and then just down
the road you get maybe just a normal thunderstorm coming over."
Wind
gusts of 120 kilometres per hour were recorded at Williamtown, north
of Newcastle, but gusts in excess of 100kph were recorded in areas
scattered across the state including Kurnell (117kph) Scone, Dubbo
and Cowra (107kph), Wagga Wagga (106kph) and Tamworth (102kph).
Then
heaviest rain fell at Eurobodalla, on the south coast, where 127mm
was recorded in the 24 hours to 9am.
"About
57mm of that fell in about half an hour, and about 85 in an hour,"
Ms Johnson said.....
⛈️Thunderstorm FORECAST for TODAY (16/1): Storms possible over north-east #NSW.
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS possible (🟡) in the far north-east & likely (🔴) over the #NorthernRivers. Risk of damaging winds, large hail & heavy rainfall/flash flooding.
It
seems that there are still residents in New South Wales who after
fifty-three years of continuous Summer daylight saving time across
the state have difficulty accepting this 183-184 day period
(approx. 26 weeks) when the position of 'big hand & little hand'
are changed on the clock face. So a petition with 734 signatures was
presented to the New South Wales Parliament in October 2024.
NOTE:
NSW Daylight Saving Time commences at 2am AEST on the first Sunday in
October when the clocks are moved forward by one hour and moved back
at 3am AEDT on the first Sunday in April. Daylight saving in NSW is
currently synchronised with Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and
the Australian Capital Territory.
Those
734 petitioners wanted to see Summer daylight saving in New South
Wales reduced to a period from the first Sunday in November to the
first Sunday in March, thus introducing a new second Summer daylight
saving time zone to the mix.
The
NSW
Attorney-General
who administers the Standard
Time Act 1987sent
a very polite letter
in response
to the petition stating "There
are currently no plans to make legislative changes to the provisions
relating to
Australian
Eastern Daylight Time in New South Wales."
So
here the matter stands, until either the next group of people
hankering for a return to a New South Wales of the 1960s decide to
organise another petition or the growing global climate crisis makes
any attempt at daylight saving futile.
As
the issue was reported for local consumption...
NSW
Government shoots down calls for changes to daylight savings after
petition tops 700 signatures
The
NSW Government has shot down calls for an overhaul of daylight
savings after hundreds of residents signed a petition calling for
changes to the “draconian” system.
Farmers
were among more than 700 people who signed a petition to state
parliament, calling for daylight savings to be scaled back from six
months to four over concerns the current state of affairs was
negatively impacting regional communities in the hottest part of the
year.
The
NSW Farmers Association backed the overhaul, saying the conditions in
Sydney could be very different to those people experienced in
regional areas of the state.
NSW
Farmers Association president Xavier Martin said while daylight
savings may be popular in coastal cities, where people could enjoy
outdoor activities and swim after work, the sweltering summer
conditions meant children were going to school on rural roads when it
was dark and returning home in the hottest parts of the day.
“Shortening
the daylight savings period, but not ending it completely, would make
a real difference for our rural communities around the state,” he
said.
“During
the autumn daylight savings period, farmers are still forced to work
for longer periods in the dark, while rural children are returning
home on long bus rides in the hottest part of the day.
“Australia’s
daylight savings period has been greatly extended over time since its
introduction in 1971, and we believe shortening this period by one
month either side would be very beneficial for rural Australians.”
But
NSW Attorney-General Michael Daley said there were no plans to change
the current six-month daylight savings periods, noting the current
terms were synchronised with Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and
the ACT.
“Any
changes to the length of the daylight saving period would require
agreement with other jurisdictions in order to avoid a range of
cross-jurisdictional issues,” he said in a statement responding to
the petition.
“Any
change would require legislative change (and) there are currently no
plans to make legislative changes to the provisions relating to
Australian Eastern Daylight Time in NSW.”
Daylight
savings, initially used in Australia as a temporary measure to reduce
fuel consumption during both world wars, was introduced in NSW on a
permanent basis in 1971...
The
NSW Farmers Association said the difference in hours could impact on
communities along the border of Queensland and NSW border, where
people had to switch time zones when leaving one state and entering
the other....
A
total of 734 people signed the petition to NSW Parliament.
There
is no reporting date listed for this particular Inquiry.
After
a 53 day submission period in which 78
submissions
were received, the Inquiry held 5 hearings commencing on 5 August
2024 and ending on 17 December 2024. Videos of all 6 hearings can be
found at:
Commencing
on 2 July 2024 the Inquiry received
40 documents
to assist in its deliberations.
In
August 2024 the Standing Committee on State Development visited
former mining sites in Lake Macquarie, Cessnock, Maitland and the
Upper Hunter and held two public hearings (Muswellbrook &
Singleton).
More
than 60,000 mines have been abandoned across Australia, according to
a report that raises concerns about how land rehabilitation is
managed as the mining boom ends.
Key
points:
Australia
Institute report finds lack of reliable data on Australia's mining
activity
Research
finds more than 60,000 abandoned mines across Australia
Only
a handful of mines have ever been fully rehabilitated
Report
raises concerns over how land rehabilitation is managed
The
Australia Institute research, obtained exclusively by Lateline, said
there were few reliable statistics on the state of Australia's mines
and there was evidence that only a handful had ever been fully
rehabilitated.
State
government agencies were only able to name one example of a mine that
had been fully rehabilitated and relinquished in the past 10 years —
the New Wallsend coal mine in New South Wales.
Some
of the abandoned mines date back to gold-rush days and the 60,000
figure includes thousands of mine "features", such as
tailings dams and old mine shafts.
The
Australia Institute said it was difficult to obtain basic statistics
on the number of operating mines across the country, putting the
figure between 460 and 2,944.
The
Institute said it was even harder to get data on mines that had
suspended operations or were undergoing rehabilitation.
"What
is certain is [mine abandonment] is not a practice limited to distant
history," the report said.
"As
the owners of the largest mines come under financial pressure, close
attention needs to be paid to the ongoing phenomenon of mine
abandonment in Australia.".....
In
New South Wales, approval has been granted for 45 massive coal pits,
or voids, to be left after mining finishes.[my
yellow highlighting]
Twelve
of those voids are around Muswellbrook in the Upper Hunter and the
biggest is at BHP Billiton's Mount Arthur mine.
It
is 4.5 kilometres long and 1.5 kilometres wide. BHP would not provide
details on its depth....
....ongoing
antimony contamination of water bodies and land protected by
Environmental Planning Instruments is not unknown from previous
mining ventures in northern NSW.
The
Macleay Argus 2 September 2011:
HIGHER
than average levels of heavy metals have been recorded in the Macleay
River at Bellbrook after a dam overflowed at a gold and antimony mine
near Armidale.
NSW
Health and Kempsey Shire Council said higher than normal levels of
metals including arsenic, zinc and copper had been detected in the
waters of the Macleay River.
But
both organisations said the concentration of the heavy metals was not
high enough to warrant concern to people.
As
a precaution NSW Health has contacted residents in the upper Macleay
to inform them not to drink water from the river unless it has been
processed through the Bellbrook water treatment plant.
Council
has undertaken further testing to determine whether the contamination
has spread beyond Bellbrook….
The
Office of Heritage and Environment (OHE) reported the breach occurred
on Tuesday when there was a release of material from a sediment
erosion control dam at the Hillgrove antimony and gold mine.
"The
mine is currently not operating but is in 'care and maintenance'
mode," a spokeswoman said.
"The
spill occurred after continued wet weather produced excess stormwater
which exceeded the amount of water that could be stored in the dam
resulting in the spill - when the mine is operating the stormwater
would normally have been used for mineral processing."
NSW
Office of Environment and Heritage Media Release 5 July 2010:
Straits
(Hillgrove) Gold Pty Limited has been fined $50,000 and ordered to
pay costs of $24,000 in the NSW Land and Environment Court today
after being found guilty of polluting waters.
Straits
pleaded guilty to the charge; pollution of water under the Protection
of the Environment Operations Act.
The
company 'Straits' conducts gold and antimony mining activities at the
Hillgrove Mine, near Armidale in NSW.
In
sentencing today, Justice Biscoe convicted and fined Straits $50,000
and ordered it to pay the prosecutor's legal costs of $24,000.
The
court heard that in April 2009 a protective bund at the premises had
been lowered to allow access for an electrical contractor. When a
screening device used in the mine became blocked and 'slimes'
discharged and spilled into the bunded area, it then overflowed the
bund and discharged into the local environment.
The
spill, of up to 3000 litres of 'slimes,' contained antimony, arsenic
and lead and is toxic to some aquatic life.
Department
of Environment, Climate Change and Water (DECCW), Director General,
Lisa Corbyn said the penalty provided a timely reminder to companies
that they must ensure measures are in place to contain pollution.
"This
case highlights the potential for serious damage to occur and
highlights the importance of companies having safeguards and
operating procedures in place to control pollution at all times.
Carelessness meant that simple containment structures which could
have prevented the spill from leaving the mine site were not in
place. Fortunately the environmental harm from this particular spill
was low.
"Importantly,
the company did report the spill to the DECCW Environment Line and
cooperated with the DECCW officers throughout the investigation."
Anyone
who sees pollution is urged to contact the Environment line on 131
555.
Bellingen
Shire Council State of the Environment Report 2009-2010:
Urunga
antimony processing site
A
seriously contaminated site has been identified at Urunga, Portions
138 & 169 Parish of Newry. Contamination also affects adjacent
Crown Land and a SEPP 14 wetland. The site was previously used for
antimony ore processing, since abandoned without rehabilitation of
the site. DECCW have undertaken an investigation of the site and
researched remediation options.
General
Council
maintains records of properties known to be affected by
contamination. Council must consider the requirements of the
Contaminated Land Management Act 1997 and State Environmental
Planning Policy 55 – Remediation of Land in assessing proposed
changes to the use of land.
Antimony
and arsenic dispersion in the Macleay River catchment, New South
Wales: a study of the environmental geochemical consequences,
February 2007:
A
baseline geochemical study of stream sediments and waters of the
Macleay River catchment in northeastern New South Wales indicates
that although most of the catchment is unaffected by anthropogenic or
natural inputs of heavy metals and metalloids, the Bakers Creek -
trunk Macleay-floodplain system has been strongly affected by
mining-derived Sb and As. The dispersion train from the Hillgrove Sb
- Au mining area to the Pacific Ocean is over 300 km in length. Ore
and mineralised altered rock from Hillgrove contains vein,
breccia-hosted and disseminated stibnite, arsenopyrite, pyrite and
traces of gold. Historic (pre-1970) mine-waste disposal practices
have resulted in high to extreme contamination of stream sediments
and waters by Sb and As for ∼50 km downstream, with high Au values
in the sediments…..
Estimates
of sediment migration rates and amounts of Sb and As transported in
suspension and solution imply that the catchment contamination will
be long-term (centuries to millennia) such that environmental effects
need to be ascertained and management strategies implemented…
[Ashley,
P. M.; Graham, B. P.; Tighe, M. K.; Wolfenden, B. J in Australian
Journal of Earth Sciences, Volume 54, Number 1, February 2007 , pp.
83-103(21)]
North
Coast Voices,
"NSW
North Coast antimony contamination makes it onto national
television",
25 October 2011, excerpt:
The
Sydney Morning Herald also addressed the issue of historic and recent
contamination from the Hillgrove antimony mine:
A
PLUME of toxic pollution from an old antimony mine appears to have
killed fish for dozens of kilometres along the Macleay River in
northern NSW.....
a
study published by the CSIRO in 2009 described the waterways near the
mothballed mine as ''highly contaminated'' and estimated about 7000
tonnes of waste had accumulated along the bed of the Macleay River.
Water
tests have shown antimony levels at 250 times background levels, with
high levels detected along the river to the coast at Urunga, where
the mineral was once processed for export.
If
you’re a surf lifesaver and volunteer to patrol on Christmas,
you’ll know what a rewarding experience it is.
Apart
from the fact that doing a shift at the beach on our most venerated
public holiday is virtue-signalling of the highest order, it offers
an iron-clad excuse, if you need it, to get out of tricky family
gatherings or participation in tedious board games.
It’s
also the happiest day of the year to be on the beach. Everyone’s
loving being there, and everyone appreciates the lifesavers being
there.
Strangers
will come up to patrol members and offer genuine thanks and/or some
leftover pavlova.
Big
tip for future reference: don’t put yourself in a situation that
requires rescue after lunch on Christmas Day.
Another
benefit of sitting in a chair for hours watching the crowd having fun
between the yellow and red flags is that it offers the opportunity to
let your mind freewheel, which is good exercise only without sweat.
On
Wednesday, on patrol at Yamba, I turned on the TV in my head and
skipped from topic to topic: wondering how various couples on the
beach met, what do seagulls really think of us, do fish feel fear,
using alliteration for amusement, how many prawns get eaten on
Christmas Day, the enormous amount of equipment some people bring to
the beach … and how lucky we are to be a swimming nation.
There
were several families from overseas on the beach that day. They were
easy to spot not because of their accents or wacky swimming costumes
… it was the fact they wouldn’t go beyond ankle deep into the
gentle surf.
Australia
would be an entirely different country if we hadn’t embraced the
aquatic life. It’s a credit to our culture that we put so much
effort into teaching our kids to swim and that as a nation we are so
confident in the water.
The
OECD last year released a major report on the influence of swimming
competence on people’s lives globally. Australia’s relationship
with swimming is referenced repeatedly.
It
makes for fascinating reading, and as I watched the kids bodysurfing
a sentence in the report came to mind.
“The
ability to swim, like other life skills such as being able to drive
and cycle, broadens the horizon of the possible and empowers
individuals.” Happy new year and see you down the beach.
Independent
Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) probe launched into Tweed Shire
Council
A
corruption probe has been launched into Tweed Shire Council, it can
be revealed.
Multiple
sources have told this publication an Independent Commission Against
Corruption (ICAC) investigation was recently launched into
allegations surrounding council processes.
One
source stated that the corruption probe was “common knowledge” in
council and that “they have been trying to keep a lid on it”.
Another
source said ICAC officers had recently raided council offices to
conduct searches and obtain information, and that a number of staff
had reportedly been suspended.
When
asked about the probe, Tweed Shire Council Mayor Chris Cherry said
she was “unsure” whether the investigation was “active” and
that “it was likely to come out (in the media) sooner or later”.
She then referred enquiries to general manager Troy Green.
In
response to questions, a council spokesperson said: “All
investigations are a matter for the Commission.”
“Where
there is an active and ongoing investigation, it is not appropriate
for council to give any response,” the spokesperson said.
“All
enquiries should be directed to the ICAC. No further statements will
be made about this matter by the council.”
An
ICAC spokesperson said it would not “confirm or deny if it is
undertaking investigations”.
In
2005, the state government sacked the Tweed Shire Council after
allegations of corruption were aired to ICAC before handing
responsibilities over to three administrators.
The
probe came after an independent report by Commissioner Maurice Daly,
who examined how Tweed councillors were elected, finding them to be
influenced by a developer-led group called Tweed Directions.
The
report claimed candidates who presented as independents were backed
by developers who were responsible for a property boom on the
Queensland-NSW border.
At
the time, Local Government Minister Tony Kelly said the move had
“distorted the community’s understanding of their real status and
purpose” and council had “effectively lied to the community.”
The
current probe has no links to the matters in 2005.
Fraud
refers to dishonestly obtaining a benefit, or causing a loss, by
deception or other means. Corruption, in broad terms, is deliberate,
a serious wrongdoing that involves dishonest or partial conduct, a
breach of public trust or the misuse of information or material.....
This
Policy affirms Tweed Shire Council’s commitment to supporting an
integrity fraud and corruption control framework, communicates our
intention and direction to fraud and corruption control and shows
clear accountability structures.
If
there is one thing that can be relied on when it comes to Lismore
City Council's elected representatives, it is that Cr. Big Rob,
formerly known as Robert Bou-Hamdan, will seek to tear down rather
than build on past community achievements.
Lismore
councillors Big Rob and Andrew Bing have led the charge to remove all
CSG (coal seam gas) and nuclear free area signs from the Lismore
local government area (LGA).
Speaking
to the motion at the December 10 council meeting Cr Rob made it clear
he wasn’t happy with what he sees as the negative messaging that
the ‘CSG and nuclear free’ statement on the welcome to Lismore
signage.
‘I
even don’t like the signs on the bins, it has like 20 different
things you cannot do,’ said Cr Rob emphasising his point.
Supporting
the motion Cr Electra Jensen told the meeting that while she had
supported the ‘No CSG’ campaign at the time but ‘we don’t
want to rehash history [we want to] look to the future… it is time
to move on.’....
Councillors
voted six to four in favour of removing the CSG signs with Crs
Gordon, Battista, Rob, Bing, Jensen and Krieg in favour and Crs
Dalton-Earls, Knight-Smith, Guise and Waters opposed.
Following
the meeting a rescission motion has been lodged by Crs Knight-Smith,
Guise and Waters.
‘The
fact that 87 per cent of LGA voted to be CSG free means the Krieg
team would have their own constituents who would have supported the
referendum,’ Cr Guise told The Echo.
‘I’d
like them to listen to the sentiment of the community and recognise
that they should proudly display those signs as a symbol of community
pride and what we have gained from being gasfield free.
‘We’ve
got a united, powerful community, we have protected our farmland, we
have clean air and water. These signs are something that a farming
and a food growing region should be proud of as it is essential to a
food growing and agricultural region to have clean farmland and
water,’ he said.
‘CSG
is still a clear-a-present danger. You have communities fighting
against gas fields across NSW and Australia right now. CSG is a dirty
fossil fuel on par or worse than coal.’.....
Crs
Gordon, Battista, Rob, Bing, Jensen and Krieg have chosen to ignore
the long history of exploration and mining in north-east New South
Wales from the 19th century to the present 21st century - gold,
silver, copper, tin, antimony, coal, asbestos, mineral sands & coal seam gas being the principal commodities sought by the mining industry.
These
councillors turn their eyes and minds from those maps showing current
mining titles and exploration leases, as well as from maps pockmarked with
coal seam gas drilling holes that Northern Rivers communities fought
hard to stop proliferating ahead of then proposed gas fields.
Mining
industry history across Australia clearly shows that mining titles
can endure across many lifetimes, often changing hands down the years
as long-term investments. History also shows us that state governments
can and do grant new exploration licenses in areas where mining
leases have lapsed or been dissolved by previous governments.
There
is no binding 'never ever' promise on the part of governments when it
comes to minerals, ores & metals that can still be found in the
ground.
BACKGROUND
All
current north-east NSW mining titles & applications for mineral
and energy resource exploration, assessment and production, where a
company or individual has the right to explore for or extract
resources including petroleum, minerals and coal. All current titles
for mineral and energy resource exploration, assessment and
production.
MinView Geoscience Planning Portal mapping
All
current & past north-east NSW exploratory drilling sites. Past coal
seam gas drilling sites marked in yellow.
The
Upper North East Region (UNER) has a complex geological history
extending from about 600 million years ago to the present. Rocks in
the region have been brought together from sites of deposition as far
away as sub-Antarctic areas. The region has undergone massive
upheavals and some rock sequences which now abut were formed in
different parts of the globe in settings ranging from volcanic island
arcs to swampy basins. The area has been relatively stable as part of
the Australian continent since about 200 million years ago but there
have been periods of considerable volcanic activity most recently
about 40-15 million years ago. Large parts of the region are now in
an active erosional cycle but deposition of new sediments is
occurring in many coastal lake and river systems.
The UNER covers
rocks of the New England Orogen (or New England fold belt), the
Clarence-Moreton Basin and associated sub-basins, and younger rocks
of Tertiary and Quaternary age which overlie these major provinces.
The New England Orogen is a major geological zone which extends from
the Newcastle area north to Far North Queensland. The Orogen
comprises many rocks which formed in highly active geological regions
where sediments from the deep ocean were being subducted and thrust
into the Australian land mass at that time. They were mixing with
sediments formed from the eroding mountains and volcanoes which
existed on the margins of the continent. The Orogen has a complex
structural history and the sedimentary rocks are generally folded and
regionally metamorphosed. The Orogen includes a major plutonic
province and there are numerous intrusive units, generally felsic in
character, as well as extrusive volcanic rocks of similar age and
composition.
In
the north eastern part of the UNER the Orogen rocks are overlain by
relatively flat-lying sediments of the
Clarence-Moreton Basin (C-MB) and underlying sub-basins. This major
basin formed after the crust had
stabilised. This basin covers the New England Orogen rocks completely
just north of the Region and sedimentary
units can be traced across to the west to join with units comprising
the vast sedimentary basins
of central Australia.
During
the Tertiary Epoch basaltic volcanism occurred along eastern
Australia and was related to the formation
of the Tasman Sea. Remnants of very large continental basaltic shield
volcanoes are present in the
Region, the major one being the Tweed volcano centred at Mount
Warning. There has been substantial erosion throughout the region
since these volcanoes formed.
Erosion
has produced a major escarpment which extends through the UNER. Huge
gorge systems have developed
and the material removed has been deposited in coastal regions in
rivers and lakes and out to sea.
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The Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 19
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
[Adopted and proclaimed by United Nations General Assembly resolution 217 A (III) of 10 December 1948]
Hi! My name is Boy. I'm a male bi-coloured tabby cat. Ever since I discovered that Malcolm Turnbull's dogs were allowed to blog, I have been pestering Clarencegirl to allow me a small space on North Coast Voices.
A false flag musing: I have noticed one particular voice on Facebook which is Pollyanna-positive on the subject of the Port of Yamba becoming a designated cruise ship destination. What this gentleman doesn’t disclose is that, as a principal of Middle Star Pty Ltd, he could be thought to have a potential pecuniary interest due to the fact that this corporation (which has had an office in Grafton since 2012) provides consultancy services and tourismbusiness development services.
A religion & local government musing: On 11 October 2017 Clarence Valley Council has the Church of Jesus Christ Development Fund Inc in Sutherland Local Court No. 6 for a small claims hearing. It would appear that there may be a little issue in rendering unto Caesar. On 19 September 2017 an ordained minister of a religion (which was named by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in relation to 40 instances of historical child sexual abuse on the NSW North Coast) read the Opening Prayer at Council’s ordinary monthly meeting. Earlier in the year an ordained minister (from a church network alleged to have supported an overseas orphanage closed because of child abuse claims in 2013) read the Opening Prayer and an ordained minister (belonging to yet another church network accused of ignoring child sexual abuse in the US and racism in South Africa) read the Opening Prayer at yet another ordinary monthly meeting. Nice one councillors - you are covering yourselves with glory!
An investigative musing: Newcastle Herald, 12 August 2017: The state’s corruption watchdog has been asked to investigate the finances of the Awabakal Aboriginal Local Land Council, less than 12 months after the troubled organisation was placed into administration by the state government. The Newcastle Herald understands accounting firm PKF Lawler made the decision to refer the land council to the Independent Commission Against Corruption after discovering a number of irregularities during an audit of its financial statements.The results of the audit were recently presented to a meeting of Awabakal members. Administrator Terry Lawler did not respond when contacted by the Herald and a PKF Lawler spokesperson said it was unable to comment on the matter. Given the intricate web of company relationships that existed with at least one former board member it is not outside the realms of possibility that, if ICAC accepts this referral, then United Land Councils Limited (registered New Zealand) and United First Peoples Syndications Pty Ltd(registered Australia) might be interviewed. North Coast Voices readers will remember that on 15 August 2015 representatives of these two companied gave evidence before NSW Legislative Council General Purpose Standing Committee No. 6 INQUIRY INTO CROWN LAND. This evidence included advocating for a Yamba mega port.
A Nationals musing: Word around the traps is that NSW Nats MP for Clarence Chris Gulaptis has been talking up the notion of cruise ships visiting the Clarence River estuary. Fair dinkum! That man can be guaranteed to run with any bad idea put to him. I'm sure one or more cruise ships moored in the main navigation channel on a regular basis for one, two or three days is something other regular river users will really welcome. *pause for appreciation of irony* The draft of the smallest of the smaller cruise vessels is 3 metres and it would only stay safely afloat in that channel. Even the Yamba-Iluka ferry has been known to get momentarily stuck in silt/sand from time to time in Yamba Bay and even a very small cruise ship wouldn't be able to safely enter and exit Iluka Bay. You can bet your bottom dollar operators of cruise lines would soon be calling for dredging at the approach to the river mouth - and you know how well that goes down with the local residents.
A local councils musing: Which Northern Rivers council is on a low-key NSW Office of Local Government watch list courtesy of feet dragging by a past general manager?
A serial pest musing: I'm sure the Clarence Valley was thrilled to find that a well-known fantasist is active once again in the wee small hours of the morning treading a well-worn path of accusations involving police, local business owners and others.
An investigative musing: Which NSW North Coast council is batting to have the longest running code of conduct complaint investigation on record?
A which bank? musing: Despite a net profit last year of $9,227 million the Commonwealth Bank still insists on paying below Centrelink deeming rates interest on money held in Pensioner Security Accounts. One local wag says he’s waiting for the first bill from the bank charging him for the privilege of keeping his pension dollars at that bank.
A Daily Examiner musing: Just when you thought this newspaper could sink no lower under News Corp management, it continues to give column space to Andrew Bolt.
A thought to ponder musing: In case of bushfire or flood - do you have an emergency evacuation plan for the family pet?
An adoption musing: Every week on the NSW North Coast a number of cats and dogs find themselves without a home. If you want to do your bit and give one bundle of joy a new family, contact Happy Paws on 0419 404 766 or your local council pound.
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