Great to see a former Lower Clarence resident continues to fight the good fight

Heckler in The Sydney Morning Herald is a column where contributors are allowed 450 words on what makes their blood boil. Today's piece, contributed by KJ, appears below. Well done, KJ!

''F--- the wildlife'' was the young man's response when I pointed out no motorbikes were allowed because it was a wildlife conservation area. Similar responses are given when I politely tell people about the ''No dogs'' sign for the same area.
Every summer I am so angry I write a Heckler, but it is not published because I am not witty or funny, and I don't live in Sydney. I just care about the natural environment. This year I am more angry than ever.
Every summer our coastal village is invaded by thousands of people who don't consider how their behaviour will impact on the natural environment or other people. Instead, it is a free-for-all. They leave their brain and manners at home, if they have any.
Garbage? Toss it out the car window or leave it on the beach; or in the gutter, for the next rainfall to wash it out to sea - and back onto the beaches.

Got a four-wheel-drive or trail bike? Rip and tear the dunes and beach habitat, even though vehicles are banned from all beaches in this area.
Camping? Bugger the designated areas in towns and national parks; we want free camping so we'll flatten any plants where we want go, set up camp then burn anything possible, even breaking down shrubs. No toilets so we'll do it in the open.
Fishing? Yeah, great fishing in clean, clear waters. We'll dump fish heads and garbage to harm marine wildlife or pollute the ocean and beaches. Catch as many as we can; we won't be back for another year.
Crowds? Man, we live in the city, we're used to crowds, we push and shove to get what we want. Single file on a walking track when passing others? Never.
Noise? We're used to noise. Geeze, isn't this place peaceful - turn up the music to block out the sound of the ocean.
Dogs? Oh, aren't dogs allowed unleashed, anywhere? The beach looks empty so it doesn't matter if my dog poos there. Cover it with sand or the waves will take it away. Tough anyone else who might want to walk there, or swim in the water, and my dog is always friendly so don't worry if it jumps up on you. And it never does anything wrong, so it is OK to take it into a wildlife conservation area.
Safe, considerate driving? Huh?
This year I am more angry than usual because the crowds are bigger, the traffic jams longer, the people louder and pushier, and the damage to the beach ecosystem from two errant vehicle incidents is immense. February cannot come quickly enough.
Karen Joynes

Source: SMH, page 14, 1/1/12

Metgasco Limited accused of planting agitator?

A number of individuals with a direct interest in or employed in senior positions by Metgasgo Limited have an employment history with mining companies which in one instance reportedly dealt directly with at least one repressive military junta involved in human rights abuses in South-East Asia (Myanmar) and in another instance was thought to have made payments to one violent corrupt dictatorship in Africa (Chad).

One of these companies was also responsible for a catastrophic est. 11 million gallon crude oil spill covering 1,300 miles of Alaskan coastline in 1989.
Yet another of these former employers was recently found to have made a misleading coal seam gas advertisement in Australia.

Given this type of business culture background, it is not hard to imagine the assertion contained in the letter below is within the realms of possibility.

Letter to the Editor published in The Daily Examiner 3 January 2013:

CSG white ants

Protestors who continue their vigil at the Glenugie coal seam gas site have learned to be vigilant in the face of subversive activities designed to undermine their efforts. Early in the piece one particularly loud and aggressive protester, who nobody knew, was suspected of being a plant, determined to provide unsavoury material for the media, and Metgasco, to focus on.
When that person was discreetly questioned, he must have realised his cover was blown, and has not been seen since.
However, the white-anting by people with their own agendas continues, and the letter from Bruce Tom (DE Dec 31) is a typical example. Taking advantage of the offer of a free cup of tea at the very well-managed kitchen on the roadside, he criticises the fact that the tea was brewed on a gas cooker.
Apparently ignorant of the difference between coal seam gas and the liquid petroleum gas being used to make the tea, Bruce accuses his hosts of being hypocritical. Imagine the scorn he would have heaped upon them had they been using an open wood fire (the only alternative) on a high-fire-danger day.
However, Bruce’s red-necked personality really comes to the fore when he makes the derogatory observation about "a Greenie with a chainsaw" operating "with no safety gear to be seen". Perhaps Bruce can explain exactly what it was, in his eyes, that defined the chainsaw artist as a "Greenie". Was it only because he was prepared to take action in support of local landowners whose lives and livelihoods are under threat from gas mining?
It so happens that I was there on the same day and photographed the artist at work. Reviewing those photographs I note that he was wearing work boots and ear muffs. The purist could no doubt complain that he was not wearing chaps or a visor, but to claim there was no safety gear in sight is a deliberate manipulation of the truth.
I am told the artist is a local resident, and an experienced wood carver, and to me he looked and dressed like a farmer or even a timber worker. What people like Bruce need to understand is that opposition to coal seam gas is not restricted to environmentalists, but includes anyone with a modicum of intelligence, allowing them to understand the dangers it poses.
Opponents come from all walks of life, and the support the protest has received from local landowners and businesses, and visitors to the area from all over Australia, has been truly amazing and clearly reflects the mood of the broader community.
I’d like to say well done to everyone involved in the non-violent direct action at Glenugie, particularly those who gave up their Christmas-new year break to continue the vigil. Whether they've stayed for weeks on end, or just come for a friendly chat or to deliver supplies, they are all heroes.

 

John Edwards

South Grafton

 

Australian Broadcasting Corporation may be in for a rocky ride in 2013

 

In 2012 the Australian Communications and Media Authority  investigated approximately fifty complaints against the television arm of the seventy-five year old Australian Broadcasting Corporation and, eleven complaints against its radio stations.

 

Only three of these television program complaints were either partially or fully upheld - two of the broadcasting standards breaches involved the absence of captioning and one involved insufficient opportunity to respond to allegations.

 

Of the radio program complaints investigated only one breach concerning accuracy was found to have occurred.

 

What is fascinating about the investigated complaints list is the unusually high number which allege bias/lack of impartiality in a news or current affairs program.

 

When one compares this list with the smaller list of complaints against commercial television and radio stations last year and the even fewer allegations of bias contained therein, one begins to wonder if what appears to be a sustained politically motivated campaign questioning the ABC’s own standards (which has been played out in the media by the likes of journalist Andrew Bolt and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott) has not created a well of suspicion within the community about the public broadcaster’s motives.

 

In this federal election year, the ABC may be one of the first casualties in the right wing campaign to recapture The Lodge.

"Operation Zero Tolerance'' underway in the Southern Ocean

Website banner for 2013 in the Antarctic whale wars

 

With the Japanese Government sponsored whaling fleet reported to be heading towards its designated Antarctic killing zones (which includes the 50 million square kilometre Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary established by the International Whaling Commission), the 2013 battle in the whale wars is now underway.

 

Japan is said to have a kill target of 935 minke whales and up to 50 endangered fin whales this season under the guise of industrial scale lethal 'research'.

 

http://www.wwf.org.au/

 

"I could" not a good start to an election year for Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs

 

Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and Member for JagaJaga, Jenny Macklin, may live to regret how easily this I could tripped off her tongue:

 

 

http://video.news.com.au/2322384988/Macklin-says-dole-is-enough-to-live-on

 

Journalist: With respect that didn't answer the question. Could you live on the dole?

Ms Macklin: I could, and of course we understand that what's important for people who are unemployed is that we do everything possible to help people get work.

 

What she must regret right now is the silly attempt to hide both question and response in the 1 January 2013 doorstop press conference transcript available on the ministerial website:

 

 

The weak explanation supplied to mainstream media for this omission compounds the problem for Ms. Macklin and provides Nick McGowan, the Liberal candidate in Jaga Jaga who was raised by a single parent, with an unexpected free kick at the start of this federal election year:

 

Last night, her office claimed its recording had been affected by a revving car.

UPDATE:

The Minister appears intent on making the situation worse by failing to directly respond to a Fairfax Media request for a copy of this recording.

Someone's saying No To Tony Abbott

 

 

“I hereby pledge to do my utmost in 2013 and beyond to ensure that Tony Abbott never becomes the Prime Minister of Australia.

I will engage on the issues, on matters of character and on the facts that demonstrate that Tony Abbott is unsuitable to be Prime Minister of Australia. I know that any government lead by Tony Abbott, or any government that follows his lead, would inflict deep and lasting damage to the fabric of Australia that we trust and depend upon. I will expend any and all energies required to ensure Tony Abbott and his values are kept from The Lodge and the government benches in Parliament.”

 

Disclosure:
This site has no affiliation with the Australian Labor Party. Any claims to the contrary are false.
The only partisanship this site has is with those who never want Tony Abbott to be Prime Minister and who want to see Australia prosper and progress into the 21st century and beyond.

 

http://saynototony.wordpress.com/

 

This site appears to have gone online on the last day of 2012 and is beginning to attract attention.

Joe Hockey on the subject of broken promises

As of 7.21am on 31 December 2012 Opposition Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey is still tweeting after saying he wouldn’t be back until 2013…..