Richmond Valley, Northern NSW, April 2022: in the aftermath of climate change-induced flooding the scale of devastation is still unfolding

"Rebuilding from this catastrophic event will require a supreme effort and support from all levels of government....

After seven Natural Disaster Declarations in just three years, as well as a global pandemic, Council believes this latest crisis will stretch our Northern Rivers communities to their very limits. 

There are strong connections across this region for employment, services and supplies and we are only just beginning to understand the potential flow-on effects of losing key industries, facilities and workers. 

In a region already challenged with severe housing shortages, rising unemployment, and limited access to essential building materials and services, providing short-term assistance will not fix the scale of devastation the Northern Rivers faces. 

It will take an enormous amount of effort and support for those affected to rebuild their lives"

[Richmond Valley Council, "Richmond Valley Flood", 5 April 2022]

Coraki on the mid-Richmond River before peak flood on Monday night. Photo: Supplied. The Land, 1 March 2022

Richmond Valley Council, April 2022:

Richmond Valley Flood 2022 Response

Richmond Valley Council has responded to the recent flooding crisis with a detailed report outlining the extent of the recovery challenge and its plans to rebuild its infrastructure, economy, and community.

The Richmond Valley Flood 2022 Response, which was handed to NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet on Tuesday, outlines the measures Council is taking in immediate response, and breaks down the estimated $150 million cost to repair critical infrastructure throughout the Richmond Valley, as well as the cost to local homes, businesses, the natural environment and the wellbeing of our communities.

It also looks to the future with plans to restart our regional economy and build back better so our community is more resilient to future natural disasters.

The study found the Richmond Valley’s economy could expect to experience significant loss of production over the next two years – estimated at $250 million. The biggest impacts are forecast to be in the manufacturing and agricultural sectors.

The unprecedented flood levels of the past month had damaged homes, businesses, and public infrastructure across the Richmond Valley and the report called on authorities and the government to assist in the recovery. Council has played a strong role in the initial disaster response but rebuilding will take a supreme effort and support from all levels of government.

The report details the response needed across infrastructure such as roads, waste, water and sewer and property damage. It outlines Council’s strategy for economic and social recovery with plans for housing, business, industry, the environment and future-proofing our area from natural disasters.

Council and the community acknowledge the tremendous support from emergency response agencies, NSW Police, the Australian Defence Force, Council staff and the many community volunteers who stepped up to help in one of the most challenging times for the Richmond Valley and Northern Rivers region.

The report can be found here: https://richmondvalley.nsw.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Rebuilding-Richmond-Valley-Revitalisation-Plan-s.pdf

Candidates standing in Page Electorate at 21 May 2022 Federal General Election - Part 4. Brett Duroux, in his own words

 

Brett Duroux
IMAGE: Facebook

Brett Duroux, Indigenous-Aboriginal Party of Australia (IPA). Chairperson at Gugiyn Balun Aboriginal Corporation since November 2021 and works at Grafton Ngerrie Local Aboriginal Land Council.

Clarence Valley Independent, 19 January 2022:

A proud Yaegl, Bundjalung and Gumbaynggirr man, Mr Duroux said in representing the IPA at the federal election, he is campaigning for his local community to give them a strong voice and leadership, to promote respect for the land, encourage unity and equality and advocate the policies of his party in parliament….

While he had never previously considered entering politics, he is looking forward to a lot of legwork during the next few months and spending time meeting and speaking with members of the Clarence Valley community.

“What interests me is talking to people about their concerns and getting answers for them, and helping my community in any way I can,” he said.

“I believe in positive change for our community.

“I also want to focus on strengthening the relationships between Land Councils and traditional owners and encourage them to work together.”

Mr Duroux said he is looking forward to campaigning in the lead up to the federal election and is welcoming community consultation.

Coast Community News, 24 November 2021:

….last week Brett Duroux, the IPA’s candidate for the Page electorate on the mid north coast, visited the area to see the cultural site firsthand.

He said he wanted to learn more about NSW Forestry Corporation’s Harvest and Haul Plan which could potentially impact the site.

“Forestry’s plans are concerning as the cultural site is not identified as such on the harvest maps that they operate under, and instead are noted as being an ‘other significant area/non harvest area (OSF)’ with no buffer required for logging,” he said.

“The plans state that trails and roads can be used for haulage and snigging if they traverse through the exclusion area.

“This is extremely alarming considering a cultural site is at stake and the rock platform the site is located on has already been damaged in the past by heavy machinery tracks.”

He said Ourimbah State Forest provided habitat for many native species including the endangered Glossy Black Cockatoo, Large Owl and Forest Bats.

“The OSF is also a known koala habitat, despite Forestry’s plans stating otherwise….

The Forestry Corporation’s Harvesting and Haul plan covers an area of over 370ha of which 108.4ha is deemed “harvestable”.

The expected yield is 3,900 cubic metres, of which 1,000 will be sawlogs, 150 cubic metres will be poles, with the remaining 2,750 cubic metres being pulp, firewood and low-quality salvage…..

Duroux said more than three billion animals, more than one billion of them in NSW, were estimated to have been killed or displaced in recent bushfires, including some rare or threatened animal, plant and insect species, with the complete loss of some species believed to be permanent.

“In NSW alone, more than half of the native forests were burned in the 2019/20 bushfires, with one billion native animals killed or displaced… and yet, the NSW Government continues to desecrate our native forest and cultural sites, to harvest pulp and firewood for an industry that runs at significant financial loss.

“In 2019/20 the profit from native forest logging was $28 a hectare, equating to less than 20 cents for each mature tree logged.

“The Government provided $136M in grants over the past 10 years to this unprofitable industry, equating to a huge loss for NSW, both financially and environmentally.”

Duroux said he believed Central Coast Council had colluded on the plans despite its ongoing public relations campaign applauding the Coast’s Aboriginal heritage and OSF, winning awards for being an Adventure Tourism destination.

He said that the Indigenous Party supported Camp Ourimbah, a small contingent of very dedicated environmental caretakers, who take peaceful direct action to stop native forest logging…..

Duroux said the Indigenous Party of Australia would be writing to local politicians and State ministers, including Environment Minister, Matt Kean, demanding an end to the unprofitable, damaging practice of logging in native forests, including Ourimbah State Forest.

Australian Federal Election 2022: it seems we live in interesting times.

 

IMAGE: The Australian, 18 April 2022
Click on image to enlarge

Another Newspoll was published by The Australian on 18 April 2022.  

The results were as follows......

Survey of Federal Election Voting Intentions

First Preference:

Labor – 36% (down 1 on10 April poll)

Coalition – 35% (down 1 on10 April poll)

Greens – 12% ( up 2 since10 April poll)

One Nation – 4% (up 1 since 10 April poll)

United Australia Party – 4% (no change since10 April poll)

Others – 9% (down 1 since 10 April poll)

Two Party Preferred:

Labor 53% – (no change since 10 April poll)

Coalition – 47% (no change since 10 April poll)

Better PM:

Scott Morrison – 44% (no change since 10 April poll)

Anthony Albanese – 37% (down 2 since 10 April poll)

Undecided – 19% (up 2 since 10 April poll)

Satisfaction with Leaders Performance:

Scott Morrison – Satisfied 43% (up 1), Dissatisfied 52% (down 2) & Uncommitted est. 5%

Anthony Albanese – Satisfied 37% (down 5), Dissatisfied 51% (up 6) & Uncommitted est. 12%

Net Satisfaction with Leaders Performance:

Scott Morrison – minus 9% (up 3)

Anthony Albanese – minus 14% (down 11)

On the basis of the two party preferred percentage points if an election had been held between 14-17 April 2022 then Labor would have won government, with possibly 80 seats in the House of Representatives to the Coalition’s 65 seats. This is the same outcome predicted by the Newspoll results of 6-9 April, but markedly less favourable to Labor than the Newspoll survey results of  31 March-3 April.

Resolve Strategic-9 Entertainment released the results of a limited voter intention survey on Sunday 17 April 2022, which had primary voting intention coming in at Coalition 35% to Labor 34%. Poll Bludger ran the 2019 Two Party Preferred data against those percentages & the outcome went Labor 52% to Coalition 48%. Which means that if an election had been held between 11-16 April Labor would likely have won with 9 seat lead in the House of Representatives. This was somewhat awkward for those editors, commentators & journalists who had initially been predicting an outright win for Morrison on the basis of that particular survey.

Newspoll results show the Morrison Government losing ground since 27 June 2021 and Labor in positive Two Party Preferred territory across the same period. Enthusiasm for Scott Morrison as “Preferred PM” has been gradually falling since 21 February 2021 but Anthony Albanese has been lagging behind Morrison on this particular indicator in all but one Newspoll during the same period. In itself “Preferred PM” is not a stand alone indicator of success at a federal election and party leaders do go on to win government will less than stellar approval numbers.

However, mainstream media is reporting a record number of “Independent” candidates registering for the coming federal election and, on social media platforms there is some anecdotal evidence of strong support for such candidates and for The Greens. If predictive percentages tighten ahead of election day, this support may translate into more than 6 House of Representative seats going to Independents/minor parties and it is possible that neither of the two major parties will achieve an outright majority at the 21 May federal election. 

Four of these independent candidates have stated a willingness to enter into talks with Scott Morrison if citizens' ballot papers do not deliver him a clear majority - 51.5% of the national vote. These candidates are; Zoe Daniel (Ind Goldstein Vic), Allegra Spender (Ind Wentworth NSW), Sophie Scamps (Ind Mackellar NSW) and Kate Chaney (Ind Curtin WA). 

It seems we are living in interesting times.

Candidates standing in Page Electorate at 21 May 2022 Federal General Election - Part 3. Patrick Deegan, in his own words

Clarence Valley Independent, 6 April 2022:

The Australian Labor Party candidate for the seat of Page Patrick Deegan is confident ahead of the 2022 Federal Election. Image: Contributed

After polling strongly in the 2019 Federal Election with more than 43000 votes, the Australian Labor Party’s candidate for the seat of Page Patrick Deegan has spoken of his confidence in gaining additional support and momentum ahead of the 2022 Federal Election.

A seasoned campaigner with more than 20 years’ experience working in the community services sector, an extensive knowledge of administrative and financial management, and a dedicated passion to help those around him, Mr Deegan acknowledged there have been many changes including droughts, devastating bushfires, a global pandemic and most recently, unprecedented flooding since the previous Federal Election, and he is determined to give the people of Page a strong voice in Canberra as a representative who can be trusted and relied upon to fight for local communities across the region.

For the past eight years, Mr Deegan said the electorate of Page has been overlooked and neglected by the Nationals and Liberal Party of Australia, identifying various funding cuts to educational facilities including schools and TAFE, and missed employment opportunities and industries as key issues and polices to be addressed should he be elected.

“I am genuinely proud to be the Labor candidate for Page, and there is a lot of fast action which needs to be taken,” he explained.

“We still have people without permanent accommodation following the 2019 Black Summer bushfires and we need to ensure they are looked after.

“The people impacted by the current disasters, specifically the flooding, we need practical solutions to help them, to make insurance affordable for them, to make sure impacted businesses can survive and remain in the area, and we need to secure local employment and increase wage growth.

“We also need to address the housing crisis and make living more affordable.

“Our aged care system is under immense pressure, and we need to make it feasible for aged care providers and workers, and ensure they are paid a liveable wage.

“The Nationals have been taking Page for granted, and the people who call this electorate home need and deserve strong leadership, and that is what I am committed to.”

Mr Deegan said it is important to look ahead and rebuild for the future, and a Labor Government will deliver “a better future for all Australians.”

“My family has lived in the electorate of Page for generations, and I have long term connections to our local communities, and I understand them inside and out,” he said.

“I am passionate, and I genuinely care about the people I would be representing.”

NSW parliamentary committee calling for submissions to the Inquiry into the response to major flooding across New South Wales in 2022

Northern Rivers Times, 14 April 2022:

A parliamentary committee is calling, for submissions into an inquiry into the response to major flooding across New South Wales recently.

In particular, the inquiry will consider the preparation, coordination and response to the flooding experienced on the North Coast and in Western Sydney.

Committee Chair and Shadow Minister for the North Coast, the Hon Walt Secord MLC, stated: ‘The floods we have seen on the North Coast and in Western Sydney over the last few weeks have been devastating on local communities. A parliamentary inquiry was established to examine concerns raised by local communities about the adequacy of support and resources available to them.’

The Chair continued: “The committee encourages all interested stakeholders, including affected communities, organisations and experts, to share their experiences and views on the response to flooding across the state as this will help us to consider lessons for the future.”

In particular, the committee is seeking views on the:

• preparation, coordination and response by government agencies to the floods

• role, composition and resourcing of key government agencies involved in the flood response

• coordination between various stakeholders including the state government, federal government, local governments, private sector organisations and the community

• public communication, systems and strategies

• implementation of recommendations from inquiries into previous natural disasters

• overall effectiveness of the flood response.

Submissions close 8 May 2022 and can be lodged online.

[my yellow highlighting]

The committee will also be reaching out directly to local communities to encourage participation given that many people may be disconnected from the internet or otherwise may not have the resources to make a submission.

The Chair said: “We are aware that people in the most affected regions may be without services and are understandably focusing on rebuilding. For this reason, we are making every effort to liaise with local, state and federal members as well as local community groups to ensure that as many people as possible can contribute to the inquiry if they wish and as they are able.”

The committee will also hold public hearings on the North Coast and in Western Sydney, providing an opportunity for local communities to contribute directly to the inquiry.

[my yellow highlighting]

For information on making a submission please see the committee’s website and the terms of reference for the inquiry.

While the personal stories of those directly affected by the floods will be valuable to the inquiry, it is important to note that the purpose of the inquiry is to make recommendations to the government.

If you have a question about how you can make a submission or contribute to the hearings, please contact the committee secretariat on 02 9230 3067 or email floods@parliament.nsw.gov.au.

Click on image to enlarge

Select Committee Membership

Chair: Walt Secord, (ALP, LC Member)

Deputy Chair: Mark Banasiak, (SFF, LC Member)

Members:

Scott Barrett, (NAT, LC Member)

Catherine Cusack, (LIB, LC Member)

Cate Faehrmann, Cate (GRNS, LC Member)

Rod Roberts, (PHON, LC Member)

Penny Sharpe, (ALP, LC Member)

• Resolution establishing the committee - 23 March 2022

• Terms of reference - Response to major flooding across New South Wales in 2022

Australian Federal Election 2022: Page & Richmond Electorates State of Play mid-April

The Canberra Times, 16 April 2022:

Mr Joyce's re-election proclamation has been to "make Australia as strong as possible as quickly as possible" in the face of global uncertainty by boosting exports in sectors like mining and minerals.

"Our number one priority is the security of our nation which must be underpinned by our capacity to pay for it," Mr Joyce said as he turned the sod on a central Queensland coal mine.

"And we pay for it with iron ore, we pay for it with coal, we pay for it with gas, we pay for it with live cattle, live sheep, irrigated cotton, irrigated wheat.

"We're going to have an epiphany about how we earn money because if we don't earn money we're poor and if we're poor, we're weak."…...

The Nationals are sandbagging some otherwise safe seats in Queensland and NSW after a series of natural disasters turned public sentiment against the federal government.

Kevin Hogan, whose northern NSW electorate of Page encompasses Lismore - the region worst hit by recent flooding - would normally consider his seat safe for the Nats on a 9.5 per cent margin.

But with NSW state Liberal MP Catherine Cusack accusing the Prime Minister of politicising the devastating floods, publicly stating she wouldn't vote for him, and anger bubbling at delayed government responses, some in Labor believe the seat could prove to be their dark horse.

The adjacent seat of Cowper held by Nationals MP Pat Conaghan on a slimmer 6.8 per cent margin, will also need reinforcements…..

What this news article did not mention was the fact that Kevin Hogan quickly became notorious across the entire NSW Northern Rivers last month when he rather aggressively stated words to the effect that the debate is over on the use of engineered structures on north-eastern coastal rivers and that government will make those decisions not communities.

Tweed Daily News, 14 April 2022:

What area does Richmond cover?

Richmond covers an area from the New South Wales/Queensland border in the north to Ballina and Pimlico in the south.

The main towns include Ballina, Bangalow, Brunswick Heads, Burringbar, Byron Bay, Hastings Point, Kingscliff, Lennox Head, Mullumbimby, Murwillumbah, Suffolk Park, and Tweed Heads.

Overtime the seat has been a traditionally conservative held by the nationals party five times, three of which were in the Anthony family – Hubert Lawrence Anthony (1937 – 1957), former deputy prime minister Doug Anthony (1957 – 1984) and most recently Larry Anthony (1996 – 2004).

The Labor Party has held the seat twice, by Neville Newell between 1990 – 1996 and most recently Justine Elliot since 2004.

Ms Elliot retained the seat with a 4.1 per cent margin in the 2019 election.

Who are the candidates?

Justine Elliot, Labor

The current member for Richmond Justine Elliott will be running again this election.

Ms Elliot said this election Labor’s plans were for cheaper power bills, cheaper childcare and more secure, well-paid jobs.

“From our $10 billion plan to ease the housing crisis, to our comprehensive plan to tackle climate change and create over 600,000 jobs, and the creation of a federal anti-corruption commission – Labor is on your side,” Ms Elliot said.

“Labor will create a better life by securing Medicare and making it easier to go and see the doctor and we’ll make childcare more affordable and fix the aged care crisis.

“We will invest in secure local jobs – investing in skills and training including Fee-Free TAFE in areas of skill shortage. We’ll bring manufacturing home.”

She said Labor will also scrap the cashless debit cards.

“As your local MP, I’m proud to have delivered more than $2 billion for local jobs, schools, health, roads and community resources. I am always on your side and committed to working with everyone to build a better North Coast,” she said.

Ms. Elliot spoke up swiftly and loudly, along with her state political counterparts Catherine Cusack Liberal MLC and Janelle Saffin Labor MLA, objecting to Prime Minister Morrison's attempt to use enhanced direct relief funding for flood victims as a form of 'pork barrelling' aimed at benefiting only the Nationals-held Page electorate.

Also contesting the seat at the 21 May election will be:

Kimberley Hone, National Party. A Pentecostal ‘preacher’ with a Family First & Australian Christian Lobby background, who appears determined to bring the Kingdom of God into federal politics - “the ultimate goal for me, just like my husband and I have done with business, I want to bring God’s kingdom to the political arena and I want God’s kingdom to penetrate the political mountain”. A local resident of around 3 ½ years standing;

Mandy Nolan, The Greens. A performer, comedian, MC, writer, author, artist, teacher, ambassador and activist, who has lived in the Richmond electorate for more than 30 years and, as a longtime resident has an understanding of local and regional issues;

Gary Biggs, Liberal Democrats. A big fan of ‘freedoms’ apparently discovered during the COVID-19 pandemic and it seems of little else. “The average punter needs the chance to vote for a real freedom party, a party with liberty at its very core. Not a party who discovered “more freedom” just in time for an election.”;

Robert Marks, United Australia Party. Has been with millionaire mining magnate Clive Palmer's party for nine years and unsuccessfully run in six elections, five as a party candidate; and

Monica Shepherd, Informed Medical Opinions Party. A self-described “clinical naturopath” with apparently no formal medical qualifications, who appears committed more to an across the board anti-vaccination & anti-fluoride agenda than than to existing freedom of choice.