Desmond John Thomas Euen wants a sea port

Readers may have noticed that rumours have resurfaced about the Port of Yamba being targeted as a coal terminal at the end of a west-east rail line linking north-western NSW with the coast.

This plan was first mooted by some of the people involved in unsuccessful lobbying to dam and divert water from the Clarence River catchment system for the benefit of irrigators and mining corporations in the Murray Darling Basin and, at the time was estimated to cost at least $3.5 billion to achieve.

Though the latest manifestation of these rumours owes little to Mal Peters & Co and more to an ‘entrepreneur’ from Booval in Queensland.

According to ASIC documents Desmond John Thomas Euen is the only director, shareholder and company secretary in a $1-1 share company registered in New South Wales on 31 August 2012, Australian Infrastructure Developments Pty Ltd, and elsewhere he has variously described himself as the company’s Managing Director and Executive Director.

Mr. Euen also has a website which appears to be locked or parked:

Whois http://whois.domaintools.com/australianinfrastructuredevelopments.com.au

Domain Name:                     australianinfrastructuredevelopments.com.au
Registrar ID:                    WAR
Registrar Name:                  Web Address Registration
Status:                          ok

Registrant:                      LYNX BUSINESS SERVICES PTY LTD
Registrant ID:                   ABN 56146166574
Eligibility Type:                Company

Registrant Contact ID:           R-006499331-SN
Registrant Contact Name:         Des Euen
Registrant Contact Email:        Visit whois.ausregistry.com.au for Web based WhoIs

Tech Contact ID:                 C-001573771-SN
Tech Contact Name:               Des Euen
Tech Contact Email:              Visit whois.ausregistry.com.au for Web based WhoIs

Name Server:                     ns1.designandhost.net
Name Server:                     ns2.designandhost.net

On doing a Google search of the second company which appears to be associated with Desmond Euen, I found this:

As well as this as yet unexplained and possibly unrelated notice.

It appears to be Mr. Euen’s current goal in life to turn a small working port, on which the local fishing and tourism industries also heavily rely, into a generic freight hub at the end of a phantom west-east rail line and, in the process destroy a significant Yaegl cultural and spiritual site, Dirrangun reef.

He rather arrogantly asserted to one journalist that; the local indigenous population would be handsomely compensated and provided with jobs.

Dirrungun reef and the Clarence River below Harwood Bridge fall within two registered native title claims by the Yaegl people of the Clarence Valley.

Desmond Euen has created a power point presentation to support his grandiose plan but has not yet submitted a proposal to the O’Farrell Government.

He appears to be having trouble getting a hearing from relevant federal and state ministers. Indeed, to date the only ‘meeting’ he seems to have achieved has been a very short one with a senior staffer from the NSW Roads and Ports Minister’s office and it resulted in this statement:

“A proposal of this nature is highly unlikely in the current market environment and the government has no plans for the Port of Yamba”

The ever hopeful Mr. Euen has approached at least one local newspaper and, The Daily Examiner reported on 1 August 2013:

In the wake of a recent story on speculation the Port of Yamba was to be converted into a coal freight hub, the managing director of ADI, Desmond J T Euen contacted the paper.

Mr Euen said he was upset rumours were circulating a coal hub was on the agenda and said in fact his organisation had been speaking to the State Government about converting the Port of Yamba into a freight hub.

He said the development would bring billions of dollars worth of investment and thousands of jobs to the area.

Mr Euen also said a funding deal, from the private sector, was in advanced stages.

By 2 August Mr. Euen had reportedly become insistent "I'll tell you this; the Yamba Port is going to be developed in exactly the way I'm saying it will," Mr Euen said. "And it's got nothing to do with coal" and Clarence Valley Mayor Richie Williamson was showing his usual fence sitting skills when it comes to Lower Clarence issues "We would welcome responsible and sustainable development and jobs in the Clarence Valley….And any proposal that reflects that should be given due consideration on its merit."

If Clarence Valley Council management or its executive has given Mr. Euen any form of encouragement they have seriously misjudged the aspirations and priorities of the Yamba community.

What Desmond Euen tells the world about himself & his expertise and what the NSW North Coast says about him

Desmond John Thomas Euen asks communities on the NSW North Coast, as well as local and state governments, to accept his stated credentials and expertise in relation to an unsolicited proposal for a Yamba super port and new freight rail network between inland New South Wales and the coast.

So what has Mr. Euen told the world about his business history?

This is Des Euen on Linked in, as accessed on 8 June 2016:

https://au.linkedin.com/in/deseuen

There are a number of claims in this summary written by Mr. Euen:

1. “National Representative for and on behalf Australia's Independent Owner Drivers a position I held until 1991”

It would appear that Des Euen may have been president of an unrecognised union which made the news briefly over twenty years ago.

The Sydney Morning Herald from Sydney, New South Wales · Page 3https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/122594753/

Mar 15, 1990 - Queensland president of the teamsters, Mr Des Euen....

The Teamsters Federation claims to have more than 3,000 members throughout the country. However it is not a recognised union….

A confrontation on the NSW-Queensland border crossings was expected last night as the Transport Workers Union warned that its truck drivers were likely to ignore picket lines set up by the rebel Teamsters Federation.

 2. “During this period I assisted in….the reinstatement of Section 92 (Free Trade between States)”

Oh dear, s92 of the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act was never removed and in need of reinstatement - it remains as it was on 9 July 1900:

92. Trade within the Commonwealth to be free

On the imposition of uniform duties of customs, trade, commerce, and intercourse among the States, whether by means of internal carriage or ocean navigation, shall be absolutely free.

But notwithstanding anything in this Constitution, goods imported before the imposition of uniform duties of customs into any State, or into any Colony which, whilst the goods remain therein, becomes a State, shall, on thence passing into another State within two years after the imposition of such duties, be liable to any duty chargeable on the importation of such goods into the Commonwealth, less any duty paid in respect of the goods on their importation.

There is no evidence that Euen was involved in any of the four matters before the Australian High Court between 1988 and 1991 which specifically addressed Section 92.

3. “In 1991, I founded Interlink Shipping Consultancy Pty Ltd”

The Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) has no online record of a company of that name registered in 1991 or of a similar registered business name. 

There is a record of ISC Pty Limited, registered in February 1993, based in Sydney and deregistered in March 2004. There is also an ISC Pty Ltd registered in November 2006 and currently based in Caboolture and Lutwyche QLD. However historical records show that Des Euen has never been a director, secretary of shareholder in either of these companies.

4. “In 1994, ISC Pty Ltd was merged with Australian Coastal Shipping Ltd”

Australian Coastal Shipping Limited was registered on 10 May 1994 and, by 21 & 22 August 1997 there was a Notification Of Appointment Of Liquidator By The Court (505G) and a Court Order To Wind Up A Company And Appoint A Liquidator (560) recorded by ASIC. The company was finally deregistered on 4 November 2001.

The historical record for this company does not ever list Mr. Euen as either a director, secretary or shareholder.

What Des Euen fails to mention entirely:

Coast-Trans Pty Ltd, formerly Coast Cat Queensland Pty Ltd, registered on 30 April 2002,  Notification Of Appointment Of Liquidator By The Court (505G) recorded by ASIC on 8 November 2004 with this company finally deregistered on 18 December 2004.

Desmond Euen became the sole director, secretary and single shareholder in this $1 company on 30 April 2002 and, except for a two month period in 2002 when an additional director is recorded, remained in these roles until the company was deregistered.

The Courier-Mail,  28 November 2003, page 7:

…..Coast-Trans owner Des Euen said he had decided to name the 360- passenger catamaran Koopa II to "maintain tradition and history".

The Koopa II will arrive early next month from Indonesia and is expected to enter service on December 8, running from Brisbane to Redcliffe, Bribie Island and Mooloolaba.

The Brisbane-Mooloolaba return fare will be $50.

Mr Euen said the vessel would travel at 26 knots, reaching the Sunshine Coast terminus in 3 1/2 hours.

Next year his company would take delivery of a second vessel capable of carrying 450 people at 40 knots. It would be named Doomba II after another bay cruise vessel and also operate to the Sunshine Coast.

The vessels would cost more than $7 million.

Mr Euen said his company hoped to carry some of the 4500 people who commuted daily to Brisbane from the Sunshine Coast.

The Courier-Mail,  26 Dec 2003, page 19:

A NEW high-speed ferry service running between Brisbane, Redcliffe and Bribie Island faces an uncertain future after a rocky maiden voyage.

Refuelling problems meant about 20 passengers were left waiting at the Bongaree jetty at Bribie Island for more than two hours yesterday.

As well, Coast-Trans ferry operator Des Euen is locked in a row with Queensland Transport over access to the jetty.

An angry Mr Euen said the department withdrew permission for Coast-Trans to use the facility at the eleventh hour.

"I have been in discussions with Queensland Transport for more than a year, and no one said, until now, there was a problem," he said.

"I am absolutely astounded."

But a spokeswoman for Transport Minister Steve Bredhauer said Mr Euen was never granted approval to use the jetty.

"The first time he requested use of Bongaree jetty was 11.30am on Christmas Eve," she said.

"Bongaree jetty is managed by Caboolture Shire Council, who say it is not sure whether it is suitable for a commercial venture."

The spokeswoman said proper public consultation would need to be carried out before the facility could be used.

Mr Euen said he had no choice but to berth at the jetty yesterday, defying the department's orders.

"What else could I do, I had to pick up passengers," he said…..

Coast-Trans operations were due to start a fortnight ago, but hold-ups in importing a 40m, $7 million catamaran from Indonesia meant the first voyage was postponed until a chartered catamaran could be brought north from Sydney.

Mr Euen said the 19.58m vessel, which holds up to 220 people, would run daily from South Bank at Brisbane to Bribie Island, via Redcliffe.

An earlier plan to run from Brisbane to Mooloolaba has been shelved.

What the NSW North Coast says about Des Euen and his grand plan.........

The Daily Examiner, 6 June 2016:

The Clarence River is the setting for the towns of Iluka (left) and Yamba (right) contributed

RE: "No plans to expand local port" (Daily Examiner, May 31).

When I started to read this article I had to glance at the top of the page and check the date, just to make sure that it wasn't April 1.

What is it that supplies people like Mr Euen with the abundance of arrogance that is required to feel that they can push through a whacko idea such as that described for Yamba?

Do they - the Des Euens, Clive Palmers and CEOs of coal-seam gas companies - feel that they have some divine right to inflict their nightmare on the populace of locations which are virtually unspoilt, just because they have the financial capability to do so?

Do they wake up in the morning and think: 'Wow! I've got a brilliant idea of how to turn a beautiful part of the country into a steaming pile of industrial crap'?

I didn't move from a major city (two years ago) to paradise (Yamba) in the hope that, maybe within my lifetime I would see the harbour become a major port.

And I am quite sure that there wouldn't be one person living in this area, whether for the past two, 22 or 122 years, who wants to see this happen.

As an aside, it is interesting to see that Mr Euen compares the scale of his nightmare to that of the Snowy River Scheme.

Prior to my retirement I was engaged in work which put me in regular contact with senior personnel from Snowy Hydro and in conversations about the history and engineering of the scheme it became abundantly clear that such a project, if planned today, would never, ever get the required approvals to proceed.

It would be dead in the water before it even started.

Let's hope that Mr Euen's plans also get flushed down the toilet.

Bruce Kennewell, Yamba

Orarariverfella – Braunstone 6 June 2016:

So Mr Kennewell having moved to the area a whole two years ago you think that your personal little fantasy retirement ideal town frozen in time should over-ride the admittedly far fetched but perfectly feasible idea that many before have seriously looked into. Once again it seems self interest and small mindedness will allow the noisy few to stifle any logical and rigorous investigation of any proposal that has merit to drive economic development (oh the horror of that notion) of the Clarence region.
We are in a position today to demand of any large scale proposal that it meet and indeed exceed any environmental restraints and controls that a development on this scale should rightfully, morally and socially have to comply. It just needs a combined will to at the least think about something that's bigger than the few but can succeed and to some degree stem the flow of the young leaving the area giving those that grew up here a viable reason to actually live out their lives and prosper here.

yambaman, 6 June 2016:

What is even more interesting is the lunatic's given address, 5 Shellbach St, Ipswich - Google can't find it for me.
At least they can find his co-Director's address 23 Apple Gum Ct, Robins - pretty disappointing abode for an upwardly mobile businessman.
What a w@nker, while I wish him no personal ill-will, this equally aged but grey-haired NIMBY hopes he drops off the planet before some idiot in government actually takes him seriously!

On Clarence Forum:

John Hagger, 5 June 2016:

$50 buys a whole lot of Advertising in Casino.

Sometimes the pace of the needed changes seems painfully slow.

As a local resident doing their best to ensure Our Valley’s long-term survival, the glacial pace of change can be so incredibly frustrating that it is possible to overlook our achievements to date.

Sometimes support comes from the most unexpected of places.

Des Euen generously provided us with evidence of just how far we have already advanced at the Casino meeting with regard to Yamba Port.

As previously noted, the meeting was poorly attended and most of those present came out of concern or to voice their objections.

In the face of comments and questions from his detractors, Dinosaur Des replied with numerous unwanted and patronising references of ‘darling’ and ‘sweetheart’ aimed at local women.

So extreme was the archaic language and the mega claims of Yamba becoming the largest Port in Australia with matching infrastructure extending like a web across NSW and beyond that I was left wondering why.

Why would anyone so alienate their audience or so anger the People of the towns next door to the intended Port’s construction site?

My guess is that Des the truck driver is being used as a canary in the coalmine by whatever political and financing bodies are really in charge of this dog and pony show.

In exchange for the $50 required to book the 400-seat room at Casino’s RSM:
Des and his mates got to spread their message far and wide plus ticked the box marked Community Consultation.

Just in case any of the Puppet Masters ever get to read this:
Local People have made it clear.
We do Not want to be home to Australia’s largest Port.

Tom Porter, 3 June at 20:06: 

I think I will take a look into Dez Euen's past. I am getting a feeling he could be selling snake oil.

Leigh Barrington:

 Gawd, like days of our lives. Can't wait for the next episode  

Pamela Wickham, 2 June at 08:08:

 Des mentioned things should get a move on within or around 8 weeks eg He said he has invested a huge amount of money into this project and believes in creating jobs and if he does not succeed than he loses millions. 6 June 2016

Carly Woodstock Good. This tool can kiss his millions goodbye. How dare he....

Teresa Eggins Hopefully he loses im sure its not his money anyway

Mat Bell, 2 June at 13:20:

Why the f*uck was there a meeting about yambas future in casino????? [redacted word due to filters in use by some overseas readers]

Teresa Eggins:

 My thought exactly only reason I could think of is that a lot of yamba locals wouldnt know about it or wouldnt be able to attend

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......

Euen denies his unrealistic plan for a "Yamba Super-Port" includes a coal loader or bauxite moving through the port

An short anonymous online snippet under the pen name "Maclean" in The Northern Star on 14 April 2016 included this photograph of Desmond John Thomas Euen (far left) with the Australian Deputy-Prime Minister and MP for New England Barnaby Joyce:

The photograph appears to have been taken at one of the Lismore bowling clubs on an unspecified date and the published snippet (possibly penned by Mr. Euen himself) contained no real details of what the dour former Queensland truck driver told Barnaby Joyce about his personal plan for the small Port of Yamba.

However, a local reader told me on 25 May 2016 that when contacted Des Euen is once again "emphatically" denying there will be any facilities for coal loading in his plan for Yamba and that coal and bauxite will not be going through the port.

He claimed to this local reader that there had never been any plans for a coal loader or for bauxite to move through the port.

Des apparently said “no coal loading facilities”, “no bauxite loading facilities” and “that has always been the case.”

But only one week before his denial at least one version of the invitation to the so-called "summit" in Casino posted online by Euen included the statement: ”The dual capacity of Yamba Port and Pacific West Rail to provide a viable alternative route for the carriage of mineral resources emanating from Northern NSW and the lower section of the Surat Basin".

On 25 May that 4 May 2014 dot point was also still up on the AID Australia Pty Ltd website:

In his presentation to Moree Plains Shire Council on 12 June 2014 Euen is clearly expecting that his proposed rail network will potentially carry ore from the Muswellbrook, Glen Innes and Narromine rail heads to the Port of Yamba:

On 9 February 2015 and again on 26 May 2016 this dot point was sighted by North Coast Voices on the AID Australia Pty Ltd website:

Readers have been tracking some of the text changes Euen makes to the AID Australia website and are of the opinion that reference to a coal port found at http://www.aid-australia.com.au/competitive-edge/ is no longer directly accessible from the 'company' website homepage and is no longer included in the AID Australia's A “Key” Nation Building Infrastructure Plan Summit invitation.

Reference to the possibility that bauxite would be loaded from this new Yamba Super-Port can be found on the Australian Stock Exchange website where a gullible Queensland Bauxite Limited told the world it had been in talks with Mr. Euen.

Des Euen has also given similar assurances (no coal and no gas) to a member of the Clarence Forum:

NOTE: Mayor Richie Willaimson has again denied he supports Euen's port expansion plan.

To be frank, to date in the Lower Clarence there is scant belief in Des Euen's facile assurances about his personal plans for Yamba.

Plans which he has never deigned to publicly present and explain to the Yamba community - perhaps because he is afraid that his grandiose phantasy would be blown out of the water by local knowledge of the Clarence River, its estuary, physical environment and coastal approaches.