Saffin encourages increasing awareness of identity fraud

Media release from the Federal Member for Page on the NSW North Coast:

Page MP Janelle Saffin is encouraging people in her electorate to gauge how well they protect their identity, during National Identity Fraud Awareness Week which runs from 17-23 October 2011. 

“Our community needs to realise just how serious identity crime is and to understand the devastating effects it can have on an individual’s life,” Ms Saffin said.

A survey is available on the Australian Federal Police website as an innovative way of educating the general public on importance of being aware of identity crime.

The survey covers safety tips such as checking ATMs for any signs of tampering before using, shredding bank statements and other documents instead of putting them in the recycling bin, and deleting spam emails from the deleted email folder. 

 “This survey allows members of the public to test how vulnerable they are to identity crime and take remedial measures if they need to,” Ms Saffin said. 

“Many local people contact me about receiving unsolicited phone calls and emails claiming to be from the Australian Tax Office or other Government office seeking bank account details or other personal information.

“I can confirm that no Government department will ever ask people to offer confidential identity or financial information over the telephone.”  said Ms. Saffin.

“I encourage people interested in taking steps to protect their identity to complete the short survey and to also report any suspicious phone calls or contact to SCAMwatch.”

The survey is available at http://www.afp.gov.au/what-we-do/campaigns/national-identity-fraud-awareness-week.aspx.  

To find out more about identity fraud scams and how you can protect yourself from identity crime, visit SCAMwatch or call 1300 795 995.

Nats' candidate for Clarence ... business interests ...???

A search of the facilities provided by the Australian Business Register shows that the name Gulaptis is associated with a number of business entities with the postcode 2463 (Maclean, NSW). A couple of the other names that the Gulaptis name is associated with are, hmmmmm, interesting, to say the least.

Click on image to enlarge

Punters left in dark about Nats' Clarence pre-selection processes

Where was candidate #7? Quite clearly there was no evidence of Cleary.

Leading up to the Nationals' big event yesterday all the reports were that seven hopefuls would face the starter's gun. However, today's Daily Examiner carries a page 3 report "Nats pick Gulaptis" accompanied by a photo of hopefuls. But one thing is missing from the photo, there's no Jason Cleary.
Local punters are asking, "Was he a late scratching? Was he nobbled?"

Source: The Daily Examiner, 17/10/11

In 21st Century Australia the rich get richer and the poor lag behind

Richest households 15% richer

The wealthiest 20% of households have increased their average net worth 15% since 2005-06 (CPI adjusted), while the poorest 20% of households saw only a 4% rise, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

These wealthy households had an average net worth of $2.2 million per household, and accounted for around two-thirds of total household wealth. The poorest 20% of households had an average net worth of $32,000 per household, which accounted for 1% of total household wealth.

The average wealth of an Australian household in 2009-10 was $720,000, up 14% (CPI adjusted) since 2005-06.

There were differences in the average levels of wealth between the states and territories. Average net worth in Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania were below the national average.

Household wealth was more concentrated in metropolitan areas. The average net worth of households located in capital cities was $772,000 as compared with $629,000 in areas outside of capital cities.

Owner-occupied homes were the main asset held by Australians. Mortgages on them were the main liability, with over two-thirds of Australian households owning their own home either outright or with a mortgage.

For households who owned their home outright (2.7 million households), the average value of the home was $541,000. For those households with a mortgage on their home (3 million households), the average value of the home was $521,000, and the average mortgage outstanding was $188,000, giving a net home equity of $333,000.

One in five households owned property other than their own home, including holiday homes and rental properties.

Superannuation was the main financial asset held by households, with three-quarters of all households having some superannuation assets.

For households with superannuation, the average value of their superannuation was $154,000, but for half of these, the value was less than $60,000.

More information can be found in Household Wealth and Wealth Distribution, Australia, 2005-06 (cat. no. 6554.0).

Media notes:
· When reporting ABS data you must attribute the Australian Bureau of Statistics (or the ABS) as the source.

Canute Shire Council tries to turn back the sea

Whiting Beach in happier days

Canute Clarence Valley Shire Council and coastal erosion reported in The Daily Examiner 15^th October 2011:

“THREE metres of sand has eroded this year from Yamba's Whiting Beach sparking fears Hickey Island could again be cut off from the mainland.

This could also potentially leave the $500,000 worth of work on the nearby car park and boat ramp, which is almost complete, at the mercy of Mother Nature.

Last year the aggressive erosion claimed the concrete access steps to the popular beach that sits just inside the Clarence River mouth, near the ocean-exposed Turners Beach.

This left beachgoers having to scramble across a small sand dune to dip their toes in the water.

Clarence Valley Council deputy general manager Des Schroder said the council was aware of the problem and working on contingency strategies to curb the erosion.

The most likely plan of action would be a three-pronged attack using sand, sandbags and adding to the existing breakwall structure in an effort to combat the erosion.

"Our staff, along with the office of the environment, are looking at what we can do there to prevent the erosion," Mr Schroder said.

He said the plan could include pumping sand from the western end of Hickey Island to build up Whiting Beach, building up the T-piece attached to the breakwall designed to divert river currents, and sandbagging to help retain sand on the beach.

Mr Schroder dispelled fears that the erosion could again cut Hickey Island from the mainland, saying it would take five years of severe erosion and no action on the problem for that to happen.

He said there was some evidence to suggest that a change in current direction had contributed to the increased rate of erosion.

"There is a fair bit of evidence this year from the office of environment that the current has subtly changed direction," he said…….”

Clarence By-election: Nationals make the same mistake a second time

The Sydney Morning Herald 16 October 2011:

A former north coast mayor has been selected by the NSW National Party to contest the Clarence state by-election.

Chris Gulaptis beat six other preselection candidates in a ballot on Sunday…....

Mr Gulaptis ran for the Nationals during the 2007 federal election, but failed to win the seat of Page.

The Daily Examiner 16 October 2011:

IN a tightly contested pre-selection this afternoon, Chris Gulaptis was chosen to lead The Nationals to the November 19 by-election for the seat of Clarence.

Nationals spokesman Jeremy Challacombe said the decision was so close it came down to preferences

One has to wonder why the NSW Nationals have mounted a tired horse. The last time Gulaptis stood for mayor he was soundly defeated 6 votes to 3 and, the last time he stood for a federal parliamentary seat 56.5 per cent of Page voters did not give him their primary votes and/or their second, third or fourth preferences.
This man has the ability to take Clarence from an extremely safe Nationals seat to an almost marginal one in the space of weeks.

All that glitters is not gold for NSW North Coast communities

Average industry ATRs as a deviation from the industry-wide ATR
for the period 1995-96 to 2007-08

 Disparities in average rates of company tax across industries

On 10 October 2011 The Daily Examiner published an article Our Valley of riches: Miners homing in on billion-dollar resources.

This article pointed out the fact that Red Sky Energy expected gross revenues of $4 billion from its Clarence Moreton Project, that on today’s gold prices Centius Gold could realize $2.3 billion in revenues and, that Anchor Resources is progressing towards re-opening old workings during a period of record antimony metal prices.

Which might lead one to suppose that the NSW Treasury along with communities on the Dorrigo Plateau and in the Bellingen, Coffs Harbour and Clarence Valley local government areas would see a hefty financial benefit from all this commercial activity.

This is far from the reality of the modern mining industry in Australia.

Not only will the number of mining jobs be small, as Anchor Resources’ admission that it is only looking to create 60 positions to last less than ten years clearly demonstrates, but the bulk of mining profits derived from the projected shaft and open-cut mining may never see taxation applied. So adding little to the O’Farrell Government coffers and thereby giving even less to NSW residents by way of government resources.

In the case of coal seam gas mining specifically, the NSW Government has granted a five year moratorium on the payment of mining royalties. In the matter of gold mining, it will be exempt from the federal proposed mineral resources rent tax no matter how large the profits of individual companies.

As for mining generally; in 2007-08 Australian Taxation Office statistics recorded 4,290 mining companies having combined incomes which totalled $160,323,192,189, which in turn had combined taxable incomes of $29,010,243,407 and net tax actually paid was $8,068,463,15 after all allowed deductions had been made. Mining royalty payments made in that financial year added up to a tax deductible $3,924,902,975.

Of these 4,290 mining companies, there were some who paid no tax at all and these comprised 68.3 per cent of all mining companies. Which means only around 1,360 mining companies Australia-wide paid tax in that year.

How did they do that? Well, there are at least 20 deductions, rebates, concessions, exemptions, offsets etc., available to the mining industry and their combined value is literally worth billions. In 2007-08 the industry total for expenses claimed under R&D concessions alone was $2,508,321,897 and immediate deduction for capital expenditure $3,785,347,506.

It is worth noting that in 2007 the Business Council of Australia in Tax Nation stated: Taxes collected are negative for the mining industry group because as major exporters survey participants reported a significant GST refund which more than offset other taxes collected.

In other words, from all these billions of dollars quarried from mining ventures on the NSW North Coast state government and taxpayers are likely to receive nothing or next to nothing once annual tax returns are lodged.

A state of affairs all candidates in the forthcoming Clarence by-election might like to consider before deciding on what policy position they will take in relation to mining in the environmentally sensitive Nymboida River section of the wider Clarence River catchment area.

It's World Food Day Today, 16 October 2011

It is World Food Day today and it’s no surprise to find that this event is supported by the multinational biotech industry and agricultural sectors which promote GMO crops.

To counteract this I suggest……………………...

Send an email of support to Millions Against Monsanto here.

Sign up for Mothers Against Monsanto weekly newsletter here and join the network here.

Contact your Federal MP and tell him or her that you demand a review of the Australian Government’s position on GMO labelling. Contact details here and here.

Write a letter to the editor of a local newspaper stating how you feel about genetically modified crops and foods.

* This post is part of North Coast Voices' effort to keep Monsanto's blog monitor (affectionately known as Mr. Monsanto) in long-term employment.

Who is Henry Ergas and why did he hop aboard Teh Rabbit's Fright Bus?

Prompted by a tongue-in-cheek Jeremy Sear tweet asking the questions “Where the hell is Henry Ergas pulling this "$1 trillion" figure for the carbon price from? And who is Henry Ergas anyway?” I went looking for answers.

This is Henry:

Pic from The Australian

This is what what Wollongong University has to say about Henry:

Professor Ergas is a well-known regulatory economist who held a range of leading positions at the OECD before returning to Australia in the mid-1990s. He chaired the Australian Intellectual Property and Competition Review Committee for the Australian Government in 1999-2000 and was a member of the Prime Minister’s Export Infrastructure Task Force in 2005 and the Defence Industry Policy Review in 2006. He has published extensively on infrastructure regulation and cost-benefit analysis."

This is what Liberal Party hacks have been saying about Henry:

“evidence before the inquiry by Professor Henry Ergas, the carbon tax will cost the Australian economy more than $1 trillion between now and 2050.”

This is what The Prof tells the Murdoch meeja:

“the carbon tax will cost a year's national income: that is, $1 trillion.”

This is what the Liberal Party’s best mate told the Senate Carbon Tax Inquiry on 10^th August 2011:

“Yes. What is available that Treasury have indeed released, and I congratulate them on doing so, is a spreadsheet that is similar to a spreadsheet that they had released for the CPRS model and that spreadsheet allows you to look at the change in the value of GDP under the base case, as it were, and with the so-called core policy, which is the primary abatement scenario that they model, and also under the so-called high-price scenario, which is where you go for more ambitious abatement. So what you can do, Senator, is you can use that spreadsheet—and you do need to make a number of assumptions—to calculate the value today of the change in GDP under those alternative carbon tax scenarios. To put it in perhaps simplistic terms—but this may help explain what is going on—say that in 2020 GDP would otherwise have been $2 trillion and instead, under the modelling of the core policy, it is $1.8 trillion, and in 2030 it would have been $3 trillion and instead is $2.6 trillion, you can take that difference and express it as if it were a value today. You can bring it back to the present. To do that you have to find some way of adding up amounts at different points in time. You have to take some account of the time value of money. In the calculation that I set out, I used a discount rate—that is, the assumed time value of money, as it were, that is used in the Garnaut report. When you do that, you get a GDP loss that is in the order of somewhere between $890 billion and $1.345 trillion for the core policy scenario. I rounded it to about $1 trillion.”

This is the conclusion he drew for the Business Council of Australia:

The Gillard government's emissions trading scheme poses a $9 billion risk to the already stretched federal budget in its first five years if carbon price estimates prove optimistic

And this is how good an economist ol’ Henry is:

Extracted from ASIC's database at AEST 20:14:00 on 15/10/2011

 

Name	NETWORK ECONOMICS CONSULTING GROUP PTY LTD
ACN	006 819 969
ABN	72 006 819 969
Type	Australian Proprietary Company, Limited By Shares
Registration Date	27/07/1987
Next Review Date	27/07/2010
Status	Deregistered Date Deregistered 21/10/2009
Locality of Registered Office	not available
Jurisdiction	Australian Securities & Investments Commission
Former Name(s)	ERGAS & ASSOCIATES PTY. LTD.
	WATRON PTY. LTD.
Extracted from ASIC's database at AEST 20:41:54 on 15/10/2011

 

Name	CONCEPT ECONOMICS PTY LTD
ACN	129 990 530
Type	Australian Proprietary Company, Limited By Shares
Registration Date	03/03/2008
Next Review Date	03/03/2012
Status	Deregistered Date Deregistered 08/05/2011
Locality of Registered Office	not available
Jurisdiction	Australian Securities & Investments Commission

From Bloomberg Business Week:

Network Economics Consulting Group Pty. Ltd. provides economic and strategic advisory services.

Mr. Henry Ergas Managing Director  

From Manta:

Concept Economics Pty Ltd

Henry Issac Simon Ergas Director

Inevitable conclusion – why on earth would I trust the carbon tax sums done by a Menzies House amigo who apparently couldn’t balance the books of two businesses?

Some advice for polluter: sell a couple of racehorses, pay your bills and get your house in order!

South Grafton abattoir owner Ramsey Food Processing has been found in contempt of court relating to initial charges of polluting waterways in 2008.

On Thursday, Justice Sheahan of the New South Wales Land and Environment Court held the company in contempt of court orders and noted "for the record" that the defendant did not appear at the day's hearing.

Ramsey Food Processing failed to carry out an environmental audit of the abattoir's operation and failed to place notices in local and State newspapers to notify the public.

Justice Sheahan adjourned the contempt proceedings for further hearing on conviction and sentence on December 7 and 8, 2011.

He ordered the defendant to pay the costs of the prosecutor's motion "as agreed or assessed".

Read the full report in today's Daily Examiner here.

Source: The Daily Examiner, 15/10/11

Translation: I really don't like the Nationals pre-selection candidate

One of NSW Nationals preselection candidates in the run up to the Clarence by-election gets a vote of no confidence from one local in a letter to the editor in today’s The Daily Examiner:
I HAVE written a letter that I hope can be published and shared among the people of the Clarence Valley.
This letter has to do with the preselection occurring in the area and may very well help the people of the valley to vote right in order to assure the best, most promising candidate is chosen this weekend.
In 2007, Nationals Party MP Ian Causley retired after serving the party for 11 years. It was then that Chris Gulaptis (local man of Maclean at the time) became the new Nationals candidate.
While Mr Gulaptis was putting up a tough campaign, he still faced a difficult contest from his Labor opponent Janelle Saffin throughout the election.
The November 24, 2007, federal election revealed that Janelle Saffin accumulated more votes than Gulaptis from within the communities and was sure to be the better MP out of the two.
This outcome left many National Party members and supporters extremely disappointed.
During the campaign, Mr Gulaptis made himself well known as a friendly, compassionate and dedicated candidate.
When the announcement came through that Ms Saffin had won the seat and defeated Gulaptis, it wasn't too long before the people of the National Party realised there was another side to their "perfect candidate".
It is only expected that after an election is held, win or lose, that the candidate shows some form of appreciation and gratitude towards his/her members and volunteers - normally an after celebration.
Mr Gulaptis provided nothing for his party.
In fact, for a man who loved the party so much, it proved easy for him to decide that working in politics was no longer of interest to him.
He walked from the Nationals and left the Clarence Valley with his tail between his legs.
It is for that reason Gulaptis sounded like a media clown when he commented: "The Nationals on the North Coast are like a second family to me." The former candidate has always claimed that he relocated to Mackay in 2008 for work reasons.
There, in north Queensland, he had found himself a new career at a surveying firm and became responsible for its management.
It was not his decision to leave that left the people of the Valley saddened, but the shock of how soon it happened after the election.
The people of the Clarence Valley should want their chosen candidate to be somebody who is true to themselves and can be trusted; somebody who will show more concern about the people and the community in which he/she lives than themselves and their reputation. If Chris Gulaptis is appointed to the seat, all we can hope for is that the going never gets tough.
THERESE MANNING,
Maclean

Pic from The Daily Examiner

Saturday's Adult LOL

2010

In the US and in the online adult industry making those DVDs

http://bit.ly/qtaQmd

2011

In Australia with complete memory loss concerning any adult content

http://bit.ly/niRA7X

The Movie Rights Group which obviously thought no-one would notice. LOL.

The Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia prepares to again walk away from truth in labelling

This is the Senate bill:

Food Standards Amendment (Truth in Labelling--Palm Oil) Bill 2010 No. , 2010 (Senators Xenophon and Bob Brown) A Bill for an Act to provide for the accurate labelling of palm oil in food, and for related purposes

                                                                                                                           

This is the disappointing response:

Advisory report on the Food Standards Amendment (Truth in Labelling—Palm Oil) Bill 2011, House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics, September 2011

Here is the membership of the committee which produced this report:

Chair Ms Julie Owens MP

Deputy Chair Mr Steven Ciobo MP

Members Mr Scott Buchholz MP

Mr Stephen Jones MP

Dr Andrew Leigh MP

Ms Kelly O'Dwyer MP

Mr Craig Thomson MP

Supplementary Mr Adam Bandt MP

Members Mr Bruce Billson MP

Mr Shayne Neumann MP

Ms Laura Smyth MP

And this is who suffers:

Photograph from The Age in 2007

Clarence By-election 2011 date set

Voters in the northern electorate will return to the polls on November 19 after the resignation last month of Nationals MP Steve Cansdell.

GILLARD AND SWAN ARE LYING COMMUNIST TRAITORS !!!!

The crazy Abbott Army at play.............

The Daily Examiner Beyond 'fair comment' 13 October 2011:

It did not take long after the Gillard Government had the carbon tax legislation passed by the House of Representatives yesterday for the rednecks to stick their heads up. Many would have had their bile-filled commentaries ready to hit the blogosphere even before the legislation went through.

Here's an edited extract of an email sent to me by someone who claims to be William Jones with an email address communistfighter@gmail.com.

First the headline, as was written: "GILLARD AND SWAN ARE LYING COMMUNIST TRAITORS !!!!"

Then: "ELECTION NOW !!!!!!!

"CIVIL UNREST AND RIOTS IN THE STREETS ARE NOW ASSURED !!

"YOU AR...OLE COMMUNISTS HAVE BROUGH THIS HELL ON YOURSELVES !!!!!!!

"DIE YOU F.....G C...S !!!!!!!!!!"

It's all well and good to disagree with governments and government decisions. That is a healthy part of democracy.

But to stoop to gutter language, abuse and thinly veiled threats of rioting and civil unrest has no place in the Australian political discourse.

Then there was this from someone who goes by the name of Prakein Woldnomish, again with some of more extreme language deleted.

"F..K OFF AND DIE YOU PIECE OF S..T SENILE COMMUNIST !DIE YOU .... !"

We've always had lunatics commenting on political issues.

The difference this time is this shows every sign of being orchestrated and funded by wealthy third parties with powerful connections.

But they are not getting it all their own way. Here's one of the responses from a recipient of those emails: "Do you really think the use of block capitals (in red), multiple exclamation marks and the use of the most vile profanities adds intellectual weight to your spittle-flecked, conspiratorial rubbish?

"Please take me off your mailing list - my IQ drops a few points every time I accidentally open one of your offensive missives."

Hear, hear.

The Sydney Morning Herald 13 October 2011:

The Liberal Party's official website yesyterday ran comments calling Ms Gillard "Madam Hitler" and calling on readers to "shoot the f---ing bitch".

Excerpts from the House of Representatives Hansard on Wednesday 12 October 2011 between 14:19 and 16:30 concerning the actions of certain people sitting in the public gallery:

An incident having occurred in the gallery—

An incident having occurred in the gallery—

An incident having occurred in the gallery—

An incident having occurred in the gallery—

An incident having occurred in the gallery—

The SPEAKER (15:25): Order! Everybody will sit down. I was not going to respond to the Leader of the House's question but, encouraged by everybody who has to have a comment, if you want me to investigate this morning, I will investigate this morning—but have the decency to get up and put your name to that question. And remember that the gallery where that occurred this morning is the public gallery. The difference is that the gallery where it occurred this afternoon is a gallery where people get allocated tickets that have been asked for by members. I would hope that some people would adopt some care about raising these issues without understanding what has happened both today, possibly, and previously. There is a responsibility on members who sign guests into this place, and from time to time members are reminded of those responsibilities. Quite correctly, not much public attention is given to that, so please tread carefully. All I am saying is that there is a responsibility on those who sign people in for their behaviour.

http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/newsradio/audio/20111012questionreps.mp3

Abbott's Army in Action -video

Frank Walker in 2010 - background of an email pest

Biosecurity: a lesson begging to be learned

With free trade agreements placing so much pressure on Australia’s biosecurity regimes, it is well to remember that failure to stop the introduction and spread of agricultural pests and diseases is often the norm elsewhere.

CBS News 10 October 2011:

FRESNO, Calif. - Dozens of foreign insects and plant diseases slipped undetected into the United States in the years after 9/11, when authorities were so focused on preventing another attack that they overlooked a pest explosion that threatened the quality of the nation's food supply.

At the time, hundreds of agricultural scientists responsible for stopping invasive species at the border were reassigned to anti-terrorism duties in the newly formed Homeland Security Department — a move that scientists say cost billions of dollars in crop damage and eradication efforts from California vineyards to Florida citrus groves.

The consequences come home to consumers in the form of higher grocery prices, substandard produce and the risk of environmental damage from chemicals needed to combat the pests.

An Associated Press analysis of inspection records found that border-protection officials were so engrossed in stopping terrorists that they all but ignored the country's exposure to destructive new insects and infections — a quietly growing menace that has been attacking fruits and vegetables and even prized forests ever since.

"Whether they know it or not, every person in the country is affected by this, whether by the quality or cost of their food, the pesticide residue on food or not being able to enjoy the outdoors because beetles are killing off the trees," said Mark Hoddle, an entomologist specializing in invasive species at the University of California, Riverside.

Homeland Security officials acknowledge making mistakes and say they are now working to step up agricultural inspections at border checkpoints, airports and seaports.

A Crikey whistle-blower bites the dust?

On 9^th December 2010 an Executive Level 2 public servant went on leave until late January 2011.

On 22^nd December 2010 Crikey in its Tips and rumours segment published this:

“Climate Change in debt… The Department of Climate Change is planning a major debt recovery program in the New Year to recover hundreds of millions of dollars rorted under the Household Insulation Program/Low Emmission Assistance Program for Renters, and rescue packages including the Insulation Industry Assistance Program. The Department continues to mismanage not only the primary pink batts program, but all subsequent rescue programs as well at Australian taxpayers’ expense.
The Department is facing multi-million dollar lawsuits in which it does not have the capital to cover. Maybe this is the reason for Prime Minister Gillard appointing Dr Parkinson from the Department of Climate Change to the new role of Treasury Secretary to fund the bail-out.
…and sub-contracts training. The Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency sub-contracts Price Waterhouse Coopers to manage the Home Insulation Safety and Rectification programs. Price Waterhouse Coopers sub-contract CSR Bradfords and United Group Limited to conduct inspections and rectifications of houses who had insulation installed under the failed pink batts program.
The Department is paying all training costs of CSR Bradfords staff to be trained as Home Insulation Safety Inspectors but not funding any component of United Group Limited contractors to undertake the same training. How much is the training costing the Australian tax payer and why the inequity in funding arrangements favouring one commercial organsiation over another?
And pink batts still cause grief. Almost 12 months after the Department of Climate Change cancelled its failed pink batts program installers are still no closer to finalising their affairs. Some businesses have gone into liquidation, losing everything they have, while others have resorted to other more desperate means by attempting to take their own lives (which the Department is well aware of). Still the Department mismanages the clean-up of this disastrous insulation program. Not that you would know with a number of executives in the Department responsible for the program getting performance bonuses, awards or promotions as a result of their participation.”
There was another mention of the department in Tips and rumours on 10^th January 2011.

On 30^th January 2011 this public servant lost his job and on 7^th June 2011 his dismissal from the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency was confirmed in a decision by Fair Work Australia. On 16^th September 2011 an appeal of this decision was dismissed.

Crikey was mentioned almost in the same breath as “potential breaches of the Australian Public Service (APS) Code of Conduct”. It seems Now with extra source has a dangerous ring to it if you want to walk those departmental corridors.

O'Farrell Government admits heavy metal contamination in NSW North Coast waterways will last for millions of years.....

…….as it prepares to allow the reactivation of the Hillgrove antimony mine which is the focus of much of this contamination and, looks favourably on the prospect of the re-opening of another old antimony mine at Wild Cattle Creek in the Nymboida River system within the wider Clarence River catchment.

NSW Parliament Legislative Council Hansard 8 September 2011:

The Hon. GREG PEARCE: I have to make an admission: the Government helped the Hon. Jeremy Buckingham with his question. That is why it is comprehensible and I am able to answer it. The Office of Environment and Heritage was notified that stormwater was overflowing from a dam at the Hillgrove mine, east of Armidale, at 11.45 a.m. on Monday 29 August 2011. The mine is currently not operating but is in care-and-maintenance mode. The spill occurred after continued wet weather produced excess stormwater which exceeded the amount of water that could be stored in the dam. When the mine is operating the stormwater normally would have been used for mineral processing.

As a result, staff of the Office of Environment and Heritage in Armidale notified NSW Health, the Premier's regional coordinator and, subsequently, Kempsey Shire Council and appropriate district emergency officers, and began an investigation into the incident. Run-off from goldmines can contain heavy metals. Therefore, both the company Straits (Hillgrove) Gold Pty Ltd and NSW Health undertook water quality monitoring to provide information to inform the appropriate response. I am advised that historic mining from more than 100 years ago and erosion of highly mineralised soils have deposited a plume of material containing heavy metals in the river system from the Hillgrove area to the Pacific Ocean, an area of approximately 200 kilometres. That is quite a plume. I am further advised that the plume will continue to release elevated levels of heavy metals through physical, biological and chemical processes for millennia. [my bolding]

The response from Clarence Valley residents was predicably firm, as evidenced by this opinion piece written by The Daily Examiner editor on 12 October 2011:

Digging up dirt on mine

 “The spill occurred after continued wet weather produced excess stormwater which exceeded the amount of water that could be stored in the dam.”

THE NSW Minister for Finance, Greg Pearce, may have inadvertently rung an enormous alarm bell for Clarence Valley residents with comments last month about the Hillgrove antimony mine, east of Armidale.

Mr Pearce, who represents the environment minister in the Upper House, was asked by Greens MLC Jeremy Buckingham what the government was doing to ensure a proposed antimony mine at Wild Cattle Creek did not pollute the Nymboida River.

Mr Buckingham said there had been evidence of contamination from the Hillgrove mine and wanted to know what was being done to prevent contamination of the Nymboida or further contamination of the Macleay from the existing pollution.

Mr Pearce initially shrugged off the question, suggesting he didn’t understand what Mr Buckingham was asking.

But later he returned and said: “The Office of Environment and Heritage was notified that stormwater was overflowing from a dam at the Hillgrove mine, east of Armidale, at 11.45am on Monday, August 29, 2011. The mine is currently not operating but is in care-and-maintenance mode. The spill occurred after continued wet weather produced excess stormwater which exceeded the amount of water that could be stored in the dam.”

“I am advised that historic mining from more than 100 years ago and erosion of highly mineralised soils have deposited a plume of material containing heavy metals in the river system from the Hillgrove area to the Pacific Ocean, an area of approximately 200km. That is quite a plume. I am further advised that the plume will continue to release elevated levels of heavy metals through physical, biological and chemical processes for millennia.”

Mr Pearce, we want absolute guarantees there will be no leaching of toxins into the Nymboida and subsequently the Clarence, and if that means no mining, so be it.

Photo of Greg Pearce from NSW Parliament House Full Ministry in Both Houses webpage

This Japanese Minister just told Australia to Get Farked!

Japan Broadcasting Corporation:

“Fisheries minister Michihiko Kano says Japan will resume research whaling in the Antarctic Ocean this year with strengthened defenses against anti-whaling campaigners.
Speaking at a news conference after a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Kano said a patrol boat of the Fisheries Agency will this time join the whaling vessels. He said research whaling will be conducted with increased protection against obstructions.
In February, Japan suspended whaling in the Antarctic Ocean after repeated disruptions by the anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd. 4 whalers had been operating in the Antarctic since December 2010 and were due to continue until April this year.
Kano said Japan aims to resume commercial whaling and that it needs to continue research whaling for that purpose.
He said Japan would appeal for a restart of commercial operations at the International Whaling Commission by continuing accurate monitoring of whale stocks through scientific whaling.”

Planting carbon price opinions on the Parliament House lawns in October 2011

In the real world....

In the digital world....

Want to make your mark?

Go to Say Yes Australia

Click on images to enlarge