Departing Yamba business cries "Blue Murder"

The main topic of discussion around Yamba's central business district at present is the signage tenants of a commercial property in the town's main street placed in the front window of their business.

The business, which is a healthy food outlet with an A-1 reputation for providing five-star products, will close at the end of the month.

Locals and visitors who saw the signs were gob-smacked. They were astonished the business felt it had to resort to such a tactic to demonstrate the extent to which factors beyond its control were responsible for the business closing.

Apparently, the signs in the shop's window didn't muck around. Allegations were made about greedy landlords (the $ amount of rent for the premises was shown), high costs of utilities and costs imposed on the business by government.

Also, it's said the signs named names, businesses and levels of government which are allegedly involved in the high rents and charges imposed on the business.

The bottom line: another well-supported business departs the local scene due to the burdens of overheads imposed upon it.

Footnote: the building housing the healthy food outlet that's about to close recently lost another tenant from the premises next door; that business specialised in what Yamba's renowned for, its fresh seafood.

Yet another scam targeting pensioners and other welfare recipients

Media Release
TANYA PLIBERSEK MP
Minister for Human Services
Minister for Social Inclusion

Friday, June 17, 2011

Warning of scammers posing as Centrelink workers
The Federal Government is warning people to be wary of a new Nigerian-like scam where victims are asked to transfer money to someone claiming to be a Centrelink employee.
Minister for Human Services Tanya Plibersek today said several recent reports have emerged of customers being asked to transfer several hundred dollars to an account in India in order to facilitate a substantial return payment.
“We have received several reports of people making phone calls claiming customers will receive a large Centrelink payment when they transfer several hundred dollars to a designated bank account,” said Ms Plibersek.
“People should be aware that claims made by callers of large sums of money being available in exchange for payments are a scam and they should not cooperate.”
“Centrelink never asks its customers to transfer funds and I urge people not to send money to anyone they don’t know.”
Ms Plibersek said recent months reports of people being targeted by scammers purporting to be Centrelink workers have occurred in West Australia, South Australia, Tasmania and Queensland.
The most recent report of the scam occurred in West Australia when a man was asked to transfer $300 to India in return for $3,000. In another recent call an elderly Queenslander was asked to send $800 through Western Union in return for $3,000.
The scam is similar to the so-called “Nigerian 419 scam” where people are contacted by email or letter and asked to transfer money to assist in the release of funds for a substantial “reward.”
“Unscrupulous people who perpetrate scams often target the most vulnerable in the community such as the elderly and people from non-English speaking backgrounds.”
“I urge anyone who suspects they have received a scam phone call to make a note of the details including the time and date of the call, the gender and accent of the caller and what the caller said.”
Ms Plibersek said people who received such calls should report them to the Australian Government’s fraud tip-off line on 13 15 24.
Information about scams can also be found at www.scamwatch.gov.au

Media contact Minister Plibersek’s office: Simon Crittle 0466 773 531

Saffin invites Inquiry Into The Operation Of The Insurance Industry During Disaster Events to hear evidence on the NSW North Coast

Media release from the office of Janelle Saffin, Federal Labor MP for Page, on Thursday 16 June 2011:

PAGE MP Janelle Saffin has welcomed a new inquiry into how the insurance industry responds to natural disasters, including floods, storms and bushfires regularly experienced by Northern Rivers residents.

Ms Saffin has wasted no time in inviting the House of Representatives Standing Committee Chair, Graham Perrett MP, to hold public hearings in her electorate during the second half of this year.

“Our region is frequently affected by floods, storms and bushfires, sometimes several times a year, and there always is a mountain of paper work and phone calls for policy-holders to navigate,” she said.

“Some of my constituents have been less than satisfied with their insurance companies’ handling of claims or unacceptably long delays in having those claims assessed and finalised.

“This new inquiry will provide the insurance industry and consumers will an opportunity to make submissions on how the system can be streamlined or improved.”

The inquiry will examine the insurance industry in respect to extreme weather events, which due to Climate Change, are becoming more common.

It will consider:

· The information provided to consumers about claims processing arrangements.

· The timeliness of claims processing.

· The impact of third-party consultants on timeframes for claims processing, and

· External and internal dispute resolution processes.

Ms Saffin urged policy-holders who had made a disaster-related claim in the past five years to participate in the Committee’s on-line survey by visiting www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/spla/insurance/index.htm

Full terms of reference for the inquiry can also be found at this website. Individuals and organisations are invited to make submissions to the inquiry by Friday, July 15, 2011.

----------------------------

This Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs inquiry is also conducting an online survey:

To gauge community concerns relating to this inquiry, the Committee is conducting an online survey. The survey is targeting members of the community who have made a disaster-related claim on their insurance policies in the last 5 years.

Tell us about your experience of dealing with insurance companies in relation to disaster-related claims here.

Another non-event on the night

It is almost a certainty that if a spectacular night-time celestial event is about to take place (be it comet, meteor shower or total lunar eclipse) then the night skies over northern NSW coastal estuaries will seriously cloud over.
Last Wednesday night and early Thursday morning were no exception.

Here is a little taste of what places like Mt. Gambier in South Australia saw on the night

This is what Yamba, Iluka and many other Northern Rivers villages saw as the Moon turned red

Still, one must be thankful for Nature's wayward mercies. At least it has stopped raining for the moment.

Google live feed of 15-16 June 2011 lunar eclipse on now

http://youtu.be/UgUieQsR4YI

Oh, the gall of the man!

"Legislation to cap public sector wage increases at 2.5 per cent passed the Upper House yesterday and is expected to be finalised in the Lower House this afternoon."
Premier Barry O'Farrell's announced "the cap will also apply to him and all other state MPs."
Yeah, and pigs will take to the air in squadrons.
Does the Grand Poo Bah of the State Coalition Government think that we eejit voters don't realise that an act of Parliament sets NSW MPs basic wage at $500 less than that awarded to Federal MPs and that these two wages rise in tandem.
I'm sure we've not forgotten that the cream in these remuneration packages are in the extra salaries for offices held (along with expense allowances) which in Bazza's case tops up his $136,140 basic parliamentary salary by at least another $189k. And that's without his electoral allowance thrown in.
Just as I'm sure that the average public hospital nurse, teacher, ambulance officer or fireman will be most unimpressed by this hypocritical 'wage restraint' of Bazza's part.
How much does a full-time registered nurse earn again? That's right - around $72k per year. Public school teachers get a bit less.
And a full-time assistant in nursing? Well he or she gets about $45,445 annually.
Somehow I think pegging their wage increases will have more effect on their personal hopes and dreams than Bazza's pretend salary cap on have on his life after politics in the private sector.

Pic from ABC NEWS

Where's the blinkin' taxi stand at Yamba Fair?

If you happen to shop regularly at the Westlawn Property Trust’s Yamba Fair shopping centre(the only one of its kind in the Lower Clarence)one of the first things you notice is the number of people who arrive at its front door on foot and also the number of people who wait outside for a taxi to take them and their many shopping bags home.

It’s bad enough that over the years Westlawn’s attempts to upgrade the centre has seen verandas installed which neither shade nor shelter and one walkway with such a slope to the parking lot surface that shopping trolleys develop a will of their own and drag older shoppers into the path of moving cars; but what really irks is the lack of a dedicated taxi putdown and pickup space.

Trying to load the family shopping into the boot of a taxi while keeping an eye out for cars impatiently nudging past the stationary cab is one stressor too many on a busy day.

When is Westlawn going to consider the needs of regular Yamba Fair patrons? After all they contribute to the fact that the Trust draws at least $1.9 million in rent annually from the shopping centre.

Anony-mice

Yamba