Tuesday 12 July 2011
Are those eager water raiders beginning to shape shift?
On 8 July 2011 The Daily Examiner again addressed the subject of mining exploration in the Clarence River catchment in journalist Terry Deefholt's article Gold mine plan causes concern:
PLANS to build open-cut gold mines in the steep terrain and high rainfall areas of the Orara Valley and near the Little Nymboida River have raised the concerns of well-known Clarence Valley campaigner Judith Melville.
Some of the old gold mine areas targeted are near world heritage-listed rainforest, some is farmland and some is state forest.....
“The mining boom has led to an increase in exploration pressures in the Clarence catchment and I have serious concerns over the potential impacts on catchment water and the level of water required to successfully run these mines,” she said......
Ms Melville described the State Government's regulations on tailings dams as woefully inadequate, referring to a Dam Safety Committee document which outlines how mine owners had to self-assess the risk to public safety from their tailings dams.
She said even a minor spill of mercury or arsenic into the water system could have a major impact.
“It's about perception ... can you imagine how quick Sydney restaurants would stop buying Clarence seafood if there was a perception of contamination?”
She also expressed concern about water usage.
“A thumbnail guide is that processing a tonne of ore requires a tonne of water,” Ms Melville said.
“What happens in a low-flow regime? Are we going to have less water coming in to support a healthy estuary because these companies want to operate all year round.”
Centius Gold's managing director John Slade said the company would conduct aerial magnetic surveys of the Bobo area (south-west of Grafton) in the next couple of weeks with plans to commence drilling shortly after, if the surveys stood up.
Mr Slade said it could take five years of planning, environmental impact statements and decision making before drilling led to a mine.
He said the company would not need to negotiate with any landholders in the next five years because there was enough prospect of gold in state forest areas.
As to concerns about mine tailings, including arsenic, reaching river systems, Mr Slade said the company's gold mining operations “don't touch the water table” unlike coal seam gas.
He said water used to extract gold was pumped into tailings dams unconnected to river systems and the water evaporated over time.
He said the high rainfall of the area would need to be taken into account when planning the size of tailings dams.
An independent geologist's report contained in an Anchor Resources prospectus rates the processing risk of a Bielsdown mine (about 15km north of Dorrigo) as “moderate to high”.
“The mineralisation at Bielsdown contains some mercury, which may be difficult to eliminate from antimony concentrates. If the mercury level in concentrates is too high it could render them unsaleable,” the report said.
A prospectus from Altius mining states the Karangi exploration licence covers at least 150 old gold mines, most of which closed early last century.
“The high grades mined would indicate that there is a strong possibility of developing a number of open-cut mining projects,” the prospectus says.
Monday 11 July 2011
I hear'd it wiv mine own liddle ears - Abbott was counting out loud again
Tones the Terrible Abbott was in full flight for the meeja yesterday and opined that a couple with one child under 4 years and a single annual income of $65,000 would be worse off under a carbon tax by the Gillard Government's own calculations.He was reported in print for posterity; "Mr Abbott pointed to Government documents, featuring cameos of how changes will affect people, showing that a single income family on $65,000 with a child under five years is worse off."
What Tones didn't say was that after a Clean Energy income supplement once the carbon price kicks in, ongoing tax concessions and probably a lump-sum payment in mid 2012, this family would only be out of pocket $43 a year at most or 82 cents a week after March 2013.
The sky's falling!
Even Teh Oz was forced to point out the obvious "82 cents a week", but couldn't quite bring itself to say the words "less than the price of a cup of coffee".
Cartoon from laberal
Sunday 10 July 2011
Carbon Tax: Independent Retirees, Carers, Centrelink/Veterans Affairs pension recipients & the compensation package
Before all renting pensioners living on the NSW North Coast go into a state of shock on hearing the news that the Carbon Price Mechanism announced today will see electricity prices rise by an estimated 10% in 2013 above price rises already experienced in 2011-12; let me say that the fortnightly increase in the pension from March 2013 (as well as the one-off advance payment in May-June 2012) will be quarantined from the base pension and therefore should not be calculated in any rent increase if they are living in NSW Dept of Housing or community housing accommodation.
Earlier today the Labor Member for Page, Janelle Saffin, kindly clarified the fact that these new payments will not be included in the base pension.
This fortnightly increase will be indexed to the CPI once the carbon price is implemented.
The existing fortnightly Pension Supplement which includes the Utilities Allowance (covering electricity/gas/phone/internet subsidies) is already indexed.
According to www.cleanenergyfuture.gov.au on 10 July 2011:
Pension increases
Age pensioners will be eligible for household assistance that at least offsets all of their expected average price rises under a carbon price.
Age pensioners (including part-rate pensioners) will receive assistance equal to a 1.7 per cent increase in the maximum rate of pension. This is an annual increase of up to $338 for singles, and $255 for each member of a couple.
Assistance to pensioners will be automatic and will start before the carbon price starts, through an advance payment of $250 for singles, and $190 for each member of a couple paid in May-June 2012.
From March 2013, assistance will be delivered through extra fortnightly payments.
This assistance builds on the Government’s pension reforms which have seen the age pension increase by $128 per fortnight for single pensioners and $116 per fortnight for pensioner couples on the maximum rate, since September 2009.
Veterans will receive assistance through service pensions and other payments such as disability pensions and war widow/widower pensions.
Support for self-funded retirees
Self-funded retirees who hold a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card will receive the same amount of assistance as age pensioners.
This will be worth $338 for singles and $255 for each eligible member of a couple.
Self-funded retirees may also benefit from new tax cuts.
Combined with increases to the Senior Australians tax offset, a single person over 65 with taxable income of $35,000 will get tax cuts of $502 per year from 1 July 2012.
They would also receive an additional benefit thanks to an increase in the Medicare levy low-income threshold, providing an extra $160.
Support for aged care residents and providers
Arrangements will be introduced to ensure that assistance is shared fairly between aged care residents and providers.
Aged care providers bear many costs for their residents, including electricity, and will receive around half of the assistance paid through the age pension. Age pensioners living in aged care will receive the balance of the payment, to help them with increases in their other costs of living.
Disability Support Pension and Carer Payment increases
People who receive the Disability Support Pension or the Carer Payment will be eligible for household assistance that at least offsets the expected average price impact under a carbon price.
Pension payments will increase by an amount equal to 1.7 per cent of the maximum rate. This will be an increase of up to $338 for singles, and $255 for each member of a couple.
Assistance will be automatic and will start before the carbon price with an advance payment in May-June 2012 which will provide assistance to cover the first nine months of the carbon price. Fortnightly payments will increase from March 2013.
People with essential medical equipment needs
People holding a Commonwealth concession card who have high home energy costs because they rely on essential medical equipment will also be able to claim the Essential Medical Equipment Payment of $140 through Centrelink. This is in addition to their other assistance.
This extra payment is to ensure they do not incur extra costs for using their medical equipment under a carbon price.
Anyone else wanting information about how the new climate change policy will affect them can go to www.cleanenergyfuture.gov.au and Treasury economic modelling.
Graph found at Peter Martin's blog.
Lifestyle Resorts Australia spins its financial woes
Lifestyle Resorts Australia Pty Ltd - the Queensland-based company that owns the Oyster Cove Resort and whose approach to development has over the years caused a great deal of annoyance to homeowners in adjacent residential development in Yamba - has gone into receivership recently.
In 2010 this resort was also the subject of tenant dissatisfaction with regards to maintenance and safety issues.
According to The Daily Examiner on 7 July 2011:
Residents received letters this week from the parent company, Lifestyle Resorts, saying the senior living complex had been placed in the hands of receivers.
Lifestyle Resorts chief executive officer Sally Morrison said yesterday trading conditions were difficult, as they were for many companies around the world, but the aim was to try to trade out of financial trouble.
She said she wanted to assure residents their tenancies would continue as normal.
"A change of ownership does not affect the rights of tenants," she said.
"The important thing for residents to realise is that, for them, things will not change.
"People can become concerned when this sort of thing happens, but they have no reason to be."
She said a decision was made last week to appoint receivers Deloitte following meetings with the company's bankers.
Lifestyle Resorts has 186 occupied properties at Oyster Cove and has operated the complex for the past eight years.
Residents own their dwellings, but have a long-term tradeable lease over the land.
It has similar resorts on the Gold Coast and in Rockhampton. The Rockhampton facility, which has 140 properties, 119 of which are still available, is undergoing expansion.
In a letter to residents, director, Bob Morrison, said it was business as usual as per the terms of the site agreement.
"The receivership is to allow Lifestyle Resorts to continue to operate and ensure a continuity of service to you as a resident," he said. "All facility maintenance services will continue as normal with the same staff attending to your community."
Rather oddly, as of 8 July this was not news the company appeared willing to share with readers of its promotional website where it seems all is rosy in the garden still.
However the website is careful to make this claim:
Lifestyle Resorts Australia Pty Ltd makes no representations about the accuracy or suitability of the information or links provided on its web pages. Without limitation, this extends to any market research or commentary contained in this website.
It wasn’t that many years ago that Lifestyle Resorts Australia was telling the world that; The company has sold residential product totaling $70 million across six resorts, from northern NSW to central Queensland.
Apparently its white shoes are now sadly scuffed and down at heel these days.
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