NSW North Coast editor comments on plans to mine antimony

From A Clarence Valley Protest.

Comment by David Bancroft, Editor, The Daily Examiner, Page 10, 27 October 2011:

Digging up mining dirt

MANY readers will be tempted to look at who is issuing the warning about antimony mining in our page three story today and not at what they are saying. That would be a mistake because what is being said has real substance.
Greens upper house member Jeremy Buckingham is clearly deeply concerned about the risks posed to Wild Cattle Creek and the Nymboida and Clarence rivers from proposed antimony and gold mining in the Wild Cattle Creek and Dorrigo plateau areas.
As we have said in this space previously, the consequences of a pollution spill during mining operations would have dire consequences for the Clarence and Coffs Harbour water supplies as well as the beef, dairy, fishing, horticulture and tourism industries of the Clarence Valley.
The ABC's 7.30 Report last Friday illustrated what can happen when the holding ponds of an antimony mine overflow.
It showed the Hillgrove mine, near Armidale, more than 100km from the coast. It has leaked contaminants into the Macleay River system and there are now exaggerated levels of pollutants from Hillgrove to the sea. Environment Minister Robyn Parker has already told parliament that pollution will be evident for "millennia".
Authorities are giving conflicting advice on the impact, on one hand saying there is no health threat to humans and on the other advising residents the water is unfit to drink.
Can you imagine what the impact on the tourism industry alone would be from the publicity that would surround pollution of the Clarence?
And it is just one of the industries that face potentially disastrous consequences from heavy metal mining.
We should not dismiss the prospect of mining out of hand because of the environmental risks - mining is essential.
But before we consider an application with such risks we should be absolutely certain we are not going to put long-term industries at risk for a relatively short-term gain.

Also Green's contamination fears by David Bancroft,  27 October 2011.

Where will this coal seam mining water come from and where will this waste water go?

The Greens Jeremy Buckingham (in the media release below) begins to touch on the problem of waste water disposal, but on the NSW North Coast with its highly variable river flows perhaps the first question should be – Which river systems will these mining companies raid to get all this water?

Particularly since Metgasco has commenced its operations in the Casino district, with  Red Sky Energy not be far behind and the gold and antimony miners tagging along behind them.

Minister Hartcher dodges questions on coal seam gas

28 October 2011

Greens mining spokesperson Jeremy Buckingham, criticised the Minister for Resources and Energy, Chris Hartcher for dodging legitimate questions on coal seam gas at today’s Estimates Committee hearing.
Rather than answer a question about how coal seam gas operations would deal with millions of litres of saline waste water, the Minister chose to dispute whether the industry would really produce such a volume of waste water.
The National Water Commission position paper on coal seam gas (Dec 2010) says 7.5 trillion litres could be produced:
“Current projections indicate the Australian CSG industry could extract in the order of 7,500 gigalitres of co-produced water from groundwater systems over the next 25 years, equivalent to around 300 gigalitres per year.” (http://www.nwc.gov.au/resources/documents/Coal_Seam_Gas.pdf)
“Rather than deal with a serious question about coal seam gas waste water, the Minister chose to dodge the question,” said Greens MP Jeremy Buckingham.
“Minister Hartcher characterised many legitimate concerns about coal seam gas as ‘wildly speculative statements’ rather than tell the hearing what the government policy was in terms of dealing with coal seam gas related waste water or waste salt.
“Clearly the campaign against coal seam gas has got under the skin of Mr Hartcher, and he decided to play the man and not the ball, which is unfortunate given that the issue of coal seam gas is of serious concern in the community.
“Given the government has announced a ban on evaporation ponds, Minister Hartcher should stop playing politics and tell the public what policies the government will put in place to deal with the millions of litres of waste water that would result from the development of a coal seam gas industry in NSW.
(Jeremy Buckingham MLC, media release, October 28, 2011)

What one local thinks of the O'Farrell Government health centre funding offer

One local responding to this article:

By EmmaB from Yamba on 25/10/2011

This meager funding offer by the O'Farrell Government is little more than a confidence trick. If the Yamba community were to cast its mind back to not so long ago, it would recall that the Area Health Service CEO stated that if the building were to be established it would only be staffed when money from within the health service's existing budget could be identified and that full staffing of a community health centre would take a number of years at least.
All Yamba would ever see for probably a decade is the few existing health services operating out of Treelands Drive Community Centre transferred to the new building.
Skinner is offering to partly fund a white elephant and it is no accident that she makes this statement in the lead up to the Clarence by-election.
What a hollow sham!

151st Melbourne Cup - 3pm 1st November 2011 - radio & tv links

Archer - winnner of the 1861 and 1862 Melbourne Cup

Emirates Melbourne Cup Day - official website

The $6.175 million Melbourne Cup is a 3200m race run at 3pm on the first Tuesday of November and is the richest prize in Australian sport.

Quick links

Details

Fields and form  

ABC Radio live streaming Melbourne Cup Coverage - 8.30am (AEDT)

Channel 7 TV live cover from Flemington Race Course

Yahoo ful coverage here

Melbourne Cup Field at a glance here

YouTube - Flemington Race Course Channel for a recap

O'Farrell Government exposes itself as a ship of fools

The Hon Robyn Parker, Minister for the Environment, and Minister for Heritage, exposes the level of her incompetence concerning matters affecting the NSW North Coast.NSW Parliament Legislative Council Environment and Heritage Committee - Estimates Hearing, 27 October 2011

A little more of Stuart Ramsey's business history gets an airing

In a letter to the editor in The Daily Examiner on 26th October 2011, a little more of Stuart Ramsey’s business history gets an airing:
Grafton will lose a part of its history
AS A 13-year-old, my father uprooted our family and we moved to Grafton so that he could run and manage the Grafton abattoir under the company name of the Victorian-based Gilbert & Sons. He managed the Grafton Meatworks for the next 25 years, which made fantastic profits and provided lucrative wages for the hard work endured.
It started to go south when Gilbert & Sons' companies were struggling financially with their Victorian plants and unfortunately the Grafton abattoir was under the same umbrella. However, it was still operating at a substantial profit.
Approximately 15 years ago it was dragged under with the other Gilbert & Sons' companies. Around 300 workers were out of jobs and at this stage Stuart Ramsey put up his hand to purchase the abattoir and run it as a going concern.
With huge input from the Meatworkers Union, Harry Woods and Terry Flanagan (local politicians), I accompanied another three workers and we convinced Bob Carr (the then premier) to give Ramsey approximately $500,000 in set-up grants to keep the jobs of the people affected within our community. The whole town, including the council, all offered to help Stuart Ramsey to get the abattoir up and running. All workers took pay cuts and became the lowest paid abattoir workers in Australia.
I don't think much has changed in that regard. I joined the consultative committee when we tried, for a whole year, to negotiate a better agreement, after working on the present one for three years. When negotiations went sour I and the 11 or so other members of the consultative committee were terminated. We took the case to the Federal Court of Australia and after four years we won all and every aspect of the case. To this day, approximately 10 years after my termination, I still have not received my entitlements awarded by the outcome of the court proceedings. I know what it is like to be out of a job and not knowing whether you will receive your entitlements or not and I feel for these workers.
If the doors finally close at the Grafton Meatworks I will probably shed a tear. The tear won't be for the concerns of an upstanding citizen such as Ramsey, but for all those people that such a radical decision is going to affect. It will also be for the fact that Grafton will lose a part of its history as it has been part of our community for such a long time. And the fact that the Grafton abattoir has been a huge part of the McKenzie family.
PAUL McKENZIE

Have former MP Ian Causley and would-be-if-he-could-be-MP Chris Gulaptis agreed to bury the hatchet?

             ... or is it just a PR exercise?

Facebook reveals:

When Ian Causley retired from federal parliament in 2007 National Party loyalists believed they were gifting the seat of Page to the up-and-coming, slay-'em-in-the-aisles, pretty boy Chris Gulaptis. 

However, Labor's Janelle Saffin had different ideas about that.

Gulaptis lost the election, leaving local Nationals shell-shocked. Word had it that the retired MP was not at all amused - he was gutted!.

After all, Gulaptis who had been given the official nod when he comfortably defeated Dr Sue Page for Nationals' preselection, said he felt honoured by the confidence party members had shown in him and he would work to meet their expectations. 

Boy-oh-boy, he let them down in a big way!

So, the $64 question is:  

Can Gulaptis do it all again and lose the Nationals family jewels in Clarence?

Clarence Greens begin campaigning this week

Jeremy Buckingham MLC visits Clarence to highlight dangers posed by coal seam gas and antimony mining

Greens MP, Jeremy Buckingham will visit Clarence with Greens by-election candidate Janet Cavanaugh to highlight the threat mining poses to the region.

Tuesday 1st November

WHAT: Jeremy and Janet highlight the threat the antimony mine at Wild Cattle Creek poses to the Nymboida and Clarence Rivers and communities and industries that rely on these rivers. They will urge voters to use the Clarence by-election to send Barry O'Farrell a message on this issue.

WHEN: 10.30am Tuesday 1st November 2011

WHERE: Clarence River Bank near to the Prince St Wharf.

As the Greens mining spokesperson, Jeremy Buckingham has visited the Wild Cattle Creek antimony mine site, the current gold and antimony mine at Hillgrove, and the toxic antimony processing site at Urunga.

Wednesday 2nd November

WHAT: Launch of the Greens' by-election headquarters at Casino - highlights the issue of coal seam gas for the by-election.

WHEN: 9.30am, Wednesday 2nd November 2011

WHERE: Shop 2, Casino Centre Arcade, Walker St (opposite former Civic Centre)

Jeremy Buckingham is the Deputy Chair of the NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into coal seam gas and has been prominent opponent of the coal seam gas industry’s plans for expansion. He has introduced a bill into parliament calling for a moratorium on coal seam gas activities.

[CLARENCE GREENS media release, 31 October 2011]

Photo of Janet Cavanaugh from Clarence Greens website

Clarence By-election: Ms Camac show her true colours

The Daily Examiner 31 October 2011 on the subject of the Christian Democratic Party candidate:

SHE represents the Christian Democratic Party in the upcoming Clarence by-election and happens to be the personnel officer who signed a letter to abattoir workers telling them they no longer had jobs in Grafton.

Asked what she could do for displaced meat workers as a Clarence representative, Bethany Camac admitted she wouldn't be able to do much except encourage investment in the area.

"If they don't want to take up the job offer at Casino and sit around and whinge they can sit around and whinge, if they want to get off their bums and get a new job they can do that," she said.

Ms Camac said all workers, including herself, at the South Grafton site had been "offered" jobs at the Northern Co-operative Meat Company in Casino and "there should be enough jobs for everyone".

"Stuart Ramsey has not taken his business outside the electorate of Clarence, he's moved it from Grafton to Casino."

But reports on ABC North Coast yesterday quoted Northern Co-operative Meat Company management as saying there was no transfer of business between Ramsey Food Processing and the Co-operative.

Workers told The Examiner earlier this week they had been informed by Ramsey that they're entitlements would be transferred if they took up jobs at Casino but subsequent inquiries had proven this to be false……

Ms. Camac obviously doesn’t understand the business history of the man who employs her as well as one local writing in the same newspaper issue.

Who else is to blame?

WELL done, Paul McKenzie, for your factual account of what occurred approximately 10 years ago. My husband was also one of the 11 and he still hasn't received his entitlements despite the court ruling. How this man has been able to get away with ignoring the laws and court rulings amazes me.

Regarding the letter from Lyn Ridge, yes he put food on the table - bread and dripping while he dined on caviar. We used up all our savings in the five years my husband worked for Mr Ramsey. You state that it will be a terrible loss for Grafton, but you can't blame one man alone. Pray tell, who else is to blame?

One man has spit the dummy because he can no longer ignore his commitments. Hay for his horses, it seems, is more important than food on the table for employees.

I congratulate The Daily Examiner for the forthright reporting and please continue to do so. There is nothing nice about this man's business practices and the public is entitled to know.

Regarding the letter from Teddy Bowles, I don't recall any negative media reports when the abattoirs reopened, only how good it was for Grafton.

As far as being given financial assistance, $500,000 from public purses isn't bad, then the assistance given by the city council as regards water rates, etc. How much has to be given to one man? He had employees work for less than award wages for three years to help get the place up and running, then wouldn't come to the table to arrange a new agreement up to two years after the expiration of their agreement. In the meantime, the horse stud prospered.

Mr Ramsey is no pauper. Nor would a dinky-di Aussie treat people the way this man does with his "my way or the highway" attitude.

KERRI BROOKS

South Grafton.

Photograph of Ms. Camac from Chrisitian Democratic Party website

UPDATE

The Daily Examiner on 2 November 2011:

Get a job jibe draws angry retort

COMMENTS from the Christian Democratic candidate for Clarence Beth Camac have been described as a disgrace by the president of the union representing displaced South Grafton meatworkers.

Australasian Meat Industry Employees Union president Grant Courtney said Ms Camac's comments, published in Monday's Daily Examiner, had raised "a fair bit of anger from workers at the South Grafton abattoir".

"Ms Camac's comments in relation to pending displaced workers at the abattoir are nothing short of cheap political opportunism and a disgrace," he said. "Any candidate that stands for good Christian values surely would feel for the 200 workers whose futures are now up in the air thanks to a company pulling its operations at Grafton.

"Calling workers whingers is clearly uncalled for and will not assist her in her political aspirations.

"Social justice, support for the community and regional employment should be the principle policy this woman stands for, instead of blurting out misleading statements that reflect mistruths in relation to future employment at Casino.

"Workers at South Grafton do not appreciate commentary from ill-informed industrial relation consultants that have no idea or concern of workers' rights nor their legal entitlements."

 

Happy Birthday to The Dish

One of Australia's most iconic scientific structures, the CSIRO's Parkes Telescope is celebrating 50 years of achievement today - having opened on October 31, 1961 right in the middle of a paddock.

History of achievements 1961-2011

Photographs from Google Images

A Moment in the Clarence By-election

In the March 2011 News South Wales general election Labor experienced a two party preferred -19.3% swing with a corresponding swing to the Nationals of +19.3%, resulting in a resounding win for the Nationals sitting member in the Clarence electorate.

As it turned out the champagne bubbles flattened quickly and the Nats had less than six months to bask in the glow of this result before Steve Cansdell’s past caught up with him and the seat fell vacant.

Still, you could be forgiven for thinking that the by-election this November is going to be a shoe-in for the North Coast Nats.

That is until you look at who they chose to represent the party – Chris Gulaptis.

Not only does he have a local government history which makes the average punter recall the less flattering aspects of his character, he is also so gaffe prone that most of his early campaigning has him bragging about funding commitments which don’t exist.

This has clearly spooked the party because they now appear to be trying to position him for the sympathy vote and are predicting an as yet unqualified swing against their candidate.

NSW Deputy Premier, Nationals Leader and Oxley MP, Andrew Stoner, in damage limitation mode went to the media with this statement:

"I predict a swing against us which is why Chris will have to shake as many hands as possible and knock on as many doors as possible to secure his role as a member of government that will be in for at least two terms".

Poor Andy can have no idea how few people look forward to the idea of Chris turning up on their doorstop or how deep they'll have to dig to find a skerrick of sympathy for this ever opportunistic bloke.

Pic of Chris Gulaptis from The Daily Examiner

Dreaming out loud about an Alternative Abbott Universe

Deborah Cameron on ABC 702 Mornings 17^th October 2011:
“MR Abbott is finding it very hard to get a bounce in the polls, it's sort of proof that you can't scream your way into people's affections, it would seem from the recent polls. Now how do you think the Liberal Party is going to deal with the problem of Mr Abbott's continuing, sort of, he just can't get off. He's finding it hard to convert success into popularity, personal popularity. So can you picture a Tony Abbott who's not bellowing, and who can actually stop and talk, and listen, and think quietly?”

You lose, Alan Joyce

11am Sunday 30th October 2011

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