Is Clarence Valley Council being honest with NSW Planning Minister Keneally over proposed West Yamba development?

In February this year Clarence Valley Council resolved to accept the Maclean Local Environmental Plan 2001 (West Yamba Amendment) and sent this planning instrument down to the NSW Minister for Planning Kristina Keneally for her consent.

But was Clarence Valley Council completely honest with the Minister?

Nowhere in the West Yamba Amendment and accompanying documents does Council point out that most of the land directly below Sullivan's Lane in West Yamba is now privately owned land and has been since the late 1990s.

Clarence Valley Council is always at pains to refer to this land as "Other land, owned by Birrigan Gargle Local Aboriginal Land Council and land subject to a Land Claim, south of Sullivan's Road is not included in the Draft LEP" and words to that effect in other parts of the documents.

However, these documents also show that Council expects to funnel natural drainage/storm water/flood waters, displaced by West Yamba development landfill, onto this privately-owned environmentally sensitive land "south of Sullivan's Road" via a designated unfilled floodway/drainage corridor with a relatively narrow end point.
Thereby potentially increasing the amount of such water flowing across this land and possibly causing more damage than might naturally occur.

Section of the Draft West Yamba LEP Map showing the floodway/drainage corridor

The Clarence Valley Council map shown here clearly shows the floodway/drainage corridor (used to mitigate required landfill in the proposed large-scale development) is intended to deposit water onto Lot 201 DP729134, a 229.6ha lot owned outright by Birrigan Gargle Local Aboriginal Land Council.

Indeed if Council's own documents are to be believed, the development of West Yamba could not go ahead unless Yaegl land is used as a dumping ground for drainage and flooding problems associated with this proposed development.

The last time I noticed, Australian law still allowed a property owner to sue state and/or local government for that kind of arbitrary action.

Which may explain why Clarence Valley Council appears to be attempting to massage the facts in order to obscure ownership details in documents before the Minister.

Sometimes being that cute can backfire - especially when the ghost of Rylands v Fletcher still roams court corridors in Australia.

And now there are eight........

According to Computer World there is another ISP signing on for the Rudd-Conroy mandatory national ISP-level Internet filtering scheme 'live' trial:

Optus joins seven other ISPs in participating in the filtering - Primus Telecommunications, Highway 1, Nelson Bay Online, Netforce, OMNIconnect, TECH 2U and Webshield.

Well that makes eight ISPs that I'll be buying goods and services from when Hades freezes over.

Farming in a Changing Climate workshops at Casino and Grafton 5th & 12th May 2009

The NSW Dept of Primary Industires is running a three day workshop spread over 6 weeks to assist landholders prepare and adapt their property for climate risk, in Casino starting 5 May and in Grafton starting 12 May 2009.

This course is registered under the Commonwealth Government's FarmReady program.
Eligible primary producers can be reimbursed for the cost of this course.
See the FarmReady website for more details.

The course aims to:

• Encourage appropriate responses to climate change such as high flow pumping and appropriate on farm water storage.
• Provide training in strategies to improve rainfall utilisation which do not significantly impact catchment flows.
• Provide training tailored to landscapes and soils that will allow landowners to improve the resilience of their properties to climatic impacts.
• Promote measures that contribute to carbon sequestration and soil health.
• Integrate training with the Community Support Officers and available incentive funding to promote the maximal conversion of plans into on ground works.

Pre-registration is required. Contact Greg Reid on (02) 6626.1213 or greg.reid@dpi.nsw.gov.au

She who shall remain nameless baked some hash cookies.....

Shades of the 1960s and children of the revolution........

It was reported this week that a woman was arrested for selling cannabis cookies and chocs (as well as funny cigarettes) when police did a foot patrol of the Nimbin Museum on the NSW North Coast late last year.

This week the Lismore magistrate was obviously in a realistic mood.
He sentenced, then suspend this and put in place a short good behaviour bond for the hapless chef.

I hadn't realised that anyone still made hash cookies.
Well, live and learn.

What were those naughty little Nimbinites thinking?

Picture from Google Images

Annual Bangalow Billy Cart Derby, Sunday 17 May 2009

The Annual Bangalow Billy Cart Derby will be held on Sunday 17th May 2009 when the main street of Bangalow becomes a race track , for kids of all ages to have fun on Bangalow's big day.

A new attraction this year will be the Schools Billy Cart Challenge Race. This is probably the first ' schools challenge race ' ever to be held in Australia. It will be run as a separate race entry where all the schools entries compete against other schools.

All Primary Schools are invited to enter, and as an added incentive $1,500.00 in prize money will be given to the P.& C. Association of the winning and runner-up schools. The cart drivers ( boys or girls ) will be primary school students 12 years and under. Just imagine brightly painted Billy Carts with ' catchy ' names then add scores of kids cheering for their school, competing in traditional rivalries, such as Byron v Mullumbimby.
We are very keen to introduce these races as we feel that teaching children road safety can't start early enough. The NSW Police Dept., N.R.M.A., Youth Services, Local Community Groups, Shire Councils all support this event.

The day will commence with the ...' Blessing of the Carts ' followed by the Junior heats. There is a category to suit everyone, for boys and girls from age 5 through to ' opens '. There is Traditional, Homegrown, Novelty and Professional categories for the Carts. Race classifications are for age-groups 5-7 ; 8-11 ; 12-15 and open age. Also included are; Tag- team, Mothers and Celebrity races.

At 12-30 p.m. there is the Grand Parade which includes Community, Sporting, and other groups. Also participating over the years have been Pipe Bands, Vintage Cars and Motor Bikes, Fire Brigades and Samba Bands, schools, kindergartens, pony clubs, scouts and a few local heroes.
Everyone is invited to participate in this Award Winning, " not for profit " Community Event where all the proceeds are distributed to local charities and fundraisers. Start building your cart now to promote your business or group, we want to see lots of new entries and innovations, but make sure it has safe brakes and steering. This event is really well covered by T.V. Radio and Press so you will be able to see your cart flying down the main street of Bangalow and everyone having a great time.

Contact details : Tony Heeson
wallaby@nor.com.au

(02) 66 87 2580 or 0419 715 098

Go to www.bangalowbillycart.com.au for further details and entry forms

A word about national borders for the record..........

..........I'm not afraid of refugees in general or boat people in particular.
I don't hate the idea of these desperate people or wish to deny them safe harbour in Australia.
I take as much notice of Turnbull's little rants as I did of Howard's and I think Rudd's people smugglers are the scum of the earth line is simple-minded demonising which doesn't do a thing to address the problem of commercial smuggling.
So will both sides of the divide in Canberra just get over it.
Maybe then certain small minds in the mainstream media will quit their hysterics and we'll be able to avoid another boring earbashing.

What some people will pay for a spot in local government

Figures released by the NSW Election Funding Authority show that Pat Comben, a former minister in the Queensland Government, had what it took to win one of the nine spots on Clarence Valley Council at the 2008 elections.

To secure a spot at the CVC decision makers' table, Comben spent $6855.50.

Daylight was second, followed by other biggish spenders Karen Toms ($3057.25) and Craig Howe ($2481.98).

Joining Comben, Toms and Howe at the decision makers' table are Richie Williamson ($1263.03), Ian Dinham ($969.96), Jim Simmons ($937.50), Sue Hughes ($374.40), Margaret McKenna ($70) and Ian Tiley (Nil).

Yes, Ian Tiley didn't spend a cent! Well, that's what his declaration to the EFA states.

Tiley wasn't the only candidate who didn't put his hand in his pocket. EFA documents show there were others.

Still, to this day, a number of candidates are yet to reveal how much the exercise cost them.

Here's what the candidates said they spent:

ELIZABETH BLOOMER Nil
JEREMY CHALLACOMBE $ 1,053.00
GRACE CLAGUE No details provided
PATRICK COMBEN $ 6,855.50
IAN DINHAM $ 969.96
TERRENCE FLANAGAN No details provided
MARK KINGSLEY Nil
CRAIG HOWE $ 2,481.98
SUSAN HUGHES $ 374.40
DENISE HYDE $ 1,533.60
KURT KRISTOFFERSEN No details provided
MAURICE MAHER $ 1,748.60
MARGARET MCKENNA $ 70.00
BRENDAN MORANT No details provided
DENNIS PEARCE $ 968.00
DONALD PHILBROOK No details provided
JANET PURCELL $ 467.45
JAMES SIMMONS $ 937.50
IAN TILEY Nil
KAREN TOMS $ 3,057.25
RICHARD WILLIAMSON $ 1,263.03

Go here to see copies of candidates' declarations to the EFA.

Remembering both partners in the legend on Anzac Day 2009

Australian and New Zealand soldiers resting at Gallipoli 1915
Images from Wikipedia and the Corbis Collection

Why war is hell

Paul Mitchell bravely lifts the curtain on a timely reminder of why war is really hell for everyone.

Drinking to their deaths on Anzac Day

Crikey reader Paul Mitchell writes:

World War II veteran Keith sits on the beach in the TV ad and reflects on the death of his mate Jack. I think of my late grandfather, but Keith's stubby and the empty chair beside him don't remind me of Bill's war deeds.

I'm proud of Bill, who fought in the Middle East and Crete. He arrived back in Australia with a wounded knee and arm, but played and umpired 500 games of football. He should never have been at war -- he signed up at 16 -- but he's one of the many we remember every Anzac Day...........

As well as physical wounds, my grandfather received deep psychological damage. Post-traumatic stress disorder was unknown in the '40s, and there were no counselling services. So he did what many of his mates did: numbed the pain with grog.

Bill drank solidly for 52 years and his liver, kidneys and spleen were shot when he died. But the alcohol didn't just affect his body: he was a violent alcoholic who created a warzone. He physically and psychologically abused his wife and kids, and the effects continue: his four children have had psychological problems; two of his sons have been alcoholics (with four marriages between them) and one of their daughters suicided.......

Keith's trembling voice as he talks about his mate reminds me of my grandfather's on the rare occasions he allowed the terrified boy inside himself to remember the war. I want to raise a glass to Keith, Bill and all the men and women like them. But respect for those who have lived through domestic warzones means I won't.

Australian state government hires spies

Last Friday The Sydney Morning Herald reported on an Australian company which contracts to supply open intelligence to business and government:

David Vaile, executive director of UNSW's Cyberspace Law and Policy Centre, believes SR7 may be acting unethically and said he suspected companies were using dirt gathered from social networking sites as an excuse to fire people due to the challenging economic climate.

He said the practice could backfire when the economy turns around as people would refuse to work for or trust companies that spied on staff.

He said the issue raised questions over where the boundary is between public and private comments.

Here's what the company says about itself:

We provide protection and strategy for brands and reputations.

While one of its published case studies is quite frankly fascinating:

SR7 undertook a comprehensive audit for a leading State Government department to identify on-line risks to the organization and its business units with exposure to social media.
The assessment unearthed a series of online activities by employees and stakeholders, acting as an early warning system for key decision makers.
SR7 provided counsel and advice on mitigation strategies for implementation by the relevant agencies.

So which public servants were being spied on and in what state and which government department was silly enough to contract out this strange work to a company that brags like this?

Happy birthday, Mr. Shakespeare.

With his actual birth date unknown, the arrival of William Shakespeare into the world is usually celebrated in April on St. George's Day.


He may have written wildly inaccurate history into his plays, have littered the whole with crude stereotypes - but oh, the language soars.


Living as he did in the 16th century, William would of course find the modern world passing strange and, perhaps even stranger should he come to hear of Australia.


However there are some things he would recognize - national finances are precarious, soldiers are fighting overseas, terrorism and treason are often topics of the day and the government censor is beginning to breathe more heavily over shoulders.

Photograph: BBC News

Rudd's 2020 continues to underwhelm at my house

The official view from Canberra in the wake of that basically elitist gabfest; "The Australia 2020 Summit was held on 19 and 20 April 2008 at Parliament House in Canberra, bringing together 1,000 participants from across the nation and generating more than 900 ideas."

The media view on Wednesday; "JUST nine new ideas from nearly 1000 developed by Kevin Rudd's 2020 Summit talkfest are set to be adopted. But the most popular one, for Australia to become a republic appears to have sunk without a trace."

Apparently Rudders favours:
"A national "golden gurus'' mentoring program;
$50 million for the development of a bionic eye;
The creation of a civilian corps help out in war zones and natural disasters;
A dedicated ABC children's TV channel;
A new indigenous cultural education centre;
A PM's award scheme to boost Asian links;
A "roundtable" for business and schools; and,
A high-speed broadband for vocational education organizations."

As well as:
"A Skills for the Carbon Challenge initiative to equip workers and business with green skills"

Well, I guess vocational education organizations will be underwhelmed, since Rudders has already announced a national high-speed broadband for every town of 1,000 souls or more.
Likewise the various inventor's of bionic eyes will probably be grateful for further funding, but also might've preferred to have had that money during the hard slog of creating medical prosethesis.
While the Republic Movement will be livid and plotting dire revenge.

Now we hear that the PM wants a 2020 summit every few years.
I think all those in-flight gourmet meals must be going to more than Rudders' chin line when he come up with a mish mash idea like that.
After all - Cate Blanchett might not want to have another baby every few years!

For what it's worth here's the report Responding to the Australia 2020 Summit.

The International Monetary Fund report pretends to tell us something we didn't already know (transcript)

With so much media coverage of the global financial crisis it would be hard not to understand that toxic debt is actually higher than originally anticipated, working capital is hard to find and, in the case of Australia, that the national economy was bound to go into recession this year, government revenue fall and unemployment deepen.

So the International Monetary Fund's April 2009 report on global financial stability does not report the unexpected:

The global financial system remains under severe stress as the crisis broadens to include households, corporations, and the banking sectors in both advanced and emerging market countries. Shrinking economic activity has put further pressure on banks' balance sheets as asset values continue to degrade, threatening their capital adequacy and further discouraging fresh lending. Thus, credit growth is slowing, and even turning negative, adding even more downward pressure on economic activity. Substantial private sector adjustment and public support packages are already being implemented and are contributing to some early signs ofstabilization. Even so, further decisive and effective policy actions and international coordination are needed to sustain this improvement, to restore public confidence in financial institutions, and to normalize conditions in markets. The key challenge is to break the downward spiral between the financial system and the global economy. Promising efforts are already under way for the redesign of the global financial system that should provide a more stable and resilient platform for sustained economic growth.To mend the financial sector, policies are needed to remove strains in funding markets forbanks and corporates, repair bank balance sheets, restore cross-border capital flows (particularly toemerging market countries); and limit the unintended side effects of the policies being implemented to combat the crisis. All these objectives will require strong political commitment under difficult circumstances and further enhancement of international cooperation. Such international commitment and determination to address the challenges posed by the crisis are growing, as displayed by the outcome of the G-20 summit in early April. Without a thorough cleansing of banks' balance sheets of impaired assets, accompanied by restructuring and, where needed, recapitalization, risks remain that banks' problems will continue to exert downward pressure on economic activity. Though subject to a number of assumptions, our best estimate of writedowns on U.S.-originated assets to be suffered by all holders since the outbreak of the crisis until 2010 has increased from $2.2 trillion in the January 2009 Global Financial StabilityReport (GFSR) Update to $2.7 trillion, largely as a result of the worsening base-case scenario for economic growth. In this GFSR, estimates for writedowns have been extended to include other mature market-originated assets and, while the information underpinning these scenarios is more uncertain, such estimates suggest writedowns could reach a total of around $4 trillion, about two thirds of which would be incurred by banks. There has been some improvement in interbank markets over the last few months, but funding strains persist and banks' access to longer-term funding as maturities come due is diminished. While in many jurisdictions banks can now issue government-guaranteed, longer-term debt, their funding gap remains large. As a result, many corporations are unable to obtain banksupplied working capital and some are having difficulty raising longer-term debt, except at much more elevated yields.

Global Financial Stability Report, April 2009 Summary Version and Statistical Appendix

Preschoolers vs patients in development tiff

How many medical practices are there in Yamba?
Three, four - for a population of around 6,000?

Now yet another one is being considered by Clarence Valley Council in a section of the existing Kangabunnaby's child care centre building.

Yet another parking nightmare in the making for land that was zoned residential in the original cul-de-sac subdivision.
If passed, Kangabunnaby's would change from a 90-child facility down to one that caters for 54 children, with a total of 12 car spaces for staff and parents; and three consulting suites that shared nine car spaces plus two disabled car spaces.

Local mums are not amused and, one has to suspect that a development application fix may be in place when you see a proposed small medical practice described in the local media as a super clinic.

My nose tells me that if the application gets passed, within two years the owners will close the childcare centre and submit another DA for commercial premises.
Even more parking woes!

Clarence Floodplain Project in top 25 outstanding Aus-NZ projects announced by the Global Restoration Network

Jabiru at Little Broadwater on the Clarence Floodplain

Photograph: Clarence Valley Council

The Global Restoration Network and its cross-Tasman expert panel has just announced the top 25 outstanding ecological restoration projects being undertaken in Australian and New Zealand.

The Clarence Floodplain Project was included in this list and was also in the top 17 highly commended projects category.

Well done Clarence Valley Council and landholders and industry partners in this ongoing program.