Clarence Valley Council Votes For Halt To CSG Mining Activity

On Tuesday 19th March Clarence Valley Council voted on the coal seam gas (CSG) motion which had been introduced at the previous week's Environment, Economic and Community Committee.

The motion had called on Council to write to MPs and relevant state and federal ministers calling for a halt to "coal seam gas mining activity and all other forms of unconventional gas mining" until the impacts of this mining were properly assessed in studies currently being undertaken by various expert committees.  If that assessment indicated that CSG mining was safe, the community could be assured that there would be no detrimental health or environmental impacts and the mining activity could then proceed.

Cr Kingsley moved the motion with several brief amendments. He said that the motion was not about the pros and cons of CSG but was rather in response to the concerns of the local community, concerns which have been acknowledged by both State and Federal governments.  He added that as the risks appeared to be there, governments should go one step further than their inquiries and halt mining activities until the risks have been dealt with.

Other councillors who spoke to support the motion were Crs Hughes, Howe, McKenna and Williamson. 

Those who spoke against were Crs Toms and Baker. 

One of Cr Baker arguments was to dispute the need for a halt because the experts who were undertaking the studies had not seen fit to recommend a halt. 

Cr Baker is naïve in imagining that experts engaged by the government would take it upon themselves to call for a halt to mining while the studies were done. Obviously a precautionary approach would indicate that was desirable – but the governments would have to make that decision.  And there is no doubt that both the State and Federal Governments, both wholehearted supporters of CSG mining, would not make that call.

Cr Toms' main argument was that there was no point of writing the letters on this matter to government ministers, because nothing would happen as a result.  She also said that, while she understood people's concerns, the matter was outside Council's area of responsibility and that Council needed to wait to see what the experts said.  She added that the issue was about our energy security.

While it appears that Cr Toms has more understanding of the issue than Cr Baker, at least two of the reasons quoted above can be disputed. 

Though it is extremely unlikely that letters to Ministers will persuade them to halt mining until the studies are completed and assessed, these letters are yet another indication – and a strong one – that a local community is very concerned about the likely impacts of CSG mining.  They will be in addition to the increasing numbers of letters, phone calls, emails, marches, protests and deputations from individuals and organisations that ensure that the message gets through to decision-makers in their "ivory towers" in Sydney and Canberra.

Cr Toms has obviously accepted the pro-CSG lobby's claim that CSG mining in NSW is essential for our energy security because NSW is running out of gas.  It's interesting that while they talk of local energy security, the companies mining CSG are more interested in exporting it than in providing for the domestic market. In relation to the claimed shortage, it has been established that there are plentiful supplies of gas in other areas – for example the Bass Strait.  So the energy security claim is a furphy.

The vote for the motion was six in favour (Kingsley, Howe, Hughes, McKenna, Simmons, Williamson) and three against (Baker, Challacombe, Toms).

Cr Challacombe did not speak in the debate and when the vote was taken indicated that he wished to abstain. The Mayor informed him that an abstention was recorded as a vote against.  Cr Challacombe reportedly informed the media later that his background in environmental science meant he thought the council was ill-qualified to assess the industry's impact. (The Daily Examiner, 20 March 2013, p. 4).  He has obviously missed the point that it was government experts, not the Council, who were going to assess the industry impacts.

Hildegard

Northern Rivers

21 March 2013

GuestSpeak is a feature of North Coast Voices allowing Northern Rivers residents to make satirical or serious comment on issues that concern them. Posts of 250-300 words or less can be submitted to ncvguestspeak AT gmail.com.au for consideration

You Are Known By The Company You Keep: another 'good friend' from Oppostion Leader Tony Abbott's past

The Daily Telegraph 29 November 2007:

The Manly Daily yesterday published a picture of a devastated Mr Abbott commiserating Saturday night's election loss with a convicted criminal.

Reflecting on winning his seat of Warringah -- as well as the Liberals' dramatic demise -- the outgoing health minister welcomed the former Manly councillor and solicitor Ian MacDonald to the Manly Leagues Club, where Mr Abbott was holding his official election party.

Mr MacDonald, who spent three years in jail on fraud-related charges, helped Mr Abbott in his quest for another three-year term by handing out how-to-vote cards.

Describing himself as a "good friend" of Mr Abbott, Mr MacDonald later spent time at the club with other Liberal Party die-hards.

Mr MacDonald was Mr Abbott's campaign director in 1995 -- the year before John Howard won government.

The Sydney Morning Herald 26 June 2004:

The grim doors of Silverwater Jail swung open at 9am last Monday to set free the struck-off Manly solicitor Ian "Macca" MacDonald after had served three years of a 5 year sentence for fraud. He was granted parole by the NSW Parole Board after successfully taking part in a work release program.

Macca will be enthusiastically welcomed back into Manly's rugger and Liberal circles, although some former clients who lost their savings when he looted their trust accounts will be less friendly.

Among those who will be sharing a beer with the convicted fraudster will be the federal Health Minister, Tony Abbott, who told a recent function to mark his 10 years in Canberra: "Just because he [MacDonald] made a few mistakes doesn't mean that he shouldn't be honoured. I look forward to rekindling my friendship with him."

Before his fraud exploits, MacDonald, a former senior partner in the law firm MacDonald Yeldham, was a Liberal councillor on Manly Council, president of the Manly District Rugby Union Club, member of the Manly District Hospital Board and a fundraiser and cheerleader for Abbott in election campaigns.

He came within an ace of becoming Liberal candidate to take the state seat of Manly but the NSW Law Society's hound dogs caught up with him first. [my bolding]

Crikey 6 March 2007:

Abbott became a regular visitor at Kirkconnell Prison where Macdonald was serving his five-and-a-half year sentence for embezzling more than $5 million from his clients.

Macdonald, who was once a prominent figure in the Liberal Party, was found guilty on June 29, 2001 of fraudulently omitting to account, making false statements and obtaining money by deception in relation to his clients’ affairs.

What might one risk associated with coal seam gas mining look like?

 

There has been some talk in the Australian media about land subsidence and sinkholes suddenly occurring overseas.

 

In June 2012 the Australian Water Commission published a CSG water management position paper which stated:
  

Potential risks to sustainable water management 

• Extracting large volumes of low-quality water will impact on connected surface and groundwater systems, some of which may already be fully or over allocated, including the Great Artesian Basin and Murray-Darling Basin. 

• Impacts on other water users and the environment may occur due to the dramatic depressurisation of the coal seam, including: - changes in pressures of adjacent aquifers with consequential changes in water availability - reductions in surface water flows in connected systems - land subsidence over large areas, affecting surface water systems, ecosystems, irrigation and grazing lands. 

 

Now this clearly identifies risk, but doesn’t give any idea of what land subsidence might look like for NSW property owners and residents unlucky enough to experience it.

 

Sinkholes range in size from square meters to square hectares in size.

They usually form when there is either a collapse of an underground cave, or mining/excessive groundwater flow creates unstable soil/bedrock conditions, or mining results in water pressure levels changes in a natural aquifer which cannot sustain the weight of rock and soil above it.

 

This 2011 sink hole in Gosford NSW was caused by a leaking underground sewer:

 

 

In 2012 this sinkhole appeared in a Sydney suburb:

 

 

Another small sinkhole which opened up at Ocean Shores NSW in 2013:

 

 

Yet another sinkhole in Newcastle NSW on a residential property which
sits atop old mine workings:

 

 

One of the fourteen homes in one suburb damaged due to mine
subsidence in the Newcastle area last year:

 

 

House collapse due to mine subsidence in Newcastle NSW in 1953:

 

 

This is a very old natural sink hole in the mining town of Mt. Gambier
SA caused by cave collapse:

 

1925 to 1977 markers showing land subsidence due to over extraction
of groundwater in San Joaquin Valley, California USA

Letter to the Editor sparks Ballina Shire Council investgation

 

On 18 March 2013 The Northern Star reported that Ballina Shire Council was not happy with a particular Letter to the Editor:

 

The council's general manager, Paul Hickey, has confirmed the publication this week of the confidential figures had led to the launch of an investigation about where Mr Kelly got his information from, and a possible breach of the Code of Conduct which applies to staff and councillors.

The issue of council acting as a developer has been around for some time and, Vince Kelly raised the matter in 2009 and again in 2012 when he also wrote this letter to Echonetdaily.

Given that Vince Kelly appears to watch council closely and speak to any number of people, I imagine that Paul Hickey may find it difficult to track down the person who informed the content of Kelly’s last letter.

Kelly should take heart – he could live further south where Clarence Valley Council management have turned losing money into an art form.

Here is that last letter in the Echonetdaily online which is currently causing Ballina local government angst:

 

Council prefers property over pool

Vince Kelly, East Ballina

Ballina Shire Council has again preferred commercial property speculation ahead of community infrastructure. This time it is in respect to an indoor heated swimming pool.

On February 26 Ballina Council’s Commercial Services Committee met in secret to consider two offers to purchase council’s commercial site in Tamarine Drive. But property markets being what they are nothing stays secret for long.

At the meeting Council rejected a fair value cash offer of $860,000 from a private consortium. They planned to build a new indoor heated pool and gymnasium within twelve months.

Council accepted a ‘cash and land swap’ offer of $1.2 million from Fire and Rescue NSW, who plan to build a new fire station. The purchase consideration comprises cash of only $500,000 and the transfer of the exiting fire station in Crane Street to the council for a non cash consideration of $700,000.

The $700,000 is an inflated figure fabricated by Council’s Commercial Services Division and substantially overvalues the fire station. This portrays the Firies’ offer of $1.2 million as more generous. But when the true value of the fire station is factored in the two offers are comparable.

On a cash basis the consortium’s offer is substantially better as ratepayers receive $860,000 in cash compared to the Firies’ offer of only $500,000 in cash. With the consortium’s offer the community obtains a new indoor heated swimming pool, gymnasium and additional lifestyle facilities. Ratepayers’ funds will not be required to build and maintain the facility or cover the ongoing operating costs.

With the Fires’ offer ratepayers receive $360,000 less in cash and a special purpose building with restricted usage. The property is of little strategic benefit and does nothing to assist Council meet the community’s expectations regarding infrastructure delivery.

At its Finance Committee meeting on March 4 Council discussed building its own indoor heated pool adjacent to Ballina swimming pool. This will cost ratepayers at least $2 million and it will not be ready for about two years. Plus there will be ongoing maintenance and operating costs.

If the consortium’s offer had been accepted there would have been a cash generation of $2.86 million which could have been used to fund other infrastructure projects.

Of course the acceptance of the Firies’ offer does not make sense when compared to the consortium’s offer. So why did the council decide in favour of the Firies? Is there a hidden agenda? Well yes, there is!

You see, Council already owns properties adjoining the Crane Street fire station and Council is more interested in consolidating a future commercial development site than providing community infrastructure.
 

UPDATE

This is the letter to the editor in The Northern Star on 21 March 2013 which took the fire out of Paul Hickey's bullish game of hunt-the-councillor:

Council secrecy

The general manager of Ballina Shire Council, Mr Paul Hickey, has merged the separate issues of secrecy and confidentiality (Concern over leaked figures N/S 18/3).

I described the Commercial Services Committee meeting as a 'secret meeting' because Mr Hickey did not disclose the nature of the business transaction in the agenda.

Was this a deliberate ploy to stop ratepayer opposition to a commercial transaction which was perhaps not in their best interest?

It is hard to object to something if you do not know what it is about. It was only after the minutes of the meeting had been posted on the council's website that it was confirmed that councillors had approved a land swap with Fire and Rescue NSW. Mr Hickey's secret was out.

Mr Hickey has been reported as saying that "Fire and Rescue had asked council that we not release any information in respect to this matter".

So did Mr Hickey advise the councillors that the way in which they had expressed their resolution would not comply with the wishes of the firies?

If there has been a breach of council's code of conduct who is the real culprit?

Council's Tamarind Drive property has been on the market for several years and has been commented on in numerous council reports which are public documents.

There is a lot of information in the marketplace about council's property holdings and activities.

If Mr Hickey wants to play monopoly and wheel, deal and speculate in freely traded property markets with ratepayers' money then he needs to understand that information about his activities will find its way to the marketplace. The market is dynamic and full of rumours, hearsay and facts.

Market intelligence is continually being gathered, filtered, dissected and analysed by people who will comment and opine on a whole range of issues.

Transactions are continually being negotiated, finessed and documented.

Often there are many players involved in both sides of a deal.

Just because Mr Hickey submits a business paper on one of his property proposals to a council meeting and the councillors resolve to consider it in a confidential session does not mean that the information is not already in the marketplace.

It is only councillors and council staff who are subject to a confidential resolution.

It does not apply to the general public who may be in possession of the information.

Vince Kelly

East Ballina