NSW Far North Coast coal seam gas tenements map updated

Click on image to enlarge

This map comes courtesy of the Yuraygir Coast and Range Alliance

a member of Lock The Gate Alliance

Shorter Doctors for the Environment Australia - Dear Tony, pull you head in

Doctors For The Environment Australia:

Letter to the Prime Minister 16-10-14

Dear Prime Minister, 

We are writing to strongly reject your statements made on Monday 13 October regarding coal mining.

There is no justification for the pronouncement that “coal is good for humanity”. It is in direct contradiction to all the available public health evidence. 

There is ample evidence, which we have supplied to your office, documenting the adverse health impacts that arise from air pollution (and other environmental impacts) in both coal mining communities and resulting from coal combustion more widely. In the USA, it is estimated that 23,000 people lose their lives prematurely every year as a result of coal combustion alone. This is of course exactly why the USA and Chinese governments are moving to restrict coal burning near their major cities.

The economic costs arising from coal fired power stations have been assessed by US economist William Nordhaus (2011) and found to outweigh the value provided by as much as 5.6 times. All recently published work in this area is consistent on this point. The only reason coal can be made to appear economically viable is by the deliberate exclusion of these health and environmental costs. 

The argument that providing coal based energy is essential for improving poverty in the developing world is also not supported by the available evidence. In fact, the health impacts from coal outweigh health gains in all but the very poorest of nations. Even then, the benefit is marginal. Moreover, energy poverty can be, and is being, addressed using non-fossil fuel energy sources that do not have the same detrimental health or environmental costs.

Use of fossil fuels, including coal, has been incontrovertibly linked to climate change. Climate change is now recognised as the greatest threat to our health this coming century (Lancet 2009). It is also the case that the poorest nations will be disproportionally impacted by the effects of climate change and the least able to adapt. If we are genuine about acting in the interests of humanity, then our focus must be to assist these developing countries with renewable energy technology and rapidly decarbonise our economy, which incidentally is the highest per capita emitter in the developed world.

In light of these facts, it was very disturbing to health professionals to hear the statements made by you regarding coal on Monday. It is unacceptable to trade Australia’s public health for short term economic benefit. Yet this is exactly what your government is promoting.

For these reasons, we seek an urgent response and explanation from your office and ask that your statement be retracted.

Yours sincerely,

Dr Kingsley Faulkner AM
Chair
Doctors for the Environment Australia

Sometimes NSW Police make me cringe in shame - Part 2

New Matilda 16 October 2014:

Four police officers will stand trial over allegations they bashed an Aboriginal man, who was originally falsely charged with assaulting a constable before CCTV footage cleared him during the incident on the NSW north coast in 2011.

Constable Lee Walmsley, Constable Ryan Eckersley, former Sergeant Robert McCubben and Senior Constable Mark Woolven will stand trial after waiving a right to a committal hearing at the Downing Local Court, the ABC reported today.

They have pleaded not guilty.

It follows an incident involving the then 23-year-old Corey Barker in Ballina on January 14, 2011.

Mr Barker was arrested after intervening in an altercation between two of his friends and police.

He was originally charged with resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer after being taken to Ballina Police Station, charges which were overturned when the restored CCTV footage, previously believed to be damaged, unveiled a different version of events.

Ballina Local Court Magistrate David Heilpern overturned the charges, ordered the NSW Police pay Mr Barker’s costs and referred the matter to the Police Integrity Commission.

The PIC handed down its report in 2013, recommending criminal charges for six of the officers involved. The ABC reported a total of 25 charges were laid against the officers. A fifth officer will also waive his right to a committal hearing.

The trial will start in 2015.

Sometimes NSW Police make me cringe in shame - Part 1 here.

Troy Who? Potted profile of the new Deputy-Premier of New South Wales

Last week Andrew Stoner resigned as Leader of the NSW National Party and Deputy-Premier.

He was replaced by Troy Grant who has been in parliament for less than four years.

This is Mr. Grant, seen here with NSW Premier Mike Baird in the background:

So who is this new Deputy-Premier?

Based on his NSW Parliament member's disclosure form, own website and media reports, here is a potted profile.......

Troy Wayne Grant

* Age: Early 40s

* Married with two children.

* Resides at 10L Toorale Rd, Dubbo NSW.

* Home owner on a rural residential lot, with a $330,000 mortgage and a personal loan.

* Sole income appears to be parliamentary salary.

* Former NSW Police officer. Resigned from force in March 2011 after 22 years with rank of police inspector.

* Elected to NSW Parliament in March 2011 as the National Party Member for Dubbo.

* Appeared as a witness at the Special Commission of Inquiry concerning the investigation of certain child sexual abuse allegations in the Hunter region in 2013.

* Reportedly referred the Planning Assessment Commission's (PAC) approval of the Orange City Council's Macquarie River pipeline, to the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) in 2013.

* Became Minister for Gaming, Racing and Hospitality and Minister for the Arts in April 2014.

* Became Leader of the NSW National Party and Deputy-Premier in October 2014 – as well as Minister for Trade and Investments, Minister for Regional Infrastructure and Services and Minister for Tourism and Major Events.

* He is recorded in the NSW Legislative Council Hansard as opening his mouth to speak a total of 200 times up to 16 October 2014 (including interjections).

* Like many politicians he indulges in gratuitous insults, such as I was happy to answer the first question because it would have been interesting to answer a question about muppets and puppets from a clown and go and get f — ed.

* Likes to blow his own trumpet, loudly and often.