Call for sacking of NSW Environment Minister, Robyn Parker, ASAP

Politicians can run but they cannot hide. Another correspondent in the Coffs Coast Advocate's letters section has gone to town on the NSW Environment Minister for her repeat "Fail" efforts.

Pollution fears realised by mine overflow

THE letter by Claire Thompson (CCA, 25/10) clearly outlines what we all fear and yet seem powerless to stop.

Also an article with regards to "toxic pollution of the Macleay River from the Hillgrove Antimony Mine near Armidale."

The NSW Environment Minister, Robyn Parker, responded saying, "there is no increased risk because pollution from the mine has been diluted", this despite 900,000 litres of contaminated water overflowing from the Hillgrove Mine and entering the river system.

This minister should get the sack ASAP, especially considering what has already happened with the contamination and air pollution in Newcastle, and now this. The only one that seems to be on our side is Greens MP Jeremy Buckingham and Coffs Harbour councillor Mark Graham.

Sad state of affairs.

Ziggy Koenigseder

Source: Coffs Coast Advocate, 27/10/11

I see Chris has joined Facebook

Chris Gulaptis has joined Facebook very quietly sometime in the last few days. Which is probably just as well as he hasn’t quite got the hang of why people friend on FB – either they find your site interesting or they want to come up alongside a very popular person.

For a by-election candidate who used to be a local government demagogue politician he doesn’t have much to say and the bulk of the photos he has posted makes us believe that barely a handful of people attended the opening of his campaign office and no-one turned up at the market stall.
Also, that perhaps he has the hots for Andrew Stoner. 

Must do better, Chris!

Anony-mice

Yamba

Guest Speak is a North Coast Voices segment allowing serious or satirical comment from NSW Northern Rivers residents. Email ncvguestpeak at live dot com dot au to submit comment for consideration.

Saffin asks hard question of Anchor Resources

From A Clarence Valley Protest.

The Daily Examiner, letters to the editor, 25 October 2011:

Significant threat to waterways
I was pleased to see the expanded Daily Examiner coverage online of a mooted mining exploration project (DEX 5 October, 2011 "Significant threat to waterways"), having been alerted to the growing concern in the area by a Dorrigo resident and having just commenced some fact finding to see if the project would impact in our backyard. (Yes, it is a clear case of protecting your own backyard.)
The Daily Examiner asked all the right questions - questions which the Federal National Party MP Luke Hartsuyker should be asking.
Granted, 60 new jobs would be of great benefit to the region but what if those jobs are at the expense of hundreds of other jobs lost as the result of contamination of the Clarence River, impacting on industries such as tourism, agriculture and fisheries?
We need to carefully consider any threat of contamination of our water supply.
The water supply that provides, among other things, drinking water, irrigation and commercial and recreational fishing activities for the Clarence Valley and surrounds.
Through earlier "NOT A DROP" campaigns started by the Daily Examiner, I have made it abundantly clear of my commitment to the Clarence River not losing a drop of water, despite questionable schemes such as diverting the Clarence inland.
This time "NOT A DROP" means we don't poison a drop of Clarence water, as the history of this type of mining is littered with pollution of waterways, water sources and nearby communities.
Mr Price of Anchor Resources is quoted as saying: "Using world best practice, there will be no contamination."
I have written to Mr Price on our behalf to ask him what "world best practice" actually involves and how it would prevent one iota of poison from entering the Clarence catchment.
I shall keep constituents informed through the local media of the progress of my approach to Anchor Resources.

JANELLE SAFFIN, MP

Federal Member for Page

*Hat tip to Clarrie Rivers of North Coast Voices for providing the transcript!

The Big Blue Army at work

Proposed South-west Commonwealth Marine Reserve Network

A record 42,000 demand sanctuaries in consultation period

Thank you to the 42,000 people that called for a network of large marine sanctuaries in Australia’s South West during the recent consultation period. This is the highest number of submissions ever sent to a government process on a conservation issue in Australia.

This also represents an enormous community backlash against totally inadequate marine sanctuaries proposed by Environment Minister Tony Burke in May this year. With 8 out of 10 hotspots for South West marine life left unprotected by this original proposal, we would expect some dramatic changes to the final sanctuaries being decided upon around November 2011.

These new sanctuaries should deliver what science says is needed – not what fishing and oil industries may want. However we are concerned that these vested interests will be working to undermine the overwhelming call from the community for protection.

To ensure that proper protection is delivered we will have to remain vigilant and we will need your help.

Join the Big Blue Army and we’ll keep you informed of developments in the run up to the final decision in a few months time.

According to a Save Our Marine Life email  only 112 submissions were received opposing this West  Australia marine reserve network

Time to wrap yourself in the flag and holiday in Oz?

Seems quite a few small Oz tourist towns might need our holiday dollar if this trend to either stay at home or holiday overseas continues to grow.

Roy Morgan Research 17/10/2011

The percentage of Australians who intend to travel domestically on their next holiday in the next twelve months has declined 3% in a year to 55%, according to the Roy Morgan Research Holiday Tracking Survey conducted in the three months to August 2011.

By contrast, the percentage of Australians who intend to go overseas on their next holiday in the next twelve months is 9% in August 2011, up 1% in a year and up 3% since August 2006.

In total around 12.6 million (68%) Australians 14 years or older intend to take at least one holiday in the next 12 months in August 2011, down from 70% in August 2010.

Intention to take a holiday in the next 12 months

   

Source: Roy Morgan Single Source (June 2006 – August 2011, average sample per quarter n=5,077). N.B. A small percentage of holiday intenders cannot nominate where they will be going on their next holiday. As a result, the percentages shown as intending to go overseas or domestic on their next holiday do not add to the total intenders.    

Drawing from Google Images