And now for the bad news - 2012/13 residential electricity pricing on the NSW North Coast

Independent Pricing And Regulation Tribunal NSW Draft Determination: Changes in regulated electricity retail prices from 1 July 2012 (PDF file)

Consumer Fact Sheet:

Electricity prices are increasing

Based on our draft decision, average regulated retail electricity prices will increase by around 16% across NSW from 1 July 2012 – or by between an average of 10.3% and 19.2% across different electricity supply areas. These changes follow average increases of 10% and 17% across NSW in 2010/11 and 2011/12 respectively.

Table 1.1 IPART's draft decision on regulated average retail electricity price increases from 1 July 2012 (including inflation, %)

EnergyAustralia	19.2
Integral Energy	10.3
Country Energy	17.6
NSW average	16.4

  

 Note: The increases in regulated retail electricity prices are based on forecast network price increases which are subject to approval by the Australian Energy Regulator in June 2012…..

This year, the increases proposed in our draft decision are primarily driven by:

 the continuing rise in forecast network costs, which contributes to around half of the average 16% price increase, and

 the introduction of the Federal Government's carbon pricing mechanism, which contributes to the other half of the average price increase.

The other costs that contribute to regulated retail electricity prices will decline slightly, or remain fairly stable…..

Independent Pricing And Regulation Tribunal NSW Media Release, 12 April 2012:  

Twitter offers up a political ghost to follow

Last week Twitter made this helpful offer to follow a ghost.

This is hardly Twitter's fault because disgraced former Nationals MP Steve Cansdell refuses to alter the profile attached to his inactive but visible Twitter account @stevecansdell.
No wonder that, almost seven months down the line, some voters in Clarence are confused about who represents them in the NSW Parliament.

If the shoe fits............

NSW Legislative Council Hansard on 3^rd March 2012:

Mr DAVID SHOEBRIDGE: …….The ugly right-wing ideology permeates the balance.

The Hon. Dr Peter Phelps {interjecting}: Are you talking about me again?

The Daily Examiner, Grafton NSW, gets new editor

From APN News and Media 1 April 2012:

Jenna Cairney has been appointed Editor of the Daily Examiner in Grafton. Jenna has been with APN since 2009 at our Warwick and Stanthorpe operations, most recently as Chief-of-Staff of the Warwick Daily News. Previously she worked in Scotland as a reporter for The Courier, The Evening Telegraph and The Sunday Post publications. She has covered music and the arts for Livingson Music Magazine in Scotland and the North Texas Daily in the city of Denton in the United States. Jenna is one of our rising stars and will bring considerable passion and energy to the Grafton role when she joins the team from April 16. As previous announced, current Daily Examiner Editor David Bancroft is taking up the new role of Group Editor for our Rural Weekly products.

Ms. Cairney comes with a very impressive resume and we wish her well in her new position.

She has big shoes to fill for the departing editor, David Bancroft, was one of a rare breed. A local Valley boy, born and bred, with both a passion for the region and compassion for his community. He displayed a knowledge of local, state and federal politics which translated itself into a real understanding of the problems, needs and aspirations of that diverse and geographically widespread community called the Clarence Valley.

The Greens Cate Faehrmann stands up for road safety in Iluka and the Minister for Roads and Ports disappoints

Question Without Notice in the NSW Legislative Assembly on 4 April 2012:

ILUKA ROAD, ILUKA, SPEED LIMIT

The Hon. CATE FAEHRMANN: My question is directed to the Minister for Roads and Ports. Currently the main Iluka Road at Iluka has a speed limit of 80 kilometres per hour, which was put in place after lobbying by many locals to protect a sensitive wildlife corridor and to reduce the number of accidents that can occur as a result of hitting wildlife on that road. Given that the lower speed limit has reduced the number of animals injured and killed and, therefore, the number of accidents, will the Minister assure the House that the proposal of The Nationals member for Clarence, Chris Gulaptis, to increase the speed limit to 100 kilometres per hour will not be approved?

The Hon. DUNCAN GAY: In case the Hon. Cate Faehrmann does not know: the Government has changed. She should have asked that question of the former Government. Under the new Government changes in speed zones go to the safety committee, which makes the decision. If it is appropriate for the speed limit to increase, the road safety group will approve it. If it is not appropriate, it will not.

It was good to see NSW Greens MLC Cate Faehrmann ask a question about Iluka Road.

Equally it was disappointing to see the NSW Minister for Roads and Ports Duncan Gay decide to be less than honest about the speed limit review process.

The Staysafe (Joint Standing Committee on Road Safety) is not considering this matter. It is being progressed by NSW Roads and Maritime Services in consultation with the Clarence Valley Council Traffic Advisory Committee, with the Member for Clarence (who is pushing for an increase in the speed limit in an area in which he may possibly still have a pecuniary interest) sitting on this local “road safety group”.

In other words, state government influence is still a significant factor in this matter.

Maths for the Twittersphere

 

 

Ninety year-old Ginger Meggs’ grafitti says it all:

“45% of the time I am right.

Never mind the other 2%.”

Onya Jason!

Another North Coast Local Aboriginal Land Council Speaks Out Against NSWALC Mining Plans

The Daily Examiner 7 April 2012:

A SECOND Clarence Valley-based Aboriginal land council has distanced itself from its state body over petroleum exploration licence applications.

Maclean-based Yaegl Local Aboriginal Land Council chair Eileen McLeay said the group met recently and endorsed comments by Grafton's Ngerrie Local Aboriginal Land Council that they were "extremely disappointed" with the consultation of the NSW Aboriginal Land Council over the mining exploration applications.

She said Yaegl group members met NSW Land Council chairman Geoff Scott in Lismore recently and outlined their concerns.

"We don't want people coming onto our country and destroying the habitat and environment," Ms McLeay said. "We don't want this place up here being spoiled. We are in paradise."

Roads and Ports Minister Duncan Gay demonstrates just how out of touch he is with regional NSW

The Clarence Valley Review on 28 March 2012:

Click on image to enlarge

One of the reasons why Cowper MP Luke Hartsuyker is getting less media cover?

These days one usually finds Federal Nationals MP for Cowper, Luke Hartsuyker, almost exclusively reported in the regional press. Rarely is he appearing in national media, particularly when it comes to his 'carbon tax' utterances.

One has to suspect that most of the mainstream media now see him as a political ranter.

On 30 March 2012 Mr. Hartsuyker told The Northern Star that:

ELECTRICITY costs may rise up to 20 per cent with the introduction of the Federal government's carbon tax..

Three days later on 2 April 2012, he sent out a media release which stated:

Federal Member for Cowper Luke Hartsuyker has welcomed calls by the Energy Users Association of Australia (EUAA) to address the power price hikes which are hurting Australian households and small business….

The report found that over the next three years power prices are forecast to rise by an another 30 per cent and the carbon tax is a primary reason for this increase..

The Coffs Coast Advocate reported his second assertion on 4 April 2012:

Mr Hartsuyker said in a media statement that a report tabled by the Energy Users Association of Australia (EUAA) found that over the next three years power prices are forecast to rise by an another 30 per cent and the carbon tax is a primary reason for this increase.

Now the Energy Users Association of Australia (EUAA), whose membership is primarily business and industry, did produce a March 2012 report titled A report to the Energy Users Association of Australia - Electricity Prices in Australia: An International Comparison.

However, the report makes no direct mention of the carbon tax and although it does foreshadow a 30 per cent increase in retail electricity prices by 2013-14 it also clearly and repeatedly states that it relied on Australian Energy Market Commission (AMEC) calculations for this figure.

In relation to residential electricity supply AMEC itself unequivocally states:

The retail component is expected to increase by 30 per cent with a carbon price factored in (compared with 26 per cent without) in nominal terms at a national level over the projection period.

Which means that pricing carbon is expected to increase the national nominal cost of retail electricity by 4 per cent over the next two years, not the 30 per cent touted by the Member for Cowper.

Both EUAA and AMEC point to the cost of replacing aging infrastructure as a significant contibuting factor in total projected electricity supply price increases to the average householder.

With EUAA pointing out that around three-quarters of all expenditure incurred by Australia’s electricity network service providers is capitalised and AMEC stating distribution costs (sub-stations, transformers, meters, poles and wires) are expected to contribute 33.6 per cent to the total projected national increase in 2013-14 residential electricity supply costs to consumers – with this projected increase rising t o 36.1 per cent  in NSW.

Electricity transmission network pricings are not set by the federal government but are decided by an independent body, the Australian Energy Regulator (AER).

Mr. Hartsuyker is not stupid – he know all this. So why is he issuing such self-serving and misleading media releases?

Ah, yes, of course – he is one of Tony Abbott’s foot soldiers.

Woolgoolga Curryfest Saturday & Sunday 28-29 April 2012

The Woolgoolga Curryfest is an amazing annual signature event bringing thousands together to celebrate the cultural diversity of this scenic seaside village.

The curry theme links our major ethnic group, the Sikh Indians (largest regional Sikh settlement in Australia) as well as representations from many other groups from Germany, Thailand, Holland, England, and Scotland.

Festival Dates / Times
Saturday 28th April, 2012
Open from 9am to 9pm

When: Saturday 28th April, 2012
Open from 9am to 9pm

Where: Woolgoolga Beach Reserve

Admission:
Adults, High school students $5
Primary school children and under - FREE.
 
Live Entertainment Schedule for Saturday here
Sunday – personalised cooking classes and meditation workshop

All Enquiries
Ph: 0408 286 696E: info@curryfest.com.au

Trolling MLC Phelps just can't help himself

The Hon. Dr. Peter Phelps MLC in troll mode

courtesy of a little morphing

Hansard record of fellow Liberal Donald Harwin politely telling Peter Phelps to shut up interjecting on 3^rd April 2012:

"The PRESIDENT: Order! I call the Hon. Dr Peter Phelps to order for the first time."

Phelps on Twitter denying this happened on 4^th April:

"Peter Phelps‏ @PeterPhelpsMLC

@SteveWhan 'Shut up'? By whom. There is nothing even vaguely of that nature in Hansard. Clearly you're not only sad, but a fantasist as well"

Phelps second tweet entered the twittersphere on the same day he was singled out twice by Harwin:
The PRESIDENT: Order! I call the Hon. Peter Phelps to order for the first time......
The PRESIDENT: Order! I call the Hon. Peter Phelps to order for the second time.

The Fair Work Australia HCU Report Mess? Blame Teh Rabbit?

This came to my attention in The Age over Easter and I wanted to share the laugh.

TONY ABBOTT'S frustration that the Fair Work Australia investigation into the Health Services Union has not paved the way explicitly for criminal charges in part stems from legislation he introduced as the workplace relations minister in 2002.

The Registered Organisations Act, which details the rules about the financial management of organisations such as unions, provides for civil, not criminal, penalties for breaches. Consequently, the investigation by FWA was never supposed to be a precursor to the laying of criminal charges and it was not surprising the Commonwealth DPP said the 1100-page report referred to it by FWA was of next to no use because it did not amount to a brief of evidence.

Upriver Bill

Northern Rivers

* 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.

Your folly is risking our lives!

On 2 April 2012 Ray Hunt of Yamba on the NSW North Coast sent an email to Clarence Valley Council.

Because he is not alone in his concerns, this post is an excerpt from that email:

This morning 2-4-12, I was riding my bicycle out along Yamba Road at about 30kms p/hour in the cycle lane.

Approaching Freeburn St intersection I suddenly found the cycleway narrowing towards the newly laid curb and a motor vehicle veering onto me from my right.

I had nowhere to go and quickly applied my brakes causing me to skid.

The vehicle on my right was virtually on top of me blowing his horn. I could hear screeching noises coming from the vehicles behind as they quickly applies their brakes.

By the time I had nearly come to a stop the vehicle on my right began to move away and I noted the cycleway once again opening up.

No thanks to your staff I am very lucky to be alive today.

The roadworks at Freeburn intersection have just been altered, allowing for vehicles to stop before turning right into Freeburn Street. The motor vehicles following veer left into what was the cycle lane which just disappears and restarts 50m further up Yamba Road.

The curbing which has just been built does not allow for widening of the road to allow bicycles to continue up Yamba Road with safety.

Why is Council making Yamba so bicycle unfriendly?……….

I respectfully urge you to look at this unsafe intersection with a degree of urgency before one of our kids gets killed.

If you or your children cycle along Yamba Road perhaps you should consider writing to The General Manager, Clarence Valley Council, 2 Prince Street, Grafton NSW 2460 or emailing via council@clarence.nsw.gov.au.

In an obvious effort to create a turning lane into Freeburn Street the Yamba Road cycleway disappears. With no break in the concrete kerbing to allow cyclists to escape onto the footpath away from vehicles now competing for the same road space. There are also no signs warning motorists and cyclists that they are approaching a potential 'blackspot'.

Couple (below) crossing T-intersection onto cycleway further up Yamba Road

** Photographs taken were taken early morning Easter Sunday 8.4.12

Peter Phelps MLC: when pollies talk through an orifice far from their mouth

Over the weekend this nonsense caught my eye in The Telegraph on 8^th April 2012:

“ATTORNEY-GENERAL Greg Smith has come under fire from within his own party for appointing judges with a history of defending accused terrorists.

Peter Phelps MLC said Mr Smith needed to explain why he believed his last three judicial appointments were appropriate for "a conservative government", given their records as barristers.

The Sunday Telegraph has been told Mr Phelps' concerns - raised in the government's closed party room before Parliament met on Monday - echo growing fears within the party about Mr Smith's alleged "Left leanings" and "soft on crime" stance on judicial issues.

While Mr Phelps refused to comment on the altercation, saying his "one rule in politics is not to discuss party room in public", a number of other MPs have confirmed his attack on the Attorney-General…….

Mr Smith, a former member of the Labor Party, responded to Mr Phelps' concerns by saying he had worked with at least one of the men during his time as a prosecutor.

Mr Smith also said he had great faith in their judgment and ability and his spokesman defended the decision to appoint the three barristers and lashed out at Mr Phelps.

"Is he [Mr Phelps] going to suggest that everyone who acted as a public defender is unsuitable? That would rule out a lot of judges," he said.

"Advocates are sometimes required to represent unpopular clients and it is part of the strength of our justice system that leading silks take on this duty. It's called the cab-rank principle."

Robert Beech-Jones SC, Peter Maiden SC, and Chris Hoy SC, were all recently sworn as judges in the Supreme Court of NSW (RB-J) and District Court of NSW (PM &CH). Apparently these appointments occurred in the face of Troll Phelps personal objections – a Liberal Party pollie who obviously sees them as the terrorist’s friend at court. Because these three gentlemen have long legal histories which could take up pages to recap, I’ve decided to look at only the first contender for the charge of dangerous, leftist leanings leading to love of all things terrorist.

So how does a potted public history of Robert Beech-Jones' professional activity stack up?

1995 Counsel representing Australian Trade Commission - litigation

1996 Counsel representing Australian Trade Commission - litigation

1997 Counsel representing Comcare – litigation

1998 Counsel representing the Minister For Immigration And Multicultural Affairs – litigation

1999 Counsel representing a Tongan citizen – litigation involving request for visa application review

2000 Counsel representing the Minister For Immigration And Multicultural Affairs – litigation

2001 Counsel for a former migration agent – litigation seeking review of decision of the Migration Agents Registration Authority

2002 Counsel assisting the HIH Royal Commission – investigation of the collapse of an insurance company

2003 Counsel assisting the HIH Royal Commission – investigation of the collapse of an insurance company

2004 Counsel representing the Minister For Immigration And Multicultural Affairs – litigation

2005 Counsel assisting the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption - investigation

2006 Counsel representing the Minister For Immigration And Multicultural Affairs – litigation

2007 Counsel representing former female partner with Price Waterhouse Cooper – sexual harassment litigation

2008 Representing 1^st and 2^nd respondents - appeal and application for leave to appeal from a decision of a costs review panel upholding a costs assessment

2009 Counsel representing the Australian Securities and Investments Commission – matter concerning CSR and James Hardie compensation obligations

2009 Counsel representing Mamdouh Habib – litigation involving compensation/damages claim

2010 Counsel representing the Australian Securities and Investments Commission – litigation involving James Hardy asbestos compensation fund

2011 Counsel representing Hanlong Mining's vice-president  - litigation

2011 Counsel acting on behalf of Commonwealth Department of Public Prosecutions – litigation

2011 Acting for the Crown – litigation  involving former finance director of the Fincorp Group

2012  Acting on behalf of ACT Super Management – litigation

Fair dinkum! Robert Beech-Jones SC would have to be the epitome of legal middle-of-the-road in a conservative legal system which leans towards those who are white, wealthy, educated or powerful. Once more Peter Phelps MLC is talking from the southern-most orifice of his body.

# Thanks to Clarencegirl for finding some of the court cases mentioned

Moggy Musings [Archived Material from Boy The Wonder Cat]

A Clarence Valley Council acting the ostrich musing: In February 2012 the new Clarence MP requested a review of the speed limit on Iluka Road and locals have a name and RMS address to send their submissions to - but Council thinks the review's current status is that of a rumour. WTF? says my hoomin.

A Will the NSW Department of Education even try to keep within ethical limits in 2012? musing: The good thing about paradise is the little birds. And just recently a little birdie told me that a year of Dorrigo High School students were given a presentation on Antimony by one of Anchor Resources reps, Graham Rabbone and were then asked to write a paper and get their parents involved. Antimony was of course shown in a wonderful light. The class teacher of this yr was also allegedly taken out... to lunch by Anchor Resources. And sadly, this is not the only reported incidence of a lunch or dinner that Anchor has shouted....

A herding cane toads musing: Congratulations to the hundreds of hardy toad herders out and about in Yamba for its 14th Annual Cane Toad Roundup on 4 March 2012. A little birdy tweeted me that the heaviest toad caught as 277g and the biggest single bag handed in contained 130 toads. Well done all! Follow up - the final cane toad count is in and it's 2,521 of the darstardly hoppers. A new Yamba record.

An I can't believe it's not butter musing: For months now there has been a strong rumour doing the rounds that a NSW Nationals MP had an affair in 2011 with a former Nationals' staffer. The burning question contained in this rumour is: Did both parties agree to leave their partners and did the politician renege on the promise - leaving the staffer facing a very angry spouse?

A who is HappyVegemiteKR musing: YouTube is carrying a video clip of Kevin Rudd swearing while he was Aussie Prime Minister. The commitariat are blaming the video on an anonymous Gillard supporter, but local moggies aren't so sure. With only one video posted on the day this user joined the only thing we know about them is that they decided to record their age as 42. How old is Peta Credlin, again? Just about to turn 41? Hhmm - wonder who else is in the frame?

A who verballed Abbott musing: My little canine friend Veronica Lake is chortling quietly. She reckons Abbott wasn't verballed at all and the person who told Tony Hodges words to the effect that Abbott thought the Tent Embassy should be moved from the existing site was actually a journo from the Murdoch press. So who's to blame for stirring the pot then?

A tweet musing: One of my fav Siamese @CatFoodBreath has corrected the record when it comes to famous Hollywood movie quotes and here they are: “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a meow.” “I’m going to bring him a dead mouse he can’t refuse.” “You don’t understand! I coulda had class. I coulda been a cat. I could’ve been somebody, instead of a dog, which is what I am.” “Toto, I’ve got a feeling we’re not on the couch anymore.” “Here’s looking at you, kitty.” “Go ahead, make my lunch.” “All right, Mr. DeMille, I’m ready for my nap.” “May the Fur be with you.” “You talkin’ to me?” “I love the smell of cat food breath in the morning.” “Being a cat means never having to say you’re sorry.” “The stuff that cats are made of.” “They call me Cat Food Breath!” “I’m as sleepy as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore!” “Breath. Cat Food Breath.” “There’s no place like the couch.” “Show me the cat snacks!”

A reason the dog barked in the night musing: My little canine friend Veronica Lake is all puffed up with pride because she barked away intruders while staying with a friend; Between 1.30am and 3am the perpetrators roamed streets including Osprey Dr, The Halyard, Admiralty Crt and Gumnut Rd, armed with a screwdriver casing out properties.

A mail musing: Still sniggering over the rumour that one local voter returned to sender the Christmas Greetings flyer sent out by the new MP for Page in an envelope addressed to 'Steve' Gulaptis MP.

A rumoured whiff of corruption musing: Which Clarence Valley local currently housed at Her Majesty's pleasure is allegedly having his government-subsidised NCCHC social housing held indefinitely for him because he has family connections in the Commonwealth welfare bureaucracy?

There's no party politics in local government, says voice of authority

Being Easter, there wasn't the usual gathering at the Table of Knowledge on Friday arvo. However, an extraordinary meeting was convened for yesterday.

Midway through the agenda Uncle Tom (remember, he knows everything about everything) made mention of a piece he'd read in Saturday's Sydney Morning Herald.

The piece was 'Risky move is part of Labor's long game', which opened with
One year after the change of state government, council elections in September loom as the next big political contest.
For Labor, they will be a measure of how it has regrouped since the disastrous election result last March.
Like the Clarence byelection, following the resignation of the Nationals' Steve Cansdell, the council elections will also give Labor a chance to judge how the new Coalition government is faring.

Uncle Tom remarked, "The bloke who wrote that is dead-set wrong."

"Howzat?" enquired Big Bazza.

"What that bloke wrote might be right for elections in the metropolitan area but it doesn't apply here because we don't have any of that party politics stuff in our local government up here, or anywhere else in rural NSW," replied Uncle Tom.

So there you have it!

Uncle Tom, being a supporter of every and any thing to do with the coalition (but, admittedly, he's a true blue dyed in the wool National man) said it, so it must be true.

The last sighting we had of Big Bazza he was shufling off in the direction of his home, still scratching the back of his head, obviously bewildered by what he had learnt from Uncle Tom.

Attention: Avon reps and Tupperware agents

ADVERTORIAL

Are you sick and tired of the long hours you have to put in to make a few lousy dollars from your part time job?

Yes? Then here's just the opportunity you've been looking for.

A Lower Clarence resident reckons he's on a winner - he's an agent for forsalebyowner.com.au

The local rep has an ad on gumtree.com.au showing home owners how they can side step real estate agents and sell their properties via forsalebyowner.com.au for just $599.

Remember, caveat emptor.

Trust me, I'm Tony Abbott

The face of things to come?

I'll still respect them in the morning

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's attitude
on the eve of the
Federal General Election 2013

At last - a little sense comes out of the American heartlands

CBS News Health Watch 28^th March 2012:

“An Oklahoma judge on Wednesday struck down a state law requiring women seeking abortions to have an ultrasound image placed in front of them and to listen to a detailed description of the fetus before the procedure.

District Judge Bryan Dixon ruled the statute passed by the Legislature in 2010 is an unconstitutional special law because it addresses only patients, physicians and sonographers dealing with abortions and does not address them concerning other medical care….”

Did the NSW Attorney-General tell the truth to the NSW Parliament? O'Farrell and Fraser need to answer questions about Cansdell Affair

The burning questions raised by this media report; Did the NSW Attorney-General tell the truth to the NSW Parliament about the Cansdell statutory declaration? Did Cansdell not sign the back of the original infringement notice he received or was a second false stat dec created in 2011 for presentation to NSW Police?

The Daily Examiner 7 April 2012:

THE woman who took the fall for disgraced MP Steve Cansdell has revealed details of the statutory declaration she signed to prevent the former member for Clarence from losing his licence over a speeding fine in 2005.
On Thursday, Kath Palmer told The Daily Examiner the statutory declaration she signed was on the back of a NSW speeding infringement notice.
Inquiries to the Office of State Revenue yesterday confirmed all NSW infringement notices were printed with NSW statutory declarations on the back.
But this information is at odds with what NSW Attorney-General Greg Smith revealed when he passed the matter on to the Commonwealth Department of Public Prosecution (DPP) on March 7.
"The office of the NSW DPP has advised me that Mr Cansdell signed a Commonwealth Statutory Declaration and therefore it's not expected that any state charge will be brought," he told the NSW Parliament during question time……

Fracking chemicals may be making you ill, but even your doctor will be forbidden to tell you precisely how or why in Pennsylvania USA

In February this year House Bill No. 1950 was passed into law by the Pennsylvania General Assembly. In effect this new law states that if chemicals released in the coal seam gas mining process make you ill, then in certain circumstances your doctor can make a written request to discover the details of those chemicals from the mining company involved.

However he is not allowed to tell anyone about those chemicals – even if you are the affected patient according to the public health and environmental community.

(11) If a health professional determines that a medical emergency exists and the specific identity and amount of any chemicals claimed to be a trade secret or confidential proprietary information are necessary for emergency treatment, the vendor, service provider or operator shall immediately disclose the information to the health professional upon a verbal acknowledgment by the health professional that the information may not be used for purposes other than the health needs asserted and that the health professional shall maintain the information as confidential. The vendor, service provider or operator may request, and the health professional shall provide upon request, a written statement of need and a confidentiality agreement from the health professional as soon as circumstances permit, in conformance with regulations promulgated under this chapter. [my red bolding]

As Walter Tsou, president of the Philadelphia chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility, put it, "What is the big secret here that they're unwilling to tell people, unless they know that if people found out what's really in these chemicals, they would be outraged?"

One wonders how doctors in Australia would fare if they made similar requests of coal seam gas exploration and mining companies operating in this country.

Art on the wing over Northern NSW

Katherine Castle Red-Tailed Black Cockatoos

Tanya Walker jabirus

Elizabeth Starkey Albert's Lyrebird

Noel Caldwell Boobook, 2007

Three tales of the same Tweed River

“The Tweed Shire council have funded a report on boat wake and river bank erosion. The report is very misleading, inaccurate and BIAS towards boat wake. The report does not comment about how the natural environment and human kind has an effect on the river banks or even the recent floods on the Tweed!
There is a group called TRAC (Tweed River Awareness Committee) and they have uploaded a website for YOU to have your say to all of the Tweed Shire Councillors! WE NEED to have our say because we are up against a minority group that have do not have anything better to do then voice up and complain!”  howled rubberjohnny. Rather strangely ignoring the fact that this study did take the natural environment into account and definitely looked at flood impact.

Over at tweedriverusers.org an unknown voice was getting all shouty about sneaky bans being just around the corner for Tweed boaties. Mr. Unknown seemed to believe that just because a river erosion study on the NSW South Coast did not identify wave action generated by boats as a problem this applied as a natural law to all Aussie rivers.

Apparently this Tweed River ban will be capable of blinding and strangling water skiers as well – if this pic is to be believed.

Of course Tweed Council is doing little to douse the conspiratorial flames, because the Mayor foolishly tried to play down the fact that recommendations in the Impact of Wake on Tweed River Bank Erosion Study did contain Supplementary Bank Enhancement Measures which listed “Vessel management to restrict boat wake waves” and that council “has oversighted the preparation and implementation of detailed management plans for specific sections of the river and specific issues eg. bank erosion” according to NSW Roads & Maritime Services.

Turn it up, fellas! Any fool can see power boats won't be banned from the river - they'll just have to keep to a 'below hoon' speed and maybe stop towing water skiers in particularly vulberable areas.

More New England madness.........

From A Clarence Valley Protest on 27 March 2012:

Those New England vandals have reared their heads again

Goodwood Island in the Clarence River estuary
Click on Google Earth image to enlarge

Former President of the New South Wales Farmers Association, member of  the federal Ministerial Advisory Council on Regional Australia, current Inverell Shire Mayor and Chair of Regional Development Australia: Northern Inland NSW  Mal Peters, along with fellow RDANI committee members Les Parsons, Heather Ranclaud, Neil Argent, Scott McLachlan, Ray Tait, Matt Patterson, Jane Kreis, Melanie Dowell, Sue Price, Ian Lobsey, and Anita Taylor (in company with Inverell councillor David C. Jones) have turned their greedy eyes towards the Clarence Valley.

With a view to wrecking not only the Clarence River below Harwood Bridge, but a good part of the Valley as well.

It seems these individuals are promoting the idea of creating a Moree to Iluka-Yamba rail line running into a bulk shipping/coal terminal probably situated on Goodwood Island after deep water dredging a channel from the river mouth and, in 2010-11 formed plans to ask for an estimated $1 million to conduct a feasibility study.

Mayor Peters apparently lobbied for this idea at the inaugural meeting of the Regional Australia Advisory Council in Melbourne in mid-2011.

However, Clarence Valley residents only became widely aware of this scheme when The Daily Examiner published an article on 5 March 2012, along with this diagram:

Click on image to enlarge

As has come to be expected from industry groups and local government over the Great Dividing Range, there is little to no consideration of the environmental, cultural, economic and social costs this scheme would impose on coastal communities.

The photograph below shows the infrastructure of one typical Australian coal terminal.

Unfortunately this is exactly the type of crudely executed vandalism which would appeal to the develop to death, mining at any cost heart of the new NSW Nationals Member for Clarence Chris Gulaptis.
__________________________

See A very shortsighted view
__________________________

Quote of the Week

“Australia has been tagged the “dumb blonde” of the world. It’s attractive, but shallow – a kind of Pacific Paris Hilton, “living every day as if it’s your birthday” from inherited, unearned resource riches.”
{Makemycitywork.com on 1^st March 2012}

A trip down memory lane for that grand denier Tony Abbott

http://youtu.be/e5jtiJPlv4Y