One of the painful truths many on the North Coast and the rest of NSW have to live with

Being a NSW region high on the aging demographic tree and lower on the average weekly household income scale, with a consistently higher than national or state unemployment levels, there is often real pain attached those quarterly electricity bills for many local people.

So it was good to see the Prime Minister articulate the some of the difficulties faced,  in her keynote speech to the Energy Policy Institute at a gathering of the worst power industry price gougers at the Sydney Intercontinental Hotel on 7 August 2012:

People are paying a lot more – in some states, bills have gone up almost a thousand dollars in just a few years.

It is very clear that working Australians, pensioners, the sick, the aged, people who need the most help, the people Labor Governments are elected to represent. These are the people who are feeling the most pressure.

Meanwhile, some states, like New South Wales and Queensland, are doing very well out of this financially and their revenue from some electricity assets is growing much faster than in the private sector.......

As a recent AGL Energy review noted, while wealthier households can cut power costs through more efficient devices and solar panels, the poorest customers are exposed to the full cost of the increases.

As a Labor Prime Minister, I feel very deeply concerned about the plight of pensioners and poorer families who spend a greater proportion of their income on power.

The less disposable income you have, the harder it is to manage large lumpy bills, like power bills.

And buying clean energy appliances – everything from new and more efficient whitegoods to rooftop solar panels – is plainly easier if you earn more........

Fifty per cent price increases in many states over four years – linked to demonstrable inefficiencies in resource allocation in the market.

Or in this state, New South Wales – nearly seventy per cent increases.

With half the extra cost due to increased network charges.

People are paying much more for the so-called “poles and wires” – not to produce electricity but just to move it around the system.

A long term trend of price increases like this cannot be sustained.

Not economically, not socially. No market can sustain this, let alone a market which delivers one of the essentials of life.

It’s a huge cost to our economy.

Full transcript of the Prime Minister's speech is here.

Premier Barry O'Farrell, Energy Minister Chris Hartcher et al may huff and puff all they like, but Julia Gillard is speaking a solid truth

From Teh Book Of Little Known Aussie FAQS

The NSW Inmate Census 2011 revealed that only 7% of the state’s 10,068 strong prison population is female – that’s only 703 inmates, with just one in maximum security, none under 18 years of age and 203 of these women in the system had yet to be sentenced by the courts when the census was taken.
Does this mean the average Aussie sheila is a lot more law-abiding than her bloke?

Grab a few tinnies and argue it out among yourselves fellas - but quietly and as far away from your better halves as you can get.

Clarence Valley local government election candidates - the final list and ballot positions

Clarence Valley local government election candidates in order of their ballot paper positions and how they will classify themselves on 8 September 2012:

Rod Morrison Independent

Margot Scott Independent

Paul Parkinson

Craig Howe Independent

Andrew Baker Independent

Ursula Tunks Independent

Joy de Roos

Jim Simmons Independent

Greg Clancy Independent

Jane Beeby Independent

Sue Hughes Independent

Karen Toms

Michael McIvor Independent

Jeremy Challacombe Independent

Richie Williamson

Margaret McKenna Independent

Jason Kingsley Independent

Commencing this week North Coast Voices will be rating these 17 candidates on performance and policies over the course of the election campaign.

In 2012 Facebook became a social networking site of which its participants could be ashamed

On 4 June 2012 someone reputedly from Perth, West Australia (and rumoured to be a 16 year old boy) began a Facebook page called Aboriginal Memes.

Racist and hateful are the terms which best describe this site, which tries to excuse its venom by labelling it humour.

These are two snapshots taken of this page by The Vine with the deceased Aboriginal elder’s faced blurred for privacy/cultural reasons:

The Vine asks:

Moreover, the people who are creating these images have actually claimed credit for their horrific displays of intolerance, captioning the pictures on Facebook as “credit: Hunter Green”, “Credit: Kurt Christidis”, “Credit: Mitchel Warmington”. Besides the obvious that these people should be deeply ashamed of their unabashed vilification, did it not occur to them that potential employers/ colleagues/ workmates/ friends/ family/ the media could see their names up in the proverbial Facebook lights?

Facebook management has been contacted by at least two journalists and this is what it said to one:

The Australian put concerns to Facebook yesterday."We don't have anything to share on this but if that changes, we'll let you know," a spokeswoman said.

Perhaps it’s time for sensible individuals to walk away from this social networking site if it is going to support such vile trash - but not before hitting the report this button.

How to make a paper bin liner for that little green kitchen bin

This was The Daily Examiner editor in the 7 August 2012 issue, on the subject of how to make the most of the new Clarence Valley Council waste management system of which both she and most local residents heartily approve:

My first effort at using the little green kitchen bin ended pretty badly, with a lot of  newspaper used and even more disinfectant used afterwards……

We'll help each other get used to the change and make it work. The first step of that is the origami newspaper competition we launched today (see page 5).
Fully aware it leaves us open to a plethora of jokes and I can already imagine the spray we're going to cop on at least one local media observers' blog site ("We've always said The DEX is rubbish etc"), I'm still going to push the message: Forget the Tele, wrap your scraps in The DEX - a thoroughly decent read and thoroughly useful product.  

To help everyone who is finding the bench-top kitchen scraps bin a bit of a challenge, here are a few paper bin liner instruction videos that may possibly be adapted to accommodate the smaller sheet size of many Australian newspapers.

http://youtu.be/BfEX85V9n8w

http://youtu.be/IhzKEeCmOfc

http://youtu.be/PWcMlIsXWdo

A simple to follow paper folding diagram can be found here.

Er, no you're wrong Aunty ABC

“A saying made famous by the American author Mark Twain is relevant: "There are three kinds of lies. Lies, damned lies, and statistics." wrote Shane Watling on ABC's The Drum.
I’m no expert but even I didn’t think that sounded like something Old Sam would utter.
After letting my mouse loose in cyberspace, I decided to toss my lot in with York Uni which wasn’t impressed either and pointed out that Twain himself didn't claim authorship.
Matter of fact its Dept of Mathematics lists so many possible sire's for this saying that Shane can't even really claim that Twain made this bon mot famous.

Lock the Gate provided scenic route for two federal politicians in search of positive publicity

Photograph of Abbott and Hartsuyker from the Coffs Coast Advocate

According to the Mid North Coast Greens on 5 August 2012:

The route of the NAB Coffs Coast Cycle Challenge crossed the Lavender Bridge in Bellingen on its return to Coffs Harbour. Riding in the team event was Tony Abbott MHR, Leader of the Federal Opposition and Luke Hartsuyker MHR, Member for Cowper.

Waiting with the ‘Lock The Gate’ message were around 80 supporters of Lock The Mid North Coast.

The scenic route through which Abbott and Hartsuyker passed on one leg of their 5 August ride……………………

http://youtu.be/ysnK5Rg01qs

Less than four months to global doomsday - head for them thar hills!

Now I don’t know who NSW refrigeration mechanic Simon Young is or why he apparently chose Tenterfield for humanity’s last stand in Australia, but I’m willing to bet that he won’t have his $5,000-a-bed bunker finished and stocked before 21st December 2012 - just about when the Apocalypse is supposed to occur.
Being a bit of a natural cynic has me wondering if Simon is not just a piece of advertising fluff News Ltd is using to promote a TV show due to air on the Murdoch Group’s part-owned National Geographic Channel next Thursday evening.

NSW Local Government Elections 2012 - forty-eight hours until close of nominations

UPDATED 8 August 2012

NSW local government elections are being held on 8 September 2012 and, nominations close a month earlier at noon 8 August.

Here in alphabetical order area is a list of known candidates standing for the nine Clarence Valley shire councillor positions and a brief backgrounder on each:

Andrew Baker –  Maclean real estate agent, land developer, former business partner of the NSW Nationals MP for Clarence Chris Gulaptis, extensive native vegetation land clearing appears to be a feature of his development style, standing for local government on a pro-development platform, not known for community involvement outside the range of his business interests.

Jane Beeby - works in Maclean, opposed sale of part of Maclean's public carpark, states is standing on a platform of commitment to community consultation/transparent government, appears to be/have been a committee member of the Australian Vaccination Network (Association) which was part of a discredited anti-vaccination/anti-medical science lobby group which became the subject of a 2010 Health Care Complaints Commission public warning later successfully challenged in court by the group.

Jeremy Challacombe – local business man, operates both Grafton and Yamba growers markets, NSW Nationals former chair and now vice chair and former 2011 election campaign director for Chris Gulaptis MP, unsuccessful 2008 local government candidate, supported NSW National Party proposal to investigate turning coastal rivers inland long after Clarence Valley communities rejected the idea of damming and diverting the Clarence River or one of its tributaries, unsuccessfully opposed O’Farrell Government’s closure of Grafton Gaol.

Greg Clancy – Coutts Crossing-based consultant ecologist with a wide experience in flora and fauna assessment and a particular interest in North Coast birdlife.

Joy de Roos – In 2011 was listed as ALP Lower Clarence branch president, office bearer at a Maclean preschool and a services club, believes local government is no longer connected to community.

Craig Howe – Grafton High School teacher, currently Clarence Valley Council Deputy Mayor, unsuccessful independent candidate at NSW 2007 general election, voted for  McDonald’s fast food outlet in Yamba, does not have a reputation for giving community concerns serious consideration.

Sue Hughes – business woman, Yamba Chamber of Commerce vice president, current shire councillor who voted against McDonald’s fast food outlet in Yamba.

Jason Kingsley – Grafton business owner who states was on Grafton Gaol picket line, nothing yet known concerning his policy agenda.

Michael McIvor – South Grafton business owner, nothing yet known concerning his policy agenda.

Margaret McKenna – Grafton business owner, current shire councillor, voted for McDonald’s fast food outlet in Yamba citing its food as “nutritious”, comes across as very partisan and pro-Grafton City.

Rod Morrison - Brushgrove flood levee campaigner.

Paul Parkinson – admits to having contested 4 local and 1 state election, former Kempsey shire councillor, persistent complaints concerning council’s lack of community consultation/transparency coincided with his period in Kempsey local government, does not appear to be a Clarence Valley resident as he lists his place of residence as Sherwood in the Kemsey area.

Margot Scott - Yamba-based civil marriage celebrant, standing on a growth and prosperity platform as yet undefined.

Jim Simmons – Maclean business owner, current Clarence Valley shire councillor, formerly on Maclean Shire Council prior to amalgamation, voted for McDonald’s fast food outlet in Yamba, basically pro-development.

Ian Tiley – Maclean-based, current shire councillor, former Clarence Valley Council and Maclean Council mayor, made Emeritus Mayor in 2008 for over 40 years’ service to local government, voted against McDonald’s fast food outlet in Yamba, opposed proposal to dam and divert Clarence River water, appears committed to community consultation and transparent local government, not afraid to take community concerns into council meetings, unsuccessfully stood for Labor Party federal pre-selection in 2008.

Karen Toms – Lower Clarence business person, current shire councillor and former National Party 2011 pre-selection candidate, opposed McDonald’s fast food outlet in Yamba, has earned a reputation for listening to community concerns.

Ursula Tunks – South Grafton-based former local business owner, working towards forming a representative body to co-ordinate and assist the plans of diverse chambers of commerce across the Clarence Valley, resigned as an ordinary member of the NSW Liberal Party in protest at continuing NSW Coalition support of disgraced former Nationals MP for Clarence, Steve Cansdell.

Richie Williamson – current Clarence Valley Mayor and former National Party pre-selection candidate in 2011, voted for supported the imposition of a McDonald’s fast food outlet on an unwilling Yamba community, started off well when first elected as a councillor by initiating council’s response to the threat to dam and divert the Clarence River but appears to have become complacent over the years, unsuccessfully opposed Grafton Gaol closure.

Quotable quotes

{Rabbett Run}

“I am outraged! Only I may rig polls!”
{Fake Andrew Bolt}

“BBC BREAKING NEWS: @MittRomney deported from Britain after discovery that UK already has its own home-grown gaffe machine in @LouiseMensch” {Brendan May}

“Explaining to the children what a ventriloquist was, he {Chris Gulaptis} compared it to watching himself perform in Parliament.”
{The Daily Examiner 2nd August 2012}

"Eww. Just tuned in and Tony Abbott's talking about having read 50 Shades but preferring Bride Stripped Bare. #tooearly" {Latika Bourke}

Cansdellgate - an update

It's unbelievable. He's still yet to face charges!

The Northern Star reports:

Almost 12 months after disgraced former Clarence MP Steve Cansdell walked into Grafton police station with documents proving he falsified a statutory declaration, he is yet to be charged.

On the morning of September 16, Mr Cansdell walked into the station with documentary evidence former staffer Kath Palmer signed a statutory declaration claiming she was driving his car when he was caught speeding by the Woodburn speed camera. As a result, Mr Cansdell would have lost his licence through accumulated demerit points in the lead up to the 2006 state election.

The electorate of Clarence that Mr Cansdell formerly represented stretches from Grafton, north to Casino and east to Evans Head.

On September 16, the former Parliamentary Secretary to Police Minister Michael Gallacher admitted his mistake, claiming at the time he hadn't understood the gravity of the situation.

"I made a dumb choice six years ago and just didn't realise the consequences," he said.

After months of investigation the NSW Police prosecution referred Mr Cansdell's matter to the Commonwealth DPP on March 8.

At the time NSW Attorney General Greg Smith said as Mr Cansdell had signed a Commonwealth statutory declaration on the back of the speeding fine, he could not be prosecuted by the state.

Investigations by the Northern Star revealed fines issued by the NSW State Debt Recovery Office had always been printed with NSW statutory declarations on the back. Mr Cansdell lost his licence in 2009 after he was caught doing 100kmh in an 80kmh zone at Clarenza.

A Commonwealth DPP representative said "the CDPP has no comment".

Acting NSW Opposition leader Linda Burney said it was unbelievable Mr Cansdell was yet to be charged.

"Nearly one year after Steve Cansdell admitted to the criminal offence of signing a false statutory declaration, it defies belief that he is still yet to face charges," she said.

Source: The Northern Star

Metgasco's claims regarding its CSG wastewater disputed

A Clarence Valley Protest July 26, 2012:

Metgasco CSG waste water contaminated with salt and heavy metals
Coal Seam Gas News 26 July 2012

Lock the Gate Northern Rivers has today revealed that a sample of wastewater from a Metgasco coal seam gas wastewater storage pond has been found to contain high levels of a range of heavy metals toxic to humans and wildlife. The sample was analysed at the NATA accredited EAL laboratory in Lismore (sample results and comparison with Drinking Water and ANZECC Environmental Guidelines attached).

This finding follows on from repeated claims by Metgasco that their CSG produced water is just ‘salty’ and the release of company data last week suggesting that, apart from the salt levels, the water meets drinking water standards.

‘These pond sample results confirm that there are indeed a range of toxic substances in addition to salts in the wastewater produced in Metgasco’s coal seam gas operations and stored in ponds around Casino,’ said Boudicca Cerese, spokesperson for Lock the Gate Northern Rivers.

‘The tests found 13 elements present in the sample at levels above the Drinking Water Standards, the majority of them heavy metals. Ten of these substances were also above the allowable limits for maintenance of healthy freshwater ecosystems.’

‘Many of these substances are well known for their toxicity and their release into local waterways via the sewage treatment plant or onto agricultural lands poses a serious threat to humans, domestic stock and wildlife.’

‘Aluminium, a neurotoxic linked with the onset of dementia and Alzheimers, was detected at 440 times drinking water standards and 800 times the allowable environmental limits. At elevated concentrations aluminium can be lethal to fish and other aquatic organisms and the animals that consume them,’ said Ms. Cerese.

‘Lead, a cumulative poison that can severely affect the central nervous system, was measured at 7 times drinking water standards and 20 times the safe environmental limit. Lead is renowned for its effects on children’s development and has been shown to cause cancer in animals.’

‘The sampling found levels of hexavalent chromium 50 times the guideline level required to protect waterways. Hexavalent chromium is known to cause lung cancer in humans and also adversely affects aquatic and marine life,’ she said.

‘The sample results clearly show that the community cannot rely on the water quality results provided by Metgasco and that there is an urgent need for state government authorities to undertake rigorous independent testing of all Metgasco’s ponds prior to any further actions regarding treatment and disposal of this wastewater,’ said Ms. Cerese.

‘In addition, these results sound a warning bell for the future, as the treatment and disposal of the vast quantities of water extracted in future CSG production will mean the accumulation of thousands of tonnes of chemical laden salts, potentially severely impacting ground and surface water quality, and putting at risk public, livestock and wildlife health.

‘Plans to use this water in agriculture or to reinject produced water back into the ground are a dangerous notion, one which will backfire on future generations,’ she said

Absolutely brilliant introduction to the delights of Regional New South Wales

And the North Coast has the lot!


http://youtu.be/UjW-CGJG8kE

Australia's answer to the Haka

Indigenous All Stars vs NRL All Stars 2011.

You must watch this – if only for the stunned look on the faces of the opposing team!

http://youtu.be/0Y59JIObk_U

Are Clarence Valley ratepayers expected to pay for rehabilitating the reputation of the Nationals MP for Clarence?

A little history courtesy of Clarence Valley Council ordinary monthly meeting minutes of 20 May 2008:

Council has supported a Clarence Valley presence at Country Week NSW in 2005 (organised by the former Clarence Valley Business Enterprise Centre), and 2006 & 2007 (organised by the Grafton Chamber of Commerce & Industry). Council’s support has comprised a financial contribution of $2,000 each year, collateral, advertising in a locally produced feature (produced by the Clarence Valley Review) and Sydney based event marketing managed by Pallamedia. In 2007 Council extended its support to include a senior staff member who attended all days of the event. It is estimated that this total package is valued at $8,000.

In 2008 Council voted not to attend Country Week (now rebadged as The Country & Regional Living Expo) given significant budget constraints, difficulties associated with measuring return on investment from the activity and the complexity of the Sydney relocation market and decided not to financially support Clarence Valley groups who decided to attend.

It is my understanding that Cr. Richie Williamson attended this meeting and voted to abandon Council support of Country Week – agreeing that Clarence Valley’s community of interest is not with Sydney.

I have yet to hear that since becoming mayor he has changed his mind on this subject. Indeed it would appear to be his long-held view.

Such a view is supported by the fact that the Clarence Valley annual population growth rate over eleven years between 2001-2011 was only 0.5% - and although there was migration into the valley from Sydney it appears to have lost more residents permanently relocating into Queensland.

So one has to wonder if his attendance at the 2012 Expo is not simply an effort to help rehabilitate the battered reputation of fellow National Party member, Clarence MP Chris Gulaptis, who was reported in The Daily Examiner  on 31 July 2012:

The NSW Government agreed to provide $8000 to assist with costs associated with having a site at the expo.

"Both Richie and I sought support from the Government given the recent job losses in the area, and we are pleased they have listened and provided assistance," Mr Gulaptis said. "This is an opportune time to promote the Clarence Valley where we have a captive market."

Especially as one of the official state-wide exhibitors just happens to be the NSW National Party – the only political party with a site presence.

Apart from being listed as an exhibitor on the second to last page of the Expo’s promotional magazine, so far the Valley’s ‘promotion’ mostly comprises a sad list of business up for sale from the Clarence Coast up to Grafton City. With very few jobs on offer – some of which include Roads & Maritime Services contract positions which will disappear within two years.

Now mayoral travel to and from Sydney, accommodation and meals over two days will definitely cost over and above the $8,000 in government funding mentioned. Such funding is only part of the estimated $9,077 fee for Clarence Valley’s two adjoining 3x3m floor space sites which will be competing for attention with around sixty other groups at the Expo being held at Rosehill Racecourse.

So who is paying the mayor’s costs? I  imagine that ratepayers will be less than amused if Richie tries to bill Council after the event.

And who are the council representatives (plural) which The Daily Examiner editor writes about on 2 August? Are ratepayers expected to financially support multiple weekend trips south?

There is nothing wrong with promoting the Clarence Valley, especially in the face of O'Farrell Government regional cost-cutting. A well-planned strategy can potentially perform above expectations.

However, one cannot escape the feeling that this particular manifestation has not been thought through by local government. Clarence Valley Council should have been planning its expo participation a year out from the event and it obviously didn't do so.

NSW local government elections: there's to be no party politics, unless ...

A correspondent writing in The Coffs Advocate (Wednesday, 1 August) has caught the local member Andrew Fraser with his pants down.

It seems Fraser doesn't want candidates in the September council elections to have any political affiliatiions. If that's to be the case, Fraser should have added a retrospective factor to his comments and called for a number of his parliamentary coalition mates to be shown the door. Chris Gulaptis, the local member for Clarence who is still on trainer wheels would have to go. Hey, that idea has some merit! Plus, Steve Cansdell would never have got a guernsey in the chamber. Oh, by the way, what's happening on the Scansdellsgate scene? Have federal authorities finally got their act together? Are they going to throw the book at Cansdell? Or, has that matter vapourised into thin air?

Here's John Vernon's letter in yesterday's Advocate.

Coffs Harbour MP Andrew Fraser said people interested in running for local government should not have political affiliations - "Coffs MP wants 'independent' future councillors" - ABC posted July 6, 2012.

How many current National Party MPs started their career in politics as an "independent" councillor? Chris Gulaptis, Stephen Bromhead, John Barilaro and Paul Toole come to mind as "independent councillors" who have graduated to being a National Party MP. There are many more examples from past governments and many councillors who are National and Liberal party members although they have campaigned as "independent" councillors.

Why would Andrew Fraser make these comments? Is he concerned the Greens believe in honest and transparent government and are calling for all prospective councillors to pledge to abstain from voting when they have a conflict of interest, pecuniary or otherwise? The O'Farrell government has of course changed the law so abstention from a vote when a councillor has a personal interest is no longer required.

Is it because the O'Farrell government is pushing through new planning laws that will severely restrict the right of residents to oppose inappropriate planning developments? Indeed the deadline for submissions on these proposals will be an astonishing, restrictive six days after the local government elections. The same date is also the restrictive deadline for submissions on the future of local government. That review opens the door to further local government amalgamations.

Greens' councillors will work to maintain council's powers and protect residents' rights in regard to planning. It is therefore no surprise a National Party MP is stating that "people interested in standing for local government should not have political affiliations".

JOHN VERNON

Will the Chinese Government eventually dominate the NSW electricity transmission network?

One 26 July 2012 Nationals MP for Clarence Chris Would I Lie To You? Gulaptis told The Daily Examiner that there are no plans to sell poles and wires as part of the O’Farrell Government’s plan to fully privatize the NSW power industry.

Yet government is in the process of consolidating all poles and wires networks into a single corporation and, on 26 October last year the Premier told a Budget Estimates committee hearing that there had been no election promise to retain poles and wires in public ownership.

It cannot be clearer than this exchange from the hearing transcript; The Hon. Luke Foley: Did you not give a commitment in Lithgow that poles and wires would be retained in public ownership? Mr Barry O'Farrell: No.  

The Premier then went on to claim that he had been misquoted by Lithgow media on 28 January 2011 when one paper attributed this statement to him; We have absolutely no plans to privatise either the generators or the poles and wires.

By March 2012 the O’Farrell Government had legislation in place which would allow privatisation of state-owned power generators which is expected to bring in between $3-$4 billion in total when eventually sold.

Here on the NSW North Coast privatisation of state-owned assets is a sensitive issue given that historically such state sales are often accompanied by job losses or price hikes to consumers. One estimate is that up to two hundred jobs would be at risk in the Clarence Valley alone.

So it is with some trepidation that I read this in the Business Spectator on 31 July 2012:

The NSW Liberal government is devising a plan to attract greater foreign investment in the state's assets that will see more than $40 billion worth of infrastructure assets made available to Chinese state-owned companies, according to The Australian.

On a tour of China, NSW Liberal Premier Barry O'Farrell said that Chinese state-owned companies would be able to bid on asset sales that will be outlined in an infrastructure blueprint due in September.

Will the NSW Liberal-Nationals Coalition Government decide to offer North Coast poles and wires to the Chinese Government if it shows an interest or to sweeten a deal?

An alternative perspective on the NSW Planning and Assessment Commission

According to the Mid-North Coast Greens, an analysis of 461 development applications considered by the supposedly independent NSW Planning and Assessment Commission (PAC) since the O’Farrell Government came to power in 2011 shows:

In 97.6 per cent of cases the PAC approves the development;
- In 98.87 per cent of cases the PAC ticks off on the recommendation of
the Planning Department bureaucrats; and
- In 98.64 per cent of cases the planning department bureaucrats
recommend approval of the development.

This would appear to be a remarkably high number of complying applications and, an unusual number of developers fervently embracing the Environmental Planning & Assessment Act 1979 and other relevant planning instruments.

Perhaps Brad Hazzard as Minister for Planning and Infrastructure and, current Commission members Gabrielle Kibble AO (Chair), Donna Campbell, John Court, Lindsay Kelly, Garry Payne AM, Dr Neil Shepherd AM, Emeritus Professor Kevin Sproats, Janet Thomson, and Richard Thorp ( along with Dr Lloyd Townley, Emeritus Professor Jim Galvin, Dr Steve Perrens, and Dr Graeme Batley), might like to explain this almost unnatural behaviour on the part of developers of projects as diverse as coal mining and high-pressure natural gas pipelines through to shopping centres, residential subdivisions and marinas.

Their explanations would make for fascinating reading.

Are Clarence Coast homeowners becoming too greedy?

National Australia Bank (NAB) Quarterly Australian Residential Property Survey: June 2012:
"According to the survey, national house prices fell -2% in the June quarter, from -1.3% in Q1’12, with all states reporting price falls in the 3 months to June.
House price declines were most pronounced in Victoria, down -2.9% (-1.8% in Q1’12). Heavier falls were also seen in NSW (-2.3%), compared with -0.4% fall in Q1’12. Capital values held up best in WA, although they also fell -0.6% (-0.1% in Q1’12). Marginally slower price declines were recorded in Queensland (-1.7%) and SA/NT (-1.6%).
The housing sector is expected to remain under pressure in the next year, with property professionals expecting national prices to fall by -0.7% (-0.2% forecast in Q1’12). There is, however, wide variance between the states.
Prices are expected to continue falling in Victoria (-2.1%), NSW (-1.5%) and SA/NT (-0.5%), but grow in WA (1.6%) and Queensland (0.5%)."
ANZ Research is slightly more optimistic; "prices, capital values and property market confidence in NSW should edge gradually higher through the second half of 2012 in the absence of further deterioration in the global economy."
These reports might explain why First National Real Estate Yamba in its July 2012 property update flyer is stating “some vendors pricing does not reflect the current market” as contributing to the fact that only forty-five homes have been recorded as sold in Yamba in the last six months.
Apparently many of those million dollar plus waterfront ‘mansions’ are only worth a million dollars plus in the eyes of their owners at the moment. Which might explain why they have been very publicly languishing in online property listings representing around three hundred and twenty Yamba properties currently for sale.

Australian Carbon Price Liable Entities - 24 July 2012 Update

The Clean Energy Regulator has released an updated list of corporations and councils liable to pay a price for their greenhouse gas emissions in the financial year 2012-13.

Clarence Valley Council appears to be the only Northern Rivers local government on this list, presumably due to landfill emissions.

Full list here.

Update:

As usual the Federal Nationals local Cassandra Luke Hartsuyker is yelling the sky is falling over the issue and making sure not to mention Council's new residential and business waste management scheme which will divert 60% of the valley's domestic waste away from landfill and see greenhouse gas emissions begin to reduce from 30 July 2012.

Residential supply customers carrying the can for gold-plated electricity industry infrastructure upgrades

Granny Herald points out the blindingly obvious on 27th July 2012:

"If any further evidence were needed to demonstrate how the power companies, both state-owned and private, have been foisting unnecessary price hikes on their customers, it can be found in the industry's own energy forecasts.
Forecasts of demand for electricity have a significant impact on the price of electricity. The higher the forecasts, the more money earmarked by industry for network upgrades in order to cater for this supposed increase in demand. In turn, the higher the financial returns for the industry players.
Ironically, as the transmission and distribution companies earn a regulated return on their assets, they have a perverse incentive to spend for the sake of spending.
Yet the great conundrum of the radical rise in Australian electricity prices
- up 70 per cent in six years and poised to ratchet another 30 per cent higher this year and the next - is that consumer demand has actually been falling, and falling for years.
Actual consumption in the National Electricity Network has been way out of whack with forecasts. For the past three years, the industry has had to downgrade its forecasts, and by a considerable margin. Still, they persist with forecasting large rises in energy consumption, even in the face of a clear downtrend in actual demand - and huge price rises at the retail level to boot.
Not only has the electricity industry failed to recognise a change of trend in total demand, but in peak summer demand and peak winter demand too."

The Daily Examiner insults bloggers everywhere

Hidden away on Page 9 of last Saturday’s edition of The Daily Examiner was yet another example of the mainstream media’s ignorance about blogs, blogging and bloggers.

I could feel the indignation burning up the email I received that same day, which pointed out this sentence from the pen of APN journalist Emma Pritchard and added red highlighting as emphasis:

Edible Bloomer's, an online suggestion through the Daily Examiner website from popular blogger "Yambaman".

Now a weblog aka blog is either an independent or hosted online publication created and controlled by the blogger or bloggers who write the regular posts thereon.

People whose only cyber presence is on Facebook, Twitter or similar sites are not bloggers.

Readers who comment on discussion boards, forums, under online newspaper articles or under blog posts are not bloggers.

To call “Yambaman” a blogger is to insult the entire blogosphere by attempting to stretch the genuine definition beyond all credibility.

Emma should have known better - so here is a 2007 link to a K.I.S.S. style video about blogs just for her.

The story of mining in pictures

Click on cartoon to enlarge

Women, Work & $$$$$ in NSW

From the Women in NSW 2012 report [NSW Family & Community Services, July 2012]:

Women in NSW are likely to live in cities, come from diverse cultural backgrounds and speak many languages.

Aboriginal women make up 2.1 percent of the female population of NSW, which in 2011 was 3.68 million women or 50.4 percent of the state’s population. In 2006, nearly two-thirds of NSW women lived in Sydney, with most of the remainder in regional areas and less than one percent in remote areas of the state.

Nearly a quarter of NSW women were born overseas, and one in five spoke a language other than English at home.

The median age of women in NSW in 2011 (38 years) is nearly two years older than that of men. Women are more likely to live longer than men; however, the gap is closing.

Women are far more likely to be at the head of a single parent household than are men. One in five families in NSW is headed by a single parent, and 88 percent of single parents are women.

Over a third of women over 65 years live alone. Women between the ages of 80 and 84 years are more than twice as likely as men to be living alone.

72% of girls in NSW completed year 12 in 2011 compared with 63% of boys.

In 2010, women made up 57 percent of NSW undergraduate students (117,382 in total). Men made up 43 percent (88,954) of undergraduate students. Some 28,400 more NSW women than men commenced an undergraduate higher education course in 2010, a 14 percentage point gap in women’s favour.

In 2011, the median starting salary for women aged less than 25 with a bachelor’s degree in their first full-time job was $50,000 per year, 7.4% ($4,000) less than men.

As at November 2011, NSW women working full-time ordinary hours each week earned on average $1,212, compared with men, who earned $1,404 each week.  

Men earned on average 14 percent more each week than women.

41,600 women in NSW commenced an apprenticeship or traineeship in the 12 months to September 2011, compared with 51,000 men.

22% of all apprenticeship and traineeship commencements in NSW are within traditional trades.

In the 12 months to September 2011, 13% of women (2,629) who commenced an apprenticeship or traineeship did so in a traditional trade. Fifty of those women commenced a construction trade compared to 5,140 men. Similarly, only 116 women commenced an Automotive and engineering trade compared to 5,259 men.

Click on images to enlarge

41 percent of employed women work part-time and 28 percent are engaged as casuals

In the private sector, as of April 2012, 17 percent of all NSW directorships were held by women (compared to 14 percent nationally).

Around 29 percent of board members are women within the not-for-profit sector; in the NSW public sector, 37 percent of board and committee members are women.

The professions of law and education are approaching a gender-balanced workforce, but women form a distinct minority in senior roles.

NSW women’s status and experiences are very similar to those of Australian women more widely.

Oi, Bazza! Not happy with your mining policies here in the Northern Rivers

Poll snapshot on 27th July 2012

http://www.northernstar.com.au/story/2012/07/27/lismore-residents-given-pros-and-cons-of-csg-debat/#c371696

NSW Nats MP Gulaptis left with a red face over jobs claim

Could there possibly be a more politically inept member of parliament?

These two media reports came out on the same day:

Forestry and agriculture workers could be sent to Grafton from Sydney under a proposal from the State Member for Clarence….Mr Gulaptis said he had been corresponding with the Premier and Deputy Premier's offices with his ideas about the types of jobs that should be relocated.  [ABC North Coast NSW 25 July 2012]

JOBS for the Clarence Valley would not be coming from NSW Forests, which was at early stages of corporatisation, NSW Minister for Primary Industries Katrina Hodgkinson said yesterday. [The Daily Examiner 25 July 2012]