Clarence Valley Council Election 2012: Greg Clancy

Media release from Dr Greg Clancy

Candidate in the 2012 Clarence Valley Local Government Elections

My vision for the Valley is to see a healthy, happy community embracing less privileged people and living in harmony with the natural world.  We need a good economic base but not at the expense of our social, community and environmental values.  Development needs to be ecologically and socially sustainable and employment needs to be in fields that enhance the Valley’s attributes, not detract from them.  Small business and self-employed people are the backbone of the north coast.  This is a desirable situation. 

The establishment of additional tertiary educational facilities, which is now starting, is fully supported.  Ecotourism is an industry that has great potential in the Valley.  The reduction in the public service sector in the Clarence Valley is disturbing.  Institutions, such as the Grafton Gaol, need to be run efficiently and economically responsibly but alternatives to an almost complete shutdown should have been pursued.  It will have a serious economic and social impact on the Valley.  The ‘gold rush’ of mining throughout the country is also threatening the Clarence Valley.  Coal Seam Gas and Antimony mines are threatening the waterways of the Clarence.  The ‘pie in the sky’ schemes to dam the Clarence and send water to the west are also fully opposed.  All of the water of the Clarence River is needed for agriculture, fishing and the environment.  Water running to the sea is not ‘wasted’.

·  No coal seam gas in the Clarence Valley;

·  No antimony mines in the Clarence Headwaters

·  Support for extended tertiary education facilities;

·  Full implementation of the Clarence Valley Biodiversity Strategy;

·  Equal support for minority groups, indigenous communities and small outlying villages;

·  Support for ecotourism and other ‘clean’ small industries;

·  Support for, and the extension of, public service jobs;

·  No damming of the Clarence River;

·  Changing the preferred option of the Pacific Highway upgrade through the  Valley to the orange route to avoid unnecessary and massive ecological and social damage;

I believe that I would make a good councillor as I have had over 30 years’ experience running a small business (ecological consulting), worked in various state government departments, including planning, and have an extensive knowledge of the relevant planning and environmental legislation. I am Chairman of the Susan and Elizabeth Islands Recreation Trust, President of the Coutts Crossing Tidy Towns Committee, Vice-president of the Clarence Valley Branch of the National Parks Association and Secretary and Musical Director of the Grafton District Services Country Music Club. I served as the Ecological Society of Australia’s scientific representative on the Clarence Regional Vegetation Committee.

Media Release: Dr. Greg Clancy, 56 Armidale Road, Coutts Crossing NSW

I don't want Australia's 2012 Olympic Games performance reviewed - I want the public money tap turned off!

In the Brisbane Times on 11th August 2012:
“AUSTRALIA'S performance at the London Olympics, its worst result in 20 years, has cost taxpayers $10 million for each medal won……
The data reveals that the Australian Institute of Sport spent a record $310 million of public money on the Olympics campaign. Swimming, with one gold medal in the women's 4x100 metres freestyle relay, took nearly $39 million of that, over four years. Australia's swimmers won six gold medals in Beijing (2008) and seven in Athens (2004).
Its budget has almost doubled since 2009, in preparation for these Games. The last time Australia failed to win an individual swimming gold was at Montreal in 1976, when its feeble overall performance (one silver and five bronzes) led the Fraser government to pump money into the creation of the institute. Swimming Australia has ordered a review of this year's performance.”
Now I like cheering on Aussie teams as much as the next bloke, but I have to agree with Maud Up The Street – this is an obscene amount of money to waste on what in real terms are professional sportsmen and women competing in a commercial enterprise run by a corrupt multinational masquerading as a philanthropic organisation sitting on a revenue pot currently worth around AUD $6 billion.
Australia's hard-earned money should have gone towards setting up the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Feverish flu power

I have been battling the flu, it has won every fight so far but I have high hopes of winning the war. 

So far flu has resulted in not much physical activity if you discount coughing, shivering and expelling alien life forms, but being by nature a fairly active person it has also led to a bit of frustration down on the farm.

So to elevate the boredom I decided to set the feverish mind to solving world problems. 

The fight over who controls the TV remote was quickly solved, give everyone in the family their own remote and the fastest fingers win. The down side of this is you end up watching a lot of kid programs. 

The next problem was brought to my attention by delivery in the mail of the Power Bill or more to the point the POWER BILL. 

The second thought (the first is unprintable) was that because the NSW government sold off most of the power network there should be competition and therefore the costs should be decreasing. Yet my bill has increased at a remarkable rate and my usage has remained constance.  Why is this so?

Private companies have to make a profit, governments in reality only need to cover costs. However current Liberal-National and past Labour party policies has seen both government and private companies use my light switches to make a profit. 

Why could not the political overlords see the problems this would cause? Or more to the point, why was this point ignored?

At this point you can insert your favourite conspiracy theory - mine involved a chipmunk, a ferret and a grassy knoll!

I digress, the real question is how do we solve the power problem. This made me think about the main problem that is hindering the development of solar power, electric cars and delivering calfs in the dark of the night etc. The Batteries, are failing us. 

So my solution to better battery development is to set up an online trust fund with the sole purpose of providing a prize to who ever can invent a battery that is light, easy to charge and discharge, affordable, environmentally sound and covers all of the technical details that I don’t know about.

The trust could be advised by experts in this field. The important thing is that there would be no copyright on this invention so that the knowledge could be freely used and not tied up by big business.

If everyone in the developed nations just gave one dollar to the trust the prize would be in the billions. This would work and it by-passes both governments and vested interests who would like to block a better battery solution.

Having solved this problem I think I need a little nap.

Payback is a b!tch

Federal Liberal Party MP Malcolm Turnbull in The Sydney Morning Herald on 11 August 2012 busily contradicting the electricity pricing position of the man who ousted him as Leader of the Opposition:

"Over the last five years or so in the east coast capital cities, electricity prices have gone up by about 50 per cent. This is pre the carbon tax. That has been largely a function of the investment in distribution and transmission, in poles and wires,"…..

Because they are borrowing with the benefit in effect of a government guarantee, they have got a real incentive to invest and indeed to overinvest. This is what's called gold-plating,"…

In many cases they are spending billions of dollars, so it is argued, to reduce the chance of a brownout from very, very little to very, very, very little,"…..

Duelling MLCs: Did Colless ask Buckingham to stop breathing?

A Twitter conversation.......

4 Aug
Jeremy Buckingham ‏@greensjeremy
Home. Cool clean country air. I love you oxygen.

4 Aug
Rick Colless ‏@RickCollessMLC
@greensjeremy So stop turning it into carbon dioxide!

U.S. Presidential Election 2012: Obama reacts swiftly to the naming of Paul Ryan as Romney's running mate

Barack Obama's supporters could have added that Paul Ryan was one of those who voted for the Financial Services Modernization Act of 1999 which paved the way for the widespread financial institutions collapse that caused the Global Financial Crisis. A crisis still reverberating around the world today.

A point these supporters could legitimately make, given Obama did not begin serving in the US Senate until January 2005.

They might also have added that Ryan reportedly received US $1,416,466 in political contributions from financial institutions prior to his vote.

North Coast businesses on the NSW Food Authority's Name and Shame list

BARRAMUNDI TO FRIDAY using a mobile vending vehicle in Prince Street, Grafton 2460 on 19/10/2011 for using misleading or deceptive advertising, packaging, or labelling of food - scallop meat labelled product of Australia in fact is imported, previous warnings given. Fined $770.

BEACH BURGERS using a mobile vending vehicle in Jordan Esplanade, Coffs Harbour 2450 on 1/5/2011 for  failing to have hand washing facilities that are located where they can be easily accessed by food handlers - previous warnings given. Fined $440.

BUSHMAN'S BAKERY at 4/6 Lawson Crescent, Coffs Harbour 2450 on 15/6/2011 for failing to maintain all fixtures, fittings and equipment to the required standard of cleanliness - previous warnings given. Fined $880.

BUSHMAN'S BAKERY at 4/6 Lawson Crescent, Coffs Harbour 2450 on 15/6//2011 for failing to maintain at or near each hand washing facility a supply of single use towels or other means of effectively drying hands - previous warnings given. Fined $880.

COUNTRY FRESH CHICKENS at Shop 26 Grafton Shopping World, Fitzroy Street, Grafton 2460 on 10/8/2011 for failing to identify food for disposal - previous warnings given. Fined $880.

ECLIPSE DISTRIBUTION PTY LTD of Byron Bay and other places on 20/8/2011 for the sale of food labelled in contravention to Food Standards Code - Shift Green Slimming Coffee labelled with a claim for intrinsic weight reducing properties. Fined $880.

GOANNA BAKERY at 171 Keen Street, Lismore on 20/9/2011 for failing to take all practicable measures to eradicate and prevent the harbourage of pests - live cockroaches observed, previous warnings given. Fined $440.

RICHMOND BAKERY - KIBBLES at 77-79 Walker Street, Casino on 25/7/2011 for the sale of unsuitable food - foreign objects (metal clip, bristle) found in custard puff . Fined $1320.

RICHMOND BAKERY - KIBBLES at 77-79 Walker Street, Casino on 19/11/2011 for the sale of unsuitable food - vanilla slice contained bristle from pastry brush. Fined $1320.

THE GRAPEVINE CAFE at 50A Cullen Street, Nimbin 2480 on 26/4/2012 for failing to take all practicable measures to eradicate and prevent the harbourage of pests - cockroach activity observed. Fined $440.

VINCENT'S PRODUCE ( K M Baron Trading Pty Limited) at Grower's Markets, City Square, Harbour Drive, Coffs Harbour NSW charged on 30/4/2009 with

1. Engaging in conduct was is misleading or deceptive (s18(1) Food Act) as a result of removing labelling from asparagus (Product of Peru) and displaying that product for sale as locally grown or Australian product.
   
2. Selling food that was falsely described (s18(3) Food Act) as a result of selling asparagus that was a product of Peru as locally grown or Australian product.
   
3. Fail to notify Food Authority of a food business - s100 Food Act.

Decision of Coffs Harbour Local Court on 8/9/2010: Guilty and conviction recorded. Fined $1,000 for each of the offences. Total: $3,000. Defendant ordered to pay the Authority's costs.

Source: NSW Food Authority

I'm a Coastal Emu and I need your help. Will you let the NSW Roads & Maritime Services drive me and my family to extinction?

Three cheers for the ferryman!

The Daily Tele on 10th August 2012:
“THEY say everyone needs a hobby. For one Northern Rivers local it means printing up anti-Kyle Sandilands stickers to hand out to your pals.
That's what former Clarence River ferry operator Lawry Duff has done, making up a batch of "Honk If You Hate Kyle Sandilands" stickers, such is his loathing for the 2Day FM radio announcer who once again topped the Sydney breakfast ratings this week….
“I’m going deaf from the honking,” he chuckled.”

This type of unlawful behaviour by NSW North Coast police is not acceptable

One instance of NSW North Coast police assaulting a person in their custody has broken free from the hidden pool of local knowledge and made it into the full light of day.

Magistrate David Heilpern yesterday released the damning security footage of the attack, saying it clearly showed officers had lied about being assaulted by Aboriginal man Corey Barker.
Officers had previously told the court that the footage was unavailable as it was damaged - only for the court to ultimately ''repair'' it and play it to the hearing.


http://media.smh.com.au/news/national-news/police-bashing-in-ballina-cell-3541663.html

David Heilpern is to be commended for supporting the citizen's right to know how state institutions and their personnel conduct themselves.

The Australian Wheat Board scandal continues to play out

After all the lies the Howard Government told, including Tony Abbott…….
BloombergBusinessweek 8th August 2012:
“MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — A former managing director of an Australian wheat exporter has been fined 100,000 Australian dollars ($106,000) and banned from being a company director for two years for his role in paying $200 million in kickbacks to Iraq's former dictatorship under the discredited UN oil-for-food program. Andrew Lindberg, former head of the now defunct monopoly wheat exporter AWB Ltd., was sentenced Thursday for breaches of Australian corporate law. It was part of a plea deal with corporate regulator Australian Securities and Investments Commission that ends a case that began in 2007. Justice Ross Robson said Lindberg had failed to act "with the degree of care and diligence a reasonable person would exercise" in his role.”

Clarence Valley LGA Election 2012 Candidate Scorecard: Week One

Candidates standing for the nine councillor positions at the 8 September 2012 Clarence Valley Local Government Election are being rated on their individual campaigns to win over voters.

The score range is -10 to 10. Every candidate starts at zero (0)

Candidate nominations closed last Wednesday and ballot paper positions were assigned, so one could say that all candidates are now on the blocks.

This week degrees of separation (or lack thereof) come to the fore on nomination forms.

Name                       Designation            Running Score

Rod Morrison        Independent            0

Margot Scott          Independent           0

Paul Parkinson                                  -3 for being unable to decide exactly where he lives, for not supplying local media with a photograph so voters can ‘see’  who it is that is asking for their votes, referring to himself online as an “indigenous white fella” when he admits he has no claim to culture or country  

                                                                                 

Craig Howe            Independent          -1 with a LOL for informing the world on his nomination form that he won’t be born until 12 days after election day – thereby creating what would have to be the world’s first in utero candidate

Andrew Baker       Independent            0

Ursula Tunks        Independent             0

Joy de Roos                                       -1 for not mentioning on her nomination form that she belonged to a political party (ALP)

Jim Simmons         Independent           0

Greg Clancy           Independent           1 for being a only candidate with professional training/background which will be directly relevantif elected to council

Jane Beeby            Independent          -3 for taking down her election campaign Facebook page before the week ended and for trying to spin the reason for doing so

Sue Hughes           Independent            0

Karen Toms                                        1 for being a candidate who stated on her nomination form that she belonged to a  political a party (NATS)

Michael McIvor       Independent           0  

                                                                           

Jeremy Challacombe Independent       0.5 + -2  = -1.5 for mentioning on his nomination form that he was a member of a political party but ignoring the fact being an office holder in that party is also relevant (NATS) and then deciding it was a good idea to have his nomination form witnessed by a staffer working for Andrew Baker’s former business partner Nationals MP Chris Gulaptis 

                                                                                

Richie Williamson                               1 for mentioning on his nomination form that he belonged to a political party (NATS)

Margaret McKenna  Independent          -2  deciding it was a good idea to have her nomination form witnessed by a yet another staffer working for Andrew Baker’s former business partner Nationals MP Chris Gulaptis       

Jason Kingsley        Independent           1 for being a candidate who stated on his nomination that he belonged to a  political party (ALP) 

Councils across Northern NSW resolving to oppose CSG mining

From Mid North Coast Greens a list of Northern NSW local governments opposing Coal Seam Gas mining and the date decisions were taken:

Northern Rivers
Tweed 01-Apr-11
Byron 12-May-11
Lismore 01-Nov-11
Kyogle 20-Dec-11
Clarence Valley 21-Feb-12
Ballina 28-Apr-12
Richmond Valley 15-May-12

Mid North Coast
Greater Taree 01-Dec-11
Great Lakes 10-Apr-12
Coffs Harbour 26-July-12

Hunter / Newcastle
Cessnock 01-Oct-10
Gloucester 21-Dec-11
Port Stephens Dec-11 (Security of Water)
Newcastle 5-Jun-12 (Security of Newcastle's Water)

The Northern Rivers region can be justifiably proud of the fact that every one of its local government areas are on this list.

And you thought your local government election ballot paper was going to be unwieldy?

Pity the poor voters in Lismore LGA who cannot possibly separate the wheat from the chaff in this paddock absolutely chocka with candidates for the 1 mayoral and 10 councillor seats on offer.

Councillor Candidates Lismore City Council

Local Government Elections 2012 - Saturday, 8 September 2012

Draw Status: Not Complete

Candidate Ballot Name	Locality	Party Affiliation or Independent
BATTISTA Gianpiero	GOONELLABAH	Independent
BENNETT Greg	NIMBIN
CLOUGH Simon	LISMORE HEIGHTS	Our Sustainable Future
DOWELL Jenny	GOONELLABAH	Country Labor
GRINDON-EKINS Vanessa	LISMORE HEIGHTS	The Greens
LARSEN Peter	TUNTABLE CREEK
MARKS Neil	GOONELLABAH	Independent
MEINEKE Graham	EAST LISMORE	Independent
OLIVIERI Kate	GOONELLABAH	Independent
SCHEIBEL Mathew	GOOLMANGAR	Independent
YARNALL David	TERANIA CREEK	Independent
BATTISTA Rebekka	GOONELLABAH	Independent
BEOHM Katrina	KEERRONG	Independent
BONNER Marny	SOUTH LISMORE	Our Sustainable Future
CHANT John	EAST LISMORE	Independent
GRAHAM Kel	WYRALLAH	Independent
MATHEW Angela	GOONELLABAH	Independent
MURPHY Paul	CANIABA
RODEN Tony	TUNTABLE CREEK	Independent
SMITH Isaac	EAST LISMORE	Country Labor
STOCK Susan	NIMBIN	The Greens
BATEMAN Clive	NIMBIN
BORDIN Adrian	TULLERA	Independent
DARDENGO Denis	GOONELLABAH	Independent
HARLOW Ruth	LISMORE	Our Sustainable Future
HOUSTON Ray	GOONELLABAH	Country Labor
KAVANAGH Catherine	GIRARDS HILL	Independent
O'NEILL Paul	LISMORE	Independent
SALMON Shae	SOUTH GUNDURIMBA	The Greens
SYMONS Scout	EAST LISMORE	Independent
VERARDO Sante	SOUTH LISMORE	Independent
ALBERTINI Angela	MODANVILLE	Independent
CASSON Nancy	GOONELLABAH	Independent
COLES Marilyn	WYRALLAH
DAVISON Leigh	TERANIA CREEK	Our Sustainable Future
JOHNSTON Shanelle	THE CHANNON	Independent
LAWRENCE Terry	LISMORE	Independent
MCDOUGALL Ross	NUMULGI	Independent
PILATI Anthony	NORTH LISMORE	Independent
RITCHIE Glenys	GIRARDS HILL	Country Labor
SHELLEY Beth	BOOERIE CREEK	The Greens
BARNES David	TUNTABLE CREEK
BELL Kevin	REPENTANCE CREEK	Country Labor
BREASLEY-SMITH Vicki	TERANIA CREEK	Independent
BRUCE Matt	LISMORE	Independent
DEEGAN Paul	GOONELLABAH	Independent
FINDLAY Vicki	NORTH LISMORE	Independent
GUISE Adam	LISMORE	The Greens
HENRY Brian	GOONELLABAH	Independent
KIA Annie	THE CHANNON	Our Sustainable Future
MILLER Dusty	NORTH LISMORE	Independent
ANDERSON Stuart	TUNTABLE CREEK	Our Sustainable Future
GORDON Andrew	GIRARDS HILL
KING Amanda	EAST LISMORE	The Greens
MARKS Deborah	GOONELLABAH	Independent
NOTT Belinda	TUCKI TUCKI	Independent
PEARCE Brendan	GOONELLABAH	Independent
WOODHAM Nick	EAST LISMORE	Independent
WORRALL Naomi	NORTH LISMORE	Country Labor
ROBINSON Barry	EAST LISMORE	Independent