Petitioning Premier O'Farrell: Don't cut community organisations

Twenty-six vital community organisations, including the Welfare Rights Centre, Lifeline (Sydney and Sutherland), Redfern Legal Centre's financial counselling service and the Gay and Lesbian Counselling Service and Twenty10, are at risk of having their funding cut by the NSW Government.

Megan Clement-Couzner of Woolloomooloo writes:

I'm a young woman who lives in Sydney. I know the value of community organisations. I recently had a young queer friend from Western Sydney approach me, asking for help to deal with issues of homophobia and severe depression. I knew she was at risk of self harm. Having community services in NSW meant I could help her access free counseling and a support group. She would never have been able to afford these services otherwise. Without organisations like the Gay and Lesbian Counselling Service, I wouldn't have known how to help her.

Megan is calling on concerned citizens to sign the petition and have Premier O'Farrell not cut funding of community organisations.

Sign the petition here.

Premier O'Farrell is on Twitter here and Minister Pru Goward is here. Use the hashtag #BOFcutswebleed to tweet about this petition!

Vote One for Paul Parkinson, the candidate with the 'flexible' curriculum vitae?

This is what candidate at the 2012 Clarence Valley Local Government Election,  Paul Parkinson, had to say about his time at Kempsey Shire Council on his campaign website http://www.paulparkinsonclarencecouncil.com/:

Served 3 terms as a Councillor on the Kempsey Council (14 yrs)

He stated the same at the Maclean Meet the Candidates Meeting on 20 August and again in The Daily Examiner on 30 August 2012.

When Mr. Parkinson lodged his sworn statement with the NSW Electoral Commission on 30 July 2012 he also wrote:

This is what Kempsey Shire Council had to say about Paul Parkinson on 23 March 2004:

That Standing Orders be suspended to allow Councillor Parkinson to address Council prior to leaving this his last meeting in his term on Kempsey Shire Council.
At this stage Councillor Parkinson addressed the meeting concerning his 12 year term as a Councillor and the great privilege it has been for him in this role and thanked Councillors and staff he had worked with during this time.

It would appear that either Kempsey Shire Council keeps highly inaccurate official minutes standing uncorrected  for over eight years or Mr. Parkinson cannot count.

Somewhat magically, he has served three terms whose lengths were around 4.66 years apiece.

I leave it to readers to make up their own minds.

The Australian Minke Whale Project

The Minke Whale Project

Dwarf minke whales visit the northern Great Barrier Reef each austral winter, forming the only known predictable aggregation of these whales in the world. Growing up to eight metres and weighing several tonnes, they are exceptionally inquisitive and often approach boats, divers and snorkelers closely, sometimes interacting for extended periods.

The MWP (based at James Cook University, North Queensland Australia) conducts multi-disciplinary research into dwarf minke whale biology and behaviour, the social and economic values of the whales and the sustainable management of swim-with-whales tourism. The MWP research team works collaboratively with the GBR swim-with-minke whales tourism industry, Reef managers and wildlife conservation NGOs…….

More here.

Now the news is to be tailored?

Now the news is to be tailored to your age, gender, income and living arrangements to make it more 'relevant'?
Now I think I've heard everything from the MSM. Boutique news!

Or is this just another way to gain info which helps in targeting the advertising?

Scam Alert

Woolworths is advising that email, survey, website and Facebook scams are currently doing  the rounds using the Woolworths name & logo. Some of the scam attempts include a ‘Customer Satisfaction Survey to get $50’ and a Facebook competition to win $500.

The survey asks for information that should never be divulged - see the image below.

What this blog is not

There has been some discussion in the Northern Rivers recently about blogs versus mainstream media and, it is obvious that many people have contradictory expectations of regional blogs.

So this is what North Coast Voices both is and is not.

It is not a newspaper or a news aggregate website.

It is a group site which offers local opinion on issues usually relating to government, international affairs, society or the environment.

Its authors are all older residents of the NSW North Coast and they openly lobby for causes which are dear to their hearts or are matters of  concern.

North Coast Voices also seeks to inform and that is why its posts frequently contain links to publicly available primary sources and documents.

It employs no-one, has no journalists on its contributor list and has no money in the kitty for expensive research. Since early October 2007 it has posted seven days a week without fail – except between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.  

This blog was created at a time when Australian regional blogs were rare and those commenting on society and politics were even rarer still. It was meant to fill a perceived need for local voices to be heard on the Internet.

We here at North Coast Voices believe we have succeeded in this aim.

And banks wonder why their reputations are in the basement of world opinion

The Independent 1^st September 2012:

“Barclays has made as much as half a billion pounds in two years from speculating on food staples such as wheat and soya, prompting allegations that banks are profiting handsomely from the global food crisis.

Barclays is the UK bank with the greatest involvement in food commodity trading and is one of the three biggest global players, along with the US banking giants Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, research from the World Development Movement points out.

Last week the trading giant Glencore was attacked for describing the global food crisis and price rises as a "good" business opportunity.

The extent of Barclays' involvement in food speculation comes to light as new figures from the World Bank show that global food prices hit an all-time high in July, with poor harvests in the US and Russia pushing up the average worldwide cost of staples by an unprecedented 10 per cent in a month.

The extent of just one bank's involvement in agricultural markets will add to concerns that food speculation could help push basic prices so high that they trigger a wave of riots in the world's poorest countries, as staples drift out of their populations' reach……”

Source: International Monetary Fund at index mundi

Today is Equal Pay Day in Australia

Australian Government:

ABS statistics released in August 2012 show that across Australia, women's average full-time weekly earnings are now 17.5% less than men's earnings

The Age September 2, 2012:

Equal Pay Day is today - the 64th day of the financial year. It is held on the day women catch up to men's earnings of the previous year. This year, it took women 64 days, while in the previous two years it was 63.

Clarence Valley Review launches revamped website

http://cvreview.com.au/

News, entertainment, features, letters, sports, property sales and much more

Clarence Valley Local Government Election 2012: Dr. Greg Clancy

Dr Greg Clancy For Clarence Valley Council 2012

Clancy: "Chris Gulaptis, will now have blood on his hands after having the reduced speed limit on the Iluka Road reversed"

“The state local member, Chris Gulaptis, will now have blood on his hands after having the reduced speed limit on the Iluka Road reversed.  The blood will be that of the many animals that will now be killed as a result of this stupid decision” said Dr Greg Clancy Ecologist of Coutts Crossing.  Dr Clancy who narrowly missed hitting a Koala striding across the Iluka Road, 600 m east of the Esk River Bridge on Friday night, believes that a great variety of animals will be killed. “I was driving at 80 km and always look out for wildlife.  Just imagine if it was someone driving at 100 km per hour without wildlife awareness.  The koala would be dead now” he said.  I have driven the Iluka Road many times since 1978 and my casual observations indicate that since the 80 km speed limit was introduced the number of road kills has significantly decreased.  Over the years I have seen Swamp Wallabies, Eastern Grey Kangaroos, Red-necked Wallabies, Koalas, reptiles such as the Land Mullet and birds such as the Variegated Fairy-wren and Lewin’s Honeyeater and many more killed on the road.  A number of Coastal Emus were also killed in that time.  What is really sad is that this decision, which will shave a couple of minutes of the trip from the Highway, is being hailed as a triumph.  My contacts at Iluka say that the majority of residents were happy with the 80 km speed limit.  It was a mere political decision that will cost lives, not human lives, but lives of animals that don’t have a vote” Dr Clancy said.

Dr. Greg Clancy, Media Release, 20 August 2012

Sharing 30 years of a song......

http://youtu.be/UHYnkWjApiU

Telstra CEO gets a no nonsense letter from Saffin, George and Dowell over Lismore job losses

PARLIAMENT OF AUSTRALIA

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Friday, August 24, 2012.

REF: PE.24.08.12.

Mr David Thodey

Chief Executive Officer

Telstra Corporation Limited

Level 40, 242 Exhibition Street

MELBOURNE  VIC  3000.

Dear Mr Thodey,

We write as the Federal, State and local representatives for the Lismore district to formally request that you intervene and reverse Telstra’s ‘business decision’ to close its Goonellabah Call Centre on October 23 this year.

We maintain that the loss of an estimated 116 local jobs from such a closure is not only unnecessary but unacceptable, particularly when Telstra’s digital business streams are reported to be enjoying strong growth.

We seek a full explanation from you; the real reasons which led Telstra’s management team to arrive at such a cruel decision despite earlier public assurances that this particular call centre was safe.

This morning, we stood united on Lismore’s main street – Molesworth Street – to launch a community petition calling on you to intervene immediately to halt any plan to axe your highly skilled and loyal workforce in Goonellabah.

The petition further objects to Telstra abandoning its workforce in country Australia and moving jobs offshore, while recording massive profits ($3.4 billion) and awarding generous salary increases for executives.

Surely, there is a better and more respectful way to treat your Lismore staff, most of whom have to service mortgages or other financial commitments and whose families have strong ties to this community.

During this three-week consultation period regarding the closure decision, we stand ready to negotiate with yourself or your appointed executives on alternative proposals for keeping the call centre operational and profitable for Telstra.

We ask that due to the doubt and uncertainty which employees are feeling about their futures, that Telstra executives travelling to Lismore not intimidate or dissuade staff from seeking advice from CPSU officials.

We seek Telstra’s full co-operation in providing a Rapid Response Team of Federal and State agencies with immediate and unfettered access to the call centre to advise staff on various levels of support available to them.

We provide two points of contact for the Rapid Response Team being put in place:

Mr Terry Watson, Local Employment Coordinator, Richmond-Tweed & Clarence Valley Priority Area, Building Australia’s Future Workforce – 0412 320 077; email terry.watson@deewr.gov.au

Mr Craig Jenkins, Business Development Manager, NSW Trade & Investment – 0411 248 482 or 0266 226 145; email craig.jenkins@business.nsw.gov.au

Mr Watson and Mr Jenkins are experienced public servants who liaised with Telstra during the Grafton Call Centre closure in late 2010.

We are also of the firm belief that two or three weeks is not enough time for staff, who are grieving the potential loss of their livelihoods through redundancy or the upheaval of transfers, to cope with such transition.

Consequently, we ask that the consultation period be extended, in good faith, to several months to allow for a proper, more transparent analysis of all options for keeping these jobs in the Lismore district.

We understand that you have a business to run, but we are appealing to your corporate conscience to do the right thing by your staff and customers here on the Northern Rivers and avoid the kind of public relations disaster which accompanied your withdrawal from Grafton.

Yours sincerely,

Janelle Saffin MP

Federal Member for Page.

Thomas George MP

State Member for Lismore.

Cr Jenny Dowell

Mayor of Lismore City Council.

Clarence Valley Council Election 2012 Candidate Scorecard: Week Four

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)

Scoring began in the week ending 10 August 2012.

This week it’s all about honesty and ideas - somewhat truncated by the fact that this post in going online in the middle of a thunderstorm.

Name              Designation   Running Score

Rod Morrison Independent 2 + -1 = 1 This candidate loses ground this week, because he quite frankly puzzles. Action man photographs don’t replace good policy and the idea of more billboards visually littering  roadsides is daft - as is a transport hub on flood-prone land outside Maclean (-1).

Margot Scott Independent 2.5 Margot’s score remains the same as she adds little to the election debate this week.

Paul Parkinson -10 this candidate remains static. After apparently spending years away from Australia between 2004-2011 (according to a brief bio in the Macleay Community FM Radio May 2011 monthly newsletter), he settles in the Clarence Valley in time to enter his name on the rolls and as a candidate immediately starts telling everyone how to suck eggs. While the 360 degree turn Paul did on coal seam gas mining in order to discover it was a bad, bad thing did not appear sincere.

Craig Howe Independent 1.6 + - 0.6 = 1 Craig’s score goes into reverse, as the bottom line of his economic development plan for the Valley appears to be the release of more rateable land (-0.6). This has never been a successful solution in the past to low population growth, population decline or stagnant central business districts.

Andrew Baker Independent -10 This candidate cannot possibly score any lower and continues to outdo himself when it comes to denying the fact that not one but four of the companies in which he is a shareholder/director were listed this month by the Australian Securities and Investment Commission as under external administration.

Here is just one company snapshot of Lanai Pty Ltd from www.asic.gov.au

 Click on image to enlarge

Ursula Tunks Independent 3 + 0.5 = 3.5 This candidate inches forward on general performance but remains a bit of a wild card.

Joy de Roos 2 Unfortunately Joy stands still this week for her extraordinary belief that development applicants are not kept informed of the progress of their DAs.

Jim Simmons Independent 2 Doesn’t move an inch, because I’m still trying to think of something positive to say about Jim who as a councillor went to sleep after amalgamation and is yet to wake up.

Greg Clancy Independent 6.5 + 2 + 1= 8.5 This candidate increased his score again this week for producing one of the better campaign flyers and letterboxing it in the Lower Clarence (2). He also scores for continuing to lobby regarding residents’ concerns outside of his election campaign (1).

Jane Beeby Independent -4 Jane marks time as she has had nothing to say that hasn’t been said by candidates in past elections.

Sue Hughes Independent 5.5 + 1 + 1 = 7.5 Her score grows by two because Sue has a proven track record of standing up for community - her vote against McDonald’s DA and successful coal seam gas moratorium motion spring to mind (1) -  and because she keeps plugging away on local issues concerning residents (1).

Karen Toms 6.5 + 1 + 1 = 8.5 Increased her positive running score by producing one of the better campaign flyers this week (1) and because she keeps plugging away on local issues concerning residents (1).

Michael McIvor Independent 2 + -1 = 1 This candidate loses a point for commenting in one local paper as flashmanmicky and, unfortunately that sums him up accurately in the role of election candidate.

Jeremy Challacombe Independent -3 + -2 = -5 Another candidate who appears to believe local government should take a laissez-faire attitude to business (-1) and toss any legislative or by-law restrictions out the door if owners feel irked.

Richie Williamson 2.5 + 1 = 3.5 Richie’s score inches up on the basis that the incompetence and ignorance displayed by three other male candidates makes him appear an increasingly attractive option by comparison (1).

Margaret McKenna Independent -3 + -7 = -10 It took some doing but Margaret managed to hit rock bottom this week by attempting to save money and combine an CVTV magazine cover business advertisement with a plea to “Vote 1” for her on polling day (-7) – thereby probably breaking a number of NSWEC rules as the ad contained no authorization or contact address.

Jason Kingsley Independent 2 + -1 = 1 This candidate falls behind as he did not impress by joining the pack demanding local government reduce business rates, fees and charges yet be ready to perform miracles with reduced income (-1).

• Week Three Candidate Scorecard
• Week Two Candidate Scorecard
• Week One Candidate Scorecard

Clarence Valley Local Government Election 2012: Sue Hughes

Waving a red flag at an ol' meeja dugga boy

Teh Kouk had this to say about Teh Ego:
“The executive director of The Sydney Institute, Gerard Henderson, ventures into economics in today’s column in the SMH. Here is the link.
http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/toss-the-boss-palaver-leaders-economic-legacy-the-real-issue-20120806-23q5r.html
In writing about budget, Mr Henderson makes some howlers – he gets deficits and surpluses mixed up and percentage changes are wrong. And have a guess which direction those errors are? Do you think they make a Labor government look worse or better?
Yep – you got it! All of the errors make Labor look worse, not the other way around….”

Gulaptis not flavour of the month with these letter writers

Motor vehicle accident on Iluka Road, Iluka in 2010

Photograph from The Northern Star

The Daily Examiner  Letters to the Editor 22 and 28 August 2012:

Good reason for speed reduction

IT'S A pity the regional ABC radio reporter didn't spend time doing more research into the Iluka Rd speed limit issue before putting a comment to air (Monday 6.30am).
The speed limit was reduced in the first place from 100 to 80kmh by the then roads minister Eric Roozendaal following the death of young girl who swerved to avoid a crossing animal.
At the suggestion of the limit being reduced, Steve Cansdell gathered signatures from god knows where suggesting the limit stay as it was. That petition was ignored and the limit was reduced, with decided benefit to the local wildlife, a gradual return of the previously believed extinct koala population, and with no fuss or protest ever since, until Mr Gulaptis comes rocking along looking for a cause.
This petition is the one Mr Gulaptis claims to have in his possession, not one urging a renewal of the 100kmh limit by Iluka community residents, as he infers. And which, incidentally, when the Clarence Environment Centre asked for a copy, could not be traced - most likely because it had been binned years ago.
If Gulaptis and the now-RMS had paid attention to the letters and submissions pleading for the 80kmh limit to stay in place, they might have googled Iluka and learned that even today, several years down the track, the Iluka population is hardly more than 2000 permanent residents (the number of petition signatures claimed).
The Environment Centre became involved in response to the Association of Iluka Residents' concern at the proposal to re-instate the 100kmh limit. Most certainly the vast majority are definitely not in favour of the limit being increased, and unless Mr Cansdell went knocking on 2000 doors around Iluka and did some very swift talking, the ridiculousness of the petition would have been clear.
Of course Mr Gulaptis might now suddenly fall over onto the other side of the fence, as he did with the Grafton jail issue.
But the very least he should do is instantly apologise for his entirely inappropriate comment - that the 80kmh limit, installed following the death of a young girl on Iluka Rd, is "just rubbish really".

Patricia Edwards

South Grafton

What community consultation?

MINISTER, how you have been misled on this one.

There was no community consultation by the local member Chris Gulaptis. He found some old file in the bottom drawer of Steve Cansdell's filing cabinet from 2006, dusted it off and ran with it.

Any signatures on that petition were from mostly out-of-towners passing through on holidays and people from Iluka.

No wildlife on this road - only because they were all killed by speeding motorists - a whole generation of emu chicks deliberately killed.

How dare you allow many other communities to have their 50kmh and all we want is an 80kmh between Woombah and Iluka.

My family cycles from Woombah to Iluka along Iluka Road and we are lucky to not get hit by vehicles that these days are travelling in the main at 80kmh (amazing how people adapt over a couple of years to speed signs and a visit or two a year from the police patrol cars).

Now we are back to the 100kmh along the narrowest part of this road and heaven help us coping with the speeding vehicles.

What bright spark from the RMS came up with the brilliant idea to leave the 80kmh where the cycleway begins and continues all the way into Iluka.

Iluka residents have the luxury of living in an area totally covered by a 50kmh -what a hide they have to complain abut the entrance road into Woombah being 80kmh.

You should be very careful about what you accept from Chris Gulaptis - community consultation - he does not know the meaning of it.

Pamela Smith

 Woombah

Background

2006 Call by Clarence Valley Mayor, Iluka Chamber of Commerce and Association of Iluka Residents to reduce Iluka Road speed limit

2006 Reduction in road kill reported

2008 Reduced Iluka Road speed limit not an issue for local residents

2012 Nationals MP for Clarence Chris Gulaptis requests RTA to review Iluka Road speed limit with a view to increasing the approved speed to 100 km per hour

UPDATE

Yet another letter to the editor, this time from the Clarence Valley Review on 29 August 2012:

Back to the future reprised

Reference to article, the new Iluka Rd speed limit (CVR August22): whenever was there consultation either way? ‘Against change yes’ petitions were conducted to keep the 100kph limit alive back then, however, this was stacked with caravan park visitors or anybody who was asked to sign, including non residents.
The sad thing is that the 80kph limit has now settled in beautifully, so much so that even the ‘Good ‘ol’ Boys’ down in Iluka don’t even remember what it was all about. If there was to be consultation, maybe there could have been a compromise.
The reasons justifying a reduced speed limit have all been said in past letters and representations? That is what brought about a reduction to 80kph, regardless of the current spin. The only possible contribution Mr Gulaptis would have made is, “he must have had a beer with Dunc” for this favour to be bestowed on him from the Minister.
I suppose he may think this is a pressure release to the dropping the ball in the ‘Ball and Chain’ debacle.

Gareth Smith
Woombah

A reminder that the Australian battle against HIV/AIDS is not over yet

Although the level of Australian HIV/AIDS infection has fallen over the years, the battle to eradicate this disease continues.

HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmissible infections in Australia Annual Surveillance Report 2011

The Australian August 27, 2012:

THE Grim Reaper of the 1980s AIDS awareness campaign has been resurrected in new Queensland government advertising to combat the rise of HIV infections in the state over the past decade.

http://youtu.be/OJ9f378T49E

I'm Kevin and I'm here to show you how stupid I am

Showing us all that there are nothing but weeds in his top paddock, Nats second time around hopeful Kevin Hogan called on his political opponent at the next federal election Janelle Saffin MP to “stand over” that the multinational telco Telstra until it reverses its decision to close its Goonellabah Call Centre in the Lismore district.

Yeah, right – the federal government can bully a private company about its commercial decisions at the drop of the hat.

Even NSW Nats MP for Lismore Thomas George can do little more than offer “sympathy to the 116 Lismore-based employees who have been made redundant”.

Pic from The Daily Examiner

Trapwire bunkers down now those being watched are turning the tables on its spying activities

Going to surveillance agency Trapwire Inc (after its outing as a global super spy also allegedly operating in Australia under government contracts with its parent company, Abraxas Applications) and looking for its management structure at  http://www.trapwire.com/management.html and one was likely to find this displayed:

Which is an incredibly unwise move on this digitally savvy company’s part as Google Cache clearly demonstrated, allowing Imugr gallery to post management personnel profiles on 14 August 2012.

While The Pirate Bay created mirror sites for Trapwire documents removed from US government websites.

Clarence Valley Council Election 2012: Mr. Baker acts coy on financial situation

It will come as no surprise to find out that one of the candidates in September’s Clarence Valley local government election, land and property developer Andrew Baker, was a trifle economical with the truth when he announced that two companies in which he was a director and major shareholder had been placed in receivership by the National Australia Bank.

Yes, despite protestations to the contrary, it now appears that the Maclean Hotel Holdings Pty Ltd business had been placed in the hands of the receiver still owing money to businesses other than the bank.

The second ‘Baker’ company originally mentioned is allegedly involved to the extent that it holds assets which have been cross-securitised. The name and eventual fate of this company has not been made public to date.

Although Creditor Watch Express lists Maclean Hotel Holdings Pty Ltd, Holder Baker Pty Ltd, Gulmarrad Developments Pty Ltd and Lanai Pty Ltd as being Under External Administration And/Or Controller Appointed - effective on all four companies as of 20 August 2012.

Which makes one wonder about Mr. Baker's statement in the second newpaper article; While I have stated that two companies are in receivership, Maclean Hotel Holdings Pty Ltd is the only one.

However, what is also fascinating about The Daily Examiner interviews with Mr. Baker is the lengths he is prepared to go to in order that a fuller picture of his business interests are not published:

Can you please name the companies you remain involved with (to save me an ASIC search)? This really should be a matter of public record in any case so people can be assured that you register your pecuniary interest when these companies come before council.

I am aware of the need to register pecuniary interests and will do so if elected. The ASIC search approach will give you accurate, independent verification of the information you seek.

A somewhat inane response to the journalist in question, as the fact of the matter is that in the Lower Clarence many of the companies Mr. Baker is associated with are well-known:

Lanai PtyLtd

ABN 11 067 844 259

Narandbak Investments Pty Ltd

ABN 97 003 700 669

Yamba Maclean Landscaping Services Pty Ltd

ABN 63 103 591 742

Maclean Hotel Property Trust

ABN 19 122 431 577

Maclean Hotel Holdings Pty Ltd

ABN 67 132 925 985

Holder Baker Enterprises

Business Name

BN98083179

Holder Baker Pty Ltd

ABN 20 122 621 694

Holder Baker Property Trust

ABN 23 496 031 552 28

Holder Baker Partnership

ABN 79 748 42 977

Gulmarrad Developments Pty Ltd

ABN 60 131 904 026

Gulmarrad Village Pty Ltd

ABN 33 131 903 985

A.F BAKER & N.V BAKER & G.J HOLDER & L.A HOLDER

Trading Name HOLDERS AND BAKERS

ABN 16 114 678 578

Update:

Holder Baker Pty Ltd was also served with a notification of the appointment of a receiver and manager as trustee for the Maclean Hotel Property Trust.

The Daily Examiner: You voted. Reader: No I didn't!

On 23 August 2012 The Daily Examiner published an article in which it stated it was running an online poll asking this question: Which of the candidates for Clarence Valley Council would you vote for?

One Lower Clarence resident and regular reader of the newspaper contacted me with this concern.

He stated that not only did he not find the poll displayed online at the time, but when he finally discovered where it had been hiding on 28 August this statement was attached; You have already voted.

In his opinion this was a somewhat bizarre assertion as he assures me that he never had the opportunity to participate.

I can only suspect that this reader may not be the only phantom voter recorded and a software glitch is at the bottom of the Vote That Never Was, because it is unthinkable that someone at the newspaper was massaging the vote.

Which means this published poll is not worth the kilobytes it consumes:

*

Yamba residents have until 14 September 2012 to tell Clarence Valley Council that it needs to find somewhere other than Main Beach to dump its additional stormwater

Clarence Valley Council is considering routing surface run-off and storm water from at least ten private properties on Pilot Hill at Yamba onto one of the town’s principal tourist attractions, Main Beach.

Concerned residents have until 14 September 2012 to tell Clarence Valley Council what they think of this idea.

I’m sure no-one wishes the owners of these properties to continue living with the existing level of land slippage risk, but many would not see polluting the beach below as being an acceptable solution to the problem.

Attachment 13.081/12 outlining the stormwater options.

Minutes - Ordinary Council Meeting - 26 June 2012

According to Clarence Valley Council:

The draft Plan recommends Option 4. (Refer Item 13.081/12 from Civil & Corporate June meeting.)

The consultant and Council staff recently met with eight residents to present the draft Plan. It is recommended that the document now be placed on public exhibition for two months and submissions called for during that period. All affected landowners will be individually advised and discussions will be held with representative of the Crown Land Division as owners of the crown reserve.

Following the exhibition the draft Plan will be brought back to Council to determine the preferred course of action and timetable/costing aspects of that option.

The plan is now on public exhibition until 4.00pm, Friday 14 September 2012

To view plan visit Council's offices at 2 Prince Street, Grafton or 50 River Street, Maclean or download a copy below.

Make a submission in writing addressed to:

The General Manager
Clarence Valley Council
Locked Bag 23
Grafton NSW 2460

or

Email: council@clarence.nsw.gov.au

Clearly marked: Submission - Yamba Coastline Management Plan.

Further details can be obtained from Cassandra Hewat on 6645 0205 or via email cassandra.hewat@clarence.nsw.gov.au.