Quite rightly, Mr. Hunt is not amused

 

Letter to the Editor in The Daily Examiner 4 October 2012:

 

Due process important

I WAS not at the CVC Extraordinary Meeting September 25, but having read the business papers I wonder whether Mr Deefholts was there.
His claim that "Cr Karen Toms a caravan park operator in the Lower Clarence, opposed a council staff initiative to have Grafton declared an RV Friendly Town" (Time to be RV Friendly) appears to be incorrect.
One thing that came across loud and clear during the council elections was the failure of the past council to implement "due process", particularly the failure of public notification or community consultation.
At the very first meeting of council, "due process" (or the failure thereof) raised its ugly head.
From reading the business papers it appeared to me that it was another example of senior council staff endeavouring to dictate council policy, taking shortcuts in a laidback style of local governance, where ratepayers suddenly find their lives affected by a council decision of which they were never consulted or made aware.
It is my understanding that it is part of the role of the mayor to set council agenda.
If Mr Deefholts is concerned at the time it has taken to have Grafton declared an RV Friendly Town, he had the opportunity to search for the truth and write a very informative news article.
Instead he chose a news headline and commented without any factual foundation or legal substance.
I, like many of your readers, would like to know the whole facts of this story and it is not too late to publish it before the next "thumbs down" edition is published.

Ray Hunt

Yamba

 

An Open Letter To Margie Abbott

 

Dear Margie,

 

You have been out there this week telling the world that your husband is a wonderful, sensitive and caring husband and father.

 

Radio, television and newspapers have been full of your opinions on this subject.

 

I’ve seen the direct quotes and I’m sure you are sincere, that you are indeed speaking up for 'the man I love'.

 

However, your belief that many people think that because a man has the cauliflower ears of a rugby player, continues to play sport and spends a fair number of weekends volunteering as a firefighter or lifesaver, that somehow it is all proof that he is a boofy bloke who is anti-women cannot go unchallenged.

 

I for one do not have reservations about Tony Abbott based on any of those things.

 

My concerns are grounded in literally years of listening to your husband on his feet in the Australian Parliament, of watching him during televised interviews, reading his speech transcripts, press statements, published articles and his book, Battlelines.

 

In his role as a politician both in and out of government, he has often left me open mouthed with astonishment at the depth of his ideologically-driven antipathy towards women who are not part of his family or friendship circle – the 11.3 million or so of us that are Australian females in the general population.  

 

So Margie, while I admire your loyalty to the man I won’t be voting for the politician in the 2013 general election.

 

Hell will freeze over first.

 

clarencegirl

Come frolic at Yamba and and Surf the Coldstream on 20 October 2012

Surfing the Coldstream Festival Program

20 October 2012

 

Yamba Flinders Park

Run Time Main Stage Second Stage Tennis Court

 

Midday – 12:30pm Ulo

12:30 – 1:00pm Spaghetti Circus

1:10 – 1:30pm Four Way St

1:30 – 2:00pm Opening

2:00 – 2:40pm Emily Wenham

2:40 – 3:00pm Dom

3:00 – 3:40pm Siskin River

3:40 – 4:00pm Sandy Feet

4:00 – 4:40pm The Easy Escape

4:40 – 5:00pm The Wet Suits

5:oo – 5:40pm Parade

5:40 – 6:00pm Then Joelene

6:00 – 6:40pm Mostaccio

6:40 – 7:00pm Then Joelene

7:00 – 7:40pm The Good Ship

7:40 – 8:00pm Then Joelene

8:oo – 8:40pm Marshall Okell

8:40 – 9:00pm Shultzee’s Burn

9:000 – 10:00pm Jeff Lang

 

Yamba CBD Busking

Run Time Act Location

 

9:00 – 9:30am Ukulele Group Cnr Wooli & Yamba St

9:00 – 9;30am Emily Wenham Cnr Yamba & Coldstream St

9:00 – 9:30am Alakasam The Block

9:00 – 9:30am Balloon Magic Cnr Wooli & Yamba St

9:30 – 10:00am Then Joelene Cnr Wooli & Yamba St

9:30 – 10:00am Mostachio The Block

9:45 – 10:00am Alakasam Cnr Yamba & Coldstream St

10:00 – 10:30am Sandy Feet Sol Cantina

10:00 – 10:30am Siskin River Cnr Yamba & Coldstream St

10:15 – 10:30am Alakasam Cnr Wooli & Yamba St

10:15 – 10:30am Balloon Magic The Block

10:30 – 11:00am Then Joelene The Block

10:30 – 11:00am Emily Wenham Cnr Wooli & Yamba St

10:45 – 11:00am Balloon Magic Cnr Wooli & Yamba St

11:00 – 11:30am Sandy Feet Sol Cantina

11:00 – 11:30am Mostachio Cnr Yamba & Coldstream St

11:30 – Midday The Good Ship The Block

Departing midday from the Block the Magic Bus will transport everyone to Flinders Park

 

 

Address: Flinders Reserve, Main Beach, Yamba (map)

Contact Name: Dave Irving

Phone: (02) 6646 3091

Email: liveprawnproductions@gmail.com

Website: www.surfingthecoldstream.com.au

 Photographs from Google Images

This Stoner-Gulaptis pea and thimble trick would be laughable if it didn't affect NSW North Coast families

 

It is good to see The Daily Examiner is not letting go of this subject:

 

THE 45 jobs Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner came to Grafton to announce are now being advertised.

There will be 41 clerical and administration positions for which the salary will be between $54,742 - $59,512.

The remaining four jobs will consist of leadership roles which will pay $82,000- $91,000 and $108,000 for the top job.

Even if the people who apply for these jobs negotiate their pay for the top figures suggested, the total value of this project in terms of wages for the Clarence Valley will be just over $2.9 million per year.

This figure is substantially less than the $9 million in wages the Valley lost when the State Government down-scaled the jail and a far cry from fulfilling Mr Stoner's famous claim to an ABC journalist that his Government would leave Grafton better off in terms of public service jobs.

None of these jobs will involve contracts longer than three years, said a spokesman from the department of Crown Lands……

These Crown Land Division public service positions were first advertised at Jobs NSW on 2 October 2012 and applications close on 14 October 2012.

Only 43 of the 45 mentioned appear to be Grafton-based - the remaining two are at Newcastle.

None seem to have been advertised in Clarence Valley media and, as the Crown Lands office in Grafton was already marked by O'Farrell's razor gang to lose seven permanent positions and another twenty may also be affected, one has to wonder if all these jobs Stoner is talking about are actually being filled internally within the department and therefore will not be available to the one hundred or so people made redundant as a result of the Grafton Gaol closure.

Click on image to enlarge

 

Get ready to Rock the Gate on Saturday 13 October 2012 at Murwillumbah during the National Week of Action

My Daily News 28 September 2012:

MURWILLUMBAH will host what could be the biggest stand against coal seam gas mining through the Lock the Gate Alliance National Week of Action during October.

On Saturday, October 13, the week kicks off with a rally from 10am and concert labelled "Rock the Gate - Northern Rivers."

High profile speakers will join a march through the Murwillumbah CBD, with as well a concert planned from 1pm.

"The National Week of Action has been called by Lock the Gate Alliance to give local communities a chance to stand up against the rapid expansion of coal and coal seam gas activities," said lock the gate Tweed's Michael McNamara……

 

Can our Northern Rivers cope with the amount of water extraction required by foreshadowed mining ventures?

 

NSW Coal, Mineral & Petroleum Mining Titles October 2012

Click to enlarge

 

Perhaps questions should be asked about the average number of dams per operational mining license, as envisaged by the NSW Government, and tally them up across each Northern Rivers catchment as to expected total dam volume and estimated megalitres of extracted river water required over the life of each mining venture.

Can highly variable and environmentally sensitive river systems cope with this additional water extraction?

 

NSW Legislative Council 2012 Adequacy of water storages in NSW (Inquiry):
 

Given the historical long term and recent increasing trends (as noted above), the DSC expects that the number of prescribed dams will continue to grow – particularly for the following reasons:

 

The current on-going significant activity and development in the mining industry, involving the continued evolution of mine tailings and storage dams.

 

Investigation and development of coal seam gas extraction – which will require some holding reservoirs for the water that is obtained as part of the extraction process……..

 

http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/committee.nsf/0/2a2ecc1c47e1a218ca257a7d0018f77f/$FILE/AQO-Dams%20Safety%20Committee.pdf