Metgasco Limited's future plans for gas exploration on the NSW North Coast dependent on NSW Police acting as its agent?

The Northern Star 22 October 2014:

THE QUESTION of what constitutes effective consultation dominated the final day of Metgasco's Supreme Court hearing in Sydney yesterday.

According to Gasfields Free Northern Rivers spokesman Dean Draper, the government's counsel argued Metgasco should have been more transparent about its future plans if the Rosella gas well was successful.

Mr Draper said the government's legal team read from an email from Peter Henderson to Land and Water Commissioner Jock Laurie, which Mr Draper said informed Mr Laurie the company needed to mobilise its drill rig and "needed some help from the government to engage with the community".

The government's lawyers also quoted from a letter from Peter Henderson to the NSW Premier saying the company needed government and police assistance in order to proceed with its drilling and its gas plans for the region…..

Justice Richard Button asked for extra information to be given to him by close of business Friday. It is understood he is under no time constraints. A decision could take up to a year.

One reader’s online comment under this article:

Is the Abbott Government 'Relocation Assistance to Take Up a Job' program shaping up to be a dud?

The Abbott Government Relocation Assistance to Take Up a Job program commenced on 1 July 2014.

Eligible participants who have been unemployed for at least twelve months can receive financial assistance of up to $3,000 if relocating to a capital city, $6,000 if relocating to a regional area and an extra $3,000 if relocating with dependent children.

By 22 October 2014 only 145 people out of the estimated 745,500 unemployed persons across Australia (ABS 6202.0 Labour Force statistics September 2014) used this program to move from where they were living to take up a job elsewhere.

The Guardian reported that: In each state the majority of those relocating stayed within state borders. The largest number of relocations occurred within Queensland, where 26 of the 43 movers stayed in the state. Data showed that 30 people accessed the program from NSW, 27 from Victoria, 19 from South Australia, nine from Tasmania and six from WA. So far, no one has left the Northern Territory, but 15 people moved there from around Australia.

These 145 jobs are allegedly in accommodation and food services, manufacturing, and agriculture, forestry and fishing.

According to Federal Assistant Minister for Employment and Nationals MP for Cowper Luke Hartsuyker of these 97 men and 48 women, 42 were under 30 years of age and another 42 were between 30-40 years old.

With the national unemployment rate trending at 6% and only 0.019450033534540577% of the registered unemployed participating in this program to date, it is not shaping up to be a resounding success.

The former Federal Labor Government’s relocation incentives which commenced in early 2011 also did not have a high take up rate.

One has to suspect that the level of financial assistance on offer does not come close to meeting real life relocation costs for the majority of long-term unemployed Australians in 2014.

Baird Government pays the price for corruption within its ranks

Image from ABC News 26 October 2014

NSW Labor claimed victory in both the by-election for Newcastle (Crakanthorp) and by-election for Charlestown (Harrison) about two hours after polls closed on Saturday night.

The NSW Electoral Commission recorded that Tim Crakanthorp had received 36.95% of first preference votes as at 12.59 pm and Jodi Harrison 49.39% of first preference votes as at 2.01 pm on Sunday 26 October 2014.

Both seats had been without a sitting member since NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption investigations revealed that the then NSW Liberal MP for Charlestown Andrew Cornwell and then NSW Liberal MP for Newcastle were involved in receipt and use of irregular and/or unlawful political donations.

Operation Spicer and Credo hearings saw a total of thirteen Liberal Party federal, state and local government politicians either resign, move to the cross benches and/or stand aside from parliamentary positions until investigations findings are published.

Knowing that defeat in these by-elections was inevitable the Baird Coalition Government chose not to contest the seats.

However, in a little over five months’ time in March 2013, the NSW Liberal-National Coalition is expected to have candidates stand in these seats at the state general election.

So Crakanthorp and Harrison have only a short time to make their mark on Hunter region voters before they have to fight to keep their newly-won seats in the NSW Legislative Assembly.

'Cancel all CSG licences' March & Rally - 10 am Riverside Park, Lismore, 1 November 2014

Taking it to the streets in Lismore on 1st November 2014 – Cancel all Licences – Rally & March starting at Riverside Park at 10am

http://www.northernstar.com.au/videos/local-farmers-opposing-gasfields/24751/

Yet another telephone scam

A caller rang yesterday and told me that someone at my address had been in a motor vehicle accident in the last three years and ever so kindly said he would do his utmost to assist me in so many ways.

I asked the caller to tell me the name of the organisation that was going out of its way to assist me and the caller said he was from Accident Help Services in Fairfield.

Sadly (for the caller, who was by then my very next best friend), I had to tell him that he was barking up the wrong tree because no one at my address had been in a motor vehicle accident. I didn't mince words when I told him what I though about him and his scam.

The caller must have been very disappointed that he couldn't 'help' me because he very rudely terminated the call.

Cabbage Tree Island and other massacres on the NSW North Coast

ABC North Coast NSW 23 October 2014:

Lois Cook takes on a history detective mission to track down people and documents to find out if her family's oral history is supported by other accounts from the 19th century. With the help of the staff of Ballina Library she discovers commentary by settlers and historians who were compelled to record the brutality against the local Indigenous people.

This video was created by Lois Cook and her family in collaboration with ABC Open in a series of video production workshops.

It is a special project for ABC North Coast's initiative UNTOLD, culminating in a live broadcast from Cabbage Tree Island on October 28 2014.

Babe in the reeds: a story of massacres and resilience from ABC Open North Coast NSW on Vimeo.