Clarence Valley Council rips the green heart out of Maclean, the 'Scottish Town'

Maclean's small and unique central business district has once more fallen victim to the unelected triumvirate which governs the Clarence Valley Local Government Area, with more of its green heart ripped away to please the developer, IGA Metcash.

Despite the eloquent pleas of those councillors hailing from the 'Scottish Town', a majority at the 26 June 2012 Ordinary General Meeting voted to further reduce the size of Cameron Park - until it will resemble nothing more than a barren pocket handkerchief of sun damaged turf between so-called improvements jammed together willy-nilly (see Item: 13.080/12  below).

McLachlan Park which straddles the town's vital flood levee is also under threat to compensate for the original carpark land sold to IGA at an almost bargain basement price.

Once again Clarence Valley Council has broken faith with Lower Clarence residents and ratepayers.

Avid council watchers tell me that It is not hard to work out that this unelected triumvirate is possibly taking full advantage of nine shire councillors who have formed into dysfunctional cliques and, that on most matters it favours National Party political aspirant Mayor Richie Williamson's faction.

Item: 13.080/12 REPLACEMENT PARKING OPTIONS FOR MACLEAN CBD

….options to replace Maclean CBD public carparking lost due to the sale of 3,750m² of Centenary Carpark to Metcash for a supermarket development.

1. Cameron Park, Maclean

Plan A (attached) shows an arrangement whereby 15 additional 90º nose-in spaces can be provided by encroaching 6.0metres into Cameron Park green space. While acknowledging that this is contrary to Council's September 2011 resolution that Cameron Park green space be excluded from consideration, the space sought in this instance is approximately 230m² (out of total green space of approximately 5,500m²) and is located on that section of the Park having least public usage.

Plan A also indicates the provision of an additional thirteen 90º nose-in spaces immediately adjoining the swimming pool. This would require the relocation of the three long-vehicle spaces currently at this spot, and it is proposed to relocate those to the northern side of Argyle Street, shown on Plan B.

2. McLachlan Park

A concept plan prepared by the Maclean Chamber of Commerce for the upgrade of McLachlan Park incorporates 45º nose-in parking. Council staff have refined that plan to provide 16 additional spaces (29 new – 13 existing), including 3 in the carpark beside Spar following demolition of the existing toilet block (refer Plan C)……

3.5 Cameron Park

Remove 7-9 trees and excavate topsoil from 6 metre wide strip, construct carpark and line mark for 15 spaces; construct carpark adjacent to pool and line mark for 13 spaces. In conjunction with those works, the remainder of Cameron Park should be upgraded including new toilets, improved playground, additional seating and BBQ shelters. An improvements plan will need to be prepared and all works could be funded from the proceeds of the supermarket site sale.

3.6 McLachlan Park

The preliminary concept plan suggests the following works:

 Remove 5 Camphor Laurel trees

 Remove existing footpath and excavate 2-3 metres into park.

 Underground power along park frontage as required.

 Construct retaining wall along edge of excavation, designed to protect the integrity of the levee.

 Relocate the bus bay approximately 30 metres to the north.….

The total number of replacement spaces is now 86, leaving a shortfall of 23 spaces.

Mapping here.

Before Clarence Valley Council moves further with this park theft, local people might like to write or email councillors (details here) and tell them just how 'thrilled' they are at the prospect of losing more of Maclean's public, passive green space.

Carbon Pricing: If any of these businesses put up their retail prices between July 2012 and December 2013 by more than 0.01% to 0.05% on any item they will probably be fleecing their customers

Tony Abbott and Federal Coalition MPs encourage the butcher, baker and candlestick maker to put up their prices after 1 July 2012. Knowing that, in most cases, it would be difficult to justify any price increase above one cent per food or beverage item over the next eighteen months.

A big thankyou to journalist Latkia Bourke for uploading these letters and accompanying posters to Scribd.

See Bakers

Are you a right-thinking Australian? Nationals start a 'Get Rid Of Rob' campaign

 

Are the NSW North Coast Nationals and their federal counterparts on the money, or paranoid and desperate? You be the judge……………

Get Rid Of Rob

Election campaigns aren’t cheap and we need your support to help get rid of Rob.

All money raised through this site will go directly towards supporting The Nationals’ campaign in the seat of Lyne.

Please click on the amount you wish to donate (an estimate of what assistance that support could provide is listed) or choose your own amount.

All right-thinking Australians thank you for your support.

Contributions	Estimated Expense Equivalent
$16.00	Campaign T-Shirt for a volunteer
$35.00	5 pack of corflute signs to erect around the electorate
$69.00	30 second radio ad on 2MC highlighting Rob Oakeshott's betrayal of the community
$100.00	1000 how to vote cards, showing people how to Get rid of Rob.
$400.00	Small newspaper ad in The Manning River Times about stopping the carbon tax
$750.00	Medium newspaper ad in The Port News detailing The Nationals' plan for Lyne
$1325.00	Production of 2000 "Get rid of Rob" Bumper Stickers
$2500.00	One month's rent for the "Get rid of Rob" Campaign Office
	Donate Your own donation amount

* Every cent donated will go towards helping The Nationals get rid of Rob

 

What Manager of Opposition Business Christopher Pyne doesn't want canvassed in the Australian House of Representatives

Online file - Ashby v Commonwealth of Australia NSD 580 of 2012

In view of the high number of media requests for file access in this matter, the Court has established an online file on to which publicly accessible material has been placed and will be placed in the future. Consistent with Rule 2.32 of the Federal Court Rules 2011 restricted documents, such as affidavits and exhibits, only become public once admitted into evidence and approved by the Judge.

Material will be added here as it becomes available.  

Three excerpts from one court document now publicly available:

Ashby: Hmmm interesting. I had no idea of that rule... I bet the likes of Jacki and Bruce McIver have some influence. Jacki is definitely a key player in the party these days. To arrange a lawyer for $1 of that caliber is a big thing in my mind.

Doane: Agreed. It is also due to the barrister's ties to the LNP and the way this will tip the govt to Mal's and the LNP's advantage. Definitely a good move for us to meet with him so he gets to know us other than w the black mark from being w Peter!!

Doane: The email for Mal doesn't seem to work. I have: Mal.brough1@bigpond.com . Do you have something different?

Ashby: Whoops it's Mal.brough2@bigpond.com sorry bout that. My fault.

Doane: I want to balance your harassment charge with one of my own. He is demeaning, aggressive and w his bcc's unprofessional at the very least. However I don't want to diminish your claim in any way. As you said last night, both claims may strengthen the case. I might look for a lawyer myself if we don't have contact soon.

Ashby: Yeah I will contact Mal again today. Failing that I will make contact with someone myself as well.

Update

The Australian 27 June 2012:

LNP president Bruce McIver has conceded that Howard government minister Mal Brough approached him, and possibly party donor and mining magnate Clive Palmer, searching for a job for a Slipper staffer, believed to be Karen Doane, who in April proposed launching a harassment case against the Speaker.

The Queanbeyan Age 27 June 2012:

NEWS Limited and one of its journalists were involved in an elaborate plot to bring down parliamentary Speaker Peter Slipper, according to documents filed with the Federal Court.
The documents expose private communication between News political correspondent Steve Lewis and Mr Slipper's former staff member James Ashby, including one in which Lewis says: ''We will get him.''
The documents also reveal that News - the Australian arm of Rupert Murdoch's media empire - paid for Mr Ashby to stay in a Sydney hotel and meet Lewis on April 10 this year. In one text, the reporter told Mr Ashby: ''I will sort out payment'', and: ''Just tell hotel to book u in again and News will sort''.

Response of some Yamba residents to Clarence Valley Council Deputy Manager's statement - ROFLOL

 

Clarence Valley Council deputy general manager Rob Donges said council already spends a fair amount of money and time trying to ensure footpaths and other well-used public spaces are safe for residents. [The Daily Examiner,Skateboarders a 'danger': Elderly man wants them off the footpaths,25 June 2012]

Borsak baulked

The Leader of the NSW Shooters & Fishers Party Robert Borsak has been caught out trying to slip clauses into legislation before the NSW Parliament allowing unsupervised amateur hunters the right to bear semi-automatic weapons.

So subservient is Barry O’Farrell to this man that it wasn’t until The Greens, the National Coalition for Gun Control and some journalists blew the whistle that he was forced to backtrack and remove some of these ‘rights’ in relation to weapons.

Fellow Shooters & Fishers Party MLC Robert Brown was so incensed with this turn of events that at the first opportunity he said this to a Greens MLC in Parliament on 20 June 2012 Unfortunately, we are in a modern era so I cannot take you outside and beat you to death.

It is not yet clear if the NSW Game Council gains the right to pressure local councils and catchment management authorities to cease feral animal control on their lands so that these same gun-happy hunters can blast away to their hearts content – everywhere from national parks though to local tips - in the GAME AND FERAL ANIMAL CONTROL AMENDMENT BILL which finally passed the Upper House on 21 June 2012.

Now who on earth told a local journo that?

“LOCAL Federal member Luke Hartsuyker tabled the concerns of Cowper constituents during Thursday's House of Representatives sitting in Canberra.”
Now who on earth told The Coffs Coast Advocate journo that?
What actually happened was that Hartsuyker got to his feet and made a speech unsupported by any piece of paper outlining Cowper voter’s concerns – absolutely nothing was “tabled”.
In fact his speech contained the same old dodgy claims about a Coffs Harbour butcher’s power bills he’s been trotting out since 2010.