Well B*gger Me Dead! It's the 1st of July 2012 and the sky hasn't fallen

The sun rose this morning to the melodic sound of a Northern Rivers dawn chorus, so I’m dedicating this to Tony Chicken Little Abbott who told me my world would end when the Australian Government put a price on carbon and introduced a mineral resource tax today.

This one’s for you mate!

http://youtu.be/-iYBIsLFbKo

Thanks to Clarencegirl for help with posting probs on this one!

Nationals' Kevin Hogan to have second tilt at Labor's Janelle Saffin at next federal election

A Twitter entry today appears to indicate that the NSW North Coast Nationals are so sure the Page electorate is in their pocket that they are again willing to run Kevin Hogan against sitting Labor MP Janelle Saffin.

Because he was so forgettable last time he stood for election and has never taken any interest in the electorate since then, many local voters may find they have little memory of him.

So here is a short reprise:

After getting Federal Nationals pre-selection unopposed in 2009 Kevin Hogan took keeping a low profile to ridiculous length.

This is about as good as it got when it came to his on a steep learning curve campaigning.

Hogan was (and probably still is) in denial about an ongoing Coalition commitment to dam and divert certain North Coast rivers.

He supports the coal seam gas industry and particularly Metgasgo, whose operations in the Casino district have led to fines concerning water management documentation and orders for improperly disposing of contaminated wastewater and for badly constructed ‘holding’ ponds.

Hogan allowed his National Party supporters free rein to post abusive and sexist remarks on his Facebook campaign page.

Like his fearless leaders, he appears to consider the truth to be a highly flexible commodity and even makes false claims about his election campaign giveaways.

During the 2010 federal election campaign, Hogan accepted ‘help’ from a paid staffer of a sitting NSW Nationals MP – then denied all knowledge when this breach of the rules became known.

Was so cavalier about election campaign rules and conventions that he thumbed his nose both online and in print.

Sexism: It's a European Commission thing!

http://youtu.be/g032MPrSjFA

"speak their language to get their attention"

Taking my breath away

Yamba food store launches Red Granny Smith Apples

Yamba, the Number 1 town in Australia, can lay claim to yet another first.

One of its food stores advertised in a free local newspaper this week that it has Granny Smith apples on special. But, wait for it ... the apples are very special ... they're red Granny Smiths. At just 99 cents a kg they have to be the steal of the week.

Has Clive really decided to go for Tony's jugular or is it a political feint?

ABC Radio on the 27^th June 2012:

"If a person decides they want to be a lobbyist they shouldn't be head of a political party or on the executive of a political party which could influence government policy," he says.

He says he is raising the issue as a representative of the Queensland LNP.

"This was raised at the state council of the LNP and it was passed," says the mining boss.

Clive Palmer says he was surprised by Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's reaction to the idea.

"I was puzzled that anyone could be so violently opposed to transparency in government," says Clive Palmer.

“I was shocked by it," he says.”

Anyone else catch a whiff of week-old mullet?

Just as Tones Teh Terrible comes a little closer to hard questions about the level of his own involvement in what looks more and more like a conspiracy to bring down the Independent Speaker of the House of Reps, up jumps mining magnate Clive with a private confrontation concerning paid lobbyists he's happy to talk to the media about.

Yeah, pull the other one fellas.

While divisive politics are played at a national level, a humanitarian perspective finds local expression

REFUGEE ISLAND

What a difference an "E" makes
crossing from Yamba Bay to the far side of Yamba Road,
Yamba on Friday night 29 June 2012

A hat tip to Clarrie Rivers' sharp eye

Coal Seam Gas Mining: "The NSW Government intends to allow widespread use of wastewater 'holding ponds' across NSW and the Northern Rivers"

Clarence Valley Conservation Coalition 24 June 2012:

Last year in July the NSW Government banned construction of CSG evaporation ponds in response to community concerns about the danger of overflows and leakage of toxic chemicals from these structures.

In response to the Casino protest, NSW Minister for Resources and Energy, Chris Hartcher, stated on 21 June that the government had not approved any evaporation ponds since its July 2011 ban, and that the Metgasco pond was a "holding pond" approved by Richmond Valley Council.

Boudicca Cerese, spokesperson for Lock the Gate Northern Rivers, said, "The Minister tried to split hairs about the difference between an evaporation pond and a holding pond, but no-one is buying it - a toxic pond is a toxic pond and we don't want them.

"Management of coal seam gas wastewater in the region is a ticking time bomb that represents a real risk to our floodplains, waterways and farmland.
"It is clear from the Ministers' statement … that the NSW Government intends to allow widespread use of wastewater 'holding ponds' across NSW and the Northern Rivers."

The protesters have announced that they intend to continue their action against Metgasco's "holding pond".

The Northern Star on the subject of holding ponds.

23 June 2012:

THE State Government has found coal seam gas company Metgasco did not provide adequate freeboard in its wastewater holding ponds and has directed the company to draw down the levels.

"Freeboard" refers to the allowance between the top of the water in a pond and the point at which water would overflow.

On June 18 the government directed the company draw down the levels to accommodate "more than a one in 100 year rainfall event".

The finding comes on the back of breaches of the company's petroleum exploration licenses (PEL) revealed by the Northern Star last week.

In those cases in May the company was fined $5000 for failing to provide information about its wastewater disposal plans.

It was also directed to report water quality and management details.

The latest direction related to PEL16 which covers Casino and includes Shannon Brook where protesters have begun a vigil at a pond under construction.

They provided the Northern Star with video footage showing water lapping the edge of a pond.

"If the ponds at Shannon Brook, which is very low flat country, were to overflow or leak you have a situation where salty polluted water could potentially disperse across a large part of the landscape onto prime cropping and pasture lands and eventually into sensitive wetland areas in the Ellangowan area," Boudicca Cerese of Lock the Gate Northern Rivers said.

"The latest breaches really highlight the fact that across the board, Metgasco's wastewater management is a complete debacle.

25 June 2012:

PROTESTERS are continuing to stop the construction of a CSG wastewater holding pond at Shannon Brook near Casino through an ongoing blockade.

As many as 30 protesters held the line at the weekend by blocking the entrance to the site.

A call has been put out to help maintain a vigil to prevent any further works and protesters say they have no plans to leave any time soon.

The activists say a Metgasco ute was seen arriving at the site about 6.40am yesterday, stopping about 100m from the protesters before turning and driving away.

Spokesman for the Richmond Valley Group Against Gas Dean Draper said there had been a groundswell of support for the blockade.

"We want to make sure we respect the farmers and keep this place operating as a farming area, so we are asking people to book with us if they want to come down," said Mr Draper.

26 June 2012:

METGASCO did not tell a parliamentary inquiry the company was disposing of coal seam gas wastewater at the Casino sewage treatment plant.
The Northern Star on June 13, revealed the company disposed of more than 1.3 million litres at the plant in the 10 months to March......
But Metgasco chief operating officer Michael O'Brien made no mention of the disposal when giving evidence to the NSW Government inquiry into coal seam gas on December 8.
Under questioning from Greens MLC Jeremy Buckingham, Mr O'Brien explained the company disposed of water in "above-ground holding ponds".
"The only way you deal with produced water and drilling fluids is to hold them in these ponds?" Mr Buckingham asked.
Mr O'Brien responded: "Currently, for our production pilots, that is the case, but when we go into production we will look for a beneficial use for the water."

* Photograph of protester chained to mining equipment from Lock The Gate.