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

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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

 

Growing old in the Lucky Country

ABC News 3rd October 2012

2GB haemorrhages advertisers and Jones loses appeal against court ruling that he indulged in "racial vilification"

 

From Change.org

 

Brisbane Times 2 October 2012:

 

The list of sponsors pulling out of broadcaster Alan Jones's radio program following his comments about the prime minister's father is growing…

 

The 2009  Administrative Decisions Tribunal ruling, that in a radio broadcast on 28 April 2005  Alan Jones was guilty of racial vilification was upheld on appeal this week.

 

SBS World News 2 October 2012:

 

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says Alan Jones' comments about the prime minister's late father are "wrong, unacceptable and offensive" but he won't be boycotting the 2GB broadcaster or banning him from Liberal fundraisers.

 

It would appear that the only person still afraid of Alan Jones is Australia’s Federal Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott.

Newspaper circulation figures show decline on NSW North Coast

 

Weekday circulation figures for principal regional daily newspapers according to AUSTRALIAN NEWSPAPER HISTORY GROUP NEWSLETTER No. 69 October 2012:

 

 Click on table to enlarge

 

The only regional daily to record an increase in the audited period to the end of June was the Gold Coast Bulletin (up 221 sales, or 0.61 per cent). The remainder recorded declines of from 0.33 per cent (Broken Hill) to 11.05 per cent (Gympie). And, of course, the Daily News on the Tweed coast is no longer a daily printed publication. It closed on 3 December 2011.

Gulaptis won't ever vote for any same-sex marriage because it isn't " an age old tradition"

Firmly placing his foot in his mouth Nationals MP for Clarence Chris Gulaptis confirmed to the Clarence Valley Review on 26 September 2012 that he would not be supporting a same-sex marriage bill if one came before the NSW Parliament, saying he supported maintaining marriage as a tradition between a man and a woman and likened maintaining the traditional approach to marriage to preservation of heritage buildings.

Wonder if he has been taking public relations tips from Senator Bernardi?

Photograph from Google Images