Underwater with the fish at Julian Rocks

Posted in appreciation of Kieren Curry and friends who made this video at Julian Rocks NSW on January 4, 2013.

Perfect Byron Day from kieren curry on Vimeo.

http://vimeo.com/59269647

NSW Police at their worst while protecting Metgasco Limited's interests

Photograph of Gareth preparing to 'lock on' from EchoNetDaily

On 26 February 2013 an unnamed police officer used capsicum spray against a defenseless protester at coal seam gas exploration company Megasco Limited's Doubtful Creek test drilling site:

http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/news/audio/am/201302/20130228-rnam-spray-protest.mp3

Excerpt from transcript:

TONY EASTLEY: New South Wales Police are investigating why an officer used capsicum spray on a protester who was chained to a truck.

The man was protesting against Metgasco's coal seam gas exploration site in the north of the state.

The Lock the Gate alliance which organised the protest says it will be lodging a complaint against the police.

A spokesman for the group says the use of spray on a passive protester amounts to assault.

David Mark reports.

DAVID MARK: A group of protesters have been attempting to disrupt test drilling by the company Metgasco at their coal-seam gas site near Kyogle since January.

On Tuesday one of the protesters, a 45 year old man named Gareth, locked himself to one of the company's trucks as it attempted to leave the site.

Scott Sledge, the president of the protest group the Northern Rivers Guardians, was close by.

SCOTT SLEDGE: They have a pipe which has a bend in it and both hands go into the pipe. And then it locks with clips onto a chain which is attached to the wrist so you can't actually pull that arm out of the metal sleeve.

DAVID MARK: Scott Sledge didn't see what happened next. He says he was on the other side of the truck. But he later spoke to Gareth.

SCOTT SLEDGE: He told me a policeman came under the truck and said, "Let go now and get out from under the truck or I'll spray you in the face." And he was holding a little canister, a spray canister. And he said, "I can't let go, I'm locked on".

And then he got sprayed in the face and it was burning. I heard him yell "I've been maced!" I yelled out then, "You can't do that, he's locked on, he's defenceless, that's torture."

DAVID MARK: New South Wales Police have released a statement confirming police did use capsicum spray on a 45 year old man while he was attached to a truck.

He was arrested but not charged......

DAVID MARK: Police guidelines say capsicum spray can only be used on three occasions: to protect human life; as a less lethal option for controlling people where violent resistance or confrontation occurs; or as protection against animals.....

Clarence Valley Council strips local workers of penalty rates on 3 days this year

This turned up in the comments under a Daily Examiner story last week about Grafton’s Jacaranda Festival losing its very trad Thursday half day public holiday:

"Clarence Valley Public Holidays
Council has applied to NSW Industrial Relations for the following:
1.Event Day after noon on Wednesday 17 April 2013 - Maclean Show Day to be observed within the Police Patrol Districts of Maclean, Yamba and Iluka. A map showing the Police Patrol Districts is available by clicking here.
2.Public Holidays after noon till 5.00 pm on Wednesday 10 July 2013 - Ramornie Race Day - and on Thursday 11 July 2013 - Grafton Cup Day to be observed within the City of Grafton. A map of the City of Grafton is available by clicking here.
3.Event Day after noon on Thursday 31 October 2013 - Jacaranda Thursday to be observed within the City of Grafton. A map of the City of Grafton is available by clicking here.
.Council's application is awaiting the consideration of the Minister.
We expect the outcome by the end of February 2013.
Enquiries to Governance Coordinator, Brian Lane 6641 7203."

Come again? What’s this “events day”? Oh, that’s a day which is supposed to act like a public holiday, but one where workers don’t get penalty rates if they’re rostered on to work - because it’s legally NOT a public holiday.
Who said Work Choices is dead?
This comment sounds pretty near the mark, seeing this council is run by the North Coast Nats and the local let 'em get cake business community:

Spokesperson for Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research finally admits that its Antartic operation is about commercial whaling

 

The Japan Daily Press 27 February 2013:

 

Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said that there will probably no end to whaling in Japan, in spite of the sometimes violent objection from conservationists. He believes that the criticism of the whaling practice is “a cultural attack, a kind of prejudice against Japanese culture”.
 
Australian Environment Minister Tony Burke in The Age 28 February 2013: 

How absurd has the argument become, if Japan is now arguing that it has a traditional cultural practice of travelling from one side of the planet to the other to kill whales in a whale sanctuary.

 

Glenn Inwood of Omeka Public Relations and SpinItWide, as a spokesperson for the Institute of Cetacean Research, makes an admission that commercial whaling is a stand alone reason for the Japanese Government sponsored annual whale kills in Antarctic waters.

 

Excerpt from ABC TV 7.30 program 27 February 2013:

 

LEIGH SALES: Say then I take you at your word. If this really was for just scientific research given the enormously bad PR that whaling delivers for Japan, why not just leave the scientific research to somebody else?

GLENN INWOOD: Yes, that's perfectly right but Japan wants to undertake more than just scientific research on abundant whale stocks in the Southern Ocean. It wants to undertake a limited, very limited commercial hunt on abundant whale species for food for Japanese people. There's lots of arguments going on and around this. At the end of the day this is Japan's right under the international law, under the international convention for the regulation of whaling. It is their right to do this and that's what they want.

LEIGH SALES: We will be interested to see what the ICJ says about that. Glenn Inwood thank you very much for joining us.

If this right-wing political party wasn't so dangerous to NSW communities, it would be a state-wide laughing stock

hunting holds profound cultural and spiritual significance to many who identify hunting as part of their culture

Shooters and Fishers Party website 4 March 2013

Robert Borsak in The Sydney Morning Herald 2 August 2010

This is Robert Borsak of The Shooters and Fishers Party posting on the party website on 4 March 2013. Apparently this member of the NSW Upper House believes that a good many people living in the Northern Rivers are conspiring to destroy the capitalist system of economic wealth and job creation.

Restore balance to the land

Shooters and Fishers Party MLC, Robert Borsak, says recent Party efforts to restore some balance, particularly to environment, land use and firearms debate in NSW are making some of the state’s extreme green groups more spiteful than ever.

“The Total Environment Centre says we have “excessive influence” on the Government and the Nature Conservation Council extends its criticism to the Game Council, which is a NSW Government statutory body administering licensed hunting in NSW, saying it has an “undue level of influence on government policy”.

“This from a pair that has been part of the unholy alliance of Greens, the Office of Environment and Heritage, leftist unions and fellow so-called conservation groups who lorded it over this state for two decades

“Private land rights and entitlements have been appropriated by government at the instigation of the Greens and ‘conservation’ groups who in truth are social engineers seeking to destroy the capitalist system of economic wealth and job creation.

“Instead of working to create more opportunities through Crown access to public land held in trust for the citizens of NSW, the power of government has been used to close access, divert state forests from timber production to national parks and state reserves, destroying local communities, jobs and land values. In turn, laws were extended to allow OEH governance over private land by usurping water rights and imposing land clearing prohibitions. Further, recent Labor rezoning of rural private land has taken the theft of private land and the ability to farm to new levels of Green depravity.

“It is now not only impossible to clear private land of woody weeds in NSW, but recent rezoning of private rural land as E2 or E3 effectively stops farming development on most of the rural land in NSW so zoned. If you are a farmer subjected to these zonings your days are limited.

“The Government should immediately repeal the Native Vegetation Act and all zonings of rural land that restrict private farming activities, land clearance and water licences. It should also remove any grants and subsidies to organisations such as the Nature Conservation Council, the Total Environment Centre, the NSW National Parks Association and other Greens-linked organisations seeking to destroy the rural economic and wealth creation in NSW.

“It’s time to get the NSW rural economy going again,” he said.

In a letter to the editor published in The Daily Examiner, 26 March 2013, John Edwards of the Clarence Environment Centre said this:

Borsak's tirade was also supporting the embattled NSW Game Council, a recruiting ground for the Shooters Party, and another legacy bequeathed to the people of NSW by ex-minister Ian Macdonald. That organisation was described by its former CEO as deeply flawed and rendered ineffective by infighting and self-interest, and has been subsidised by NSW taxpayers to the tune of more than $2 million a year for the past six or seven years.

I cannot speak for all environment groups, but can confirm that, to the best of my knowledge, our local Environment Centre has never received a cent of NSW Government money.

One thing is certain, the total moneys granted to green groups around NSW would pale into insignificance when compared to the millions of dollars granted annually to the NSW Game Council simply to administer hunting licences.

If this right-wing political party wasn't so dangerous to democractic processes and civil liberties (see its support of the abolition of the right to silence), it would be a state-wide laughing stock. All Borsak’s world view lacks is a cadre of brown-shirted enforcers.

The mindboggling Arthur Sidonis

This was in Granny Herald on 27^th February 2013:

The prominent federal Liberal Arthur Sinodinos was treasurer of the NSW Liberals when the party received more than $30,000 in donations from a company he chaired, Australian Water Holdings, which was bidding for state government contracts.

Despite this, Senator Sinodinos has said he cannot remember the donations made in his time as both chairman and party treasurer.

What Granny did not say is that this company was paying out to the Libs on behalf of all in the group, including – wait for it – Gasfields Water Management Pty Ltd from the sunny Queensland coal seam gas mob.

Now didn’t that little company which is 75% owned by Australian Water Holdings just get $3 million worth of dishonourable mention in a NSW ICAC hearing?

And what's with this pathetic entry in his declaration of interests that was well shy of the nine new entries he had to insert by 28th February 2013 when his original 25th November 2011 statement of registrable interests became, er, interesting to one particular journo.

Or this, which conveniently omits around $3,750,000 worth of shares held for him by Nick Di Girolamo under a under “gentleman’s agreement”. Di Girolamo  is yet another person ICAC invited to its little please explain party.

Forgetful doesn't cut it as an excuse Uncle Arthur and being Tony Abbott's parliamentary secretary won't save you in the court of public opinion when it takes a good look at what you told the Senate were "oversights". 



Pic from Google Images

Labor MP Janelle Saffin seeks federal flood mitigation funding for NSW North Coast

                                   

Wednesday, February 13, 2013.

REF: PE.13.02.13.

The Honourable Bill Shorten MP

Federal Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation

Federal Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations

Suite M1 48

Parliament House

CANBERRA  ACT  2600.

Dear Bill,

With local communities in Northern New South Wales and Queensland recovering from the human misery and financial costs of record flooding, I write to raise some key policy and funding issues as you continue your leadership in the area of insurance and natural disasters.

Parts of regional Australia certainly have been hit by more frequent floods, bushfires and cyclonic storms in recent years, and with more awareness of climate change, perhaps we do need new pro-active frameworks for dealing with this reality, as per our conversation recently.

I am aware you have advanced options and that these are under consideration with the Insurance Council of Australia.

The Member for Hinkler, Paul Neville, gave a wonderful account of the Bundaberg floods, and while we had already discussed the idea of a bipartisan commitment to flood mitigation which I had intended to detail in my speech, Mr Neville did it so elegantly, I simply supported him.

Such a scheme would involve ‘doing many Granthams’ across Australia – relocating flood-prone homes or raising them out of flood, and levees being built – over the next 10 years.

I have said that it does need to be Federal, State and local government in a combined effort. One policy tool I have talked about in Parliament before is the use of no-interest loans for infrastructure, such as New South Wales has. Perhaps a system of interest rate subsidies for infrastructure by local government may achieve a similar outcome.

The Clarence River peaked as a flood of record at 8.08 metres with a 17-kilometre levee bank system just holding, mainly due to State Emergency Services and Clarence Valley Council sandbagging 300 metres of vulnerable sink hole areas around Dovedale.

In fact, there is local debate over whether the Grafton levee was breached in Fry Street.

This particular flood was fast and furious, and upstream at Copmanhurst and Upper Copmanhurst some families lost everything as several metres of floodwaters inundated their homes or rural properties.

The Governor-General, Her Excellency Quentin Bryce, AC, CVO, and I met with these folk when she made a Vice-Regal visit to the Grafton area on February 1. I know that her presence lifted the spirits of many locals that day.

Bill, I would like to formally invite you to visit the Clarence Valley to take a firsthand look at issues of concern which families, businesses and farmers have been raising with me in the wake of our latest natural disaster.

This flood also breached the levee bank at Ulmarra (Cowper electorate next door to me) and caused major flooding in the village of Brushgrove and small town of Lawrence in my electorate of Page.

It was also the dirtiest flood in living memory with a massive amount of flood debris washed down to places like Brushgrove and on to the popular surfing beaches of Yamba.

Local residents tell me they can live with a major flood every five years or so, but to experience three such events in the past four years is enough to test the will and endurance of the hardiest soul.

This is why the Brushgrove/Cowper Levee Action Committee is renewing its campaign for a 1:20 year flood levee to protect the village, at an estimated cost of about $3 million and built in stages, if need be. It is a matter that has been before the Clarence Valley Council and the former Maclean Shire Council for some time

Committee Secretary Kay Spurr, who holds Masters Degrees in Public Administration and Writing, has provided me with a study of the physical and mental health impact of a flood event on Brushgrove and an assessment of the social benefits of a 1:20 year flood levee.

Brushgrove pensioner Bruce Hancock emailed me on February 8 from ‘Mud Central’ about how insurance companies either will not issue flood insurance policies or charge huge premiums for same in the 2460 postcode area. His is a story repeated across the Clarence Valley.

I know it as well in my hometown of Lismore, where people are priced out of the market, therefore in effect there is no market to serve our needs.

Mr Hancock cited a recent report in The Daily Examiner newspaper of a man whose premium went up by 1010 per cent in one year. In Mr Hancock’s case, his own premium rose by $800 after the 2011 floods and another $600 a year, taking his monthly payment to $293.

Mr Hancock also says that now is the time to look at the concept of a National Disaster Insurance Scheme which would take over the flood/fire/cyclone liability of the insurance industry. I understand his feelings on this completely, but the pressure needs to continue on the ICA to deal fairly on this matter and to operate a super market, and to not price us out of the market.

Mr Hancock points to the New Zealand experience, where a scheme originally set up to cover war damage in the 1940s, now covers damage cause by earthquake, flood and volcanic eruption. I have visited New Zealand and had a firsthand look at their insurance schemes and the no fault as well.

It is, of course, easier in one small jurisdiction to have such a scheme work. I am more focused on moving the mitigation scheme forward, as I see that it has potential to work and work well.

The other issue is that of the opt out clause. It is time to reconsider this, as whilst some insurers have done it regarding floods – some have not and furthermore they are saying if you do not have the flood coverage, we will not cover you at all.  Again leaving no market for the people.

The Australian Government and state governments have Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements in place, and we have the Australian Government Disaster Relief Payment, which I was able to secure for the Clarence Valley Local Government Area as a special case.

While these different categories or levels of assistance provide a helping hand to many Australians, one anomaly is that some people experiencing hardship and stress can miss out on emergency assistance because their individual circumstances might not meet strict eligibility criteria as it is applied.

One way of overcoming this, and of making the entire system more cost effective, could be to quarantine a decent pool of national emergency management funding to upgrade and strengthen older flood levees, build new ones, or to raise or relocate homes out of flood.

State governments could make contributions to flood mitigation infrastructure, leveraging off a national fund, as required, and have local government factored in as well.

The Insurance Council of Australia’s chief spokesman Campbell Fuller is on record (SMH Weekend Business February 2-3) as encouraging a pro-active approach to properly built and properly maintained flood levees in order to reduce the cost of insurance premiums. He did not offer assistance though, which would also be welcome.

I look forward to your reply.

Yours sincerely,

Janelle Saffin MP

Federal Member for Page.

Friday, March 1, 2013.

REF: PE.01.03.12.

The Honourable Bill Shorten MP

Federal Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation

Suite M1 48

Parliament House

CANBERRA  ACT  2600.

Dear Bill,

I write to congratulate you on the Australian Government’s new National Affordability Insurance Initiative which you announced in Queensland yesterday, and note there appears to be some $33 million as yet unallocated for flood mitigation projects nationally.

I want to ensure that my electorate of Page receives its fair share of this funding, starting with urgent projects like a 1-in-20-year flood levee for the village of Brushgrove in the Clarence Valley, which I alerted you to in recent correspondence. This long overdue project is estimated to cost about $3 million.

The Northern Rivers has always been an area prone to flooding, but during recent years there has been a dramatic increase in the frequency of these events and the ensuing damage bills. I will seek talks with our local councils and chambers of commerce on compiling a list of fully costed flood mitigation projects which could be considered by the National Insurance Affordability Council.

As you know, I successfully lobbied to have the Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment activated for the Clarence Valley Local Government Area to provide flood aid after January’s record flood event. Centrelink has processed more than $11 million in these cash payments, helping hundreds of residents who could not access emergency welfare assistance.

I also thank you for keeping under consideration my invitation to visit Brushgrove and other parts of the electorate to see firsthand the potential benefits of new levees or reinforcing existing levees, and the great flood recovery effort by Federal, State and local agencies.

Yours sincerely,

Janelle Saffin MP

Federal Member for Page.