A one-eyed musing:
One regular North Coast Voices reader is so crooked at The Daily Examiner that he sent me a message on 7.10.14; Check out its self centered article in today’s rag. "Projects to help AREA rebound'. Apparently Grafton is the only community in the Clarence Valley that needs to rebound. How on earth can our "Grafton Mayor" show leadership, positive perception in the community and most of all entrepreneurship when this rag which claims to be "The Voice of the Clarence Valley" speaks only of Grafton and of Cllrs only representing Grafton?
A stop laughing this is serious musing:
I Boy the Wonder Cat, being a respectable Northern Rivers moggy, do hereby make it known that I take no responsibility for any resident, ratepayer or visitor fatally choking on their breakfast cereal after reading one of my musings.
A weed by any other name musing:
Batman & Robin, Superman & Wonder Woman, Green Lantern & The Flash,Tarzan & Cheetah, Tick & Arthur, The Fat Controller & Psycho. Guess which pair are in Northern Rivers local government and not between the pages of comic book?
A seriously wondering musing:
The big news in the Clarence Valley on 30 September 2014 was that it was the only local government area left out of NSW Labor's promise to implement a total ban on CSG exploration and mining in the Northern Rivers.
Besides the fact that ERM Power, Metgasco Limited's largest shareholder, has made political donations in the past to all three major parties - what else could explain this odd state of affairs?
This little moggie wants to know what part Clarence Valley Council's executive might have played in this decision.
After all it's well-known that the mayor is a National Party member and that NSW Nationals support coal seam/tight gas exploration and mining - one only has to look at how NSW Nationals Leader & Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner bent over backwards for the controversial Santos Narabri project and the government in which he holds the second highest position endorsed fracking at AGL's Gloucester site.
So, was one or more of the people comprising the Clarence Valley Council executive approached by Labor and did they react coolly to any question of inclusion in Labor's 'CSG Free' Northern Rivers promise?
A second meeja musing:
Anyone regularly reading print and online mainstream media would be well aware that much of what passes as journalistic effort these days is an uncritical reworking of unsolicited media releases. What many readers might not notice is that the media companies, which sometimes create or assist with these media releases, may already have a relationship with newspaper groups. Take coal seam gas-tight gas minerMetgasco Limited - it employs the services of Citadel: Specialists in Corporate Communications. Co-incidentally, so does APN News & Media which owns mastheads on the NSW North Coast such as The Northern Star and The Daily Examiner which from time to time report on coal seam gas exploration and well drilling in the Northern Rivers.
A meeja musing:
Richmond NSW-based Deputy Editor of The Land newspaper and former editor of The Daily Examiner, Jenna Cairney, is obviously pining for sunny northern climes. She is moving across the Rio Tweed in six weeks' time to take up a new position at APN’s Sunshine Coast Daily in Maroochydore QLD, as its first female editor. Regular SCD readers, from Kin Kin down to Caloundra, should expect a fresh voice willing to break new ground on issues important to them.
A someone made a complaint musing:
According to Lexie the friendly ginger feline I sometimes talk to on my travels, a complaint has gone down to the NSW Ombudsman concerning alleged misconduct by one member of a council executive. No, there is no prize for guessing which NSW North Coast council. Way too easy!
An ooh aah musing:
Feathers are becoming ruffled in the local government doocot it seems. Not content with implying that a local resident is a liar concerning a previous water complaint, Clarence Valley Council management has now zeroed in on The Daily Examiner – declaring its reporting of dirty drinking water in Yamba on 6 September 2014 “spurious”. Bet that impressed the newspaper’s sports editor who had this to say of the day: “The Yamba triathlon festival gives competitors a real taste of what the place has to offer, even a dose of the infamous water supply thrown into the mix…….Bill North reporting in Yamba for The Daily Examiner.”
A selective backgrounding musing:
Word is that at least one Northern Rivers newspaper has been informed that local government reforms will mean that councillors will no longer be able to bid for or hold council contracts. Far as I can tell this means at least three Clarence Valley councillors will have, to some degree, to choose between being breadwinners for their families or elected representatives for their communities after September 2016. However, it is far from clear as to whether council has informed them of the fact that the proposed rewriting of the NSW Government Act is likely to affect them directly.
Post script: On 19 September 2014 the NSW Office of Local Government stated that there were as yet no details of provisions to be included in the planned new Local Government Act. Therefore a new rule concerning councillors and council contracts could neither be ruled in nor out of the mix.
A rumour grows musing:
If rumour is correct it seems that NSW North Coast Nationals were desperate to keep their man, Richie Williamson, in the Clarence Valley Council mayoral seat. It's now being alleged that retired Nationals federal MP and former House of Representatives deputy-speaker, Ian Causley, had also attempted to sway at least one councillor’s vote in the 16 September 2014 mayoral election. Telling all my furry friends to stick close to their owners and report back as these behind-the-scenes machinations are becoming interesting. Will the North Coast Nats call in their marker and make use of the mayor's casting vote when they want Clarence Valley local government to back their mining or dam policies?
A beat, beat, beat of the drums musing:
There is a strong rumour doing the rounds concerning the Clarence Valley Council mayoral election of 16 September 2014. It is being alleged that Federal Nationals MP for Cowper, Deputy Leader in the House of Representatives and Assistant Employment Minister, Luke Hartsuyker, has been meddling where he shouldn't by attempting to dissuade at least one councillor from running against the incumbent mayor, former Nationals pre-selection candidate Richie Williamson.
A you heard what? musing:
It doesn't take a genius to guess which Northern Rivers council management is alleged to have forwarded sensitive correspondence, (between one local resident & council) on to numerous third parties within the local government area. Tsk, tsk, tsk.....
An 'eaven 'elp us musing:
Word around the traps is that Clarence Valley Mayor Richie Williamson will act as NSW Nationals MP for Clarence Chris Gulaptis' campaign manager in the lead up to the 2015 state election.
