CLARENCE RIVER CATCHMENT 2020: a culturally, economically, environmentally & socially harmful number of mining applications are in the process of getting the nod from the NSW Berejiklian Coalition Government

Caring for the Clarence from Nathan Oldfield on Vimeo.

In late September 2020 Clarence Valley Council endorsed a submission to the NSW Berejiklian Government’s Inquiry into the rationale for, and impacts of, new dams and other water infrastructure in NSW, reiterating its opposition (for the fifth time since establishing its policy in 2006) to any diversion of the Clarence River.

Of particular concern to council and the wider valley community is the yet to be completed Mole River dam in Tenterfield shire which has previously been mooted as a holding dam for the diversion of Clarence River catchment water elsewhere by Clarence water first being sent into the Upper Mole River.

Also in September the Clarence Catchment Alliance held an informal public picnic, meeting and open discussion on the riverbank at Lawrence, to talk about mining developments in the Clarence Valley. Discussions focussed on future copper and cobalt mining in the mountains of the Upper Clarence Valley.

Early October 2020 brought news that the Berejiklian Government had backed Corazon Mining Limited, granting a reimbursement of “50 per cent of per-metre drilling costs, up to a maximum of $200,000”, as part of its New Frontiers Cooperative Drilling scheme. Corazon will drill exploration holes around Mount Gilmore (at Gordonbrook Hill 25km northwest of Grafton), “targeting ‘battery metals’ in Australia”, its ‘RIU Resurgence Conference’ document states. “Early stage exploration [is at] play, major upside potential; high-grade copper and cobalt from drilling and rock chips; large surface anomalies in a new region (20km+ strike),” the document states.

That brings to three the number of companies currently undertaking exploration mining in the Clarence Valley. 

Castillo Copper in Cangai is the most progressed. Corazon is on Mt Gilmore in Coombadjha and The Sons of Bavaria are in Ewingar, according to the CLARENCE CATCHMENT ALLIANCE.

Given that the number of exploration licenses applied for or granted in the Clarence River catchment area have grown rapidly in 2020, the level of concern for the headwaters of so many rivers and creeks in also rising in Clarence Valley communities.

 IMAGE: Clarence Catchment Alliance

Needless to say the NSW Nationals MP for Clarence Chris Gulaptis, former surveyor, property developer and operations manager with a Qld resources/mining consultancy firm, thinks this map is just fine and dandy - nothing to see hear, move along.

BACKGROUND

Clarence Valley Council submission to Inquiry into the rationale for, and impacts of, new dams and other water infrastructure in NSW, dated 22 September 2020 at:

https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/lcdocs/submissions/69147/0046%20Clarence%20Valley%20Council.pdf

Ms. Debrah Novak (Clarence Valley councillor) submission to Inquiry into the rationale for, and impacts of, new dams and other water infrastructure in NSW, dated 21 September 2020 at:

https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/lcdocs/submissions/69148/0047%20Ms%20Debrah%20Novak.pdf

Clarence Environment Centre submission to Inquiry into the rationale for, and impacts of, new dams and other water infrastructure in NSW, dated 12 September 2020 at:

https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/lcdocs/submissions/69075/0008%20Clarence%20Environment%20Centre.pdf

Meme of the Week

 

Found on Twitter

Tweet of the Week

 

You don’t want to ask #ScottyTheBully any challenging questions, especially if you’re a woman. #abc730 #auspol pic.twitter.com/yWkmHIh6EK

— 💧Kailani Mana (@mana_kailani) October 8, 2020

For over 6 years the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison Government deliberately underspent funds earmarked to assist unemployed people 50 years of age & older

 

On 11 July 2014 then Australian Prime Minister & Liberal MP for Warringah Tony Abbott launched the Restart programme.

Restart is a financial incentive of up to $10,000 (GST inclusive) to encourage businesses to hire and retain mature age employees who are 50 years of age and over.

Payments are made by employment services providers to businesses over six months. Employers can negotiate how often they receive the payments.

Business may also be able to get up to $10,000 (GST inclusive) when they hire an eligible new employee who is either: 15 - 24 years of age or an Indigenous Australian.

To apply for this financial incentive businesses need to contact a job service provider on the federal Dept. of Education, Skills and Employment list of approved providers.

Employment services providers determine if a wage subsidy is offered and will enter into an agreement with the employer to make payments over six months.

All wage subsidy placements must average at least 20 hours per week over the 26 week wage subsidy period to be ongoing.

Restart has continued to operate under three successive Liberal-National federal governments.

On 14 October 2020 The Guardian reported that:

The federal government has spent less than half what it planned to help older Australians into work and more than 40% of those receiving wage subsidies were out of a job within three months.

Only $254m has been spent to help 51,190 mature-age people into work, despite the Coalition promising in 2014 to spend $520m to help up to 32,000 older Australians find a job every year.

Of the 51,190 people helped by the Restart wage subsidy, just 30,379 remained in employment for 13 weeks or more, with less than half (21,966) lasting more than six months.

The figures, provided by the employment department, cast new light on the effectiveness of the program cited by the Morrison government as evidence it is already helping older workers…..

In the budget, the treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, announced $4bn of wage subsidies for companies that hire workers aged 35 and under, prompting a backlash that the budget contained no new measures for older workers.

In response, Scott Morrison has said the Restart program, which provides $10,000 wage subsidies for those aged over 50 and unemployed for six months or more, had helped 50,000 Australians into a job.

In the 2014 budget, the Abbott government provided $520m for the Restart program…..

On Tuesday, the employment department revealed that, up to 31 August this year, just $254m had been spent on the program….

A close relationship between property developers and politicians is never a good idea

 

Given that the NSW Independent Commission is again investigating political corruption in relation to property development, it is worth recalling this excerpt from The Monthly on 13 October 2020:

What’s amazing is how little property developers give politicians when politicians are so incredibly generous to developers, gifting them some $11 billion a year.

I’ve written that before in another place, but in light of Monday’s explosive NSW ICAC hearings and the $30 million the federal government paid for land worth $3 million near Sydney’s new airport, it is absolutely worth writing again.

Our state and local governments are captives of Australia’s biggest honeypot, a honeypot of their own creation that inevitably attracts flies.

And while maintaining this fundamentally inequitable and corruption-prone system, gifting massive windfall profits to mates and wise guys, they are robbing their constituents of income…….

At stake are the billions of dollars our local councils and state governments create out of thin air when they rezone land.

Dr Murray provides examples:

“A well-situated industrial site in Sydney’s inner west was bought for $8.5 million, rezoned high-density residential, then sold again for $48.5 million. The 470 per cent windfall was the result of a government decision: Rezoning.

“Not only are these windfalls enormous, they can add to the cost of infrastructure.

“An industrial site in Altona North in Melbourne was bought by a developer for $8.7 million, rezoned for “comprehensive development” and then compulsorily acquired by the Victorian government for the West Gate Tunnel project for $22.5 million.

“The Altona North rezoning added $14 million to the cost of the tunnel.”

The federal government’s $30 million Badgerys Creek scandal is even more bizarre. So-far anonymous bureaucrats agreed to value the parcel of land on the wild assumption of its “highest and best use” – not the cow paddock that it actually is and will remain for decades.

The extremely hypothetical zoning not only gave Liberal Party donors Tony and Ron Perich an amazing profit, the government has subsequently leased the land back to them with the rent calculated on the basis that the block is only worth $1 million……

A key part of the ICAC’s investigation of dodgy former MP Daryl Maguire concerns his attempts to have land near the Western Sydney airport rezoned…...

The ICAC public hearings of 14 and 15 October 2020 are to question witness Daryl Maguire. 

During the Wednesday 14 October hearing, Mr. Maguire admitted that:

He understood the Ministerial Code of Conduct as it related to his actions as a member of the NSW Parliament and as Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier for Rural and Regional Affairs and later as Parliamentary Secretary for Corrections, Emergency Services, Veterans and the Centenary of ANZAC;

He knew that the cash for visas scheme was not a legitimate scheme and he received payments for assisting with this scheme via a company he effectively ran;

He sought a commission/consultancy fee with regard to a potential property development deal in Gladesville in 2014; and

As chair of the New South Wales Parliament Asia Pacific Friendship Group he used his position to further his own interests and the commercial interests of a Chinese organisation.

[See transcripts at https://www.icac.nsw.gov.au/ArticleDocuments/962/14-10-2020%20Operation%20Keppel%20transcript%20pp.%2001550-01614%20from%2010.00am%20to%2012.52pm.pdf.aspx & https://www.icac.nsw.gov.au/ArticleDocuments/962/14-10-2020%20Operation%20Keppel%20transcript%20pp.%2001615-01655%20from%202.00pm%20to%204.08pm.pdf.aspx]

Lismore now has 59 more bus services into and out of the city and Grafton an additional 41 services

 

Office of the NSW Member for Lismore, media release, 12 October 2020:

Lismore MP Janelle Saffin has welcomed a NSW Government announcement of an extra 59 weekly bus services in and out of the city of Lismore as a boost for local people who rely on public transport.

Ms Saffin said Acting Deputy Premier NSW Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Paul Toole, Transport for NSW, bus operators and the Lismore Public & Active Transport Working Group had kept her briefed on the additional bus services coming into effect from 25 October this year.

“I have been assuring local customers that these new bus services would be delivered as part of a promised Government program to improve transport options in 16 regional cities statewide, and I’m glad Lismore has not missed out,” Ms Saffin said.

“These new weekday and weekend services are available across longer operating hours and are aimed at improving connectivity with work and industrial areas of North and South Lismore, Lismore Base Hospital, Lismore TAFE, Southern Cross University and local shopping centres.

“I welcome my Parliamentary colleague in the Upper House Ben Franklin MLC’s announcement of more trips on the 688 ‘Late-Nighter’ service from Goonellabah to Lismore on Saturday evenings, and new trips to popular destinations on Sundays.”

Updated timetable information will be available from 12 October to plan your trip. Please visit https://transportnsw.info/.

Information about the new bus timetable across Lismore, school services and fares is available on the operator’s webpage https://www.buslinesgroup.com.au/northern-rivers-maps-timetables

For more information about the NSW Government’s 16 Regional Cities Services Improvement Program visit

www.transport.nsw.gov.au/projects/programs/16-regional-cities-program.

SUMMARY OF CHANGES

Route 682: Lismore to Goonellabah via Southern Cross University

Better connections with the services to North and South Lismore on weekdays

Additional trip on weekday evenings

Additional trip on Saturday midday

Additional trips on Saturday afternoons until 5.30pm

New trips on Sundays from 8.30am to 5pm

Route 683: Lismore to Lismore Heights via Southern Cross University

Additional trip on weekday early mornings with connection to North and South

Lismore

Additional trip on Saturday mornings

Additional trips on Saturday afternoons until 5pm

New trips on Sundays from 9am to 4pm

Route 684: Lismore to South Lismore via East Lismore

Extension of early morning trip to commence from Lismore Base Hospital

Additional trips to the industrial area in North and South Lismore on weekday

afternoons

Additional trips on Saturdays until 5pm

Route 685: Lismore to Goonellabah via Lismore Base Hospital & Lismore Heights

Better connections with the services to North and South Lismore on weekdays

Additional trip on weekday evenings

Additional trip on Saturday midday

Additional trips on Saturday afternoons until 4pm

Route 688 (Late-Nighter)

New trips on Saturdays early in the evening, travelling from Goonellabah to Lismore

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Clarence Valley has also received an extra 41 bus services, however Lower Clarence residents shouldn't get too excited as the weekday two and a half hour wait between buses remains:

Newbus route changes

Route 373
• Extend weekday hours from 8:01am to 6:42am by introducing one additional trip on all weekday mornings starting at Spring St at Zuber Lane, South Grafton
• Extend weekday hours from 5:10pm to 6:10pm by introducing one additional trip on all weeknights
• Introduce a new weekday morning service at 10:46am to enhance morning service level
• Introduce a new Saturday service – 3 new trips at 9:40am, 12:40pm and 14:40pm

Route 374
• Extend weekday hours from 7:40pm to 9:20pm by introducing one additional trip on all weeknights
• All services after 5:30pm on a weekday will operate along Bimble Avenue, to provide consistency along the route throughout the day
• Extend Saturday hours from 5:13pm to 9:13pm by providing 3 additional trips at 6:13pm, 7:13pm and 9:13pm

Route 378
• Extend the weekday route 4:25pm inbound service (school holiday period only) to finish in Grafton CBD (Prince St at Fitzroy St)
• Extend the weekday route 7:18am outbound service (school holiday period only) to start in Grafton CBD (Grafton Fire Station, Prince St)

Route 380
• Extend weekday hours from Grafton to Yamba from 5:50pm by one hour to provide the last service at 6:50pm
• Extend weekday hours from Yamba to Grafton from 6:06pm by nearly two hours to provide the last service at 7:57pm
• Extend current Saturday 12:48pm service from Grafton to operate to Yamba, and 11:16am service from Yamba to operate to Grafton, reducing the gap between services from 5 hours to 3 hours
• Extend Saturday evening service from Grafton to Yamba by 2 hours by providing 1 additional service departing Grafton at 6:25pm
• Extend Saturday evening service from Yamba to Grafton by nearly 2 hours through an additional service departing Yamba at 7:32pm

Route 375A
• Introduce an additional trip on Saturday evenings at 6:52pm

Twice in two years Premier Gladys Berejiklian's romantic partner was being investigated by the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption and she didn't disclose the relationship - until her name appeared on a witness list

Daryl Maguire and Gladys Berejiklian
IMAGE: The Sydney Morning Herald, 12 October 2020

NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), notice, excerpt, 1 September 2020:

Operation Keppel public notice

The NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) will hold a public inquiry as part of an investigation it is conducting into allegations the former NSW Member of Parliament for Wagga Wagga, Mr Daryl Maguire.

The Commission is investigating allegations that, from 2012 to August 2018, Mr Maguire engaged in conduct that involved a breach of public trust by using his public office, involving his duties as a member of the NSW Parliament and the use of parliamentary resources, to improperly gain a benefit for himself and/or entities close to him. These entities included G8wayinternational/G8wayinternational Pty Ltd and associated persons…….

In Week 4 of the subsequent Operation Keppel public hearings commencing 12 October 2020, NSW Premier & MLA for Wagga Wagga Gladys Berejiklian gave evidence before this ICAC inquiry, starting at 9:40am and ending for the day at 2:58pm.

In evidence Premier Berejiklian revealed she was in a personal relationship with Mr Maguire from as early as July 2014 until sometime after 16 August 2020.

For 19 months of those five years Daryl Maguire was a Liberal Party MLA in her own government, only resigning from the NSW Parliament on 3 August 2018 in the wake of another ICAC investigation, Operation Dasha, during which in evidence he made certain admissions concerning commissions on property development.

In the course of investigations into Mr. Maguire’s conduct a number of telephone call and email transcripts of communications between Maguire and Ms. Berejiklian were revealed that do not show the NSW Premier in the best light.

Calls for her resignation are beginning to appear on social media and both NSW Labor and the Greens have described her position as untenable.

At this point in time the Premier refuses to resign.

BACKGROUND

Operation Keppel Public Hearing Transcript, Monday 12 October 2020, Part 1 at https://www.icac.nsw.gov.au/ArticleDocuments/962/12-10-2020%20Operation%20Keppel%20transcript%20pp.%2001348-01437%20from%2009.30pm%20to%201.11pm.pdf.aspx

Operation Keppel Public Hearing Transcript, Monday 12 October 2020, Part 2 at https://www.icac.nsw.gov.au/ArticleDocuments/962/12-10-2020%20Operation%20Keppel%20transcript%20pp.%2001438-01471%20from%201.45pm%20to%203.00pm.pdf.aspx

UPDATE

Crickey, The Worm, extract, 15 October 2020:

In the latest updates out of ICAC, the ABC reports that disgraced former Wagga Wagga MP Daryl Maguire organised a 2016 meeting with then-treasurer and secret partner Gladys Berejiklian over a major local transport project that, although “vehemently” opposed by the roads minister at the time, went on to receive tens of millions in state and federal funds.

Additionally, The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Maguire has admitted to using his position to make money; for example, “having a glass of red” was code for an off-the-record meeting with a property developer and the former chief of staff to the then-planning minister, and he admitted to accepting thousands of dollars in cash on multiple occasions at Parliament House as part of a visa scam. 

The paper also reports that the former staff member of Maguire’s who told the inquiry she was instructed to delete material from his electorate and parliamentary offices, Sarah Vasey, is now working for Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack. 

Berejiklian yesterday survived two no-confidence motions against her, and, according to the ABC, maintains she had no knowledge of Maguire’s wrongdoing.