CLIMATE CHANGE & NEW SOUTH WALES: filed under 'What could possibly go wrong?"

Global sea levels have already risen by 20cm (between 1901 and 2018) and the Australasia region, which includes New Zealand, has experienced even higher rates than the global average. More coastal flooding is expected as levels rise even further. The latest predictions from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report reveal further increases are largely locked in, with a rise of about 15cm to 30cm [0.3m] expected by around 2050. [news.com.au, 21 September 2021]

Coastal Risk Australia updated inundation mapping for
Lower Clarence Valley at 0.3m rise above mean sea level

Coastal Risk Australia updated inundation mapping for
Lower Clarence Valley at 0.6m above mean sea level

I find it immeasurably sad that the NSW Government and coastal local government councils continue to plan development based on pre-Climate Emergency conditions. 

It's a though every climate change induced disaster and widespread adverse weather event that has occurred in the last 22 years - from the Millennial Drought to stronger East Coast Lows to constant coastal erosion eating away at foreshores to mega-bushfires to devastating record flooding to what appears to be a food shortage cycle developing - are still matters these two tiers of government can only deal with as compartmentalised abstracts when it comes to both short-term and long-term urban planning.

They still see low lying coastal areas with soft shore lines and city, town & village precincts slap in the middle of coastal floodplains already under stress, as capable of development far into the future - when in reality many may well be reduced in area or completely uninhabitable within the next 30 to 100 years. 

Clarence Valley Independent, 29 June 2022:

The state government is calling for public submissions about changes to Clarence Valley Council’s Business and Industrial Zones, which will be called Employment Zones, under new Local Environment Planning laws.

In May 2021, The NSW Department of Environment and Planning DEP proposed that existing Business and Industrial zones be replaced with five Employment zones and three supporting zones under the Standard Instrument Local Environment Plans SILEP Order, 2006.

Since then, DEP planners have been working with Clarence Valley Council planning staff to ensure its Local Environment Plan ‘is amended consistent with the intent of the state government reforms, while also ensuring the land-use planning outcomes are appropriate to the Clarence Valley.’

When the Independent searched what impact the changes would have on a Yamba Street, Yamba address and a Prince Street, Grafton property, we discovered the premises would switch from a Business 2 Local Centre to an Employment 1 Local Centre.

Under the planning changes, home business, home industries and home occupations will be permitted without planning consent, adhering to the Employment zone objective ‘to provide a range of retail, business and community uses that serve the needs of people who live, work or visit the area.’

The new Employment zone also expands land use permissibility in both Grafton and Yamba, with a wider variety of businesses and land uses permitted than under previous laws, including serviced apartments, hotel and motel accommodation, local distribution premises and recreation areas…...

The zones will also address current barriers within the planning system that limit the ability of businesses to establish, expand or adapt.

The new LEP zones are designed to better support councils in the delivery of the strategic vision contained in their Local Strategic Planning Statements and background studies.

The spokesperson said the Employment zones will be in place within individual LEPs by December 1, when the Business and Industrial zones will be repealed.

Stakeholders are invited to make submissions on the changes to the NSW DEP until July 12.

To investigate the changes under the new employment zones in your area visit the NSW DEP Website www.planning.nsw.gov.au/employment-zones-reform

A Stunning Collection Of Twenty Five Black And White Portraits Of Yaegl Elders on Exhibition at Old Kirk-Yamba Museum in River Street from Monday 4 July to Sunday 24 July 2022

 

‘KEEPING OUR STORIES 'PORTRAITS OF YAEGL ELDERS'

A STUNNING COLLECTION OF TWENTY FIVE BLACK AND WHITE PORTRAITS OF YAEGL ELDER

On exhibition at the Old Kirk-Yamba Museum, River Street, Yamba NSW.

From Monday 4th July to Sunday 24th July 2022.

Official book launch Friday 22nd July 10.30am 

Note: 

Images (left to right)

Top Row Middle: Mrs Lillian Williams.

Bottom Row Middle and Far Right: Reverend Lenore Parker-Randall & Mrs. Lois Birk

Some people just don't retire gracefully from politics or public office

 

A retired politician, well-known by his ministerial policies and actions to communities in the Northern Rivers region, also took very early 'retirement' from his new positions as Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner Americas on 30 June 2022.

This does not signal that troubles are over for former NSW Deputy Premier, Minister for Regional New South Wales, Industry and Trade, Nationals MP for Monaro, sometime invited 'guest' of the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption & now formerly appointed NSW Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner (New York posting), John Domenic Barilaro.

 

BACKGROUND

The Monthly, 29 June 2022: 

...It’s not looking good for former NSW deputy premier and trade minister John Barilaro, following a parliamentary hearing into how he was offered a $500,000-a-year US trade commissioner job that he created while in government. But nor is it looking good for Premier Dominic Perrottet, or the trade minister, Stuart Ayres, or for anyone involved in this whole sordid saga. (Admittedly, it never looked good to begin with, with incriminating details being uncovered by the day.) Giving testimony today, Investment NSW chief executive Amy Brown, who was responsible for the process, confirmed that she had “verbally offered” the role to preferred candidate Jenny West in August last year – contradicting Perrottet, who has previously said no suitable candidate was found. But the offer was rescinded in October, Brown said, after she was instructed by Barilaro’s office to “unwind” it, because of a “government decision” to instead make such roles ministerial appointments. This came, it turns out, not long after his office had sought her advice on “the various mechanisms” by which such jobs could be appointed, including whether it could be a ministerial appointment, in a request that was clear came from the deputy PM himself. What on earth made Barilaro think he could get away with nobody noticing this paper trail?

There had been something fishy about Barilaro’s lucrative appointment from the moment it was announced – and not just because this is the politician who happily adopted the moniker John “Pork Barrel-aro”. (Perhaps it might now be “jobs for the Barilaros”.) It quickly became known that Barilaro got the job after it had already been offered to West, with that offer rescinded just days before the former Nats leader announced his resignation from parliament. Then there was the fact that Brown had told the external recruitment firm that the appointment would be henceforth handled as an “internal matter” the day before Barilaro announced his resignation, despite Perrottet and Ayres saying this week that the process was handled by the recruiting firm. Today’s inquiry also revealed that Brown got a “heads up” from new trade minister Ayres that Barilaro was going to apply (she didn’t get a “heads up” on any other candidate), and that she later informed Ayers that his former cabinet colleague had been shortlisted.....

It’s also not hard to see why Barilaro though t he might get away with this. As the AFR’s Tom Burton writes, “Along with pork-barrelling, ‘jobs for the boys’ has been one of the ugly stalwarts of modern public-sector life”, with public boards often filled with “friends” of the government of the day. And some jobs are simply described as “political appointments” (the previous federal government made more than 30 such appointments on its way out the door). This kind of corruption has become painfully normalised. But in this case, Barilaro has steamrolled someone else – an “excellent candidate”, according to Brown – who is now being painted as some kind of jilted lover, with Brown implying that the frustrated candidate refused to reapply. (It’s not clear whether West knew something we didn’t back in October last year, but honestly, can you blame her?) It was shameless of Barilaro to pull this one, thinking he could simply take a role that has already been assigned. But it was equally foolish of Perrottet to allow it to happen. People are paying attention, it seems, and there’s no doubt that ICAC is watching too. 

Media attention also continues with regard to other issues:

Icac queries grant made by John Barilaro to company linked to Angus Taylor’s family

Tweet of the Week

 

I filed my @smh cartoon early. A little too early, it would seem! pic.twitter.com/3LuLTWPMNh

— The Cathy Wilcox (@cathywilcox1) June 30, 2022

 

Cartoons of the Week

 

David Pope

Fiona Katauskas

Mark Knight

Perrottet Government's terse goodbye to NSW Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner to Americas, John Barilaro

IMAGE: AAP at 2GB radio

The Perrottet Government's once removed, brief final goodbye to its former National Party colleague for over 10 years, John Dominic Barilaro (left) and, its foolish attempt to warn off mainstream media journalists from contacting him with regard to the political scandal currently surrounding his alleged actions in the months immediately prior to and after his retirement from politics.

Medianet Press Release, 30 June 2022:

Response regarding John Barilaro - Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner Americas role

Department of Enterprise Investment and Trade

Statement from Secretary, Department of Enterprise, Investment and Trade, and CEO, Investment NSW, Amy Brown

This evening Mr John Barilaro notified me that he is withdrawing from the role of Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner Americas, effective immediately.

I request that his privacy be respected at this time.

Investment NSW is assisting the Department of Premier and Cabinet and NSW Legislative Council Inquiry in reviews of the Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner Americas recruitment process, and as such it is not appropriate to make any further comment.

Faced with one of the Morrison Government's ticking time bombs - this one locked in by $7 billion dollars worth of private contacts - the new Albanese Labor Government still managed to insert a little kindness into Morrison's attempt to see his personal war on the poor & vulnerable live on after him

 

Australian Ministers Media Centre, media release, 28 June 2022:

A clean slate and more flexibility for job seekers

Ministers:

The Hon Tony Burke MP

Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations

Minister for the Arts

The Albanese Labor Government is making changes to the new employment services system so job seekers will start with a clean slate and have more flexibility in how they choose to get job ready.

Workforce Australia will replace jobactive on July 4. Under jobactive, participants had to complete 20 job applications as a mutual obligation in return for income support.

The Government supports mutual obligation but jobactive was a rigid system that all too often resulted in job seekers applying for work they were not suited to, wasting their time and the time of employers.

Workforce Australia will instead centre around a points-based activation system that will give participants more choice and control over how they meet their mutual obligation.

The previous federal government locked in the points system – and signed more than $7 billion worth of contracts with providers – shortly before the election. But it never properly explained the new system to the Australian people.

That’s one of the reasons the new Government is implementing a “clean slate” policy, meaning people who have accrued penalties or demerits under the old system will start over under the new one.

A new system means a fresh start.

This decision will give participants a number of months to adjust to the new system with little risk of financial penalty.

I have also worked with my department to make other immediate changes, including:

• Increasing the points value attached to a number of the activities that help people get job ready and move into secure jobs (see attached).

• Ensuring that someone participating in full-time study or training that improves their long term job prospects is not putting their qualifications at risk. This includes ensuring that vulnerable individuals will have no job search requirements if they are undertaking approved short full-time courses.

• Reducing the new minimum job search requirement from 5 to 4 per month.

• Reducing the points target for some participants to better recognise personal circumstances and weak labour market conditions that could impact their ability to find work.

These changes will provide real incentives for people who are making an extra effort to be job ready.

It is important to note that people who continue to do exactly what they did under the old system – apply for 20 jobs a month – will still meet their points requirements and therefore satisfy their mutual obligation.

Further guidance on the changes and the new arrangements will continue to be provided to those affected via their current jobactive inbox. Additional staff are also being deployed to the Digital Services Contact Centre to help anyone with questions or who needs support to adjust to the new arrangements.

More information about the system and these changes can be found at www.dese.gov.au/workforce-australia.

• Points values for tasks and activities in the PBAS (PDF)

• Points values for tasks and activities in the PBAS (DOCX)

Changes to Australia's ... by clarencegirl