About 9:40am on 14 January 2025 the Northern Rivers Region Enforcement Squad assisted by officers from Richmond & Coffs police districts, a Domestic Violence High-Risk Offender Team & the Dog Unit attended a residence in Casino to effect an arrest & search premises

 

NSW Police News

26 charges over alleged property, traffic and drug offences - Casino

Wednesday, 15 January 2025 03:29:00 PM

A man has been charged with 26 offences following an extensive investigation into property crime in the Northern Rivers.

Between Tuesday 26 November 2024 and Monday 2 December 2024, the Northern Rivers Region Enforcement Squad (RES) investigated several property and traffic offences they believe were linked.

The incidents are alleged to have occurred along the north coast from Woolgoolga to Kingscliff.

Following extensive inquiries by Northern Rivers RES – assisted by Richmond Police District, Coffs Harbour RES, North Coast DVHROT, Dog Unit and Police Rescue – officers attended a home on Oak Avenue, Casino, about 9.40am yesterday (Tuesday 14 January 2024).

A 20-year-old man was arrested at the home and was served a Firearms Prohibition Order and a Digital Evidence Access Order.

A search warrant was also executed at the property, with police allegedly locating and seizing items including a machete, hammer, mobile phone, cannabis, and keys to a stolen vehicle.

The man was taken to Casino Police Station where he was charged with 26 offences,

• Aggravated break and enter and commit serious indictable offence-armed (four counts)

• Drive conveyance taken without consent (three counts)

• Unlicensed for Class, Class C, R, LR or MR (three counts)

• Be carried in conveyance taken without consent of owner (two counts)

• Attempt aggravated break and enter with intent - armed (two counts)

• Armed with intent to commit indictable offence (two counts)

• Aggravated break and enter and commit serious indictable offence - people there

• Aggravated break and enter dwelling etc in company steal

• Break and enter house etc steal

• Assault occasioning actual bodily harm in company of other(s)

• Stalk/intimidate intend fear physical etc harm

• Police pursuit - not stop - drive at speed

• Police pursuit - not stop - drive dangerously

• Possess prohibited drug

• Goods in personal custody suspected being stolen, and

• Recruit child to carry out/assist criminal activity.

He was refused bail to appear before Lismore Local Court today (Wednesday 15 January 2025), where he was formally refused bail to appear before Coffs Harbour Local Court on Tuesday 11 March 2025.

NSW landholders can now lawfully take up to 100,000 litres of surface/ground water each year and store it in a tank or dam for future firefighting purposes.

Commonsense approach to bushfire preparedness

Published: 13 January 2025

Released by: Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Water

The Minns Labor Government is reducing red tape which has in practice stifled farmers’ ability to fight fires on their own property.

During a fire emergency, a landholder can now take water from surface water and groundwater sources on their land without needing to have a water licence and water use approval. This includes streams, creeks and rivers abutting the boundary.

This commonsense exemption has been made via amendments to the Water Management (General) Regulation 2018.

The water can be used by landholders on their property and adjacent land to fight fires. It can also be used for training and controlled burning when it is carried out by or under the authority of a firefighting agency such as the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS), and for the testing and maintenance of firefighting equipment.

Landholders who wish to prepare for the threat of bushfires can now also lawfully take water and store it in a tank or dam for future firefighting purposes. The maximum volume for each property is 100,000 litres (0.1 ML) per year.

The NSW Government will carry out targeted periodic surveys of landholders to understand how the exemption is being used and to identify the extent and scale of water use.

While landholders are not required to submit reports, they are encouraged to log the volume of water they take under the exemption, for their own records.

Find further information on the exemptions.

Acting Minister for Water Jodie Harrison said:

“Rules to protect the state’s water security are important – but the fact is, when there is a fire, no one should need to stop and think if they are allowed to access water to keep themselves and their property safe.

“This is a common-sense decision, and it is great to see these amendments now in place in time for summer. When fire threatens life and property, landholders need fast and easy access to water to protect their properties and themselves.

“These changes make it easier and cheaper for farmers and property owners to access water to prepare for and respond to emergency fire situations.”

Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib said:

“When it comes to emergencies, landholders can play an important role in bushfire response, and this change further empowers them to act when their properties are under threat.”

“The NSW Government has been proactive in finding common sense ways to make it easier for landholders to fight fires on their properties, which also includes a trial to make it easier for farmers to keep firefighting vehicles on their properties.”

¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬

What are the new rules?

The exemptions cover specific uses of water:

• to prepare for and fight fires to protect life and property, and

• to take and store water (e.g. in a tank or dam) for future fire fighting needs. Water taken and stored is subject to a 100,000-litre limit per fiscal year.

The exemptions also support fire preparedness activities such as training and controlled burning (by or under the authority of a fire fighting authority), maintenance of fire fighting equipment, and wetting down buildings and land surrounding buildings whenever a fire is threatening a property. 

CLIMATE CRISIS STATE OF PLAY 2025: An Open Letter to Protect Future Generations which includes a demand for federal mandated duty of care legislation protecting the young

Prominent Voices Unite to Demand a Climate Duty of Care Bill, 11 January 2025:

An Open Letter to Protect Future Generations

Addressed to:

Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister

Tanya Plibersek, Minister for the Environment and Water

Chris Bowen, Minister for Climate Change

Anne Aly, Minister for Youth

Dear Prime Minister and Ministers,

2024 is officially the hottest year on record. A child turning ten years old this year has lived through the ten hottest years on record. How many more records will be broken in this child’s lifetime? How many more broken records will future generations witness?

Young people are this country’s future. We are Australia’s future leaders, future innovators, future changemakers. We will soon inherit the world our leaders leave us, and we will be charged with taking it forward, with the responsibility of addressing the challenges and seizing the opportunities that lie ahead of us.

We are waking up every day to news headlines of climate-related emergencies such as shattered temperature records, bushfires, floods, and heat waves impacting new corners of the Earth. Climate catastrophe is no longer an abstract concept or a far off possibility - we are watching it take hold of the world we love, the world we will soon be required to create our lives within, the world we must soon lead.

We know that climate change will have a disproportionate impact on current and future generations, as the world continues to warm and climate disaster increases in frequency and severity. And yet, there is no Australian domestic legislation that mandates the protection of the health and wellbeing of young people in the face of climate change.

The responsibility to legislate this duty lies squarely with the Federal Parliament. The case of Sharma v Minister for the Environment, in which eight Australian children argued that the government owes Australian children a duty to take reasonable care to protect them from climate change harm, found that this was a matter unsuitable for judicial determination. This task is now yours.

Your actions and policies right now are shaping what our world will look like. The futures of the young people of today and tomorrow are being crafted by your decisions right now.

We call on you to acknowledge your duty of care to us. We call on you to ensure that the decisions you make today are made with our health and wellbeing at the forefront of your minds, and that this is guaranteed by law.

Young people deserve nothing less than a duty of care in the face of climate change.

Signed,

Anjali Sharma, Jess Travers-Wolf, Hannah Vardy, Daisy Jeffrey

Presented with the support of over 80 prominent persons, politicians and organisations.

Hopefully the much promised & long awaited redevelopment of Grafton Base Hospital will begin under the NSW Minns Labor Government

Since 2011 successive NSW Coalition Governments had been making promises about upgrading or redeveloping Grafton Base Hospital.

Having received $19 million in 2010-11 from the federal Rudd Labor Government a new emergency department & operating theatres were eventually built largely due to community pressure and effective lobbying by the then NSW Labor Member for Clarence.

However, by 2018 the NSW Berejiklian Coalition Government was only promising to spend $263.8 million to achieve the much needed larger redevelopment.

Half promises to this effect began to appear in December 2018, while the then Nationals MP for Clarence made repetitive promises during the following year 2019 - after which he rather ignored the growing unmet need for public hospital health services in the Clarence Valley unless cornered by local media for comment.

As late as 25 January 2023 the junior partner in the NSW Perrottet Coalition Government was still promising that substantial rebuild in this election promise similar to the one made in 2019:

Regional Health and Mental Health Minister Bronnie Taylor, Nationals’ Member for Clarence Chris Gulaptis, and Nationals’ candidate for Clarence Richie Williamson have announced a major step forward in the $264 million Grafton Base Hospital redevelopment.

So it comes as something of a relief that the redevelopment of Grafton Base Hospital appears to have moved on from promises towards concrete build planning.

NSW Health, media release, 8 January 2025:

A healthy future for the Old Grafton Gaol

08 January 2025

The Grafton Base Hospital Redevelopment has taken an important step forward, with a portion of the former Grafton Gaol set to be acquired from Property and Development NSW to support the upgrade of the hospital.

The Minns Labor Government is investing $263.8 million in the Grafton Base Hospital Redevelopment to improve health outcomes and meet the growing needs of Grafton and surrounding communities.

In addition to the site acquisition, a Development Application has been approved by the Northern Regional Planning Panel to refurbish two administration blocks within the former minimum-security portion, on the north-eastern corner of the gaol, to provide contemporary administrative, office and training support facilities.

Clinical services will remain on the existing Grafton Hospital site.

The former Grafton Gaol operated between 1893 and 2020, it was closed following the opening of the new Grafton Correctional Centre in Lavadia. The former Grafton Goal was added to the state’s Heritage Register in 1999.

The adaptive reuse of a portion of the former gaol site aligns with the conservation management plan prepared for the site in 2021, to ensure areas of heritage significance within the site are preserved and activated.

Work is underway on the planning and design for the main works of the $263.8 million Grafton Base Hospital Redevelopment, which will deliver a new three-storey acute services building, including a new Emergency Department, Emergency Short Stay, Medical Imaging and MRI, and inpatient unit.

The current Day Surgery and Operating Suite will be expanded to provide two additional operating theatres, increasing overall capacity. Construction timeframes for the full redevelopment will be confirmed once planning has been finalised and a builder has been appointed, with the refurbishment works at the former gaol site expected to start this year.

For more information visit: Grafton Base Hospital Redevelopment

Quotes attributable to Minister for Regional Health Ryan Park:

“The acquisition of this section of the old Grafton Gaol will provide critical new space to support the redevelopment of Grafton Base Hospital.

“This multi-million dollar redevelopment will improve healthcare capacity and ensure the hospital has the best, most up to date models of care for the residents of Grafton and the surrounding communities.”

Quotes attributable to Minister for Lands and Property Steve Kamper:

“The transfer of this part of the subdivided site to NSW Health ensures the Old Grafton Goal doesn’t remain an unused relic.

“This great outcome enables new uses for this important community asset, while also providing a major economic benefit for the Grafton community.”

Quotes attributable to Minister for Corrections Anoulack Chanthivong:

“We have delivered another important milestone to revitalise and reuse one of our state’s key former correctional centres.

“Grafton Gaol is an iconic place with a somewhat dark history, so it is wonderful we are delivering a positive new chapter that will ensure this monument serves the local community for years to come.”

Quotes attributable to Labor Spokesperson for Clarence, Emily Suvaal MLC:

“This is a fantastic outcome for the Grafton and Clarence communities as it secures the future use of this historic site, which will really benefit the local residents.”

Concept designs unveiled for Grafton Base Hospital Redevelopment

NSW Government has shot down calls for an overhaul of daylight savings after only 734 state residents signed a petition calling for changes to the “draconian” system

 

It seems that there are still residents in New South Wales who after fifty-three years of continuous Summer daylight saving time across the state have difficulty accepting this 183-184 day period (approx. 26 weeks) when the position of 'big hand & little hand' are changed on the clock face. So a petition with 734 signatures was presented to the New South Wales Parliament in October 2024.

NOTE: NSW Daylight Saving Time commences at 2am AEST on the first Sunday in October when the clocks are moved forward by one hour and moved back at 3am AEDT on the first Sunday in April. Daylight saving in NSW is currently synchronised with Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory.

Those 734 petitioners wanted to see Summer daylight saving in New South Wales reduced to a period from the first Sunday in November to the first Sunday in March, thus introducing a new second Summer daylight saving time zone to the mix.

The NSW Attorney-General who administers the Standard Time Act 1987 sent a very polite letter in response to the petition stating "There are currently no plans to make legislative changes to the provisions relating to

Australian Eastern Daylight Time in New South Wales."

Because, let's face it, times have changed since 1975 when the United Farmers’ and Wool-Growers Association managed to organise a petition of over40,000 signatures, presented this to the New South Wales Parliament and a state referendum followed in May 1976.

So here the matter stands, until either the next group of people hankering for a return to a New South Wales of the 1960s decide to organise another petition or the growing global climate crisis makes any attempt at daylight saving futile.

As the issue was reported for local consumption...

The Northern Star online/Daily Telegraph, 10 January 2025, excerpts:

NSW Government shoots down calls for changes to daylight savings after petition tops 700 signatures

The NSW Government has shot down calls for an overhaul of daylight savings after hundreds of residents signed a petition calling for changes to the “draconian” system.

Farmers were among more than 700 people who signed a petition to state parliament, calling for daylight savings to be scaled back from six months to four over concerns the current state of affairs was negatively impacting regional communities in the hottest part of the year.

The NSW Farmers Association backed the overhaul, saying the conditions in Sydney could be very different to those people experienced in regional areas of the state.

NSW Farmers Association president Xavier Martin said while daylight savings may be popular in coastal cities, where people could enjoy outdoor activities and swim after work, the sweltering summer conditions meant children were going to school on rural roads when it was dark and returning home in the hottest parts of the day.

“Shortening the daylight savings period, but not ending it completely, would make a real difference for our rural communities around the state,” he said.

“During the autumn daylight savings period, farmers are still forced to work for longer periods in the dark, while rural children are returning home on long bus rides in the hottest part of the day.

“Australia’s daylight savings period has been greatly extended over time since its introduction in 1971, and we believe shortening this period by one month either side would be very beneficial for rural Australians.”

But NSW Attorney-General Michael Daley said there were no plans to change the current six-month daylight savings periods, noting the current terms were synchronised with Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT.

“Any changes to the length of the daylight saving period would require agreement with other jurisdictions in order to avoid a range of cross-jurisdictional issues,” he said in a statement responding to the petition.

“Any change would require legislative change (and) there are currently no plans to make legislative changes to the provisions relating to Australian Eastern Daylight Time in NSW.”

Daylight savings, initially used in Australia as a temporary measure to reduce fuel consumption during both world wars, was introduced in NSW on a permanent basis in 1971...

The NSW Farmers Association said the difference in hours could impact on communities along the border of Queensland and NSW border, where people had to switch time zones when leaving one state and entering the other....

A total of 734 people signed the petition to NSW Parliament.

PROPOSED GREAT KOALA NATIONAL PARK IN 2025: Under Minns Government the rate of logging inside the park has increased and state-owned Forestry NSW has already logged the homes of 500 koalas and another 37 threatened species. This carnage has to stop now.

 

Nature Conservation NSW, 10 January 2025:

Media Alert: Fulfil your promise Chris Minns: Protect the great koala national park forests now!

What: Rallies at Coffs Harbour and Pennant Hills Sydney outside the offices of the Forestry Corporation.

When: Monday, 13th January, 10am

Where: Coffs Harbour, cnr of Park and Gordon Sts

Sydney: Cnr Castle Hill Rd and Cumberland Forest Way, West Pennant Hills

Why: Creating the Great Koala National Park has been an ALP promise since 2015. Almost 2 years after getting elected, the Minns government has completed their assessment of the park and identified an industry restructuring package but has still not announced their decision on the park boundaries.

Since they were elected, the rate of logging inside the park has increased compared to under the Coalition. More than 60%. The logging is continuing with new areas being opened up. How much longer will they let the promised Park be logged?

Are they going to allow the Forestry Corporation to log the heart out of the promised park?

According to their own data the Minns Government has already logged the homes of 500 koalas and another 37 threatened species. This carnage has to stop now. These forests also hold the soils together, sequester and store carbon, act as natural water reservoirs and could provide boundless opportunities for recreation, education and appreciation.

31 groups have signed on to a letter to the NSW Government demanding they fulfil their promise to create a world class Great Koala National Park NOW

The statement, background and signatories can be found here.

In 2025 New South Wales is still dancing around the question of post-mining land rehabilitation

"I don’t think I'd even let my enemy drink from that because I think they would die such a horrible death."

[Assoc. Professor Ian Wright, Western Sydney University, 2024]

https://youtu.be/GL9hr5fClGo?si=Z1zsTlsKLoBvt55U

On 14 May 2024 the NSW Parliament Upper House Standing Committee on State Development established the Inquiry into the beneficial and productive post-mining land use, to inquire into and report on beneficial and productive post-mining land use.

Terms of reference can be found at:

https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/lcdocs/inquiries/3046/Terms%20of%20reference%20-%20Beneficial%20and%20productive%20post-mining%20land%20use%20-%20Updated%2012%20December%202024.pdf

There is no reporting date listed for this particular Inquiry.

After a 53 day submission period in which 78 submissions were received, the Inquiry held 5 hearings commencing on 5 August 2024 and ending on 17 December 2024. Videos of all 6 hearings can be found at:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLb7SKvfgKNwZpuRxxsmOhEvvnKeAXKzTk

Commencing on 2 July 2024 the Inquiry received 40 documents to assist in its deliberations.

In August 2024 the Standing Committee on State Development visited former mining sites in Lake Macquarie, Cessnock, Maitland and the Upper Hunter and held two public hearings (Muswellbrook & Singleton).

SOME BACKGROUND ON FORMER MINING SITES

ABC News, 16 February 2017:

More than 60,000 mines have been abandoned across Australia, according to a report that raises concerns about how land rehabilitation is managed as the mining boom ends.

Key points:

Australia Institute report finds lack of reliable data on Australia's mining activity

Research finds more than 60,000 abandoned mines across Australia

Only a handful of mines have ever been fully rehabilitated

Report raises concerns over how land rehabilitation is managed

The Australia Institute research, obtained exclusively by Lateline, said there were few reliable statistics on the state of Australia's mines and there was evidence that only a handful had ever been fully rehabilitated.

State government agencies were only able to name one example of a mine that had been fully rehabilitated and relinquished in the past 10 years — the New Wallsend coal mine in New South Wales.

Some of the abandoned mines date back to gold-rush days and the 60,000 figure includes thousands of mine "features", such as tailings dams and old mine shafts.

The Australia Institute said it was difficult to obtain basic statistics on the number of operating mines across the country, putting the figure between 460 and 2,944.

The Institute said it was even harder to get data on mines that had suspended operations or were undergoing rehabilitation.

"What is certain is [mine abandonment] is not a practice limited to distant history," the report said.

"As the owners of the largest mines come under financial pressure, close attention needs to be paid to the ongoing phenomenon of mine abandonment in Australia.".....

In New South Wales, approval has been granted for 45 massive coal pits, or voids, to be left after mining finishes. [my yellow highlighting]

Twelve of those voids are around Muswellbrook in the Upper Hunter and the biggest is at BHP Billiton's Mount Arthur mine.

It is 4.5 kilometres long and 1.5 kilometres wide. BHP would not provide details on its depth....

NORTHERN NSW BACKGROUND

North Coast Voices, "Deputy Leader of Opposition Business in the House of Representatives & MP for Cowper betrays the Clarence, 28 September 2011, excerpt:

....ongoing antimony contamination of water bodies and land protected by Environmental Planning Instruments is not unknown from previous mining ventures in northern NSW.

The Macleay Argus 2 September 2011:

HIGHER than average levels of heavy metals have been recorded in the Macleay River at Bellbrook after a dam overflowed at a gold and antimony mine near Armidale.

NSW Health and Kempsey Shire Council said higher than normal levels of metals including arsenic, zinc and copper had been detected in the waters of the Macleay River.

But both organisations said the concentration of the heavy metals was not high enough to warrant concern to people.

As a precaution NSW Health has contacted residents in the upper Macleay to inform them not to drink water from the river unless it has been processed through the Bellbrook water treatment plant.

Council has undertaken further testing to determine whether the contamination has spread beyond Bellbrook….

The Office of Heritage and Environment (OHE) reported the breach occurred on Tuesday when there was a release of material from a sediment erosion control dam at the Hillgrove antimony and gold mine.

"The mine is currently not operating but is in 'care and maintenance' mode," a spokeswoman said.

"The spill occurred after continued wet weather produced excess stormwater which exceeded the amount of water that could be stored in the dam resulting in the spill - when the mine is operating the stormwater would normally have been used for mineral processing."

NSW Office of Environment and Heritage Media Release 5 July 2010:

Straits (Hillgrove) Gold Pty Limited has been fined $50,000 and ordered to pay costs of $24,000 in the NSW Land and Environment Court today after being found guilty of polluting waters.

Straits pleaded guilty to the charge; pollution of water under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act.

The company 'Straits' conducts gold and antimony mining activities at the Hillgrove Mine, near Armidale in NSW.

In sentencing today, Justice Biscoe convicted and fined Straits $50,000 and ordered it to pay the prosecutor's legal costs of $24,000.

The court heard that in April 2009 a protective bund at the premises had been lowered to allow access for an electrical contractor. When a screening device used in the mine became blocked and 'slimes' discharged and spilled into the bunded area, it then overflowed the bund and discharged into the local environment.

The spill, of up to 3000 litres of 'slimes,' contained antimony, arsenic and lead and is toxic to some aquatic life.

Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water (DECCW), Director General, Lisa Corbyn said the penalty provided a timely reminder to companies that they must ensure measures are in place to contain pollution.

"This case highlights the potential for serious damage to occur and highlights the importance of companies having safeguards and operating procedures in place to control pollution at all times. Carelessness meant that simple containment structures which could have prevented the spill from leaving the mine site were not in place. Fortunately the environmental harm from this particular spill was low.

"Importantly, the company did report the spill to the DECCW Environment Line and cooperated with the DECCW officers throughout the investigation."

Anyone who sees pollution is urged to contact the Environment line on 131 555.

Bellingen Shire Council State of the Environment Report 2009-2010:

Urunga antimony processing site

A seriously contaminated site has been identified at Urunga, Portions 138 & 169 Parish of Newry. Contamination also affects adjacent Crown Land and a SEPP 14 wetland. The site was previously used for antimony ore processing, since abandoned without rehabilitation of the site. DECCW have undertaken an investigation of the site and researched remediation options.

General

Council maintains records of properties known to be affected by contamination. Council must consider the requirements of the Contaminated Land Management Act 1997 and State Environmental Planning Policy 55 – Remediation of Land in assessing proposed changes to the use of land.

Antimony and arsenic dispersion in the Macleay River catchment, New South Wales: a study of the environmental geochemical consequences, February 2007:

A baseline geochemical study of stream sediments and waters of the Macleay River catchment in northeastern New South Wales indicates that although most of the catchment is unaffected by anthropogenic or natural inputs of heavy metals and metalloids, the Bakers Creek - trunk Macleay-floodplain system has been strongly affected by mining-derived Sb and As. The dispersion train from the Hillgrove Sb - Au mining area to the Pacific Ocean is over 300 km in length. Ore and mineralised altered rock from Hillgrove contains vein, breccia-hosted and disseminated stibnite, arsenopyrite, pyrite and traces of gold. Historic (pre-1970) mine-waste disposal practices have resulted in high to extreme contamination of stream sediments and waters by Sb and As for ∼50 km downstream, with high Au values in the sediments…..

Estimates of sediment migration rates and amounts of Sb and As transported in suspension and solution imply that the catchment contamination will be long-term (centuries to millennia) such that environmental effects need to be ascertained and management strategies implemented…

[Ashley, P. M.; Graham, B. P.; Tighe, M. K.; Wolfenden, B. J in Australian Journal of Earth Sciences, Volume 54, Number 1, February 2007 , pp. 83-103(21)]

North Coast Voices, "NSW North Coast antimony contamination makes it onto national television", 25 October 2011, excerpt:

The Sydney Morning Herald also addressed the issue of historic and recent contamination from the Hillgrove antimony mine:

A PLUME of toxic pollution from an old antimony mine appears to have killed fish for dozens of kilometres along the Macleay River in northern NSW.....

a study published by the CSIRO in 2009 described the waterways near the mothballed mine as ''highly contaminated'' and estimated about 7000 tonnes of waste had accumulated along the bed of the Macleay River.

Water tests have shown antimony levels at 250 times background levels, with high levels detected along the river to the coast at Urunga, where the mineral was once processed for export.