President of the Casino Chamber of Commerce, Luke Bodley, lends his support to proposed environmental vandalism on a large scale

Des Euen and ‘friend’ on the Iluka side of the Clarence River mouth at an unspecified date

There is obviously one born every minute somewhere in the world and on 26 May 2016 it was the turn of the National Party's Luke Bodley of Realo Group Pty Ltd to step into the limelight and be recognised .

Here he is on Facebook promoting a proposal to destroy existing environmental, cultural, social and economic values in the Clarence River estuary:

And who is he doing this promotion for? Why for a $1 shelf company, with no apparent business address (instead using the address of the Minter Group), no listed business phone number and, most importantly,  no local, state or federal government support.

A phantom-like company which states it has had international development funding approved for five inter-related projects est. to cost $42.7 billion in total.

Projects which appear to still be mere sketches on the back of envelopes if this plan for a large industrial port is any indication:

Figure 1 shows a port precinct which covers an est. 27.2 % of the entire Clarence River estuary, 
www.aid-australia.com.au/project-1/

According to Mr. Euen the indicative timeline will see Stage 1 of this approx. 36 sq km super-port operational sometime in 2018 - even though not one of the required in-depth reports has been generated to date by AID Australia, no planning application has been submitted yet and no comprehensive surveying undertaken. He laughably states the entire proposed port infrastructure will be completed in around twelve years.

I wonder if Mr. Bodley has ever puzzled over the fact that there is no roar of support emanating from the Clarence Valley for these personal projects of former Queensland truck driver Desmond John Thomas Euen?

Has he thought about why an infrastructure 'plan' that has been hawked around the country for at least the last four to five years has been unable to gain official support in all that time from either local, state or federal governments?

Or wondered why Euen isn't holding his "summit" in the area covered by the lynch-pin in his grandiose plan, the Lower Clarence?

Perhaps this Google Earth snapshot of what the lowest section of the Clarence River estuary looks like today might give him a hint:

What this image shows is a river from the mouth to Harwood which has been held under Native Title since 2015 and an approach to the river partially blocked by a culturally & spiritually significant coffee rock reef which is the indigenous ancestor Dirrangun.

It shows the base for the largest commercial river & offshore fishery in NSW (generating in excess of an est. $92M output and $15.4M annual income) which supports a fleet moored on both the Iluka and Yamba sides of the river and as far up as Maclean.

There are also oyster leases and aquaculture ponds within the estuary.

This snapshot covers part of the range of one of only two river-dwelling dolphin pods on the east coast of Australia and one which successfully co-exists with the tourism-reliant small towns of Yamba, Iluka and Maclean, as well as with the many domestic and international yachts and other pleasure boats which use the lower river.

The green is this image predominately comprises cane farms, extensive national parks, dedicated foreshore nature reserves and one of this country’s few World Heritage areas, a 136 ha remnant of the ancient Gondwanna subtropical rainforests proclaimed by the United Nations in 1986.

In 2006-07 the people of the Clarence Valley successfully fought off a Howard Government proposal to dam and divert water from the Clarence River catchment for the benefit of mining, agricultural irrigation and land development interests in the Murray Darling Basin and southern Queensland.

That fight was part of the reason why Australia’s federal government changed in 2007.

As late as 30 May 2016 Nationals MP for Clarence and Parliamentary Secretary for the North Coast, Chris Gulapatis, has this to say in response to Euen's scheming:

While even Des Euen himself recently told The Daily Examiner that it is NSW Government policy to direct import-export sea freight to the major ports of Port Jackson, Port Botany, Port Kembla and the Port of Newcastle.

UPDATE

North Coast Voices received this email today:

North Coast Voices Blog - Correction of information required

From: redacted [mailto:redacted@gnfrealestate.com.au]
Sent: Wednesday, 8 June 2016 1:59 PM
To: northcoastvoices@gmail.com
Cc: Darren Perkins
Subject: North Coast Voices Blog - Correction of information required

Good afternoon,

With regard to the below blog link for North Coast Voices, Luke Bodley ceased employment with GNF Real Estate Pty Ltd on the 28^th April 2016. We request that the mention of George & Fuhrmann Real Estate be removed from the article.

http://northcoastvoices.blogspot.com.au/2016/06/president-of-casino-chamber-of-commerce.html

Regards

Darren Perkins

Managing Director

George & Fuhrmann

However Luke Bodley was still listed as part of this real estate company's Casino staff as at 2.28PM on 8 June 2016:

When there is public evidence online that Mr. Bodley is no longer associated with this company the mention will be removed from the body of the post, but the correspondence and comment will remain.

The Port of Yamba infrastructure romancer soldiers on

If there is one thing that can be said about Queensland’s former truck driver and wannabee infrastructure entrepreneur, Des Euen (left), it is that he is persistent.

A dated suit, a striped tie, a fancy corporate title, a couple of $1-1 share companies with no visible cash or staff and an unworkable idea¹ – then he’s off to turn the small Port of Yamba into an international coal port/container terminal & transport hub by 2023.

From first sod to finished port complex in just eight years from now - based on a unsolicited proposal which is yet to get through the Baird Government’s front door.

Mr. Euan has been touting his 'dream' for at least the last two to three years and, he turned up again last December on the website of IQPC’s Infrastructure Privatisation 2014 but it is unknown if he actually participated in the two-day event.

Mention of him popped up again this week when this short email landed in my Inbox:

Hello, I have upset Mr Euen also! He gets very upset when you send links to your blog page to councillors in the region. He has threatened me with legal action. Is he full of hot air and bluff? Keep up the good work.

Apparently the self-promoting Mr. Euen thinks that he should decide when he is mentioned on the Internet and the manner in which he is mentioned.

1. Brief Background:

More New England madness…..

What is it with these rednecks from over the range?

Desmond John Euen wants a sea port

Desmond John Euen wants a sea port – Part Two

Yamba Mega Port Proposal: "This clown just won't take no for an answer"

"This clown just won't take no for an answer" would be a fairly accurate assessment of most Lower Clarence River residents’ opinion of Desmond Euen’s (pictured left) latest attempt to promote his proposal to industrialise the Clarence River estuary by re-creating the Port of Yamba as a mega port.

Having been told repeatedly by local communities that his proposal was unwelcome and, by local government and the NSW Baird Government that the proposal would not be supported/endorsed, he still persists.

In August this year Mr. Euen participated in the following inquiry via the submission process.

Dept. of Infrastructure and Development at https://infrastructure.gov.au/transport/freight/national-strategy.aspx:

On 24 November 2016, the Australian Government announced it will develop a national freight and supply chain strategy (the strategy) to increase the productivity and efficiency of Australia's freight supply chain. The strategy is in response to Infrastructure Australia's Australian Infrastructure Plan.

On 9 March 2017, the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, the Hon Darren Chester MP, released Terms of Reference PDF: 219 KB  for an inquiry into National Freight and Supply Chain Priorities (the inquiry).

The Inquiry will inform the development of the strategy and determine how to best lift the productivity and efficiency of Australia's freight supply chain. The inquiry is being led by the Department assisted by Infrastructure Australia and a four member Expert Panel appointed by Minister Chester. On 26 May 2017, the Department released the Discussion Paper for the inquiry, marking the commencement of the public consultation period. Submissions closed on 28 July 2017 and the Department is now analysing the responses, together with comments received from meetings with key stakeholders.

A draft report will be made available for industry and government for comment by December, and the final report provided to the Government by March 2018.

A series of frequently asked questions about the inquiry and the strategy have been prepared to assist you.

The Discussion Paper, working papers prepared for the Inquiry and the submissions (except for those marked ‘in-confidence’) can be accessed below.

Discussion paper PDF: 558 KB 

Media release: Release of Discussion Paper

Working papers

Submissions received

As Inter-Port Global Pty Ltd he submitted two documents (Submission 27 in above link) – one of which was for Gladstone Strategic Development Area in Queensland and the other for the Port of Yamba on the NSW North Coast.

                               

The 42-page Yamba document was originally created by Euen on 27 July 2017 according to its “Properties” page. It asserts to be a submission originally made to Infrastructure Australia at an earlier date.

Desmond Euen of Unit 1103, 2865 Gold Coast Highway, SURFERS PARADISE QLD 4217 registered Inter-Port Global Pty Ltd on 24 August 2016. To date he is the sole director and shareholder as well as the company secretary.

There were a number of confidential submissions to the Inquiry into National Freight and Supply Chain Priorities and it is possible that one of these may be from the group of corporate lawyers, investment companies and property developers behind United Land Councils Ltd and United First Peoples Syndications Pty Ltd who made a joint submission to the NSW Legislative Council General Purpose Standing Committee No. 6 Inquiry Into Crown Land in August 2016 which included the Yamba mega port proposal .

The Inquiry into National Freight and Supply Chain Priorities is due to hand its report to the COAG Transport and Infrastructure Council sometime before end March 2018.

Desmond John Euen produces a slide show of his $22.6 billion plan to destroy the Clarence River estuary along with the communities of Yamba, Iluka, Goodwin and Chatsworth

The Clarence River on the NSW North Coast is home to the small Port of Yamba.

The Clarence River supports two towns dependent on tourism (including recreational fishing) at its trained river mouth, Yamba and Iluka.

Both towns also have commercial fishing fleets that in combination comprise one of the largest fleets in NSW. The Lower Clarence region seafood industry generates an estimated $40-60 million annually.

This is Lloyds of London’s Australian ports information for the Port of Yamba at the mouth of the Clarence River on the NSW Far North Coast: 

Click on images to enlarge

This is Google Earth’s view of the restricted entrance to the Clarence River:

Excerpt from Port of Yamba Notice to Mariners, 12 January 2015:

These are the current upper range dimensions for vessels which can safely navigate the Clarence River lower estuary at high tide:

* 120m long

* 20m wide

* Draft having 10% Under Keel Clearance + 1.5m on approach and 10% Under Keel Clearance when underway.
Typical maximum draft appear to be 5m or under.

This is Desmond Euen’s fanciful proposal to blow up Dirrangun Reef (a significant Aboriginal mythological site under claim as part of the Lower Clarence River registered Native Title claim) and, dredge an 18m deep navigation channel from the river mouth up to Goodwin and Chatsworth islands, with twenty 18m deep berths at the proposed two terminals sites. Thereby permanently diminishing and perhaps irrevocably destroying the environmental, cultural and existing economic values of the Clarence River estuary system:

Full presentation slideshow here.

These are examples of the proposed Post Panamax container and bulk vessels, typically at least 366m long, 49m wide with a draught of 15.2m:

This is an example of the proposed Cape Size vessels, typically 280m long, 47m wide with a draft of 16m:

What such proposed large shipping will have to contend with if it actually could enter, berth and exit the Clarence River which is situated on an extensive flood plain:

9. Flood Conditions. Vessels that cannot be maintained at a safe berth will be required to clear the port before the onset of flood conditions. A flood may be associated with a weather system that produces sea conditions that close the port. Where this is possible early action will be taken to clear the port.

10. Impact. Floods can produce debris in the river making it unsuitable for safe navigation, propulsion and cooling systems use. Navigation aids can be displaced and river depths changed including the location of the navigation channels / best navigable water.

11. Tide heights will result in a positive residual tide and continuous ebb streams may occur regardless of tide heights and times. The port will work closely with the shipping industry to determine the likely impact and resume port operations and the earliest safe opportunity.

BACKGROUND

Des Euen, the ex-lorry driver from Queensland, has put forward a number of variations on his proposal for the Port of Yamba.

One he has taken to denying since 2013 is the plan to turn the port into a coal loading facility.

This is what Mr. Euen stated in an ABC News item on 27 May 2014:

"There has never been any plan by Australian Infrastructure Developments, or YPR Australia Pty Ltd to turn Yamba into a coal port.

"Not even in the equation.

"YPR Australia's intention is to turn Yamba Port into a container intermodal terminal, handling import-export cargoes that we daily need throughout Australia."

Yet this is what can still be found on his website to date at
http://www.ypraust.com.au/competitive-edge/ and http://www.ypraust.com.au/?s=competitive:

To make it perfectly clear here is the relevant passage again:

CSIRO map showing the Surat Basin which has existing and proposed new coal mines in the NSW section:

Des Euen warned off Yamba by an online supporter

Not that Des Euen needed any hint that many Yamba and Iluka residents would be against the industrialisation of the Clarence River estuary…..

Facebook, 23 June 2016

Mr. Euen is rather sensitive about the few comments on the Australian Infrastructure Developments Pty Ltd Facebook page.

He recently removed comments from two Clarence Valley residents (at least one of whom attended the “summit” he organised at Casino on 2 June 2016) but left his accusations of selfishness against individuals living in the region which would be most affected by this highhanded attempt to make his fortune at the expense of so many ordinary people.

Moggy Musings [Archived material from Boy the Wonder Cat]

A running joke musing: Not content with proposing a coal terminal in the Port of Yamba and later changing it to a transport hub which would ship agriculture, produce, forestry, petrochemical products, refined fuel, minerals and assorted machinery - now Desmond Euen is turning his eyes to Casino and Murwillumbah.

The Northern Rivers Guardians' Facebook page carries this notice of the Northern Rivers Railway Action Group Save our Tracks Forum; Yamba Port and Rail proposal’s managing director Des Euen will be one of the speakers at the Rail Meeting at Lismore Workers Club on Saturday the 22nd of November in relation to his intention to reopen the Casino to Murwillumbah rail service. The meeting goes from 2pm to 5pm. Hope to see some of you there.

There appears to be no end to Des Euan's self-promotion drive.

A matter of journalistic spine musing: My faithful slave has been quietly giggling ever since she found out the excuse APN's The Daily Examiner was giving for not picking up the phone and asking Clarence Valley Council about its taping of conversations occurring in council chambers - apparently it just didn't have the manpower available at the moment.

Her giggles turned to a hoot of laughter on Wednesday 17 November 2014 when the much smaller free community newspaper the Clarence Valley Review, with fewer journalists and a smaller budget, managed to publish a Page 3 article on the subject, Little brother is listening.

A when a half-truth is a pork pie musing: An 18 November 2014 Clarence Valley Council mayoral minute states: There is a shift in NSW towards allowing elected mayors to serve in office for periods of longer that one year, as is the current practice. The NSW Government Fit for the Future report states that “We will introduce longer terms for Mayors and clearer roles for council leaders. These changes will help to bring more stability and accountability to councils”.

What the minute didn’t state was that this only applied to a mayoral election by councillors according to the Baird Government.

Something that will occur at mayoral elections in the Clarence Valley which will be held every two years after 10 September 2016 if Mayor Richie Williamson fails in his bid to establish popular mayoral elections and a mandatory 4-year mayoral term in the Clarence Valley.

Hopefully, councillors will insist that this fact is included in the For and Against cases the council is obliged to advertise before the 21 February 2015 referendum, in which valley voters will be asked if they want to have a mayor elected by popular vote, with ratepayers funding that second type of election as well as the election of nine councillors.

In 2012 Coffs Harbour City councillor and mayoral elections totalled a combined $289,290 cost against that council's bottom line according to the NSW Office of Local Government.

A council by-election musing: There is one rumour doing the rounds that retired Grafton District Services Club manager and friend of Clarence Valley Council Mayor Richie Williamson Arthur Lysaght is considering standing at the 2015 Clarence Valley local government by-election and another that disgraced former NSW Nats MP for Clarence Steve Cansdell is thinking of standing as well.

A shirt-fronted Tony Abbott musing:

As I hopped into the laundry tub for a nice cool dip in today’s heat, the G20 ganged up on the Oz Prime Minister and ignored his insistence that the summit did not mention the war climate change. G20 leaders included this item in the official 21 point communique, “19. We support strong and effective action to address climate change. Consistent with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its agreed outcomes, our actions will support sustainable development, economic growth, and certainty for business and investment. We will work together to adopt successfully a protocol, another legal instrument or an agreed outcome with legal force under the UNFCCC that is applicable to all parties at the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) in Paris in 2015. We encourage parties that are ready to communicate their intended nationally determined contributions well in advance of COP21 (by the first quarter of 2015 for those parties ready to do so). We reaffirm our support for mobilising finance for adaptation and mitigation, such as the Green Climate Fund.”

Best of all was reading the 35 page G20 Climate Finance Study Group –Report to the Finance Ministers – 2014 aka The Green Fund document – a fund Mista Rabbott has been resisting at various international forums since he first came to office. No doubt about it, he was right royally shirt-fronted by the world’s most powerful between 15-17 November 2014.

A microchipping musing: Clarence Valley Council is holding a reduced-rate microchipping day for cats and dogs at Grafton Animal Pound on Saturday 15 November 2014 from 11am to 2 pm. No appointment necessary. Cost $27 with payment by EFTPOS or cheque only. Remember to bring your cat in a carry cage or your dog on a lead. The pound is located at 16 Induna Street, South Grafton. Phone contact is 6642 5689 (direct) or via council's switchboard 6643 0200.

Council is trying to organise a second reduced rate microchipping day sometime next year specifically for public and social housing tenants. If you love your moggy or doggy please get it a microchip so that it has a chance of coming home if it accidentally becomes separated from its human family.

A local government election musing: Clarence Valley Council is understood to be holding a by-election in February 2015 to fill the vacancy caused by the tragic death of Cr. Jeremy Challacombe.

An itchy feet musing: Which North Coast local government general manager has never stayed more than four years in any job since about 1992? Eight jobs in 22 years. Wow! He’s got almost 20 years to retirement and at this rate should be able to cram in at least 7 more councils before collecting his superannuation.

A Love, Tony musing: These letters to aged pensioners that Prime Minister Abbott churns out appear to be making a bit of a stir - in November 2014 Centrelink's call centre automated response lists "Prime Minister's Letter" as one of the options. Tony Dum-Dum sent out individually addressed letters in which he informed pensioners that their pensions will not be reduced. Obviously lotsa members of the grey brigade don't believe him if Centrelink has to channel calls in this way. On a feline scale of trust Mr. Wabbott scores NIL.

A sad musing at 11.21am 28 October 2014: A local Clarence Valley couple died in a car crash in Tyson St at around 2.30pm on Monday, 27 October 2014. The husband is believed to be a Clarence Valley shire councillor.

A who dunnit musing: If Clarence Valley Council's general manager answered all the numerous questions he took on notice from Cr. Baker on 14.10.14 he was careful not to say during the subsequent monthly meeting and, Cr. Baker is apparently being equally silent. Some local wags have been jokingly taking bets as to whether the general manager was asked who was really behind the two complaints which triggered the unsuccessful Code of Conduct proceedings against Cr. Toms.

A rod for their own backs musing: Clarence Valley Council is about to place its 2014 Draft Keeping Of Animals Policy (bees, birds, livestock, poultry, dogs, cats, ferrets etc) on public exhibition. While few would dispute council’s right to make policy on this issue; the fact that people living on land zoned residential will have to seek permission and meet certain building/enclosure standards if they wish to keep three or more dogs or cats will pose a problem, if council does not clearly define the seeking permission process in its policy, how/by whom this will be managed and, how frivolous/malicious complaints will be dealt with. Laughingly, it seems to believe that the only risk it takes is if residents ordered to get rid of their pet moggies ‘n’ doggies challenge the order in court. What they are actually setting up is a classic scenario for a rapid escalation in neighbourhood disputes - for this policy as written has the potential to be used as a tool for spiteful payback.

A what about me musing: More than a little worried about when I'll get my Sunday dinner - my two-legs just realised that there are only nine weeks left until Christmas and she has retired whimpering to the bedroom. What's the problem? Santa pays for everything doesn't he?

An into the light musing: A very cool kitten just told me I had named the wrong redevelopment - so I've adjusted accordingly.

The projected project costs at concept stage for works/operations/maintenance depot and office rationalisation have been one of those closely guarded secrets beloved of Clarence Valley Council’s general manager. At a Corporate, Governance & Works Committee Meeting on 14 October 2014 a motion by Cr. Toms (Seconded by Cr. Simmons) to publish these costs was unanimously agreed to and a little light has entered in time for community discussion of this issue. *Cheshire cat smile on the dial*

Boy

What will happen to the more than 40,000 year-old fishing rights if the NSW Clarence River Estuary is industrialised?

Dredging activities impact on the marine environment by smothering benthic biota and habitats and degrading water quality through elevated turbidites and bioavailability of pollutants. In addition, alterations in seabed morphology and bathymetry, and consequently to wave energy and water circulation, result in modified patterns of littoral drift (NSW Fisheries 1999, Watchorn 2000). The effects of this can include progressive accretion of sediments on some parts of the coast, and erosion in other areas (Winstanley 1995). Biota are obliterated during dredge removal and may take months or years to recover (Coleman et al. 1999). Species directly affected include invertebrates, fish and seagrass, although mangrove and saltmarsh communities are indirectly affected through altered water flows within estuaries (Edgar 2001). Dredging has been implicated in the disappearance of some invertebrates from port environments, such as a number of hydroid species that have not been recorded in Hobsons Bay, Victoria, since the advent of dredging programs (J.E. Watson, pers. comm., cited in Poore and Kudenov 1978b). Studies elsewhere have shown that the long-term influences of dredging on benthic infauna occur through permanent modification of the sedimentary environment (Jones and Candy 1981). [Commonwealth Dept. of Environment, National Oceans Office, Impact from the ocean/land interface, 2006]

Many North Coast Voices readers will be familiar with reports that deep and/or sustained dredging of tidal rivers and ocean harbours negatively impacts marine biodiversity resulting in species richness and abundance declining over time.

Environmental problems in the Port of Gladstone around 794kms to the north of the Port of Yamba have been in the news for years.

The Clarence River estuary is the largest combined river-ocean fishery in New South Wales and home to the biggest commercial fishing fleet in this state.

It is also a river which for a significant part of its length is held under Native Title by the Yaegl people (Yaegl People #1 & Yaegl People #2) of the Clarence Valley - from the waters approximately half-way between Ulmarra and Brushgrove right down to the eastern extremities of the northern and southern breakwater walls at the mouth of the river.

Here are the official maps outlining in green Native Title officially held to date:

On 2 June 2016 the CEO of Australian Infrastructure Developments was careful to note that this speculative company - lobbying for heavy industrialisation of the Clarence River estuary via a mega port covering 36 sq. kms or 27.2% of the entire estuary area - was yet to approach the Yaegl community or the trust created by traditional owners to manage these native titles.

Surely, with indigenous fishing rights recognised at law as existing on the Clarence River since time immemorial, any responsible company with a plan to extensively alter the riverine and marine environment should have asked the Yaegl people first before approaching the NSW Government with this:

Based on preliminary mapping published by Australian Infrastructure Developments Pty Ltd, yellow block overlays indicate bulk, liquid & container cargo terminals and shipping berths with grey overlays indicating proposed industrial areas

But then, Des Euen and his small band of backers have not yet publicly approached any of the Lower Clarence communities most affected by this prime example of environmental vandalism.

Memo to potential investors in the Yamba Mega Port scheme

No Yamba Mega Port map

Dear Potential Investors,

You may have seen promotional material created by Australian Infrastructure Developments Pty Ltd or Y.P.R. Australia Pty Ltd for the unsolicited proposal often called the Port Yamba Development (Eastgate) or the Yamba Port Rail Project.

The material probably looks rather intriguing to many of you.

However, there are some matters that this promotional material either does not address or merely skates over.

Today is Wednesday, 10 August 2016.

This is the Port of Yamba Development project timeline still up on Australian Infrastructure Developments’ official company website:

Even if one allowed for the possibility that the NSW Baird Government is politically suicidal enough to give consent for a mega port in the Clarence River estuary and that the first terminals would not be operational until 31 December 2018, that only leaves Des Euen, Thomas Chiu and Lee Purves a mere 873 days to push this project to Stage 1 bulk terminals completion.

Before any part of the extensive port expansion scheme can be progressed there is the sensitive matter of Dirrangun reef, the breakwater walls and possibly the internal training walls, to be addressed. 

Once the potential impact of the removal or significant alteration of breakwater walls sinks in with the communities of Iluka and Yamba I suspect that the friction between community and Yamba Port Rail proponents will increase dramatically.

If any activity required to open up the river entrance for those mega ships looks like placing Dirrangun at risk I’m sure that the Yaegl people, who have now spent twenty years fighting to legally protect their river and dream time reef, will not be happy with the port expansion proceeding and they will have a right to be concerned. A right that is now legally recognized as existing since before written history began in Australia.

As neither Des, Thomas or Lee has held a public information night for Lower Clarence communities to date, that particular failure is going to place a drag on the company’s project timetable from the start.

The hypothetical clock is now ticking.

The dredging of an est. 20km of navigation channel inside the river, at the very least is going to require:

*negotiations with NSW government departments/agencies;

* a least two advertised tender invitations if investors are not planning to just throw their money away;

*sediment sampling at the proposed dredging site and particle size distribution and acid sulphate soils testing to assess sediment properties over the full depth to be dredged;

*assessment of potential impacts on threatened species including wading birds along the est 20 km length of the dredging site;

*assessment of potential noise impacts including what day or night hours of dredging/placement are acceptable; 

* the creation of a dredge spoil management plan;and

*consultation with Birrigan Gargle Local Aboriginal Land Council, Yaegl Traditional Owners Corporation as native title trustees, the general public, local residents and commercial operators, commercial and recreational fishermen, waterway users and environmental groups.

Staying with this hypothetical scenario. Once these lengthy negotiations, assessments and consultations are finalised I suspect the actual dredge and spoil disposal would take up to three years to complete. After all this dredge has to remove at least est.13 metres of river bed in every square metre of a continuous 20 km long line an est 60m wide.

Add to this the time needed to purchase privately held regionally important farm land which the company hasn’t even commenced yet – land held by a number of individual owners some of who are adamant they will not sell - and then allow time for the rezoning process which is bound to be resisted by local residents and affected Lower Clarence communities.  Now those 873 days are beginning to look very inadequate.

At this moment you may be thinking that if all the individual planning procedures were undertaken at the same time the port expansion might move forward faster. However, any large project is only as fast as its slowest strand of required assessment/modelling/
testing and this particular project is being undertaken by a company which admits it has never handled any sort of development project before.

By the time one factors in the many studies required to create a viable development application to commence construction of the built environment then 2023 would not be seen as a long enough time frame to finish Stage 1 bulk terminals.

Some of these studies would be obliged to include the sourcing, transport and stabilzation of enough fill to raise 36 sq.km of terminals and berths above projected flood levels and modelling of existing & changed flooding conditions - because all the proposed terminal & berth areas will be submerged in a 1 in 100 flood to est. depths of 0.05 to 2.8m unless the land is raised. 

At this point in the development process state and local government may become alarmed at the amount of flood water in even a 1 in 20 year flood that will be displaced by a mega port at the end of this ancient floodplain. 

Displaced water (that has likely in some flood events to come at some speed down both the Clarence River and out of the Esk River) which will almost inevitably inundate the proposed remaining undeveloped half of Palmers Island, along with low lying sections of  Woombah, Iluka, Yamba and Wooloweyah, as well as exacerbate upriver flooding as far as Maclean. Quite rightly both tiers of government would quail at the thought of this occurring in conjunction with a king tide entering the mouth of the Clarence River and the clock might be permanently stopped on the mega port scheme then and there.

If not and planning madness prevails, the fact that a freight road bridge and new road/s would need to be built so that bulk product can actually reach the bulk terminals - because Stage 1 will not see a completed Pacific West Rail Link stretching from the coast to north-west NSW - and 2023 turns into a rather sad phantasy because the number of planning hoops the company has to jump through just grew in number.

Australian Infrastructure Developments and its shadowy backers would be foolish to believe that Stage 1 would be remotely achievable by 2028.

It is hard to imagine that Australian Infrastructure Developments will ever be able to establish the social contract with the Clarence Valley it needs to proceed, when its grand plan will diminish or destroy so many existing aesthetic, environmental, cultural, social and economic values within the estuary.

Twelve years is a long time to have investment money tied up in a mega port scheme that in all probability will be successfully scuppered by Northern Rivers people power.

Twelve years in which your company reputations and that of your principal shareholders will be held up for global scrutiny. 

Given the power of almost instant communication that the Internet will give to over 50,000 people and the ability of anyone of those with a personal computer to identify and research your company or superannuation fund, are you sure that the hope of future financial returns is worth the public relations risk?

If you think I exaggerate, ask Metgasco Limited what community resistance across the Northern Rivers did to its plans to develop gas fields.

So, potential investors – you might like to consider taking your money and committing it to an infrastructure project in a locality that actually wants what you believe you have to offer.

This is entirely friendly advice, because I like many others would prefer quietly enjoying the Clarence River estuary and the easy, relaxed lifestyle its healthy environment allows me, rather than spending the next twelve years as part of a peaceful but relentlessly effective grassroots protest movement making your corporate lives a misery.

Sincerely,

Clarencegirl

Mouth of the Clarence River