Memo to all Clarence Valley Shire Councillors: Effin' Bloody Fools!

According to The Northern Rivers Echo on 14th May 2011:
"there appear to be large reserves of conventional or natural as well as CSG (both composed largely of methane) in the Clarence Moreton Basin, which runs from south of Grafton up to the border and joins the Surat Basin in Queensland. There are currently three companies operating on the North Coast". (see map showing gas exploration in the Clarence Basin, a mid-Triassic to early Cretaceous basin)

On Friday 13th May 2011 The Daily Examiner ran an article which reported that:
“CLARENCE Valley Council is taking a “wait and see approach” to joining the chorus of Northern Rivers councils calling for a moratorium on coal seam gas mining.
Mayor Richie Williamson said coal seam gas mining was primarily a State Government issue.
“The state policies would come into consideration if and when there was an application for coal seam gas mining in the Clarence council local government area,” he said.
“I am aware that other councils are calling on the State Government for a moratorium, but it really is a State Government decision.
“The council hasn’t considered joining those other councils in calling for a moratorium as yet.”
Cr Williamson said the idea of fracking was a new issue for council.”

On Thursday 14th April 2011 a Duke University study (using analyzed groundwater from 68 private water wells) was approved for publication in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on 9th May:
“Directional drilling and hydraulic-fracturing technologies are dramatically increasing natural-gas extraction. In aquifers overlying the Marcellus and Utica shale formations of northeastern Pennsylvania and upstate New York, we document systematic evidence for methane contamination of drinking water associated with shalegas extraction. In active gas-extraction areas (one or more gas wells within 1 km), average and maximum methane concentrations in drinking-water wells increased with proximity to the nearest gas well and were 19.2 and 64 mg CH4 L-1 (n 1/4 26), a potential explosion hazard; in contrast, dissolved methane samples in neighboring nonextraction sites (no gas wells within 1 km) within similar geologic formations and hydrogeologic regimes averaged only 1.1 mg L-1 (P < 0.05; n 1/4 34)…….
Our results show evidence for methane contamination of shallow drinking-water systems in at least three areas of the region and suggest important environmental risks accompanying shale-gas exploration worldwide.”

This isn’t the first science-based warning about fracking and many other councils on the NSW North Coast (Ballina, Lismore, Kyogle and Tweed) have taken note of the problems created by this type of mining - along with a growing number of areas worldwide in which fracking is banned. But the arrogant nongs currently infesting local government in the Clarence Valley are an ignorant breed apart.

Of course Clarence Valley councillors are not alone in their folly as this email from the equally foolish NSW Nationals MP for Clarence (who obviously considers himself a lobbyist for Metgasco, Santos, Petronas, Total, Shell, PetroChina & Kogas) shows:
Date: Fri, 29 Apr 2011 14:55:57+1000
From: ElectorateOffice.Clarence@parliament.nsw.gov.au
To: mikemizzi@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: gas in the Clarence
Dear Michael,
Thank you for your email indicating your concerns regarding coal seam gas mining in all regions of Australia.
I support coal seam gas exploration being undertaken in our area. I think the industry can deliver a lot of benefits to our community in terms of employment and economic opportunities. At the same time it is important for the industry to operate in an environmentally responsible manner and to respect the interests of landowners. As you may know we released a Strategic Land Use Policy before the election which aims to strike a balance between the interests of the different groups. A copy of the policy is attached for your interest.
Exploration licenses have been held on the Mid North Coast for decades and extensive gas exploration has been undertaken in that time with little concern from the community. Community issues seem to have only come up since the movie Gaslands has been shown in the area. You should be aware that this movie is about the Shale Gas industry in the US and has little relevance to Australian gas industry practice. The movie is not a realistic portrayal of the gas industry in Australia as both the operational activities and regulatory environments are quite different. I have attached an information factsheet about the Gaslands movie that addresses some of the inaccuracies.
The coal seam gas industry is regulated by the Department of Industry and Investment in the exploration stage of operations when notices are placed in local papers notifying the intention to grant an exploration licence. Prior to any development being undertaken an environmental assessment is undertaken and must be approved by the Department of Planning, who co-ordinates the input from all relevant NSW Government agencies, including environmental agencies. At this stage there is an extensive community consultation process. Government agencies review an extensive list of environmental factors and specifically address any impact on underground aquifers and existing or future land uses. An example of these studies can be found at: http://www.glng.com.au/Content.aspx?p=90.
The coal seam gas industry is regulated by NSW State regulation. The National Industrial Chemicals Notifications and Assessment Scheme (NICNAS) is a Commonwealth authority and therefore is not a relevant agency for the purposes of regulating the industry. Several independent studies have examined the potential for water contamination due to hydraulic fracturing practices and found that the practice does not pose a threat to underground sources of drinking water. You can download the study at: http://water.epa.gov/type/groundwater/uic/
class/hydraulicfracturing/wells_coalbedmethanestudy.cfm.
Coal seam gas currently supplies over 90% of Queensland’s gas supply and is likely to become an increasingly important source of energy in NSW as well. I do believe that the industry can be developed in an environmentally acceptable manner.
Regards
Steve
Steve Cansdell, MP
Member for Clarence

"Emails between department staff (Department of Industry and Investment) and Metgasco show that testing for coal seam gas using fracking can go ahead without approval being sought or required from the Environment Department.
The practice of fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, involves injecting a mix of water, sand and chemicals underground to force gas to the surface."

UPDATE: I noticed that Steve Cansdell’s email contained a reference to an U.S. study rather than an Australian one. I suspected that Steve chose to ignore studies closer to home because they were not as favourable to his support of fracking on the NSW North Coast.
An investigation into the anticipated impacts of mining proposed in the Clarence-Moreton Basin communities: The Felton Project Report from the University of Queensland stable shows Valley locals may not be quite as enthusiastic as the Clarence MP expects:

Major anticipated environmental impacts which are negative are:
 contaminated groundwater and damaged aquifers
 capacity to successfully rehabilitate soil
 reduced air quality
o Significant anticipated environmental concerns are also negative: the potential for ecosystem damage and the cumulative impact and perceived limited capacity for environmental regulation.
o Major anticipated social impacts are negative:
 community tensions between mine and non-mine populations
 the social dislocation of farming families
 loss of visual amenity
 infrastructure, particularly roads

And Steve along with Clarence Valley Council ignores the fact that the large amount of waste water produced by fracking has to go somewhere and the cheapest option available to mining companies is to have the untreated contaminated water injected into natural underground aquifers or spread across the environemnt in other ways. It’s a sure bet the NSW O’Farrell Government would allow this without so much as a solitary moment of hesitation.

Stu Murphy behind the lens

 

Stu Murphy is from South Grafton on the NSW North Coast and has posted his work at Red Bubble. He has a fine eye and I hope we see more of his work.

Budget Reply 2011: exposing the hollow men

The Coalition Budget Reply - old, tired and inaccurate..........

ABC TV Lateline program on 12^th May 2011:

TOM IGGULDEN, REPORTER:

In the lead-up to tonight's speech, the Opposition was letting it be known Tony Abbott would be detailing new policies for small business and welfare.
He must have lost them on the walk to the chamber; there were no new initiatives, even a copy of the speech distributed to the media was a year out of date.

TONY JONES:

Well we didn't get a lot of response to the actual budget tonight in Tony Abbott's speech. So, he did talk about "forgotten families", and the Coalition's been very critical about changes to family benefits in the Swan budget. There are 1.9 million families who receive Family Tax Benefit A. Do you know how many of them Treasury estimates will lose their benefit after the changes?

ANDREW ROBB: Well as I understand it with Tamily Tax A, that almost all of those families will be affected by the decision of the Government to freeze the indexation.

TONY JONES: Well, according to Treasury, only 31,000 families will be affected by the changes.......

TONY JONES: Well in that case, do you know how many are affected by the changes, according to Treasury, in Family Tax Benefit B?

ANDREW ROBB: Well as I understand, some 44,000 families will be affected.

TONY JONES: No, it's 9,000. Apparently out of 1.6 million, 9,000 are going to be affected by the changes to family tax benefit B. Yes, 31,000 are going to be affected by changes to the other tax benefit A, and if you add them together, you get the figure you just mentioned.

Hansard transcript of Budget Reply - see Page 81.

Apology to all our readers

Due to the fact that Blogger.com had been experiencing difficulties, went offline to fix same, temporarily removed current versions of its hosted homepages and did not replace all the missing posts as promised; in the last twenty-four hours North Coast Voices has not been able to display all its posts.
To replace one of these missing posts accurately North Coast Voices Administration had to rely on its Blogotariat feed. Hat tip to the folks over at that blog aggregate site.
Hopefully, all is now well.
North Coast Voices apologizes for any confusion this may caused our readers.

Centrelink will be helping Page pensioners switch to digital TV in 2012

Below is a 4 May 2011 media release from Federal MP for Page, Janelle Saffin, explaining eligibility for help converting the signal received by analogue televisions into high definition digital images and also what pitfalls to avoid while waiting for this assistance to become available on the NSW North Coast next year.

PENSIONERS in Page needing Federal Government help with making the switch to digital television in the second half of next year, should wait until Centrelink writes to them early next year.

Federal Member for Page Janelle Saffin said eligible households will receive a letter from Centrelink about six months before Northern New South Wales is due to switch over, inviting them to participate in the Household Assistance Scheme (HAS).

Ms Saffin confirmed that this week’s Federal Budget would provide $308.8 million for the HAS to install, free of charge, high definition digital set-top boxes in New South Wales and other states until December 2013.

“Households are eligible where at least one resident is receiving a maximum rate of the Aged Pension; Disability Support Pension; Carer payment; Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) service pension; or the DVA income support supplement payment,” she said.

“Under the HAS, the Government has already provided assistance to more than 38,000 households in regional South Australia and Victoria.”

Ms Saffin said suitably qualified contractors would supply and install these set top boxes, and demonstrate how they will meet specific needs of the elderly and people with disabilities.

“People should not go out and purchase any equipment from retail outlets, expecting a reimbursement under the scheme,” she said.

“And they should not accept any approach from door-to-door salespeople or other advertised schemes. Centrelink will make the initial contact and organise everything from there.”

More information on the timetable for digital switchover is available from the Digital Ready Information Line on 1800 20 10 13 or from http://www.digitalready.gov.au/

Country Arts Support funding for the Northern Rivers in 2011

Country Arts Support Program 2011- Northern Rivers

· $2,550.00 to Ocean Shores Public School P & C for Ocean Shores Community Arts Project. A series of arts and craft workshops, performances by local musicians and a public art project to be held as part of the Ocean Shores Public Arts and Craft Festival in August 2011.

· $2,197.00 to Byron Bay Community Association Inc. (Byron Community Centre) for Arts Classic Artist in Residence. Mosaic artists Turiya Bruce and Pyari Cau will be engaged as artists-in-residence at the Byron Community Centre over five days during the 2011 Byron Arts Classic in January 2012. After a period of public consultation with members of the Byron community, the artists will conduct daily three-hour public participation workshops to create a mosaic artwork at the Centre.

· $1,000.00 to Coraki Rural Transaction Centre Inc (Coraki Art Prize) for Painting and Printmaking Workshops. A series of printmaking and painting workshops for young Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal artists in Coraki, focusing on expression of identity and personal storytelling through art.

· $1,588.00 to Clarence Valley Council for Kami Shibai. Performer Kyoko Miyauchi will conduct a series of traditional Japanese storytelling theatre performances and origami workshops for school students at outer regional primary schools in Baryulgil, Coutts Crossing and Herani during term 2, 2011.

· $1,560.00 to Platypus Gallery (Richmond Valley Council) for MINDLE. For the month of September the gallery will host an exhibition exploring the local Indigenous language of Junbung, during which time two local Indigenous artists will be in residence at the Gallery. The artists will interact with the public and demonstrate their working process and techniques, giving insights into both artistic practice and indigenous culture.

· $1,392.00 to Caringa Enterprises Ltd for Colour Theory Wall Mural. An artist in residence program with local artist Pamela Denise, during which severely disabled participants (with support workers) will create a 50m square mural at the Day Program Centre in Grafton between April and July.

· $1,480.00 to The Creative Peoples Collective Inc for Standing Now - Finding our Feet. Free workshops over July-August 2011 for young people at Coraki Youth Hall, in which the aim is to create a contemporary dance piece. Participants will then have the opportunity to perform alongside professional artists in the production 'Standing Now'.

· $2,000.00 to Tropical Fruits Inc. for Illumination 2011. An artist in residence program with local artist Martin Pedder, in which he will work with members of the local GLBTIQ (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Queer) community to create illuminated installations, props and backdrops for the Tropical Fruits 2011 Festival.

· $2,255.00 to On-Focus Inc for Dhinawan Dreaming at LINCS. Workshops and performance presented by local indigenous artist Mick Baker of Dhinawan Dreaming, run as part of the Casino Day Program for Indigenous people throughout 2011. The sessions will cover storytelling, dance and visual arts.

· $2,110.00 to The Unity Festival for The Unity Festival, a multicultural dance, music, food, art and craft event. Dancers representing the cultural traditions of the Phillipines, India, Torres Strait and Aboriginal Australia will be engaged for public performance. Held in Murwillumbah in October 2011, the festival aims to create opportunities for greater social interaction amongst community groups, and encouraging tolerance.

Yeah, that's the answer Uncle Joe! Put more people out of work.

Uncle Joe and The Rabbit in The Canberra Times on 11^th May 2011

Now I’ve heard everything! Joe Hockey’s answer to the Australian Government’s 2011 Budget is to say tax concessions shouldn’t be taken from those rich enough to be into income splitting, family trusts and the like and other concessions and income support shouldn’t be frozen for the next four years for those singles or families earning $150,000 or more a year – instead he insists that 12,000 people should be sacked from the public service and be directed towards the dole line.
Onya, Uncle Joe. You’re the tosser giving us all a perfect example of the very class war you’re accusing the Treasurer of conducting. At least Swanee isn’t into mass layoffs to bring the federal budget into surplus.

In his call to support those earning a comfortable living, Joe ignores the fact that in August 2010 there were 9.8 million employees in this country and a good 50% of these earned less than $46,020 a year. Even if these people lived in households where their partners worked for similar wages, they would still come nowhere near having the combined incomes of Abbott & Co's newly discovered middleclass battlers. Who, incidentally, have also for many years been growing their disposable incomes at a higher rate than the less well off.
Here on the NSW North Coast it would be a safe bet to say that half of all households would have annual incomes which fall below $46,020 and a great many of these would be old age pensioners, so Hockey's plea to save the middleclass from the wicked Gillard Government falls on deaf ears in many a local home.

Here's a profile of Abbott and Hockey's 'battlers' (who appear to make up around a mere 15% of all households according to the Herald-Sun) courtesy of The Tele on 11th May and The Australian of the same day:
Family No.1 A young couple (with one small child and a high maintenance dog) whose combined incomes are more than $150,000 per year, both have successful, high-paying professional careers, own a modern McMansion in a popular suburb, with two cars in the garage as well as flashy plasma in the lounge, and yet still they loudly complain that their family income is not enough to support their preferred lifestyle.
Family No.2 A young couple (with two young children), he's in the building industry and she's an associate director in a recruitment firm, they have a combined income of around $200,000 per year, pay 18% tax, live in a decent house in an established suburb and had considered employing a nanny if the Gillard Government froze middleclass welfare rather than raising it to meet the family's expectations.
Anyone seen where I put the smallest violin in the world? I feel a sad, sad sonata coming on....

Australian Federal Budget 2011 - now let's get a few facts straight before panicking

Ever since Wayne Swan gave his 2011 Budget Speech and released those budget papers the mainstream media has been bellowing. One cry is that this budget is hard on the 'deserving' middle class and an alternative cry is that it is unfair to all welfare recipients on parenting payment, unemployment benefit or disability support pension.

What is not pointed out (by either politicians being interviewed or journalists doing the interviewing) is that not all these reforms are universal across specific cash transfer categories, many do not commence until the 2012-13 financial year and some take the form of trial roll-outs with an identified end date.

So let us look briefly at some of the groups mentioned in those claims.

Firstly, teenage mothers. They are not all going to be made to attend Centrelink when their baby reaches six months of age, according to Part 2: Expense Measures Education, Employment and Workplace Relations:

Teenage parents accessing Parenting Payments for the first time from 1 January 2012 in 10 targeted Local Government Areas (LGAs will be required to attend six‑monthly interviews with Centrelink once their child turns six months old. Once the child is one year old, this interview will be used to develop and implement a participation plan, which will include activities to improve education outcomes for themselves and their children.

Secondly, the mature unemployed and young unemployed are not all going to have to face every new participation requirement to claim unemployment benefits:

The Government will …..introduce new participation requirements and support services for parents who have been on income support for more than two years or who are under 23 years of age in 10 targeted Local Government Areas (LGA's). Parents will be required to attend compulsory workshops and interviews with Centrelink to set personal and family goals. They will also be assisted to access services to overcome pre‑vocational barriers to employment, engage with their community and improve health and education outcomes for their children. The new requirements and support services will commence on 1 July 2012 and will be available in 10 targeted locations.

Currently a job seeker is required to undertake an approved activity for six months in each year they are in the Work Experience Phase. From 1 July 2012, very long‑term unemployed job seekers who begin a second year in the Work Experience Phase will be required to undertake work experience for 11 months of the year.

The 10 targeted LGAs are:

Playford (SA)
Rockhampton (QLD)
Hume (VIC)
Burnie (TAS)
Bankstown (NSW)
Wyong (NSW)
Logan (QLD)
Kwinana (QLD)
Greater Shepparton (VIC)
Shellharbour (NSW)

Thirdly, those with a disability. Individuals already on a Disability Support pension will not all have to meet the new requirements (some of which are voluntary agreements) and indeed they gain some additional concessions, according to Part 2: Expense Measures Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs :

The Government will introduce participation requirements for new and existing Disability Support Pension (DSP) recipients under the age of 35 with some work capacity from 1 July 2012……[those] who have a work capacity of less than eight hours a week, or who are already participating in open employment, an Australian Disability Enterprise or the Supported Wage System, will be excluded from the participation requirements.

From 3 September 2011, Disability Support Pension (DSP) claimants will need to provide evidence that they have tested their future work capacity by participating in training or work related activities. This activity test will not apply to claimants who are clearly unable to work due to, for example, profound disability.

extends portability where a DSP recipient with a severe disability has a carer who is posted overseas for work and wishes to continue their supporting responsibilities. In these circumstances, the DSP recipient will be entitled to continue to receive their pension for the period of their family member's posting, from 1 July 2011.

The Government will allow all Disability Support Pension (DSP) recipients to work up to 30 hours a week and remain eligible for a part‑pension for up to two years.

A $2,000 one‑off tax‑exempt payment will be also available to children of families living in outer‑regional, rural and remote areas to help meet some of the costs of accessing services.

Finally, families. The majority of families with legitimately dependent children are not being cut off welfare payments, but indexation of family payments is frozen between 1 July 2011 and 1 July 2014:

The Government will defer the implementation of Paid Paternity Leave by six months from 1 July 2012 until 1 January 2013.

The Government will, from 1 January 2012, limit the eligibility for Family Tax Benefit (FTB) Part A to children up to the age of 21 years, recognising that young people aged 22 and over are considered independent. When a child turns 22 years of age, parents will no longer be able to receive FTB Part A for that child. However the child may be eligible to receive Youth Allowance subject to usual means testing and academic progress rules. This will bring FTB Part A in line with the Youth Allowance age of independence from 1 January 2012.

The Government will pause indexation of the Family Tax Benefit (FTB) Part A and B supplements for three years. The FTB supplements will be fixed at the current 2010‑11 levels of $726.35 per annum per child for FTB Part A and $354.05 per annum for FTB Part B until 1 July 2014.

The Government will pause indexation of family payment higher income thresholds and limits at their current level until 1 July 2014. The following higher income thresholds and limits will remain fixed until 1 July 2014: Family Tax Benefit (FTB) Part B primary earner income limit, which will remain at $150,000; the income limit for receiving the dependency tax offsets, which will remain at $150,000; the Baby Bonus eligibility limit, which will remain at $75,000 of family income in the six months following the birth or adoption of a child, equivalent to $150,000 a year; the Paid Parental Leave primary carer income limit, which will remain at $150,000 in the financial year before the birth or adoption of a child; and the higher income‑free threshold of FTB Part A, which will remain at $94,316 of family income, with an additional $3,796 provided for each child after the first.

The genuinely bad news is that income management for welfare recipients will be extended (presumably allowing government access to increased interest accrued from cash transfers held in trust in a central managed account) beyond existing declared areas into the following new areas from 1 July 2012 until 30 June 2015:

Bankstown, New South Wales
Logan, Queensland
Rockhampton, Queensland
Playford, South Australia
Shepparton, Victoria

In this single aspect, the Gillard Government (like the former Howard Government) is determined to see the once honourable welfare safety net system morph into a shameful food stamp allowance for those living in comparative poverty.

Sometimes the young make my heart sing

Snapshot from COMPLAINT FOR DECLARATORY AND INJUNCTIVE RELIEF filed on 4 May 2011 in U.S. Supreme Court in Washington

Snapshot from COMPLAINT FOR DECLARATORY AND INJUNCTIVE RELIEF filed on 4 May 2011 in U.S. District Court in California

Lawsuits and administrative actions have been filed against the U.S. federal government and all fifty States in an effort to ensure reduction of carbon emissions and prevent climate catastrophe, with the applicants being young people using the Public Trust Doctrine to advance their concerns as "the youngest living generation of beneficiaries of the Public Trust"" who have ""rights to a liveable future".

Having no right to vote because of their ages, this is the way chosen to make legislators and industry take notice.

PDF file of complaint lodged in the Northern District of California

Also online at Our Children's Trust are legal actions commenced in California, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, and Washington