Nationals' 'Magnificent Seven' to contest pre-selection battle for Clarence

When nominations for the National Party's candidate to contest the by-election in the seat of Clarence closed today there were two additions to the five names previously confirmed.

There was no real surprise when Clarence Valley mayor Richie Williamson, a one-time independent, decided to hitch his carriage to the Nats' gravy train but a nomination by relative newcomer to the valley, Maclean businessman Jason Cleary from Woodford Island, seems to be a bit of a shock to the system.

The other candidates are Karen Toms, Paul O'Connor, Fiona Leviny, Chris Gulaptis and Stuart George.

George is the sole nomination from the Nat' northern camp.

Jeremy Challacombe, a spokesperson for the Nationals, told The Daily Examiner it was originally intended that the ballot for preselection would be held this weekend, but rank and file members had convinced the party's head office to allow enough time for candidates to address branch meetings before a ballot on October 16. 

He said it would be a secret ballot and votes would be tallied using the same preferential voting system as was used in federal elections. 

Candidates would each be given about 10 minutes to speak at the preselection meeting before the ballot was held. 

About 300 financial members in the Clarence electorate are eligible to vote.


Read The Daily Examiner's report here.

My old gran used to say you're known by the company you keep

Before he left for Queensland where he hoped (but apparently failed) to further his political career, one of the candiates for Nationals pre-selection to contest the NSW Clarence by-election, Chris Gulaptis, rarely missed a photo opportunity. These are with the now former and disgraced Nats Clarence MP, Steve Cansdell, pictured below. Pics from Google Images

Teh Climate Crazies are out again - who forgot to lock the gate?

When you see this sort of event description you know that Abbott’s Barmy Army of climate change deniers is on the loose again:

“The BOM has been complicit in spreading the lies and deceit behind JuLIAR's 'settled science' and 'consensus' she uses to support this 'whacky tax'”

They will be outside the Bureau of Meteorology at 8am on the 30^th September 2011 in La Trobe Street, Melbourne for a ‘Revolt Against The Carbon Tax’ demo.

As this mob appears to include quite a few galahs from the Just Grounds online community who seem to firmly believe that a government minister wants to gas them all, I look forward to hearing that a lot of nonsense was spouted.

Coffs councillor continues to cane Cowper MP, Luke Hartsuyker

In a letter to the editor of The Coffs Coast Advocate, Coffs Harbour City councillor, Mark Graham, continues on his mission to protect the environment and asks the federal local MP to account for his support for an antimony mine in the local area.

Mining catastrophe

It is immensely concerning that the member for Cowper, Mr Luke Hartsuyker, has publicly stated that the 60 jobs that will potentially be created through the establishment of an antimony mine at Wild Cattle Creek by Anchor Resources and its owner, China Shandong Jinshunda, will be a good thing for our regional economy.

This is because the tourism industry down the Clarence River (rafting, fishing and swimming), the southern-most cane growing lands in Australia and the nationally renowned and highly valuable prawn fishery at the mouth of the Clarence River will all be heavily impacted should this mine proceed.

These major industries underpin the economy of our region.

Furthermore, our three-year-old regional water supply, in which Coffs Harbour and Clarence Valley Councils have invested approximately $200 million, faces a great risk because of the toxic antimony, arsenic and mercury known to exist within the ore body that China Shandong Jinshunda seeks to mine.

On March 31, 2009, approximately 900mm of rainfall fell on the mine site.

There is nothing that can be done to capture all run-off in such extreme rainfall events.

It is inevitable that the Clarence River will be polluted should this mine proceed.

At a meeting yesterday at Coffs Harbour City Council chambers, the managing director of Anchor Resources, Mr Ian Price, stated that the lifespan of the mine will be measured in years, not decades.

Please explain your reasoning for supporting this mine on economic grounds, Mr Hartsuyker?

Councillor Mark Graham

Source: Letters, The Coffs Coast Advocate, 24/9/11

Beating up on bats has become the favourite pastime of the environmentally ignorant

"The stink is so bad it wakes us at night and we can't open the windows of a day.”

“…I'm always cleaning bat poo off the patio..”
"rodents"

“…. they have to be eradicated,"

"In the summertime, kids swim in there. Quite frankly, their health is at risk,"

These are selected quotes given by the pair pictured above (and a handful of unidentified neighbours) when interviewed in The Mainbrace, Yamba by The Daily Examiner on 19 September 2011.

Sounds like a terrible state of affairs having what is probably a seasonal flying fox camp in a very large reserve on the opposite side of the road, doesn’t it?

The reality is somewhat different. No street thick with guano, no terrible smell, flying foxes roosting to the middle of the wide reserve and not in the trees and shrubs adjoining the footpath and, even at high tide no area suitable for swimming as the reserve is predominately mudflats and marsh with a heavily silted up creek running through its centre.

The clean street

The flying foxes (zoom lens)

Some of the trees at the reserve edge with no flying foxes

A section of marsh

Faark, she's back!

La Niña conditions have returned and will continue into 2012 according to NOAA. Will there be widespread flooding for Christmas this year? Has anyone warned Santa that he might need a flood boat for Northern NSW and Queensland deliveries?

NOAA La Nina Advisory

Breaking news

It's official! According to The Northern Star's website yesterday beer drinking (along with horse racing and surfing) is a sport.

Warning: All sports activities, including beer consumption, should be undertaken in moderation. If in doubt, consult your friendly medical practitioner. Perhaps a second opinion should also be sought