From Chelsey Austin's Facebook photosClick to enlarge
Saturday 3 December 2011
Fair dinkum, I bet they're spewing in Macquarie Street right now
In June this year Bazza O’Farrell severed the link between the salaries of state and federal backbench pollies – in the past the base salary of a NSW MP was aligned with a Federal MP minus $500.
So in 2011 those pollies in Macquarie Street are sitting on $139,544 as annual salary plus an electoral allowance, with only the hope of a capped 2.5% increase next time the Parliamentary Remuneration Tribunal considers salaries and allowances.
While down in Canberra……..
The new NSW Nats MP for Clarence is going to have to hustle hard for a lucrative parliamentary committee chair or two if he's to live in the style I hear his trouble n strife is expecting. He may actually have to work in the job, which might come as a bit of a shock to someone used to cruising on autopilot when he was in Clarence Valley local government.
Friday 2 December 2011
Daily Departures: Who will tell us when our friends are having their funeral?
Today's print edition's of The Coffs Coast Advocate and The Tweed Daily News are collector items. After today, both papers will become mere shells of themselves despite bells, whistles and hoopla coming from various APN sources about new, improved online news for readers interested in local news in the Coffs and Tweed local areas. This reader hopes APN keeps its promises and The Daily Examiner and The Northern Star improve their coverage of the Coffs and Tweed areas.
A correspondent to the Tweed Daily News (you've just gotta luv such dear souls) points out the impact the demise of his Tweed daily will have on "oldies".
Tweed 'infrastructure' lost
Thank you for allowing me to express my views at the local level for the past 12 years.
Along with many others who have spoken to me about your restricted publication we will all miss your Daily News.
Your much read local news and local history is now lost to the Tweed as we grow.
Very few of us "oldies" will follow you on the computer that many do not have or want.
On a very personal note, a number of my friends have asked: "Who will tell us when our friends are having their funeral?"
Part of Tweed's infrastructure has died and we will be lost.
Maybe your Saturday edition needs a section called: "Seen in hospital last week".
Thank you again.
Laurie Ganter
Coal seam gas mining catastrophe
The Coffs Coast Advocate made its final appearance today as a 'daily' ... sad news indeed. Read The Advocate's Belinda Scott tribute to the paper's last edition here.
Coal seam catastrophe
Wake up, Australia. Gas coal seam mining will ruin the land, foul the underground water, foul surface water, degrade the soil and the atmosphere and generally bring about ruin to the families that own property that is subject to a mining lease.
I have recently viewed a documentary on this type of mining and the after effects on the countryside in the heartland of USA, mass destruction of the environment both above ground and below ground, plus the health and well being of land owners, all for the sake of the almighty dollar.
Thousands upon thousands of wells across America from Texas through to New York state.
Toxic chemicals into watercourses, private water wells, soils from one end of the country to the other and all this in a space of 10 years, unrepairable, with the mining companies never admitting liability and as a result little or no compensation for the injured parties.
Government agencies entrusted to monitor the industry in the early days, had no idea what was being used in the fracking process, so that when problems started to surface, government did not have a clue what they were dealing with.
Listening to our NSW and Queensland premiers, doesn't this sound all too familiar? They are so strapped for cash that they are prepared to sell the future of clean, clear water, viable food production, health and well-being of landowners for a miserable short-term dollar return.
Repeal the legislation and nip this in the bud before it becomes a major environmental disaster.
My simple logic tells me that it is going to be impossible to repair a fracture in the rock strata that allows toxic water and chemicals to reach an underground water reservoir, possibly 2000-4000 feet underground, through a six-inch pipe.
Are the miners going to send in trained mice armed with super glue to repair the fracture?
Once the damage is done it will be too late.
What is more important? Water, food, health, land or dollars?
I hope that the people of NSW and Queensland swamp their local politicians with questions regarding this stupidity that they appear to endorse.
M I Randall
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