In 2012 John Howard still has his lips firmly fastened on the $$$ teat

“Former PM John Howard's flights, car use, office and telecommunications bills cost taxpayers $151,833 in the first six months of this year.”

Glenugie woman chains herself to work truck at CSG exploration drilling site in Clarence Valley

Deb Whitley of Glenugie 4 December 2012

CSG Free Northern Rivers Media Release 4th December 2012:

Brave Glenugie woman puts body on the line at Metgasco coal seam gas site

On the eve of Planning Minister Brad Hazzard’s visit to the Northern Rivers region, a brave and committed local woman has attached herself to a work truck at Metgasco’s coal seam gas site near Grafton. More than one hundred residents are on site with more flocking to the site all the time.

Deb Whitley of Glenugie says she has been forced to take this action because her land and home are under threat from coal seam gas mining.

“My home has always been the one constant in my life. It is my safety, my sanctuary - this industry threatens all of this,” said Deb.

The Grafton community, like the rest of the Northern Rivers region, is overwhelmingly opposed to coal seam gas and the threat it poses to community health, the environment and existing jobs.

“With my land I have choices to create an income and sustainable life for my future and now this is uncertain for me,” Deb said.

“The coal seam gas industry threatens our health and without good health we have nothing. I’ve always considered myself lucky but now I don’t know.”

“Minister Hazzard says he is coming to our region to answer our questions, well I have a question for him: Why is his government forcing rural communities like ours to take actions such as this to defend our communities from an unsustainable and unsafe industry?” said Lynette Eggins, of Clarence Valley Alliance Against CSG.

“The Minister needs to realise that this issue is not going to go away - our communities are strong and growing stronger, we will stand up to this government and their industry buddies for as long as it takes to stop their destructive plans for our region.”

 

UPDATE:

Deb's chains being cut

The Daily Examiner



Are the Tara coal seam gas fields any indication of the effect Metgasco's mining plans will have on NSW North Coast property values?

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 2011 Google Earth image
Click on image to enlarge
 

This is an image of one section of the coal seam gas well cluster and other associated infrastructure between Tara and Chincilla townships in Queensland.

 

Metgasco Limited appears to have similar plans on the NSW North Coast, with an estimated 1,000 gas wells proposed for the Lismore-Casino area alone.

 

Recently Clarence Valley residents concerned over Metgasgo’s test drilling in the Clarence Valley have expressed fears that land values may decrease if gas production wells are eventually established in the local government area.

 

As usual Metgasco director, shareholder and CEO, Peter Henderson, is quick to deny any negative relationship between coal seam gas mining and land values.

 

Using the Western Downs local government area in Queensland as an example, it is clear that overall property values have only increased by a moderate 3 per cent between 2011-12.

 

In towns around which the gas fields are centred, the residential sector saw an increase of between 10-30% from October 2010 to October 2011. While commercial and industrial property valuations in these towns have apparently responded with a range of valuations going from no increase, through to moderate increase and, in the case of Chinchilla’s fringe commercial market a large increase in that same period falling away to a moderate increase in 2012.

 

However, the Queensland Valuer-General states in his 2012 Property Market Movement Report that; Sales of rural land purchased by resource companies for the purposes of mining or other extractive industry are not used to determine statutory land values of rural land and rural land values showed a small reduction in Miles and Tara with the balance of the local government area remaining unchanged.

 

According to anti-CSG activist Peter Ralph, in practical terms this translated for one Wieambilla rural residential property owner into a fall in his land valuation from $115,000 last year to $77,000 this year. This same landowner had seven drill rigs and a gas compressor station within seven kilometres of his house in 2011 and a pipeline 300 metres from the front door.

 

As the majority of established gas wells are sited on rural land, one can assume that production wells on or near a rural property may have a detrimental impact on the value of that property.

For an area such as the Clarence Valley, where the majority of land is classified rural and much of this used for forestry, agriculture, grazing and ‘tree change’ retirement, such a valuation trend does not bode well.

Ballina local government area is in a similar position, with an estimated 20 per cent of its population living in rural zones predominately given over to agricultural activities.

Background:

A short helicopter tour of the Tara region gas fields.

 

The political dirty tricks brigade are at it again?

The Northern Rivers Echo lets the cat out of the bag on 29^th November 2012:

“A glossy, four-page missive appeared, unsolicited, in my letterbox last week, with a picture of Page MP Janelle Saffin on the front.

In five decks of huge capital letters it screamed:

"Janelle, why are you voting to hurt our community?"

Now I've had a fair bit to do with Ms Saffin over the years and she's always struck me as hard-working and community-minded.

And I assumed 'our community' was referring to the Northern Rivers.

So imagine my surprise when I turned to the last page and found written in tiny print that 'our community' was, in fact, referring to the Australian Hotels Association, the lobby group for pubs. The propaganda had been authorised by P. Nicolaou, the former fund-raising chief for the NSW Liberal Party, who thought, along with Premier Barry O'Farrell, that there was no conflict of interest in working for both organisations at the same time.

And what they were claiming would 'hurt our community' were the Federal Government's proposed gambling laws.”

The laughter continues....

 

On the subject of Leader of the Opposition Tony Abbott accusing the Australian Prime Minister of committing a crime, one journalist was in a rollicking mood:

 

'Bruiser' Abbott is waltzed out of the fight on a TKO

 

Abbott tried to get on his toes, but shuffled. He tried to dance, but was out of shape. He'd skipped training, leaving to his second, Julie Bishop, all the weight work.

Once he was in the ring, he couldn't bring himself to utter the word ''crime'', nor produce reliable evidence that it had occurred. He jabbed with an ''unethical'' here and an ''untrustworthy'' there and his haymakers were wild swings about being ''party to the creation of a slush fund''. Glory be, he was reduced to accusing Gillard of ''conduct unbecoming''. Close to throwing in the towel.

Metgasco corporate line up for your edification

 

There has been some talk recently about the ethics or otherwise of local firms undertaking contract work for Metgasco Limited (Registered address Level 9, 77 Pacific Highway, North Sydney NSW ) when so many people on the NSW North Coast are resolutely opposed to coal seam gas exploration and mining in the region.

One media outlet has even bandied about the rather emotive term "innocent workers".

 

One could argue that these local business decisions cannot be isolated from any potential or realised negative effects of mining on agricultural land, water security, communities and existing regional economies.

 

However, what is not in dispute is the fact that directors and senior management of Metgasco are responsible for that company’s actions.

 

These are the names of Metgasco Limited’s current directors, company secretaries and senior management as of 23 November 2012:

 

NICHOLAS MOUBRAY HEATH Director and Non Executive Chairman, shareholder

8 Edzell Avenue, TOORAK VIC 3142

 

LEONARD FRANCIS GILL Director, shareholder

30 Seaview Crescent, BLACK ROCK VIC 3193

 

PETER JOHN HENDERSON Director, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, shareholder

22A Kingslangley Road, GREENWICH NSW 2065

 

STEVEN JOSEPH KOROKNAY Director, shareholder

Unit 20, 17-19 Newhaven Place, ST IVES NSW 2075

 

NICHOLAS JOHN VICTOR GEDDES Secretary

36 Elizabeth Parade, LANE COVE NSW 2066

 

SEAN HOOPER Secretary and Chief Financial Officer

11 Peats Ridge Road S, CALGA NSW 2250

 

PETER STANMORE  General Manager, Exploration

 

RICHARD SHIELDS    External Relations Manager

 

ROBERT PETERSEN   Business Development Manager

 

DR SIMON HANN  Production & Drilling Manager

 

AIDAN STEWART  Operations Manager

 

If you want to focus on the real opportunists, then these are the men.