Another Liberal Party official tacitly admits wrongdoing

After almost eight years of putting his hand on his heart and signing all those Liberal Party of Australia (NSW Division) financial disclosure documents, Simon McInnes (left) is bowing to the inevitable….

The Australian, 29 March 2016:

NSW Liberal Party finance director Simon McInnes will today stand down from his role as the party executive with responsibility for campaign finances.

His resignation as party agent comes ahead of the NSW Liberals amending their disclosures to admit receipt of illegal donations from property developers, which will see them face a fine up to the nearly $700,000 — or equivalent to the dollar value of the donations unlawfully received.

The Australian can also reveal the Liberal Party has not ruled out legal action in the Supreme Court against the NSW Electoral Commission if it withholds up to $4.4 million in funding ahead of the federal election.

Mr McInnes is expected to resign as the Liberal Party’s agent to state director Chris Stone today, but will not resign from his role as finance director. The party’s agent is the person legally responsible for management and disclosure of election campaign finances to the NSW Electoral Commission.

Mr Stone is preparing to meet the NSW Electoral Commission to identify which of the Free Enterprise Foundation donations were earmarked for the federal campaign and which for NSW…….

With the Liberal Party preparing to amend its disclosures, it would be inconsistent for Mr McInnes to authorise the new ­returns, given he signed off on the last disclosures that did not ­include details of the $700,000 ­donated via the Canberra-based trust, the FEF……

The FEF publicly disclosed to the AEC $1.15m of donations from major companies, including property developers, in 2010-11.

Political Cartoons of the Week

Jon Kudelka, The Australian, 29 March 2016

Geoff Pryor, The Saturday Paper, 26 March 2016

Mining exploration company Anchor Resources active again on Dorrigo Plateau

Image from Blicks River Guardians

Dorrigo Environment Watch Inc:

Calling for Cancellation of ALL Mineral Exploration Licences on the Dorrigo Plateau

A Dorrigo landholder has for the past 6 years fought to stop antimony exploration activities on their property. The exploration company, Anchor Resources Ltd, breached the Mining Act 1992 in 2011 and was subsequently fined. Since that time there has been constant pressure from the exploration company for a new land access agreement regardless of the landholder not wishing to have exploration activities on the property. This matter has been held up in a prolonged arbitration process despite the exploration licence expiring on the 3rd March 2016.

More recently Anchor Resources Ltd, which also holds two other substantial exploration licences on the Dorrigo Plateau has been identified by Delisted Australia as a ‘Worthless Share Company 2015/2016’ (http://www.delisted.com.au/capital-gains-tax/capital-losses-2015-2016). 

Dorrigo Environment Watch Inc. questions how a landholder can be subject to such prolonged stress by a government process that supports an exploration company that is considered worthless financially? Where is the natural justice and procedural fairness for landholders? The financial capability of Anchor Resources Ltd clearly does not comply with the requirements of financial solvency as part of the exploration licence approval process, and yet the NSW Government has done nothing. Dorrigo Environment Watch Inc. request that the NSW Government immediately cancel all exploration licences held by Anchor Resources Ltd. We also question the integrity of the current process given that no government action has yet occurred to cancel these exploration licences and that a landholder has been subject to unnecessary and prolonged stress. Our recent invitation to Melinda Pavey, MP for Oxley to visit the site and discuss the issues, was declined.

Dorrigo Environment Watch Inc. reiterate that any form of mining on the Dorrigo Plateau is an inappropriate land use given the significant biodiversity, agricultural, World Heritage and water catchment values of which the Plateau is nationally and internationally renowned. The current land use policies, planning and environmental laws do not adequately or fairly protect the Plateau’s natural assets from inappropriate land uses, such as mining.

___________________________________________________________

Arbitration decision released 29th March 2016

Breaking news..........Anchor Resources Ltd granted a 3 year Landholder Access Agreement as a result of Arbitration. It is understood at this early stage that the access agreement is to initially undertake remediation at Wild Cattle Creek from prior exploration activities and then to continue with their exploration activities planned since 2011. More details to be provided soon......................

The hidden delights of an as yet undeveloped block of land at Iluka in the Clarence Valley

These are photographs supplied by an Iluka resident highlighting some of the biodiversity of a 19ha lot which is currently the subject of a 162 lot subdivision development application before the Northern Joint Regional Planning Panel and Clarence Valley Council.

Rainbow bee-eaters (Merops ornatus) - listed as a Migratory species and a Marine species under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Protected under JAMBA international treaty.

Native orchid

Flowering gum tree

Strangler fig

Coastal cypress pine (Callitris columellaris)

Part of the tree cover

Wallaby track

Coastal banksia (banksia integrifolia)

Red stinkhorn fungus (Phallus rubicundus)

Female koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) with joey

Banksia laden with cones

Native fungus

Young native staghorns, ferns and orchid plant attached to tree

Mature fern speciman

Wattle (Arcacia)

Native fungus

*

Young native staghorns, assorted ferns and mosses

River lily (Crinum pedunculatum)

Tree canopy

Drop Bear distribution map for the wary travellers in Australia

http://australianmuseum.net.au/drop-bear

Around the size of a leopard or very large dog with coarse orange fur with some darker mottled patterning (as seen in most Koalas). It is a heavily built animal with powerful forearms for climbing and holding on to prey. It lacks canines, using broad powerful premolars as biting tools instead…

Drop Bears can be found in the densely forested regions of the Great Dividing Range in South-eastern Australia. However there are also some reports of them from South-east South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges and Kangaroo Island…..

Drop Bears hunt by ambushing ground dwelling animals from above, waiting up to as much as four hours to make a surprise kill. Once prey is within view, the Drop Bear will drop as much as eight metres to pounce on top of the unsuspecting victim. The initial impact often stuns the prey, allowing it to be bitten on the neck and quickly subdued.

If the prey is small enough Drop Bears will haul it back up the tree to feed without harassment from other predators…..

Bush walkers have been known to be 'dropped on' by drop bears, resulting in injury including mainly lacerations and occasionally bites. Most attacks are considered accidental and there are no reports of incidents being fatal.

There are some suggested folk remedies that are said to act as a repellent to Drop Bears, these include having forks in the hair or Vegemite or toothpaste spread behind the ears. There is no evidence to suggest that any such repellents work. 

How to turn a NSW North Coast family beach from terrific to toxic

In 2014 Evans Head on the NSW Far North Coast scored a 100% rating for having a good or very good rating on all its beaches, with Main Beach being scored Very Good in the State of the Beaches 2013-14 report.

Main Beach, Evans Head, 1 October 2014

Twenty-one months on from that environmental accolade and this is Main Beach sand as at 20 March 2016

The Northern Star, 24 June 2015:

DREDGING will start this week on the Evans River and boat harbour at Evans Head.

Member for Clarence Chris Gulaptis said the NSW Government contributed more than $550,000 toward the Evans Head dredging project. 

"The works are funded under the NSW Government's Dredging of Priority Waterways on the North Coast program which supports commercial fishing fleets and leisure boating through navigational dredging," he said.

"Maintaining access to coastal river entrances and harbours is vital to regional economies and this program focuses on work between Forster and Tweed Heads with provision of work at other locations.

"The work at Evans Head was due to commence this week (22 June) to dredge 18,000 cubic metres of clean marine sand from the Evans River navigation channel that will be used to renourish the beach area between the Evans River northern breakwater and the Beach Street carpark.

"Another 2,000 cubic metres of sediment will be dredged from the boat harbour and pumped into geotextile bags. "

Once dewatered, the sediment will then be transported offsite to a licensed landfill facility.

"The dredging contract for the $564,225 project was awarded to National Dredging Services, a local company based in Yamba," Mr Gulaptis said…..

Echo NetDaily, 1 February 2016:

In a letter to the Environment Protection Authority (EPA), the Evans Head Residents for Sustainable Development group has blasted the Crown Lands department for the quality of spoil dumped on Main Beach last year during dredging operations.

Group spokesperson Dr Richard Gates said ‘In my view the whole dredging process has damaged the beach and the contaminated spoil has probably acted to attract sharks to the area via direct or indirect means’.

Dr Gates said photographic evidence showed that Crown Lands and other departments had failed to ensure that the quality of spoil dumped on Main Beach was consistent with the natural sands of the area.

Photos show black sludge containing material such as oyster shells being dumped on the beach, or being released into the ocean.

He said the Richmond Valley Council had been left to try clean up the mess.

‘In my view there needs to be a thorough review of this whole process,’ he said.

‘Richmond Valley Council has been left to clean up a contaminated beach.  Who will be picking up the bill?

‘And I would like to know why material incompatible with the beach and the ocean was dumped on the Main Beach at Evans Head and who made the decision to allow that to happen.

‘Where were the monitoring authorities and why was no oversight given to the process by independent agencies?

Echo NetDaily, 29 March 2016:

A residents’ group in Evans Head is demanding that a dredge operator pay to clean up Evans Head’s Main Beach after dumping contaminated material on it.

The material, which includes oyster shells, shell fragments, shards of glass, metal cans and organic matters, has resulted in visitors avoiding the beach, and some getting cut feet.

The Evans Head Residents for Sustainable Development Incorporated (EHRSDI) has lodged a complaint about the dumping, and is now asking why the Richmond Valley Council is moving the contaminated material further up the beach.

EHRSDI spokesman Dr Richard Gates said the contaminated spoil dumped on the Main Beach opposite the Surf Club during a dredging program last year in the Evans River.

‘A comprehensive photographic record shows that not only was a considerable amount of the spoil not compatible with the beach but that the spoil was taken from parts of the Evans River which were identified as being not appropriate for the beach,’ Dr Gates said.

‘That material should have been removed and bunded as happened with contaminated material from the boat harbour.

He said despite repeated attempts by council to clean the beach of the contamination with a raking program the shell fragments and glass, etc., continue to appear.

‘And a sand cliff has formed at the beach which makes it difficult for Surf Life Saving to get its rescue equipment to the water,’ he said…..

Evans Head Residents for Sustainable Development Inc. had this to say on Facebook, 23 March 2016:

So what has the EPA had to say about problems with dredging at Evans Head? Well here is their response with names removed.

They received comprehensive information from us about what had happened:

"Thank you for your emails of 19, 22 and 23 November 2015 regarding the dredging works in the Evans River. I appreciate you taking the time to bring these issues to our attention. 

Given that Crown Lands is responsible for assessing and approving the works in accordance with the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, it is appropriate to discuss the content of the REF with Crown Lands. Towards this end I understand that Mr XXXXXXXXXXXX of Crown Lands contacted you last week to discuss the issues you have raised with the project. 

Crown Lands is currently undertaking a number of navigation dredging projects in the north coast region. Some of these have been recently completed, including the Evans River project. 

The EPA has received several complaints regarding these dredging projects and has conducted inspections in responding to these complaints. This culminated in a recent meeting with Crown Lands regarding the environmental performance of dredging projects in the region. This meeting focused on the environmental issues which have been identified and discussed future refinements to the assessment and management processes to deliver enhanced environmental outcomes in the future. 

In response Crown Lands has agreed to revise its current processes in the following manner :
• A more robust assessment of potential sediment disposal locations;
• A more robust assessment of sediment dewatering methodologies that are to be based on site specific sediment characteristics;
• Improved community consultation;
• Improved management and supervision of dredging contractors; and
• Improved water quality management.

Given the nature of the issues which have been identified during the current dredging program the EPA will be closely monitoring future dredging projects. 

If you identify any further issues with future dredging programs I encourage you to contact our Environment Line on 131 555.”

So they had a bit of chat with Crown Lands about getting dredging projects right in future!!!!!! Wait a moment. We're missing something here. So there is a major stuff up with a beach in a community which depends on tourism for its survival and all the EPA can do is make it a 'learning experience' for another government department. Where is the chat with the operator?

You and I stuff up and government agencies are all over us. A powerful department and its contractor stuff up big time and all that happens is they have a chat and are told to learn from their experience so that they can get it right next time.....at our expense!!!! In our view we are being failed badly, very badly yet again by our environment protection authority which is fundamentally a licencing agency for pollution. NOT GOOD ENOUGH. If you are concerned about the beach and what is happening and you think there is a risk to the public there is always the Environment Line 131 555. And you don't need to give your name.

Both the operator and NSW Department of Primary Industries have a lot to answer for.

National Dredging Services (NDS) states it carries a $20 million public liability insurance policy on its works sites – perhaps the good people of Evans Head should be contacting the company and its insurer to inquire as to what a policy of this type actually covers and ask if the company also carries additional insurance.

Photographs from nbnweathershots.com.au, echo.net.au and Evans Head Residents for Sustainable Development Inc.

Australian Right nailed by Rundle

The Saturday Newspaper, 26 March 2016:

The Australian right survives because it is supported by hothouse institutions: the loss-making parts of News Corp, oxymoronically named "think tanks", which take anonymous corporate money to lobby for their industries and then claim tax-deductible charitable status, and the cocooned political process that pipes wacko right-wing fantasists up from student politics through these think tanks and into the senate without encountering democracy at any point.

Such right politics thrives on fear, uncertainty and nostalgia. With a quarter-century of growth, we have very little of that, at least in the all-encompassing sense. The population has become not only more prosperous, but more progressive – values that were once the preserve of the smaller culture or knowledge-producer class are now general. Support for same-sex marriage and multi-ethnic life, alongside suspicion of Western military adventures and pro-choice abortion politics, are now spread among 70 per cent of the population. The conservative right has struggled to accept this. It believed that residual conservative values – for harsh immigration policies, for Anzac – suggested a silent conservative majority out there. They believed that Tony Abbott, rising to power on a promise of running Labor's programs while being not Labor, could then become a powerful author of the conservative rollback.

But Abbott failed because the conservative faultline runs through the man himself. Abbott is no Ted Cruz, a man forged in the heat of a great and confident national political tradition. He's a searching neurotic product of a convert Catholic family, deeply conflicted about the role ordained to him – "Tony will be pope or PM," parents and family said – expressing his European reactionary mindset, pre-1789, in the manner laid out by B. A. Santamaria in his last decades, as a politics of pessimism and noble failure. There was little attempt to create a coherent 21st-century right, as David Cameron has in Britain, and in its absence self-indulgence took over, as marked by the soap opera hysteria at the heart of it, recounted by Niki Savva. It may or may not be embellished in the telling, but who doubts its substance? People leading serious political revolutions don't get caught up in some mash-up of House of Cards and Gossip Girl. People for whom politics has ceased to provide a meaningful vocation do.

There was an emotional decadence at the heart of the Abbott government, a result of its attempt to project its right-wing fantasies onto a country that no longer felt defined by them. What's happening now is simply the endgame of the Abbott push, and the right-wing culture politics attached to it.