ECHOBYTES April 10-17 But Mrs Elliot stuck to her guns, saying Mr Curtis was ‘entitled to be an active member of compiled from the ‘echonetdaily' with the National Party, but as president speaking on permission, by Ari Ehrlich. Printed copies at behalf of the chamber he’s now crossed the line and can no longer be considered politically Caldera Environment Centre and cafes impartial’. courtesy of the CEC. Go to She said he had ‘compromised the once non- echonetdaily.com.net.au the Northern Rivers political reputation of the Tweed Business independent newspaper. Chamber and must now resign because of his overt political bias’. MP calls on chamber head to quit GM campaign Published On: Thu, Apr 11th, 2013 Mr Curtis has been at the forefront of a Luis Feliu controversial and orchestrated campaign recently Richmond MP Justine Elliot has launched a by conservative supporters to have Tweed scathing attack on Tweed businessman Rory council sacked for suddenly terminating its Curtis, calling on him to quit his post as Tweed general manager’s contract. Chamber of Commerce president for He claimed the campaign to have the former GM ‘compromising its once non-partisan reputation’. reinstated was non-partisan, but opponents have Mrs Elliot said that by overtly backing her labelled it a ‘farce’ because of the involvement political opponent in the upcoming federal of many National Party and conservative election, Mr Curtis had politicised the chamber supporters and former politicians in a bid to he is president of. topple the new progressive majority on Council. She has also attacked him for ‘intentionally Veteran National Party Cr Warren Polglase is Mr trying to hide his National Party loyalties and Curtis’s deputy (vice president) on the Tweed membership’ from the media and the public. Heads Chamber of Commerce. She revealed he is the most senior National Party Mrs Elliot said, ‘the chamber and its membership figure in the electorate, as chairman of the should not be used as a political vehicle for the Nationals’ Richmond Electorate Council for the benefit of Rory Curtis and his fellow National past two years, saying he was therefore ‘running Party mates’. the show while trying to be a faceless man too’. Mr Curtis said he won’t quit his role as head of Mrs Elliot also released email correspondence the chamber ‘but I am retiring at the end of my between her and Mr Curtis yesterday, describing term in July’. Mr Curtis’s response to her as ‘bizarre’. He told Echonetdaily that he ‘used to vote Labor But Mr Curtis said his comments to a local but the relationship is now fractured’. media outlet yesterday, offering to throw his ‘full ‘The Tweed chamber is an unbiased, apolitical support’ behind National Party candidate organisation and we have a history of having Matthew Fraser, were made ‘as an individual’ political presenters from all persuasions, for and not as chamber president. example, MP Justine Elliott is locked in to speak The report prefaced his comments by describing in approximately two breakfasts from now and him as the chamber president and how he ‘hoped we have had, and will continue to, meet the for a positive change for the Tweed business council candidate forums,’ Mr Curtis said. community’. ‘The reality is that a high proportion of business Mr Curtis told Echonetdaily he had later operators are conservative voters, which will be ‘clarified’ the endorsement with the media outlet no mystery to MP Justine Elliott and I am happy that it was said as ‘an individual’ during the to support Matthew as a “reformed conservative campaign launch of Mr Fraser. voter” in his campaign.’

1 Affiliation When pressed about his National Party affiliation, he responded by saying ‘like many people involved in local associations (eg Dawn Walker as president of the Fingal Head Community Association), I am a member of a political party. I recently joined the National Party as a prior disenfranchised Labor voter.’ In his email to Mrs Elliot, Mr Curtis said he had ‘never intentionally hid anything and today was the only and first time I have ever being questioned on my membership of a political party and when I was asked I informed Luis More than 26,000 young people in Australia do from The Echo of my membership. not have the luxury of their own bed, those who ‘No one has ever approached me with a direct attended a sleep-in to mark Youth Homelessness question. My mum and dad bought me up to tell Matters Day 2013 heard last night. the truth and that’s what I did. Of that figure, over 5,000 will be sleeping rough ‘Your aspersions that I intentionally hid anything while more than 20,000 youths will be making is an insult and there is nothing in the the most of friends’ couches and floors for constitution of the chamber that says a board accommodation. member must not have a political membership. Yet despite these alarming statistics, there are ‘My request still stands that you retract the just 24 beds for shared youth accommodation statement that I politicised the chamber. The across Lismore, Goonellabah and Nimbin. The statement I made was as an individual. youth hostel in Byron Bay has five beds. These are intended to cover the entire area from Tweed ‘There is no shame in saying you got it wrong.’ Heads to Grafton. He told her also that ‘for the record I’m a Roman To mark the occasion, Youth Connections North Catholic, follow the Titans, belong to Rotary, Coast (YCNC) together with the Northern Rivers like the colour red and my star sign is Scorpio’. Social Development Council (NRSDC) invited Cr Gary Bagnall, who was targeted by the community representatives and community conservatives’ campaign to have the former GM members to give up their beds last night and reinstated, has called on the local business camp on the floor of a local hall. Supporters chambers to ‘clean up their leadership as they received emergency relief packages to ration appear to have been hijacked by a single political between their dinner and breakfast. party with an agenda of its own’. Lismore Mayor Jenny Dowell donated a prize Cr Bagnall was in Sydney for the past month to and also gave up her bed for the night to join the attend to his ailing father, who died over the challenge. Easter weekend, and he could not respond to the She told the gathering, ‘… it is not a rich and attacks on him, which included threats and blessed community while we have people who intimidation by known supporters of the minority do not have a place to call home’. conservative councillors. Mayor Dowell told Echonetdaily, ‘Youth Couch surfing is the new face of Homelessness Matters Day is our chance to homelessness reflect on this issue and reflect on what we can do to improve that situation’. Published On: Thu, Apr 11th, 2013 The campaign has run since 1994, originating in Melissa Hargraves western Sydney and has now grown to a national

2 campaign, which this year saw an online future path. Mr Paradise said that 90 per cent of component. older homeless people have had their first Sonia Martindale-Vale of YCNC explained why experience of homelessness before they were 18. this event wasn’t a classic ‘sleep out’. Mayor Dowell discussed the broader issue of ‘This is a couch surfing event to emphasise that affordable housing with Echonetdaily, ‘… young people generally don’t rough sleep, they affordable housing means different things to couch surf,’ she told Echonetdaily. ‘This looks different people. There is affordable housing to really different from the homeless person under people who are buying their first home and who the bridge. This is why we held the event inside, are renting etc. My belief is that wherever you to show what it really is. intervene along that spectrum (from primary homelessness to people who are trying to buy ‘Most of these youths are not homeless from not their first home or struggling with mortgage coping with rules at home. They are usually repayments); there will be a ripple effect both fleeing domestic violence, sexual assault, ways. If we can increase supply there is not so untreated mental health or drug and alcohol much pressure on the price.’ abuse. So this is not about young people choosing to leave their primary care givers; they The provision of affordable housing, although have nowhere else to be,’ she said. needed, will not solve the homelessness crisis on its own. ‘Young working people are struggling to get rental histories and on average are not leaving Mr Paradise tackled the dilemma. home until the age of 27,’ Ms Martindale-Vale ‘Housing is a much bigger problem than just added. homelessness so the housing issue needs to be ‘If this demographic is struggling coming from a looked at in a broader context. Homelessness, “functioning” home, then how does a 16 year old however, requires support services. If a youth is get into a place when they can’t even sign a lease lucky enough to get a tenancy, they need to know until they are 18? And that’s just the start of the how to maintain that and have the skills to obstacles.’ navigate life.’ Brett Paradise from NRSDC told Echonetdaily Ms Martindale-Vale added, ‘… we are talking that the ‘risks and challenges of young people about young people who often don’t have a who don’t have a safe place to be or the security parent/guardian type model, so they are trying to of a place for a longer period of time, impact work out things like how do they make $386 a hugely on their lives’. fortnight feed them, house them, clothe them and school them? How do you share a house with a ‘These risks can be as bad as out on the streets, complete stranger? All this while still trying to and quite often they can float from the street to a navigate what brought them to homelessness in friends for a little while, then family, and back the first place. onto the street etc. It makes it really hard to connect with things they need to do like school ‘You can give a young person a house but it or work.’ doesn’t mean they’ll know what to do with that.’ Gathering data on this type of homelessness is Mayor Dowell pointed out that local councils merely estimation. Mr Paradise believes there is can help in many ways, particularly through a major undercount, as ‘most youths don’t facilitation. consider themselves homeless if there is a roof ‘We have brought John Brice from a local over their head, but without stability and a place medical clinic (who has been concerned about they can keep their things they are homeless and the young people in this area) in touch with the at risk’. YWCA and YCNC and through chance Rob Early intervention is critical in changing the Allen, a local minister who also wants to help course for young people as a trajectory of their young people. This meeting has created a hub in the short term and there is land available for a

3 more permanent centre.’ and connect a global network of active people Local minister Rob Allen opened the doors of his who are standing up to say no to bio-energy non-denominational church hall to throw support sources that harm forests and wildlife, the behind the initiative, and also provide land for climate and people. YCNC. Mr Allen had previously been the Next Monday has been named the International Lismore High School chaplain for ten years and Day of Action Against Native Forest Bio-energy. had been involved with youth programs and And while that may seem like a mouthful, the development prior to that. ‘action’ that the campaign wants you to take He told Echonetdaily that he had himself ‘couch doesn’t involve bussing to the nearest city and surfed’ as a youth and is not intent on converting standing outside parliament with placards. It’s youths to his religion. actually much simpler – and much more pleasant – than that. ‘To me it is more about relationships. I keep that first and foremost. Yes I have a relationship with Instead, the campaign invites you to spend a day God, my family and the community we live with. this weekend at one of your local national parks It is about life, helping and loving one another. or nature reserves. There is a catch: you do need We really need to make sure that we are taking to take a placard and a camera. care of each other. When people say “religion”, The campaign has even gone as far as to design a that is the religion I am talking about.’ poster that you can print out on your home printer and fill in with your local details. The ‘Biomassacre’ campaign goes viral poster reads: ‘[Insert your town or region here] say no to a biomassacre, don’t trash our forests Chris Dobney for bio-energy’ or ‘don’t trash forests for bio- A campaign idea started by the Huon Valley energy, it harms wildlife, climate and people’. Environment Centre is dropping into email The very energetic and dedicated might like to inboxes all over the north coast this week. take things a step further and paint a banner to The online campaign intends to draw attention to appear with in their local areas. the logging of native forests for energy and fuel So you spend Sunday (or the campaign suggests production. And it aims to get supporters from Monday) having a picnic in the park, line up across the globe. with your friends for a photo together with your The group’s website, biomassacre.com, says that placards and banners, but instead of just ‘the logging, woodchipping and energy uploading the pictures to Facebook (or in fact as industries are poised to unleash plans to use well as) you email them to the campaign. native forests to produce electricity, and to If even that is too much work you can get convert forests into liquid bio-fuels’. together with your work colleagues during ‘Using native forests as biomass to generate morning tea on Monday, print out a few placards bioenergy and bio-fuels is just a new industrial and take some photos to show your support. use of native forests. It will replace or Email a high resolution photo to supplement the export woodchip trade. It’s [email protected]. Make sure you put the imperative that governments and energy name of your location (city and country) in the companies – current and future – don’t support email or in the title of the photo and the name of bioenergy from native forests.’ the photographer if they would like to be The campaign aims to provoke ‘a decision from credited. energy and liquid fuel retailers to reject selling ‘Global action HQ’ would like to receive all of forest destruction will have far reaching impacts your amazing images/footage by midday, so they for our forests,’ says campaign co-ordinator can collate them and get them out as far and Jenny Weber. wide as possible. She adds that it provides ‘an opportunity to build

4 Just so they know how much work they are up increase the uptake of vaccination on the north for, you are asked to contact Ms Weber ahead of coast and throughout the state and recommended time at [email protected] to register your a social media campaign to get honest answers interest in participating. out to people who were concerned. Greens attack ‘voodoo’ vaccination ‘I think the O’Farrell government has an opponents obligation to run a campaign in the electronic media certainly, but even more so on the internet, Published On: Fri, Apr 12th, 2013 Facebook, Twitter, etcetera, to ensure that every parent knows the risk to their own children, and Chris Dobney others’, of not vaccinating,’ he told Echonetdaily. Another attack has been launched on the The founding head of the Australian Vaccination Australian Vaccination Network, this time from a Network (which opposes all forms of most unexpected quarter. vaccination), Meryl Dorey, lives in Bangalow. NSW Greens MP Dr John Kaye has said that the Dr Kaye described the organisation as state government must take aim against the ‘disgraceful’. ‘voodoo claims and conspiracy theories’ that he accuses the network, amongst others, of ‘The Australian Vaccination Network insists it is spreading. telling both sides of the story. However the individual and community benefits of He was speaking after new statistics released vaccination are a matter of fact, not opinion. yesterday showed that together with some of Spreading misinformation about childhood Sydney’s most exclusive suburbs, Byron and immunisation could be deadly,’ he said. Ballina shires have among the lowest vaccination rates in the state. He said that ultimately the responsibility must lie with the health department to combat the Less than 85 per cent of children in our region ‘conspiracy theories’ and urged the premier to have been vaccinated, leading Dr Kaye to state boost budgets to stretched regional local health that ‘educated people’ were ‘falling prey to districts. misinformation’. ‘Cuts to the state’s health budget will make Dr Kaye recognised that in taking the stand he matters much worse. The already over-stretched would fall foul of some Greens voters but told [health] department struggles to service rural and Echonetdaily this morning, ‘I welcome the remote NSW and get the message out to all diversity of the debate that comes from the north parents that they should ignore the conspiracy coast but where the health and safety of children theory idiocy of the anti-vaccine campaigners. is concerned there is an overriding public health responsibility to ensure all children are ‘Together with more resources for rural and vaccinated. remote areas to ensure that every child has access to an immunisation program, health ‘This goes beyond politics. This goes to the minister Jillian Skinner must put more effort into agony of watching a child struggling to breathe a counter-offensive that shows parents the with whooping cough and it goes to the risk of consequences of whooping cough, measles and an outbreak of a terrible disease like polio. polio. ‘People have done their own research. I don’t ‘It must be made clear to parents that waiting blame people who come to the wrong conclusion until a child gets sick is unfair on their own based on what they see on the internet. The offspring and on others around them. trouble is there are too many sources on the internet that grotesquely mislead parents seeking answers to the complex questions around vaccination. Dr Kaye said the government must do more to

5 Olley art centre a step closer Tweed mayor Barry Longland said yesterday was a major step forward in the project, which showed the shire’s ‘commitment to present a lasting and loving tribute’ to the late artist, and thanked all those involved. Cr Longland said he was confident the gallery with the Olley art centre would become not just the best regional gallery in NSW but throughout Australia. ‘The level of national interest in each stage of this process reflects Margaret Olley’s status as an icon of Australian art and shows how important the centre will be at a national level,’ he said. Luis Feliu Gallery director Susi Muddiman said the sod The symbolic turning of the first sod to mark the turning was a major milestone in the project and start of construction of the $4 million Margaret she was looking forward to seeing work start. Olley Art Centre at the Tweed River Art Gallery Trustee of the Margaret OIley Trust, Phillip was held yesterday. Bacon, said the late artist ‘loved the Tweed The centre, expected to be ready by February gallery’ and was very happy to have her works next year, fulfils the late artist’s wish to house housed there. her collection of works in the gallery, which is The artist spent part of her early childhood in the already proving to be one of the biggest Tweed. attractions in the Tweed. Mr Bacon said trust funding would also enable a A current exhibition of her works, which ends full time staff member to be employed for the this Sunday, has already attracted almost 20,000 centre itself. visitors. Richmond MP Justine Elliot said the Olley art Margaret Olley’s Paddington studio and elements centre represented ‘what we can achieve when of her home will be re-created in the purpose all work together’ and was ‘a real community built extension to the art gallery, which will also victory’ with all levels of government and include extra exhibition space, storage rooms community involved. and library space. Mrs Elliot said the local community was The project is a true co-operative effort with the ‘incredibly proud’ of their gallery and she community, through Tweed Shire Council, the expected it to put the Tweed on the ‘international gallery through its friends and foundation, the stage’. Margaret Olley Art Trust, and all tiers of Lismore MP Thomas George also congratulated government helping to fund it. everyone involved for ‘a real community win’. Representatives from all groups involved in the Mr George said that when he travelled around project attended the sod turning. the state and he mentioned his electorate took in The project funding so far includes a $1 million Murwillumbah, many people and other MPs contribution from the Margaret Olley Art Trust asked how the Olley extension to the gallery was matched by a $1 million federal government going. grant, as well as $200,000 from the NSW He said the gallery drew more than 79,000 government, $620,000 from the Tweed River Art visitors last year and he didn’t know ‘anything Gallery Foundation, $80,000 from the Friends of else in the northern rivers that attracts numbers the Tweed River Art Gallery and $1.1 million in like that year in year out’. council contributions.

6 Successful contractor Alder Constructions will indictable quantity of a prohibited drug and soon start work on the construction of: the possession of steroids, while a 49 year old Bligh Margaret Olley home studio, an artist in Park man was charged with drug possession. residence studio, additional exhibition space, The 47 year old and 41 year old were both education workshop, additional collection refused bail to appear in Blacktown Local Court storage, a library space, refurbishment of the yesterday. gallery entrance and retail area including a new airlock entry, alterations to the existing driveway The 49 year old was granted bail and is entrance and bus parking bay, minor pavement scheduled to appear in Mount Druitt Local Court repairs to front asphalt entrance, a cafe on Thursday May 2. extension, an upgrade of the gallery’s existing Police from Richmond Local Area Command mechanical ventilation system to meet industry also raided a property on Taylors Road, in standards, internal renovations to the retail Chilcotts Grass, on Wednesday afternoon, before outlet, offices and an airlock to maximise arresting a 54 year old woman who lives there. sustainable climatic controls at the gallery’s She was refused bail to appear in Lismore Local entrance. Court yesterday. For more information, visit Last day for CSG submissions http://www.tweed.nsw.gov.au/ArtGallery/Margar etOlleyArtCentre.aspx. The exhibition period for the NSW government’s Four arrested in ice supply ring draft of proposed amendments to the Mining State Environmental Planning Policy (Mining A man and a woman from the northern rivers are SEPP) to implement CSG exclusion zones ends among four people who have been arrested today. following a joint investigation by Richmond Local Area Command and the Gangs Squad into CSG Free Northern Rivers is calling on the supply of methylamphetamine (ice) to truck concerned north coast residents who have yet to drivers. make a submission to do so today. In January 2013, Richmond Local Area According to a report by the group, ‘while the Command’s Drug Unit officers identified a local proposed changes provide welcome protection truck driver as a possible supplier of the drug. for zoned residential areas and mapped critical viticulture and thoroughbred industry clusters, Police allege that on numerous occasions over they do nothing to protect those living on farms the last three months, the man sold ice to other and rural properties and fail to provide protection drivers at various locations along the Pacific and for other vital food growing lands, water New England highways. catchments and sensitive environmental areas’. Between 11am and midday on Wednesday ‘Other shortcomings of these amendments are detectives arrested three men, and seized more that they allow councils to exempt an area from than 60 grams of ice, at Roberts Road in the the protections, while failing to give councils the northwestern Sydney suburb of Eastern Creek. right to include additional areas for protection; A 47 year old man – a truck driver from they don’t cover other types of unconventional Chilcotts Grass, near Lismore – was gas; and they don’t cover coal mining.’ subsequently charged with two counts of CSG Free NR is calling on concerned citizens to supplying an indictable quantity of a prohibited have their say on this policy and tell the drug. Officers also charged him for dealing with government that these protections don’t go far property suspected of being the proceeds of enough. crime. How to make a submission A 41 year old man from Bligh Park in Sydney’s northwest was also charged with supplying an Feedback can be sent in writing to The Director

7 Strategic Regional Policy, Department of carers and health professionals who work with Planning and Infrastructure, GPO Box 39, stroke victims for their 2013 Stroke Champion SYDNEY NSW 2001 or by email to awards. [email protected]. The awards aim to recognise people who have All submissions will be made public. If you do shown outstanding dedication and commitment not want your name and contact details to be to this important work over a period of five years published, do not include those details in your or more. submission or attachments. The draft can be There are two award categories: the Stroke Care viewed here. Champion Award (jointly conferred with the Before making a submission, please read the Stroke Society of Australasia) for health and Department of Planning privacy statement: social care professionals with more than five http://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/privacy. years’ experience; and the Improving Life after Stroke Award, which recognises stroke survivors, National News carers and volunteers who have helped stroke High-speed rail should cost less patients get their lives back on track after stroke Published On: Fri, Apr 12th, 2013 over five or more years. Nomination forms can be downloaded from Climate solutions think-tank Beyond Zero www.strokefoundation.com.au or call 1300 194 Emissions have done their own study on the 196. high-speed rail link from Melbourne to Brisbane route in partnership with the German Aerospace Stroke affects more than 1,000 Australians every Centre (DLR). Their research, which will be week. published in full in May, indicates that the Community lifelines at risk during chosen HSR route could be built for under $70 extreme weather billion, a lot less than the $114 billion quoted in the latest government study. ‘I suspect the stretched timeline adds considerably to the financial challenge, as well as the gold plating, which is evident in their cost estimates. The $114 billion price tag is questionable to say the least,’ said BZE researcher Gerard Drew. The BZE-DLR analysis makes significant savings by avoiding the most difficult terrain. A kilometre of track in a tunnel can cost more than The Australian Council of Social Service ten times that on level ground, so every little bit (ACOSS) yesterday released extensive new adds up to big savings for a 1700km alignment. research showing the ability of communities to ‘We have mapped out our own route based on respond to natural disasters is being severely the limitations of high speed trains, and our weakened by the exclusion of community based analysis indicates that with this limited flexibility organisations from disaster management we could reduce the civil works cost of the rural planning. sections by nearly 40 per cent of the The research project, ‘Extreme Weather, Climate government’s Phase 1 estimates, with negligible Change and the Community Sector – Risks and increases in journey time,’ Drew said. Adaptations’, is a world first review of the Stroke heroes sought preparedness of community service organisations that provide critical social services and support The National Stroke Foundation is looking for to the most vulnerable and disadvantaged people in the community.

8 ‘A major finding was that despite the crucial role the devastating Tasmanian bushfires. Ms locally based organisations play in supporting Earnshaw said, ‘As a community organisation and rebuilding people’s lives during disasters with extensive local knowledge and expertise, like bushfires and floods, they are not included we established our two centres as free public in official emergency response planning and are phone and internet centres and in Dunalley as a critically under-resourced to participate temporary health service facility for stranded effectively,’ said ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra people during the fires. We have had to fund the Goldie. extra financial costs entirely from our own ‘The report highlights the serious consequences, financial reserves. Three months on from the especially for people who rely on social services devastating fires, we are still employing to meet basic needs, if vital service agencies are additional staff to meet increased demand for not able to cope with increasing extreme events. community services and to run fire recovery programs, without yet receiving any promised ‘One research participant bluntly told us that additional funding to meet the associated costs.’ clients would die if their organisation could not provide services because they will not be able to Dr Goldie told yesterday’s inquiry that the eat, use shower and toilet facilities or get out of community sector also has the solutions and bed without the assistance that their organisation presented the 12 core recommendations from the provides. report to the Senate Committee. They cover resourcing and funding mechanisms, building ‘Another example provided demonstrates the sector preparedness and resilience, and sharing critical consequences of service failure in rural risks within the sector, with government and and remote areas, with an organisation that with the private sector and through insurance and provides high security accommodation for collaboration. women and children at immediate risk from domestic and family violence telling us: ‘We are Dr Goldie stated, ‘This research has come to the only service of its type for 1,500km. light on our watch. It is incumbent on us all, in Women’s and children’s safety in the region government, the emergency services and the would be extremely compromised.’ community, to work together to fix this problem. No modern wealthy country can conscionably Dr Karl Mallon, the project’s principal leave its most vulnerable to the ravages of investigator, stated, ‘Our research indicates that natural disasters and extreme weather events. We one week after an extreme weather event 50 per must now collaborate to ensure community cent of community service organisations that service organisations are fully prepared and a sustain serious disruption to their premises or formal part of the solution – anything less would utilities would still be out of operation’. be negligent.’ He said, ‘This research confirms what we have About the research: seen recently in the USA and Europe: that highly The ACOSS research was led by Dr Karl Mallon vulnerable groups like the elderly and people of Climate Risk, an expert on weather and with disabilities are being left to fend for climate impacts for infrastructure and insurance, themselves for days and even weeks after a and funded by the National Climate Change disaster because the community organisations Adaptation Research Facility (NCCARF). that normally tend to them have themselves been crippled. Therein lies the key to the solution: to Key Recommendations: protect vulnerable people from worsening The report identifies a series of extreme events society must prepare the recommendations about the resources and action community sector.’ required to prepare and adapt community service organisations – and the community service sector Yve Earnshaw from the Dunalley Tasman broadly – to climate change and extreme weather Neighbourhood House in Tasmania joined impacts: ACOSS at the Senate hearing to confirm the report findings through her recent experience in 1. the Commonwealth should establish a

9 community sector adaptation fund to support 11. in partnership with the insurance sector, capacity and resilience building projects for national and state sector peaks must develop CSOs and their clients affordable, sector specific insurance packages 2. contracts for service delivery must provide that specifically address the climate change and greater flexibility to CSOs and enable them to extreme weather risks identified in this report participate effectively in disaster response and 12. the sector must be supported to build on recovery efforts existing relationships and to develop new links 3. contracts for service delivery must ensure and partnerships with peer organisations, timely compensation for their contributions to including those that are experienced in climate response and recovery efforts change adaptation and emergency management, as well as non-traditional partners such as local 4. contracts for service delivery must ensure they councils, state government departments of are not penalised for failing to meet contractual environment and climate change, emergency obligations due to their participation in disaster services and utilities in order to create strong response and recovery adaptation and preparedness ‘networks’ at the 5. raise awareness about the serious risks to its local level service delivery and to people experiencing 13. formal federal, state and local government poverty and inequality from climate change and recognition of the critical role the community worsening extreme weather impacts services sector can and does play in climate 6. undertake climate change and extreme change adaptation and emergency management weather risks assessments and develop and with commensurate resources to facilitate and implement disaster management and service support its effective participation in planning, continuity plans response and recovery at all levels. 7. invest in climate change and extreme weather GM sacking justified: govt preparedness and response training for staff and volunteers engaged in direct service provision as Published On: Mon, Apr 15th, 2013 well as management and administrative roles. The community services sector must be Luis Feliu resourced and supported to develop: A state government review has vindicated Tweed 8. a set of easily accessible, practical adaptation Shire Council’s decision to sack its former and preparedness tools that meet the needs of a general manager last month, finally putting the broad spectrum of community service issue, which sparked a political backlash from organisations and can be implemented and conservative and business groups, to rest. institutionalised within their current operational arrangements Mayor Barry Longland welcomed the Division of Local Government review confirming that 9. adaptation and preparedness benchmarks Council’s termination of David Keenan’s specific to community service provision that contract after only 10 months in the job was enable organisations, their funding agencies and reasonable. insurers to plot progress towards risk reduction, resilience and adaptive capacity Cr Longland said Mr Keenan had acted as a ‘lone ranger’ whose style of management 10. sector level initiatives to adapt CSOs and the differed to that of the elected council. sector as a whole that ensure inclusiveness and recognise the particular barriers faced by small He said the former GM had acted ‘outside the and medium sized organisations to engage in risk knowledge or authority of the elected body’ in a assessment, adaptation planning and way ‘that suggested that the mayor and implementation councillors were a mere distraction to his agenda’.

10 The mayor took a swipe at those who led the made as a businessman and as ‘an individual’, charge to try to have Council sacked instead over and the chamber board supported his staying on its decision to sack Mr Keenan. as president. Cr Longland said it was ‘a matter of some regret Officers from the Division of Local Government that leaders of the business community’ had tried spoke to most councillors, senior staff, the to ‘challenge that focus through unhelpful former GM and community members as part of personal and disparaging remarks’ about the their review. community’s elected representatives. Cr Longland said they found no evidence to He also took aim at the highly orchestrated and suggest that the decision was made on improper at times vicious campaign by supporters of the or illegitimate grounds and was satisfied the three National Party aligned minority councillors decision was open to the council to make in the who voted against the GM sacking (Crs Warren circumstances. Polglase, Phil Youngblutt and Carolyn Byrne), The acting head of the division, Steve Orr, wrote which culminated in a protest rally earlier this in his letter to the mayor that a good working month. relationship between a council and its general ‘The political games they play, while grabbing manager was ‘fundamental to the effective headlines in the local press, do not advance the performance of the organisation’. longer term interests of the shire,’ Cr Longland Mr Orr said ‘where that relationship breaks said. down or a council loses confidence in its general ‘Notwithstanding, please be assured that your manager, this can lead to serious dysfunction and council will put to one side those negative and will invariably impact on the capacity of the destructive voices to adhere to our plan and council to meet the needs of its community. ensure, to the maximum extent possible, that our ‘In such circumstances, it is reasonably open to a council can support the efforts of our businesses council to terminate the general manager’s and entrepreneurs.’ employment.’ One of those who spearheaded the campaign is Mr Orr urged ‘all councillors to put their the most senior National Party figure in the differences aside in relation to this matter and to federal electorate of Richmond, Rory Curtis, make a conscious effort to rebuild healthy and who is also senior campaign manager for the constructive working relationships with each party’s candidate for the seat, Matthew Fraser. other and with council staff’. Mr Curtis, the president of the Tweed Heads At this Thursday’s council meeting, the mayor Chamber of Commerce of which Cr Polglase is will table the division’s findings and advice, his vice-president, drew flak from Richmond’s which is available now on Council’s website. Labor MP Justine Elliot last week for politicising the chamber and masking his political role. Cr Longland said it was now ‘time to move on’ and start the process of recruiting a new general Compromised manager ‘and get on with the job of looking after Mrs Elliot called on the businessman to quit his the interests of residents and ratepayers of the post as chamber president for ‘compromising its Tweed. once non-partisan reputation.’ ‘Out of respect, I have no intention of publicly She accused him of overtly backing her political airing the failings of the former general manager. opponent in the upcoming federal election and I am making a conscious decision to play the attacked him for ‘intentionally trying to hide his ball, not the man, unlike my detractors. National Party loyalties and membership’ from ‘The councillors are working hard to devise and the media and the public. implement a strategy to support the business But Mr Curtis said his involvement in the community in the Tweed. It is committed to that campaign and endorsement of Mr Fraser were objective and will continue to promote growth

11 and opportunity for all. That objective is as continue to pursue. urgent now as it has ever been.’ ‘There has certainly been a personal price to pay He said there was no single issue that led to Mr for this council decision, but one that I am Keenan’s termination ‘but a series of incidents willing to wear for the greater good and future of over many months that involved his delivery of the Tweed community, which I love and am strategic direction outside the knowledge or proud to represent. Sometimes good leadership is authority of the elected body’. about taking hard decisions.’ Loss of confidence Pottsville Community Association president ‘As I have said publicly before, his contract was Chris Cherry said the division’s terminated due to a culmination of issues and recommendations gave ‘closure’ to the issue. actions that resulted in a loss of confidence by Ms Cherry said ‘it was clear’ from the report that the majority of councillors in his ability to lead the GM’s termination was found to be reasonable the organisation and deliver the community’s in the circumstances, but that ‘details of those vision as identified in our Community Strategic circumstances may never be revealed to us in the Plan. community due to confidentiality’. ‘This elected body decided to terminate his SCU, Greens condemn university cuts contract, as we were legally able to do under a Chris Dobney clause that both parties agreed to. ‘Robbing Peter to pay Paul’ is how Southern ‘It should be noted that this is a standard clause Cross University’s vice-chancellor Professor and contract prescribed by the Division of Local Peter Lee has described the federal government’s Government and one which the former general decision to cut more than $2 billion from the manager was advocating as best practice for all tertiary sector to help pay for its Gonski reforms other management positions. to secondary education. ‘The termination did not come about because of ‘The logic of increasing funding to schools – issues with Leda Developments, or for any provided the states actually agree to contribute – political reason. but then reducing the ability of universities to ‘I acknowledge the former general manager has take the students who benefit from the impressive economic development credentials, investment in school funding is baffling,’ he said but leading the largest employer in the Tweed is yesterday. about far more than that. Greens candidate for the seat of Richmond, ‘A general manager of one of the largest regional Dawn Walker, agreed, saying cutting one area of councils in NSW has the responsibility of education to fund another is shortsighted and leading and delivering a broad range of services will only serve to undermine education outcomes and programs. It is about working for local university students. collaboratively, to achieve a vision set out by the She added the funding could be found if the community. government simply fixed the mining tax. ‘We needed to be on the same page, and ‘Local students will be saddled with more debt fundamentally the majority of the councillors, because the government has scrapped discounts who were elected by the community, and the to students who diligently pay their tuition fees former general manager were not. upfront,’ Ms Walker said. ‘The former general manager was not Professor Lee said changes such as the singlehandedly responsible for delivering conversion of student start-up scholarships into a sustainable economic development. It is a team loan ‘will hit the very students the government effort and involves the elected body, the professes it wants to encourage to go to organisation, businesses and the community university’. through a collaborative approach, which we will

12 ‘Taking away $900 million in university funding Mur’bah hospital gets $1m boost over 2014 and 2015 will impact on universities Building is expected to start today on an everywhere,’ he added. upgrade of Murwillumbah Hospital’s Shadow parliamentary secretary for regional emergency department, which will be doubled education, Nationals senator Fiona Nash, in size under a $1 million expansion plan. described the cuts as ‘cruel and foolish’, saying The department currently has five beds and the they would fall particularly harshly on regional upgrade will boost that by seven. Its floor space universities and students. will be increased by 40 per cent and it will house ‘Abolishing the start-up scholarships in favour of a new nurse station with a full view of all of the more student debt could be the tipping point for patient beds as a safety feature. many regional families already unsure of The construction will be carried out around the whether they will be able to afford to send their current emergency department with minimal children to university,’ she said yesterday. disruption. The expansion will include utility ‘The $900 million so-called efficiency dividend rooms, resuscitation area and treatment bays. will particularly hurt regional universities The emergency department’s Dr Paul Fischer because they tend to be smaller, so it is much said the upgrade had been sorely needed for well harder for them to make further economies of over 10 years. scale,’ she added. Dr Fischer told APN that ‘ often we don’t have Premier Barry O’Farrell has yet to sign up to the anywhere to put our patients’ as there were ‘ just national agreement but said that if the state were not enough beds’. to do so it would need to commit $1.7 billion, which would have to come from further cuts to Lismore MP Thomas George said the upgrade, the state budget. due to be completed by October, would make it ‘ one of the best performing in NSW’. ‘A variety of options are being examined by the state government. The only thing certain at this Driver 60km/h over limit stage is that we don’t have $1.7 billion sitting Police had to deploy road spikes after pursuing a around unused and further state spending cuts car travelling at 60km/h over the speed limit near would be required,’ he told ABC radio this Cudgera Creek on Thursday, only to discover a morning. three year old boy was a passenger in the vehicle.More marine life below the ice in Australia sits at 25th out of 29 advanced Antarctica economies for public investment in universities as a percentage of GDP and Professor Lee said regional Australia lags further behind capital About 11.15 on Thursday night police say they cities in educational attainment. detected a driver travelling at 170km/h in a According to market research conducted by 110km/h zone along the Pacific Highway. Universities Australia, about half the adults in The 23 year old driver allegedly accelerated regional communities have a degree compared away from police who executed a pursuit. with capital cities and about half the percentage of regional Australians aspire to higher education The pursuit ended after police deployed road compared to people in capital cities. spikes, bringing the man’s car to an eventual stop. The research also shows that a remarkable about nine out of 10 parents want their children to go After stopping the vehicle, police allegedly to university, think universities are important in discovered a 19 year old woman and 3 year old providing the skills of tomorrow, and actually boy in the car as well as an amount of support more funding for universities. methylamphetamine. The driver was arrested and later charged with speeding, police pursuit – not stop – Skye’s Law,

13 reckless driving and possess prohibited drug. continent, most of the wildlife in Antarctica is found below the sea ice in coastal waters More marine life below the ice in where there is a rich array of marine life,’ he Antarctica said. ‘Coastal marine waters resemble many rocky reefs found around southern Victoria or Tasmania in the diversity of marine algae, fish and invertebrates. However, because of the cold waters and slow metabolism, many invertebrates such as sea stars and sea spiders can grow up to three times the size they normally could in warmer temperate waters. ‘The study forms part of a larger baseline study that aims to map the complex relationship between species and their food sources in Chris Gillies landing on the ice in Antarctica and cladding up for a dive into near freezing waters. Antarctic coastal waters, which are expected to A student who has been on three Antarctic alter because of climate change reducing sea ice expeditions and who mapped how marine which, in turn, increases the amount of sunlight species obtain and utilise food under the ice in reaching the seafloor. those frozen coastal waters was awarded his PhD ‘Bottom feeders, which tend to graze on seaweed at Southern Cross University’s Sydney and other small algae – many increase in graduation at the Wesley Conference Centre last abundance and outcompete those species that Saturday. currently predominate under low light / high sea Chris Gillies, a research manager with ice conditions.’ Earthwatch Australia, joined forces with The soon to be Doctor Gillies spent three seasons scientists from SCU and the Australian Antarctic living and working as an Australian Antarctic Division to track the primary food sources such Expeditioner and marine biologist on board the as seaweed and microscopic plants in larger Aurora Australis in the Southern Ocean. A keen invertebrates such as urchins, sea stars and sea diver, he also completed his commercial diver’s cucumber and into predators such as fish. certification and spent as long as 90 minutes on a The results showed that Antarctic marine species dive submerged in the sub-zero conditions. rely on several sources of food to survive and the Northern Rivers Art Prize entries ecosystem can support long food chains with closing many predators. Entries for The 2013 Northern Rivers Portrait Prize close this coming Friday 19 April. The painting and drawing prize is open to artists whose artwork depicts a person from the northern rivers who the artist believes to be of value to their lives and/or to the community. Now in its fourth year, the prize is the most popular event on Lismore Regional Gallery’s calendar. Last year it attracted over 6,000 visitors, and received more than 300 entries from across the eastern states.

‘In contrast to the stereotypical image of The 2013 Prize will be judged by Philip Bacon penguins and seals basking on the frozen of the highly respected Philip Bacon Galleries in

14 Brisbane. Amongst the many entries nationwide, is our own local artist Eli Ashcroft who has a studio/gallery in Byron Bay’s Arts and Industry estate. Eli took the advice of Minas, from Osho’s House at Byron Bay, in selecting the subject of his portrait as being Donny. Minas says, ‘I was inspired by Donny when I first met him cleaning up my street one early morning when he was pulling his wheelie bin behind him. As I approached him I found out to my great surprise that he didn’t work for Council; neither is he paid by any of the businesses in town for doing the work that he does out of the goodness of his heart.’ Eli says, ‘These travels just made me want to step back a bit from the world of industrial development and more towards a life of making art that expresses the beauty of life and humanity’. His artistic style would be described as ‘modern, raw and unfettered’. His mixed media include gouache, clay paint, oil, pastel and acrylic on anything from canvas to board. The exhibition Finalist artworks are selected by Friday 10 May 2013. The exhibition is on at the Lismore Gallery from Saturday June 8 to Sunday July 14. The winner announcement, by Philip Bacon, is on Saturday June 8 at 11am and the Peoples’ Choice Award announcement is on Friday July 12 at 4pm. Yet Donny was homeless. Like many homeless Overall Winner $10,000 acquisitive. people Donny would have his own story and The Armsign Award $1,500 non-acquisitive – circumstances for being homeless but at least he recognises and encourages outstanding artistic was trying to change his life around and at the talent for those under 30 years of age. same time pay back to the community in his own way. His gentle nature, his kindness in giving Peoples’ Choice Award $500 non-acquisitive – and his humility was just an inspiration for awarded to the most popular work as voted by Minas who wanted to have him more exposed in visitors to the exhibition the community for recognition and support. Prints of Donny are available from Eli’s gallery Eli liked the idea of promoting Donny as it fitted at 1/18 Centennial Circuit, Byron Arts and in with his vision of portraying humanity in its Industry Estate, Byron Bay NSW. many facets. Eli at the age of 29 years is an ww.eliashcroft.com emerging artist who’s influenced from impressions in his life since growing up at the age of 11 in Kathmandu (Nepal) to spending time with his grandpa at the age of 16 on a house boat on Melbourne’s Yarra River.

15 Metgasco police cover costs revealed Aquarius through the eyes of the festival psych Published On: Tue, Apr 16th, 2013 Chris Dobney The state government, under pressure from the Greens, has revealed the cost of using police to provide security at Lock the Gate protests at Glenugie and Doubtful Creek – but only in part. However some simple calculations suggest the real cost was somewhere close to $200,000. In February, Greens mining spokesperson Jeremy Buckingham asked NSW police minister Michael Gallacher for the cost to the taxpayer of One of the structures at the 1973 Aquarius Festival, the provision of the service. Image from Harry Watson Smith’s Flickr stream: The question was taken on notice and the www.flickr.com/photos/harryws. response was only revealed in parliament early By Dr Harry Freeman, as told to Graham this month. And even then it was only partially Askey answered. ‘Memory is not false in the sense that it is Mr Buckingham asked for the total cost of the wilfully bad, but it is excitingly corrupt in its service, including the cost of the riot squad and inclination to make a proper story of the past.’ – the total resources committed in terms of Jenni Diski personnel and hours. In 1971 Dr Harry Freeman was a third year He also asked whether there had been any effort registrar psychiatrist, working at Broughton Hall, to recoup costs from Metgasco and whether there a large psychiatric hospital in Sydney. Being had been ‘any contact with or requests from the young and so a bit of a rebel, he was a part of the minister for resources and energy’ with relation ‘Anti-Psychiatry’ movement, popularised at that to the project. time by radical Scottish psychiatrist Ronnie Laing. So much so that he had written up a Minister Gallacher responded that the protection whole issue on the topic in the University of provided cost $81,000 (not including salaries). NSW’s student rag Tharunka, then edited by He added that ‘an estimated 159 officers worked Graeme Dunstan. Some time during the hatching approximately 3,234 hours during these three of the 1973 Aquarius Festival Graeme realised operations’. that his festival might need a ‘resident’, so he called for the doctor. The following are Harry’s Based on the salaries of probationary constables corrupted case notes from that time. and senior constables published on the NSW Police website, if all of the police on duty were within these two salary bands the total cost Bring your own doctors would have been approximately $116,000. Late in 1972, dressed to impress in sandals, Added to this, the total comes closer to $200,000 jeans, and a scruffy Gandhi shirt, I walked into than $100,000. the office of Brian Mahaffey, manager of the Lismore Base Hospital, sat down and told him I wanted the defunct Nimbin hospital to be

16 reopened as an emergency department for the holiday, could throw at me. No one came. We duration of our festival. Brian jumped straight up had no consultations. Alice must have left the and said, ‘Yes – just bring your own doctors’. brown pills behind. I thought that was unexpectedly brave of him, So with nothing to do I headed off on my red but on the way out it came to me! The image of Honda step-through to find the festival. Someone ‘Wavy Gravy’ warning the Woodstock peace and else didn’t have much to do either because police love multitudes that – ‘the brown acid that is officer Bob, remember Bob, immediately circulating around us isn’t too good’. Brian must arrested me for riding without a helmet, but have seen the movie too, so he expected waves being the good cop that he was, he let me off of freaked-out hippies on bad trips. Rather than with a warning and I didn’t have to go to court in overcrowding his own hospital, he wisely the morning. figured that it’d be better to keep them far away The best of it in Nimbin with their own shrinks to take care of them. Some other memories I have of the festival, those which I can still bring to mind are: Just before Christmas that year, accompanied by my sister and Bill Garner (Helen’s hubby) I paid Feeling that the peace and love image of the my first visit to Nimbin. The only businesses still festival was going to die before it had hardly going were the post office, Barney Stewart’s been born when a gung-ho raid by the police in produce store, Daisy’s milk bar, two petrol the camp site provoked a riot and one of their stations, the newsagents and a part-time guns went missing. hairdresser. The town was so quiet that all of the Being blown away listening to musician Dollar law issues could be handled by a weekly, Brand playing on the town’s ancient upright Saturday morning, visit from solicitor Doug piano. He found all the right notes on an Page (son of Country Party founder, Earl) and instrument that didn’t have any. order could be maintained by just one cop, Constable Bob Marsh. He had so little to do he Meeting deputy federal Opposition leader, Doug had time to moonlight as a knacker in the then Anthony, decked out in the full tropical rig of a disused buttery (now thriving as the Bush light blue safari suit, short trousers, and long Factory). white socks. Just the thing for downtown Murwillumbah, but among the ‘kaftan and beads’ Tired and worn out after a long day doing the Aquarius crowd he stood out so much that I can’t main drag we decided that there was nothing for recall what his wife Margo was wearing. They it but to head for the pub in the hope of a bite to had just rocked up, without any security or eat, a bottle of wine and a good lie down. ‘Sorry minders, to the festival, just for a look see. we don’t do food. Plonk – not much call for that Pollies were braver in those days. around here, mate. Rooms – haven’t been used in donkeys.’ We city slickers weren’t having any of However my fondest reminiscence, the one that that, so eventually the publican’s wife served us really brings forth the feelings of fun and some sandwiches in the ladies’ lounge, a dusty camaraderie that I’m certain I experienced at bottle of brown muscat was found and we were Aquarius, is of standing in the main street of ushered upstairs to some derelict bedrooms with Nimbin one night with hundreds of other people saggy beds. Just for one night you must and chanting: understand. Hare gumboot, hare gumboot, hare hare, hare No takers hare. Five months later, come the festival, I was set After the festival ended Dr Freeman went to see up, along with fellow medicos, Dr John Geake Barney Stewart, also the town’s real estate agent. and Dr Igor Petroff, in the newly reopened With six of his friends he purchased a communal Nimbin Hospital and ready to cope with property of 210 acres out on Crofton Road for anything the city dope scene, on a country $9,000. The ever versatile Barney coined them a

17 name and even painted the sign for them – ‘The community will be able to own this ‘Paradise Valley’. planning system. They will own what happens in Dr Harry did a locum at the Lismore Base their local area,’ said NSW planning minster Hospital just after the 74 floods and moved up to Brad Hazzard. the north coast permanently in 1975. He still But Greens MP David Shoebridge said the practises anti-psychiatry at the Base. Despite the legislation was intended to benefit developers, lack of bad trips during the festival the Nimbin while local councils would be ‘utterly sidelined’. Hospital has remained open to this day. The They will also be outnumbered by ministerial noteless upright piano is no more. Margo representatives on regional planning boards in a Anthony, herself a concert pianist, generously ‘four against one’ system. played at many fundraisers to help replace it. Harry will be playing the new grand piano with ‘Local councils will become government patsies. the reformed Blue Skies Dance Orchestra at the They will just implement the decisions being 40th Anniversary Aquarius Masquerade Ball in made by the regional planning boards,’ Mr the Nimbin Town Hall on Saturday May 25. Shoebridge said. This article is the latest in an ongoing series of Opposition Leader John Robertson said the articles run in The Byron Echo and planning laws gave developers everything they Echonetdaily in the lead-up to the 40th wanted. anniversary of the Aquarius Festival. For ‘It will exclude local communities from having a festival program see say at the most critical point of the planning http://sassevents.scu.edu.au/aquarius. process, when the detailed development Outcry against proposed planning applications go to a council, and no one in the changes local community will have a say on anything.’ Published On: Wed, Apr 17th, 2013 Mr Hazzard said a ‘modest levy’ would be imposed for the first time on builders of new Staff reporters homes and apartments in existing suburbs, to Critics say a long awaited overhaul of NSW’s provide funding for schools, roads and other planning laws will silence local communities and infrastructure. create a developers’ paradise. The new charge would help spread the costs But the government claims the most significant more evenly across the state. revamp of the system in more than 30 years has Currently, only developers in greenfield areas public consultation as its centrepiece. need to pay such levies. The minister said the New laws will require the state government and government was slashing millions of dollars in councils to consult early with the community in red tape, making new homes cheaper to build. developing the long term planning ground rules for their region. No mention of environment But about 80 per cent of development proposals, Mr Shoebridge warned if the reforms became including new homes and extensions, will be fast law, the first notice most people would have that tracked under the agreed system and determined a new house was being built next door ‘is when in less than 25 days. the bulldozers arrive’. Residents will be informed but not consulted He added that the proposal ‘takes the about such projects, and the state’s 152 councils environment out of planning in NSW. In two won’t have the power to knock them back. pages the premier’s press release doesn’t The government estimates the process will save mention the environment once – the word businesses and families about $174 million a ‘environment’ has been removed from the title of year. the legislation,’ he said.

18 He added the legislation ‘removes the rights of The incident, believed to be one of the first residents to have any say on up to 80 per cent of known cases of fracking leaks in the UK, has developments’ and that local councils ‘will be sparked a renewed call for the company to reduced to rubber stamping decisions’. relinquish its exploration licence on the north ‘Developers will be given a free pass to make coast covering a 7,100 square kilometre area little or no contribution towards crucial which includes Byron, Tweed, Lismore and infrastructure to accompany new developments, Kyogle local government areas. with new home buyers across the state being The mothballing of operations by Dart Energy forced to subsidise endless urban sprawl. came soon after the other major player in CSG exploration on the north coast, Metgasco, Neighbours overlooked announced it would suspend its operations, with both companies blaming political uncertainty Ray Donald, joint president of Local over their decision. Government NSW (LGNSW), said the proposed processes were top heavy and the new emphasis The Herald Scotland has reported allegations on early community consultation may replace the that explosive and highly polluting gas leaking rights of neighbours. from boreholes in southwest Scotland are being probed by the Scottish Environment Protection ‘LGNSW supports the stronger focus on Agency (SEPA). community engagement in strategic planning; however, we are concerned that this emphasis But Dart Energy has denied the claims that may unnecessarily replace the well established methane is ‘bubbling up’ in wells drilled to test rights of neighbours to be involved with local for the gas in coal seams near Canonbie in development decisions,’ he said Dumfries and Galloway by its subsidiary, Greenpark Energy. ‘We support a new planning system that listens to the voice of communities through the well The Herald reported that Labour Member of the understood councillor representation system,’ he Scottish Parliament, Claire Baker, said the said. ‘allegation underlines legitimate concerns surrounding unconventional gas’ and that there ‘This provides transparency and accessibility to was ‘a desperate need for clarity, transparency communities and a much needed “check and and a truly robust scrutiny process to assess the balance” to an overly bureaucratic system.’ safety of such sites before we start to see a rapid He added that LGNSW will now conduct a expansion of unconventional gas’. detailed analysis of the white paper and the The report says that eight exploration and pilot related draft Exposure Bill before giving their production wells were dug in the Canonbie area formal response. by Greenpark Energy in 2007 and 2008, and The white paper is now open for community SEPA issued two licences allowing the consultation for the next ten weeks. Legislation controversial technology of fracking to extract will be introduced to parliament in the second underground gas. half of this year. Greenpark was taken over by the Australian CSG leaks probed in UK based company in April last year. Luis Feliu A spokesman for the company said it ‘strongly’ Allegations of highly polluting methane leaks denied that it had ‘integrity issues with any of from coal seam gas (CSG) wells in southwest our wells, nor is there danger of leaking of Scotland owned by Australian based company natural gas’, adding that ‘the only suggestion that Dart Energy, which earlier this month suspended wells are leaking has come from the Sunday its exploration operations on the northern rivers Herald newspaper’. and across NSW, are being investigated by When Dart suspended its NSW operations, British authorities. Michael McNamara from Lock the Gate Tweed

19 said the ‘CSG bubble has burst and investors are conventional gas, shale gas, or coal bed methane starting to see it for the house of cards that it is’. (CBM). Mr McNamara said ‘if Dart Energy are genuine, ‘It’s an industry wide inevitability, and the then they should relinquish their exploration reason many research papers, seminars and licence (PEL445), which covers much of the workshops are devoted to the issue. And northern rivers’. unconventional gas means thousands of wells in Yesterday, he told Echonetdaily that both highly populated areas, most of which are likely companies were waiting for a better regulatory to leak eventually. environment to resume operations but that they ‘In Australia the CBM industry has produced should ‘stay away for good’ and relinquish their hundreds of leaks. licence altogether. ‘The most common form of leakage is what the ‘They have no social licence for CSG industry calls “sustained casing pressure” (SCP) exploration or mining in the whole of the or ‘sustained annular pressure” (SAP). northern rivers,’ he said ‘This means that gas has leaked up the gaps between the well casings to the surface. As the Water supply gas passes through any water aquifer present, it may escape into water supplies. Hence the British anti-CSG group the Extreme Energy famous footage showing flaming water taps in Action Network’s website Frack Off says the the US news confirms anecdotal evidence from locals who have over the last two years periodically Rare rainforest remnant field day noticed gas in their water supply. The website includes video of methane leaks in rivers near CSG operations in NSW and Queensland. The website says, ‘the leak is of no surprise to the oil and gas industry; drillers know well that many of their gas wells leak’. ‘Research by oil services company Schlumberger suggests up to 60 per cent of gas wells will be leaking within 30 years. The UK’s Society of Petroleum Engineers found 34 per cent of gas wells leaking in the UK’s North Sea.’ It also says that ‘in the Norwegian North Sea 18 per cent of gas wells are leaking. In 1992 the US EPA found 200,000 wells leaking, a 16.7 per cent failure rate. There are many more studies and examples, see our piece on gas wells leaking. ‘The fracking industry has tried to divert attention from the issue of leaks. Dart Energy has denied plans to frack in Scotland, despite company documents clearly showing fracking depths, chemicals and pressures to be used at Canonbie. ‘Yet the stark truth is that a sizeable proportion Nature lovers and landcarers will get a rare of all gas wells leak, whether onshore, offshore, chance to walk through the Rous Wildlife

20 Refuge, a significant Big Scrub rainforest Elliot responds on parenting payment remnant 15 minutes from Alstonville on the Chris Dobney morning of Sunday May 5. Federal member for Richmond, Justine Elliot, The Refuge is on private property and Richmond has responded to community concerns about the Landcare Inc have arranged a special field day to government’s changes to the parenting payment. view the restoration work conducted on the property since 2004. ‘This government’s changes means single parents whose youngest child is turning eight Situated between Victoria Park and Tuckean this year, and couples whose youngest child is Nature Reserves, the refuge provides an turning six, will now be under the same rules as important corridor for wildlife as well as habitat parents who began receiving parenting payment for rare and threatened species including after July 2006,’ she told Echonetdaily. Macadamia tetraphylla and Arrowhead Vine. Parents will then either need to find work or Since 2004, the property has attracted a number transfer to the much lower Newstart allowance. of grants through the Northern Rivers Catchment Management Authority, Richmond Landcare Groups around the country protested the changes Incorporated (RLI) and NSW National Parks and over the weekend, including at Brunswick Wildlife Service. These grants have made a Heads, where Greens MP Jan Barham and substantial difference to the property that has Richmond candidate Dawn Walker castigated the allowed the owners to employ professional bush government over them. regenerators, buy plants and purchase chemicals But Mrs Elliot said the changes ‘ended the two and other equipment to assist in the restoration tiered system introduced by the Howard process. government, which meant that new single To date, some 6,000 trees have been put into the parents went onto Newstart but allowed the ones ground, mostly along creek banks and swales but already on parenting payments to stay on them. also gap planting as well, and with recent This meant that people in similar situations were exceptional growing seasons, some of the receiving different payments.’ plantings have grown more than three metres in She did say, however, that she supported calls to less than three years. increase the Newstart allowance. ‘The work in the Rous Wildlife Refuge is an ‘I understand there are calls in the community to outstanding example of what can be achieved in address the inadequacy of Newstart and I’ll restoring and protecting habitat in our region. continue to raise these concerns within the The owners, Winston Guymer and Paul government,’ she said. Cruickshank, are to be congratulated on what has ‘It’s important to remember [that] other been achieved with the support of various grants assistance [is] available to parents such as the and their own commitment,’ the chair of RLI, Family Tax Benefit, School Kids Bonus, Rent Neville Sloss, said. Assistance and child care subsidies such as Child ‘This will be a rare opportunity for people to Care Benefit and Child Care Rebate.’ visit a unique property, identify different species Staff reporters and discuss strategies for rainforest regeneration and wildlife protection.’ Critics say a long awaited overhaul of NSW’s planning laws will silence local communities and The Rous Wildlife Refuge Field Day is on create a developers’ paradise. Sunday 5 May starting at 10am, until midday. Some refreshments provided. Registration But the government claims the most significant required, phone 6619 1582 or email revamp of the system in more than 30 years has [email protected]. public consultation as its centrepiece. New laws will require the state government and councils to consult early with the community in

21 developing the long term planning ground rules No mention of environment for their region. Mr Shoebridge warned if the reforms became But about 80 per cent of development proposals, law, the first notice most people would have that including new homes and extensions, will be fast a new house was being built next door ‘is when tracked under the agreed system and determined the bulldozers arrive’. in less than 25 days. He added that the proposal ‘takes the Residents will be informed but not consulted environment out of planning in NSW. In two about such projects, and the state’s 152 councils pages the premier’s press release doesn’t won’t have the power to knock them back. mention the environment once – the word The government estimates the process will save ‘environment’ has been removed from the title of businesses and families about $174 million a the legislation,’ he said. year. He added the legislation ‘removes the rights of ‘The community will be able to own this residents to have any say on up to 80 per cent of planning system. They will own what happens in developments’ and that local councils ‘will be their local area,’ said NSW planning minster reduced to rubber stamping decisions’. Brad Hazzard. ‘Developers will be given a free pass to make But Greens MP David Shoebridge said the little or no contribution towards crucial legislation was intended to benefit developers, infrastructure to accompany new developments, while local councils would be ‘utterly sidelined’. with new home buyers across the state being forced to subsidise endless urban sprawl. They will also be outnumbered by ministerial representatives on regional planning boards in a Neighbours overlooked ‘four against one’ system. Ray Donald, joint president of Local ‘Local councils will become government patsies. Government NSW (LGNSW), said the proposed They will just implement the decisions being processes were top heavy and the new emphasis made by the regional planning boards,’ Mr on early community consultation may replace the Shoebridge said. rights of neighbours. Opposition Leader John Robertson said the ‘LGNSW supports the stronger focus on planning laws gave developers everything they community engagement in strategic planning; wanted. however, we are concerned that this emphasis ‘It will exclude local communities from having a may unnecessarily replace the well established say at the most critical point of the planning rights of neighbours to be involved with local process, when the detailed development development decisions,’ he said applications go to a council, and no one in the ‘We support a new planning system that listens local community will have a say on anything.’ to the voice of communities through the well Mr Hazzard said a ‘modest levy’ would be understood councillor representation system,’ he imposed for the first time on builders of new said. homes and apartments in existing suburbs, to ‘This provides transparency and accessibility to provide funding for schools, roads and other communities and a much needed “check and infrastructure. balance” to an overly bureaucratic system.’ The new charge would help spread the costs He added that LGNSW will now conduct a more evenly across the state. detailed analysis of the white paper and the Currently, only developers in greenfield areas related draft Exposure Bill before giving their need to pay such levies. The minister said the formal response. government was slashing millions of dollars in The white paper is now open for community red tape, making new homes cheaper to build. consultation for the next ten weeks. Legislation

22 will be introduced to parliament in the second effects do not as yet appear to have been fully half of this year. assessed, but the short term effects in themselves ‘LGNSW supports the stronger focus on simply don’t make sense with Mr Lee’s own community engagement in strategic planning; words about nature’s ‘beauty’ and our role and however, we are concerned that this emphasis ‘duty’ in regards to such – when one’s own body may unnecessarily replace the well established (nature) is so abused by such a drug. Mr Lee rights of neighbours to be involved with local speaks of learning ‘… to live in alignment with development decisions,’ he said nature… ‘. Hmmm, no, I can’t see it. ‘We support a new planning system that listens While I appreciate the general open-mindedness to the voice of communities through the well of The Echo’s publications, is an irresponsible understood councillor representation system,’ he article such as this not outright dangerous, said. particularly in light of the role model Mr Lee already is to many (young and also ‘This provides transparency and accessibility to communities and a much needed “check and balance” to an overly bureaucratic system.’ Katharine Bell, Pottsville He added that LGNSW will now conduct a I agree very strongly with Dr Kaye regarding detailed analysis of the white paper and the vaccination and admire him for speaking out on related draft Exposure Bill before giving their this issue. A lot of the parents that are against formal response. vaccination are from my generation, and have similar beliefs to myself. I am environmentally The white paper is now open for community aware and live a sustainable, non-toxic lifestyle. consultation for the next ten weeks. Legislation I am expecting my first child and planning for a will be introduced to parliament in the second natural, drug free birth… but I am also planning half of this year. to vaccinate. Letters To the Editor The scientific research that supports vaccination far outweighs any potential negatives. The Ayahuasca a dangerous drug vaccination debate reminds me of the climate Victoria Carter, Pottsville NSW change one… where a few people with a couple of studies manage to create doubt despite the I am writing in relation to Mandy Nolan’s article, overwhelming scientific evidence that supports ‘Ayahuasca, Ben Lee and the Spiritual Path Less the theory of human induced climate change. Travelled’ (Echonetdaily 2/4/13). Upon first reading, I have to say I wondered if this was an The reality is that the infectious diseases that April Fool’s joke that missed its deadline? Alas it these vaccinations protect against are serious, is not. potentially fatal and we only have to look as far as our grandparents’ generation to be reminded This article is not your average ‘puff piece’, but what the world would be like if everyone rather a flagrant promotion of Mr Lee’s use and decided not to vaccinate. Most of them would be glorification of the dangerous drug ayahuasca. able to recall a relative or family friend who had Promoting music/gigs is one thing – but a died or suffered serious complications from a Schedule 1 listed drug under the International disease that has since been controlled through Code on Psychotropic Substances is quite vaccination. The only reason the unvaccinated another. Surely the ethics of any journalist would children are protected is because the majority of fairly question the nature of this drug in such a people do vaccinate, preventing massive disease piece (if publish it at all), rather than furthering outbreaks. and promoting Mr Lee’s ‘articulate’ reasoning behind its supposed ‘benefits’. I encourage all parents out there who have decided not to vaccinate to honestly be open to Ayahuasca can cause severe vomiting, diarrhoea, ‘both sides of the story’. If you choose to read and emotional/psychological distress. Long term the anti-vaccination literature, take the time to

23 speak to a doctor about the pro-vaccination throughout Australia. information too and make a truly informed Lewis Walker should defend Rhoda as she has decision. defended and praised him. Surely a dialogue and ‘older’)? I can’t imagine an article on the cooperation is far more valuable than supporters spiritual benefits of heroin taking up such print of Julinbah Yowarl Rainbow Corroboree, such as space in your publication – even if its virtues Sky Wesolowski, being publicly critical. were extolled by a leading Bluesfest artist. As Rhoda says, ‘Culture is not about Surely journalistic integrity calls for a fair story? competition, more about co-operation and This article does nothing other than promote the obligation to ensure integrity. The commitment use of a dangerous drug. Do we really want to both Lewis and I bring to our unique events has pass this message on to our children – our tender, been handed down through the strength of our lovely children – that when they’re older, they’ll elders and our families who also created need to take a substance such as this to further gatherings as a way to share knowledge to a their spiritual development? Have we so given broader audience.’ up on who we naturally are within? I don’t see why there cannot be a cultural Shame, Mandy Nolan and Echonetdaily, for pure exchange between Julinbah Yowarl Rainbow promotion of damaging drug use – as if it’s Corroboree and the Boomerang Festival – the commonplace and acceptable. Entertainment former launching a two month celebration of reporting surely deserves more journalistic ethics indigenous culture with its focus on taking and integrity than this. Bundjalung to the world, and the latter bringing it all back home and inviting other First Nations Co-operation not competition to experience the hospitality of the local lifestyle, its culture and its community. Peter James Dawson, InDidj’n’Us Media, Uki CSG withdrawal ‘a ploy’ Re: ‘Before Boomerang Came Rainbow’ – Sky Wesolowski’s letter to the editor April 8. Paul Arrowsmith, Yelgun Bundjalung woman and Boomerang Festival The withdrawal of CSG miners from the state of artistic director Rhoda Roberts is a person of NSW must not be seen as a win. They have whom the Bundjalung Nation should be duly merely retreated until a few things change in proud. Her stunning career in the media, artistic their favour. The state water ‘sharing’ policy is direction, festival organisation and cultural one of those ‘things’. Underground water is still development is something all people in this being threatened. region should be proud of. She represents a Miners will soon be able to take water from one creative spirit who will undoubtedly be catchment and use it in another, where it is in decorated in the future for her commitment to the short supply or involves a threatened aquifer. community welfare and social development Rights to water may be traded by mining throughout Australia. companies or any other corporate entity Bundjalung woman and Boomerang Festival involved. artistic director Rhoda Roberts is a person of Compliance regarding who gets it and how it is whom the Bundjalung Nation should be duly being used and abused has been severely proud. Her stunning career in the media, artistic compromised by the O’Farrell government’s direction, festival organisation and cultural devious cutbacks to staff who are suitably development is something all people in this trained, from a total of six, statewide, to one region should be proud of. She represents a compliance officer/scientist for the whole state, creative spirit who will undoubtedly be thus removing internal departmental peer review decorated in the future for her commitment to the and facilitating the possibility to rush through community welfare and social development approvals at the request of the politically well

24 connected miners and their lobby groups or a outbreaks. government that is using its outdated legislative I encourage all parents out there who have powers to facilitate the miners’ needs. decided not to vaccinate to honestly be open to CSG mining is rarely if ever mentioned in the ‘both sides of the story’. If you choose to read Water Sharing Policy detail outlined in NSW the anti-vaccination literature, take the time to government websites; however, ‘industry’ is. speak to a doctor about the pro-vaccination Add to this the minister for local government information too and make a truly informed Don Page’s move in state parliament to make decision. local councils answerable to him as opposed to the residents and ratepayers and his new council disqualification regime. The way is being cleared to throw the gates open to all those who promise the best environmental procedures and deliver few if any as they extract what they want and destroy all that gets in their way. The science on vaccination

Katharine Bell, Pottsville I agree very strongly with Dr Kaye regarding vaccination and admire him for speaking out on this issue. A lot of the parents that are against vaccination are from my generation, and have similar beliefs to myself. I am environmentally aware and live a sustainable, non-toxic lifestyle. I am expecting my first child and planning for a natural, drug free birth… but I am also planning to vaccinate. The scientific research that supports vaccination far outweighs any potential negatives. The vaccination debate reminds me of the climate change one… where a few people with a couple of studies manage to create doubt despite the overwhelming scientific evidence that supports the theory of human induced climate change. The reality is that the infectious diseases that these vaccinations protect against are serious, potentially fatal and we only have to look as far as our grandparents’ generation to be reminded what the world would be like if everyone decided not to vaccinate. Most of them would be able to recall a relative or family friend who had died or suffered serious complications from a disease that has since been controlled through vaccination. The only reason the unvaccinated children are protected is because the majority of people do vaccinate, preventing massive disease

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