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Bad Boys of 2006

I couldn't help but pass on this little bit for those who missed it in this weekend's Sydney Morning Herald Sports section...

On page 39, the SMH had the Top 10 Bad Boys of 2006, and coming in at number 3 was:

The NSW Labor Party
Granted, most of them have probably never laced up a boot in anger, but they uncovered enough bad boys this year to form their own NRL franchise. Watch out for the Labor Pollies in season '07.

Sydney Labor sneaking things out

You have to be suspicious when the Sydney Labor Government releases major things of public interest just before Christmas.

What have they got to hide?

First there is the Newcastle City Centre Plan, a 4 volume document to over-ride Newcastle's existing development controls. You guessed it - it's all about property development - bigger buildings and more of them - Chatswood comes to the West End.

Yes, of course, there's a sweetener in there - volume 4 (the thinnest volume at 30 pages, including full page colour graphics!) is a Civic Improvement Plan, with major works for civic and cultural facilities, public domain and transport, refurbishment of the mall (long overdue!), planting of street trees and improvements to the public domain in the Honeysuckle area.

The Newcastle City Centre Plan is on exhibition until the 28th February 2007. Don't expect it to be finalised before the State Election - more likely to be finalised in May or June. And remember the dramatic changes from the draft Lower Hunter Regional Strategy to the final document after Frank Sartor did his infamous deals with several large landowners (50% higher population, doubling of the bush cleared etc). Not a good track record.

And one more thing...

The Sydney Morning Herald website shows a story that has just come online about the Sydney Labor Government inviting tenders for the controversial desalination plant. But trust me, says Minister Campbell, "the move does not mean the project will go ahead". Have you told the tenderers that?

Watch out for more to be slipped out by Sydney Labor just before Christmas...

Will Newcastle get the gong?

Newcastle Greens

MEDIA RELEASE
21 December 2006

Will Newcastle get the gong??

Newcastle may become the latest victim of a Wollongong-style, one-size-fits-all, Lego land makeover under Sydney Labor’s Newcastle City Centre Plan to be released today, says Greens candidate for Newcastle, Cr Michael Osborne.

The Newcastle City Centre Plan, developed by Sydney Planning officials, will be launched today by former Independent Lord Mayor of Sydney, now the Sydney Labor Planning Minister Frank Sartor and the Lord Mayor of Newcastle (who was courted and then dumped as Labor candidate), Councillor John Tate.

The State Government has already developed and released City Centre Plans for Wollongong, Gosford, Liverpool, Penrith and Parramatta.

"If the other City Centre Plans are anything to go by, the Newcastle City Centre Plan will disregard Newcastle development controls and push for more high-rise and bulkier developments in the CBD, especially in the west end," Councillor Osborne said.

"The release of this City Centre Plan for public comment when people are preoccupied with Christmas shows the contempt that Sydney Labor has for Newcastle.

"There has been an appalling lack of consultation in developing this plan for Newcastle’s CBD. The only consultation has been tokenism. Newcastle City Council was virtually bypassed and the 'reference panel', hand picked by the Sydney Planners, failed to include representatives of community organisations with local planning and heritage knowledge and experience.

"The Planning Minister’s record of excessive development on the Royal Newcastle Hospital site, approving urban sprawl on the Dan Land near Maryland and doing deals with developers to allow more sprawl around Minmi gives no cause for optimism.

"Is Newcastle going to get appropriate development to revitalise our CBD or just massive Sydney-imposed high rise?" Councillor Osborne asked.

"This plan should have been developed in Newcastle by Newcastle people – not imposed by Sydney Labor," he said.

An 'odd' candidate for Newcastle

The Liberal Party’s Newcastle candidate and local weatherman, Martin Babakhan, is not a climate sceptic.

In fact, for many years Mr Babakhan has made public statements about the climate crisis that reflect a view on the issue that is very close to that of The Greens.

This, of course, puts him at odds with John Howard and the Federal Liberal Party who have been doing their best to ignore the issue while still subsidising practices that fuel the climate crisis (like diesel rebates for the coal industry).

But Mr Babakhan, who advocates that nuclear power is THE answer to the climate crisis, is also at odds with Peter Debnam and the NSW Liberal Party who have said that they would not permit nuclear power stations to be built in NSW (is this a 'core' promise?). Read Anne Davies' article in Monday's Sydney Morning Herald.

The whisper around town is that Mr Babakhan believes that nuclear-powered, mobile desalination plants are THE answer to the water crisis - is this true?

If someone voted for the Liberals in Newcastle, what would they be voting for?

Iemma's threatened species dilemma

Bob Brown win - fork in the road for Iemma.
Wednesday, 20 December 2006

The Wielangta court decision has major implications for forests in NSW, as well as demonstrating the fact that no one in mainstream Australian politics can hold a candle to Bob Brown when it comes to standing up for our environment, according to NSW Upper House Greens MP Ian Cohen.

"The NSW Government can no longer pay lip service to protecting threatened species and conserving biodiversity," Mr Cohen said.

"This decision does nothing more than state the fact that the Tasmanian and Federal governments must stand by their own Regional Forest Agreement, which clearly detailed that certain threatened species must be protected.

"Morris Iemma must make it clear that the NSW Government accepts that Justice Marshall has basically said nothing more than that governments are bound to enforce their own legislation and their own agreements. It is not legal to log in areas where it will endanger threatened species. He must stand firm against the inevitable self serving backlash from the forestry industry.

"The NSW Government’s response will tell us a lot about how genuine their environmental credentials are.

"Like every other government across the country, they are now on notice that rampant indiscriminate destruction of our forests is not acceptable. Conservation groups will now be forensically examining all RFA’s in NSW where threatened species are believed to be at risk.

"Bob Brown single-handedly took on Forestry Tasmania and the Tasmanian and Federal governments, and won. He was prepared to take enormous personal risk for his beliefs. He is Australia’s true Green warrior, and on behalf of the NSW Greens I salute him for his courage, perseverance and passion," concluded Mr Cohen.

Sartor's cynical election 'bridge'

Catherine Hill Bay panel a cynical election 'bridge'
Tuesday, 19 December 2006

Greens MP Lee Rhiannon says Planning Minister Frank Sartor’s announcement of an 'independent' panel to investigate the Catherine Hill Bay development is a cynical attempt to turn down the heat on this controversial proposal until after the March 2007 election.

"This is the latest in a spate of mickey mouse public inquiries that are electorally motivated, including the Newcastle Coal Loader roundtable and the inquiry into the NSW Southern Coalfields," Ms Rhiannon said.

"The panel arrangement will not guarantee a thorough assessment of all impacts of the Catherine Hill Bay proposal, or allow for the final decision to be appealed.

"Catherine Hill Bay has significant heritage value and the government should have respected this from the outset by quarantining the town from inappropriate development.

"Residents will not be fooled by Minister Sartor tagging this panel as 'independent'.

"The Chairman of Sydney Water and the former Director-General of Planning, who will sit on the panel, have clear links with the NSW government.

"The Planning Minister's panels are covers for government decisions that have already been made behind closed doors.

"Frank Sartor would struggle to give examples of major development proposals that have been refused approval because of public outcry during his time as Planning Minister.

"During 2005/06, the Minister called in and approved 316 out of 350 major projects and refused only sixteen.

"Clearly the 'call in' powers are designed to give political donors and developers favourable outcomes, regardless of the wishes of the local community.

"The NSW government has amended planning laws to eradicate the need to consider the environment, heritage, coastal protection, local councils or residents.

"History shows that the NSW Labor government fails to listen to residents, instead promotes the interests of big developers like Rosecorp," Ms Rhiannon said.

Put water before coal

Premier challenged to put water before coal: 1km mining buffer zone for all rivers and creeks
Tuesday,19 December 2006

Following revelations of extensive damage in the catchment area of Woronora Dam on ABC TV tonight, Greens MP and mining spokesperson Lee Rhiannon, has challenged Premier Morris Iemma to protect NSW water supplies with an immediate ban on further mining within 1km of rivers and creeks in all water catchment areas.

"Premier Iemma must now step in and immediately enforce a 1km mining buffer zone around all rivers and creeks that supply drinking water to the people of NSW," said Ms Rhiannon.

"The extent of damage to the Waratah Rivulet in the Woronora catchment area is alarming and warrants an immediate halt to longwall mining in this catchment until a 1km mining buffer zone can be enforced.

"The shocking images of severe river damage show why water catchment areas in Sydney, the Illawarra, the Hunter and the Central Coast need the protection of a 1km mining buffer zone.

"Premier Morris Iemma needs to place the future of our drinking water ahead of the profits of greedy mining companies.

"While we face a water crisis the NSW Government is letting mining companies expand their damaging practices instead of limiting the threat to our water catchments.

"The only reason that mining damages rivers is because mining companies get greedy and mine too close to rivers, creeks and dams.

"Both Labor and the Coalition parties are too compromised to stand up to these giant mining companies and make them put the public interest and the environment ahead of profit.

"Drinking water levels have never been so uncertain, yet the Government is allowing mining companies to continue a business as usual approach.

"The Government Inquiry into NSW Southern Coalfields announced earlier this month is toothless because new planning laws passed last year, with the support of the Coalition, mean that the Planning Minister can ignore the recommendations of this Inquiry.

"I understand the mining company that wrecked the Waratah Rivulet plans to expand its mining operations right underneath the Woronora dam next year. Under the new laws the Planning Minister could approve this mine expansion without any consultation.

"The Greens will make this water scandal a key election issue," said Ms Rhiannon.

When private profit is put ahead of public assets

Private ownership no answer to public transport needs
Monday, 18 December 2006

The Iemma government is courting disaster by relying on private companies to build important public infrastructure like the new high speed rail link to the Western Suburbs, according to John Kaye, Greens candidate for the NSW Upper House.

Dr Kaye said: "Public-private partnerships, such as the Cross City tunnel and the airport rail link, have been a dismal failure in the past.

"The crumbling rail system needs an urgent injection of new capital to increase reliability and capacity. Western Sydney particularly deserves good public transport.

"However, Public Private Partnerships have a shocking track record where they have failed to deliver essential services.

"When private profit is put ahead of public assets, the community loses out."

"The Greens argue that keeping such essential services in public hands means the projects will work for the entire community, not just the board room of Macquarie Bank.

"Public ownership ensures that the rail will be designed and priced so that all people get access to transport, not just those who can afford them.

"Investment in public transport is the only way to break our dependence on private cars. This is a core government responsibility.

"We cannot rely on the corporate profit motive to deliver affordable and reliable transport," Dr Kaye said.

Greens policies all on the web

The Greens NSW polices for the state election are now publicly available on the NSW Greens website.

After a wide-ranging process involving Greens members across NSW, we have finalised our polices, ready to start serious campaigning in early 2007.

Our polices are comprehensive and put paid to the myth that we are only an environment party. With 53 separate policies, we cover the complete range of community concerns, from industrial relations, health, education and justice through to energy and climate change, forests and wilderness and water.

We are proud of the policies and believe that they lay a framework for the campaign and beyond.

They express our commitment to a state that responds to the challenges of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, providing quality public education, health and transport and securing the natural environment.

We are leading the debate on ending corporate donations to political parties and reforming the laws that are allowing developers to run rough shod over communities.

The democratic involvement of members in policy formulation differentiates the Greens from the major parties.

Members discuss policies in their local groups, special issue based working groups and at state-wide party conferences.

We are proud of the extensive involvement our members have in identifying and drafting policies.

It is this comprehensive involvement of our members that gives our polices their leading edge.

Status of the global Climate

The World Meteorological Organisation has released its Statement on the Status of the global Climate in 2006.

The relevant parts of the statement for Australia are:

The global mean surface temperature in 2006 is currently estimated to be + 0.42°C above the 1961-1990 annual average (14°C/57.2°F), according to the records maintained by Members of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The year 2006 is currently estimated to be the sixth warmest year on record. Final figures will not be released until March 2007.

Averaged separately for both hemispheres, 2006 surface temperatures for the northern hemisphere (0.58°C above 30-year mean of 14.6°C/58.28°F) are likely to be the fourth warmest and for the southern hemisphere (0.26°C above 30-year mean of 13.4°C/56.12°F), the seventh warmest in the instrumental record from 1861 to the present.

Since the start of the 20th century, the global average surface temperature has risen approximately 0.7°C. But this rise has not been continuous. Since 1976, the global average temperature has risen sharply, at 0.18°C per decade. In the northern and southern hemispheres, the period 1997-2006 averaged 0.53°C and 0.27°C above the 1961-1990 mean, respectively.

Regional temperature anomalies
Persistent extreme heat affected much of eastern Australia from late December 2005 until early March with many records being set (e.g. second hottest day on record in Sydney with 44.2°C/111.6°F on 1 January). Spring 2006 (September-November) was Australia’s warmest since seasonal records were first compiled in 1950.

Prolonged drought in some regions
For many areas in Australia, the lack of adequate rainfall in 2006 added to significant longer-term dry conditions, with large regions having experienced little recovery from the droughts of 2002-2003 and 1997-1998. Dry conditions have now persisted for 5 to 10 years in some areas and in south-west Western Australia for around 30 years.

Development of moderate El Niño in late 2006
Conditions in the equatorial Pacific from December 2005 until the first quarter of 2006 showed some patterns typically associated with La Niña events. These however, did not lead to a basin-wide La Niña and, during April, even weak La Niña conditions dissipated. Over the second quarter of 2006, the majority of atmospheric and oceanic indicators reflected neutral conditions but, in August, conditions in the central and western equatorial Pacific started resembling typical early stages of an El Niño event (see WMO Press Release 765). By the end of the year, positive sea-surface temperature anomalies were established across the tropical Pacific basin. The El Niño event is expected by global consensus to continue at least into the first quarter of 2007.

Deadly typhoons in south-east Asia
Twelve tropical cyclones developed in the Australian Basin, two more than the long-term average. Tropical cyclone Larry was the most intense at landfall in Queensland since 1918, destroying 80-90 per cent of the Australian banana crop.

Ozone depletion in the Antarctic and Arctic
On 25 September, the maximum area of the 2006 ozone hole over the Antarctic was recorded at 29.5 million km², slightly larger than the previous record area of 29.4 million km² reached in September 2000. These values are so similar that the ozone holes of these two years could be judged of equal size. The size and persistence of the 2006 ozone hole area with its ozone mass deficit of 40.8 megatonnes (also a record) can be explained by the continuing presence of near-peak levels of ozone-depleting substances in combination with a particularly cold stratospheric winter. Low temperatures in the first part of January prompted a 20 per cent loss in the ozone layer over the Arctic in 2006 (see WMO Press Release 760). Milder temperatures from late January precluded the large ozone loss seen in 2005.

Arctic sea-ice decline continues
The year 2006 continues the pattern of sharply decreasing Arctic sea ice. The average sea-ice extent for the entire month of September was 5.9 million km², the second lowest on record missing the 2005 record by 340 000 km². Including 2006, the September rate of sea ice decline is now approximately -8.59% per decade, or 60 421 km² per year.

Ten Principles of Sustainable Transport

Greens promise legislation to back Union's public transport plan

Greens MP and transport spokesperson, Lee Rhiannon, today congratulated the Rail, Tram and Bus Union for their public transport blueprint for Sydney Moving On and said she will introduce legislation to sort out Sydney's transport crisis.

Ms Rhiannon said "If re-elected, my first priority will be to work with the RTBU and transport groups to develop legislation that will enshrine the Union's Ten Principles of Sustainable Transport.

"We will directly challenge whoever is in government to sign on to the principles that will return Sydney to a public transport city.

"The key focus has to be on restoring equity, rejuvenating public transport and protecting the environment.

"The era of motorways has to end. With rising petrol prices and declining air quality we now have no choice but to reinstate rail services, fast track the South West and North West Rail Links, increase the number of dedicated bus lanes, and introduce integrated fares and timetables.

"Our legislation will also rip apart the RTA. In 1993, Bob Carr promised to end the domination of the RTA and end the Los Angeles-style road expansion mentality.

"He never delivered. After Labor was elected, they lost the battle with the powerful roads lobby and the RTA stayed in charge of planning. Sydney ended up with a completely non-functional network of the Eastern Distributor, M2, M7 and Cross City Tunnel. We got gridlock and the public transport was allowed to fall apart at the seams.

"Our legislation will remove the RTA's planning powers on major infrastructure projects. It will set up the NSW Transport Co-ordination Authority to enact the RTBU's ten principles and to make sure that Sydney has a world leading public transport System.

"It is not to late to stop the M4East motorway and put the effort instead into quality public transport.

"The Greens welcome the Union's Moving On with its clear public transport initiatives. We intend to make it law after the next election," Ms Rhiannon said.

NSW Young Australian of the Year

Premier Morris Iemma should not sack NSW Young Australian of the Year Iktimal Hage-Ali who has been linked to drug arrests by the Daily Telegraph newspaper.

Premier Iemma told press yesterday that Ms Hage-Ali's employment at the Attorney General's Department was under review.

The Greens are concerned that the Premier appears to be considering sacking Ms Hage-Ali even though she has committed no crime and is not under investigation of any sort.

Ms Hage-Ali appears to be the victim of a media beat up which the Premier should not lend his authority to.

Iktimal Hage-Ali deserves a fair go. She has not been shown to have done anything wrong and so doesn't deserve her reputation being trashed and her job threatened.

Hopefully Ms Hage-Ali can put this behind her and continue to make a positive contribution through her important community work.

Sydney Labor delivers ‘paper park’

Newcastle Greens

MEDIA RELEASE
14 December 2006

Sydney Labor delivers 'paper park'

"The announcement of only 17.75% protection for marine life in the Port Stephens Great Lakes Marine Park is a gutless decision by the NSW Government, making the Park in essence a 'paper park'," says Greens candidate for Newcastle, Cr Michael Osborne.

"Minister Macdonald has obviously caved in to pressure from wealthy game fishermen rather than thinking of the long-term viability of the commercial and recreational fishing sector of the area.

"At least half of all submissions received by the Government indicated that people supported more than 20% in sanctuary area within the Park. This decision therefore not only goes expressly against the wishes of the community but is woefully inadequate in protecting marine wildlife and ensuring benefits for tourism and fishing interests," Cr Osborne said.

"The area protected in sanctuary zones has gone backwards, with 20% in the draft and now only 17.75% protected in the final zonings,” said Charmian Eckersley, Greens candidate for Port Stephens.

"The Grey Nurse Shark, a critically endangered species, predicted to be extinct within decades unless protected, completely misses out on protection at Latitude Rock, and even Broughton Island is not properly protected despite it being one of the critical habitats of this harmless species.

"The NSW Government cannot claim to have created a proper Marine Park while it leaves a critically endangered species susceptible to further hook and line deaths.

"Conservation groups, in line with international science objectives have been calling for up to half of the Marine Park in sanctuary zone. This would have achieved a real balance between fishing and conservation interests. Instead we have a 'paper park' where almost half is still open to industrial commercial fishing practices," Ms Eckersley said

"Sanctuaries are proven around the world and in NSW to work in protecting marine biodiversity, replenishing depleted fish stocks, encouraging eco-tourism to the area, and ensuring a sustainable commercial and recreational fishing industry,” Cr Osborne said.

Genetically-modified imports

In 2003 the Sydney Labor Government announced a moratorium on genetically-modified crops until 2008. In the same year, Newcastle City Council resolved that the city would be GM-free. This resolution was conveyed to the Government.

Last week, making a mockery of their moratorium, the Government allowed 57,000 tonnes of Canadian genetically-modified canola seed into the Port of Newcastle. Council was not informed that the GM shipment would be entering our port.("GM imports will undermine status" Newcastle Herald Letters 13/12).

The GM canola could be transported all over Australia to producers of margarine, mayonnaise, canola oil and animal feed destined for the poultry and dairy industries. This undercuts local farmers and contaminates our food chain. Will the Government insure local farmers who have GM-free crops, against contamination from these genetically-modified imports?

Australian consumers have shown clearly that they don't want genetically-modified food. The Government should ensure that genetically modified crops and food don't enter NSW until it is proved that they can be contained and that they are safe for consumption by humans and animals.

More expensive public transport services

Newcastle Greens

MEDIA RELEASE
13 December 2006

More expensive public transport services

"The State Government has once again shown its disregard for Public Transport users in the Lower Hunter," says Greens candidate for Newcastle, Cr Michael Osborne.

"On the day it was revealed that State Transit would take as many as 10 Buses off the road during peak times, the State Government Pricing Tribunal has agreed to increase most fares for Newcastle Buses above the rate of inflation.

"This means that average fares will have increased 23% over the last 5 years when the rate of inflation has been 14%. (Table 6.1 of the Determination)

"The State Government should release the Integrated Transport Plan for the Lower Hunter immediately. It should have been released with the Lower Hunter Regional Strategy.

"Why is the State Government keeping this secret?

"The people of Newcastle and the Lower Hunter would get a better outcome if all the bus, ferry, road and rail services were managed locally by local people in a Lower Hunter Integrated Transport Authority.

"Instead of cutting services and increasing fares, the State Government should improve service quality, timeliness, frequency, convenience and accessibility of public transport in the Lower Hunter," Cr Osborne said.

The Determination can be found at IPART Determination

Opportunities at the Royal Hospital site

Sydney Labor Government misses opportunity

I highlighted in an earlier post that the State Government was missing a great opportunity by not looking at what was the best use of the Royal Newcastle Hospital site.

In today's Newcastle Herald opinion page, medical specialist Ross Kerridge highlights the potential of the site to facilitate the establishment of a Foundation (called Orion because it is the constellation of The Hunter!) to attract creative people in a variety of fields from around the world to Newcastle.

What a great idea! But will the State Government listen? No way! It's full steam ahead to "maximise" the number of apartments on the site for the wealthy to enjoy.

Planning Sydney Labor style.

Part of Ross's concept is reproduced below.

The Orion Foundation ‘Gathering Stars for the Hunter’

The establishment of the Orion Foundation is proposed as an investment in economic and social infrastructure for the Hunter region, and as the primary social dividend to be delivered to the region from the redevelopment of the former site of the Royal Newcastle Hospital.

The Foundation will initially be established based on a nucleus of residential properties, funded by profit from the RNH redevelopment. These will then be sustainably managed to drive regional transformation and economic development.

Concept

The primary determinant of economic development in the next fifty years will be availability of a skilled workforce, and creative ‘intellectual’ talent. Internationally, regions that are rich in the ‘resource’ of innovative people, creating and exchanging knowledge and ideas, will prosper economically.

The Orion Foundation will provide the basis for this resource by attracting creative, talented people to Newcastle. This will be achieved by providing attractive, low-rental residential properties, for limited duration (e.g. two years) in an intellectually simulating environment. Residents shall be selected on a competitive basis, so that only the ‘best’ talent is given the privilege of this support. This supported accommodation will be augmented by other (non-financial) support such as facilitated networking with local community and creative leaders, mentoring etc, as part of a ‘package’ that can be marketed as an ‘Orion Fellowship’ that will gain prestige similar to other internationally recognised endowments.

The initial ‘capital’ – the residential properties - will be provided as the ‘social dividend’ from the redevelopment of the former Royal Newcastle Hospital site. They will then be sustainably managed on a not-for-profit basis by the Orion Foundation, so that there is no requirement for ongoing financial support.

This initiative will attract creative people (researchers, students, emerging talents) from a variety of fields to Newcastle. In the short-term, this will be a direct economic boost. In the medium term, some of these people will start new industries or new developments. In the long-term, the Hunter region will become recognised as one of the ‘creative centres’ of the world.

This is a concept that has been shown to work. Stanford University was endowed as a gift to the ‘Children of California’ by the Stanford Family, and has led to the wealth of Silicon Valley. The Rhodes, Carnegie, and Nuffield endowments achieved similar results elsewhere. More recently, post-industrial Dundee (Scotland) is undergoing a knowledge/creativity led economic transformation.

The financial dividend associated with the redevelopment of the Royal Newcastle Hospital site provides a singular opportunity to establish similar intellectual infrastructure in the Hunter Region, without direct cost to Government, taxpayers, or private groups.

NSW Landclearing

Landclearing in NSW: It's Un-Australian!

Landclearing involves the large-scale removal of native vegetation, usually with bulldozers, but there are other novel ways including poisoning, burning and drowning. Landclearing is one of the biggest threats to wilderness preservation in NSW, destroying important woodlands (including the iconic Coolabah tree) increasing salinity and exacerbating global warming. The federal government estimates that landclearing is contributing up to 9% of greenhouse emissions in NSW.

Other states such as Queensland have recognised the value of preserving our vital woodlands and have led the way in ending broad scale clearing on public land.

Last year in NSW the equivalent of more than 4 Sydney Cricket Grounds of bushland were bulldozed every hour of every day and night – 74,000 hectares of precious bushland. This destruction is putting at risk over 240 endangered and threatened species and exacerbating the impact of drought on Australian farmlands.

The Wilderness Society is campaigning for better protection for Australian woodlands through Wildcountry principles and traditional indigenous fire regimes, an end to state sanctioned landclearing and better enforcement of current legislation to combat illegal clearing.

Learn more about landclearing by visiting The Wilderness Society website.

Here’s how you can help end landclearing in NSW.

Write or visit your local MP's and tell them your vote is for ending landclearing.
The upcoming NSW election will be an important opportunity to gain firm commitments by political parties for NSW woodlands. Visiting and writing your local MP's is an important way to show community concern, and leads to environmental issues being put on the agenda during elections. Contact your local pollie and candidates for the 2007 NSW election and find out their position on this important issue. Make it clear you support candidates with positive environmental credentials. Click here to find your State member.

Raise your Voice!
Speak up on community and talkback radio, in local newspapers and your community! If you value conservation, have a story to share about the Australian bush or are concerned about a particular area or species share it with others also. Email the Newcastle Herald.

Sign a "Waltzing Matilda" Postcard
What's happening in NSW today is enough to make Banjo Patterson weep. The iconic Coolabah tree made famous in 'Waltzing Matilda' is being torn down by bulldozers - putting at risk many bird, reptile and mammal species and increasing salinity in already drought stricken areas. Visit the TWS Newcastle office and sign a postcard to preserve Australia's jolly swagman legacy for the future… once and for all. Also available: swagman coasters.

Become a Cyber-Activist!
Get involved in The Wilderness Society's landclearing cyber-action at The Wilderness Society website. Also join the e-activist network, view recent aerial footage and images of landclearing in NSW and receive regular e-newsletters about this and other important campaigns.

Toxic Hunter River Dredging

Media Release
Toxic Hunter River Dredging Must Be Publicly Exhibited

The proponents of a third coal terminal for Newcastle Harbour have applied to dredge three times the amount of contaminated sediment from the Hunter River as originally approved. This and other proposed changes to the consent conditions for the controversial operation has prompted the Hunter Community Environment Centre to call for the plans to be re-exhibited to the public.

The application for the dredging of the South Arm of the Hunter River at Newcastle was made in 2003, and its Environmental Impact Statement is now more than two years old. BHP Billiton has now applied to modify consent conditions for the dredging without resubmitting them for public comment.

Spokesperson for the HCEC, Georgina Woods, said: “The modified dredging plans are a major departure from the original dredging approval. BHP have applied to triple the amount of toxic sediment they first intended, assessed, and got approval to dredge. Instead of the original 150,000 cubic feet of highly contaminated sediment to be extracted from the harbour floor, they are proposing 450,000. This is because the contamination left by BHP in our river is considerably more extensive than originally thought.”

“BHP is also applying to expand the terrestrial footprint of the operations on the adjacent BHP land at Kooragang Island, in order to speed up the remediation process to fast-track the coal loader.”

HCEC is very concerned that the proponents now intend to dredge some of the contaminated sediment without best-practice protective barriers put in place.

“The original consent required that all dredging of contaminated sediment take place behind a protective sheet pile wall,” explained Ms Woods. “BHP have now found more toxic areas outside the main area of contamination, and are proposing to dredge these behind silt curtains.”

“This is clearly a different proposal to that which was originally approved,” concluded Ms Woods. “This is a significant development proposal that poses high risks to the environment of the Hunter River Estuary, and the community needs time to digest these new plans and make our concerns with them known. We call on the NSW Government to place the new dredging plans on public exhibition.”

Georgina Woods
Hunter Community Environment Centre

Greens slam ALP over DLP

Tuesday, 12 December 2006

Greens slam ALP over DLP

Labor party preferences have elected the DLP to the Victorian Upper House seat of Western Victoria. The ALP preferenced its old nemesis, the DLP, ahead of the Greens to give the DLP its second Upper House seat.

"The Labor machine, which flew in Peter Garrett to attack the Greens, is so anti-Greens that it prefers this anti-Labor party sharing the balance of power in the Legislative Council," Senator Brown said.

"They have cheated decent Labor voters by directing their preferences to the DLP. It is a rerun of the Victorian ALP preferences electing the Howard-friendly Family First party into the Senate in 2004, resulting in the passage of the Voluntary Student Unionism and cross-media legislation."

"The DLP's social policies are extreme-right and it backs dismantling large slabs of the federal public service. This perverse outcome shows the need for above the line preferential voting to prevent voters being cheated by party machines," Senator Brown said.

"The Greens candidate for Western Victoria, Marcus Ward, scored a much higher primary vote than the DLP and would have been a great parliamentarian. If carried forward, Labor's behaviour will assure the Howard government retains effective control of the Senate in 2007 even if Rudd Labor wins government," Senator Brown said.

Gosford unanimously supports Newcastle

I have just heard that Gosford City Council tonight unanimously passed this motion.

In recognition of the urgent need to protect local and global environments from increasing greenhouse gas emissions and in solidarity with Newcastle City Council, Gosford City Council make the following submissions to government:

1. Recommends that the NSW Government establish an immediate cap on coal exports from NSW not in excess of existing levels.

2. Recommends that the NSW Government initiates an Independent Inquiry into the environmental, social and economic sustainability of the current coal industry and proposed expansion of the Hunter Valley coal industry.

3. Recommends that pending such an enquiry the NSW Government places an immediate moratorium on new coal mines at Anvil Hill and elsewhere in the Hunter Valley and the Western Coal fields Mudgee area (Wilpinjong and Moolarben coal mines).

4. Calls on the NSW and Federal Governments to establish a mandatory renewable energy target of 50% by 2020.

5. Calls on the NSW Government to establish a levy on the coal industry to fund the transition to sustainability in the Hunter beyond coal which will also ensure on-going employment for Hunter Valley residents.

6. The Mayor write to the NSW Premier, the NSW Minister for Planning and the Prime Minister calling for all of the above points.

7. Council’s position be advertised in the weekly column on at least 3 occasions over the next 4 months.

8. The Mayor write to Newcastle Council congratulating them for their strong stance and informing them that we stand in solidarity with them on this issue of national importance.

Thank you Gosford! And thank you Cr Terri Latella, who moved the motion.

Newcastle City Council's motion is here

Sydney froth & bubble

Today Premier Iemma was in town to talk to the Newcastle Business Club at the Harbourview Function Centre.

He was greeted by Novacastrians concerned about Iemma's lack of vision on climate change - the protesters also came into the function centre as the Premier was about to start speaking to highlight climate change to those present.

The Premier's speech was big on blame (the economy is the Federal Government's fault, climate change is a global issue (really?), local government just needs to balance its books even if we make it provide more and more services (cost-shifting yet again!)) and small on any new initiatives (zero actually).

The Premier has said that climate change is the issue of the election but then, at the Newcastle Business Club in Newcastle, says he supports expanding coal exports, supports expanding coal loading facilities and supports carbon capture and storage.

Meanwhile, last night at the CSIRO lecture series in Newcastle, attendees heard that carbon capture and storage is not proven and "we won't know for a decade if it'll even work". Thanks Iemma!!

Planning for the future Sydney-Labor style.

PS The Sydney-appointed Labor candidate wasn't at the CSIRO lecture series last night either. Climate change - what climate change?

Sustainable future

Yesterday, one of Australia’s most respected environmental scientists, Ian Lowe, emeritus professor of science, technology and society at Griffith University, and President of the Australian Conservation Foundation came to Newcastle to talk about a sustainable future.

He spoke at a forum last night titled Energy for a Sustainable Future held at the University's Conservatorium in the City.

Ian has been a referee for the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change, attended the Geneva and Kyoto conferences of the parties to the Framework Convention on Climate Change and was a member of the Australian delegation to the 1999 UNESCO World Conference on Science. Ian Lowe was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2001 for services to science and technology. His contributions have also been recognised by the Prime Minister’s Environment Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement. Ian Lowe gave the ABC’s Boyer Lectures in 1991.

Some key points from Ian's presentation are:

* we are in control of our future - if we want a sustainable future (one that doesn't leave a mess for our children and grandchildren) we need to set goals and work towards them (sounds simple hey?)

* Ian gave examples from around the world of countries setting targets - Iceland has decided to be fossil fuel free by 2020 and is well on the way of achieving it (now has three-quarters of energy produced from wind)

* Europe and Japan have targets for the number of houses fitted with solar panels - even the US under Bush has a target of 1,000,000 homes fitted with solar panels - does Australia or even NSW have a target? NO!

* Based on government reports and studies it is possible to reduce our greenhouse gas emission by a massive 90% with minimal impact on our economy

* nuclear is not the answer - its can't be brought on line for decades, is way too expensive and there is still no answer to the waste and weapons proliferation issues (two big ones hey?)

No sign of the Sydney-appointed Labor candidate at the forum. Climate change - what climate change?

United Nations Human Rights Day

Last Wednesday (6 December 2006) I attended the celebration of the UN Human Rights Day organised by the Christians for Peace held at the Newcastle City Hall.

The event was ably chaired by Rev Dr Brian Brown and there were a range of speakers, including Greens MLC Lee Rhiannon.

Lee said in part:

Human rights are neither universally upheld nor respected by governments around the world, including Australia's. Over the next decade we are likely to see a huge increase in the number of refugees coming to Australia as climate change alters the global landscape. The Howard Government denied the existence of climate change for too long, and is now denying the possibility of thousands of climate change refugees. The restrictive policies of this government, and their treatment of refugees has contributed to a climate of fear and mistrust. The Australian Greens believe in co-operation, just economic and social development, environmental sustainability and respect for human rights.

No other candidates for Newcastle attended, and only one other candidate, Keith Parsons, Greens candidate for Wallsend, was there.

A fair trail for David Hicks

David Hicks was captured 5 years ago today (9 December 2001) near Kunduz in Afghanistan by the Northern Alliance.

The Northern Alliance allegedly subjected David Hicks to ill-treatment before handing him to the US authorities. After he was interrogated by US and Australian officials onboard the USS Peleliu, he was transported to Guantánamo Bay in January 2002.

The camp in Guantanamo Bay is a legal black hole designed to put detainees outside the rule of law and the US Administration beyond the rule of law. It must be shut down. The detainees held there should be either released or, if they are suspected of having committed a recognisably criminal offence, they should be charged immediately and tried in fair proceedings.

David Hicks should be brought home and tried in Australia and if the Australian justice system can find no ground or evidence to prosecute him, then David Hicks must be released. It is that simple.

Email John Howard and let him know what you think.

Do we really want nuclear power plants?

From Greenpeace UK

Iemma betrayal over GM

Newcastle Greens

MEDIA RELEASE
7 December 2006

Iemma Government betrayal over genetically-modified food and crops

“The Moratorium on genetically modified crops should remain in force until it is proved that genetically-modified crops can be contained and that they are safe for consumption by humans and animals,” said Newcastle City Councillor Michael Osborne, and Greens candidate for Newcastle.

“Two years ago the Sydney Labor Government announced a moratorium on genetically-modified crops until 2008. And yet the Government has allowed 57,000 tonnes of Canadian genetically-modified canola seed into the Port of Newcastle.

“In 2003 Newcastle City Council resolved that the city would be GM-free and this was conveyed to the Government. Council was not informed that the genetically-modified shipment of GM canola would be entering our Port.

“The genetically-modified canola could be transported all over Australia to producers of margarine, mayonnaise, canola oil and animal feed destined for the poultry and dairy industries. This undercuts local farmers and contaminates our food chain.

“Australian consumers have shown clearly that they don't want genetically-modified food.

“Will the Sydney Labor Government insure local farmers, who have GM-free crops, against contamination from these genetically-modified imports?

“Greenpeace activists were yesterday forced to take drastic action to inform the public that the Government had broken its promise to ban the importation of GM crops until it could be shown clearly that they can be contained and are safe for human and animal consumption,” Cr Osborne said.

Iemma on notice

Newcastle Greens

MEDIA RELEASE
6 December 2006

Greens put Iemma on notice with Climate Futures Bill

Greens MP and mining spokesperson Lee Rhiannon is in Newcastle today to launch the Greens Climate Futures Bill with Greens candidate Cr Michael Osborne. The Bill is a challenge to Labor to take the urgent action necessary to address the climate change implications of the Hunter coal industry.

“Premier Morris Iemma says climate change is a key issue for his election campaign. But he is busy ignoring the major contribution that burning coal makes to climate change,” Ms Rhiannon said.

“The Premier cannot pretend to tackle climate change while overseeing the biggest expansion of the coal industry ever seen in NSW.

“The Greens bill would impose a moratorium on new coal projects. It directs the NSW government to provide a transition package of retraining and jobs for coal communities, and fast track the development of a renewable energy industry in NSW.

“The bill also raises the NSW mandatory renewable energy targets to at least 20% by 2012, and 50% by 2020.

“The Greens believe it is possible to have wins for the economy and the environment, while tackling climate change,” Ms Rhiannon said.

Greens candidate for Newcastle, Cr Michael Osborne, says new coal projects proposed for NSW will result in the emission of 136.56 million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year.

“This almost doubles NSW’s total emissions in 2004 of 158.7 million tonnes and creates a whole new state of coal,” Cr Osborne said.

“The Greens will continue our work to make coal a key election issue in the Hunter region.

“The Stern Review put a social cost on every tonne of carbon of $85. Applying this formula, the new proposals alone would have a social cost of over $11.5 billion.

“Voters want real action on climate change, not just lip service to the problem while quietly supporting the continued march of the coal industry across NSW,” Cr Osborne said.

Canberra marks West Papua Day

Congratulations to the West Papuan community in Australia for the inspiring rally outside the Indonesian Embassy in Canberra on the 1st December where the West Papuan national flag the Morning Star Flag was raised.

Over 50 West Papuans gathered outside the embassy (after marching from old Parliament House), to celebrate their national flag day and highlight the ongoing human rights abuses in West Papua.

The proceedings were started by Greens Senator Kerry Nettle who said that the security treaty with Indonesia would not stop The Greens supporting self-determination for West Papua.

West Papuan speakers included Paula Makabory from ELSHAM, the Institute for Human Rights Study and Advocacy. Yamin Kogoya from the young West Papuan community in Dubbo, Jacob Rumbiak West Papuan diplomat and Herman Wainggai ex political prisoner and leader of the asylum seekers.

A wreath was also laid during the ceremony by a member of the local Australian West Papua Association group in Canberra in honor of all the West Papuans who have died as a result of the Indonesian takeover. A copy of the new treaty (unacceptable in its present form) was symbolically torn up by Joe Collins from AWPA (Sydney) at the end of the rally. Thanks also to the Greens for supplying the flag pole and the PA system for the event and to the local West Papuan community in Canberra who organised lunch for all those at the gathering and a Xmas party that evening.

Complimentary to this event letters were sent to The US and Dutch embassies to raise concerns about military aid to Indonesia in the case of the US and urging both countries to send fact finding missions to West Papua to investigate the human rights situation in the territory. AWPA also had an information stall at Bondi beach on Sunday the 26th November where the Pacific Wave festival was held and members of the Pacific communities in Sydney gather to celebrate their cultures. The previous week Paula Makabory and Anne Noonan spoke at the MAPW (Medical Association for the Prevention of War) national committee in Melbourne about the human rights situation in West Papua.

from
Joe Collins
Australian West Papua Association Sydney

West Papua referendum

Written declaration calls for independence referendum

Greens MPs on the other side of the world are calling for the European Union to intervene in forcing Indonesia to respect human rights in West Papua - and grant the province a free and fair referendum on independence - in a Written Declaration launched on Friday, 1st December to coincide with West Papua Independence Day.

The Written Declaration - the European Parliament's equivalent of an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons - has been co-sponsored by Green MEPs Caroline Lucas and Jean Lambert, Plaid Cymru Euro-MP Jill Evans and Italian liberal MEP Luigi Cocilovo.

It notes that following the withdrawal of Dutch colonial forces, West Papua has been under military occupation by Indonesia for more than 40 years. At that time it was allowed to administer the territory until a UN-guaranteed independence referendum could be held, but Indonesia failed to fulfil its obligations under international law and hold such a vote, instead annexing West Papua following a sham vote - the co-called 'Act of Free Choice' in 1969, in which just 1,000 Papuans, hand-picked by Indonesia, were allowed to participate.

Human rights abuses of Papuans continue - with torture, disappearances, detention without trial and murder of Papuans at the hands of the Indonesia military commonplace.

Read more on the Greens UK website.

Management the Sydney Labor way

Wednesday, 06 Dec 2006
Macquarie Bank should not have a place on Sydney Water Board

The appointment to the Board of Sydney Water of Tom Parry, Principal Adviser at Macquarie Bank, is a clear conflict of interest at a time when the government has opened up Sydney's water supply to privatisation, according to Greens MP, Sylvia Hale.

"The Greens are concerned that Macquarie Bank, with former Labor Premier Bob Carr on staff, may be getting an inside running as the government moves to open up the supply of water to private corporations."

"Consider this sequence of events:

- On 16 October 2006 Macquarie announces that it has led the consortium that has bought Thames Water, one of the largest private water supply companies in the world.

- On 18 October 2006 the government quietly appoints Tom Parry, Principal Adviser at Macquarie Bank, to the board of Sydney Water.

- On 24 October 2006 the government introduces the Water Industry Competition Bill which allows the supply of water in Sydney to be opened up to private sector competition."

"The public has a right to be deeply suspicious about what is taking place here," said Ms Hale.

"The potential conflict of interest arising from Mr Parry's appointment to the board of Sydney Water is obvious and the government should remove him from the board immediately," declared Ms Hale.

"Look at Macquarie's record at Sydney Airport where a public asset was turned into a price gouging private monopoly when Macquarie bought it. We do not want to allow Macquarie to do the same to the provision of water," said Ms Hale.

"The government, with the support of the opposition, pushed the Water Industry Competition Act through the last session of parliament and opened the door to the privatisation of Sydney's water supply. The Greens opposed the Act because we do not think it is in the interest of consumers or the environment to let large private corporations take over the water supply."

Greens back farmers

Wednesday, 6 Dec 2006
Australian farmers call for action on climate change

Senator Rachel Siewert today congratulated the NFF Policy Council on their decision to back the call to action of the Australian Business Roundtable on Climate Change.

In addition to recommending putting a price on carbon the Business Roundtable has highlighted the need to build resilience to the impacts of climate change.

"The Farmer's Federation have clearly stated that climate change is the greatest threat confronting Australian farmers," said Senator Siewert.

"It is time for the Government to stop dragging their feet and act on climate risk."

"Our farmers are keen to do their bit, but they're hampered by a lack of information about the likely impacts of climate change to their farms and their regions," she said.

"We need to be putting many more resources into improved forecasting, matched with targeted research and development into adaptation strategies that aim to address the biggest gaps and areas of greatest need."

"We need to provide the best information and decision-support tools to our farmers to help them manage climate risk, and we need to provide incentives to change to more resilient and sustainable systems in those areas hardest hit," said Senator Siewert.

Senator Siewert renewed her call for a national strategy for agricultural adaptation to climate change, after the government blocked a motion to establish one by Greens Senators Siewert and Milne in the Senate in November.

Genetically engineered contamination

In Newcastle today, Greenpeace activists blocked a shipment of genetically engineered (GE) canola seeds, stopping the seeds from contaminating our food chain. It is the first ever GE canola shipment to enter Australia.

To stop the shipment, activists chained themselves to vehicles, blocking the gates that lead to the dock where the GE shipment is being unloaded. They declared the area a biohazard.

International grains trader Cargill discreetly imported the shipment of Canadian GE canola into Newcastle last Sunday. It is destined for margarine and canola oil, and in animal feed for the poultry and dairy industries.

Australia says no

Recent polls show that Australian consumers do not want GE in their food.

Says Louise Sales, Greenpeace GE campaigner, "We are taking action to prevent GE canola from sneaking unlabelled and unwanted into the food chain. Consumers have made it quite clear that they don't want GE."

Cheap GE canola is being imported into Australia under the false pretence that there is a shortage here. In reality, there is ample domestic supply to meet demand - it just has to be brought over from WA.

Support local farmers

Food producers should support Aussie farmers by buying their canola for a decent price rather than undercutting them with cheap imports. And we should protect our farmers' prized GE-free status. When GE canola seeds are let into Australia, there is no way to prevent them from contaminating our environment.

Four of Australia's main food companies using canola oil (Goodman Fielder, Unilever, Woolworths and McDonald's) say they have not bought any of the shipment. Goodman Fielder and Unilever state that they have listened to Australian consumers and rejected the GE canola.

Greenpeace are urging other major canola users, like Coles, Murray Goulburn and Inghams, to reject GE canola and keep Australia GE-free.

Your Rights Worth Voting For

From the November 30 rallies



A new campaign starts today, says ACTU Secretary Greg Combet. Unions will campaign to get rid of Howard’s IR laws by voting against the Liberals at the 2007 election. Watch the MCG go off as a special message is revealed. Greg tells the massive crowd, “please join with us, and over the next 12 months let's give it everything we've got.”

GE grain into Newcastle

Contamination warning as GE grain arrives

Greenpeace says Australian crops could be at risk now the first imported shipment of genetically engineered (GE) canola has arrived in Newcastle on the New South Wales central coast.

Although the Federal Government has backed a trial of genetically engineered canola, the states have declared a moratorium on GE food.

Greenpeace's genetic engineering campaigner Lousie Sales says the shipment could threaten the GE-free status that has helped Australian farmers get good prices for their canola overseas. She says there is a serious risk of contamination from the shipment.

"That's what we've seen from Japan, where Japan's imported canola from Canada," she said.

"We've seen widespread contamination along ports and along major transport routes where GE canola's basically grown wild by the side of the road and we're concerned that there's going to be a contamination risk in Australia and Australia's GE-free status will be at risk."

Greater water conservation needed

Calls for greater water conservation in the Hunter region

The Total Environment Centre is calling on the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) to impose more conditions on the Hunter Water Corporation's operating licence.
IPART will consider renewing the licence this week.

The centre's urban campaigner Leith Martin says IPART should require the corporation to set strong water conservation and recycling targets for both residential and industrial users.

He says better water conservation targets could eliminate the need to build an additional dam in the Upper Hunter.

"We're calling on the tribunal to maintain strong customer and environment protection measures already enshrined in the licence," he said.

"It's important that they not be weakened or we could see a decline in standards.

"And it's also absolutely crucial that Hunter Water be set some very strong water conservation targets to ensure sustainable water supplies in the Hunter."

Pre-election forum

Hunter Council of Social Services Pre-election Forum: "A wish list for the Hunter" - Local People, Local Issues

Today I attended the HCOSS sponsored forum at Newcastle City Hall. All candidates for the seat of Newcastle were invited to attend. I was the only one who bothered to turn up.

The Forum heard presentations by Professor Bill Mitchell, Gary Kennedy, Greg Heys, Ellen Kavanagh, Len Regan, Pam Tierney, Simon Pabek and Andrew Waters. Then there were small group discussions and all the feedback was compiled.

It is estimated that two million Australian live in poverty today – one in ten Australians. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (2002), 58% of indigenous people, 28% of jobless people, 28% of people renting, 22% of single parents and 7% of older people are at risk of poverty. Recent research about the poorest 20% of families in Australia indicates most of these families are jobless.

All spheres of government have a role to play in addressing poverty.

Reclaim Our Town

A rousing meeting was held at the Banquet Room at Newcastle City Hall today commencing at midday to Reclaim Our Town "Start the ROT".

The meeting was designed to tell the State Government that the people of the Hunter and Central Coast are sick of having our democratic rights eroded away by contemptuous power crazy politicians.

Costa take notice!

This is my speech at the gathering...

I understand the concern of Newcastle people about decisions made in Sydney that affect our community. And it’s not just in pre-selections. As a local councillor it’s obvious to me that local decisions are no longer under the control of local people.

The Sydney Labor government is an arrogant government.

Arrogant in how they have treated our local elected member
Arrogant in how they treat planning in our city, and
Arrogant in how they build out our harbour

Planning Sydney style has come up with the area of Honeysuckle near the Crown Plaza, which many call Newcastle’s own harbour tunnel – thanks very much Sydney.

Planning Sydney-style is going to sell off the Royal Newcastle Hospital site, public land, our land – and what for? To plonk 20 storey apartments on it – thanks very much Sydney.

Planning Sydney-style is now eyeing off our whole CBD, they’ve got some ideas about what should happen in our CBD – can anyone guess what that’ll be? Anyone guessing 20 storey apartments? Full of vision Sydney planning! Thanks very much Sydney.

But is the Sydney Labor Government listening? Forget it! It shows the height of their arrogance.

This is our town.

We want to make the decisions for our future – local decisions by local people for local people. A fundamental principle of the Greens is grassroots democracy – that’s local decisions by local people for local people.

The Newcastle Greens position is clear.

The Newcastle Greens have fought hard with other Novocastrians to save our rail line, despite the efforts of Sydney power-brokers.

The Newcastle Greens have also acted to protect the public interest in the Mater hospital development, against the Sydney Labor Government’s proposed privatisation of our health services.

Public services and public spaces shouldn’t be handed to developer interests for private profit.

Developers supported by the Sydney Labor Government are still erecting barriers between the city and the water, and now they’re after the Royal hospital site.

Together we can stop the Sydney takeover of our town.

We can make a difference, especially over the next 16 weeks till 24th March next year.

Free West Papua speech

Michael Freund, coordinator of the Australia West Papua Association (Newcastle), gave the following speech on Friday 1 December 2006 in Newcastle opposite the City Hall

Thank you to everyone for being here on the 1st December to support the West Papuan people in their struggle for independence.

We also sincerely thank Newcastle City Council for agreeing to fly the West Papuan flag this year, as it did in 2005.

The 1st December commemorates the first official raising of the West Papuan Independence Flag (the “Morning Star”) in 1961. It flew alongside the Dutch national flag as the colonists prepared to hand the land back to the local people. This symbolic act also marked the official renaming of the territory from Netherlands New Guinea to West Papua. However, throughout the 1960s, Indonesia claimed West Papua by military force, with significant political support from the US and Australia.

In 1969, Indonesia conducted a sham referendum (the so-called “Act of Free Choice”), where the Indonesian military hand-picked just over 1000 people to represent a population of about 800,000. Under heavy intimidation, threats of violence & bribes they voted unanimously to remain under Indonesian rule.

In the four decades of Indonesian occupation, human rights agencies and churches have documented 100,000s West Papuan deaths caused by Indonesian military forces. Almost all incidents have gone uninvestigated and unpunished by the authorities. Recent comprehensive studies by major universities (Yale, 2004 & Sydney, 2005) have concluded that the evidence strongly suggests the Indonesian Government is committing the Crime of Genocide upon the West Papuan people - primarily to secure their land for huge multinational mining operations & extensive transmigration programmes.

Raising the Morning Star flag has long been considered an “act of treason” by Indonesia. Grossly unjust prison sentences of 15 years & 10 years were given to the two organisers of a peaceful flag-raising ceremony held on 1st December 2004. We in Australia take for granted our democratic freedoms of political expression, such as flying a flag, and so this day is commemorated here and around the world as West Papua’s Flag-Raising Day: a focus for building awareness and support for the West Papuan struggle for freedom and fundamental human rights.

The recent signing of the Australian & Indonesian security treaty reminds us of a similar treaty signed by the Keating government in 1995 when it closed its eyes to human rights abuses in East Timor and other parts of Indonesia. We are deeply concerned that this new agreement will not assist reform of the Indonesian military in any way, and will only lead to more repression of the West Papuan people. The treaty will allow co-ordinated patrolling of the waters between Australia & West Papua, making it virtually impossible for further refugees to reach our shoreline (as with the 43 asylum-seekers earlier this year). For as long as the Howard government continues to respect Indonesian sovereignty over West Papua, they also give their approval of the military occupation and the ongoing human rights abuses.

I would now ask for a minute’s silence in recognition for the 100,000s of West Papuans who have lost their lives over the past 45 years…

Free West Papua photos

Friday, 1 December 2006


The information stall in Civic Park, 1 December 2006


The Newcastle flag flying proudly next to the West Papua flag.

Free West Papua

Newcastle City Council flew the West Papuan flag from City Hall today 1st December, confirming support for the people of West Papua in their struggle for freedom & human rights.



The Newcastle branch of the Australia West Papua Association organised the gathering at 4pm in front of City Hall to commemorate the official flag-raising / independence day of West Papua. I was invited to speak.

If you raise this flag in West Papua you could be jailed for 15 years or be beaten or shot by the Indonesian Government.

West Papua is one of Australia’s nearest neighbours. Invaded by Indonesia in 1962 its people are struggling for freedom. Like in East Timor, the Indonesian military are escalating human rights violations - imprisoning and killing supporters of independence. Australia owes a debt to the West Papuans who supported us in World War II.

This is an issue of grassroots democracy.

Like Sydney intervening in local Labor branches about preselections, like Sydney over-riding our local community about planning and development in our city, Indonesia and the international community (including the Australian Government) is over-riding the wishes of the Papuan people regarding self-determination.

For all who value our grassroots democracy, let's speak out for the people of West Papua.

Time for the West Papuans is running out. We must act to help our neighbours.

National Day of Action

Newcastle's National Day of Action

I attended with other Greens (including Jane Smith, Greens candidate for Charlestown) the National day of Action in Newcastle at Energy Australia stadium today with more than 6,000 other people concerned about the Howard Government's Workchoices legislation.

We saw the telecast from Melbourne and heard from local speakers, including Mal Peters, a construction worker from Western Australia.

We were told that Mal had lost his job simply for speaking out publicly about the Government's building industry and work laws, used to serve 107 rail project workers with summonses for federal prosecution, with potential fines of up to $28,600.

The telecast included other cases of workers sacked under the Howard legislation.

Though the High Court has ruled 5-2 in favour of the constitutional validity of Howard government’s WorkChoices regime, the NSW government has the legal ability to stand up to the Howard government and draft legislation that fireproofs NSW workers from WorkChoices.

The Greens’ industrial relations legal adviser, barrister David Shoebridge, has provided advice that shows the NSW government can go further to protect all public sector workers. Mr Shoebridge also advises that the basic conditions of all employees who’s employers seek to tender for NSW government contracts can also be protected by state legislation.

Greens NSW upper house MP Lee Rhiannon has introduced a private members’ bill – Protecting NSW Workers from WorkChoices Bill 2006 – that if passed would comprehensively protect NSW public sector workers and many private sector workers from WorkChoices, even in light of the High Court’s ruling.

“The Greens’ bill changes the employment status of workers of state owned corporations and local government workers. These workers would no longer by employees of a corporation, but of a natural person in the form of the CEO or General Manager. If passed this would shield these thousands of workers from the damaging impact of WorkChoices.

“The Bill also creates a separate legislative requirement that tenderers of NSW government services pay employees and provide working conditions at rates that are no less than comparable to workers on state awards.

“If Premier Iemma had a real commitment to shielding NSW workers from WorkChoices he could enact legislation modelled on the Greens’ bill today.

“The Greens are committed to doing everything we can to combat the adverse effects of WorkChoices and we will use this private members bill to campaign, with workers and unions, in the lead up to March 2007,” Ms Rhiannon said.

Greens address climate crisis

Greens put greenhouse targets in legislation - Will Labor and Liberal support them?

The Australian Greens today introduced to the Senate a bill to set greenhouse gas reduction targets and increase renewable electricity usage, and called on Prime Minister John Howard and Labor leader Kim Beazley to tell the community whether they will support them.

The Greens' bill is the first federal legislation to set critical targets to reduce greenhouse emissions. The targets are 20 percent below 1990 levels by the year 2020, and 80 percent below 1990 levels by the year 2050.

Under the bill, the Mandatory Renewable Energy Target is increased to ensure that renewable electricity contributes at least 15 percent of national demand by 2012 and 25 per cent by 2020.

Greens climate change spokesperson Senator Christine Milne told parliament that the Howard government was failing the community on climate change, the greatest threat facing the world at the beginning of the 21St century.

"Climate change is a moral and ethical question. It goes to the heart of questions of justice, equity and survival of humankind and the ecosystems on which all life depends," Senator Milne told the Senate as she introduced the Climate Change Action Bill 2006.

"These are the values that need to be brought to the question and they are the values not evident in the Australian government's position. Where are Australian values now?

"The Australian government has refused to take action to address global warming because fundamentally it knows it is happening but has decided that corporate profits from the coal, oil and gas sectors feeding into budget surpluses and tax cuts are more important than the long-term interests of the Australian community, the lives of the world's poor or the ultimate survival of the species."

The bill also provides for a greenhouse trigger to be inserted into the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, set at 100,000 tonnes, to ensure that information about the greenhouse gas impact of major developments is adequately considered in relation to national greenhouse reduction targets.

Brown asks for Senate support

Australian Senate motion of support

Greens Senator Bob Brown moved a motion of support for the Newcastle Council climate change resolution on Monday in the Federal Parliament.

The motion of support was voted down overwhelmingly in the Senate, without any debate.

Senator Brown says he is disappointed the major parties appear to be ignoring climate change.

Both Labor and Liberal have ignored the overwhelming community support for action on climate change.

See the Senate Motion of support on the Parliamentary records.

The State Water Plan

No mention of Tillegra Dam in Sydney Labor's State Plan

Released just days before the announcement in the media of the Tillegra Dam, Sydney Labor's State Plan makes no mention of building Tillegra Dam.

There is no mention of the dam in the section on "securing our supply of water and energy" - this section (pages 111-114) talks about securing water through increasing water recycling (targets are set for Sydney but not for anywhere else in the State!), increased efficiency of water use (again targets for Sydney but no mention of the rest of the state) and restoring water extraction from rivers to sustainable levels.

In the section specifically on the Hunter (up the back on pages 160 and 161) again there is no mention of Tillegra Dam. In fact, no mention of any new water initiatives (or any existing water initiatives!).

Refer to my media release on the day of the announcement.

Sydney Labor's spaghetti vision

Sydney Labor Government has poor vision

When the Sydney labor Government released its "State Plan", which for anyone who has read it is incredibly Sydney-centric (why are we surprised?), the media widely lampooned it as being a cobbled together mish mash of already-existing government department goals. Hardly a new vision!

As with all these government glossy brochures, the pictures really do tell a thousand words.

And there, up near the front on page 4 of the summary document, is the Sydney Labor's vision for the State...

Let them have spaghetti junctions...

The climate crisis response

Newcastle Greens

MEDIA RELEASE
29 November 2006

Preferences and the climate crisis response

How the Sydney Labor Government responds to the landmark decision of Judge Nicola Pain in the Land and Environment Court will determine their political future, says Greens candidate for Newcastle, Cr Michael Osborne.

The Court found that the Government needs to take into account the impact on the climate crisis from burning coal.

“Is the Sydney Labor Government going to stop the environmental assessment process from considering the environmental impact of pollution from burning coal? It obviously contributes to the climate crisis.

“Again, I call on the Premier to show leadership and follow the resolution of Newcastle Council and:

1. Establish a cap on coal exports from Newcastle at existing levels.
2. Initiate an independent Inquiry into the environmental, social and economic sustainability of the current coal industry and proposed expansion of the Hunter Valley coal industry.
3. Pending such an Inquiry, initiate a moratorium on new coal mines at Anvil Hill and elsewhere in the Hunter Valley and Gunnedah Basin.
4. Establish a levy on the coal industry to fund the transition to sustainability in the Hunter beyond coal.

“This is a test of the commitment of the Sydney Labor Government.

“I’m sure Greens voters in the Hunter will be considering where to put their preferences based on the actions of the Sydney Labor Government responding to the climate crisis,” Cr Osborne said.

Gray v Sartor

The full judgement of Justice Nicola Pain in the Land and Environemnt Court in Gray v The Minister for Planning is now available on the web.

The Judge found that the Director-General failed fully take ecological sustainable development into account, in particular the principle of intergenerational equity (see part 126 of the judgement) and the precautionary principle (see part 135 of the judgement) when he decided that the environmental assessment of Centennial was adequate.

Parts 112, 113 and 114 of the judgement are interesting. It highlights that the Minister for Planning was trying to argue that he didn't have to apply the public interest in the context of ESD principles! What a joke!

The bottom line (almost literally) is "That the view formed by the Director-General on 23 August 2006 that the environmental assessment lodged by Centennial Hunter Pty Ltd in respect of the Anvil Hill Project adequately addressed the Director-General’s requirements is void and without effect."

A drop of water

Dana Lyons, who penned the imfamous Cows with Guns, was in Newcastle recently raising awareness about the planet's last temperate rainforests in Australia, North America and Chile.

He played at a fundraiser at the Croatian Club in Wickham for The Wilderness Society.


Another beautiful song of Dana's is...

A DROP OF WATER

There's a drop of water on the wall
And the drop's about to fall
and it falls into a trickle

And the trickle's flowing down
Down, down to the ground,
And the moss begins to grow

Watch, watch, watch, watch the water flow

And watch the current become a stream
Busting through the seams
Cracking through the concrete

Bending down the steel
In a raging that is real
A tearing torrent you can feel
Feel the thunder growing, thunder underground

And in my heart, the chains falling apart
The wildness in my soul
And for once in life, for once in life I know

I'm not alone, for the mountains make our bones
With the oceans in our blood
Our feet planted, planted firmly in the mud

We are alive, the burning embers in our eyes
The tingling touch upon our skin
And in the heat of passion we begin to understand

That we are of this land,
That we are part of Earth
and when its threatened we will fight for all we're worth

We watch the dam, the dam come crashing down
Water rushing to the sea

And now the river is free

by Dana Lyons, copyright 1991
Reigning Records
PO Box 2627, Bellingham, WA 98227
Dana Lyons

Damn shame

Old thinking, old solutions

Here is a Google Earth map of the location of the Tillegra Dam. The proposal is for the dam to store 450 billion litres of Barrington water, while the neighbouring Chichester Dam (builts in the 1920's) stores about 20 billion litres.

Compare the catchments...

Climate crisis must be considered

Newcastle Greens

MEDIA RELEASE
29 November 2006

Climate crisis must be considered

Greens candidate for Newcastle, Cr Michael Osborne, has welcomed the landmark decision of Judge Nicola Pain in the Land and Environment Court, that climate change impacts of burning coal extracted from coal mines must be considered by the NSW Government as part of the environmental assessment process.

Cr Osborne said “Environmentalist, Peter Gray who took the test case to the Land and Environment Court and won - deserves congratulations as do the environmental groups who supported Peter in his courageous stand.

“It is unbelievable that the full impacts of coal and the climate crisis are not already being taken into account by the State Government.

“The Greens have been in the forefront of warning about the climate crisis and the need for ecologically sustainable development. Greens MP Lee Rhiannon, candidate for the NSW Upper House has been tireless in exposing the dangers to the Hunter Valley of the unbridled expansion of mining. Following the Anvil Hill decision, Greens Senator Christine Milne will move “a greenhouse trigger amendment” to the Federal Government’s environmental bill to be debated in Parliament this week.
“The major parties are starting to talk about climate, but when it comes down to it, they're as stuck as they ever were in their old ways.

“The NSW Government has been giving lip service to the climate crisis, while backing the expansion of coal mining in the region and throughout the State.

The Sydney-appointed ALP candidate for Newcastle Jodi McKay has been quoted in The Newcastle Herald as saying that she will not turn her back on coal.

Independent candidate John Tate refused to support motions recently proposed by Greens councillors and passed by Newcastle Council calling on NSW Government to establish a cap on coal exports from Newcastle at existing levels and to place a moratorium on new coal approvals at Anvil Hill and elsewhere in NSW. These motions attracted national and international attention because of Newcastle’s infamous position as the world’s largest exporter of coal.

“Greens policies support a just transition from coal in stages, allowing communities to gradually restructure their local economies, which have become unhealthily dependent on coal, which is witnessing a steady decline in jobs and threatens other vital industries in the Hunter, like horse stud breeding, wine growing and tourism. Greens policies support investment in alternative energy producing technologies which offer the prospect of more jobs than coal.

“The Anvil Hill decision gives inspiration to the growing opposition in the Hunter Valley and world wide to the polluting industries which are threatening the future of our planet. The State Govt will now have to take account of greenhouse gas emissions from burning coal - including the 80 % which is exported .Even NSW Planning Minister Frank Sartor has admitted that the decision has implications for other industries, including steel mills, electricity plants and even toll ways.”

Thursday 30 November 2006

Your Rights at Work Rally

Join the Greens contingent at next Thursday's rally (8.30am 30 November) to be held at Energy Australia stadium.

Almost a year ago, hundreds of thousands of Australians took to the streets and filled community venues to show their disgust for the Howard Government's legislation. Ignoring popular opinion, the Government used its Senate majority to ram the laws through parliament. Since the IR laws came in, wages have gone down while costs like interest rates and petrol keep climbing up. At the same time our job security has been undermined by the new IR laws, which attack the pay and conditions we all rely on. Bring your friends, work colleagues and family.

Sydney Labor gives payoff

Labor Party Donors Get Pre-Election Pay Off

Having received millions of dollars from developers to fund its upcoming re-election campaign the NSW Labor government has used the final sitting week of the parliament before the election to push through controversial new laws that cut environmental protections and allow property developers quicker and easier approvals for large-scale developments.

The new laws were opposed by NSW Greens MPs but were passed with the Labor Government relying on the support of Christian Democrats, Shooters, One Nation and Outdoor Recreation Party MPs.

“The new bio-banking law allows developers to bypass existing threatened species survey and impact assessment procedures, without any requirement for public exhibition or public participation whatsoever,” said Greens MP, Ian Cohen.

“Environmentally sensitive areas should be protected in their own right, not used and abused in a tawdry trade off that allows increased development elsewhere,” he said.

Greens MP, Sylvia Hale said the new planning laws reduce the role of the community in the planning process, reduce environmental protections and further entrench the discretionary power of the Minister for Planning.

“Property developers have donated more than $5 million to NSW Labor since it was re-elected in 2003.

“These new laws are viewed by many in the community as another round of cash-for-favours for those developers,” she said.

“Electoral Office figures reveal that a large proportion of the Labor Party’s campaign funds have come from property developers and construction companies,” concluded Ms Hale.