The stench of corruption wafting from NSW Labor

A very important article ran in today’s Sydney Morning Herald.  Entitled ‘The Circle of Influence‘, it details the connections between Labor Party MPs and apparatchiks, unionists, developers, and even links with the mafia!

This article shows how closely linked the modern Labor Party is with developers in NSW.  No wonder our planning laws are an absolute shambles.

“A common interest in property development crowds Labor’s political stage in NSW, writes Kate McClymont.

Forget about six degrees of separation. If you are a Labor mate, it takes just three degrees to be linked to everyone else. If you throw in property speculation, the odds are even shorter…”

It reminds me of learning about how the Indonesian Military works at university.  When a class of Indonesian military officers graduate, they set up companies and use their positions in the military and network of links to expand their business interests and grow powerful and rich.  That’s why when you hear about illegal logging in Indonesia or West Papua, there are often close links to the military.

It seems the same system operates in the NSW Labor Party.  You graduate from Young Labor with your factional mates and allies.  As you gain party positions or union positions and slots in parliament, your web of business interests and links to a network of developers expands.  You grow rich and powerful.

This might be good and well for senior members of the Labor Party, but it is not acceptable in a modern democracy.  The current crop of Labor politicians clearly have unhealthy links to the development industry.  The flow of donations from developers to the Labor Party has institutionalised these links and made the chief instigators very powerful.

We not only need an election in NSW, we need a Royal Commission to investigate the types of links uncovered in this article.

A real grass win for Arlington

Real Green grass gets the go ahead for Arlington OvalAfter months of waiting, residents living around Arlington Oval were relieved and overjoyed to hear that Marrickville Council was not going to cover their local field with artificial turf despite lobbying from two A grade soccer clubs who use the oval.

Greens councillor Marika Kontellis has been working steadily with residents throughout this highly emotive period seeking a way forward that would be a win-win for both sides, “The decision to resurface Arlington with natural turf using sophisticated irrigation methods and rainwater harvesting, will make the young soccer players less likely to suffer heat stroke and many of the other health issues associated with synthetic turf. At the same time the decision will give local residents a break from more intensive usage of the field and the loss of amenity that would have gone with that”.

“I’m pleased that the Labor councillors along with Independent West Ward councillor, Dimitrios Thanos finally realized that artificial turf was not a sensible option for Arlington and in the end voted for what the Greens thought was the right solution from the start – green natural grass on the field.”

“It’s a tribute to the local community that they stood their ground and made us all aware of the negative impact the artificial turf would have had on their lives and as an offshoot of this whole process, we hope to see improved conditions for them during the soccer season.”

“As well, I think we need a lot more scientific analysis of artificial turf and its effects on the environment and players before we look at this type of playing surface . It’s one of those things that looks good on face value but in my opinion, does not measure up as it should,”

Enquiries: Clr Marika Kontellis  –  0409076708

Huge Stanmore eucalypt getting the chop

Stanmore is set to   loose a large eucalypt  as Labor and  Independent  councillors  on Marrickville council voted last night against a Greens motion to attempt to save the tree

The corymbia citriodora in Cambridge St., Stanmore is a grand street tree planted in the 70’s, that’s at the centre of a tussle between those that believe the tree is the cause of cracking in a property nearby and those that cite the prolonged drought and clay soil in the inner west, as the major culprits.

“The ongoing drought combined with above average temperatures over a prolonged period, has made many properties in the Marrickville area experience ongoing movement and cracking due to the contraction in the clay soils ” said Councillor Peters

“It’s counterproductive to remove such significant trees from our environment unless there are absolutely no other options.  In this instance the Greens were seeking a period of grace so that proper testing along with amelioration attempts, could be undertaken.”

“This street has numerous properties that exhibit similar cracking in door and window areas and yet in most cases, do not have any trees near them.  This sort of cracking is something most people in the inner west live with and understand that the cracks will close when the soil conditions improve.”

“Trees of this maturity are important assets in our community as they clean our air, sequester large amounts of carbon, provide shade and thus cool the environment as well as providing habitat for native birds and insects. They also add value to our properties and enhance our streets and we need to be mindful of these positive aspects rather than seeing trees as potential risks or nuisances that can be chopped down continually at no cost to us all.”

December 12, 2009

Contact :  Clr Cathy Peters 0419444974

Walk Against Warming

Join The Greens in the Walk Against Warming

The Walk Against Warming on Saturday 12th December coincides with the 2009 Copenhagen Climate Summit.  
It’s D-day for us to show our politicians and world leaders we want global action on climate change!

Join the Marrickville Greens in the Walk Against Warming – we’re travelling together to the walk from Marrickville Station.  Meet us there at 12pm to make our way together to the rally (starts at Martin Place at 1pm).  Bring your family and friends, wear sky blue laces or something else blue.

You can find out more about the walk, and other Walk locations outside Sydney at http://www.walkagainstwarming.org/

Marrickville Greens Councillors arrested at climate blockade

Marrickville Council’s Green Deputy Mayor, Fiona Byrne and Greens
Councillors Max Phillips and Cathy Peters were arrested at Parliament
House on Monday Nov 23 as they joined over 200 protestors demanding stronger action from the government on climate change.

Climate activists block the front entrance to Parliament House

The three Greens Councillors were arrested after a mass sit-in in front of the entrance to Parliament House in Canberra along with 130 other
people, but released without charge.  They were  seeking meaningful
emission reduction targets of 40% by 2020 and binding agreements in   Copenhagen.

Councillor Bynre  stated, “When I read the latest research which suggests the Arctic icecap  could be completely melted during summer by as soon as 2013, I  realized that before my children even finish school, the planet could
be irreversibly changed. We must have real action now and that’s why I
had to be prepared to be arrested during this peaceful protest”.

“The fact that 130 people from diverse backgrounds were prepared to be arrested reflects the strength of feeling in the community and I wanted to show the politicians in Canberra that ordinary people are prepared to take action to  demand realistic reductions in greenhouse gas pollution so that our community and communities around the world can have a safe future,” commented Greens Councillor Cathy Peters

Councillor Max Phillips at the blockade.

Clr Cathy Peters arrested at Parliament House 23.11.09

 

“Action on climate is so important that sometimes we have to leave our comfort zones and put our bodies on the line. The government’s 5% target and deeply flawed emissions trading scheme is betrayingthe climate and our collective future,” said Greens Councilor Max Phillips.”We have a small window to stop catastrophic climate change, so it is now or never and that’s why I felt so strongly that I was willing to be participating in peaceful civil disobedience.”

Protestors blocking Parliament House entrance 23.11.09

NSW running out of water

An article in today’s Sydney Morning Herald – People versus power station as water levels plunge – points out what’s happening because of climate change.  This time Oberon (just over the Blue Mountains) is running out of water.  Now the town must choose between the people who consume 1 million litres a day, or the coal-fired power station down river that consumes 9 million litres of water every day. 

How ironic, that the coal-fired power station that is part of the reason why rainfall patterns are changing, it sucking up the remaining water at a prodigious rate!

The article also says Orange Council must decide how to avoid level 6 water restrictions in the near future (level 6 water restrictions basically close down industry).  A giant gold mine nearby is using large amounts of water.  How long before we put a real value on water and on keeping a safe clmate?

Greens Councillor Jeremy Buckingham is still wondering how long it will take before people wake up to the new reality that climate change is already happening.  With a red hot end to November forecast and a scorching summer predicted, how long until government decide to take real action on climate change, rather than this childish debate over who can give more compo to the big multinational coal corporations.  Kevin Rudd, Malcolm Turnbull, you are a joke – at least you would be if the climate issue weren’t so serious.

Dry: Oberon dam

Isn’t it funny how people perceive The Greens as not being serious on many issues, when we are the only party who really ‘gets’ climate change and is promoting actual solutions rather than token words and almost total inaction.  The other parties and heir representatives will be found to be culpably negligent.

Climate denying morons like Senator Nick Minchin may look the very definition of respectability, but he is a ‘total nutbar’ when it comes to climate (then again, are these the same bastards who locked up [and still lock up] asylum seekers behind razor-wire in thinly veiled attempts to outdo each other in appealing to latent racism and obvious xenophobia in the Australian community).

History will ultimately judge, but if, as the New Scientist reports, we’re heading to six degrees of global warming by the end of this century, then there will be no history, just acidic seas belching Sulfur dioxide into the green sky.

More Buckinghams, less Minchins please.

EVENT: Public Meeting on Lewisham Master Plan – 19 November

The No Lewisham Towers residents action group has called a public meeting to discuss Marrickville Council’s master plan for the McGill Street precinct.  This master plan effectively provides an alternative vision for the area to the fourteen storey towers and supermarket mall that has been proposed by developer, Demian Constructions.

Time: 8pm, Thursday 19 November 2009

Venue: Summer Hill Community Centre, 131 Smith Street Summer Hill

What: see the master plan and express your opinion.

nolewishamtowers.org for more information.

 

Marrickville RSL site development withdrawn

The proponent of the large development of 124 units and a large supermarket, proposed Marrickville RSL site has withdrawn his application before it was heard by the unelected Joint Regional Planning Panel (JRPP).

The development was recommended for refusal by Marrickville Council officers in their report prepared for the JRPP.  The officers said the proposal failed to meet planning standards on 16 grounds.  The Traffic Committee also slammed the proposal with concerns about the amount of traffic it would generate, the ability of semi-trailer delivery trucks to navigate narrow local streets, and the proposed removal of traffic islands.

You can read the report on the development here.

The elected Marrickville Council also resolved to put a submission to the JRPP strongly objecting to the proposal.   The Greens slammed the tiny size and basement location of the new RSL, expressing our fears that it will become a subterranean gambling den with none of the good community features of the old RSL.

The developer even asked Marrickville to give him more time to change the proposal before it went to the JRPP, but the state government wants JRPPs to be all about speedy decisions, so off the application went.

The developer obviously saw the writing on the wall and decided to withdraw the application rather than see it go down in a flaming heap.  This is a great victory for the community who worked hard to notify other residents about the proposal and rally community opposition.

The proponent is likely to come back with an amended application in the near future.  Hopefully this will be a better fit with the existing community, but residents will need to stay alert and be ready to engage again with the process to make their opinions and voices heard.

Unfortunately, the draft Local Environment Plan allows for bigger, bulkier and higher developments such as the RSL proposal, not only at Marrickville Station, but else where in the municipality.  When the LEP is put out for public comment, it is important that residents have their say or else much of the Marrickville shopping strip, as well as Petersham and Dulwich Hill will be ripe for RSL-type proposals.

Lachlan river runs dry

The Sydney Morning Herald reported on Saturday that a major NSW River, the Lachlan has run dry, potentially leaving those downstream dependent on water being trucked in.

The drought gripping the valley has caused the water level in Wyangala dam drop to 6 per cent

As Jeremy Buckingham, the Greens’ Councillor in Orange, points out on his blog, this is the first time in living memory that the Lachlan River has run dry, and this time we can’t blame irrigators, as there is little irrigation on the Lachlan.  Buckingham suggests that it is more than a prolonged drought, but rather climate change starting to manifest itself.

Of course, Sydney’s $2 billion desalination plant will soon be operating, so we can remain blissfully ignorant of the crisis in climate country NSW and keep building new power stations and motorways.

Marrickville Council takes stand against new coal-fired power stations

Media Release 21 October 2009

Marrickville Council passed a resolution at the 20 October Council meeting expressing its opposition to the construction of new coal-fired power stations in NSW as totally incompatible with fighting climate change. Council will write to the state government and advertise its position on this important issue to the local community.

State owned companies Delta Electricity and Macquarie Generation both have plans to build new coal or gas power stations near Lithgow and in the Upper Hunter Valley that would emit 23 millions tonnes of greenhouse pollution every year, the equivalent of four million extra cars on the road.

“Coal is the major cause of climate change in Australia, to build new coal-fired power stations in NSW would be an absolute disaster,” said Greens Councillor Max Phillips.

“The plans for two new coal-fired power stations currently before the state government would mean a 16% increase in greenhouse emissions when scientists say we need a 40% reduction by 2020 to avoid catastrophic climate change.

“Expansion of the coal industry and fighting climate change are simply incompatible.

“The Rees government can choose dirty coal power, slightly less polluting gas power, or clean renewable energy. They should be seeking to build solar thermal and wind power stations to help combat climate change, created green jobs and lead in the next boom industry, renewable energy.

“Marrickville Council and local residents are doing their bit to reduce greenhouse emissions, it is time the state government took real action and put a moratorium on new coal-fired power stations.

“I hope local residents concerned about climate change contact the local member, Carmel Tebbutt and tell her a new coal-fired power station is not acceptable in this era of climate change.”

Contact: Councillor Max Phillips 0419 444 916

Notice of Motion

No new coal-fired power plants in NSW

Councillor Phillips

Council notes:

1. Two new coal-fired or gas power stations are planned for NSW at Bayswater in the Hunter Valley and Mt Piper at Lithgow and currently have an environmental assessment with the Department of Planning.
2. Burning coal releases a lot of carbon dioxide and is a major cause of climate change.
3. The new coal-fired power stations planned will produce 23 million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year. This is an increase of 34% of NSW stationary energy emissions.
4. The gas powered option 12.9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide each year. This is an increase of 19% of NSW stationary energy emissions.

   Council:
   

5. Adopts a position of opposing all new coal-fired power stations in NSW on the grounds that it is incompatible with mitigating dangerous climate change.
6. Writes to the Member for Marrickville Carmel Tebbutt the Premier Nathan Rees, Minister for Planning, Kristina Keneally, Minister for the Environment John Robertson, stating this position and asking that they reject the new coal-fired power stations and invest in energy efficiency measures and renewable power sources instead.
7. Promotes this position on the Council website and in the Council column in the local newspaper.
8. Makes a submission to the environmental assessment processes of these two projects.

Background

Macquarie Generation and Delta Electricity have both submitted plans to the Department of Planning for either new coal fired generators or gas powered generators.

The Bayswater B power station, located in the Hunter Valley would generate 2 gigawatts of electricity. The coal fired option would produce 12,428,200 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, while the gas powered option would produce 5,918,600 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually.

The Mt Piper Power Station Extension, located near Lithgow, would generate 2 gigawatts of electricity. The coal fired option would produce 10,470,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, while the gas powered option would produce 4,910,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually.

The latest climate science says that climate change is happening more rapidly than previously thought and that we are in danger of hitting natural tipping points that will increase the rate of warming further with drastic consequences for humanity.

Rajendra Pachauri, head of the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has said clearly and unequivocally that we must aim to keep the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere at 350 parts per million (ppm) or below. Since the industrial revolution, we have increased the amount of carbon dioxide from 280ppm to 383ppm.

James Hansen, Director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies and perhaps the most respected climate scientist in the world, told The Guardian:

“coal is the single greatest threat to civilisation and all life on our planet…The trains carrying coal to power plants are death trains. Coal-fired power plants are factories of death.” (Feb 2009)

Australia is the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases per capita. We must drastically and swiftly reduce our emissions if we are to avoid catastrophic climate change. Building new coal fired power stations, or even gas power stations is incompatible with combating climate change.

NSW can avoid building new fossil fuel power stations by investing in energy efficiency measures, building renewable energy power such as wind and solar thermal, and encouraging small scale clean energy installations through rebates and feed in tariffs.

Decisions about how we source electric power in NSW will affect the ability of Marrickville Council and Marrickville residents to access clean energy options and lower greenhouse gas emissions.