Coal Seam Gas- Finally Shoalhaven City Council see that the truth is not a jobs rich future

There has been so much written this week on the issue of coal seam gas that I was almost going to leave it of the blog list.

But I just couldn’t!

I’ve blogged before on Shoalhaven Councillors who were unwilling to support the different coal seam gas motions that I have presented to Council. Council once even used the classic bury the motion tactic by calling a briefing (the majority of times briefings are legit). The briefing was given by the Department of Primary Industry and was full of glowing praise for the governments’ ability to regulate the gas mining industry. The DPI reps gave an undertaking to Council to consult should the license be renewed- of course they didn’t it was lip service at its worst.

This current crop of Councillors didn’t support the motion I put up in October which was basically requesting the State Government to protect our valuable farm land through the strategic land use plan. My suggestion then was met with blank stares from Councillors on a steep learning curve.

I will give them the benefit of that doubt because to their credit they came around and supported both motions that I put up last week and another motion that was brought through the policy resources and reserves committee on nominating exclusion zones.

I resurrected the motions to Council on the back of the public meeting held in Gerringong instigated by 94 year old activist Ken O'Hara and supported by the Kiama Greens. 350 people turned up to that meeting from all walks of life and the speakers list was incredibly knowledgeable activists and parliamentarian Jeremy Buckingham from The Greens. I seized the opportunity to tell the meeting that to date Shoalhaven Council had balked at passing a strong comment on coal seam gas. My call to action was that they wrote to the Mayor and Councillors seeking their commitment to join this campaign.

The next morning I put together two notices of motion one strong and the other just reaffirming a previous commitment to the Southern Councils Group statement. This time around I didn’t bother adding complex background documents and providing numerous maps, I had done this the last time and hoped that in the intervening period that the Councillors had done their own investigation into the issue. Clr Watson had given them the warning to ‘watch me and my Green propaganda’ and I’m sure some have taken his ‘dire warning’ seriously.

When the Council meeting finally came around I really wasn’t sure how the Councillors would vote, I hadn’t lobbied or made pleas to them during other meetings, I did however support the motion that staff had put up the previous week to ask the state government to voluntarily exclude some residential zones from gas mining.

It did feel like a great moment when all but one hand was raised to support the motion that had been mildly amended by the other Councillors. So the final motion read…

Shoalhaven Council write to the Premier Mr Barry O Farrell to express support for the following.

A freeze on CSG exploration and mining.

An inquiry into the impact on CSG development.

A ban on fracking.

A ban on CSG development in drinking water catchments and on prime agricultural land and all residential land in the Shoalhaven.

Council also call on the NSW State Gov to voluntarily exclude the Shoalhaven from Coal Seam mining exploration and revoke the recent renewal of PEL469 to Leichardt Resources/Planet Gas as they failed to meet the conditions of the license.

The other motion to reaffirm Councils support for the Southern Councils Group statement on Coal Seam Gas was also supported.

Up until that point the Council really hadn’t heard much from the community on the issue, even though community conversations were talking about how wrong it was that an exploration license has been issued in the first place. The community campaign against CSG is building in the Shoalhaven with a forum to be held on 14 May, I hope some of the Councillors can attend so they can witness firsthand the passion that this issue inspires and unites people from all walks of life.

Milton Ulladulla District Mountain Bike Club and the Burrill Lake Forestry Land

Another project I've been gently chipping away got a green light this week.

Council agreed to 'Proceed to acquire Lot 94 DP 755972 from Forestry Corporation of NSW for a future land use such as a mountain bike track or future land to enhance southern entry opportunities to Burrill Lake to Ulladulla'.

MUD Mountain Bike Club have been keen to get a track established at the Burrill LAke sight for some time now. They have surveyed the area and drafted up some plans for a course that would be suitable for children and beginners or just a pleasant forest ride for us total novies.

The project was first brought to my attention around 2010 via a number of members including Adam Smith, Peter Kastelain and Bart Salafia.

I hope the acquisition happens quickly so the group have the opportunity to get the track ready for the spring season.

In the same motion council voted to assist the club where possible in negotiations to sure up a land use agreement at another site in Ulladulla. Things are looking positive for the mountain bikes this week.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/182833168400458/

Local Environment Plan- Post exhibition consideration process

Yep its a long title that basically means council will be looking at all of the submission made during the exhibition period and trying to decide what has strategic merit and should be incorporated in this round of changes to the Local Environment Plan.

Ive written many blog posts on this subject for it has been a long and difficult task.

Here are some links to my past posts.

Planning Minister Throws Out Spot Rezoning.

So Much Happening So Little Time to report!  this is a brief on the intensity of special development meetings.

Council Fears Community Scrutiny in LEP deliberations.

Shoalhaven Schools not for Sale.


Ok enough of my back catalogue and back to the issue at hand. A report was presented for Councils consideration that sought to contemplate all of the issue in 2 meetings that would be a full day each and that the decisions reached in these meeting would be final. Now that sounds very efficient but the task at hand is complex and the outcomes of potential decisions have long reaching effects that need to be considered. Community access to the meetings is also a priority as many people have a need and a right to participate in the process.

Thankfully many Councillors thought that 2 full days was an impossible so save the following dates.

Wednesday 17 July 2013
Thursday 18 July 2013
Wednesday 24 July 2013
Monday 29 July
Wednesday 31 July

All the meetings will start at 4pm in the Council chambers- keep an eye out for any changes to the schedule.

$100 million to reinvigorate the Illawarra - how would you spend it?

Picture taken from http://www.sjb.com.au/projects/malvern-hill to provide some context of what urban renewal could aspire to be in around the hospital precinct.

Council sent out this week Mayoral minute about lunch time on Tuesday and I was shocked at the content.

The Mayor was requesting that Council support a $10mill(approx.) multi storey car park for Nowra as the number one project when we apply for our slice of this funding.

The multi storey car park is a project that Council has just agreed to put into its long term financial plan and has come about through pressure from shop keepers and building owners in the Nowra CBD. I have a problem with the location I think its wrong to build it on the Berry Street all day car park- It should be in another location-but that is a different story.

I was shocked that this was the most exciting plan we could come up with to attract government investment for jobs creation in the Shoalhaven. Surely there are more exciting projects / programs that could have a long lasting impact and generate sustainable employment.

The Shoalhaven Business chamber southern chapter met last night to discuss the budget and I asked them to put on their thinking caps and to lobby that the funding not have a narrow set of guidelines and make the maximum number of applications eligible. A few projects were suggested straight away- Ulladulla Industrial Lands, more berthing and boating facilities in the Ulladulla Harbour and some educational programs to help get people trained for our local economy.

One suggestion that I am putting up is an urban redevelopment plan for the residential area near the Nowra hospital bounded by Shoalhaven, Hyam and Mandalay Ave -it could even extend out to Bridge St. Such a plan would need some funding to make sure the zoning was right, funds to create a concept/master plan and some work with the NSW government to start to try and create a land package from some of the Department of Housing stock that exists in that area. There could also be a voluntary sales process for any private landholders to sell their blocks into the package.

Of course this would have to be done sensitively and with the needs of the existing residents a priority- I certainly don't want this to be an exercise of exorcising people from their homes.

So the aim then would be to create a medium density mixed use precinct that has plenty of office space for health service providers and complementary practitioners. Penthouse apartment living for the Doctors ( and perhaps shared with Military personnel), some affordable housing or community managed apartments, and some student accommodation- a real mix that provides support to the ever growing medical hub that is happening around the hospital especially when cancer care comes on board.

Now this may happen organically- but Council has a real opportunity to try and fast track it and plan it so that it fits in with the other master planning that has recently been done. It could even be the opportunity to have infrastructure improved in this area.

Its a plan that fits directly with the South Coast Regional strategy and it helps contain urban sprawl.

The flow on effects would be terrific as there would be more employment not only in health related fields but in the secondary supports and services such as secretarial, cleaning and sustenance. BY having more people employed in the area means more indirect spending locally. With an increased density of people living close to the Nowra CBD and the entertainment centre there would be flow on effects there to.

The cancer care centre will attract many more people to our region and we need to be ready to support them and the teams of health care professionals that will be required. Shoalhaven can be proactive in bringing this about or not.

This project suggestion is by no means the only project, and its not the first time I've mentioned it in Council, but unless we don't think of more 'blue sky' options then we will be stuck with parking lots that will have a low impact on long term unemployment. It would be even better if we could get multiple and diverse projects funded from the $100 million. I hope that at least my 'stirring' in the local media will bring about more thought about we should be aiming for with this possible windfall funding.

My Reply to ExServos Exec Assistant

This is the longer version of the letter printed this week in the times.


Dear Alison,

I understand that you are angry with me. Everyday you turn up to work, you do a good job, you've probably worked at the Club for some time and have a great sense of loyalty about your employer. When you see me talking about the negatives of the Club industry you feel like I am personally kicking you in the guts for you have a certain kind of ownership over your clubs activities.

In my life I have worked in the Club industry and know that it can be busy and thankless.

I don't blame the staff of the club or the ExServos itself for anything, just as I don't blame miners for working in mining or loggers for logging. Do I use the services of all these industries-sometimes-when I have to, but personally try to keep it to a minimum.

My problem is with the way 'systems' and 'process' have been set up to create a supposed win win situation.

Clubs NSW is a powerful lobby group. NSW State Governments have in the past received donations from Clubs NSW for their political campaigns. Combined, Clubs have a huge membership that they can and will mobilise to support them in their endeavours and I would draw your attention to the recent debate on limiting the amount of bets on electronic gaming machines- we saw weak attempts at legislative reforms, because a powerful lobby got its own way.

Clubs have offered poker machine gambling as a 'service' to their members since 1956 when clubs were generally more focused on their social and community benefit. This social and community benefit was recognised by government and given special tax dispensation as not for profit organisations. However in the modern age that focus for many clubs has changed as they aggressively pursue the profits from gaming machines. Clubs received benefits that for profit organisations do not i.e. tax concessions and a protected poker machine market.

Clubs are a contradictory entity ( bit like local government really) whose existence relies on the adoption of commercial management practices to succeed in profit driven market places. Yet the heart of the clubs charter is to give great service to its members without accruing financial gains. So its almost like a catch 22 situation. Clubs cannot accrue mountains of cash for they are deemed as not spending it on servicing their members ( and would lose their tax advantages) so clubs take big loans to fund additional capital expenditure and then forever are reliant on the revenue of poker machines of EGM's to repay the debts. For a more in depth analysis of the history and changing nature of pubs check out this paper by Dr Nerilee Hing.

Of course I understand that a fair amount of money put through pokies is put through voluntarily by people who are in control of their emotions and their finances "a bit of a flutter". But the Gambling Impact Society believe that this amounts to around 60% of the takings, with 30% of gamblers at risk of becoming problem gamblers who make up the final 10%.  It is this 40% that I consider to be the 'dirty cash' money that has come from people who are having trouble controlling  their gambling addiction or are problem gamblers. The effects on these peoples families is far reaching. Staff at clubs are trained in responsible conduct of gambling and some funding from clubs goes back into services for those battling addiction.

The Ulladulla Ex servos was seeking an increase in their poker machine numbers. That issue came to Council and I have blogged about it extensively. The remarks that are used by The Times come from another blog article that I published recently. The Mayor Joanna Gash wrote to the Liquor and Gaming Authority and supported the clubs application- particularly since they were financing two organisations she favoured- West Ulladulla Netball (Council) and the Dunn and Lewis Youth Foundation /Centre. I have a problem with the funding from Clubs going to the Dunn and Lewis. D and L is primarily a youth foundation that provides service and training opportunities to youth some of whom would be considered 'at risk' I think they offer a great service and some of the programs have been very innovative.

The article referred to Clubs keeps kids cooking is a classic of example of what I believe to be exploitation of children. Its just like  McDonalds donating to children's charities it makes their 'brand' more appealing and more 'family friendly'.

BUT LET ME MAKE IT CLEAR- I am not casting a judgement on D and L, they like many other service and program providers such as Nowra Women's Health centre are desperate for funding to offer excellent programs that really do help people Its not their fault that the government doesn't fund their programs and seeking funding from any source is a legitimate part of their everyday operation. Some groups self -exclude certain types of funding as it doesn't fit with their ethics. I believe that Clubs funding should be exclusively for local adult orientated programs as it is adults who are most at risk of becoming problem gamblers. That is my opinion, you don't have to agree, I would however like to see Government take a look at the current not for profit taxing system for clubs for ultimately a better taxing regime that allows Government to take from clubs and fund local programs is more desirable.

Alison I am being judgemental, but not to you or the people who put money through the pokies, but to Governments that are to weak and beholden to Clubs NSW to make changes to benefit community. The Cubs industry has changed over the years and its about time there was some legislative reforms to match those changes.

I took my daughter to the Diggers breakfast after her first Dawn Service. It most certainly did cross my mind that some people might think I was being a hypocrite - I even mentioned that to my daughter on the way in.We enjoyed our time talking with Diggers young and old and hanging out with our local Scout group, contemplating the spirit of ANZAC.I certainly thought about problem gamblers whose losses may have contributed towards my breakfast. I even noted that even on our day of reverence, ANZAC day, that the poker machines were up and running during the breakfast.

The staff at the club on ANZAC day did an excellent job, service with a smile, even at the height of busy-ness. I made my appreciation known to some board members and also to the CEO. I may not have been a welcome guest but I was certainly an appreciative one.

Regards
Amanda




EDITOR,

I was enjoying the article in last week's Times "Club keeps kids cooking" about the ExServos donating money to the Dunn Lewis Centre, which suddenly turned from a "feel good" article into a sensational and political attack on the ExServos Club (and clubs in general) by Cr Amanda Findley.

I am an employee of the ExSe...rvos Club who enjoys and values their job at the club.

I consider myself lucky, and am proud to work for such an important local community facility which donates considerable money each year to many local community groups and sporting teams; it was for these reasons that I chose to work at the club in the first place.

To read Cr Findley's reference to club money as "dirty gambling cash" is frankly insulting and extremely judgmental; not to mention that insinuating that all club money comes from gambling shows a total ignorance of the club industry.

Sure, a certain proportion of club revenue comes from poker machines; nobody denies that. But we are also about so much more! Entertainment, dining, function facilities, events and promotions, to name just a few.

Aside from providing poker machines, the ExServos Club (like all the town's clubs) is first and foremost a meeting place for its 11,000 members, their guests, visitors to the area and many community groups.

To some of our members we are like family.

The ExServos Club is also one of the largest employers in town, providing employment to almost 100 local people and providing business to countless local tradespeople and businesses.

We cater to all age groups and hold numerous local functions/events (many free of charge to community groups) and give back to the community by way of substantial sponsorship funds and donations.

We are "not for profit" and all "profit" the club earns either goes back towards improving facilities and offerings for our members (or paying off such improvements) or is donated.

It's not all about profit for profit sake like many other businesses; just as it's not all about gambling.

Even if the sole income stream was via poker machines (which by no means is it), I find it interesting that Cr Findley, who purports to be about "values" can be so judgmental.

Who are you to judge how consenting adults choose to spend their money and belittle them by referring to their hard earned money (that they may choose to enjoy by gambling, as is their right) as "dirty". Really?

I myself don't gamble but I certainly don't believe it's my place to judge those who choose to enjoy gambling; clearly in this instance Cr Findley doesn't subscribe to the "value" of tolerance.

Oh, by the way Cr Findley, it was great to see you at the ExServos enjoying the breakfast we provided after the dawn service on Anzac Day.

I hope you enjoyed the breakfast, which was provided free of charge not only to Diggers and service personnel, but to every person who attended the dawn service. Just thought I'd mention that this breakfast was part funded by supposed "dirty gambling cash" too.

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Alison McKay

Executive Assistant