GLOUCESTER COUNCIL APPROVED BLOCKADE CAMPSITE!

THEY STIPULATED A BOND  ... just under $30,000
 
This morning at their monthly meeting, Gloucester Shire Council were under the spotlight with the AGL Blockade campsite Development Application and discussion re the submissions.

Photo compliments of Bruce Derkenne

READ COUNCIL PAPERS HERE

There were many submissions against the camp but the number for the camp far outweighed those against.  After discussions the camp got the green light.

As yet minor structural changes to the roads and erecting of signage by council is to occur before the commencement of the camp.  Look Out AGL  --->  Australia have got a lot to say to your corporate madness.

Gloucester Chill Out Festival

Images @ Eminpee Fotography

Looks like the Gloucester Council will grant the Approval for the Camp!

The Gloucester Council has received hundreds of petitions of support about the camp against AGL and their plans to fracc in the Gloucester Valley.  The Deputy Mayor Mr Frank Hooke of the council said that they may have no other alternative but to approve the camp.

 The Deputy Mayor was quoted as saying "It's not improperly zoned for that purpose and if we were to reject it they (the proponents of the Development Application) could take the case to the Land and Environment Court, where it would probably be approved."

Groundswell Gloucester the action group formed to protect the Gloucester Valley has said that 
they know that Gloucester is what they call a  flashpoint for rest of NSW. "

Julie Lyford who is also the ex-mayor of Gloucester and spokesperson for Groundswell was quoted as saying

"If fracking of 330 wells goes ahead here then the rest of NSW is up for grabs with the coal seam gas industry.
"We know people are going to come, so we want to be responsible and actually contain that and have a really good camp, a really good blockade situation, so it doesn't get out of hand.

So it looks like the camp approval will go through and since the Blockade has already been called then its all going to be very above board and there will be no shenanigans.  The Camp rules have already been set down so the rest lays with that approval which will be given in approximately a fortnight when Gloucester Council meets.

There are people in the town who are offended that there is people who desire to protect the land and water of the Gloucester Valley and these people have made numerous threats towards those who are already in position making a stand against this government go ahead. 

The protectors desire to be able to show them what they know about Coal Seam Gas and then let them make their mind up.  The threats have been along the lines of running people over, throwing cow shit all over them, bashing them.  All of those comments only show how far these pro-gas people are down on the food chain of knowing the truth of the Coal Seam Gas industry and there is absolutely no consideration by these same people that money isn't everything.  There is zero evidence there is any consideration the future for us all as a humanity.  Personally I find that behaviour very disturbing.

Images @ Eminpee Fotography

The Lines have been drawn with a big stick at Gloucester - Blockade Begins!

 Adriane and Adam and Jo and  Steve Phillips were glad that there were people who finally all came together at the same time to get the ball rolling for the peoples voice to say no to AGL on all of the gates no matter how many gates they have.

The Blockade has been called and it starts tomorrow at 6am in Gloucester New South Wales. 

Poor Julie is run off her feet with meetings with politicians and other areas information sessions and with giving speeches about what is happening in the Gloucester Valley where this sort of mining is concerned.

There is a dance organised and this will lift peoples spirits and put us in touch with more of the youth who are onside and that will be good because you cannot go past youthful exuberance alongside of enthusiastic maturity.  Both need each other and this analogy repeats continuously through out the layers of organization and mobilizing of people around a particular area to be effective.  Everyone has different skills to bring to the table.  I think I will just crochet and keep my thoughts strong against the destruction of this absolutely beautiful valley.

ANTI CSG EVENT : The event will be on the weekend of the 12-13-14th of sept, the first 300 on page will get in. The rest will have to camp on other free campsite in the area. There is also going to a triathlon in town that weekend

Images @ Eminpee Fotography

Thousands gather at Bentley to face the PORS

Thousands gathered at Bentley outside of Casino on the Lismore Road to protect the land from Metgasco and its drill rig.

The police numbered about 200 are in Casino and have called off the sting due to the amount of people that are present at the campsite and the weather is constant rain.

Well done Protectors

Gasfield Free Northern Rivers Image

BENTLEY ON ABC24 NEWS TV
WOOP WOOP.... and will be ONGOING.

Photos from Facebook

Wow! Here's the campsite of people ready for BENTLEY BLOCKADE, due to start tomorrow morning by all the reports of police arriving in the area. Follow the updates on Twitter at #BentleyBlockade and at http://goo.gl/y29ytE. NO CSG!

Sunday in the Pilliga and Hating on Chromite Road

After a nice time in the Pilliga bore Baths and a wonderful breakfast cooked up by Sam and Davo we headed out in a convoy to the Pilliga Forest to the Cultural Camp at Ten Mile Dam.

Ten Mile Dam Sign near the Cultural Camp

 This is the camp that Matty set up with help over four months ago when I was out at Leards in October was when this was planned and it went up the next week.  He has been there since and he has had a lot of trouble from non cultural people to move and there was even threats made and the camp was dismantled while he and Ruth were away.

Muzz and a bunch of others

 Today a meeting was held at Ten Mile and it was a mess and we left feeling very weird about the whole thing.   There was clear evidence that this so called Woman's Wilderness Society is a crock of garbage because what is wilderness without culture. 

I was dumbfounded to say the least.   My heart went out to Matty as he had stayed there for over four months with Ruth and they had been there alone mostly. 

Over the previous weeks there were certain people who were active in orchestrating a revolt and then creating a division and lying about it all.  This was all done to take over the show and move it away from being a cultural camp and how I would say "Own" the blockade decisions.  They were very forceful and threatening and rude  about it all.

Photo by Ellen Theh

I still have many suspicions to the the reality of what is happening but if I speak out I will be shut down and ridiculed so I will reserve my opinion to only those who matter.

Images @ Eminpee Fotography

Memoireez ... Bloody Monday ... Glenugie

Still not sure why we were not allowed to stop them at the beginning of the Avenue.

I pulled my car out in front and stopped them at 5.30am in the morning, only to be told by a middle aged, olive skinned man  in a little hat, who spoke with an accent that I would up set them and all of their plans if I did this.   

Whose plans was I upsetting? Still to this day, no one can answer that question. All Christmas when there were only 7 people there at the Glenugie blockade minding the entire place and staying vigilant 24/7 and that was myself included, this is what was said to me that  I was to do if I was in the position which I found myself in at dawn that fateful morning.

Images @ Eminpee Fotography

AGL can go to Hell!

I have been to Gloucester and I have witnessed the hell this company called AGL is causing for ordinary Australians living in the Gloucester region of NSW.
We need to fight these mongrels with everything we have and do our best to make sure they cannot do anymore damage to the land and water and to the people of the area.

Mining giant AGL are on par with all of the other corrupt "make it up as you go along" energy companies flaunting themselves like frustrated monkeys at the Australian public.  Recently AGL reported that they are now better than God and nature.  The company actually comes right out and reports lies like once we  frack the used water from this process would improve the Avon River's now slightly saline water.


Recently the ABC's Four Corners program had many questions for AGL's head of Corporate Communications Ms Karen Winsbury.  She refuted the claims by mining expert Mr Philip Pells ground water study conducted by Parsons Brinkerhoff for the Gloucester Gas Project.

Richard Pells said, "the study had not been encompassing enough (covering only 0.25 per cent of the project area) and no numerical analysis of the model had been presented."

From the Gloucester Advocate

ENERGY giant AGL has dismissed claims its Gloucester Gas Project will affect water quality and water tables and has stated it could actually improve the water quality of the Avon River.
Responding to questions from the ABC’s Four Corners program, AGL’s head of Corporate Communications Karen Winsbury refuted claims by mining expert Philip Pells on a phase two groundwater study conducted by Parsons Brinkerhoff for the Gloucester Gas Project.
On the Four Corners program Pells said the study had not been encompassing enough (covering only 0.25 per cent of the project area) and no numerical analysis of the model had been presented.
When Professor Pells ran the data, he found that AGL’s conclusions - that there was no evidence of natural connectivity between shallow and deep groundwater systems - were not supported by the model.  
He also discovered the model reduced the baseflow that feeds the streams of the Gloucester valley.
In response to the claims, AGL said that Professor Pells’ critique was now out of date as much of the work that the company had planned in 2012-13 had been completed or commenced.
AGL also dismissed concerns raised by MidCoast Water general manager Robert Loadsman that the Gloucester Gas Project would affect its Manning District water supply scheme.
Mr Loadsman questioned why there was no mention of the potential for impacts on drinking water quality in the environmental assessment for the project.
He also queried whether the project approvals included provision for a river discharge.
AGL said the environmental assessment did not consider impacts on drinking water quality because the Manning District water supply scheme was too far downstream to be considered at risk from the project. 
The company said there was no local draw from the Avon River for drinking water supply as it was a known saline catchment.
AGL said the approvals process for the mine had provided consent for treated water discharge during periods of high rainfall, but there was no approval for river charges at this time.
The company said that if there was a discharge it would not result in any risk of an impact on drinking water quality because it would be of a higher standard than the natural water quality during high river flows.
It said water produced from the Gloucester Gas Project would be slightly salty groundwater that would have naturally drained back to the catchment as a base-flow but instead would be treated by passing through a membrane to make it less salty.
AGL said by doing this it would actually improve the quality of the water in the Avon River catchment.
It said the volume of water it would potentially release would be extremely small in comparison to the flows in the lower Manning River - less than .05 per cent of typical high flows. 
And if it were to happen at all, a release would occur only following heavy rain, so the percentage would fall even further.

Images @ Melonpopz Flickr

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• Can we talk of integration until there is integration of hearts and minds? Unless you have this, you only have a physical presence, and the walls between us are as high as the mountain range.

Get up, stand up, Stand up for your rights. Get up, stand up, Don't give up the fight.

~Bob Marley ~

Commissioner Andrew Scipione APM,
Commissioner of Police
LOCKED BAG 5102,
PARRAMATTA NSW 2124
09.02.2013
Dear Commissioner
I write to express my deep concern about the recent police activity at Doubtful Creek Coal Seam Gas Blockade. Last Thursday Feb 7th, I was present as a citizen concerned about the deleterious effects of Coal Seam Gas mining on farming lands. As you are no doubt aware, the protest was attended by well in excess of 350 people, exercising their democratic right to protest this unpopular industry.

I have no doubt that you have also been made aware that police made a decision to allow the mining convoy priority over the ambulance which had been called to assist a woman with a head injury. Her injury was sustained directly as a result of another police decision to herd people along the road. Whilst walking backwards in order to obey the police directive she fell onto a bulbar.

Police were there supposedly to protect protesters from injury. It is not acceptable that any person be exposed to this kind of treatment due to police decisions.

Heavy Handed Arrests by Riot Squad.

 If this was an isolated incident, it would still be unacceptable. Coming as it does after a multitude of heavy-handed arrests of protesters at Glenugie, many of whom were brutalised by police during their arrests, it is an outrage. Bending people’s hands back at the wrist, twisting their arms behind their back and making them scream with pain appear to have become the standard approach to arrest. This is totally inappropriate when dealing with ordinary people who are not committing any criminal offence, who are not armed and who have stated very clearly that they are there simply to protest against CSG. Failure to obey a police directive and obstruction of traffic does not warrant violent arrest. I have witnessed video footage which shows protesters stating loudly and clearly that they are not resisting arrest – and yet police continue to brutalise them.

Police, and particularly the Tactical Response Unit, need to be more fully informed and given more appropriate training in dealing with demonstrations of civil disobedience. When they are attending a peaceful, non-violent demonstration, they need to understand that it is in no way comparable to a riot. If there has been no assault, no damage to property and no abusive behaviour, then violent and disrespectful behaviour by police is absolutely uncalled-for. It simply diminishes the image of the police force and creates unnecessary suffering and expense to ordinary good people – and to the police force when these matters are brought before the courts.

I fervently hope that you are addressing this issue as a matter of urgency. These protests will continue until there is a political or legal resolution of the issue of CSG mining, which has been shown to be against the will of a very large majority of the population. It is incumbent on the police force to show restraint and respect towards their fellow citizens at these times.

Yours sincerely
Megan James..

Images @ Melonpopzdropz Flickr

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No Coal Seam for the COLSTREAM

I left home this today and stopped at Coffs Harbour and got some mozzie Coils and Candles and boiled lollies to keep me warm.

 

Eight Mile Avenue just outside Grafton, GLENUGIE ACTION CAMP against Csg.

Today I arrived back for the week to stand firm against the METGASCO Rig getting into Drill here.

Images @ Melonpopzdropz Flickr

GROCAN and FULLERTON COVE Csg & Work Blockades! SERIOUS Stuff!

Riot Squads from the Police TRG Squad turned up to Fullerton Cove yesterday to shut the protesting residents down.  I am sure there were many disgusted residents on hand to stand against such appalling treatment of residents.  People who know they are not criminals and people who are just trying to be good parents.  I ask the police, all of them on duty attending, is this what you want for your children is it?
You want your children to have the serious side effects from this mining like the children of Tara Queensland?

 

Fullerton Cove Blockade Family Fun Day, a set by Lock the Gate on Flickr.

Fullerton Cove Blockade Family Fun Day Fullerton Cove north of Newcastle is a precious place to keep them out of. People power is all that will stop these mining mongrels and their mongrel drill Pad Sites! Get out you have no part DART ENERGY..

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lockthegatealliance/

Fullerton Cove community blockade against Dart Energy's coal seam gas pilot drilling.
AND A SETwitter: Follow our reporter Michelle Ainsworth at the sceneRIOUS POSTSCRIPT EVOLVES HERE BELOW AT MELBOUNE'S CBD!

Commander Nugent said there were reports of horses being punched during the blockade.

• CBD 
• Vicpolice clash wit...
• Police clash with co...
• City CMFEU protester...

HUNDREDS of union workers have faced off against police at the Myer construction site in Melbourne's CBD. At its peak about 500 workers were at the city site on the corner of Swanston and Lonsdale streets, facing off against about 200 police in riot gear and on horseback.
The workers in fluoro confronted from 7am, near the scene of a blockade at the $250 million Emporium Melbourne construction project at the former Myer building.

Members of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) have been protesting at the Grocon site since last Wednesday, and a Fair Work Australia hearing yesterday failed to end the dispute.
Grocon has offered to let the CFMEU elect shop stewards from current employees but has refused to allow outsiders key roles.
Four police officers were trampled as the dispute escalated this morning.

Victoria Police Commander Rick Nugent said officers were forced to use capsicum spray to help their colleagues to safety.
He said the violent scuffle lasted up to 10 minutes after the illegal blockade prevented Grocon employees getting to work today.  He slammed the behaviour of protesters who punched the horses.  "It's pretty poor if that's what they are resorting to," he said.

But CFMEU state secretary Bill Oliver said "there was no violence here today". "Yes there might have been a bit of panic ... some workers had capsicum spray in the face," he said. He denied members hit police horses.  "If a horse was coming at you, you have to put your hands up to defend yourself,” he said.
"There was no confrontation. They were pushing the horses back...to stop being trampled."  "It’s about construction workers going to a job and not being stood over”.

Police from the public order response team, operational response unit, mounted police and uniform members were called in to help get Grocon workers to the site.  Police defended the use of the capsicum spray and Commander Nugent said it was to get the members off the ground that were under the feet of protesters.  “Unfortunately the number of union members present was so great that we couldn’t safely assist the Grocon workers onto the work site and for the safety of the police, Grocon workers and also the union members were retreated from the situation,” he said.

Police will continue to monitor the situation throughout the day and are assessing plans for tomorrow.
Commander Nugent said Grocon formally asked for police assistance on Friday but said the State Government made no contact with police.  He said police would review CCTV footage and make a decision if any arrests would be made.

The Master Builders Association has also hit out at CFMEU workers who clashed with police.  Master Builders Australia CEO Wilhelm Harnisch said the union’s actions were reprehensible.
“The law must be changed. Conduct where individuals are vilified and intimidated should be met with harsh consequences,” Mr Harnisch said.  “The CFMEU’s behaviour is grossly unacceptable in any civilised society. It demonstrates how the current industrial relations framework can be exploited by the unions.
“The bullying tactics displayed by the CFMEU vindicates the building industry’s call for the return of the Australian Building and Construction Commission and dedicated industry-specific laws which target unlawful and intimidatory conduct.”  “The building and construction industry needs a regulator with stronger laws to help curb militant unions and stop unlawful industrial action.”

The confrontation died down about 9am, with hundreds of workers leaving the scene following the clashes.  Scores of tram commuters and drivers have faced delays in the city, with roads shut down.
However, Lonsdale Street has since reopened between Swanston St and Elizabeth St.  At one stage, at least seven trams were banked up on the corner of Lonsdale and Swanston streets.  Union protesters linked arms and stood nose to nose with police horses after an extra 200 workers arrived at the protest about 7.15am.  Hundreds of union members from city construction sites also tried to join the clash.