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

Groundswell Gloucester Media Release - AGL Endorses Confrontation in Gloucester NSW.

 Media Release
19 August 2014
AGL endorses confrontation in Gloucester.

Head of AGL community relations, Julie Delvecchio, has encouraged a pro-mining faction to confront a peaceful vigil in progress at AGL’s office in Gloucester.

A post from the ‘Gloucester Supports Mining’ Facebook page:

I would love to see a hundred fluro coloured shirts beat these people to there spot one morning, won't have to get up early , but it would be good to see the real people , the workers and there families turn up in force dressed in flouro work clothes to show we to are serious ! I think we would out number them at least 5:1 , I'm only new at this FB but if someone can get it out there I'm in let's make a stand and let our views be heard,

Facebook logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

August 14 at 8:25pm

Julie Delvecchio, who is also a member of the Facebook group, ‘liked’ the message.
In Ms Delvecchio’s AGL community newsletter of 18 August, 2014, she endorses the Facebook page:

Finally, I wanted to highlight a new group of Gloucester residents coming together to
support extractive industries.

The Facebook group ‘Gloucester supports mining’ was created last Tuesday and already has more than 345 members. The driving force behind the group is an understanding of the economic benefits previous resources projects have brought to the community, and creating a space for people to talk about their support for our projects and others like it.

The ‘Gloucester Supports Mining’ administrator is closely linked with AGL. She has featured on the AGL website and in the Gloucester Advocate with the local AGL community relations manager, also a member of the Facebook page, to promote their working relationship.

The administrator’s separate, personal Facebook page featured several posts on August 11 suggesting various aggressive actions against peaceful participants, should they choose to camp in the area. Suggestions ranged from zip-tying participants’ fingers together, to throwing horse manure, to burning the tents.

It appears that this thread was the basis for the August 12 launch of the AGL - endorsed ‘Gloucester Supports Mining’ page.

Chair of Groundswell, Julie Lyford, said ‘Encouraging aggressive behaviour is a clear indication that AGL is unfit to hold a Petroleum Exploration Licence in Gloucester or elsewhere.

AGL’s only published survey shows there is just 13% support for CSG in NSW but instead of engaging in real consultation on this, they are deepening the divisions they have already created in our community.’

Images @ Eminpee Fotography

The Richmond Valley Council General Manager Mr Ernie Walker - Suss as!

People just kept coming

Stacks of people opposed to the Metgasco Gas company coming to drill anywhere near this beautiful area of the north coast of New South Wales.   They converged 7 weeks ago starting off with a simple daily information kiosk under at tarp with a table and information and has grown to the large size it is now as more and more find out about what is going on here under there noses.  Because there were so many people they applied for a DA and have been given permission to camp on Mr Scalapinos farm. which is the farm adjacent to where the rig wants to move in and he also opposes this mining and wants to protect his land.

BENTLEY FROM THE AIR Jen Lewis - FACEBOOK

 One person said : What a beautifully run, clean and functional camp....this is what the police and council want to shut down....welcome to the tactics used by the South African apartheid government...as well as mining by martial law...

Graham the land owner who wants the gas has proffered many lies to the public as well and he is severely unaware of the truth of this industry as well.   I heard him say, "They do it in Queensland and there hasn't been a problem"   When he said that I knew he had no real idea of the truth of the industry and that when I heard him say that I had just gotten off the telephone from a mother who is in one of those gas fields and all there water has to be brought in now as their bore is contaminated and no one admits fault for this.  I was fuming listening to him speak rubbish and sound so immature and uneducated.

Recently the Richmond Valley Council gave a Development Approval for a camp site on the Scalapino property but they are now they are not going to renew it as of Friday (Today).   

The waters get muddy when we find out the person behind these grand plans to stop the protestors is none other than the notorious Mr Ernie Walker of  the NRMA / THRIFTY farce which is being investigated by ICAC.  Corporate confidentiality will not hold up in this because it was a public company they were fiddling with.  The plans soured and now he turns up on the RVC as the General Manager.  Something smells of a rat to me.  Someone owes someone something.  What is that though?

Yesterday Ernie Walker the General Manager of the Richmond Valley Council went on the ABC Radio and said a lot of rubbish that was a bunch of complete twaddle and barefaced lies and he talked about busting the camp up at Bentley and not re issuing a DA for the most hilarious reasons I have ever heard.  

This man is doing the dirty work for Metgasco and he has been planted in this job for this explicit purpose.

Here is the transcript of what he had to say:

General manager John Walker says council conditions have been ignored, and an application to increase the site's capacity will be rejected.

"That application has been assessed and has been opposed by people who have a fairly strong influence, such as the police, the RMS and our planners themselves," he said.

"It unfortunately is not of an appropriate quality and the proposed use will not be approved.

"As it's grown... it's become something different from a primitive site.
"There are many, many aspects of the conditions that were applied to it that are not being adhered to, and it's just an inappropriate mechanism for any approval.

"A primitive camp site does not allow for example cooking.

"It has limited capacity in terms of toilet facilities, it doesn't provide for washing, it didn't allow music for example.

"It didn't allow other activities that are there, it certainly put some conditions on controlling people moving along the roadway, the main Lismore-Kyogle road.

"All of which are not being adhered to."

 Lock the Gate have made it clear they are not moving.  The people of the area number around 87% who vehemently oppose this industry and they are adamant they are not going down without a fight for the rights of the people and the environment and the culture of the area.  They know they are in for a dirty fight here.

"I think people will continue to do civil disobedience and do what they have to do and what they came for,  If the laws of this land are used against us to facilitate mining by martial law, then people will take appropriate non-violent direct action.
Ian Gaillard

Most protectors have done NVDA workshops and are well aware of Non Violent Direct Action.  The camp is running very well and it is clean and hygenic and there is a high value placed on all safety issues.  

Right now I think Mr Ernie Walker will be feeling a tad sorry he threatened those protectors out at Bentley while he endeavors to cover up his filthy past issues in business.  It poses questions in ones mind like who it is he owes favors too in the Mining industry?  This could have occurred in his vulnerable days of going broke in the Car Rental business and he was thrown a lifeline and all he had to do was deliver here at Bentley.

Leards Blockade Breaks Camp to head to Phil Lairds Property.

Anti-mining protestors in the Leard State Forest are breaking camp to move to a better place. 

The camp was forced out by the corrupt Narrabri Shire Council.  They used the excuse of it being a fire hazard and have now managed to have  the state government has change laws to suit the mines by saying it is now illegal to camp longer than two days in a state forest with out a permit.

This will not help people at all and it is people these forests are for not big corporations to make money from.  The old camp had been in place for over 500 days and Narrabri council does this sort of behaviour to stop the protest! and now  there are attempts to blame each other for this trouble.

The protests  are ongoing and it is to stop Whitehaven's plans to build a major mine in the area.   Whitehaven have ideas of being in  full production by the middle of next year and remove 13 million tonnes of coal per year.

  Images @ Eminpee Fotography

Related articles

• Maverick Narrabri Councillor Bevan O'Regan - Reblogged from No Fibs.
• More from the Leard forest this morning
• Action in the Leard forest

Horses moved out to Yarralumla to the Equestrian Centre.

Lots of people broke camp along with the Franklins and went on to Yarralumla.  We and a few others decided to stay at Hall where we were for a number of reasons.

 

One being Suzanne's vehicle needed some repairs and secondly there were some other ladies staying and one with children so we decided to stay on with them.  A great decision too.   We prepared ourselves for the next day at the Parliament House and what we had all came to Canberra for.    WATER!!

Images @ Eminpee Fotography

Packing the car is a joy to go to Glenugie

I packed the car yesterday ready to go in case there was a red alert this morning,  there wasn't so I set off leisurely for Glenugie for the Umteenth time this action.  The petrol and going away is very hard on both of us as it takes money to leave home and Brice has to take care of himself.  He does a good job though.

I arrived in camp around lunch time and took my time erecting my tent, and took even more time and helped Jenny to erect her tent as I could see she was a little overwhelmed with doing it alone.  I did enjoy helping and I do know I have gotten gamer again now.
Images @ Melonpopzdropz Flickr

Going To Glenugie Again Today

Images @ Melonpopzdropz Flickr

Related articles

• No Coal Seam for the COLSTREAM
• CSG blockade at Glenugie
• Pillar Valley Under Attack
• No Social Licence - Anxiety & Stress Claims Its First Victim at Glenugie
• The Trees are special here
• Glenugie's Bloody Monday
• Protesters blockade CSG company site at Glenugie
• Home From GLENUGIE for 2bbb
• Seeing the light in others helps them find the light in themselves
• We are taking care of business..

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