Following the ballot draw last week and the absence of any progressive small party or independent candidates, The Greens in Monaro, comprising the Braidwood and Queanbeyan-Monaro Greens local groups, have determined that, after a recommendation for voters to vote 1 Green in the March 28 State Election, voters number the ballot paper 2 ALP, 3 Nationals, 4 No Land Tax and 5 CDP.

This decision has been made independently by The Greens in Monaro, following the distribution of a questionnaire to John Barilaro, sitting National Party member, and Steve Whan, ALP candidate.

Unfortunately and despite follow-up attempts, no response was received from the office of John Barilaro, but even so, it has not been an entirely straightforward decision, as some of the ALP responses continue to differ widely from the policies and priorities of The Greens and Green voters. (more…)

Releasing a list of the Abbott government’s top failures, the Australian Greens say the first 100 days have been a secretive, cruel and chaotic preview of what is to come.

“During the election campaign the Abbott government’s true agenda was hidden behind cheap rhetoric, but you can’t run a country with a slogan,” said Australian Greens Leader Christine Milne.

“The Abbott government has tried to claim a so-called mandate to take Australia back to the last century, but he doesn’t have one. The longer Prime Minister Abbott and his big business mates run the show, the less the public knows about what’s going on behind the scenes. The Abbott government is a secretive, cruel and chaotic government.

“The Australian people didn’t sign up to this, and the Greens will stand against it. (more…)

Voters face a serious choice on September 7 and the choice they make will determine the direction this country follows, not just for the next three years but for a long time after, says Greens candidate for Eden-Monaro Catherine Moore.

“On the one hand we have an Opposition that has set itself up to take control, but whose policies are largely unknown and whose actions are all about making the rich richer. It is an Opposition that denies the need to act decisively on climate change and perpetuates fear and loathing of some of the most vulnerable people, including asylum seekers,” says Catherine.

“On the other hand we have  government that seems to be trying to match the Opposition’s position in a number of areas, including refugees, and that also lacks the courage to ask the wealthiest to pay a fairer share.

“Both are determined to hold onto power at any cost, and have lost sight of the need to make decisions for the greater good of the whole community, into the future.

“But it doesn’t have to be simply an “either… or” situation. (more…)

Next in the Conversations series being run by The Greens as part of their Eden-Monaro campaign is “Water is gold”, to be held on Saturday, July 27 in Moruya.

Starting at 3pm, Greens candidate for Eden-Monaro Catherine Moore will talk to Dr Su Wild River about mining and forestry threats to the Eurobodalla water supply, the new “water trigger” amendment to federal legislation and local impacts of climate change. There have been a number of challenges identified with the Dargues Reef gold mine and Su will give an update as we approach two years since the mine’s approval.

“I am really pleased to have the opportunity to talk to Su about these important issues. I had the pleasure of working with her during my time as councillor when we served together on the Palerang Council Climate Change Committee, and she brings a wealth of information, energy and enthusiasm to any task she undertakes,” said Catherine.

“If time permits, Su will also give a rundown on lessons from Palerang Council’s research into water futures - including local impacts of climate change and connections between local development and the protection of environmental flows.”

Everyone is welcome, and there will be an opportunity for questions and contributions from those attending. Afternoon tea will be provided.

The event is free. (more…)

North Coast Greens MP, Jan Barham, has called for the Government to act on photographs that show the logging of Old Growth Forest in Koreelah State Forest on the Far North Coast.

“During question time in Parliament today, I tabled photographs showing the devastation that has happened to six hectares of Koreelah’s Old Growth Forest. These trees are irreplaceable and their destruction is a travesty,” Ms Barham said.

“I’ve asked whether the Environment Minister is aware that this logging has taken place, and that a further 17 hectares is at risk from planned operations. The Government must investigate and announce what action it will take to protect the biodiversity and heritage of our Old Growth Forests from any further planned destruction.”

The photographs, which were taken during a recent inspection by the North East Forest Alliance, show the aftermath of intensive logging that has felled trees approaching 2.5m in diameter. The forest provides habitat for threatened species and its destruction creates a risk of invasive species such as Lantana taking hold.

“I’m utterly shocked to see evidence that the destruction of Old Growth Forests is still happening. The public puts its trust in government to preserve and protect our natural environment. The loss of these great forests is like stealing from future generations,” Ms Barham said.

(Photographs taken at compartment 27 of Kareelah State Forest available from Jan Barham’s office on request)

Thankyou for the opportunity to make a submission on Future Directions for NSW Local Government. I do so as spokesperson for Braidwood Greens and from the standpoint of Palerang councillor, 2004-2012. It has been endorsed by Braidwood Greens members.

This submission deals with the two main issues of funding and amalgamations, but it also touches on a number of other matters, especially those related to democracy.

Funding
The preamble on page 4 gets straight to the the big issue of funding, referring to “a local government system facing major financial problems with apparently little awareness of just how serious the situation has become. ”

Local councils cannot fail to be aware of how hard it is to fund the programs they are expected to run and the services they provide, and Palerang is no exception.

The paper states that new directions must allow local government to provide “better services, infrastructure and representation for the communities it is intended to serve.

“The Panel’s goal for local government is therefore:
A more sustainable system of democratic local government that has added capacity to address the
needs of local and regional communities, and to be a valued partner of State and federal governments.”

This goal is laudable, but it is hard to see how it will be achieved without the funding that is so desperately needed.

Nowhere in the sustainability and finance section of the preamble, or anywhere else, does the paper mention increased funding from external sources. Nowhere does it recognise the imperative for state and federal governments to stop cost-shifting. It is all about redistribution of existing funds and reassessing the current state government policy on rate-pegging. Indeed, the whole argument for amalgamation seems to be predicated on the basis of insufficient resources for the current number of councils. (more…)