Media releases from NRG (Latest at the top):
Media Release – 10th April 2013
Sledge
Small steps – NSW government announces desk audit of csg licences
NRG-CSG-MR-Small steps-14July11
Water Sharing Plan – Review by state government
NRG – MR – WaterSharingPlan – 4July11
Also below – Media Release from Save Byrrill Creek
RE: MINISTER KATRINA HODGKINSON ANNOUNCEMENT TO REVIEW THE TWEED WATER SHARING PLAN
The decision (30th June) of National Party Minister for Primary Industries, Katrina Hodkinson to review the Tweed Water Sharing Plan, legislated on December 17th, which prohibited the Byrrill Creek dam, is an unnecessary waste of tax payers money & a political move pressured by Nationals MP Thomas George and Tweed Mayor Kevin Skinner. The decision by the former Minister of Water, Mr Costa, was based on scientific reports and research by experts, and after 8 months of deliberation by the Office of Water and the Dept. of Environment & Climate Change.
A Review will still come up with the proven evidence of the high conservation and biodiversity values of the Byrrill Creek area. A submission with all of this evidence in CD format, was given to both Thomas George and Kevin Skinner last year, so they should neither be baffled nor ignorant to why the decision to ban the dam was put in place. The submission includes 6 assessments or reports: including the NSW Governments Stressed Rivers report, the council commissioned “Ecosure” assessment, a statement from Murwillumbah National Parks, “Biolink” Ecological Assessment, Northern Rivers Catchment Management Authority and assessments for Riparian repair & allocation of over half a million dollars for this work. If this is not enough proof, the Community Working Group & Council staff recommendations placed Byrrill Creek dam as the last option, knowing the environmental values & subsequent legislative hurdles for approval that would be encountered.
In Minister Costas words “The decision was based on the high environmental & world heritage values of the Byrrill Creek area and the availability of other water supply options” The lack of proactive measures for water saving (dual reticulation, water sensitive design & large tanks) by Council and the Dept of Planning in the newly approved Cobaki Development, & also Kings Forest (Projected populations of 23,000) has become intertwined with the dam issue. If these measures were implemented, a dam would be unnecessary.
This issue has become a farce of National Party members (councillors & MPs) and developers pushing the boundaries of State & Federal legislation which protect biodiverse areas and Threatened species. The very same developers (who were involved in the Daly enquiry & funding the elections in which the Tweed Council was sacked in 2004), spoke in support of the Byrrill Creek dam at the November 1st Council Meeting, when the Council voted for the new Byrrill Creek Dam.
A Review should reflect honesty & integrity and be made in an unbiased way based on scientific facts and biodiversity values…if this was the case, this waste of tax payers money would come up with the same conclusion of banning the Byrrill Creek dam.
Joanna Gardner
Save Byrrill Creek Campaign Coordinat
Northern Rivers community unites against coal seam gas mining
CSG – MR – Northern Rivers community unites agains coal seam gas mining – 15May11
Let it go
NRG – MR – Let it go – 6May11
Community unites against coal seam gas mining
CSG – MR – Community unites agains coal seam gas mining – 3May11
Northern Rivers Regional Community gathers against coal seam gas mining
NRG-CSG-MR -Nimbin-Regional Action on CSG mining-26Apr2011
Tweed Shire Council calls for moratorium on CSG exploration
CSG-MR-TSC-Unanimous_ban_call-19Apr11
Collaboration across the community against coal seam gas mining
NRG_TRCIA – MR – Collaboration – 17Apr11
Gaslands at Tyalgum
CSG-MR-Tyalgum-Gaslands-12Apr11
Submissions due on Coal and Gas Strategy
CSG – MR – Coal and Gas Strategy – 11 April 2011
Call for a moratorium on coal seam gas mining
CSG-MR – Moratorium -5 April 2011
Forests and Koalas