Then out of left field a man with a curious history of dealings with government departments appeared out of left field and took hostages in Lindt Café in Martin Place. As in 2001 when the 9-11 distraction turned the political fortunes of the Howard government from oblivion to re-election the Lindt siege was exactly what the Abbott/Hockey government needed to distract the public with fear from the "budget horribilus".
Monday 14 December 2015
Remember the Lindt Seige? Or just what govt & MSM want you to focus on?
Then out of left field a man with a curious history of dealings with government departments appeared out of left field and took hostages in Lindt Café in Martin Place. As in 2001 when the 9-11 distraction turned the political fortunes of the Howard government from oblivion to re-election the Lindt siege was exactly what the Abbott/Hockey government needed to distract the public with fear from the "budget horribilus".
Saturday 12 December 2015
The more we find out about Harris's Budvalt the less we like
That all changed when ruthless Agribusiness Harris Brothers, trading locally as Budvalt, came to town.
This is a peep into the window of Budvalt and its contemptible conduct on the properties which it has acquired. It's doubtlessly extermely profitable for them and they pursue those profits without concern for the consequences to locals or the impacts their farming methods have on community water sercurity .
- It seems multiple layers of government whom we are told have oversight may be sleeping.
- Harris first Carinda acquisition was Miralwyn from an American broadacre developer. Since then they have snapped up Swires historic Brewon and Rumleigh Stations.(Harris also acquired Swires
- An area of the Brewon property known as Warnocks paddock once grew lush Mitchell grass described by those who value it as a dry weather stock feed as the finest example in Australia. Over local community objections aided and abbetted by government intransigence Harris ploughed the mitchell grass including the local stock route which has right of way across their property turning it into another monocultural desert of wheat. There is some justice- the crop failed.
- The Harris's Rumleigh property received a curious water allocation from then Water Minister and local MP Kevin Humphries. As part of this process an "aboriginal consultant" from Narrabri was brought in to sign off on aboriginal concerns without reference to the local and directly impacted Brewarrina aboriginal community. The famous ancient Brewarrina Fish traps (Baiame's Ngunnhu) experienced record water lows as a result.
- Budvalt also controversially acquired the Glenacre aggregation, 4 properties whose previous owners have every right to feel that they were swindled by their bank.
- The local economy is hurting as much of the work available goes to backpackers. The reason is the same as why miners use "fly in fly out"- non locals don't care about local communities or ecosystems and are not across the issues anyway..
- It is reported by local observers that Harris trucks damaged the local road and Harris ordered his managers not to repair the damage.Not profitable?
Apparently this was permitted by the NSW Office of Water based on his Water Access Licence (WAL) being a Class A licence that includes Section 48 where the irrigator can apply for special permission to pump, These licences are usually for permanent plantings such as an orchard. This Section must include consultation with key stakeholders including local affected farmers and aboriginal groups. Our inquiries reveal that the consultation process was at its highest flawed. There is suspicion that it may be corrupt: for example the local Aboriginal community were represented by an Aboriginal representative from Moree who had no right to be talking on behalf of the Ngemba people. This approval was delegated by then Water Minister and local state MP Kevin Humphries to NSW Office of Water. News reports at the time stated that the Barwon dependent towns of Walgett and Brewarrina were experiencing critical water shortages with other cotton growers having no such access to water when there was a rise in the Barwon In May 2015. This process must be called into question when determining the legality of the licence grant.
4. The terms of the LLS TSR’s on Brewon Station has been totally and perhaps illegally circumvented by Budvalt owner operators Peter and Jane Harris and Sons.
5. Budvalt then applied to pump water for irrigation from the Marthaguy Creek at Carinda and to do works from “Riverview” to “Geera Cotton”.
6. The advertising of this application was suspicious as the DPI only advertised it once in the Walgett Spectator and the Koori Mail. They would have achieved about the same coverage by advertising in the Adelaide Advocate. If Harris had genuinely wanted the Carinda people to know about his intention to pump from their creek he would have ensured the attached Development Application was advertised publicly in Carinda and was put in the print version of the Carinda Comment as one of the editors is married to a Harris manager and lives on the Harris owned cotton farm “Willewaa” at Carinda.
7.The earthworks between “Riverview” and “Geera” have already been completed, a 2 km channel has been constructed and water had already been moved between “Riverview” and “Geera” before Budvalt applied for permission.
8. The Carinda people took up a petition to object to the pumping application, it will be interesting to see if the DPI still approves the application to pump. This flyer promoting the petition is also on the Carinda Comment facebook site.
Monday 16 November 2015
CSG drilling rig blockaded in Coonabarabran N.S.W.
No CSG activist Dan Lanzini reports that the blockade began about 8 a.m. today.
Dan says " the whole community of NSW is over 90% against unconventional gas and fracking and we have seen huge problems with this industry already with B,T,E,X contamination in Gloucester, Uranium in an aquifer in the Pilliga and ground water pressure dropping all over south east QLD
Santos and the NSW Government your plans to develop CSG in NSW are over the community will not have a part of it and are ready for action"The Condor Energy owned convoy which was spotted about 10 p.m. last night has been parked overnight outside the Coonabarabran Public School.
Coonabarabran residents are acutely aware and concerned at the devastating impacts CSG extraction has had on water and the environment in other places and are resolute in their commitment to Stop dirty CSG extraction in their or anyone elses neighbourhood.
Follow this on Facebook
Occupy Sydney are in solidarity with the blockade and all efforts to stop further fossil fuel extraction. Occupier Sara said " I don't understand why a government would not do all in its power to end dirty fossil fuel extraction when we have so many opportunities to provide clean Solar , Wind and Tidal Energy."
Are you buying your energy from AGL or Origin or an expensive conventional supplier? There are options which are cheaper if you just switch supplier. They are all owned by hydro power companies.
Momentum: http://www.momentumenergy.com.au/
Red: https://www.redenergy.com.au/campaign/discount/nsw.html
Powershop: http://www.powershop.com.au/how-much-does-it-cost/
The Peer 2 Peer Power people are also ready to advise you on Solar and solar storage options for your own home or business.
Sunday 15 November 2015
N.S.W. Police illegal spying on Facebook account called criminal by magistrate
photo courtesy Sydney Morning Herald |
At Occupy Sydney we are well versed in illegal police activity. We see police cars speeding and parking illegally on a daily basis. We know where some of the street surveillance camera blindspots are which police routinely use to illegally search and harass young people out enjoying themselves in Sydney. We regularly get cameras in their faces when they are doing these illegal searches and some of us have been arrested. We know that the October 23rd 2011 mass police attack on the Occupy Sydney occupation and the further attacks as Occupy Sydney continued the 24-7 occupation were illegal. We know that police have support from the highest political offices to carry out their illegal actions. This farcical appeal process was instigated by then premier Barry O'Farrell. They lost. The DPP took over 12 months to pay the ordered court costs.
This case is another of police exceeding their powers at the very time they are calling for the so called independent police watchdog to be disbanded. When called out by the learned magistrate senior police attempted to use the public interest to protect police from further scrutiny. Read More Here
No CSG NSW Red Alert 10p.m. 15-11-2015 Fracking rig Coonabarabran pointed Dubbo way
Follow the Facebook discussion:
Dan Lanzini - RED ALLERT NSW 2 FRACK RIGS IN COONABARABRAN... | Facebook
Saturday 18 July 2015
No to Racism No to Fascism No to Islamaphobia
New Time!! The racists in Reclaim Australia have shifted their rally to 10:30, so we want to be there before them to make sure we're prepared. Spread the word!
***PROTEST AGAINST RACIST "RECLAIM AUSTRALIA" RALLY***
The racist organisation ‘Reclaim Australia’ is holding another rally on Sunday July 19 in Sydney. We are calling for all those who oppose racism to mobilise in a peaceful protest to oppose their bigotry, xenophobia and Islamophobia.
PM Tony Abbott’s scaremongering about terrorism is feeding the systemic demonisation of Muslims. This, along with years of ra...cist policies towards refugees and asylum seekers from the major parties provides fertile soil for Reclaim Australia and associated entities to grow.
We must not let fascists and extreme nationalists spout their racist messages without anti-racists putting forward our views.
We are calling on people to gather at Martin Place in the space where Reclaim Australia plans to hold their protest, one hour before their event begins, to contest their rally with a large, loud counter-demonstration. We will deliver the strongest possible message to them that their racism is not welcome.
Please put aside the date, start telling your friends, and let’s make this the biggest anti-racist rally it can possibly be!
We are looking for endorsements and help with publicity, so please contact the page if you'd like to help out in any way.
For more information:
Omar Hassan on 0421 185 037
Rahaf Ahmed on 0402 811 613
Mia Sanders on 0406 160 496
Thursday 9 April 2015
FFFAD Occupy Immigration for Refugees
“We will not cooperate!”
Parents, kids, and friends occupy The Department of Immigration and Citizenship Melbourne.Pro refugee supporters, including parents, babies, kids, pregnant mothers, and friends will stage a 'play in' within the Department of Immigration and Citizenship today in an act of civil disobedience around the treatment of asylum seekers. The group calling themselves Families, Friends and Feminists Against Detention (FFFAD) will stage their first 'Gathering', the first of many, in solidarity with asylum seekers currently protesting on Nauru.
FFFAD organiser Nadia Mizner, parent to a 9 month old baby, stated; “The Australian government knew abuse was happening 17 months before the Moss review came out. If there was a known perpetrator in one of our schools, would we allow our kids to remain under their care? No we wouldn't. Nauru is a tiny island with perpetrators living alongside survivors even after their release. This is an issue for all parents and feminists to be concerned about. We need to close this Nauru hellhole and bring these people to the safety they were seeking in the first place, here within the Australian community. We unequivocally support the asylum seekers campaign of non cooperation in Nauru, and will now be starting our own here.” FFFAD was formed with a specific concern for the effects of mandatory detention and offshore processing on families, women and children. FFFAD expects around 50 people and kids to attend today. Leilani Turner, another organiser for FFFAD, has stated; “Mandatory detention and offshore processing dehumanizes and degrades everyone. However this system specifically ignores the health imperatives of women, both antenatal and otherwise, the seriousness of sexual violence on children and women, and the effects of family separation particularly in the context of long-term detention. FFFAD calls for an end to mandatory detention and offshore processing and justice for asylum seekers. We urge all other parents, friends, and feminists to join us as we continue our own campaign of non cooperation and civil disobedience on this issue.”
Media please call Occupy Sydney 0419722000 for contacts.
Tuesday 7 April 2015
Zombie animals return to haunt ANZ who financed their death
graphic and concept courtesy Beyond Green |
Occupy Sydney fully endorse and support all actions taken to stop the destruction of Leard Forest by Idemitsu Boggabri Coal , Whitehaven and their financiers including but not limited to those by Front Line Action on Coal and Beyond Green
More here http://www.beyondgreen.net.au/animals_now_zombies
Thursday 26 March 2015
Australians will Stop The Trans Pacific Partnership
Thursday 12 February 2015
Sunday 8 February 2015
Australian Stop the TPP Petitions you MUST sign
Occupy Sydney: TPP: RELEASE THE DRAFT AND AUSTRALIA'S POSITION https://www.communityrun.org/petitions/tpp-release-the-draft-and-australia-s-position
Sum of us:http://action.sumofus.org/a/australia-tpp/
Unions:http://www.australianunions.org.au/tpp
Private (Change) https://www.change.org/p/tony-abbott-do-not-sign-up-to-the-trans-pacific-partnership-agreement
Getup:https://www.getup.org.au/campaigns/tpp/tpp/the-dirtiest-deal-youve-never-heard-of Choice:http://www.choice.com.au/consumer-action/consumer-protection/consumer-rights/dont-trade-it-away.aspx
Private: The TPP should not be signed and Andrew Robb needs to know this
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/petition/The_Australian_Government_The_TPP_should_not_be_signed_and_Andrew_Robb_needs_to_know_this/?lfjgcjb&pv=0
Aftinet: http://aftinet.org.au/cms/node/627
Saturday 7 February 2015
Climate: Man-made is NOT the question.Food Health and Water are.
Borrowed from Climate Council -sourced via @ellensandell |
Friday 6 February 2015
Thursday 5 February 2015
Abbott 'Bullying' Labor On Data Retention Laws, Says Ludlam
Bill 2014 was about “broad based surveillance” and should not be linked to previous tranches of national security legislation passed by the government last year.
Killing off the Trans Pacific Partnership : 5 Feb 2015
Tuesday 3 February 2015
Aboriginal Sit In Canberra
Occupy participants are encouraged to support this event on February 9th and events which flow from it.
This work by Occupy Sydney is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Friday 30 January 2015
Robert Reich unpacks the Trans Pacific Partnership
This work by Occupy Sydney is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Thursday 29 January 2015
Reasons to #PutLNPlast in Qld NSW and Australia
Hard to believe that Jeff Seeney wants to put a hi rise mega suburb on Wavebreak ??#PutLNPLast http://t.co/iAaPxLF9tM via @youtube
— Sheela (@OzSheela) January 29, 2015
@freshwater8 NewmanLNP guts #TAFE & #fails youth! http://t.co/5unf0yiqyz #qldvotes2015 Put LNP last Number EVERY box! pic.twitter.com/CYB2YJrIjh
— BiBi (@edumak8) January 29, 2015
#qlders ! Don't let the #LNP strip our frontline services again!
#qldvotes #qldvotes2015 #qldpol pic.twitter.com/1RxI96jnBK
— Just_a_Guy (@ozdoogie) January 29, 2015
Fact check: Campbell #Newman exaggerating crime statistics http://t.co/kvapqg6AUS via @abcfactcheck #auspol #qldpol #qldvotes #qldvotes2015
— DameEGraffitasLarvey (@Bukumbooee) January 29, 2015
Has LNP announced a schools policy? Privatisation on the cards? Via @leftofcentre. #qldvotes pic.twitter.com/Maet3UEyiv
— Margo Kingston (@margokingston1) January 27, 2015
Reasons to #PutLNPlast in Qld NSW and Australia http://t.co/d8nTNH8qRj
— OccuWorld (@OccuWorld) January 29, 2015
Put the LNP last. This is a must listen to, but be warned it's catchy. #qldpol #qldvotes #auspol #PutLNPLast http://t.co/wcqG5kPnMl
— Sammie. (@SamSammac1) January 29, 2015
Our election email newsletter http://t.co/BJJNbp5AET #QldVotes #PutLNPLast
— Save Our Spit (@SaveOurSpit) January 29, 2015
post=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rebelmouse.com%2Fres%2F4846389%2F952264654&credentials=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rebelmouse.com%2FBoycottNewmanLNPSupporters%2Fqldvote_%2F" class="rebelmouse-embedded-post" id="rebelmouse-embedded-post">
LNP MP’s Mcardle & Nicholls are shareholders in CSG mining projects that got unfettered approval in QLD, Corrupt LNP Govt #qldpol
— CFMEU National (@CFMEU_National) January 29, 2015
Please RT: Still want to see or spread word of Dr Chris Davis TV ad, despite TV ad blackout? http://t.co/DRCnK3sbtp #qldvotes #PutLNPLast
— Tim Seelig (@Tim_Seelig_Aus) January 29, 2015
RT @TWSQld: Newman says we're in the #coal business
https://t.co/PRgmfOTCMS #putLNPlast #Qldvotes pic.twitter.com/R18L9RhWi5
— 350Australia (@350Australia) January 27, 2015
Newman has been raking in the donation dollars, most undeclared. Is this democracy? #qldvotes #PutLNPLast pic.twitter.com/BOWpd0BcRi
— zharris stercum leno (@goforgold80s) January 27, 2015
Risk of #Uranium #mining South West of Cairns? #putLNPlast when #qldvotes http://t.co/yaJe6f2qof
— Oil and Mining Watch (@Oil_Leaks) January 29, 2015
This says it all..
#putlnplast
#qldvotes #qldpol #qldvotes2015 @LNPQLD @QLDLabor pic.twitter.com/dVlaJ0yHKp
— NED'S NOT DEAD (@1_linz) January 24, 2015
Liveblog of reasons to #putLNPlast -will be updated constantly until #Qld Votes ..also covering #NSWvotes &... http://t.co/GSDt5obaPQ
— BoycottLNPSupporters (@BoycottLNPdonor) January 29, 2015
... and election loss is where I hope he's heading.
#PutLNPLast #qldvotes #qldpol #auspol
@bkjabour @theqldpremier pic.twitter.com/FdJrIFyayr
— Sir UBet I Am STUPID (@johndory49) January 29, 2015
Wednesday 28 January 2015
Occupy Sydney Light Brigades forming (and #StopTPPAustralia toolkit )
Picture from MSF |
#StopTPP
Live News
Occupy Sydney Light Brigades are forming with an initial focus on the Stopping the Trans Pacific Partnership coming through the front door or the back door.
TPP to live on in other acronyms even if it fails:
- Occupy Sydney Light Brigades are assembling a never used in Australia light arsenal to inform the people
- The Printed Word and Image Factory is forming to make creative literature.
- Activist website controlled by people associated with some anti-TPP groups. http://TPPaustralia.org/
- Facebook Page : https://www.facebook.com/TPPbusters
- Facebook Group: ( https://www.facebook.com/groups/STOPTPPAustralia/ )
- Twitter: Twitter.com/TPPbusters
- TPP Impacts on internet:
- iiNet joins web giants to condemn secret TPP talks
- Undemocratic Secrecy
- U
- What’s the issue with Piracy in Australia?
- Workers & Environment Rights
- No Protection for Workers or environmental rights.
- Food Security
- TPP: Threats to sustainable, healthy food
- Consumer:
Trans-Pacific Partnership secretly trading away rights- Choice
- Copyright
- Threat to democracy:
- Trade deals that threaten democracy
- ISDS (Investor State Dispute Settlement)
Special rights for foreign investors to sue governments
- Wikileaks (much we know about TPP thanks to Wikileaks & sources )
- Secret TPP treaty: Advanced Intellectual
Property chapter for all 12 nations withnegotiating positions
- Medicines