The Coastwatchers Association Inc

– For information only –

ABC News September 25th 2002

The managing director of Australian Silicon has denied yesterday’s decision to pull out of a proposal to build a charcoal plant on the New South Wales south coast was part of a political stunt.

Australian Silicon’s letter to the Australian Stock Exchange gave New South Wales Opposition leader John Brogden much of the credit for the company’s decision to drop plans to build a charcoal plant at Mogo on the south coast.

Last weekend, Mr Brogden said the Opposition would close the facility if it came to power at the next election.

In his defence, Mr Brogden claimed the company has wanted to pull out of Mogo since February and yesterday’s timing was a political move.

“The consultants to Australian Silicon are Hawker Britain. Mr Hawker is a former chief-of-staff to Bob Carr,” Mr Brogden said.

“The decision to release this 45 minutes before question time was a political stunt.”

However, Australian Silicon’s managing director, Peter Anderton, denies the allegations.

“It is only when there are statements made publicly from political people where we feel it necessary to respond,” Mr Anderton said.

Environment

The news was welcomed by groups who had been fighting the development, especially conservationists.

A Freedom of Information request by the New South Wales Greens this year that revealed that wood being used for the project would not be logging residue but wood from the area’s old growth forests.

Upper House Greens MP Ian Cohen says yesterday’s development is a great victory.

“There’s got to be other ways of producing silicon that’s in the 21st century, not the dinosaur technology of burning wood for charcoal as part of the process,” Mr Cohen said.

Mr Cohen has also rejected the Government’s claims that jobs will now be lost, saying tourism provides the area with 6,000 jobs which have now been saved.

Wilderness Society spokeswoman Felicity Wade says it is an inappropriate use of forests for any area in Australia.

“Bob Carr, Australian Silicon, well done for moving it out of Mogo, but you’re wrong if you think the campaign is over and that any other community is going to want forests decimated to make charcoal,” Ms Wade said.

Mr Anderton says the company is still considering alternative locations for the proposed plant.

“We’ve got a couple of options which are somewhat advanced and we are in discussions with various parties, with respect to those options,” he said.

Alan Jones 2GB Breakfast Show September 25th 2002 7:26am

Transcript

Published with permission

Jones: Well one of the beauties of the modern developments in politics in the last only 18 months, is people power. A massive triumph yesterday on the South Coast – plans for the charcoal plant that I’ve been talking about for some time is scrapped. Australian Silicon, the company behind the proposal told the Stock Exchange it needed to find another site after a sustained campaign by local residents. According to Peter Anderton, the Managing Director of Australian Silicon, it was never an environmental issue, it was a community issue – how can you separate the two bearing in mind the impact it would have had on both. The processing plant would have covered 4 hectares; it would have had 5 chimneys, each more than 30 metres or 11 storeys high; it would have operated 24 hours a day, 350 days a year; it would have consumed 200,000 tonnes of timber a year, producing between 30,000 and 35,000 tonnes of charcoal a year, which would have been taken for processing at Lithgow. The timber and charcoal transport would have resulted in 20,000 additional heavy truck movements a year on the Princes Highway. Well not any more. Among those who were cheering yesterday I’m sure, was the young man Brett Mason. Remember. He was the 17 year-old, doing his HSC who took the Premier on over comments the Premier made on the granting of the approval for the plant. Lets go back to young Brett Mason, he’s on the line – good morning.

Mason: Hi Alan, how are you going?

Jones: I’m very well thank-you. It must have been a big night down there?

Mason: It was, I had an early one myself, but no, it was a very big night down here in Batemans Bay last night.

Jones: And during the application process, Planning NSW had 1530 submissions from 1220 individuals and groups?

Mason: That’s right, that’s one of the largest submissions that they’ve ever received, so that just goes to show what kind of a community we are down here. It was no doubt the biggest rally, the biggest campaign and the biggest united front that this Shire has ever put up and it was something really magical to watch.

Jones: And even members of the Labor Party were opposed to it?

Mason: That’s right, members of the Labor Party, our local branch, was opposed to the location of the charcoal plant – that’s right.

Jones: Now the Premier is saying today of course, that 400 jobs have been sacrificed, but this plant will go somewhere else – Bombala want it, so the jobs will be available at Bombala, won’t they?

Mason: Well that’s my understanding, yes, yes.

Jones: You’re still at school, aren’t you?

Mason: I am, last day tomorrow, I finish, graduate from the Bay High tomorrow.

Jones: Good on you. Now you took the Premier on, how do you feel about that today? [Mason: Um] He told you the plant was going ahead, that’s it.

Mason: It’s bittersweet though, like it’s tremendous that we sort of won the battle but the war is not over in regards to how the actual handling of the charcoal plant went. It’s about the voice of the people, as all of those submissions and the people that tried to contact the Premier. Apart from our Labor representative down here, our Labor candidate, I’m fairly sure that I am the only person, the only person who’s tried to contact the Premier, but I’ve managed to speak to him face to face. And that just shows that all the letters and faxes that people have written to him asking for explanations, and he refused them – that’s what the battle was about.

Jones: How many letters did you write to the Premier?

Mason: Um, up to 25 now, about the comments that were made.

Jones: And how many were answered?

Mason: Ah, of course none, none.

Jones: None.

Mason: I’m still waiting and I am determined that, that the Premier will return my letters because I think it’s wrong that someone such as the Premier, who is basically a public servant, who is there to serve the needs of us and is elected by us to, to hear our concerns and respond, I think it’s so bad that he can’t respond. What kind of a man is too afraid or, or not prepared to write a letter to a 17-year-old boy, I can’t believe it, it’s just amazing.

Jones: Okay, well we’ll leave it there. Thank-you for your time.

Mason: Thanks so much Alan, and I’ll talk to you some time later, I’m sure.

Jones: Indeed. Brett Mason – something pretty special. So that’s all over then. The power of the public voice, and after all, that is essentially what representative democracy is about. It is meant to be Government of the people and by the people, for the people. I know it’s a bit of a cliche but that’s the way it is. That’s it down the South Coast, the beautiful, pristine South Coast. There’ll be no losses to NSW, that will go somewhere else, Australian Silicon will most probably relocate it in Bombala and start again.

[Charcoalition note – Australian Silicon announced a new charcoal plant would be built on one of two sites on the east coast of Australia. Managing director Peter Anderton said a decision on the site would be made within the next few weeks.]

– For information only –

ABC News September 24th 2002

New South Wales Premier Bob Carr has announced the company behind the charcoal plant that was set to be built at Mogo on the state’s south coast has decided to pull out.

Mr Carr says Australian Silicon has released a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) saying it would not go ahead with the controversial plant.

State Opposition leader John Brogden has stated he would not support the charcoal plant being built at Mogo if the Coalition wins government.

Mr Carr told Parliament Mr Brogden must bear some of the responsibility for the decision.

“In a statement to the ASX, Australian Silicon chairman George F Jones said the main reason was quote, the overall risk to the project based on statements attributed to State Opposition members and candidates about its future treatment by a coalition government, unquote,” he said.

Australian Silicon managing director Peter Anderton says there were several factors in the feasibility study, which showed the project was not viable in New South Wales.

“What we have announced is because of the difficulties we’ve had with respect to development approvals, the cost of defending any appeal, and the timeframe that will be involved in doing that, the company is best served to use its funds to optimising the project in another spot,” he said.

Chris Cowel, spokesman for Charcoalition – the lobby group formed to fight the plant’s construction, says the whole town will be celebrating tonight.

“This is fantastic news,” he said.

“This is a great victory for this community and the nature coast – the community that has campaigned so loudly, so strongly and so consistently for well over a year.”

The protesters stopped traffic on the Princes Highway as they vented their anger at the Carr Government.

Carrying placards and chanting, the protesters marched through the main street of Batemans Bay, across the highway and onto a football oval for the rally, which attracted people from all political persuasions.

Police estimated more than 3,000 people turned out to voice their disgust at the idea of a charcoal plant being built in an area which promotes itself as the Nature Coast.

NSW Opposition leader John Brogden addressed the rally, promising the Mogo plant would not go ahead if a Coalition government was elected next March.

Wilderness Society spokesman Glen Klatovsky said the anti-charcoal movement is the most incredible community campaign he has ever seen, and claims it is winning the battle against Australian Silicon’s proposal.

© 2002 ABC

This is a great victory for the South Coast community and conservationists.

Other sites, however are being considered and thus the threat to our forests and other communities is not ended.

Bob Carr and Australian Silicon are wrong if they are assuming the public outcry is localised. While ever NSW’s or Victoria’s forests are under threat by charcoal the campaign to protect the forests will continue unabated.

It is time for the Carr Government to admit the project is off and assure the people of NSW that a charcoal plant will not go ahead in Mogo or anywhere else if it feeds on native forest

– For information only –

ABC News September 21st 2002

There has been a massive display of community anger on the New South Wales south coast, where thousands have taken to the streets of Batemans Bay to protest against the New South Wales Government’s approval of a charcoal plant for the Eurobodalla.

The proposal is part of a larger integrated development proposed by Australian Silicon, to support a new light metals industry in NSW.

The company already has approval for a silicon smelter in Lithgow and a quartz mine in Cowra.

But the Government’s approval for a charcoal plant south of Bateman’s Bay is being challenged in the NSW Land and Environment Court.

Today, more than 3,000 people turned out in the small coastal town to vent their anger at the idea of a charcoal plant being built in an area which promotes itself as the nature coast.

NSW Opposition leader John Brogden addressed the rally, promising the Mogo plant would not go ahead if a Coalition Government is elected next March.

“At the moment the rumours are flying thick and fast that they may pull the plug from Mogo altogether,” he said.

“That’d be a great outcome – what the Government needs to do, if they really want this project and they really want these jobs in Lithgow, is to look for other options.”

The charcoal is to be used to manufacture silicon at Lithgow.

The developer, Australian Silicon, has previously said it was not commercially viable to transport the logs to Lithgow to burn the charcoal. The ABC has been unable to contact the company’s director, Peter Anderton, for comment today.

Meanwhile, a spokesman in the Premier’s office initially responded with a “no comment”, but later said the company has applied to develop the facility on the current site and that is what the Government has approved.

Mr Nairn says it would make sense for the charcoal factory to be built at Lithgow.

“A variety of information that’s come to me in recent times seems to indicate that that’s where they’re heading…my great concern is that we’ve got community money and Eurobodalla Shire Council spending money on a legal challenge,” he said.

“Now if this is the case, I would call on [Premier Bob] Carr to come clean with this now because we don’t want to see any more wasted money on a fruitless legal challenge if they are really going to make these sorts of changes.”

Problems

However, charcoal factory opponents say relocating the facility may not provide a solution.

Charcoalition spokesman Chris Cowal says the prospect of processing the timber locally and manufacturing the charcoal elsewhere has long been discussed as an alternative.

But he says that proposal also has problems.

“One of the concerns that the community has around this is that this could potentially mean there are increased heavy vehicle movements on the highway,” he said.

“This is, we say, an increase in terms of higher than what was already predicted with the proposal, as is currently under consideration.”

– For information only-

ABC News September 20th 2002

Batemans Bay police are warning drivers to expect traffic delays in the town’s central business district tomorrow with a huge turn-out expected for a rally against the charcoal plant proposed for the Mogo area on the NSW far south coast.

Police say the protest march will begin at the western end of the Clyde St car park at noon AEST and continue up Orient St, on to Beach Rd and across the Princes Highway to Mackay Park.

They are warning drivers to expect traffic delays throughout the central business district with roads closed and then reopened as the procession passes.

NSW Opposition leader John Brogden is scheduled to speak at the rally against the NSW Government’s approval of the plant, proposed by Australian Silicon for a site between Broulee and Mogo.

With the state election just six months away, the rally has drawn a bevy of politicians, including Arthur Chesterfield-Evans from the Democrats, Ian Cohen from the Greens and the Liberal and Labor candidates for the seat of Bega.

Move claims rejected

Meanwhile, Australian Silicon is rejecting claims the development will be moved.

Australian Silicon plans to burn timber for charcoal at the Mogo site and transport it to Lithgow, in the state’s central west, to produce silicon.

There has been a strong community backlash against the charcoal factory on health, road safety and environmental grounds.

The Federal Member for Eden Monaro, Gary Nairn, says he has received information the charcoal factory will instead be built alongside the silicon plant at Lithgow.

However, Peter Anderton from Australian Silcon says that is not an option.

“It is not viable to cart the timber over those distances, and on top of that the traffic, the additional traffic on the roads is significantly more,” he said.

The State Government’s approval of the Mogo charcoal factory is being challenged in the NSW Land and Environment Court.

“The South Coast forests and water catchments will still be devastated by a massive new woodchip style operation,’ Mr Cohen said.

‘Instead of 20,000 truck loads of trees being burnt at Mogo near Batemans Bay, they will now be taken all the way to Lithgow to be burnt.’

‘This will enormously increase the already high accident risk on the notoriously unsafe Princes Highway between Batemans Bay and Wollongong.

‘It will also add a huge new load of heavy trucks through the Blue Mountains villages on the Great Western Highway, a road that is not coping with present traffic levels.’

‘The South Coast tourism industry will still be blighted by a huge increase in heavy truck movements on rural scenic roads and the main highway, as well as vastly increased heavy industrial logging throughout the region.’

‘The Blue Mountains community will stage a revolt that may well cost the local member, Environment Minister Bob Debus, his seat.’

‘The Blue Mountains community is already highly concerned at the logging assault on the South Coast forests and 6000 charcoal trucks a year through the Blue Mountain’s

villages. The possibility of 20,000 heavy trucks adding to current safety and road congestion problems will add insult to injury and will escalate the political tension no end.’

‘We have caught the Carr Government in the big lie already, that only so called logging waste would be used for charcoal when in fact the originally secret timber supply contract stipulates 200,000 tonnes a year of whole logs of unlimited size.’

‘What new deceit is the Government going to use to try to sell the appalling destruction of our forests, the traffic impacts on our coastal towns and Blue Mountain’s villages and the damage to the South Coast tourism industry? ‘

“My great concern is that we’ve got community money and Eurobodalla Shire Council spending money on a legal challenge. Now if this is the case I would call on Carr to come clean with this now because we don’t want to see any more wasted money on a fruitless legal challenge if they are really going to make these sorts of changes, and it would make sense what I know Russell Smith has been saying there’s got to be an alternative way to do this. It’s something that the community has been very good at doing, I know they’ve got a rally this Saturday ….

“I think that it’s time if this information is correct it should be out there rather than leaving it and stringing the community along as what I believe he is probably trying to do – leave it run along for a bit longer and then sort of come in at the right time, given that there is a State election coming up in March next year, and sort of play politics with it. The community has really had enough and we should get this thing solved now.”

Shadow Minister for Planning Andrew Humpherson, said the Government had failed once again to tell the truth about the Mogo Charcoal plant:

“The Timber Supply Agreement signed by the Government shows that the Government has failed to tell the truth about the Mogo Charcoal Plant.

“Despite assurances from Minister Refshauge:

“I am ensuring that no forest tree is cut down for the sole purpose of charcoal production. The Plant is only to use residual timber – such as branches and stumps. (Refshauge Press Release 1/5/02)

“The Agreement states under Timber Specifications that the Timber is to be delivered in log form… not branches and stumps!” Mr Humpherson said.

“Premier Carr also told the ABC that no trees would be used while also arrogantly stating that many lies had been told about the plant:

Mr Carr says he has heard so many untruths over the development.

“No trees are going to be cut down and used in this development”.(ABC 3/5/02)

“The Government’s mismanagement of the whole process is staggering and the cover-up is slowly being exposed, Mr Humpherson said.

“Firstly the Minister for Forestry, Kim Yeadon misled the House by saying that no trees would be poisoned, when in fact leaked emails showed that was not the case.

“Then the Coalition revealed that before the plant approval was granted the Premier clearly stated in public, during a visit to the South Coast, that the plant would go ahead even though the Planning Minster Refshauge had not made a determination at that point.

“And also, the Government through State Forests signed a wood supply agreement with Australian Silicon to supply timber to the plant before the plant was approved. This was despite Planning NSW objecting in the strongest terms.

“The Government was determined to push this plant through from the beginning despite the strong community opposition”, Mr Humpherson said.

The Minister also declined an Opposition request to attend the mass rally on Saturday at Mogo.

– For information only –

ABC News September 19th 2002

Doctors and health professionals from the NSW far south coast will add their voices to a protest rally this Saturday against the charcoal factory development planned for the region.

The factory will supply charcoal for a silicon smelter at Lithgow, in the state’s central west.

Doctors from Sydney and the Hunter region will join local medical practitioners to highlight their concerns about the possible health problems arising from the development near Mogo.

Batehaven GP Peter Brandson says there is grave concern about the increased risk of serious traffic accidents, with greater numbers of trucks on the roads.

Dr Brandson says research released in the United States earlier this year shows small particle pollution, such as would be released from the charcoal factory, is linked to lead to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.

“Within the three kilometre radius, of the actual proposed site, there’s going to be 2,000 school students and their associated teachers and families etc,” he said.

“What’s come out in the last few years, is that the fine particulate air pollution is much more harmful than we have previously thought.

“Fine particulate matter gets absorbed through the lungs and actually passes through the lungs and into the cardiovascular system, and can be responsible for cardio disease.”

– For information only –

ABC News September 16th 2002

Labor Party representatives are breaking ranks over the NSW Government’s approval of the Australian Silicon charcoal factory planned near Mogo on the NSW south coast.

The facility will supply charcoal for a silicon manufacturing at Lithgow in the state’s central west.

Earlier this year, Planning NSW approved the charcoal factory in the face of strong community opposition.

At the weekend Country Labor conference in Cooma NSW Premier Bob Carr said the development was a fait accompli.

The Moruya branch of the ALP moved a motion against the plant at the conference, and the Labor candidate for Bega, Wilma Chinnock, says the site is still under discussion.

“We keep going back to the company and saying, ‘is it in your best interests to put it in this area when the local opposition is very, very organised, very rational and wanting to fight you all the way?'” she said.

“Is that a good economic decision to make?

“So we have to really work hard on this…the debate is not over.”

Picket

Anti-charcoal factory protesters picketed the Labor Party conference.

Noel Plumb from the South-East Forest Alliance says all the delegates received an extract from the State Forests’ wood supply agreement with Australian Silicon which shows the factory will not just be burning waste timber.

“The Premier’s attitude is arrogant in the extreme,” he said.

“Government has been caught out in a lie, in a major lie, it has been caught out disregarding the concerns of a very large community – not only the concerns for their local environment and their regional environment, the forests, but their very livelihoods because it is nature-based tourism that is the major economic driver on the south coast.”

‘We are here to remind Country Labor, which has enthusiastically supported this appalling development, that the entire South Coast is outraged at this massive industrial development being dumped on the communities,’ said spokespersons for the groups. These communities live amidst what Bob Carr recently called ’..the jewel in the crown, the beautiful south coast..’

‘This huge eyesore with its smoking stacks, air pollution and 20,000 additional heavy truck movements a year on the already dangerous Princes highway, for charcoal and woodchips, will destroy the quality of life of thousands of people on the coast.’

‘We are certain that the relative handful of jobs for loggers, truckers and plant operators, about 50 all told, will be offset by hundreds of job losses as this smokestack factory and its woodchip operations devastate the nature based tourism industry, the Coast’s strongest economic driver which employs over 6000 people.’

‘We are also here to remind the Country Labor delegates that people all over the state are outraged at the archaic plan to burn native forests for charcoal, a plan that is essentially another woodchipping operation to prop up a badly managed South Coast logging industry.’

We will be providing the delegates with a copy of the key schedule from the Timber Supply Agreement, reluctantly released by the Carr Government to Parliament, which shows the factory will only take whole logs. This is directly contrary to the assertions of the Premier and his Ministers that the factory will only be burning so called logging waste such as stumps and branches from state forests.”

“We hope that Country Labor delegates will realise that they have been profoundly misled by State Forests and some of their own colleagues.”

‘We hope that they realise that Country Labor is well and truly on the nose with voters all along the South Coast as a result of their support for the charcoal factory.’

‘They need to completely repudiate both the factory and the idea of burning forests for charcoal. Moving this plant to another location is not a solution, as South Coast forests will still bear the brunt of the development.

The call comes on the eve of the Country Labor Conference at Cooma where at least one South Coast ALP Branch is expected to break ranks and attempt to move a motion against the charcoal plant.

‘The Timber Supply Agreement between State Forests and Australian Silicon clearly shows that the Government, through State Forests, has contracted to send whole logs to the plant, 200,000 tonnes of logs a year for 20 years.’ ( A copy of supply contract specification is attached )

‘This is directly contrary to the Ministers’ repeated assertion that the charcoal plant would merely burn forest logging ‘residues’ such as stumps and branches and that no trees would be felled for the charcoal plant.’

‘The present logging on the South Coast totals less than 200,000 tonnes a year from so called integrated logging operations, very intensive operations which typically see 60-70% of the trees felled going straight to the Eden woodchip plant.’

‘Forest ecologists and conservationists have never believed that State Forests could find another 200,000 tonnes a year from logging waste and the Government has now admitted that it is not environmentally responsible to burn logging waste as part of its recent ban on using native forests for power plant fuel supply’

‘The contract also specifies that there is no maximum restriction on log size except that logs more than 80cm in diameter must be cut into lengths no greater than 2.5 metres long! This and other specifications make it very clear that old growth trees and sawlog trees are scheduled to be woodchipped and burnt at the charcoal plant.’

‘It is now clear that an inquiry is needed into State Forests and their support of the timber industry’s plans to intensify native forest logging through charcoal production and ever more woodchipping, despite the dire environmental, social and economic consequences.’

‘I was only able to obtain the supply contract through a resolution on the floor of the Parliament. Even then, the Government tried to keep the contract secret from the general public by claiming that it was commercially confidential. Fortunately, Parliament has the right to an independent arbitrator in such circumstances and the distinguished jurist, Sir Laurence Street, has ruled that the public interest in disclosure was significantly greater than the Government’s claims of confidentiality.’

‘I am calling for a clear explanation from the Premier and these Ministers.’

‘However, I know that the public dismay and anger over forest destruction will not be satisfied until the Premier bans the use of native forests for charcoal and woodchips. The ALP’s South Coast seats are at risk in the next election over this issue.’

“The Premier announced today that it is a critical element of corporate responsibility to the environment that forest ‘residues’ not be burnt for energy,” said spokespersons for the Alliance.

“Why then is the Government determined to burn South Coast forests for charcoal?

“The South Coast is still the sacrificial lamb to the timber industry.”

“The charcoal plant at Mogo near Bateman’s Bay is also a massive expansion of the woodchip industry which the Premier had promised to stop by the year 2000.”

“We now have the charcoal plant and the Eden woodchip mill set to consume nearly 700,000 tonnes a year of South Coast and Eden forests.”

“There will be another major community rally at Bateman’s Bay on Saturday 21 September to protest the South Coast Charcoal Plant and the Carr Government’s refusal to change the plant’s approval to prohibit the use of native forests for charcoal.”

“We hope that today’s announcement is the beginning of an attempt by the Carr Government to win back the core conservation vote in the face of mounting anger over native forest charcoal burning and woodchipping, The Government’s South Coast seats are particularly vulnerable as the election approaches.”

“The Carr Government must realise that its deal with the timber industry and unions to intensify native forest logging, including the introduction of charcoal production, has failed. The public expect the Premier to genuinely honour his promises to save the forests.”

Ian Cohen MLC
The Greens
Legislative Council, Parliament House
Macquarie Street, SYDNEY 2OOO
Ph: 02 9230 2603 Fax: 02 9230 2267
Mobile: 0409 989 466
Email: ian.cohen@parliament.nsw.gov.au

Media Release
29 August 2002

Carr Stops Burning of Forests for Energy –
So Why Burn South Coast Forests for Charcoal?

“I welcome the Premier’s announcement today banning the burning of native forest residues for energy production, which the Premier linked to corporate environmental responsibility,” said Greens MLC Ian Cohen.

“This is a positive step but it appears totally inconsistent with the Government’s approval of the South Coast Charcoal Plant which is based on the burning of native forest timber.”

“The Government has made great play of its claim that the charcoal plant would merely burn forest logging ‘residues’ such as stumps, branches and that no trees would be felled for the charcoal plant.”

“Yet today’s announcement acknowledges that leaving timber residues on the forest floor is a win for biodiversity and the environment.”

“This is exactly what community and conservation groups, supported by forest scientists, have been arguing on the charcoal plant timber supply, although extremely sceptical that State Forests and the industry were really intending to use logging residues.”

“Retention of logging waste is essential to maintain habitat diversity and cover, to allow valuable minerals and nutrients to be returned to the forest soils and to minimise greenhouse emissions by locking the carbon up in the forest soils rather than released to the atmosphere by burning.”

The Premier’s announcement also links the ban on burning forests to corporate environmental responsibility.

“Where is the corporate environmental responsibility of the Government and State Forests in the South Coast Charcoal Plant?”

” The public clearly opposes burning native forests for power or for charcoal, both forms of massive industrial logging and woodchipping. I hope that the Premier will now move to a ban on the burning of forests for charcoal and will find a way to replace native forests as the charcoal source for the Lithgow Silicon Plant, an issue that has created a huge public outcry along the South Coast.”

The New South Wales Premier will this morning make a bid for the green vote at next year’s state election, by announcing a policy to stop native growth timber being used for electricity generation.

Bob Carr will tell an environment conference he is saying no to the harvesting of native forests or the supply of native forest residues to fuel power stations.

Greens MLC Ian Cohen says it is a push for votes that will probably work.

“It’s going to cast a positive light for green voters at election time,” he said.

But not voters on the south coast, where residents are campaigning against the Government’s approval of a charcoal facility south of Batemans Bay.

Spokesman for the Charcoalition lobby group Chris Kowal says Mr Carr’s plan does not go far enough.

“There is no mention in this of ending the logging of native forests for charcoal production,” he said.

Published with permission

Charcoal Plant may head to Lithgow

The charcoal plant may head to Lithgow. the site here would be used for cutting and storing the timber, prior to transporting it via road and rail. Cr Vardon came up with this solution. Apparently, he thinks that using the site as a saw mill and storage dump will be acceptable to all.

Jobs for Eurobodalla! Charcoal ICAC Mmatter – says NSW Liberals

In an interview on the 2GB Alan Jones talk back program on Tuesday morning, NSW Shadow Minister for the Environment, Andrew Humpherson stated that he believed “the planning approval process was compromised for the Mogo charcoal plant.” He also said he felt it was a matter for ICAC.

“Unqualified public support by Government for the plant, prior to a properly considered planning determination, put Planning NSW and the Planning Minister Refshauge in a position where approval was inevitable – despite the deep and legitimate community concerns.

He based his beliefs on two events, which Mr Humpherson feels proves his statements.

First Event

The first was based on comments made by Premier Carr to Brett Mason, a local journalist, during an interview, which took place during the Firefighters Parade.

Mr Jones walked Brett through the interview before speaking to the Shadow Minister, including questions asked of the Premier at the time.
Brett wanted Mr Carr to confirm or deny several rumours that he had heard regarding the plant.

Is it true that Eurobodalla is being used as a dumping ground to raise votes in Bathurst?

And, is it true that Labor has agreed to fund an election campaign for a councillor in the area?

The Premier denied both vehemently.

Brett reported that Premier Carr did however say there was “no need to worry, I have spoken to council and it is going ahead – definitely going ahead”.
This was in February 2002 – before it had planning consent.

Premier Carr denied that Brett’s interview ever took place in the Bay Post, on local radio on several other occasions.

Brett has written 23 letters to the Premier asking for an apology or an explanation of his denial, as it has done Brett irreparable harm in his home town.

He has not received a reply but was contacted by Michael Salmon, the Premier’s Press Secretary. Mr Salmon apparently tried to bully Brett into keeping quiet, according to Mr Jones.

Mr Humpherson believes these public comments meant that Planning NSW, the public servants and Planning Minister Refshauge knew that anything but consent would be unacceptable to the Premier and his Government.

Second Event

The second event was the signing of a wood supply agreement by the Government (via State Forests) with Australian Silicon in February – two months prior to the determination in April of the charcoal plant application. Again, the Liberals feel this was a strong signal that consent had to be forthcoming even if there were concerns within other agencies or Planning NSW.

Concerns were expressed in both the Premier’s Department and Planning NSW that the signing of the agreement would compromise the process.

John Dermody, the Executive Director of the “Development Projects Unit” in the Premiers Department, according to the final page of the four-page memo, wrote to the Premier and Col Gellatly (Director General Premiers Dept) specifically raising concerns at how the signing of the wood supply agreement would compromise Planning NSW.

He wrote that: “Planning NSW would strongly prefer that any signing/announcement (of the wood supply) be delayed until after Minister Refshauge determines the DA/EIS process to avoid any potential criticism.
He further recommended that: “That the Premier not be involved in this process to avoid any claim by potential appellants or critics that the Premier has sought to influence Minister Refshauge’s determination in this matter or that Minister Refshauge (in a whole of Government sense) supports the agreement and has, therefore, predetermined the DA/EIS process.”

It would appear the wishes of Planning NSW not to be compromised were ignored.
Mr Humpherson told Mr Jones that the charcoal plant approval is an ‘ICAC thing’ – “It will go there.”

He Asked – “Have the proper processes been followed?”

Peter Fatches Cartoon re Bomb Hoax

Andrew Humpherson MP
Shadow Minister for Planning
Shadow Minister for Environment
Shadow Minister for Sydney water
Member for Davidson

MEDIA RELEASE 18 JULY 2002

Mr Humpherson accused Premier Bob Carr of damaging Eurobodalla Sun cadet, Brett Mason’s reputation to ensure a coverup over the compromising of the Mogo charcoal plant consent.

“This is Brett Mason’s 23rd letter to Premier Carr”, Mr Humpherson said.

“According to the letter the Government is using bullying and standover tactics to prevent exposure of Carr’s slip up.

“Bob Carr must give a public statement as to what happened. This journalist says he has been ridiculed and bullied by the Premier and he is not going to give up”, Hr Humpherson said.

“He has sent the Premier 23 letters trying to regain his credibility and the Premier hasn’t the decency to reply.

“The Premier must release a public statement to end this drama.

“Premier Carr said to Brett Mason that the Mogo Plant was definitely going ahead. This was at a point before it had planning consent. These public comments meant that Planning NSW and Planning Minister Refshauge knew that anything but consent would be unacceptable to the Premier and his Government.

“If any grounds to refuse consent had existed, this act alone ensured that an approval was eventually forthcoming and community concerns were to be ignored.

ALAN JONES: We are continuing to keep tabs on the proposed South Coast charcoal plant. But you might remember a couple of months ago I spoke to a young fellow called Brett Mason, he’s 17. He faced the wroth of the State Government after reporting for his local newspaper, the Eurobodalla Sun that the Premier had said the plant would go ahead before any official decision or investigation had been taken. And then the Premier subsequently denied it making this young man look a liar which he’s not.

He’s just been named the New South Wales and ACT Freemason’s Young Achiever of the Year, very popular down this part of the world, this is an outstanding young 17-year-old. Good morning.

BRETT MASON: Hi Alan, how are you going?

ALAN JONES: I’m very well, congratulations.

BRETT MASON: Thanks very much.

ALAN JONES: You’re a gutsy young man. Well you took on the government and they called you a liar.

BRETT MASON: They did indeed.

ALAN JONES: But you’ve been proven right.

BRETT MASON: I have.

ALAN JONES: My word you have and we’re going to be looking at that issue in a couple of days time. You’re a South Coast resident, what level of feeling is there down there about the charcoal plant?

BRETT MASON: It’s increasingly becoming more and more of an issue and is dividing our community which is really sad. And I just think it’s a very sad thing because it’s always been such a tight knit place down here on the South Coast and it’s dividing the community and it’s a most horrible feeling.

ALAN JONES: Well we’ll continue to look at it, don’t you worry. But you’re a year 12 student at Bateman’s Bay High.

BRETT MASON: That’s right.

ALAN JONES: And you’re hoping for a career in journalism.

BRETT MASON: I am.

ALAN JONES: We might have to give you a job here.

BRETT MASON: That would be very good, I’m accepting any offers.

ALAN JONES: But you were a regional winner in the Freemason’s Young Achiever Awards and that was for your outstanding contribution and service to the local community.

BRETT MASON: That’s right.

ALAN JONES: Well now you’re the New South Wales and ACT winner as well, so someone likes you out there.

BRETT MASON: They do.

ALAN JONES: And we should give a wrap to your mum.

BRETT MASON: I did, I dedicated the award to her.

ALAN JONES: She’s raised you on her own since you were two-and-a-half.

BRETT MASON: She has, she’s been fantastic.

ALAN JONES: Well, you have been too in this big community issue down there about the charcoal plant and you’ve played a very significant role. Congratulations, Brett.

BRETT MASON: Thank you very much.

ALAN JONES: Love to talk to you. Nice young fellow and he’s a cadet journalist, he’s gone out of his school, reported that the plant was to go ahead. Mr Carr denied that. We’ll be looking at that issue later. Brett Mason.

Published with permission

Hands up those who thought that the charcoal plant would use twigs, branches, stumps, and rotting residue from the forest floor!

Kate Carnell, Executive director National Association of Forest Industries, stated in the Canberra Times of 20 May 2002:
“I would like to point out a few facts about the Mogo project: …”- The plant will ONLY use otherwise wasted residual timber from current harvesting practices (such as stumps and branches).”

Peter Anderton, Chief Executive of Australian Silicon said “We’ll be using timber waste lying on the forest floor, just removing waste which currently has no value – no habitat value, and no nutritive value,”

Vicki Dunne, Liberal MLA for Ginninderra, is Shadow Minister for the Environment, stated in The Canberra Times 7 March 2002:
“The ‘save the forests’ mantra is both simplistic and specious. In production of charcoal it is the residue of the tree after the sawlog has been cut that will be used in other words, logging waste. ….this clearing will assist in removing timber that would otherwise be a hazard in terms of fire, noxious weeds and vermin …”

According to the Timber Supply Agreement between State Forests of NSW and Australian Silicon Operations Pty Limited, MS Carnell, Mr Anderton and Ms Dunne have not done their homework.

The charcoal plant will use LOGS with a minimum diameter of 15cm and a minimum length of 2m, that have been trimmed of bark, branches and projections and shattered and jagged ends, and are “free of pronounced bends”.

TIMBER SPECIFICATIONS [from Schedule 2 of the Timber Agreement]

• Timber to be delivered in log form;
• No restrictions on moisture content;
• At least 97% of log surface area to be bark free;
• Lengths to 2.0 m. minimum and 11.00 m. maximum;
• Diameter to 15 cm. minimum;
• No restrictions on maximum diameter;
• Logs more than 80 cm. in diameter must not exceed 2.5 m. in length. Logs may be split prior to delivery to avoid this requirement;
• Branches and projections flush trimmed;
• Shattered ends and jagged slovens removed;
• Free of pronounced bends; and
• Sweep 20 cm. or less measured over any 3.0 m. log section.

Defect Tolerances

• Charcoal acceptable on logs;
• No restrictions on spiral grain;
• Logs with a large end diameter under 60 cm. must have an average of 10cm. of solid wood between the pipe and the outside circumference of the log.
• Logs with a large end diameter over 60cm. must have a minimum average of 12cm. of solid wood between the pipe and the outside circumference of the log.
• Rot must not exceed one quarter of the surface arm of the log at either end. Logs may be either docked or split prior to delivery to meet this specification

More logs to feed the charcoal retorts would appear to indicate less for the saw-mills, especially as council confidential report states there are plans to double the facility within 5 years.

Interview with Glen Klatovsky (Wilderness Society) – Transcript published with permission.

AJ-Earlier this week I spoke about the extraordinary circumstances confronting people on the South Coast, who are being treated with contempt by the Premier himself, over the proposal to build a charcoal plant in the little towns of Mogo and Brulee, about halfway between Moruya and Bateman’s Bay.

Now, you know the story. One of the beautiful tourism spots in the world, but the charcoal plant will be on a seventy hectare site. The processing plant will cover four hectares. It will have five chimneys, each eleven stories high. It will operate 24 hours a day, 350 days a year. It will consume about 200,000 tonnes of timber that will be turned into between 30,000 and 35,000 tonnes of charcoal. The charcoal will be taken by road to Lithgow. just — by chance — a marginal Labour seat.

Now, as I said, the charcoal plant is to be built in one of those beautiful parts of the state. Even the Premier has acknowledged that, saying in September last year, “I am delighted to be here in Eurobodalla, the land of many waters, the beautiful South Coast — there’s nothing like it.” Well, there won’t be anything like it after the plant is built.

Remember I told you that during the application process for the plant, Planning New South Wales received 1,530 submissions. They came from 1, 220 individuals and groups. Fewer than twenty were in support of the plant. But, the government ignored the public — Hunter’s Hill revisited.

But let’s put that aside for the moment. I’ve received many communications relating to a series of emails which, according to the opposition in New South Wales, suggested the government was prepared to pull the pin on the charcoal plant if news emerged of a tree poisoning program on the South Coast.

Can you believe this? Fred Niles said the government has lied over Hunter’s Hill. It’s a hard word to use. Well, listen to this farrago of lies — this is ICAC stuff.

On September 18 of last year, Lee Rhiannon of the Upper House asked Minister Kim Yeadon if State Forests had halted the poisoning of trees. Let me just take that proposition in itself. Australian Silicon and State Forests keep saying no tree will be cut down for the sole purpose of charcoal production. Now that in itself has created controversy. But opponents of the plan say the statement means nothing because there are many reasons why a tree could be cut down. Let’s face it — the charcoal plant will consume 200,000 tonnes of timber a year. The wood has to come from somewhere. And, it’s said that the trees have to be transported to the plant, and the charcoal transported away from the plant. 20,000 additional heavy truck movements a year on the Princess Highway. Nice stuff.

But back to the business about no tree will be cut down for the sole purpose of charcoal production. What does that mean — sole purpose? On September 18 of last year, Lee Rhiannon of the Upper House asked Minister Yeadon if State Forests had halted the poisoning of trees. Mr. Yeadon said it had. Then came a leaked email from Shane Gilbert of State Forests to Virginia Knox of the New South Wales Treasury. (This is one of some 9,000 pages of documents that opponents of the plant are trolling through.) An email says, “Yeadon has put an answer to Rhiannon that the poisoning has been suspended when that is not the case.” In other words, the poisoning occured for at least a month after Mr. Yeadon said it had stopped.
And, of course, a poisoned tree is a tree that has to be cut down — especially when you’re poisoning it yourself.

Now, the opposition is saying that Minister Yeadon, despite his protests that he was talking about another part of the state, has misled Parliament and should be sacked. Shane Gilbert from State Forests allegedly sent an email to Bob Smith, the CEO of State Forests, which said, “In September, I formally wrote to Dodds…” (who was with State Forests at Bateman’s Bay — so much about Yeadon’s argument that he was talking about another part of the state,) “I wrote to Dodds to encourage him to stop the poisoning program as it had the potential to stop the charcoal plant in its tracks and, by definition, the smelter plant in Lithgow.”

Well, we wouldn’t want that happening, would we? Especially in a marginal Labour seat. It appears as though any tactic is a good tactic these days with the Carr Government. The email says, “I knew the acute sensitivities of the Premier and the Treasurer’s Office to these issues, and another stinker of an article in the newspaper would give rise to the direct intervention of the Premier to direct the Minister to direct you” (Smith, the CEO of State Forests) “to terminate the poisoning program on the South Coast.

So, has the government covered up the extent of tree poisoning? And does the cover-up extend right to the offices of the Premier, the Treasurer, State Forests, and the Minister for Forests, Kim Yeadon? Now remember, both State Forests and Australian Silicon have said no tree will be cut down for the sole purpose of charcoal production. But if the trees are dead — from a State Forests poisoning program — then the fuel for the plant is right there on your doorstep.

ALAN JONES: On the line is Glen Klatovsky, the New South Wales Campaign Manager for The Wilderness Society. Glen Klatovsky, Good morning.

GLEN KLATOVSKY: Good morning, Alan.

AJ: Were State Forests poisoning trees?

GK: Absolutely they were. They in fact employed sixteen people, in the region where the charcoal plant will be, to poison trees full-time for around six months. The plan was to go for much longer than that. Luckily, we stopped it eventually.

AJ: And those trees would be then cut down, and they would be the fodder for the charcoal plant.

GK: That’s right, and these people were using serious poisons. Our understanding was that these sixteen men had to get urine samples every Friday afternoon at the end of week to determine whether they had been poisoned themselves. So, this is a very large scale operation and a very dangerous one.

AJ: So you’re saying that when Lee Rhiannon asked Minister Yeadon on September 18 last year if State Forests had halted the poisoning of trees, Yeadon lied to the Parliament.

GK: We believe he lied to the Parliament. We understand that their argument at the moment is that the poisoning continued but in a different region. But, the fact is that other region — the Eden region, which is nearby — is also going to supply timber to the charcoal factory. So —

AJ: Why would you be poisoning trees anyway?

GK: Well, the poisoning started pretty much at the same time as the rumors about the charcoal plant.

AJ: That’s it, so they wanted the timber.

GK: That’s right, so —

AJ: And hence, hence, no tree will be cut down for the sole purpose of charcoal production, so we can cut them down because they’re poisonous.

GK: That’s right. Well, what it is is that they actually reclassified, renamed whole forest areas as waste trees.

AJ: Waste trees.

GK: So there’s a whole heap of forests now on the South Coast standing there quite happily — good habitat, beautiful spots. All those trees are now formally waste.

AJ: Because they’ve been poisoned.

GK: No, not even poisoned. They can be ringbarked or a whole range of other strategies.

AJ: Just reclassify them.

GK: Just reclassify them as waste.

AJ: And that then can be used as fodder for the charcoal plant.

GK: Well, that’s right. The justification for chopping down those trees is because they are now formally waste. So, you chop them down because they’re waste.

AJ: So hence the argument clevery used — not for the sole purpose of charcoal production. We’ve classified them as waste, and we poisoned —

GK: The minute they hit the ground, they are then available for charcoal.

AJ: For charcoal.

GK: They’re not cut down for charcoal, though. They’re cut down because they’re waste.

AJ: And Shane Gilbert of State Forests made contact with Virginia Knox in the New South Wales Treasury, quote: “Yeadon has previously put an answer that the poisoning has been suspended when that is not the case.”

GK: Yeah, that’s right. And you were talking about the 9000 sheets of paper. It’s very clear that Treasury has an important role in the development of the charcoal factory. And it goes not only to those communications but also to huge public subsidies to this industry. So, not only are the people of the South Coast who are opposed to the plant having it forced upon them, but now they also have to pay out of their taxes subsidies to the company to built it.

AJ: Right, and those subsidies may even extend — and I haven’t got on to that issue yet but I will — to the silicon plant at Lithgow.

GK: That’s right, yeah, particularly if —

AJ: If the taxpayer may be underwriting that as well.

GK: That’s right, electricity subsidies.

AJ: Yep. Now, that’s another story. There’s another email from Gilbert in State Forests to Bob Smith, the boss of State Forests, telling him how he had written to a colleague on the South Coast, quote, “to encourage him to stop the poisoning program as it had the potential to stop the charcoal plant in its tracks.”

GK: That’s right.

AJ: So people were behind the scenes telling lies and then worrying that they were going to be found out.

GK: That’s exactly right. The web of lies over this has been enormous, and what we’ve seen is that the lies come back on them. Basically, the people of the South Coast, most of whom would never call themselves Greenies, have seen so many lies over this development that they don’t trust anyone. And they certainly don’t want this development

AJ: So the government at the highest level knew what was going on. It most probably knew that lies were being told. It certainly knew that trees were being poisoned, and it knew that that was a clever use of words — oh, no tree will be cut down for the sole purpose of charcoal production. When they then found out in relation to the poisoning of trees, they reclassified others as waste and they then, therefore, can be cut down.

GK: That’s exactly right, it’s a very clever strategy. And again, out of those 9,000 pages, there are hundreds of pages of emails between different government departments trying to work out the wording that fits the agenda best.

AJ: And, where do we go from here, do you reckon?

GK: Unfortunately for us and for the people of the South Coast, it’s going to end up in court. So, we’re going to spend the next twelve or eighteen months spending vast sums of money trying to stop this development in the courts. And, of course, this is in effect another subsidy because the government will be spending even more grotesque amounts of money trying to win the court case against us. So the government is actually, in effect, in court against the people of the South Coast.

AJ: Yeah, well good luck to ’em. Good luck to them, and they’re welcome. But, the public view is a very strong one, and the public already are expressing their views on all of this. We’ll continue to talk — you feel free to provide any information you have in relation to that to me, and we’ll talk again.

GK: Thank you, Alan.

AJ: In an extraordinary… in a, in a, — there we are. So that’s Hunter’s Hill revisited. Tell lies, do whatever, any tactic will do, any tactic will do. And Bob Carr throwing out some red herrings about what he’s going to do about migrants. Or, he’s going to reform the defamation laws, or try to persuade people that the real problem about public liability is all of you people are racing off for litigation. Or they’re dishonest lawyers or Santa Claus judges.

In a press release way back on May 29, by the Wilderness Society, it said this, quote: “Despite this, forests continue to be poisoned further down the coast.” Further links between tree poisoning and the charcoal plant are made in reference to the board of State Forests, quote: “The State Forests Board has now requested that they be briefed on the herbicide issue and the Lithgow silicon smelter project.”

The clear conclusion to this insidious set of lies from State Forests and the minister over the last eight months is that poisoning is linked to the charcoal plant. That is, whole trees were killed for charcoal production. This exposes the calculating and manipulating lie that no trees will be cut down for the sole purpose of charcoal production.

It went on. It’s clear that both State Forests and their minister Mr. Kim Yeadon have used deceptive means to hide the truth about tree poisoning regimes and the charcoal plant. And when they were then found out, they decided to reclassify timber in the area — even as far south as Eden. Call it unwanted, call it waste, call it reclassified, it can be now cut down to serve their ends.

There must be, it’s clear, no end to which the Carr government won’t go to deny the public and, what’s worse, to deceive it.
***

Eurobodalla councillors are expected to be presented with the results of an important community survey tomorrow.

The questionnaire asked what role residents and ratepayers want their council to take in a legal battle to stop a charcoal factory being built near Mogo.

A team of 10 staff members, led by council’s public officer Colleen Worthy-Jennings, were employed to work during the weekend to collate the information contained in the completed survey forms.

The counting was independently scrutinised by a representative from the Attorney-General’s department and all staff members have signed confidentiality agreements.

Thirty days after the matter is finalised, all the survey forms will be destroyed to ensure respondents’ details remain confidential.

The survey put four options to the community and asked what action residents think council should take about the development approval for the Mogo charcoal factory issued by the Minister for Planning.

A report on the result is being prepared today and is to be put to councillors at a special meeting tomorrow morning.

A PDF of the results is available by clicking the link below

ESC Survey Results (96KB PDF)

A United Nations adviser for the development of emissions trading world-wide says the NSW government did not account for greenhouse emission costs, when it assessed the development application for the charcoal plant at Mogo.

Robert Vincin is Managing Director of Emissions Traders International and a leading expert on greenhouse gases and their cost to industry.

Mr Vincin explained to 70 people at Broulee, on Saturday that over $1 billion dollars is not accounted for in the assessment of economic sustainability.

He spoke out, despite the fact he claimed had been warned by Peter Anderton, CEO of Australian Silicon P/L, that he had ‘better look out’ if he went ahead with his address.

The company will be liable to pay a huge bill for greenhouse emissions incurred by the 3 pronged silicon plant in Lithgow, under the new ‘greenhouse law’ initiated by NSW Premier Carr. The total may be as high as $1.6 billion dollars within 20 years, taking into account carbon loss from stack, energy and vehicle emissions, removal of timber and replanting of forests.
“It’s economic vandalism, economic irresponsibility. It will have to come out of the national economy,” Mr Vincin said.

Apparently China, which is now part of the World Trade Organization, manufactures quality silicon, using coal as a reductant. It would be far cheaper for us to import it than produce it,” he said. “The type of silicon that Australian Silicon would produce is not the type used for computer chips. That would require a further process for the Lithgow product.”
Mr Vincin says fighting the development is as simple as E=MC2. E = Environment, M = Money and C = Carbon which when you ‘square’ it becomes E = Environment, M = MPs and C = (voting) Community.

Published with permission

The Hidden Costs of Charcoal

A United Nations adviser for the development of emissions trading world-wide says the NSW government did not account for greenhouse emission costs, when it assessed the development application for the charcoal plant at Mogo.

Robert Vincin is Managing Director of Emissions Traders International and a leading expert on greenhouse gases and their cost to industry.

Mr Vincin explained to 70 people at Broulee, on Saturday that over $1 billion dollars is not accounted for in the assessment of economic sustainability.

He spoke out, despite the fact he claimed had been warned by Peter Anderton, CEO of Australian Silicon P/L, that he had ‘better look out’ if he went ahead with his address.

The company will be liable to pay a huge bill for greenhouse emissions incurred by the 3 pronged silicon plant in Lithgow, under the new ‘greenhouse law’ initiated by NSW Premier Carr. The total may be as high as $1.6 billion dollars within 20 years, taking into account carbon loss from stack, energy and vehicle emissions, removal of timber and replanting of forests.
“It’s economic vandalism, economic irresponsibility. It will have to come out of the national economy,” Mr Vincin said.

Apparently China, which is now part of the World Trade Organization, manufactures quality silicon, using coal as a reductant. It would be far cheaper for us to import it than produce it,” he said. “The type of silicon that Australian Silicon would produce is not the type used for computer chips. That would require a further process for the Lithgow product.”
Mr Vincin says fighting the development is as simple as E=MC2. E = Environment, M = Money and C = Carbon which when you ‘square’ it becomes E = Environment, M = MPs and C = (voting) Community.

Jobs for Eurobodalla!

A bare minimum of 2000 jobs in Eurobodalla Shire, our coffers full to overflowing and in just a dozen years – wealth for the Nature Coast and Australia.

Reality or a dream?

Robert Vincin, world-renowned expert on emissions trading and member of the United Nations trade and development forum convinced an audience of 70 people that it was in fact truth.

Mr Vincin was the guest speaker at a Coastwatchers meeting on Saturday. He explained the vast topic of Environmental Economics in simple terms. “The world is a bank – a bank of resources. Man has from time in memorial withdrawn from that bank – never depositing, not even rolling-over those resources.

“Now the management of the bank – Nature – is calling for the account to be addressed and failure to do so will see the receivers brought in.” The Premier of NSW, Bob Carr is one of the first Australian politicians to realize that if the world ignores greenhouse emissions, it will stand a good chance of entering into another Ice Age. The suns rays will not be able to penetrate through the heavy layer of CO2 emissions.

On May 8, he took the first steps to stave off the receivers. Premier Carr introduced ‘Greenhouse Law’. Power retailers will be forced to cut greenhouse emissions per customer to five percent below 1990 levels by the year 2007.

It is expected that the federal government will follow suit by signing the Kyoto Protocol – a document pledging a country to reduce the ozone layer.

One of the ways companies can counteract their emissions is to buy carbon credits then trade the amount of carbon in the credit for the same amount of carbon in their emissions, thus achieving a neutral effect.

The carbon credits are worth at present $55.05 per tonne, which equates to $15 per tonne of the gas CO2 (carbon dioxide).

Eurobodalla Shire is in a unique position to benefit from carbon credit trading. It can become a ‘carbon sink’ (an area with build-up of carbon in the soil). The Nature Coast has the climate and the rainfall, necessary to promote growth of carbon producing plants and the forests to produce litter to build up carbon.

There are at least 35 different areas of work associated with plant growth and regeneration. Mr Vincin believes that carbon trading could generate hundreds of jobs in the next ten years. The Nature Coast has the means to become a carbon credit bank.

We can sell the carbon contained in the soil to world industries, which need them to counteract their CO2 emissions.
Eurobodalla Shire Mayor, Peter Cairney had a private meeting with Mr Vincin and is convinced that this shire can lead the way in the 21st century.

He will seek further information from Robert Vincin regarding setting up a carbon credit bank – making the Nature Coast, the prime carbon sink in NSW and investigate te proposition with other environmental experts.

According to Mr Vincin, global carbon trading is set to become a trillion dollar business within 10 to 20 years. Mayor Cairney wants this shire to be an integral part.

“This is a perfect way to preserve and improve the environment with a flow-on effect for tourism, residents and job-seekers and at the same time work out a way to make a profit,” said Mayor Cairney. “I hope to meet with politicians from all parties while I am in Sydney this week and return armed with ways we can make this dream a reality.”

The NSW Government is continuing to meet opposition to its approval of the Mogo charcoal plant planned for the state’s south coast, even from within the local ranks of its own party.

Both the president of the Bega State Electorate of the ALP, Wilma Chinnock, and the president of the Moruya branch of the ALP, David Goss, have made official representations to the Government opposing the plant.

Mrs Chinnock and Mr Goss met the Minister for Planning, Andrew Refshauge, last week in an attempt to increase the Government’s awareness of local concerns with the proposal.

Mr Goss says that the best chance of stopping the project from going ahead now lies in convincing the company, Australian Silicon, to find an alternative site for their venture.

He is urging concerned Eurobodalla residents to write directly to the company.

“We feel leading people in the Government now have a very good appreciation of the feeling of the people on the south coast and we hope that people will now, rather than directing their attention to the Government, might now direct their attention to trying to push the company to look at an alternative site where it might be welcomed rather than bitterly opposed,” he said.

Concerns were raised after it was revealed State Forests was using a poisoning program to thin trees in areas which are expected to supply the charcoal factory.

The managing director of Australian Silicon, Peter Anderton, says under the timber supply agreement with State Forests, the company has the ability to reject trees which do not meet specifications.

“One of the specifications is that they will not be poisoned, so to say that they are being poisoned for the facility is one issue.

“The fact is, at the end of the day, we wouldn’t accept them.

“You can’t use trees that have been poisoned and we will not use trees that have been poisoned.”

Charcoalition spokesman Chris Kowal says about $48,000 has already been raised for the fighting fund and more is pledged.

Mr Kowal says funds have been coming in from across the region, with Eurobodalla and Canberra residents being particularly supportive.

He says organisations in Sydney have also financially backed the legal appeal and more substantial donations are expected.

Legal expenses have already begun to mount up, with the Charcoalition paying for initial consultations and documentation in the fight to stop Australian Silicon establishing a charcoal plant in the Eurobodalla Shire.

Meanwhile, Eurobodalla Shire Council says it is getting a strong response to its survey asking ratepayers whether they want council to financially back the legal appeal.

The survey forms have to be returned by June 14.

Published with permission

Poisoned Smokescreen (State Agency Sells Tordon-Injected Trees for Firewood?)

Tordon DSH – not exactly Agent Orange (which has 2, 4-D as an ingredient) – is not just a poison used to kill trees, as it comes complete with manufacturer’s advice, ‘not advisable to burn in open fireplaces’.

Regardless of that advice people are still able to gather wood for their home fires from forest areas previously treated.
Mr Pickering, from State Forests Narooma, had previously told the Sun that persons harvesting wood illegally, in Tordon-injected areas, did so at their own risk.

He said State Forests does not issue permits for parts of the forest, where there could be a risk of cutting up poisoned trees.
But, on May 23, the Sun obtained a signed permit authorising it to ‘take, on and from State Forests of Batemans Bay and Narooma Mangagement Area, timber of the following description – dead, fallen firewood – one tonne at $15, plus GST $1.50, having a value of $16.50’.

On May 23, the Sun travelled to the Maulbrooks Road near Mogo, using the map given to it by State Forests – a map clearly indicating the areas where we could harvest dead, fallen wood.

The Sun carefully measured the distance in kilometres and found that its permit allowed it to harvest wood from a Tordon-injected area (see map from State Forests).

All around the area were dead trees, full of holes, where the Tordon had been placed.

Not much was ‘fallen’ except a few branches but whole trunks were found which had been previously felled and left on the forest floor.

The only sign in sight said ‘Collecting firewood in State Forests without a permit is prohibited’.

When attempts to contact Mr Pickering were made on Tuesday, to enable a series of questions to be put to him on this issue, the State Forests’ office at Narooma informed the Sun Mr Pickering was ‘involved in an all-day meeting’.

Information has come to light that Tordon DSH is a step removed from ‘Agent Orange’ – ‘its chemical-cousin’.
Manufacturer’s instructions, according to State Forests, say it is not advisable to burn timber injected with Tardon in an open fireplace.

Tordon DSH contains chlorinated organic compounds, a family of substances with the potential to form dioxins and furans on combustion at temperatures below 1200C.

According to Sydney University’s Dr John Pollack, ‘All chlorinated hydrocarbons, when combusted at temperatures below about 1200C, will likely produce dioxins, although the quantities produced are difficult to predict’.

He reports, “Surfactants are added to herbicides, to aid penetration and spreading of the active components.

‘It is unknown what relevance this has to human exposure, since the behaviour of the surfactant in humans has not been studied.”

Among questions that demand answers are:- Who therefore is liable – State Forests for issuing permits in a Tordon-injected area? – The person with a permit, ignorant of Tordon and its effects and looking at a large tract of dead wood just waiting to be cut? – The person with a permit who cuts up the trees lying on the ground, believing them to be ‘fallen’?

Under Scrutiny

The appointment of scrutineers to count the community survey returns regarding a legal challenge against the charcoal plant is under scrutiny.

A resolution was put before Council on Tuesday, that the General Manager, Jim Levy be given delegated authority to appoint an independent scrutineer. This was done in response to a letter from the Charcoalition asking for an independent person to fill this role.

The matter engendered much discussion. While most councillors had no problem with this action, it was felt that it would put Mr Levy between a rock and a hard place. “No matter what Jim does, he will be seen by some to be wrong,” said Cr Smellin. In order to correct this, the motion was amended to ask the General Manager to approach the Electoral Commission and the Australian Community Disputes Commission for advice or for the name of a totally independent scrutineer.

Mr Levy agreed with council’s amended resolution although he later indicated that his choice was to have 4 local scrutineers – 2 from the pro plant side and 2 from the anti.

Jones Praises Brett’s Cause

Talk-back heavyweight, 2GB broadcaster, Alan Jones has shown continuing praise and support toward Sun reporter Brett Mason and his bid to clear his name against, what New South Wales Opposition Leader, John Brogden, described as a “witch hunt by the Premier.”

In a series of letters to Brett, Mr Jones congratulated Brett on his efforts to clear his name against claims by New South Wales Premier, Bob Carr that Brett lied about an interview he conducted with him at a fire-fighters parade.

Mr Jones interviewed Brett live on 2GB and has maintained written contact with Brett, calling him “a good man” and telling Brett to “keep his chin up and get on with his study.”‘

After hearing Mr Jones’ interview, NSW Opposition Leader, John Brogden slammed Mr Carr for denying the interview took place when statutory declarations and witness statements had been received supporting the contents of the article. Mr Brogden described Mr Carr’s handling of the situation, and refusal to apologise as “an indictment on his fitness to hold the office of Premier.”

Mr Jones has told Brett not to worry about Mr Carr’s refusal to apologise, saying “sometimes to impossible is not able to be achieved’ and that “I think you have won back the trust and support of your community in bucket loads.

“Alan has been a wonderful person through this troubling time and was the light at the end of the tunnel in some of my darkest hours, especially when Mr Carr told other media sources I had not spoken with him,” Brett said. “‘Alan has helped show our local community that the interview I reported was correct, and that I have several written statements confirming the article was correct, including a comprehensive Statutory Declaration,” Brett said.

Andrew Humpherson MP
Shadow Minister for Planning
Shadow Minister for Environment
Shadow Minister for Sydney water
Member for Davidson

The decision to call in the Chief Executive Officer of State Forests was an outrageous attempt by the Government to bail out the beleaguered Forestry Minister, who is battling allegations he misled parliament on the poisoning of native forest trees.

Shadow Minister for Environment, Andrew Humpherson said the private, background briefings from State Forests CEO Bob Smith was a blatant and unacceptable abuse of the public service.

“This was clearly a desperate measure that reflected the level of fear within the Carr Government over leaked emails which contained sensitive details about a State Forests poisoning program which could have jeopardised the approval of the South Coast Mogo charcoal plant,” Mr Humpherson said.

“The improper use of the Forests CEO and the bungle and cover-up mean that Minister Yeadon should do the honourable thing and resign.

“Clearly this is a Government more concerned with hiding the facts than keeping the public concerned, Mr Humpherson said.

“Bob Smith is a member of the public service, not some political operative who can be called on to trawl the press gallery spinning lines.

Carbon credits may cost taxpayers $1 billion
Premier must clear the air

The State Opposition has called on Premier Carr to clear the air over claims by a UN expert that the South Coast charcoal plant could end up costing taxpayers $1 billion over 20 years.

Shadow Minister for Environment, Andrew Humpherson said today the potential cost is alarming and if claims that taxpayers are to pay $1000 million to subsidise the plant through carbon credit obligations then the Premier must state clearly who will pay.

“Robert Vincin, managing director of Emission Traders International, claims the charcoal plant is “economic vandalism, economic irresponsibility,” Mr Humpherson said.

“At $55 a tonne of carbon the State of NSW may be exposed to paying for United Nations greenhouse gas offset carbon credits – a commitment embraced by Premier Carr.

Ian Cohen MLC
The Greens
Legislative Council, Parliament House
Macquarie Street, SYDNEY 2OOO
Ph: 02 9230 2603 Fax: 02 9230 2267
Mobile: 0409 989 466
Email: ian.cohen@parliament.nsw.gov.au

SECRET PLAN TO BURN POISONED TREES AND MANIPULATE TIMBER INFORMATION

Greens MLC Ian Cohen has called for a parliamentary inquiry into State Forests’ plans to supply timber to the highly controversial South Coast charcoal plant at Mogo near Batemans Bay

“It now seems that State Forests continued to use the contentious herbicide Tordon to poison trees in the adjoining Eden (Far South Coast) Forest Region after telling its Minister, and the public, in early October 2001 that it had suspended Tordon poisoning operations in the South Coast Forest Region around Batemans Bay, after public outrage at the poisoning,” said Ian Cohen MLC.

“The Minister for Forests, Kim Yeadon, yesterday inadvertently exposed the deception in a media statement. While denying that poisoning of Batemans Bay forests had continued after October last year, when he informed Parliament that the poisoning in [all] NSW forests had been stopped, he revealed that poisoning in Eden forests had continued for at least another month.”

“Documents (all supporting documents are available) that I have obtained show that :-

“State Forests initial supply planning for the Mogo Charcoal Plant included the poisoned timber from Batemans Bay forests.

“State Forests subsequently proposed to supplement the supply with Eden timber, where poisoning had continued until a senior State Forests employee became alarmed at the implications. State Forests had initially insisted that the South Coast Region forests could provide all the necessary timber, a massive 200,000 tonnes a year for 20 years.

“State Forests has redefined previously unlogged, non-commercial tree species such as redwoods and ironbarks as ‘residue’ timbers available for the charcoal plant. These trees are then targeted for so called thinning operations, by poisoning, ringbarking or felling, or are classified as logging waste from woodchip and sawlog operations despite being unwanted for either purpose. However, many of them are critical for food and shelter resources for over 400 species of native birds and animals because they are often the larger, older trees left from previous logging operations

“State Forests engaged in protracted discussions with the Department of Planning to change the proposed Southern Region Forest Agreement to accommodate the charcoal timber supply after its public exhibition in May 2001. The Forest Agreement is the internal NSW Government approval which frees State Forests from the usual environmental planning and assessment requirements for forestry operations

“The exhibited draft Forest Agreement made no reference to the charcoal supply. There is no evidence that the ‘comprehensive regional forest assessment’, which underpins the Forest Agreement, ever considered the impacts of the charcoal supply.

“The Forest Agreement was not signed off by the NSW Government until 3 May 2002, two days after its 1 May approval of the charcoal plant.

“State Forests signed a confidential Timber Supply Agreement with the charcoal plant operator on 4 February 2002 before the Environmental Impact Statement submissions for the charcoal plant were complete or any planning approval given,

“The Timber Supply Agreement was made in February 2002 but the Government was still saying in April that no decision would be made on the charcoal plant until all EIS submissions had been thoroughly considered. In the event, a record number of submissions were lodged, over 1530. Some 98% opposed the plant and the Department of Planning did not complete its examination of the submissions and make its report until late April.”

“Each of these points raise the question whether this state agency, charged with the environmentally responsible management of our public forest resource, has persuaded, or aided, the Carr Government to approve a massive new woodchipping operation to feed the charcoal plant on the basis of deception, that no tree would be felled just to provide charcoal and that no poisoned trees had been included in the supply calculations?”

“As I predicted, the tabling of the charcoal plant documents is beginning to unravel a betrayal of the broader public interest surrounding the charcoal plant deal.”

“There is much more to be revealed and I am convinced that a parliamentary inquiry is required.”

“I shall be seeking support for the inquiry from the Opposition and the cross bench members who supported my initial motion that condemned the Government over its approval of the plant, just 3 weeks ago.”

Andrew Humpherson MP
Shadow Minister for Planning
Shadow Minister for Environment
Shadow Minister for Sydney water
Member for Davidson

The State Opposition today called on Premier Carr to explain immediately why State Forests continued to poison trees in forests that will supply product to the proposed Mogo Charcoal plant for over a month after Forestry Minister, Kim Yeadon told Parliament the practice had ceased.

Shadow Environment Minister, Andrew Humpherson, released a leaked document showing a pattern of deceit and intrigue in the lead up to the State Government’s approval of the charcoal plant at Mogo on the South Coast.

“Kim Yeadon has clearly misled Parliament. The document proves that tree poisoning had not stopped when the Minister had said it had.

“Kim Yeadon was sacked by the Premier from the water conservation portfolio in the face of community outrage and now he should be sacked from Cabinet.”

“It is clear there has been a plan to enable tree poisoning to continue to create ‘waste’ which can be used for charcoal production.

“Trees in Native Forests belonging to the people of NSW have been killed in order for them to be burnt as charcoal.

“There seems to have been serious internal conflicts and the staged release of false information – including to the Parliament – in the lead up to the approval of the charcoal plant.

Questions the Premier must answer immediately include:

• Why did State Forests continue to poison trees on the South Coast for at least a month after Minister Yeadon told parliament the practice had ceased?
• Why did the Government fail to correct the record when told they had misled Parliament and the community?
• Why did a senior Forestry officer have so little confidence in Minister Yeadon that he by-passed his office and complained to the office of the Treasurer, Michael Egan?
• What action did the Premier take after his office was briefed about the cover-up?
• Was the poisoning designed to provide product for the charcoal plant? If not why was it suspended in the lead up to the approval of the charcoal operation?
• Why was the leaked document (attached) not included in the State Forest papers tabled in response to the Legislative Council resolution that all papers associated with the Mogo project be tabled?
• What other document has the Government held back?
• Who orchestrated what appears to be a serious cover-up?

“The Premier must come clean with the truth,” Mr Humpherson said.

There has been a strong response from people in the Eurobodalla to a survey to decide whether the local shire council should mount a legal challenge to plans for a charcoal manufacturing plant in the area.

The council is conducting a survey of residents to help it decide its attitude on the issue.

The survey form was sent to all ratepayers earlier this week.

However, there have been allegations of bias in the information contained in the accompanying newsletter, and criticism that ratepayers with multiple land-holdings have received multiple forms.

Now council has decided to allow any interest groups who wish to distribute information on the charcoal plant proposal to prepare newsletters that can be placed in council outlets.

But the council has placed conditions on the offer, including a proviso that the newsletters must be at no cost to council and must have the name of the person authorising it.

Residents are being asked to express their views on four options.

The options include spending up to $3 million on an independent legal challenge to the New South Wales Government’s approval of the charcoal facility, spending up to $50,000 to support a Coastwatchers challenge, joining with others in legal action, or taking no action at all.

The surveys must be returned to council by June 14.

Published with permission

Warning from Port Kembla

Helen Hamilton, from Port Kembla, travelled to Batemans Bay on Sunday specifically to warn residents and ratepayers that ‘significant’ developments, such as the Port Kembla Copper Smelter, can have dire consequences. She was one of several speakers, including Joe Smith, well-known solicitor, and Vic Matthews, a local businessman, who gathered at the high school to talk to residents about the charcoal plant.

Helen was thrust into the limelight at Port Kembla, when chosen by the community to ‘take’ Planning NSW ‘on’ as it were. She has no assets and therefore had nothing to lose, if the Land and Environment Court decision ruled in favour of the government. As it happened, the Carr Government passed legislation to ensure that the community never got its day in court.

This plant was purported to have the most advanced environmentally-friendly technology ever. The government also promised that the most stringent EPA monitoring would take place.

Ms Hamilton warned Batemans Bay that this was a ‘hollow’ promise.

Port Kembla Copper is not yet in full operation. It used 70% of its 2002 quota of emission breaches in the first quarter of the year. The audience gaped in horror as Helen spoke about the health problems incurred by residents especially children who live near the plant. Many teenagers have been diagnosed with leukemia.

The primary school was relocated but a Catholic school and a child-minding centre are within spitting distance. Schools live with a ‘traffic light’ warning system in the staff rooms. The children are allowed outside to play if the light is green. Red means they stay inside, safe from harmful carcinogenic chemicals contained in the emissions from the smelter and the sulphurous gas.

Even those working inside the plant have health problems. The heat is intense. One man’s shoes melted as he stood on a steel walkway.

Expansion Stopped by Charcoal Plant

The Charcoal Information Meeting held in Batemans Bay last Sunday attracted new speakers from the Bay and beyond.

Local business identities, Joe Smith and Vic Matthews, plus Helen Hamilton from Port Kembla were the new additions to Charcoalition’s ranks.

Urban expansion will be effectively stopped by the charcoal plant development, according to solicitor, Joe Smith. He explained that, for years, business colleagues up and down the coast believed Batemans Bay was the coastal town that would forge ahead. Unlike Ulladulla and others, the Bay, has room for urban expansion to the south. He pointed out, “Link roads leading to the beaches attract the big dollars. It is already happening. Several new estates have been built and more are on the drawing board.”

“And what does the government do? They put a charcoal factory right in the middle.

“Property values in the vicinity have already fallen and will fall further if the plant goes ahead. The people that already own property there will be stuck and they will lose a sizeable sum.” Joe Smith’s family has one hundred years of history in this shire. Joe said, “My family has never stood up against any development before. This one blew me away.

“I will urge the business sector to support this appeal because no government should do what this government has done to this shire.

“Many businessmen are worried they will lose customers, if they voice their stance. People are not stupid. They will understand, as I did, when my wife reminded me we have a granddaughter – one of the future generation and we must stand up and be counted.”

“No-one in this shire – no-one in this world – seriously thinks that once the plant begins operation, the government will regulate to stop the problems that will flow on. We have to stop it now,” he finished.

Vic Matthews, owner of Vision Vogue, urged the audience to unite and fight the plant. “Evil will prevail when enough good people do nothing,” he quoted. “The evil here is three-pronged – NSW Labor, Australian Silicon and some of the community. Our greatest enemy is complacency. If we do nothing, evil will triumph.

” Vic will join Joe to fundraise in the days to come. Other speakers included members of the Charcoalition and the Mayor Peter Cairney. A surprise speaker from the floor, P. Bradstreet, had a few hard but true words for the audience to swallow. “This fight will not be won with emotional arguments. It will be won with facts. I know the issue has an emotive aspect, but you have to set that aside.” The Batemans Bay meeting proved Vic Matthew’s words regarding complacency.

The turnout was disappointing for the Charcoalition, who had worked so hard to lay out the facts to residents.

Safe Firewood?

Peter Fatches from Mogo informed residents at a public meeting that there appeared to be ‘Tordon’ treated timber on the Maulbrooks Road.

He videoed a large tract of dead trees varying in size from saplings to full-grown. He also found a pile of wood-fire size logs lying among the dead trees and is worried that people are cutting the trees to use as firewood.

Silviculture is an accepted forestry practice, used to cull forests, allowing native plants to survive. Tordon FDSH is used to poison trees for this purpose. Tordon FDSH is registered for this use in NSW. It does not contain the dioxins 2-4-D. Tordon 101 and Agent White are the brand names for herbicides that do contain 2-4-D as a constituent Their use is prohibited by law.

David McKenzie from CSIRO does not know if the burning of Tordon FDSH treated timber releases dioxins into the atmosphere.

State Forests say advice, received from the manufacturer, indicates if the ‘tordon’ wood is used in a closed fireplace, with a good flue system, there is no risk. It is not advised to burn it in open fires.

State Forests [say that they] do not issue permits to cut up waste timber, in Tordon treated areas. People do so at their own risk and are breaking the law.

Mr Fatches said there were no signs to indicate the wood was poisonous.

Comparing Costs

On February 1, 2001, The Shires Association of NSW met. Eleven representatives from shires across the state were present including Cr Vardon. On the agenda was an item put forward by Cowra Council, seeking assistance with legal costs in a matter in which it was involved.

A development application lodged with council had been called in by the Planning Minister for determination, on the basis that it was ‘state significant’.

The application related to the establishment and operation of a quartz mine near Cowra by Australian Silicon Pty Ltd – an integral part of its three-pronged silicon plant at Lithgow.

When a council receives a sizeable development application, the proponent is asked to contribute money for community facilities and services. These are called section 94 contributions.

Cowra Council’s section 94 plan required contributions from the company for $100,000 up front and $30,000 per annum for each year of the mine’s operation (21 years).

The Minister for Planning and Urban Affairs decided, when he called in the development that Cowra Council should only receive $100,000, the amount proposed by Australian Silicon which was contrary to the council’s section 94 plan.

Therefore it sought assistance with costs from the Association because the matter was significant to local government generally. Cowra considered there were issues of ethics and appropriateness in the Minister disregarding Cowra’s contributions plan.

If the Minister’s decision was allowed to stand, it would set a precedent for other councils and could lead to the Minister disregarding other council’s section 94 plans.

Council estimated that the cost of appealing this Planning NSW decision in the Land and Environment Court would be $35 thousand dollars.

The Shires Association recommended to assist Cowra Council, which it did. The case went to the land and Environment Court.

Since February last year it appears, according to Eurobodalla Shire Council, that the estimated costs of appealing a Planning NSW decision in the Land and Environment Court have risen by 98%.

Extraordinary Meeting – Extraordinary Information (Editorial)

Council voted to oppose the charcoal plant in Mogo.

Council voted to lodge a ‘merit’ action appeal in the Land and Environment Court against the Planning NSW decision to approve the charcoal plant.

Council voted to let the Shire decide whether or not to commit the funds needed to appeal.

Council voted to write a letter to all persons in the Shire seeking their permission to use funds for this purpose.

Council voted to educate the Shire by giving them all information needed to help them make an informed choice – both pros and cons.

This is how democracy works. Sadly, democracy can only work if the information provided is unbiased. Sadly, Council failed to do this. The information contained in [Council’s Information Sheet & Survey] was taken from a report written by Planning NSW, justifying its decision to approve the plant. The arguments put forth are the very ones that Council voted to appeal against in the Land and Environment Court.

Nowhere in the [Information sheet] are the reasons why Council thinks Planning NSW is wrong – the reasons Council included in its submission refuting the Environmental Impact Study – the reasons why the majority of councillors think the development is wrong on this site.

Alternate sources for information are included in the letter. A website for Planning NSW, a website for Charcoalition and a phone number for Australian Silicon, the company building the plant. Less than 50% of Shire residents are connected to the internet or even know how to use it. Close to 100% of residents in the Shire have a telephone.

Talk about the sins of omission! The Shire must now make a serious decision. Sadly, the Shire must now make this serious decision without being informed properly. Democratic process has proved once again to be less than democratic.

Published with permission

Greens MLC Ian Cohen, with the help of the Greens and the Democrats passed a motion of no confidence in the Carr Government over its decision to approve the charcoal plant at Mogo.

All Labor supporters with the exception of one – Independents, Greens and Democrats crossed the floor to vote with the Opposition.

The motion included that all documents relating to the plant be tabled on May 15.

BLACK GOLD FOR COMMUNITY

The documents, tabled, are described by Mr Cohen as Oblack gold for the community. He invited Mayor of Eurobodalla Shire, Peter Cairney, members of the Charcoalition and members of the South East Forest Alliance (SEFA) to join him in an immediate inspection.

“Now we will be able to trace the web of lobbying that resulted in this appalling decision, a decision that overrides the South Coast communities and threatens both their environment and their economic future,” said Cohen. Mayor Cairney said, “I wouldn’t miss this for quids. Now, we can follow the trail of secretiveness that commenced in my Shire more than 12 months ago. We and our lawyers will be looking for many things in these documents, including when the Government was first aware that all charcoal trucks were to be directed through the length of the South Coast from Batemans Bay to Wollongong along the Highway of Hell.”

Chris Kowal, spokesperson for The Charcoalition, added the group’s ‘secret’ documents, which have been kept under lock and key for several months, hoping that the information contained therein would shed extra light on the paper trail.

He rose from his sick bed for this occasion.

Noel Plumb SEFA remarked, “It will be fascinating to see the records of the meetings between the senior government officials and Ministers and the lobbyists for the charcoal plant.

“I predict that the extent of access given to the ALP¹s old mates network as compared to the shut out of the community groups will make devastating reading.”

Town visits country

Year 12 Geography students from Chester Hill High in Sydney travelled to the Oaks Ranch, Mossy Point, adjacent to the charcoal plant site, to experience first hand the topics they had been studying for the HSC.

Most of the teenagers had never been in a rural area before and were agog with excitement. Their teacher Nichole Benton-Rich said all of them arrived long before departure time, eager for the excursion to begin.

Chester Hill High is multi-cultural. In this small group, the ethnic backgrounds were all different – Polish, Maltese, Khmer, Chinese, Vietmanese and Aboriginal.

Oaks Ranch was chosen because it offered access to first hand experience of their field of study – human impacts on ecosystems, urban dynamics including culture of a place as expressed in architecture, streetscape etc and ecosystems at risk.

The resort is itself an environmentally sustainable development co-existing with wetlands – Mogo was a perfect case study for urban dynamics and the impact of the charcoal factory was an incident of development placing the ecosystem at risk.

The students had been out all afternoon touring the wetlands with Gerry and Colleen Ennis, in spite of the rain. I overheard one of them say, “Now, I feel I really understand what we have been studying.”

Mayor Cairney arranged for two speakers to address the students – Peter Spurway an environmental consultant experienced in wetland ecosystems and Alan Grimwood a senior Planning officer at council. Nola Ford spoke on the impacts of the charcoal plant while the owner of Oaks Ranch, Kerry Ann Benton explained how Oaks Ranch manages to co-exist with the wetlands.

They were all bombarded with questions especially regarding the effects of heavy industry (charcoal plant) would have on the environment and why it was allowed to go ahead.

The students were not allowed to be interviewed or photographed due to a Department of Education directive but it was easy to tell that all of them thoroughly enjoyed their first foray into the country.

Carr says no!

Leader of the NSW Liberal Party John Brogden has labeled the Premier¹s refusal to apologise to a 17 year old cadet journalist accused of lying by the Premier¹s office an indictment on his fitness to hold the highest office in the state.

“This smacks of the Cecil Hills High School disgrace,” Mr Brogden said.

“Once again we see this Government¹s disregard for the reputation and character of a young journalist who published Carr’s comment that the Mogo Charcoal Plant was ‘going ahead – end of story’ in the Eurobodalla Sun newspaper.

“Like the arrogance shown during the Cecil Hills debacle, the Premier has made a mockery of the seriousness of holding an Office of the Crown.

“The Opposition asked would he apologise to the journalist for the attempts by his staff to discredit the quote.

“His one word response – ‘No’ – says it all.”

Mr Brogden said that despite a signed statutory declaration, the journalist¹s own notes from the interview and a witness to endorse his version of events the Premier refused to reconsider his actions. He said that the Premier¹s response was akin to an admission of his part in the attempted witch hunt.

“The Office of the Premier is the highest in the state,” Mr Brogden said. “It is no place for Pinocchio, or arrogance towards an individual who was merely doing his job.

“His deliberate refusal to apologise is an indictment on his fitness to hold this Office.”

SENATOR THE HON. IAN MACDONALD
Minister for Forestry and Conservation

16 May 2002

Brown misleads Senate on Mogo charcoal plant

Greens Senator Bob Brown has mislead the Senate in relation to the proposed charcoal plant at Mogo near Batemans Bay, NSW, the Minister for Forestry and Conservation, Senator Ian Macdonald, said today.

First, the issue is one which is wholly and solely for the NSW Government, and one over which the Federal Parliament has no control. Rightly, in the circumstances, the Senate defeated the motion. The NSW Labor Government has approved this plant contrary to the wishes of the community who oppose the specific location of the plant.

“But in his efforts to have the Senate condemn the plant, Senator Brown has resorted to exaggeration and half-truths,” Senator Macdonald said.

“Contrary to Senator Brown’s claims the proposed plant is not based on ‘a massive new logging operation’.

“The plant would use residual and wood waste which would otherwise have been chipped for fibre or left to burn or rot in the forest. No forest would be harvested specifically to access timber for the plant.

“Despite Senator Brown’s assertion no additional trees need be felled to supply these low grade logs to the plant.

“Senator Brown knows that the supply agreement for the plant provides for 200,000 tonnes of residual hardwood each year and that the availability of this timber falls within the fibre wood supply levels under the Southern NSW and Eden Regional Forest Agreements.

“Senator Brown also knows that there would be no clear-felling of high conservation old-growth forests.”

Environment groups have indicated they will mount a legal challenge in the Land and Environment Court over the State Government’s approval of the plant.

Mr Carr says he has heard so many untruths over the development.

“No trees are going to be cut down and used in this development, this development is going into a quarry, it cannot be…[seen] from the highway,” he said.

Mr Carr was in Lithgow, west of Sydney, yesterday to announce approval for the development of the Mogo plant, to be located south of Batemans Bay, which was the last hurdle in plans for a $140 million silicon smelter at Lithgow.

The smelter and an $8 million quartz quarry at Cowra had already been granted approval.

The project is expected to create about 250 jobs during construction and 120 permanent positions.

Environmentalists had warned of pay-back at the ballot box if the Mogo plant was approved.

But Mr Carr says their concerns have been addressed in the approval conditions.

“The fact is the plant occupies a very small area, only occupying four hectares, that is the plant itself, it’s going to use waste timber and offcuts mainly from sustainable harvested forest and in the long-run from timber plantations,” he said.

Mr Carr says the Government is confident the approval could withstand any challenge in the Land and Environment Court.

Meanwhile, Cowra Council is worried the company behind the proposal, Australian Silicon, will not comply with approval conditions that it transport quartz by rail.

But the company’s chief executive, Peter Anderton, says the conditions allow the company to use road if rail is found to be uneconomic.

“We are committed as a company to use the most commercial outcome and the most commercial outcome at this time from Cowra appears to be road,” he said.

“The most commercial outcome from Lithgow to the coast for silicon metal appears to be rail.”

Australian Silicon hopes to start construction of the smelter, near the Wallerawang Power Station, north of Lithgow, by the end of the year.

Mr Anderton says the Mogo approval is an important step in allowing that to happen.

“It enables us now to go forward with the documentation for project finance and putting in project finance for the total integrated project.”

NEW SOUTH WALES ABORIGINAL LAND COUNCIL

Wednesday, 1 May 2002 **********Media Release***************

NSWALC OPPOSES CHARCOAL PLANT

The NSW Aboriginal Land Council (NSWALC) has joined residents and business people of the South Coast area, environmentalists and tourism groups in opposition to the controversial charcoal plant near Mogo, approved by the NSW Government today.

“As representatives of the local Aboriginal communities and custodians of this land, we feel we must unite to oppose this charcoal plant. It will present health risks to our community, destruction of our environment, harm to the tourism industry and it is an unwelcome imposition on our community by a desperate State Government,” NSWALC Councillor for the Far South Coast Region, Ossie Cruse and Chairman of NSWALC, Rod Towney said in a joint statement today.

The State Government today gave the go ahead for the charcoal factory near Mogo. Carbon produced at this factory will be transported to Lithgow to fuel a silicon smelter.

“After promising jobs to Lithgow for seven years and failing to get the support of local communities in Gunnedah and Dubbo for a plant of this nature, the Premier has dumped this project on one of the most beautiful parts of the State.

“The Eurobodalla Shire Council is against it, our residents are opposed to it but Premier Carr has ignored us and pushed ahead because he made a promise of jobs to the Lithgow people. We will be asking Premier Carr if this development would be going ahead if it was a safe Labor seat.”

Last week all ten Local Aboriginal Land Councils of the Far South Coast Region met at an extraordinary meeting in Mogo to unite against the plant following overwhelming opposition from local Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal residents.

Apart from the environmental and health concerns related to the plant, the NSWALC would also like to make it clear that it has been mis-represented by Environmental Resources Management Australia Pty Ltd, the company which conducted the Environmental Impact Study for the site.

“That document states that we were consulted over this. That’s grossly misleading. This document is an affront to us,” Mogo LALC Co-ordinator Fred Nye said.

“A Land Council officer did visit the site with ERMA but he was not shown the total area for the proposed plant and never told there would be a ‘charcoal plant’ on the site.”

Chairman of the NSWALC, Rod Towney, said the NSW Aboriginal Land Council will support the Local Aboriginal Land Councils and do all in its power to stop this plant going ahead.

“This is our country and it is beautiful country and we will fight to keep it that way.”