ABC Story: Climate change set to be expensive for north coast

Climate change set to be expensive for north coast

A researcher says there is no cheap solution to protect mid north coast infrastructure from climate change threats.
The Australian Security Research Centre said it could cost millions of dollars to protect at risk roads, hospitals and universities.

Full story at ABC

Many of our roads will be flooded

In the age of peak oil Australia remains on the road to nowhere

Media Release: Greens transport spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam, May 15th, 2012

As the IMF predicts oil prices will double over the next decade, the ongoing failure to fix years of under-investment in public transport has left Australians extremely vulnerable to rising fuel prices, the Greens warned today.

Greens transport spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam said Commonwealth infrastructure funds are still pouring into road building while public transport lags far behind, despite warnings from the International Monetary Fund and the Government's own BITRE 117 report that the price of oil is set to skyrocket.

"In 'The Future of Oil: Geology versus Technology', IMF analysts warned of crashing through a 'pain barrier' as the price of oil doubles in inflation-adjusted terms over the next decade. In 2009 the Government was warned by its own BITRE 117 Report that conventional oil production would decline after 2017, yet funding continues to be skewed towards oil-dependent infrastructure.

"The 2011/2012 budget committed five times as much funding to roads than to rail. In the 2012/2013 budget it is twelve times as much funding for roads than rail.

"The Government has made a start - the National Urban Policy looks good on paper, and the High Speed Rail agenda is progressing, but it is impossible to detect any sense of urgency. Australia is sleep-walking into an oil shock.

"In his budget reply speech, Tony Abbott proposed to destroy the National Broadband Network and instead spend $40 billion on freeways. This is infrastructure illiteracy on an epic scale.

"The COAG reform council's findings last month were a graphic confirmation that Australian cities are buckling under growing road congestion and unregulated growth, but neither major party is serious about tackling this problem. We need to get commuters and freight off roads and onto rail, yet Labor's thinking seems stuck in bitumen and the Coalition only seems capable of describing what it will wreck, not what it will build."


Media contact: Giovanni Torre - 0417 174 302

Piccoli changes tune on NAPLAN

Media release: 15 May 2012

The Coalition's concerns about the misuse of high stakes testing seems to have disappeared now they are in government, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye ('Debate rages as students sit NAPLAN', Sydney Morning Herald, 15 May 2012, http://j.mp/MeoVul).

Dr Kaye said:  "As 300,000 students are sitting the NAPLAN test in NSW, Education Minister Adrian Piccoli is doing nothing to stop these tests destroying the quality of education they receive.

"In opposition Mr Piccoli talked the talk on the dangers of high stakes testing.

"Now he is in government he seems to have lost his voice.

"ACARA chairman Barry McGaw is in complete denial about the impacts of the tests. He is ignorant of the massive amount of classroom time that is being wasted on preparing students for NAPLAN at the expense of important areas of the curriculum.

"As the opposition spokesperson on Education, Adrian Piccoli was well versed in the dangers of NAPLAN. Mr Piccoli was very fond of saying that NAPLAN tests were designed for the benefit of students and as a diagnostic tool for students only.

"The O'Farrell government has failed to take action against the misuse of NAPLAN data. It stood by while school league tables were published, forcing teachers to teach to the test.

"Parents are starting to vote with their feet. High-stakes testing is eroding the curriculum and the results are being misused to assess schools and teachers.

"In his 2009 speech in support of the Greens amendment that bans the publication school league tables, Mr Piccoli told the parliament that the Coalition was listening to the concerns raised by academics and educators.

"Mr Piccoli pointed to US and UK research that showed the Gillard government's high stakes testing agenda would end in calamity.

"As recently as March this year the Minister told the media that he has 'always opposed simplistic league tables and the misuse of NAPLAN data'.

"The O'Farrell government must live up to its own words in opposition and take action to protect students and schools from the misuse of NAPLAN results," Dr Kaye said.

For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455

Adrian Piccoli in 2009:

Speech to NSW Legislative Assembly 8 September 2009 on the Education Further Amendment (Publication of School Results) Bill 2009:

"Some students in some schools do not perform as well as others because of reasons outside the control of the students, the teachers and the principals. League tables rank schools based on the results of the tests, and what we will get are schools called successes and schools called failures".

"....league tables are meaningless. In fact, they hide information."


"Breaking the law: the exam results they don't want you to see", Sydney Morning Herald, 12 November 2009:

"We think ranking schools simply on one result is unfair and provides no useful information to parents, does the school no justice, nor the students any justice".

MNC and CH Greens attend NECC Conference

Professor Don White (President of NSW NCC) opens the conference.

Panel discussion

MNC and Coffs Harbour Greens attended the 2012 NECC Conference at the Cavanbah Centre in Coffs Harbour. One item on the agenda was an outline of how legislation is not protecting our natural resources from poor logging practices and mining. The Dorrigo Plateau was discussed as an exemplar of the threat antimony and gold mining poses to a world heritage listed park, a wonderful tourist attraction and a local community's lifestyle.

We also heard how logging and development practices, across NSW,  have contributed to our local koala's status being listed as 'vulnerable'.

Much discussion at morning tea

'Speakers include NCC president Professor Don White, organisation CEO Pepe Clarke, Sue Higginson from the Environmental Defenders Office, Lorraine Vass of Friends of the Koala and Susie Russell, President of the North Coast Environment Council.'  Coffs Coast Advocate article

Coffs Harbour Greens Cr Mark Graham also spoke at the conference.

The truth behind logging

Coffs Coast Independent interview with David Shoebridge: The truth behind logging

David views logging practices at Wedding Bells State Forest

Rail Corp job cuts will fail transport users and workers – Greens

Greens-Media

Greens MP and transport spokesperson Cate Faehrmann says a move to cut
750 jobs at Rail Corp will have significant implications for the future
of transport in NSW.

"You don't improve service by cutting jobs. This really makes a mockery
of the government's commitment to putting customers first," said Ms
Faehrmann.

"The expertise that will now be lost should be used to solve massive
challenges for rail in NSW such as capacity constraints and the need for
major new infrastructure.

"There's no doubt that things need to be done differently at Rail Corp,

 however jumping the gun with massive job cuts is not the way to fix
things.

"We've got a government that isn't thinking long term. We haven't even
seen the draft masterplan yet and the government is making rash
decisions that will have significant implications for transport users
and workers.

"I welcome the Minister's commitment on ABC 702 this morning that the
railways will not be privatised, because this certainly seems like a
precursor to me," said Ms Faehrmann.

Media contact Peter Stahel 0433 005 727

Treasury trashes E10 policy

Media release: 15 May 2012

The O'Farrell government has ignored warnings of its own Treasury and
persisted with the requirement that 6 percent of all petrol sold in NSW is
ethanol, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye.

('Ethanol benefits thrown into doubt', Sydney Morning Herald, 15 May 2012,
http://j.mp/smh120515)

Documents obtained by Channel 7 show that Treasury warned the NSW
government that the policy was protecting Manildra's highly profitable
position as a monopoly supplier, increasing costs for motorists and
offering few if any benefits.

Greens NSW MP John Kaye said: "The O'Farrell government has no excuse for
continuing with the mandate.

"Their Treasury department has warned that the policy is creating a
monopoly and unnecessarily punishing motorists for little or no benefit.

"It's hardly surprising that the cabinet is in meltdown over the E10
policy, with key Liberals at war with Nationals.

"That Treasury's warnings were ignored is a testament to the power of
Manildra and the more than $670,000 donations the Nowra-based company has
made to the NSW Nationals and Liberals since 1999.

"The O'Farrell government should stop sacrificing motorists' hard-earned
cash and its own economic credentials to appease a major donor.

"The Coalition government seems to be able to effectively slash and burn
public sector pay and conditions. When it comes to the hundreds of millions
of dollars that Manildra is able to take from motorists' wallets, Premier
Barry O'Farrell goes to water.

"This mess is Labor's invention and they too no doubt ignored economic
advice to go ahead and to fatten up Manildra's profits.

"The Treasury documents should leave each member of the cabinet with no
doubt. The E10 mandate is a failure that should be revisited before yet
more damage is done to the state's economy," Dr Kaye said.

For more information:    John Kaye 0407 195 455

WorkCover IS being rorted: by private insurers and claims managers to the tune of $1.6 billion

Media Release - 14 May 2012

Responding to comments by Acting Premier Andrew Stoner that WorkCover was open to rorting, Greens NSW MP David Shoebridge has pointed out that the scheme has been being rorted for a number of years, by private insurers and claims managers, not injured workers.

"Since 1997 payments to private insurers to manage workers compensation claims have grown a staggering 620 per cent faster than both inflation and actual benefits paid to the injured," Mr Shoebridge said.

"In 1997 the fees paid to insurers to just manage claims cost 10 per cent of the amount paid to injured workers; yet in 2010 insurers were creaming off almost one dollar in every four paid to benefit workers.

"With more than $3.9 billion dollars being paid to private insurers in the last 15 years, this growth in bureaucratic paper shuffling has wasted more than $1.6 billion and eroded the scheme's financial sustainability.

 "These are appalling results and to date no government has had the courage to tackle the real problem in the workers compensation scheme which is this unchecked growth in bureaucracy and paper shuffling.

"These figures show that the looming deficit in the scheme is not caused by payments for injured workers which over time have hardly kept pace with inflation.

"If payments to insurers had matched inflation, like payments to benefit workers have, the scheme would have saved $1.6 billion.

"With over $1.6 billion wasted in overpayments to private insurers, it is little wonder the scheme is facing financial trouble.

"This Government needs to hold WorkCover accountable for the staggering growth in paperwork that does nothing other than divert money from injured workers to private insurers.

"How can any government in good conscience see a quarter of the amount paid in benefits to injured workers siphoned off to private insurers to simply manage claims?"

"Before a single dollar is taken from injured workers the government must address the paper shuffling that is chewing up almost a quarter of the money paid to injured workers," Mr Shoebridge said.

Fast Facts:
>From 1997 to 2010 major workplace injuries fell by 53%
>From 1997 to 2010 inflation increased by 44%
>From 1997 to 2010 management fees increased by 236% (more than 5 times inflation)
>From 1997 to 2010 benefits paid increased by 43% (less than inflation)
>From 1997 to 2010 management fees per major injury increased by 620% (14 times inflation)

If private insurer  management fees had, like benefits, grown only by inflation then $1.6 billion dollars would have been saved.

In FY 2010 management fees paid to private insurers accounted for 24% of the value of benefits paid to injured workers compared to just 10% in FY 1997

More information: Mark Riboldi 9230 3030 | 0433 753 376

Egg Corporation's Myths Exposed

Media release: 14 May 2012

The Egg Corporation has been caught using false and misleading
statements to justify their 20,000 hens per hectare free-range standard,
according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye. ('Protest forces scrambled over
free-range change', Sydney Morning Herald, 14 May 2012, page 5,
http://j.mp/smh120514)

The myths being pedalled by the mouthpiece of the large egg factories
include:

* "The current industry standard does not place a cap on free-range
stocking densities" The Greens NSW have obtained legal advice that that
clearly states the limit is 1,500 birds per hectare.

* "Research supports 20,000 birds per hectare in free-range systems"
The author of the research has rejected its use by the Egg Corporation.


* "If Australia does not increase the free-range stocking density the
market will be flooded with cheap imports from Asia". Quarantine
restrictions prohibit the importation of hard shell eggs into
Australia.

Dr Kaye said: "The only way the Egg Corporation can justify their
absurd 20,000 hens per hectare free-range standard is to misrepresent
international research, distort the Model Code and fear-monger about
imported eggs.

"The Egg Corporation is trying to create an entire mythology around
free-range eggs.

"The NSW Liberals and Nationals need to take another look at the story
being fed to them by the industry before they reject the Greens bill for
a legislated standard.

"The big industrial producers are terrified of losing their access to
lucrative free-range deception.

"The Model Code clearly states that the free-range stocking densities
are limited to 1,500 birds per hectare. This is confirmed not just by
our legal advice but by the industry's interpretation of the Code since
its introduction.

"The mouthpiece of the big industrial producers fear mongering using
threats of eggs being brought in from Asia has come unstuck. Quarantine
regulations prohibit the import of hard shell eggs.

"The Egg Corporation is playing fast and loose with the truth to stop
the Greens legislation enforcing a 1,500 birds per hectare standard
becoming law.

"The Greens are mobilising free range consumers across NSW to tell
their local MPs that 'free-range' must mean free-range.

"We want every Liberal and National party MP to know that their
constituents will not accept being ripped off by the big egg producers,"
Dr Kaye said.

For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455

O'Farrell teams up with James Hardie to deny widows fair compensation

Media Release - 11 May 2012

The O'Farrell Government has today torpedoed a Law Reform Commission recommendation to provide fair compensation to the dependents of those killed from exposure to asbestos. 

The Commission has recommended the removal of a defence that allows James Hardie to reduce the damages it pays to widows by the amount it has paid to their deceased partners for the pain and suffering they caused them before they died.  

The Greens NSW MP and Justice spokesperson David Shoebridge said:

"The O'Farrell government has said they can't give fair compensation to widows because they are bound by a 2006 agreement with James Hardie.

"The Government's response is not good enough, Barry O'Farrell needs to sit down with James Hardie today and renegotiate the agreement to make it fair.

"It is beyond offensive for corporate players like James Hardie to get a discount on the damages they have to pay dependents because of the damages they have previously paid to the deceased for the lingering and painful death they caused.

"The law has been reformed in three other states to stop asbestos companies from using this defence, and it is simply unacceptable that NSW fails to act.

"It is a bit rich for the Labor opposition to be crying poor about the government response now, when in 2010 the Greens presented a private members bill to the then Labor government only to be fobbed off to the Law Reform Commission.

"This law was every bit as wrong in 2010 when Labor refused to act as it is now in 2012 when Barry O'Farrell is following suit," Mr Shoebridge said.


See also second reading speech here: http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/hansart.nsf/V3Key/LC20101111009?open&refNavID=HA8_1

More information: 9230 3030 | 0433 753 376