Mood:
cheekyTopic: election nsw 2007
Image: Bondi Rd 3rd March, info stall in the centre left seat of Coogee for ALP MP Paul Pearce, who was sledged recently in the Sydney Morning Herald for leaflet boast"jail population continually increased and escapes declined by 85%". Not really Pearce's style as a career lefty and likely off the LauraNorder Iemma songsheet. On the other hand local Green Party voters will like the extra 120,000 ha of national park as a swansong of Environment Minister Bob Debus, in an exclusive in the champion of LaurnaOrder policies, the Saturday Daily Telegraph: The timing in typical Debus competetent choreography probably relatest to 5000 strong National Parks Association meeting the same day: http://www.npansw.org.au/web/news/future.htm
Image: Bondi Junction, Oxford St 3rd March. Graffiti guerilla tactics either in or edge of Liberal Peter Debnam's seat of Vaucluse: A mixture of bohemians and stuffy excessively wealthy Establishment types.
Image above: A curious shop parading Union Jacks just opposite the graffiti against PM Howard (above), echoing the conservative navy credentials of Peter Debnam. Perhaps Debnam has a future in retail (the image helpfully tilts Right)?
Picture above and more below: Community rally at Botany Bay Beach off Foreshore Rd, Botany Saturday 3rd March, against expansion of Port Botany guaranteed to increase toxic transport congestion in most of southern metropolitan Sydney. Shade was a premium under the burning late summer day.
The Greens NSW - Media Release - 2 March 2007
Greens call on Iemma to can
Port Botany expansion
Greens MP Sylvia Hale will call on the Iemma Government to can the monster Port Botany expansion that motorway proponents are using to push for the construction of the F6, M4 east and Inner West Tollway, when she speaks on Saturday at a large public protest against the expansion (Botany Beach, 2pm, 3 March).
"It's time we started adding one plus one. All these motorway proposals lead back to the Port Botany expansion, which will add about 2000 more trucks to Sydney's roads each day," she said.
"We have the Liberals down south pushing for the F6, and the NRMA and Tourist and Transport Forum pushing for the M4 east and the $4.6billion Inner-West Tollway, all on the back of the Port Botany expansion," she said.
"Yet, the justification for more motorways is a port expansion that is unjustifiable in the first place," Ms Hale said. "Sydney does not need this massive port facility. Stevedores, Toll and DP World have said they don't need it. The Department of Planning has advised against it. The community are certainly opposed to it."
"Even the Government's own Commission of Inquiry established to investigate the Sydney Ports Corporation's original proposal advised against such excessive expansion because it would put unworkable pressure upon infrastructure and transport systems throughout the city."
"In the meantime, the real costs of this unnecessary expansion will be borne by the whole community across all of Sydney," said Ms Hale.
Greens Candidate for Marrickville, Clr Fiona Byrne, whose 3-year-old daughter attends a St Peters pre-school right on the doorstep of the proposed entrance to the Inner-West Tollway, said parents are seriously concerned for the health of their children.
"If the tunnel is built the school will be cheek by jowl with an unfiltered stack and massive numbers of cars and trucks funneling into the entrance. If the tunnel is not built and the trucks use existing surface roads these kids will be breathing unfiltered car and diesel emissions," she said.
"Let's face it, the people who stand to profit from the Port Botany expansion are the Sydney Port Corporation and the property and construction industry, who over the past 8 years have donated more than $13million into the ALP's coffers, " said Ms Hale.
"Mr Iemma says he does things differently to his predecessor, but unless he cans this excessive and unnecessary expansion, the electorate will know that it just more of the same. Bob the Builder.lives on," she said.
Short background brief available on request.
Contact: Kath Haines (for Sylvia Hale) 0417 230 819, Clr Fiona Byrne
0401 719 120
Image above: State election candidates hold up protest signage for local press, from left Fiona Byrne in marginal seat of Marrickville, and left Ann Gardner in the safe ALP seat of Maroubra.
PRESS RELEASE 5th March 2007: Botany Bay and Catchment Alliance
Bumper Breeding Season for Little Terns at Port Botany
One of the State's rarest birds, the Little Tern, has enjoyed a bumper breeding season at Port Botany this year. Sydney’s Little Tern expert, Darryl McKay, banded 19 chicks and recorded 9 fledglings. “This was an outstanding result for the colony,” said Mr McKay.
"We are very pleased that this threatened bird is doing so well at Port Botany and this is in large part due to the dedication of some wonderful volunteers, and strong support from National Parks and the local community," said Ms Lynda Newnam, Chairperson of the Botany Bay and Catchment Alliance.
The nesting site is at the entrance to Penrhyn Estuary, at Port Botany, and was fenced by NPWS and monitored by bird-watchers from around Sydney as well as the local community. “It is wonderful to have these beautiful, rare birds breeding so successfully in Botany”, said local environmentalist, Mrs Nancy Hillier. “The walkers, fishers and boating people who use this area responded very positively when asked to keep clear of the nesting area. There is great pride in having the Little Terns here.”
"The eggs and chicks can be taken by predators such as foxes. Their nests are nearly invisible scrapes on the sand, often near the high water mark, so they are also vulnerable to storms and flooding, and vandals but the proximity to such a high security area as Port Botany brings with it protection that could not be afforded in most other areas”, Mrs Hillier added.
This breeding season will be the last for the Little Terns in this special place, because soon the nesting site will be covered with shipping containers, not eggs. “Sydney needs the Little Terns and the recreation area rather than more containers and congestion”, said Ms Newnam.
Further information: Lynda Newnam, Botany Bay and Catchment Alliance
tel: 0409698321
Image above: MP Sylvia Hale addresses the crowd, Cr Peter Olive of Marrickville Council in blue shirt in the middle. The expanded port will increase container traffic from over 1 million p.a. to 3 million and then 5 or 8 million in coming decades, and consequent $5 billion tunnel with toxic ventilation stacks and subsidence as far as Marrickville.
Image above: DVD here: ”Botany Bay’s Big Bang,” is a two-minute video launching Marickville Greens campaign against the environmentally damaging Port Botany expansion scheme, as per more detailed listing here http://www.nsw.greens.org.au/candidates/electorates/marrickville
Image above: Gary Blaschke recently lauded with an Order of Australia (2007) for community service, holds forth in distinctive yellow T shirt 'Save Sydney No Port stranglehold'. Gary is a member of Botany Bay & Catchment Alliance http://www.botanybay.info/
Leaning on a tree in the shade in the background is Dean Sewell perhaps "the best photo journalist in Australia" who works for the Sydney Morning Herald and freelance, including tsunami affected Indonesia which ran in World Press apparently. Dean tells us he has been doing a study of the area for at least 20 years.
