February 2005 Media Releases
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Funding helps Trust breathe life into Dungowan Hall
25 February 2005
The ageing Dungowan Hall will have a new lease on life with the State Government agreeing to provide more than $12,600 in funding for maintenance and improvement works.
The Independent Member for Tamworth, Peter Draper, was pleased to break the good news to the Dungowan Hall Trust Committee who enlisted his assistance to approach the NSW Premier for funding on their behalf.
“The committee is a small band of people striving to maintain the hall on a limited budget and like all custodians of ageing facilities, they have a lengthy wish list,” Mr Draper said.
Dungowan Hall Trust secretary Valda James said the list included the replacement of windows and shutters, new gables, disabled amenity improvements, a safety rail over a culvert and lining of the internal ceilings.
Mrs James said the priority, however, was the replacement of eight windows to the main body of the hall as the current windows were old, in poor condition and had no safe way of being supported in an open position. Gables on one end are also in need of urgent attention.
“We had a recent function where the hall became quite hot and we had to prop open the windows which was far from ideal and did not comply with current safety standards,” Mrs James said.
“Without financial help, the hall, which is a focal point of the community would possibly be lost to us,“ she said.
Mr Draper said the hall was a particularly important venue for Dungowan being used by a variety of community organisations including the Lions Club, the Dungowan Public School, the pony club, the Dungowan Garden Club, the community Christmas tree, progress meetings, AA meetings, the local football club, P&C Functions, family reunions, weddings and birthday celebrations.
Photo: The Dungowan Hall Trust committee was happy to receive a $12,689 cheque from the Independent Member for Tamworth Peter Draper on behalf of the State Government to refurbish the 94-year-old Dungowan Hall. Pictured from left Vicki McDonald, Ron Sippel, Peter Draper MP, John McDonald, Robyn Thompson, Chairman Barry Pratten, John James, Treasurer Marlene Sippel and Secretary Valda James.
Landholders reject options to manage crown roads
24 February 2005
Landholders in the Tamworth electorate have responded with anger to the State Government’s bid to hike rent and delegate ownership of crown land on their properties, the Member for Tamworth, Peter Draper, told Parliament yesterday.
Mr Draper raised the issue in Parliament as landholders have contacted him in droves in regard to the Government’s bid to rationalise and consolidate the state’s system of enclosed lands which were set aside on their properties in the 19th century as future access routes.
“The changes to the management of enclosure permits for these crown roads which cover 650,000ha in NSW affects 1843 enclosure permit holders in the Tamworth electorate,” Mr Draper said.
“These landholders face significant increases in the rental on these lands should they choose not to purchase or fence them in. Unfortunately none of these options are affordable or realistic,” Mr Draper said.
“The majority of these ‘paper roads’ were destined never to be used due to their impractical locations. On many properties the areas are inaccessible, too expensive to fence, too expensive to convert and of no commercial value to the landholder.
Mr Draper said that despite rhetoric that these reforms were a bid to achieve a fair and more equitable return on the crown land assets of the State, landholders viewed the move as little more than a thinly veiled revenue raiser.
“The rentals will increase from $50 to between $350 and $750 in three years time and many farmers simply can’t afford the purchase or fencing costs. I have asked the Minister for Lands to reconsider the process and consider gifting the enclosures to landholders,” he said.
A Hansard copy of Mr Draper’s speech follows.
NSW LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY HANSARD FULL DAY TRANSCRIPT
Extract from NSW Legislative Assembly Hansard and Papers Wednesday 23 February 2005 (Proof).
CROWN LAND ROAD ENCLOSURES
Mr PETER DRAPER (Tamworth) [6.07 p.m.]: Landholders in the electorate of Tamworth have serious concerns about the Government's bid to rationalise and consolidate the system of enclosed roads in New South Wales. In recent weeks an avalanche of people have contacted my office as they received notifications of changes relating to Crown road enclosure permit fees from the New South Wales Minister for Lands, the Hon. Tony Kelly. Currently there are 1,843 enclosure permit holders in the Tamworth electorate. That figure indicates the number of people who stand to be affected. Honourable members would be aware that reforms pertaining to the State's enclosure permits for Crown roads on private property were introduced in July 2004 with the overriding intention of making landholders convert those tenures into freehold through closure or purchase.
A review of the State's enclosed lands was well overdue, given that an area of 650,000 hectares in New South Wales is tied up in enclosure permits, with the majority completely unsuitable for development into roadways. As the fee that enclosure permit [EP] holders paid to the Government has remained static for 15 years I accept that a rental hike was inevitable. I welcomed the Minister's decision to cushion the blow with a reduced set of annual rental fees in the first three years. It seemed to be the least that he could do, given that the benefits to EP holders is discounted with a significant jump in fees in three years time. In some cases the rental fee will increase from $50 per annum to $750 per annum, which in some instances is significantly lower than the rates a landholder pays council for an entire property.
Beyond the rent hike, to date the points of contention being raised by EP holders have been consistent. Simply put, the alternatives to paying the revalued rental are prohibitively expensive. The options of converting the enclosed road area into freehold or fencing the area in and leaving it under State control are beyond the financial reach of many landholders. Fencing the road also raises a question about maintenance and whether the Government will be prepared to control the weeds and feral animals that inevitably will become common on these lots. In short, despite the rhetoric that these reforms are a bid to achieve a fair and more equitable return on the Crown land assets of the State, landholders view this move as little more than a thinly veiled revenue raiser.
With the majority of these paper roads destined never to be used because of their inaccessible location, it might seem sensible for the Government to give landholders the opportunity to buy the enclosure or fence it out. When applied to many individual farms those options result in complicated, expensive, unreasonable and completely unrealistic expectations. Let us consider a scenario in which a landholder in my electorate has two permits—one for an area of around 5.7 hectares and one for an area of 1.5 hectares. Although separate, those paper roads have been treated as one and levied at a single rate of $50 per annum for the past 15 years. It is important to recognise that these portions of land are untrafficable and of no commercial value to the landholder. They traverse steep, boulder-strewn country that is mostly covered in trees and other native vegetation.
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Under the new system, at the end of the three-year phase-in period the rent for this unusable land will increase from $50 to $1,100 per annum. Should the landholder choose to convert the area to freehold, the approximate cost charged by the State would include a $475 road closure application fee, a $220 road purchase application fee, $250 for a compiled survey plan, $800 for title and registration costs and a $75 easement fee, if required. The landholder calculated that this amounts to $1,820 per permit. When the estimated cost of a survey—about $1,000—and conveyancing fees of about $170 are factored in, the total rises to $2,990 per permit, excluding the value of the land. The purchase price of the land is unknown but is subject to valuation and based on market price. For this landholder the option of fencing out requires surveying, and in many cases the existing boundary fence is not on the surveyed line, which requires either a double fence or the excision of an area greater than nominated in the permit. It is also likely that this road strays onto the neighbour's property, in which case the landholder is liable to fence off part of his paddock as well.
In another case a landholder's property contains two Crown roads encompassing 18.5 hectares. This landholder works two jobs to pay the mortgage on his property, having grossed just enough money from the property last year to service half his annual mortgage repayment. He simply cannot afford the cost of rent rising from $100 to $750 per year. This figure is just under half the amount that he pays the local council in rates per year for the entire 2,200-acre property. Landholders appreciate the fact that these paper roads are outdated, having been pencilled onto maps in the nineteenth century. They are also aware that rents have not changed in more than 15 years, but one must remember that the true market and production values of these enclosures render them valueless. In the vast majority of cases these roads have never been used due to their positioning. On many properties the areas are inaccessible, too expensive to fence, too expensive to convert and of no worth to the landholder. In my view it is un-Australian for the Government to try to squeeze revenue from so-called assets that at the end of the day are worthless and will not be of any commercial use to any landholder. I urge the Government to reconsider this process, make it cheaper for the landholders and even consider gifting the land.
Hansard ends
Minister to receive evidence of community support for a new ambulance station at Gunnedah
23 February 2005
The Independent Member for Tamworth, Peter Draper, will personally handover thousands of letters from Gunnedah and district residents in support of a new ambulance station for the town to the NSW Health Minister, Morris Iemma.
Mr Draper has organised to meet the Minister in his Parliamentary office at 4pm on Thursday to deliver a box filled with letters signed by residents of Gunnedah and surrounding villages, which ask the Minister to provide funding for the project.
In a mass mail out earlier this year, Mr Draper wrote to residents in the Gunnedah region asking them to help convey a strong message to the Health Minister about the community’s need for a new facility.
“The need for a better station was identified last year and since then momentum in the community supporting the construction of a new facility has grown. I hoped people would get behind the initiative and I think the Minister will be similarly impressed with the response,” Mr Draper said.
“The influence of people power in such cases cannot be underestimated and I hope this show of support will help push the Gunnedah Ambulance Station up the Minister’s list of funding priorities.
Mr Draper said the community’s preference was for a new facility to be constructed within the Gunnedah Hospital precincts in keeping with the Hunter New England Area Health Service’s plans for the hospital’s development.
”The current building is aged, neglected and fails to meet the requirements of the ambulance officers who service a wide area stretching well beyond the Gunnedah township. The officers deserve a purpose-built facility which lends itself to effective service delivery,” he said.
Progress toward Curlewis’ vision for Hamilton Park
21 February 2005
The community of Curlewis can now look forward to improved facilities in the town’s central park grounds thanks to the proactive work of the Curlewis Progress Association and its success in securing a $13,600 State Government grant.
The association met with the Independent Member for Tamworth, Peter Draper, last year to discuss how the State Government could contribute to projects which have emerged as priorities in the community of about 600 residents. Last week the NSW Premier announced the grant to supplement the association’s own fundraising efforts toward Hamilton Park.
“I was really pleased to see the Government recognise that rural villages like Curlewis need to develop and maintain public assets like parks and recreation grounds just as much as centres in more populated areas. This funding will ensure that the park can be enjoyed by locals and visitors year round,” Mr Draper said.
Mr Draper said Hamilton Park was a focal gathering point for the community and was used to hold important civic functions such as ANZAC Day and Australia Day.
“Thanks to an active progress association working in conjunction with Gunnedah Shire Council the community of Curlewis can look forward to ongoing improvements at the park and to the general amenity of their village,” Mr Draper said.
Curlewis Progress Association president Tony Rankmore said the funding would go toward erecting shade sails over playground equipment but would also contribute to a variety of smaller works-in-progress including picnic seating, sporting equipment, a watering system and lighting.
Mr Rankmore said the association, which actively raises funds, formed about 14 months ago and over the past 12 months has made significant improvements to village maintenance while delivering a cost saving to the Gunnedah Shire Council of about $20,000.
Contact: Tony Rankmore: 6744 1323.
Photo: Curlewis Progress Association president Tony Rankmore (left) and treasurer Paul Richards accept a cheque for $13,600 from Independent Member for Tamworth Peter Draper on behalf of the State Government to upgrade Curlewis’ Hamilton Park (21 February 2005).
Salinity tour kicks off in Albury
16 February 2005
Salinity and its management in regional communities will be on the agenda for the Independent Member for Tamworth, Peter Draper, for the next two days as he meets in Albury with the NSW Parliament Standing Committee on Natural Resource Management (Salinity).
Mr Draper was invited to join the committee last year and will spend two days in the Albury district touring water treatment plants, properties and research centres, all of which are playing key roles in managing and controlling salinity.
Mr Draper said the committee would learn about a joint initiative between the City of Albury and the NSW Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources on Ground Water Assessment in the Albury Catchment.
“A key objective of this initiative is to identify and implement management practices that help in the future control of urban salinity in the Albury catchment. Such practices would have relevance in a regional centre such as Tamworth where environmental factors such as salinity is a key consideration in future development of the city’s residential and industrial landscape,” Mr Draper said.
Mr Draper said he was looking forward to visiting the Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre which has been an Albury/Wodonga institution for over 25 years.
“The centre is the basin’s premier freshwater research facility and I’m sure the work being undertaken there will have relevance to the river systems in the north west,” he said.
Mr Draper said in the light of Tamworth Regional Council’s bid to establish a water re-use scheme, a highlight of the tour would be the inspection of Albury’s wastewater treatment plant which combines technically advanced purification with the benefits of re-using reclaimed water.
“This project would appear to have great potential in addressing future demands on water as reclaimed water produced by the Waterview Wastewater Treatment facility flows to a distribution lagoon where it is combined with reclaimed water from a sewage treatment plant. This water is then directed from storage to the Wonga Wetlands, irrigated pine plantations and to irrigated hardwood forests next to the wetlands,” Mr Draper said.
The committee will tour a mixed farming enterprise where a family has undertaken extensive development to improve management, lift production and address land degradation issues such as salinity and erosion. The itinerary has also allowed for an inspection of a DIPNR salt interception scheme on a property where studies of a creek have revealed escalating salinity levels.
“I am looking forward to developing a deeper understanding of how DIPNR is working together with regional communities and landholders to tackle salinity, the management of which is critical to the future of the natural environment and agricultural production in NSW,” Mr Draper said.
Independents bridge the divide between Tamworth and Dubbo
11 February 2004
The Independent Member for Tamworth, Peter Draper, will host a visit from his Independent colleague in Dubbo, Dawn Fardell MP, in Tamworth on Monday 14 February, to discuss a number of important regional issues.
Mrs Fardell, the former deputy mayor of Dubbo City Council, was elected as the Member for Dubbo in a by-election in November last year following the untimely death of popular Independent MP, Tony McGrane.
Mr Draper said he invited Mrs Fardell to Tamworth as communities in the electorates of Tamworth and Dubbo currently shared similar legislative, environmental and law and order concerns, and cross referencing would be beneficial to both MPs.
“Mrs Fardell and I will be comparing notes on the draft OH&S Legislation Amendment (Workplace Fatalities) Bill 2004, the future of the Brigalow Belt South Bioregion, juvenile crime and repeat offenders,” Mr Draper said.
“Representing communities as an Independent means your agenda is driven by what is happening in your own back yard, not the Party room, and as it happens Dubbo and Tamworth have much in common on the bigger state issues,” he said.
“These issues are critical to business and industrial development, and social cohesion in regional NSW and its makes sense to share information, contacts and networks. For example, what’s working in Dubbo in terms of strategies to address juvenile crime could well have applications here in the Oxley Local Area Command,” Mr Draper said.
Mrs Fardell will spend the morning in Tamworth before travelling to Armidale to meet with the Independent Member for Northern Tablelands, Richard Torbay.
Photo: Independent colleagues – Member for Dubbo Dawn Fardell and Member for Tamworth Peter Draper compare notes on juvenile crime, OH&S laws and the Brigalow Belt South Bioregion during a meeting in Tamworth on 14 February 2004.
Tamworth and district business community unites in protest against OH&S laws in NSW
10 February 2004
The business community in Tamworth and district has rallied behind lobbying efforts of the Independent Member for Tamworth, Peter Draper, with close to 300 employers condemning the State Government’s Occupational Health and Safety laws at a meeting in Tamworth last night.
Convened by Mr Draper, the meeting attracted employers from across the Tamworth Regional Council area to the Tamworth Community Centre to hear speakers address the State Government’s draft Occupational Health and Safety Legislation Amendment (Workplace Fatalities) Bill 2004.
Mr Draper called the meeting to give the business community an opportunity to understand the ramifications of the draft Bill with speakers including solicitor Peter Long from Stacks Goudkamp, Gunnedah, Australian Business Limited public affairs manager Paul Ritchie and Employers First chief executive Garry Brack.
The meeting followed a similar rally in Gunnedah last month organised by the Gunnedah and District Development Board which attracted about 50 employers.
“I was pleased to see so many employers take advantage of this opportunity as the difficulty in complying with NSW’s occupational health and safety legislation is the single biggest issue facing the business sector today, especially small business and high risk industries such as farming, construction and manufacturing,” Mr Draper said.
“There is no question that employers have an obligation to provide safe work places but the requirements of the current legislation are impossible to meet with next to no defence in the case of a breach. The proposed amendments relating to workplace fatalities will simply mean that employers face gaol sentences regardless of their safety record and practices,” he said.
The draft Occupational Health and Safety Legislation Amendment (Workplace Fatalities) Bill 2004, proposes to introduce new penalties for breaches of the OH&S Act 2000 that result in the death of an employee or other person at the workplace.
It proposes a new provision that applies maximum penalties for subsequent offenders of $165,000 for individuals (including directors and managers) and $1.65million for corporations. The Bill also provides a penalty of up to two years imprisonment or $110,000 for first time offenders and up to five years imprisonment for a subsequent offence.
Mr Draper said of great concern was the fact that the Federal Government had recognised the inequity and danger of the draft Bill by attempting to exempt itself from workplace fatalities laws.
“The fact that the Federal Government is seeking immunity from any future state and territory legislation relating to workplace fatalities is not only blatantly unfair, it indicates the concerns inherent with the Bill,” he said.
Mr Draper said discussion at the meeting revolved around the proposed workplace fatalities amendments but it soon became evident the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000 Act itself was in need of a drastic overhaul.
“The message from the floor was that compliance with the Act is simply impossible and employers are not getting a fair go under the current legislation. It was broadly agreed employers should also focus lobbying efforts on reform of the original legislation,” Mr Draper said.
“While the Draft Bill is expected to go before Parliament during the pending budget session, the OH&S Act is due for a review later in the year, and I would think it only prudent for the Government not to make any amendments until the review process is complete,” he said.
Mr Draper has urged business owners and employers to write to the NSW Minister for Industrial Relations, John Della Bosca, Attorney General Bob Debus and the NSW Premier Bob Carr highlighting the difficulties they experience in complying with OH&S regulations and the inequity of the proposed Bill as a matter or urgency.
Contacts:
Employers First, Garry Brack: 02 9261 1995
Australian Business Limited, Paul Ritchie: 02 9458 7543
Solicitor, Peter Long: 02 6742 5677
Photo: Speakers at the meeting to discuss the draft Bill included: Employers First chief executive Garry Brack, Independent Member for Tamworth Peter Draper, Stacks Goudkamp solicitor Peter Long and Australian Business Limited public affairs manager Paul Ritchie.
New Minister takes public housing issues in Tamworth electorate on board
9 February 2004
The Independent Member for Tamworth, Peter Draper, raised housing issues relating to Tamworth, Gunnedah and Walcha with the newly appointed NSW Minister for Housing, Joe Tripodi, during his tour of public housing projects in Tamworth today.
Mr Draper said although Mr Tripodi’s visit, his first in rural and regional NSW since taking on the portfolio, focussed on Tamworth’s Coledale community (where 360 homes belong to the Department of Housing) it was a good opportunity to highlight areas of concern across the electorate.
“The visit was positive for Coledale where community members raised various issues with the Minister ranging from neighbourhood disturbances to broader social issues. The Minister in turn spoke to residents about a pilot program introduced through new legislation which aims to address unacceptable behaviour of Department of Housing tenants,” Mr Draper said.
Mr Draper was also pleased to see the Minister take an interest in the Tamworth Homeless Men’s Support Group which was proving to be successful in meeting the accommodation needs of disadvantaged men and teenagers.
“The Minister considers the support group as a good model due to its successful networking with the Tamworth Department of Housing, Tamworth Community Housing Association and its strong links with community and church organisations which have resulted in positive outcomes for hundreds of men in the past four years,” Mr Draper said.
Mr Draper used the visit to inform the Minister of Gunnedah Shire Council’s request for a permanent Department of Housing officer to be located in Gunnedah.
“Gunnedah is currently being provided with a service from Narrabri which is proving to be inefficient and inequitable for Department of Housing clients. The council believes a permanent presence would address neighbour disputes, property damage, rental arrears and enable the Department to take part in the community’s crime prevention committee,” Mr Draper said.
Mr Draper also told the Minister the most pressing housing issue in Walcha was a severe shortage of low cost housing available to low income earners.
“I also took the opportunity to raise funding challenges faced by the Tamworth and District Co-Operative Housing Society which is in a position to lend $5million to potential borrowers providing the Government approves the funding.
“The Society uses a Government guarantee to provide a lending service to low to medium income earners to buy their first home. The Department advised the Tamworth Co-Op that the funding allocation for 2005 has been delayed because of the change of Minister, leaving these potential home buyers in limbo,” Mr Draper said.
Mr Draper said four of the Society’s clients were at risk of losing their chosen property as funds were not as yet available through the Society to finance the loan.
“The society is desperate for the next round of funding to be released and I impressed upon the Minister that the hold up was robbing already disadvantaged people of the opportunity to get off the rental treadmill.
“The electorate of Tamworth is ideal for such a scheme given the relatively low cost of housing resulting in more people being eligible to access the Government guarantee,” he said.
Photo (from left): Tamworth Department of Housing New England North-West Area Director Jeff Mills, Coledale community elder Mary Trindall, Independent Member for Tamworth Peter Draper and NSW Minister for Housing Joe Tripodi met at the Coledale Community Centre during the Minister’s visit on Wednesday February 9, 2005.
Meeting reminder
8 February 2005
The Independent Member for Tamworth Peter Draper will chair a public meeting to discuss the State Government’s draft Occupational Health and Safety Legislation Amendment (Workplace Fatalities) Bill on Wednesday, 9 February, 2005.
The meeting will take place at 5.30pm for 6pm in the Tamworth Community Centre (Heritage Room) in Darling St.
Guest speakers include Solicitor Peter Long, of Long Howland Lawyers, who will interpret current and proposed laws relevant to workplace accidents and Mr Paul Ritchie, a spokesman for Australian Business Limited (ABL), which has drafted a five-point plan to address business’ concerns in the draft laws.
A late notice of attendance as a guest speaker has been given by Gary Bracks of Employers First.
The meeting is open to the public and media representatives are welcome to attend.
Bird’s eye surveillance targets noxious weeds in the Gunnedah shire
8 February 2005
Gunnedah Shire Council appears to reigning in the spread of noxious weeds but additional funds will be needed to keep the pests at bay, the Independent Member for Tamworth, Peter Draper, said after undertaking an aerial weeds inspection of the shire today.
Mr Draper was invited to accompany the council’s Senior Weeds Officer, Mr Lee Amidy, in a chartered helicopter for an early morning inspection to learn more about how the council spends State Government funding to monitor and control weeds on private and public land.
“Gunnedah Shire Council was one of the first local government authorities in NSW to conduct aerial noxious weeds inspections on such a large scale as a way of keeping abreast of infestations, and it appears to be highly effective,” Mr Draper said.
“Using the latest technology, Mr Amidy is able to record the location of weed outbreaks directly into a laptop computer program which maps infestations and helps council expeditiously provide notification of outbreaks to landholders,” Mr Draper said.
Mr Amidy explained that landholders were generally appreciative of the advice and the majority demonstrated a willingness to control weeds spotted during the inspections.
The surveillance flights are conducted every six months with the program now entering its seventh year. In the first year of operation, the crew spent about 53 hours in the air inspecting 1100 properties and detecting 1500 serious noxious weed infestations.
Mr Draper said the council’s focus was on St John’s Wort and Parthenium Weed, neither of which were prevalent in the shire due to effective control, but which posed a perpetual threat due to infestations in neighbouring shires.
“The council received $54,331 in funding from the NSW Department of Primary Industries this financial year which included funding specifically to target Parthenium Weed. I was disappointed, however, that control of St John’s Wort was not factored into the funding as this has been identified as a priority by the council,” he said.
Mr Amidy pointed out the key to the council’s success in noxious weed control was vigilance in policing growth, and the education of landholders and the community on how to identify and control outbreaks.
Mr Draper will now make representations to the NSW Department of Primary Industries Minister, Ian Macdonald, in regard to providing additional funding to Gunnedah Shire Council to help it keep St John’s Wort at bay.
He said it was helpful to have the latest information in relation to the presence of noxious weeds and control methods in the electorate when approaching the Government for increased funding.
Contact: Gunnedah Shire Council Senior Weeds Officer Lee Amidy 6740 2225.
Photo: Taking part in the aerial weeds inspection of the Gunnedah district on 8 February 2005 were from left Gunnedah Shire Council deputy mayor Stephen Smith, Independent Member for Tamworth Peter Draper, Pilot David Banovich from Precision Helicopters and Gunnedah Shire Council Senior Weeds Officer Lee Amidy.
Grant to help school’s vegetable garden produce dividends for needy community
8 February 2005
Gunnedah’s Carinya Christian School has been successful in securing $1500 to help manage a garden project which provides environmental education while raising money for a third world community.
The school’s ‘Namungona Garden Project’ is one of 152 successful applications to share in $6.3million the NSW Environment Minister, Bob Debus, has awarded across the state through the Environmental Trust this year.
The Independent Member for Tamworth, Peter Draper, who supported the school’s funding bid, will today present a certificate confirming the grant to Carinya Christian School principal, Steve Lyne.
Mr Lyne has welcomed the grant which will purchase a tiller and a trailer to help with the garden’s cultivation and transport waste and compost material.
Mr Draper congratulated the school on the project which not only provides students with an opportunity to learn about plant cultivation and propagation, it enables them to make a tangible difference to the standard of living in an impoverished community.
“The school is sponsoring the construction of a maternity clinic in Namungona, a slum district in Kampala, Uganda, and the Namungona Garden Project provides a way of fundraising for this worthy cause,” Mr Draper said.
Mr Draper said the project helps students learn about the environment and teaches them how to grow, care for and market vegetables, which are sold to the school, parents and the wider community.
“Proceeds from the produce sales are donated toward the clinic and according to Mr Lyne, the garden project raised $1500 toward the clinic last year which was a commendable effort,” Mr Draper said.
Photo: Gunnedah’s Carinya Christian School principal Steve Lyne accepts an Environmental Trust certificate announcing $1500 for the school’s Namungona Garden Project from the Independent Member for Tamworth Peter Draper at the school assembly on 8 February 2005.
Public meeting in Tamworth to address proposed new workplace fatality laws
4 February 2004
A meeting to discuss the implications of draft State Government legislation relating to workplace fatalities will be held in Tamworth next week, the Independent Member for Tamworth, Peter Draper, announced today.
Mr Draper, who has convened the meeting for the business community as well as the general public, said he wanted to provide people with an opportunity to learn about the implications of the draft Occupational Health and Safety Legislation Amendment (Workplace Fatalities) Bill in its current form.
“This proposed legislation aims to create a new offence under the OH&S Act 2000 through which employers could face prosecution over a workplace death. The laws would increase gaol terms and fines for employers and indeed higher management in the event of a conviction,” Mr Draper said.
“Because the current OH&S laws require employers to “ensure” a safe workplace, the new laws could place employers and management in a virtually indefensible position in the case of a workplace fatality irrespective of their efforts to adhere to the regulations,” he said.
Mr Draper said the meeting would be held in the Heritage Room at the Tamworth Community Centre on Wednesday 9 February at 5.30pm for 6pm.
Guest speakers include Solicitor Peter Long, of Long Howland Lawyers, who will interpret current and proposed laws relevant to workplace accidents and Mr Paul Ritchie, a spokesman for Australian Business Limited (ABL), which has drafted a five-point plan to address business’ concerns in the draft laws.
“These proposed laws reach beyond the business community to the average Joe Citizen and with the Bill expected to be introduced during the pending budget session of Parliament, I would encourage anyone who has the time on Wednesday to come along to the meeting and consider making a submission to the NSW Minister for Industrial Relations John Della Bosca,” Mr Draper said.
Date set, job assurance given over Brigalow
Gunnedah’s timber mill workers were today given an assurance the protection of their jobs was a primary consideration for NSW Primary Industries Minister Ian Macdonald in the Government’s final deliberations over the future of forests contained within the Brigalow Belt South Bioregion.
Minister Macdonald also advised timber workers and mill management that the State Government would make an announcement regarding the Brigalow’s future management by 31 March 2005.
The Independent Member for Tamworth, Peter Draper, described the commitments given on site at Gunnedah Timbers by Minister Macdonald as positive and encouraging for the future of the timber industry in Gunnedah.
At Mr Draper’s request, the Minister toured Gunnedah Timbers this morning meeting the owners Patrick and George Paul and dozens of workers, and listening to their concerns over the how the prolonged delay on choosing a management option which balanced the conservation and industrial demands of the Brigalow had impacted on the business.
The Minister went on to hold a positive meeting with mayors and general managers from local government areas including Gunnedah, Narrabri, Warrumbungles, Gilgandra and Gwydir.
“I’m pleased the Minister has confirmed a time frame to resolve this issue as the Brigalow assessment process has been dragging on for years to the detriment of timber mills and the economies of centres such as Gunnedah, Coonabarabran, Gwabegar, Baradine, Gilgandra, Narrabri and Bingara.
Mr Draper said the Gunnedah Shire Council put a strong case to the Minister in the mayoral meeting by highlighting the economic impact Gunnedah would suffer should the decision rob the local mill of a sufficient timber supply.
“The Minister heard that Gunnedah Timbers injects $1.1million annually into the local economy by directly employing 35 people (and 15 at Baradine),” he said.
“It also provides $450,000 in annual income to local mill suppliers and $360,000 to transport companies. The town could simply not sustain the loss of this dynamic and growing industry due to the immediate and flow on impact to small business and employment in the area,” he said.
Mr Draper said the Minister made clear his commitment to the workers at the mill by stating his primary aim was to ensure jobs were protected in the outcome of the assessment.
“The Minister committed to making provision for a viable long term cypress industry in Gunnedah and it would be a brave politician who chose not to honour this undertaking,” Mr Draper said.
“The Government cannot walk away from conservation issues but I firmly believe it can find a balance between protecting the natural environment and enabling a thriving industry such as Gunnedah Timbers to continue operating into the future as a stable, viable business that has the potential to value add.
“The Minister will take what he has learned in Gunnedah today back to Cabinet discussions over the Brigalow and I hope that the strength of his argument in favour of industry will prevail next month when the announcement is made,” he said.
Photo: NSW Primary Industries Minister Ian Macdonald listens to concerns on site at Gunnedah Timbers on Thursday 3 February 2005 from left Peter Draper MP, Gunnedah Shire Council mayor Gae Swain and Gunnedah Timbers manager Patrick Paul.
Primary Industries Minister to talk timber in Gunnedah
2 February 2005
The NSW Minister for Primary Industries Ian MacDonald will visit Gunnedah tomorrow to meet timber industry operators, staff and community leaders and discuss the future of the timber industry in the region.
The Independent Member for Tamworth, Peter Draper, said he recently asked the Minister to visit the electorate ahead of a decision on future management of a stretch of native forest spanning the north west known as the Brigalow Belt South Bioregion.
“I’m pleased the Minister has found time in his busy schedule at such short notice to travel to Gunnedah as timber processors are facing a bleak future without the certainty of product supply,” Mr Draper said.
Mr Draper said the moratorium on logging of certain areas of the Brigalow was causing extreme difficulties for mills in the region such as Gunnedah Timbers which operates mills at Gunnedah and Baradine.
Mr Draper said it was anticipated that forest compartments outside the moratorium area would be logged out by May this year, leaving contractors unable to supply logs to the mills.
“The financial position of sawmills in the region is critical due the gradual reduction in size and quality of logs and an increasingly scattered resource,” Mr Draper said.
The Minister will tour Gunnedah Timbers tomorrow morning prior to meeting in Gunnedah with Mr Draper, local Government representatives and mayors from across the north west to discuss the impact of the Bioregion’s management on the individual communities.
“I hope the Minister will gain a good understanding of the impact the moratorium is having on communities such as Gunnedah where timber is a vital contributor to the economy,” he said.
