newsletter 46: Vote on sewer-on-a-bog tomorrow

COUNCILLORS VOTE: Tomorrow Thurs 11 June on the Woolworths sewer-on-a-bog s68 application (does this make it a sewermarket?) Duncan Dey will be speaking on behalf of MCAN during public access between 9 and 10 am. The meeting starts at 10.30 am.

COMMUNITY is invited to this council meeting and MCAN will be there at 8.30 am with some signs which focus on the issue upon which we want to focus. This sounds mysterious and all will be explained when we meet outside council chambers at 8.30 am. This ain’t a protest although it is an opportunity to protest! Supporters are requested to be “orderly” so our cause gets the best hearing. The more people, the better! Please call me if you want more info: 66843723.

STATELINE: Thanks again to all who supported our demo last week – we got on national TV (ABC Stateline on World Environment Day 5.6.09) as well as two local TV news, local ABC radio news and the local papers. It is your support that creates The Tipping Point. Well done!! The full clip is on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJEK_4SA5i4 (the Stateline version lost the last bit.)

WHAT’S GOING ON?? Council’s Director of Planning and Environment Services, Ray Darney, has written a nice letter to all the people who expressed concern about the Wws s68, assuring them that Council officers have recommended refusal of Wws onsite sewer. What he doesn’t say in this letter, and which is written on p148 of the Agenda for 11.6.09, is that Council staff have written nine pages of “what you need to do to get your sewerage system passed” (Annexure 31(f) #857453 Draft Approval Conditions: http://www.byron.nsw.gov.au/meetings/meeting/221).

SUBSIDISING WOOLWORTHS? Council’s preparation of the “Draft Approval Conditions” is an extraordinarily unusual course of action which indicates the lengths they have gone to please Woolworths, apparently at ratepayers expense. As a Byron Shire ratepayer, I would very much like to know why I, apparently, am subsidising Woolworths on-site sewerage plans for a supermarket which I don’t want. Furthermore, Woolworths, according to their 2008 Annual Report, ranked no 25 in the world’s top global retailers, and their revenue for that year was $47 billion. They don’t need my money!!

More news on the situation after the meeting tomorrow.

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WOOLWORTHS AND ECOLOGICAL SUSTAINABILITY? A local woman is running a campaign and has a petition to protect orangutans in Sumatra because Woolworths are still selling products from Asia Pulp and Paper. APP’s reputation is for the worst environmental standards, logging practices and habitat destruction in Sumatra. Woolworths could source local sustainably produced paper products and help keep Australians employed. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhdUW3LI2po Please contact the website if you want more information about the local orangutan campaign.

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UNFAIR FOOD PRICING: Southern Sydney Retailers Association submission to ACCC Grocery Enquiry on Woolworths pricing of food in one shop being outrageously more expensive in others: Geographic Price Discrimination and price gouging – Craig Kelly http://www.accc.gov.au/content/item.phtml?itemId=831957&nodeId=6347a6bfcdad107f1de7541a4039577b&fn=230%20(late%2013%20June)%E2%80%94Southern%20Sydney%20Retailers%20Association%20(sub.11)%20(7%20pages).pdf

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Our Maleny siblings are working on a new site to be called AWFUL (Anti-Woolworths Fighters United League) (Democratic, clean and lawful) to contain information as it comes to hand. The name springs from this poem by Michael Leunig, who will be asked to be a patron.

Every night and every day
The awfulisers work away
Awfulising public places,
Favourite things and little graces
Awfulising lovely treasures
Common joys and simple pleasures
Awfulising far and near
The parts of life we hold so dear
Democratic, clean and lawful
Awful, awful, awful, awful.


This one’s a laugh: http://WWW.youtube.Com/watch?v=jedd2FiZTqM

FLAT TO RENT: Short term rent, furnished granny flat close to Mullum market,
avail from July 19th-Sept15th at $140 per week, plus bills, and cat to feed
and cuddle. Contact: 66846623/0421650653

QUOTE: “The liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to the point where it becomes stronger than their democratic state itself. That, in its essence, is fascism.” Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 1938 (Speech to Congress about the dangers of monopoly).

Cheers
Deborah