You had one job........

A sharp-eyed reader pointed North Coast Voices in the direction of one of NSW Nationals MP for Clarence Chris Gulaptis' 2014 newsletters.

Mr. Gulaptis is not so important to parliament or his party that he wouldn't have had ample time available to approve this newsletter and, one wonders why he let these three sentences pass on to publication.

[Chris Gulaptis Clarence Valley Newsletter, 30 June 2014]

Did Gulaptis really mean to say that the National Party and its Liberal Party partner had prevaricated and failed to fund this second bridge for sixteen years?

Surely he was intending to have a dig at the former NSW Labor Government instead?

Does he also mean to say that he alone convinced the NSW Government to fund this new bridge?

Can he have forgotten that his own party in Opposition had promised Grafton this bridge in 2005, seven years before he stood for election? This pledge was repeated again in 2011 when in government and, seventeen months before the surprise by-election which saw Gulaptis elected, the then Member for Clarence told parliament that; Planning is well on the way: at present, possible sites are being considered. Indeed the NSW Dept. of Planning & Environment as well as Roads & Maritime Services have been progressing the second crossing for years.

1,500 Essential Energy jobs on the chopping block and reliable power supply at risk on NSW North Coast

The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) released a draft revenue determination for the NSW electricity distributor, Essential Energy, for the five year period through to June 2019.

The Draft Essential Energy distribution determination 2015–16 to 2018–19 affects many residential and business customers on the NSW North Coast

                                                                             

According to Essential Energy on 27 November 2014:

The AER draft determinations released today would mean, if implemented:

• Immediate job reductions of 4,600 employees (38%) across NSW (Ausgrid 2,400, Endeavour Energy

700 and Essential Energy 1,500).

• An inability to place 750 apprentices, currently in training, when they graduate to trade over the

next four years.

• A likely reduction of $460m in vegetation management programs over the next four years.

• Deterioration in the time taken for electricity networks to restore electricity supply to communities

after major storm events.

AER apparently also expects Essential Energy to increase efficiency savings by exposing customers to more frequent brownouts and blackouts during peak demand periods [AER Draft Determination Overview, p26].

The number of hot days are increasing on the NSW North Coast and, maximum daily temperatures in Grafton during the first six days of December 2014 were between 29°C and 33.5°C, Lismore’s maximum daily temperature for the same period ranged between 26.5°C and 30.8°C, Casino’s maximums reached 28.9°C and 35.3°C, while Kyogle’s  maximums fluctuating between 31.8°C to 35.3°C.

When one combines this heat in the first six days of an Australian summer with the aging population demographic of the region, it does not take a genius to see that any increase in power outages carries a risk to the health and wellbeing of older residents as well as infants and the ill.

Battling heat with no power for fan or air conditioner due to what should be an avoidable power outage may mean that nursing mothers and the frail aged will find little comfort in the fact that that AER expects residential electricity bills to decrease next financial year under its plan.

The NSW Nationals MP for Clarence response on 3 December in the Clarence Valley Review was weak to say the least:

Member for Clarence Chris Gulaptis said that “every consumer would welcome a drop in electricity prices to households and small businesses”, but opposed the idea of further job cuts at EE.
“What we [the Nationals] don’t agree with is the impact on regional communities, with any job losses,” he said.
“That’s why we opposed the sale of poles and wires in the first place – and that’s why the Nationals fought to secure EE remaining in government hands.

But then, this is a politician who has conveniently forgotten that earlier this year he voted for the second phase of privatisation of the state’s electricity infrastructure:

Nationals MP for Clarence Chris Gulaptis has voted with his party to back the State Government's proposed sell-off of electricity infrastructure.

[The Daily Examiner, 13 June 2014]

Someone's not happy with the NSW Baird Government or their local National Party MP Chris Gulaptis

Letter to the Editor in The Daily Examiner 29 November 2014:

Lost faith in MP

I thank Chris Gulaptis for starting and then presenting the flying fox/fruit bat petition to Parliament.

Unfortunately, as soon as I read that Chris was surprised the Coalition had enacted policy so quickly, a red flag went up. It would seem Chris was not involved in this policy that he was responsible for and would surely be a knowledgeable contributor.

The second red flag went up when I read it was being passed over to the council to act upon. That was the death knell for something to happen at Maclean soon and possibly will never happen, especially after reading CVC would not try anything if it was going to cost CVC money.

Chris has made a big stand here and, as his predecessors have done, has failed abysmally.

I don't consider the fruit bat failure to be enough to change my vote but Mr Baird stated last night that if the Coalition won in 2015 it had a mandate to "sell" the poles and wires of our publicly owned electricity companies. That is a politically fatal statement. There was nothing said about leasing 49%, he said "a mandate to sell".

That, combined with the Coalition's pathetic Ammunition Bill and their lack of action to stop fracking for CSG near productive farmland and water aquifers, I find myself looking for an alternative to Chris in 2015.

C Gosling

Coutts Crossing

Clarence Valley - the area of the Northern Rivers which Nationals MP for Clarence Chris Gulaptis has failed to protect to date

Never one to stand firm on any issue unless it was of direct benefit to himself, NSW Nationals MP for Clarence, Chris Gulaptis, unsuccessfully attempts to straddle the fence on the issue of coal seam gas in this The Northern Star article on 2 October 2014:

CLARENCE MP Chris Gulaptis has welcomed an expert's calls for designated gas fields in New South Wales.

The state's chief scientist Professor Mary O'Kane made the claim in her review on the NSW CSG industry.

Mr Gulaptis said coal seam gas drilling areas must be geologically tested.

"It's all about science and fact, and not about emotion," he said.

"The most important thing is the science has to be done first before the coal seam gas extraction is proposed.

"Make sure that your geology and your hydrology is right and then I think everything else will follow."

Mr Gulaptis said there needed to be boundaries where the industry could not operate and agriculture had to be protected.

"There will be some places where it can be carried out, there will be other places where it can't be carried out," he said.

"If it's unconducive to gas extraction then it becomes a problem. Clearly there are some areas where there are some land use conflicts and those areas have to be very closely examined so that neither one is impacted on."

Now when the NSW Coalition Government revisited its mining policies in early 2013 the North Coast Nationals did not insist on comprehensive exclusion zones within the largest part of his electorate, the Clarence Valley, so presumably neither did Chris Gulaptis.

Gulaptis also did not attend the NSW Energy Security Summit on 26 September 2013, which meant that that Metgasco Limited and other coal seam gas miners had a seat at the government summit table but Clarence Valley and Richmond Valley communities did not.

This failure to protect resulted in the drinking water catchments of the Clarence-Coffs Harbour Regional Water Supply, upstream of the Nymboida Weir and associated with the Shannon Creek Dam, having no protection against coal seam-tight gas exploration and mining under the NSW Coalition Government’s coal seam gas exclusions zones included in the Mining State Environmental Planning Policy.

The policy he voted for also does not adequately protect Clarence Valley primary production, including the sugarcane industry, under current biophysical strategic agricultural land (BSAL) mapping, nor does it adequately protect the valley’s identified regionally significant farmland or place limits on the loss of prime crop or pasture land.

In a 21 November 2013 submission to the NSW Department of Planning & Infrastructure Clarence Valley Council noted:

It would seem from the actions and outcomes to date that the State Government is not intending to provide protection from CSG activity by way of exclusion of those closely settled rural residential precincts within the Clarence Valley LGA.

and

Council considers that not considering the drinking water catchments of the Clarence - Coffs Harbour Regional Water Supply as specified in point iv above for exclusion from CSG activity is not in the public interest and should be rethought to help guarantee the integrity of the drink water of the region that this Water Supply infrastructure and asset serves.

and

Whilst the “CSG excluded” areas and areas subject to gateway assessment through BSAL & CIC mapping will enjoy a greater degree of certainty and assessment respectively, uncertainty will remain about the degree of protection and assessment of the larger areas outside of these areas if and when they are to be subject to mining and CSG exploration & production activity.

This is the area of the Northern Rivers which Chris Gulaptis has failed to protect to date:                                                                                                     

Unfortunately for the Clarence Valley, to date NSW Labor also offers little protection under its coal seam and unconventional gas policy either.

NSW Nationals MP for Clarence Chris Gulaptis still resented for past performance and present posturing

Letter to the editor in The Daily Examiner online 26 May 2014:

Comments appalling

I AM appalled at the comments made by Chris Gulaptis to the Grafton Chamber of Commerce meeting.

Having worked at the gaol and representing the staff in the role of union representative at the time of the downgrading in 2012 of Grafton Correctional Centre, I went personally and informed Chris Gulaptis at his office in Grafton when we were officially informed by the Department Of Corrective Services of their intentions to downgrade the gaol.

At this meeting with Mr Gulaptis he informed he was aware of the closure and there was nothing he could do about the closure of the gaol and he would be supporting the State Government in their decision, with no regard for the staff at the gaol or the flow-on effect on the community and the impact on the businesses in Grafton or the surrounding communities.

After leaving Chris Gulaptis' office I also contacted the Mayor of Grafton, Richard Williamson, and the head of the Clarence Valley Union, Tony King.

The Chamber of Commerce were also informed and showed serious concern on the impact on the community.

Both Richard Williamson and Tony King gave their complete support to gaol staff and the union reps of the PSA Union to keep the gaol open but this was going to be an uphill battle without the support of the people's elected State member.

With the overwhelming support from the community by signing petitions, community attendance at organised rallies in Memorial Park and the 24-hour community protest outside the gaol, Mr Gulaptis was forced due to overwhelming support to keep the gaol open.

At the community rally there were many speakers talking about why the gaol should stay open. When Mr Gulaptis was called to speak he did so in a sheepish way and his comment was "I was wrong". But by then it was too late as the horse had bolted.

Every comment he makes now are matters that were brought up at meetings by other concerned people to keep the gaol open, with nothing new in his portfolio that has not been said before by other people.

The community of Grafton have long memories with the non-support given by Mr Gulaptis.

Stephen Jeffs,
former prison officer