08/02/2010

I visited Western Sydney today to discuss the possibilities of Manager Aquifer Recharging to improve Sydney's water security in a more sustaniable and cost-effective manner expensive options such as desalination and new dam construction. I wish Penrith Council all the best in exploring this exciting process.   

04/02/2010

I visited Maitland and Tamworth today to discuss the future of Landcare. Landcare is a wonderful movement that links together all parts of the community to improve our local environments. It's an important orgnisation because it connects farmers, communities, experts, government, and concerned citizens. Changes to the structure of federal grants through Caring for Country by Minister Garrett have undermined many local landcares in rural and regional NSW. State Labor has ignored this issues, preferring Landcare to suffer than to criticise the Rudd Labor Government.

14/01/2010

Due to Labor's incompetence, ten's of thousands of tonnes of useful organic material is being stored and some being forced into landfill. Labor has inappropriately changed the criteria for reuse of useful organic material and left the waste sector in the lurch. Today I visited Penrith and surrounds to see an Advanced Waste Facility whose output should be going to agriculture and mine and landscape remediation, but is instead piling up without any resolution in sight.

08/12/2009

Another day, another environment minister! This time, Frank Sartor has been promoted to replace John Robertson, following his failed attempt to become the Premier to replace Nathan Rees. This is now the fifth environment Minister that NSW has had since the last election. It's no wonder that our environmental benchmarks are decliing when no minister has had the time or will to truly address systematic issues of sustainability.

24/12/2009

I visited Bronte Surf Club with Mayor Sally Betts of Waverley to see the fantastic work done by Bronte Surf Club to become the first carbon neutral surf club in the world. It's a testament to the dedicated people who have driven this project that it has been acheived.

11/11/2009

Yesterday the Rees government copied the Coalition's policy for a Gross Feed-in Tariff for Renewable Energy generation.

Whilst we welcome this announcement, it shows that the Government is out of ideas and has resorted to stealing Coalition policies.

In the months that the Government has attacked the Coalition's policy before accepting it, the Government has overseen the installation of thousands of meters that are not compatible with the gross feed-in tariff, because of their previous policy of a net feed-in tariff.

The Government must explain what they will do about the thousands of customers who invested in meters for the government's net feed in tariff. Will they need to pay many hundreds of dollars to replace their meters to comply with the new policy which the government copied off the Coalition?
 
25/09/2009

Vale Virginia Chadwick

On 19 September Virginia sadly passed away after a long illness. She will be missed by many friends in Newcastle, New South Wales and Queensland.

The Brisbane Courier Mail published a lovely story on Virginia's life, and the Newcastle Herald published a tribute Cartoon.

On behalf of the NSW Liberal Party Barry O'Farrell expressed condolences to Virginia's family.
Virginia was the first female President of the NSW Legislative Council. Her former colleagues paid tribute to her on 22 September, during a condolence debate.
 
04/06/2009 

I spoke on the dodgy Heritage Amendment Bill 2009 last night - no surprise that debate on such an important piece of legislation coincided with the State of Origin match in Melbourne. The bill undermines the protection of heritage in NSW - the speech is in the Speeches section of the website. Many thanks to the National Trust and the History Council of NSW for their vocal opposition to this bill.

30/05/2009

I have had the joy of spending today and yesterday in Camden and its surrounds. On Friday, I met with Mayor Chris Patterson and a local hero, Pam Browne, who has been campaigning for the protection of local heritage. The south-west of the Sydney basin has some of the most at-risk heritage in the State, and I highlighted how the Coalition's heritage policy will do wonders for the region. I also visited Leafs Gully to raise my concerns about how Phil Costa has failed to stand up for the health of the people of his electorate in the matter of the Leafs Gully power station. On Saturday I was there for the State Council of the Liberal Party of NSW - and I enjoyed seeing the beautiful heritage of Camden another time.

20/05/2009

Yesterday and today I visited the South Coast with Gareth Ward, Deputy Mayor of Shoalhaven Council. The main two issues of my visit were the future sustainbility of the South Coast, and the protection of its precious heritage. I held a community forum in Gerringong, saw the Council's sustainbility house, and met with Council. It was great to see the proactive engagement of the local community of the matter of wind power, especially when their local member, Matt Brown, doesn't even think they generate more energy that in takes to create them. I also communicated to locals that the Liberals' policy to abolish Part 3A of the planning system, and to move the Heritage Council out of the Minister for Planning's Hands and into the Environment Department. Such policies will let local communities have a greater say in the future of the areas they know best.

13/05/2009

On Monday I had the great pleasure of speaking at the Annual General Meeting of the Friends of Ku-Ring-Gai Environment (FOKE). Also in attendance was Jonathan O'Dea, the Member for Davidson. I spoke on the inapprorpriate development in the Ku-Ring-Gai LGA, especially the shredding of the canopy of remnant Sydney Blue Gum High Forest. For those who don't know it, the story of the arrogrance and short-sightedness of the NSW Labor government in Ku-Ring-Gai is not an unusual one - it is the same for the many areas of NSW that have received development which disregards an area's heritage, and the opinion of local people. In this case, it's an inappropriate style of urban consolidation in a heritage senstive ecosystem, the Sydney Blue Gum High Forest. It was heart-warming to see the community spirit and the passion of those in attendance. I also spoke on the matter in parliament yesterday, and that speech is avaliable here.

Catherine Cusack
Member of the NSW Legislative Council