Hello world and welcome to the blog, comin' atcha from Deep Down Under in the land of Oz...and again apologies for the rather slack post yesterday, but having looked at it this morning, it's really that or just regurgitate large sections of those letters...and I'll get to those emails...soon...anyhoos...
TFTIM Mark Parnell?...yesterday actually...and do you ever feel the Universe reaches out and gives you a little pat on the head and says well done big fella...(or sheila-Ed)...or sheila, and a bloke...(or a chick-Ed)...or a chick, can feel that maybe he...(or she-Ed)...why do you keep going on about women Ed?...(because I want to be one...from now on I want you to call me Edwina-Ed)...Edwina?...ah, I see what you've done there, an homage to arguably the cleverest and funniest movie ever, Monty Python's Life of Brian...following the news that MP are 'reforming' to do a live show in 2014.
I know that many people consider Life of Brian to be a blasphemous load of stupidity, but it is actually about everyone other than Jesus, and a brilliantly written, seethingly insightful dissertation on the human psyche..."He's the Messiah and I should know, I've followed a few."...and...(Brian) "You're all different" - (the crowd) "Yes, we're all different" - (one man) "I'm not"...absolutely classic...if you've never seen it, watch it once for the laughs, and then once or twice more and concentrate on the dialogue...and thankyou to Beatle George Harrison whom financed this masterpiece when no-one else would touch it...cheers.
But back to the main story, and yesterday, yes I did feel like I got a Universal pat on the head...yesterday Greens Upper House member Mark Parnell was in town for a 'Fracking Forum' organised by Community Action for Sustainability...and I found myself torn between a desire to front him in public and politely rip shreds off him over his conduct and statements re Wind Turbines, much of which I've covered in previous posts, eg, one night sleepovers; misrepresenting 'legal rights', etc...(fair enough, but where's the conflict within?-Ed)...wait for it...
My mood was none improved by Mr Parnell's ABC Local Radio interview, where he was asked about the Intermittent Generation issues and the need for back-up, ie, no wind, no power, and in response he stated 'that's why it's great to have a national electricity grid from Queensland to (Pt Lincoln?-sorry)' because "the wind's always blowing somewhere"...I believe he also made some statements about 'Health issues' but unfortunately I was out and then in the car when this interview was on so I didn't hear the rest re Wind Turbines, and most of what I did hear was about 'Fracking'...(where's the tearing? you promised me tearing-Ed)...alright already...
Torn between that desire to confront, and not wanting to ambush and monopolise the CAS function for 3 reasons...1) in a previous CSA meeting (previous post) I was all but booed for expressing my opposition to Wind Turbines, so it had the potential to go horribly wrong and completely undermine my position and stuff up the meeting...2) because of my overall respect for CAS and their general tenant which I agree with...(Wind Turbines aside-Ed)...quite...and most importantly,
3) with 'Fracking' looming because the Labor Party are just rabid for Mining and completely disinterested in the South East, and the Liberal Party are, well, exactly the same...(they have publicly declared their support for 'Fracking' in the SE-Ed)...indeed...so we need everyone on side in stopping it, and that would hopefully (does?) include Mark Parnell...what was to be gained from attacking him publicly, however politely?...it had the potential to 'scare' him away, ie, why come here to be abused?...
My Cynicism: maybe he's looking for a legitimate out, and I didn't want to be 'the lout' that copped the blame if it disintegrated into an argument and gave him that excuse...and, in my own defence I'll say it again, that I had to factor in what a 'hostile crowd' I'd have been addressing...so ultimately I resolved that I should stay away...and despite having made that call, I was still struggling with this desire to confront vs decision to not attend, when I happened upon Mr Parnell walking down the street...dead set.
I politely introduced myself and we spoke for 10, maybe 15 minutes about Wind Turbines...I chose to talk through a series of issues and stayed away from criticising him as I have on this blog, eg, I went through how the 'Visual Amenity Appeal' legislation quite specifically and deliberately denies any chance of Appeal, and the stupidity of 'Screening Plants'...I didn't mention that I knew 1) he'd had it explained it to him before but 2) still went into the media saying that there were Appeal Rights...I just told him again.
My intent as such was to place him where he cannot claim ignorance on a series of points...we went through the Fascism of the legislation, namely that Turbines are 'unopposeable'...and Mr Parnell readily acknowledged that, stating that he had voted against it...and the implications for non-host landholders, where I repeatedly used the example of Mr Clarke just outside Millicent who will have 5-6 of these massive Industrial Turbines on 3 sides of his small property, all within 1000-1300m of his home...without a chance to oppose and no compensation...and the non-resident landholder was receiving $10,000 per Turbine (Mr Parnell's figure).
I carefully explained the failings in his statement about 'the wind always blowing' and the role of the $110million taxpayer funded Heywood Connector in exporting cheap 'Wind Electricity' to the East to help them with their '20% Renewables Targets' on windy days...but then when there's no wind, importing very costly coal fired power from Victoria...and the implications this has for overall energy costs in both South Australia and Victoria...and increased pollution in Victoria.
And the nearly 900 'Environmental Interactions' legally allowed at the proposed Millicent Turbine Estate (Woakwine)...'EI' being code for smashing 900 Ibis (large waterbirds) out of the air each year...and the implications for raptors, eg, Wedge-Tail Eagles, and Mr Parnell identified issues in Tasmania re the rare/endangered Tassie Wedgie subspecies...(is the Tassie Wedgie under pressure?-Ed)...apparently...(oo, Wedgie pressure, ouch-Ed)...
We disagreed about 1) aspects of the subsidies/certificates that Turbines receive, but I stand by my statements that without these subsidies, Turbines are entirely uneconomical...and 2) that Turbines cast a 'development shadow' onto neighbouring properties, but I identified the several Australian Court cases or Council rulings that acknowledge a negative impact on land values...on virtually everything else we were in agreeance.
(I get it that you're really happy with the way you handled things, and the length and breadth of the discussion, but where's the Universal pat on the head?-Ed)...well, that was actually the second time I'd run into Mr Parnell that morning because he was at the White Ribbon Day Breakfast (Opposing Domestic or any other Violence Against Women)...it was obviously neither the time nor place to confront him about Turbines and I let it slide.
I did speak briefly with local MP Don Pegler (after he engaged me) about his official complaint and issues there-in as covered in previous posts, but even if either of us had any specific idea what was happening, I'm not sure whether I could discuss it so I'll just leave that there for now...for now.
Then later, whilst fully angsting myself, I happened to be in town and parked my car where it might have blocked someone in, so I went across, spoke to them, they were cool, so I headed back, locked the car, crossed the road, and low and behold, Mr Parnell...30 seconds either side and I'd have missed him...if I hadn't been so thoughtful as to ask those people, I'd have missed him...
And then completely unplanned, the near perfect interaction that allowed me to discuss at length many issues in a way that simply would have not been possible at the evening meeting, even if I had received a positive reception...and that allowed me to avoid that meeting completely, thus not causing a ruckus and/or shenanigans...
And this now offers many others the platform from which to engage/confront Mr Parnell about all of these issues because we all know he knows, you know?...and I take full credit for how I handled the whole day decision and conversation wise, but as for the 'right time right place' thing, that just happened.
Tomorrow: The Emails
Or maybe another post re The Constipated, I mean Integrated Transport Plan and Don Pegler's 'article' re same...and there is that Housekeeping...and some Feedback...mmmm.
Anyhoosit, I am Nick Fletcher and this is my blog...cheers and laters...
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