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This is important - let's see if we can get 1,000 submissions

Agmates

In his great piece The Wall - Dale Stiller spoke about cracks in THE WALL. The great Tower of Hope Rally on 2 February was maybe the first crack, now for the second - the Senate Inquiry "Native Vegetation Laws, Greenhouse Gas Abatement and Climate Change Measures".

That this inquiry is even happening is due to:

Peter Spencer and his 52 day hunger strike
Relentless support and awareness raising from Agmates and others leading to the 2 February rally
The efforts of Barnaby Joyce and the Nationals to insist on and get the Inquiry set up.

Once again - Agmates need to rise to the occasion - this is our year to inform and pressure the occupants of Parliament House about what are the real effects of unfair "native vegetation laws" on farmers across the country.

I understand that Steve Truman is going to setup a pro-forma to assist landholders. The submissions don't have to be masterpieces of English - they just have to tell a story. The more there are - the more we will be supporting our friend IN THE HOUSE push the issue of the theft of land rights; and the more there are - will strengthen the cause and parallel efforts such as Peter Spencer's Tower of Hope speaking tour.

I suggest the following:

Any member who has been/is being affected by native vegetation laws and legislated greenhouse gas abatement measures - gets cracking and prepares a submission
If you know someone who has/is being affected - talk to them, encourage them, offer to help (supply copy of Steve's pro-forma)
If your English language skills are good-ish - register here to help others with their submissions
If you make a submission - keep a copy (once submitted they are confidential -however after the Inquiry hearings, I reckon they will be valuable documentation going forward).

Some further information below:

Senate Inquiry

Native Vegetation Laws, Greenhouse Gas Abatement and Climate Change Measures

Information about the Inquiry

On 04 February 2010 the Senate referred the following matters to the Senate Finance and Public Administration Committee for inquiry and report.

(1) The impact of native vegetation laws and legislated greenhouse gas abatement measures on landholders, including:

(a) any diminution of land asset value and productivity as a result of such laws;

(b) compensation arrangements to landholders resulting from the imposition of such laws;

(c) the appropriateness of the method of calculation of asset value in the determination of compensation arrangements; and

(d) any other related matter.

(2) in conducting this inquiry, the committee must also examine the impact of the Government's proposed Carbon pollution Reduction Scheme and the range of measures related to climate change announced by the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Abbott) on 2 February 2010.

Submissions should be received by 05 March 2010. The reporting date is 30 April 2010.

The Committee is seeking written submissions from interested individuals and organisations preferably in electronic form submitted online or sent by email to fpa.sen@aph.gov.au as an attached Adobe PDF or MS Word format document. The email must include full postal address and contact details.

Alternatively, written submissions may be sent to:

Senate Finance and Public Administration Committee
PO Box 6100
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Australia

Notes to help you prepare your submission are available from the website at http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/committee/wit_sub/index.htm. Alternatively, the Committee Secretariat will be able to help you with your inquiries and can be contacted on telephone +61 2 6277 3530 or facsimile +61 2 6277 5809 or by email to fpa.sen@aph.gov.au.

Inquiries from hearing and speech impaired people should be directed to Parliament House TTY number 02 6277 7799. Adobe also provides tools at http://access.adobe.com/ for the blind and visually impaired to access PDF documents. If you require any special

arrangements to enable you to participate in the Committee's inquiry, please contact the Committee Secretariat.

Once the Committee accepts your submission, it becomes a confidential Committee document and is protected by Parliamentary Privilege. You must not release your submission without the Committee's permission. If you do, it will not be protected by Parliamentary Privilege. At some stage during the inquiry, the Committee normally makes submissions public and places them on its website. Please indicate if you want your submission to be kept confidential.

For further information, contact:

Committee Secretary
Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Public Administration
PO Box 6100
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Australia

Phone:	+61 2 6277 3530
Fax:	+61 2 6277 5809
Email:	fpa.sen@aph.gov.au

Document “how to make a submission to a senate inquiry” is attached, also click on:

http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/committee/wit_sub/bro_one.pdf

Terms of reference are here:

http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/committee/fapa_ctte/climate_change/tor...

Attachments:

How to make a submission to a senate inquiry.pdf, 95 KB

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by John Michelmore on February 21, 2010 at 1:46pm

While the Senate enquiry is an important next step in the process, and all those whom have had a hand in achieving this result are to be congratulated; one should bear in mind the following:-
1) The success rates relating to change resulting from Senate enquires.
2) Are the terms of reference exactly what is required by the landowners effected by legislation per se?
3) Are the terms of reference too restrictive and as a result limit the submission to only a few people affected by some of the property rights losses actually occurring?
4) What can we do coming up to the next Federal election to bring the whole gamut of "stolen" property rights into focus by the whole Australian population, irrespective of the Senate enquiry result?
5) Is a mass rally in Canberra, just prior to the election, which includes all those items that could covered by a Bill of Rights a neccessary next step i.e.,
a) property rights, rural and urban?
b) innocence until proven guilty for all laws?
c) freedom of association?
d) equality before the law?
e) inclusion of common law rights at State level?
f) reasonable access to water?
g) freedom of speech?
ETC

6) Would a Royal commission have been better and potentially achieved more?

Permalink Reply by Ian Gordon Hampton on February 21, 2010 at 2:05pm

G'day John

All good questions, however for now - quoting message this morning from Steve Truman - Agmates to all members of Peter Spencer Hunger Strike on Agmates "There are 3 prongs to the campaign.

1. Judicial - Through the Courts (Peter Spencer represented by Peter King is reappearing at the High Court on Tuesday).
2. Political - The Senate Inquiry
3. People Power - The Tower Of Hope Speaking tour to build public momentum for change."

Many good submissions to the Senate Inquiry will assist upping the people power political pressure and provide some assistance to our friends INSIDE "The Bunker"...

For now, I think Agmates should concentrate on the Senate Inquiry and the Tower of Hope Speaking Tour

Permalink Reply by John Michelmore on February 21, 2010 at 2:15pm

I agree Ian,
I was just thinking ahead on the third item above:- People Power.
If one considers all of the above might not be enough to rupture the wall completely, it might be necessary to have a longer term plan in place as well.
I was dissapointed I couldn't make any of the rallies etc from South Australia. Something well into the future that I and others can participate in might be a good agenda item.

Permalink Reply by Joanne Rea on February 21, 2010 at 5:58pm

John
I was also wondering about the action from Senate Inquiries. The Productivity Commission (released Aug 2004) made reccommendations which were agreed by then treasurer Peter Costello but none or few were ever implemented.
I wonder if we should signal that we believe that we think this process should be ongoing in our submissions.
In the course of preparing I have been looking for indicators (other than the price of the 4WD that some of us need to drive) that the rural community cannot afford ( and Veg Management is THE Doozie) all the imposts.
Rural debt has been risen about six fold in the last 20 years. I believe household debt has risen abou 150% (this could do with some checking) in the same period. RBA figures.
A Victorian Report which is quite old and the situation would only be worse, indicates that 20-40year old farmers are leaving the industry at a graeter rate to do something else than the older group is retiring or dying.
Do we need to come up with indicators like this to show that this industry will not be around forever if we as a community don't look after it.
The great hope of the policy makers was that corporate farms would look after the environment and make better profits but this is not bourne out by the company results with our largest listed Pastoral company AA Co. not forecasting a profit due to drought and poor prices.
We need to give the rural community a voice again

Permalink Reply by Joanne Rea on February 21, 2010 at 6:01pm

I meant to add this quote from one of the farmer submissions to the PC Inquiry.
Submission to the Productivity Commission
On behalf of Charles Mills (Uardry) Pty Ltd and Yanga Pty Ltd
At times, the level of concern expressed by the authorities is farcical; we had to wait 3
months for approval to reposition further downstream two decaying dead red gum trees
that posed a threat to our adjacent irrigation pump. The amount of paper used in the
“dead stump” Development Application, including Satellite maps would have been meant
more living trees were lost in this simple repositioning exercise. We appreciate river flora
and fauna require logs to breed around but this level of overservicing was farcical. The
property in question has over 100,000 living red gums on it.

Let's blast this level of red tape into infinity.

Permalink Reply by Ian Gordon Hampton on February 22, 2010 at 7:57pm

Dear all - only 10 days left before submissions are due - I think this group should pull out all stops to encourage and assist submissions - I suggest:

1. Make copies of Peter Cvek's flyer http://agmates.ning.com/group/assistsubmissionstosenateinquiryduefr... and distribute to local offices of eg Elders Rural and Stock and Station Agents - tell the office staff about what this is about and ask them to keep on the front desk and discuss/handout to people when they come in to do business

2. Write to local press/radio stations/TV stations with a post for community forum/s (or letter to the editor) about the Senate Inquiry/the importance of/need for thousands of submissions - and put in the link to this Group and the names-addresses of offices where the flyer is held

3. Do your own submission ASAP or if you know someone affected by the native vegetation laws - talk to them/encourage them to make a submission.

4. If you can help with writing - register you name and availability on Roger Rankin Crook's "Need Help Writing" Discussion http://agmates.ning.com/group/assistsubmissionstosenateinquiryduefr...

I have asked someone who IS a good writer to prepare an example/dummy submission - hope that we can post this on this group site soon - to help everyone with submissions. Two more thoughts:

A. the submissions don't have to be great literature - each to tell the real story in own language

B. NOTE the confidentiality of the submissions - see Reply post by Peter Jesser above

Permalink Reply by Laurel Ender on February 22, 2010 at 9:01pm

Ian H, great ideas, thanks! i was feeling unable to assist. I know OF a local who had issues, but not Who..so I couldnt let him know, the local Rodwells will be getting a visit tomorrow.:-)
and the local paper an email tonight:-)

Permalink Reply by Julene Haack on February 22, 2010 at 9:38pm

Hi Ian,
I just did a post on the Peter Spencer Group - I should have read this first! Anyway, I just wanted to remind the main Peter Spencer group that the deadline is very close. I had been wondering how to help as I don't have a personal story, but the above ideas compliment what I had been thinking of, so thanks very much!

I was thinking of writing to the Qld Country Life (letter to the editor), on the basis that it would have a wide readership, but perhaps there has already been a lot written. Does anybody get that paper?

Regards,
Julene

Permalink Reply by Ian Gordon Hampton on February 23, 2010 at 5:37am

Julene - don't know Qld Country Life - but I suggest write anyhow... not enough has been written - the more the better

Permalink Reply by Ian Gordon Hampton on February 23, 2010 at 11:47am

Joanne - re your second paragraph and the theme of what you are saying here - I think "right on"... put it all in - seems that falls under question 1) (c)

1) The impact of native vegetation laws and legislated greenhouse gas abatement measures on landholders, including:

(a) any diminution of land asset value and productivity as a result of such laws;

(b) compensation arrangements to landholders resulting from the imposition of such laws;

(c) the appropriateness of the method of calculation of asset value in the determination of compensation arrangements; and

(d) any other related matter.

Permalink Reply by Julene Haack on February 24, 2010 at 8:29pm

I have written letters to the Qld Country Life and the Gympie Times. I am also composing a letter to the Courier Mail (although my previous letters about Peter Spencer have been unpublished so far). I have sent an email to all non-government state MP's in Queensland (particularly as most of these cover rural electorates), reminding them of the deadline and attaching a copy of Peter's flyer.

I hope some of these efforts will bear fruit ....

Julene

PS. If anyone else is from Queensland and able to also send an email, here is the list of email addresses for cut and paste:

mudgeeraba@parliament.qld.gov.au ; kawana@parliament.qld.gov.au ; coomera@parliament.qld.gov.au ; hinchinbrook@parliament.qld.gov.au ; gladstone@parliament.qld.gov.au ; aspley@parliament.qld.gov.au ; bundaberg@parliament.qld.gov.au ; buderim@parliament.qld.gov.au ; gaven@parliament.qld.gov.au ; redlands@parliament.qld.gov.au ; noosa@parliament.qld.gov.au ; indooroopilly@parliament.qld.gov.au ; moggill@parliament.qld.gov.au ; maryborough@parliament.qld.gov.au ; gympie@parliament.qld.gov.au ; warrego@parliament.qld.gov.au ; warrego.st.george@parliament.qld.gov.au ; condamine@parliament.qld.gov.au ; toowoomba.south@parliament.qld.gov.au ; gregory@parliament.qld.gov.au ; gregory.emerald@parliament.qld.gov.au ; dalrymple@parliament.qld.gov.au ; dalrymple.charters@parliament.qld.gov.au ; Leader@opposition.qld.gov.au ; surfers.paradise@parliament.qld.gov.au ; mirani@parliament.qld.gov.au ; caloundra@parliament.qld.gov.au ; beaudesert@parliament.qld.gov.au ; burdekin@parliament.qld.gov.au ; burnett@parliament.qld.gov.au ; clayfield@parliament.qld.gov.au ; glass.house@parliament.qld.gov.au ; nanango@parliament.qld.gov.au ; lockyer@parliament.qld.gov.au ; cleveland@parliament.qld.gov.au ; callide@parliament.qld.gov.au ; maroochydore@parliament.qld.gov.au ; hervey.bay@parliament.qld.gov.au ; southern.downs@parliament.qld.gov.au ; mermaid.beach@parliament.qld.gov.au ; currumbin@parliament.qld.gov.au ; nicklin@parliament.qld.gov.au

Permalink Reply by Joanne Rea on February 26, 2010 at 1:43pm

I was asked to prepare a template submission to the Inquiry.
I have just posted my version to the Property Rights Australia Group (my original group and introduction to Agmates).
If anyone would like to suggest additions or improvements people might like to use i would welcome that
Joanne Rea