Sutton Forest Blockade and news re Hume Coal

I am reliably informed that some people call Hume Coal, by nasty words.
 
Why? They turned up late in the afternoon and tried to enter the blockaded property.

What is it which is so hard to understand? The farmers of Sutton Forest have collectively "Locked the Gate" against Hume Coal and POSCO. They want to protect their land and water, and not see these assets destroyed for short-term profit, especially not for a foreign company.
 
Kim's father was a WW11 fighter pilot and no doubt she picked up a bit of the vernacular from him.
I know she inherited his fighting spirit.

So, when it eventually came to pass, Hume Coal, (the agents of the Korean invaders POSCO) tried to cross the blockade, fortunately Kim was there to Shoo them away.

Southern Highlands Coal Action Group
Shoo Cockatoo artwork, by Patrick Cook

Today's effort was the first such successful Shooing of the Cockatoo.

Southern Highlands Coal Action Group Blockade
Day 34 - 5 November 2012

Pat Jordan showing her angry look
at the idea of coal mining in the Southern Highlands

Pat Jordan (back left, with fingers in V for Victory sign)
Larry Whipper, Deputy Mayor,
Jan Hainke, and Virginia and Alain

Even the cripples have been raised,
to defend the Land and Water.

Defiant faces of the Sutton Forest Blockade

A full crowd of defiant blockaders.
No passing up this private road.

Local Radio presenter Graeme Day, (Radio 2ST)
with Peter Martin

The Hume Coal people turned up late in the afternoon and claimed to have authority to enter the property. But they had no paperwork to support that claim, so the road remained blocked by vehicles.
They left.
No doubt they will be back.

If you are on Facebook you can see these photos and a lot more on the SHCAG Facebook page Album.

Blockade of coal mine exploration at Sutton Forest

Southern Highlands Residents blockade POSCO drill site.

Angry residents of the Southern Highlands are stopping Hume Coal (70% owned by Korean steel giant POSCO) from accessing a property in Sutton Forest, the site of a proposed underground coal mine. POSCO is attempting to gain access to a property owned by a Carters Lane resident for exploratory drilling.

Join us tomorrow at the blockade on Carters Lane  just off Golden Vale Road !


This resident has signed an Access Agreement to allow exploratory drilling to the despair of his neighbours and the residents of the area. Locals are blockading Carters Lane, a private road owned by another landowner in the area, which accesses the property.

Sutton Forest is part of the Sydney Water Catchment and has one of the State’s most productive aquifers directly over the coal seam. Independent water scientists say that any mining will have a very serious impact on the groundwater in the area.

“It’s unsafe to mine here but POSCO’s pushing on regardless. There’s a huge amount of data available in the area from all the water bores that have been drilled, many right through the coal seam. We are doing an independent water study to demonstrate that this activity shouldn’t take place.” Mr Martin said.

The residents were dismayed by the failure of the State Government’s recently announced Strategic Regional Land Use Plans to provide any firm commitment that projects would be stopped even if highly productive aquifers were in danger or highly valued agricultural land was threatened.
“We think proper processes are available to the government to prevent exploration activities in areas such as this. They’ve tried to have a bet each way and have produced a slate of policies that don’t give any certainty to communities and landowners at all. The anger and anxiety that this is causing to many people in affected communities is heartbreaking.”

The Coal Action Group has asked the Coalition State Government not to renew POSCO’s Coal Exploration Licence which came up for renewal in November 2011.

The determination of the locals to blockade has been increased by the Government’s recent announcement that they intended to offer a 6-year renewal (three times the normal length) to Leichhardt Resources who hold a Coal Seam Gas licence that covers a large part of the Southern Highlands and the Shoalhaven. Leichhardt failed to complete any work on the ground, a fundamental condition of their lease. This is one of 22 CSG licences the government has slated for renewal.
“Barry O’Farrell has promised that exploration or development like this wouldn’t happen in the water catchment. “No Ifs, No buts, A Guarantee” but I’m afraid we are now seeing him renege on his fundamental commitments.” Mr. Martin said.

Peter Martin, Convener, Southern Highlands Coal Action Group 0418 800 111

My friend Martin Butterfield has sent me a map
which shows the location of the Blockade.
Click on the map to enlarge it.

1500th Blog Post - can this be real?

I feel totally depressed about something which ought be a cause of satisfaction.

My 1500th Blog post.

I started out with great uncertainty, and little ambition, with a blog on 26 November 2005. It was called "Odd little things which grow around Robertson". I have inadvertently deleted that post tonight (because I have still not got used to Blogger's "New Style" formatting. I hate it, and occasionally I make mistakes with it, as I did tonight).

Oh well, on to happier times, my "Blogging Milestone, or Millstone?" - my 1000th Blogging Post. At least some of my earliest work is stored and remembered there.

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But tonight is my 1500th post, and all I can see around me is chaos and disaster.

Not me personally, (well - a little bit). But the state of the world.

Shooters have just been granted approval to hunt in National Parks.

And the Upper House debate concluded with the Leader of the Shooters and Fishing Party. Mr Brown MLC telling his Greens counterpart Jeremy Buckingham MLC it was unfortunate "I can't take you outside and beat you to death". 

Fan-fu*cking-tastic!

Mr Robert Brown MLC
Has democracy come to death threats in the Upper House?

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The NSW Government Planning Assessment Commission has just approved the expansion of a coal mine at Medway, near Berrima. It is known as the Berrima Colliery. This despite the fact that the PAC has admitted that:

• "It means that the Commission is again faced with a decision as to whether to delay or refuse a Project until the required data are available for consideration, or construct an approval framework that will ensure collection of the required data, proper assessment of the options and retro-fitting of any actions required into the approval."

There is a local paper report in the Southern Highland News.

The press report, and the PAC determination overlook the fact that the Berrima Company has been discharging Nickel and Manganese into the River at levels far in excess of approved standards.

• What is going on?
• Has democracy come to this? 

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My Blogging Colleague, friend and local Robertson resident, David Cooper wrote this blog this morning: "My Faith in Human Beings Has Been Rocked". In a sentence, it is about the fact that a motor Cyclist was killed in a hit and run accident, and the culprit, supposedly a truck driver failed to stop, failed to offer assistance to the injured rider, and failed to report the accident.

David, as a Motor Cycle instructor, is totally stunned. Appalled.

Quite right too.

• What is going on?
• Has Society come to this?
  

***************

The United Nations is holding a totally sham "conference" to "celebrate" the achievements since the original Rio "Earth Summit", 20 years ago.
It is known as the Rio +20 conference.
 

Personally I still squirm at the memory of our erstwhile Environment Minister Ros Kelly using the "modern" technology of direct video broadcasting to send an embarrassing message to her kids, basically saying everything was OK, now that she and her powerful friends had saved the world.
OK, that's probably a jaundiced version of her message, but in hindsight, given how little has been achieved since, I am prepared to publish my version of events.

• Should we snigger in scorn at "Environment Minister Ros Kelly (having told) the summit that Australia aimed for the stabilisation of greenhouse emissions by 2000, and a 20% reduction by 2005."
• Or should we simple hang our heads in shame, for our failure over the last 20 years? Source.

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Meanwhile, Clive Palmer and Gina Rinehart, BHP Billiton and many other companies are racing eachother to extract ever greater amounts of coal, to sell to China, India and Japan.

• It is as if there is no tomorrow.
• The way they are going, they might be dead right.

***************

I had intended to post about the recent Fungal 

finds from Robertson Nature Reserve and Comerong Island, 

but I realised I needed to get some other issues off my chest.

I promise I shall return to more regular matters 

tomorrow and the days after.

A lovely small specimen of
Cryptotrama aspratum
as found on Comerong Island
at the mouth of the Shoalhaven River

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Oh, yes, and Happy Winter Solstice to all my fellow Southern Hemisphericals, and Summer Solstice for our northern Colleagues.

Shoo Cockatoo at the Australian One Day Eventing Championships

The "Australian One Day Eventing Championships" were held at the Araluen property at Sutton Forest on Saturday.


In an classically cynical action, these national horse trials were sponsored by Hume Coal (and Posco, a huge Korean steel manufacturer). Ironic, that, as the threat of a coal mine hangs over the local community. Their lush green paddocks might well turn to dry dust if the water courses and groundwater in the district are interfered with by underground mining directly underneath this property and neighbouring properties. Wells Creek, a key local waterway, runs right though this property.


As the event was held on the property of one of the most staunch supporters of the Southern Highlands Coal Action Group, the SHCAG sought the approval of the property owner to hold one of their "Shoo Cockatoo" promotional displays on site too.

They set up adjacent to the Hume Coal promotional tent.

Oh dear - the poor Cockatoos took flight.

You can read the local paper's story here.


Then the SHCAG supporters mingled amongst the crowd of horse owners and signed up another 150 supporters, taking their mailing list to over 3500 members now.

Everybody was showing their allegiances

This is the real message from the property owner.

Shoo Cockatoo sign proudly displayed on the fence of Araluen.

You would think that Hume Coal outsmarted themselves by this cyncial attempt to buy favour in the community. But that's typical of the way Mining Companies behave, right around Australia. They pretend to care for the locals, but they just want your coal, and they do not want local community groups standing in their way.


One would have to ask if Julie Gander the company's Community Liaison Officer is doing a good job, picking this event to sponsor? I don't think so, as, on the day, she headed off to hide her embarrasment - leaving the company's promotional tent abandoned.

Hume Coal's abandoned promotional tent

Oh dear!

Grey Kangaroos of Hanging Rock Road

While driving back from Canberra on Sunday afternoon, I took a slight diversion along "Hanging Rock Road", near Canyonleigh. This road is in fact the old highway, and runs parallel to the modern Hume Highway, just south of the "MacDonalds on the Hill" at Sutton Forest. On the southern entrance, it is signposted to "Pauline Fathers Monastery". On the northern end it is signposted "Hanging Rock Road".

Much to my delight some "wit" has suspended a small rock on a string, from below the sign - as a hanging rock. I took a photo once, but I don't know where that image is filed, at present. I shall dig it out one day...

Of course, the name refers to a particular sandstone outcrop somewhere in the area of bushland nearby. It is a popular name - usually referring to a large stone perched vertically atop another rocky outcrop. Never really a true "hanging rock". Poetic licence rules in old-fashioned Aussie bush names.

Anyway, I went looking (without success) for some early flowering Ground Orchids. My blogging colleagues in Victoria are reporting spring-flowering Orchids. Not fair!

Then I saw an Echidna crossing the road. This fellow scurried to the relative safety of the soft grass, and clung on - as they do. I tried to budge him, ever so gently, but I knew there was no point. So I took the photo against a two litre ice-cream bucket which just happened to have been dumped there - for a size comparison. He was a good size.Then I found a family of Eastern Grey Kangaroos (Macropus giganteus) which were very tame and quite photogenic. This first image was taken at about 150 metres range - looking down the quiet country road, in the late afternoon light. Usually, they sense that someone is taking "too much interest" and head off, leading the family away from danger.The old male - the old Buck - was very bold, I thought. He is checking me out with his very large ears which are "focussed" on my vehicle. So is the Doe. She is about 30 metres closer than the Buck, so you can see the size differential between them.
This old guy decided I was no threat, and just stared me down. Good for him. He was a very good sized specimen - probably standing as tall as I do. I loved his bold posture. You can see how powerful he is on the lower body. But even those forearms are very strong, with large claws.But, of course, the real power in his body is in the lower body - the thighs and rump. Here you can see how that weight distribution allows him to use all his power for jumping. Here he takes off - suddenly.
He was sufficiently relaxed, though that he only took a few bounds, and stopped to assess the situation again. He stayed there, and I left them all in peace.What a magnificent animal. Long may he reign over his territory!

In the next few days I shall post some photos of the much smaller Red-necked Wallabies, taken at Steve and Amanda's place, near Stroud, north of Newcastle.

Huge Boletus Fungi

I went to visit Kim and Peter this morning, and no sooner had I arrived than I saw a huge Boletus Fungus growing amongst the grass below a stand of Eucalypt trees.

I took a photo.
Before I left I mentioned this to Kim, and she said:"Did you see the big one?" I pointed to the one I had photographed, and she said: "Oh no, that's not the big one". She was right. This was huge. I took another photo with the same lens cap for scale, as with the first shot. This is Phlebopus marginatus, (follow link to Gaye's photo), said to be the largest fungus in Australia. Some specimens have been recorded up to a metre in diameter. Mine would be approximately 500 mm across the widest part (it was not perfectly round). The lens cap is 68 mm external diameter.

Then, we took a shot with Kim's Gum Boots for a human scale. You can see that this is a pretty huge Fungus.And then I thought I would try one with Lena - for a variety of scale images. Lena could not see the point of this photo - but I can. Small dog - Huge fungus.

Kim had recently harvested over 150 Pumpkins from her vegie patch. These are some which she has not yet given away.I was given a very nice Butternut Pumpkin (my favourite), which I look forward to eating. The big greenish-blue ones are Queensland Blues, and there are many JAP Pumpkins, along with two different varieties of Water Melons.

Kim and Peter's - more cows and calves

My friends Kim and Peter have some "Belted Galloway" cattle, otherwise facetiously known as "designer handbags". They are lovely cattle, nicely plump and with a very gentle nature. I showed one of these giving birth, last week.

Yesterday, I went back and Kim showed me several more new calves, including one brand new calf. Some have their ear tags now, but not this little guy - not yet, anyway. He was born over the weekend. The ear tag issue has probably been remedied today.
The calves were very inquisitive, but the Mums were more wary (for the sake of their calves), but no trouble occurred.
One of the Mums, a very large cow, with the "dun" colouration, was concerned that her calf was likely to get left behind.

"Where are you?"

He actually stood some chance of getting lost - in the amazing growth of grass in the paddock. But Mum was looking out for him, as you can see (above). Please, no complaints from my Victorian colleagues about the length of grass in the field. I cannot help it - it rains here, it is good soil, and anyway, I don't own these cattle, or the paddocks - so "please don't shoot the messenger" - me. I do hope you get some rain soon, though.

"Here I come, Mum"

This cow, a relatively small one, is an interesting blend of red and black, but still with the distinctive "belting" across her middle. She is suckling a very young calf, which is the traditional black and white colouring of the "Belted Galloways".

Elsewhere on the property, life was getting on as normal.

A pair of Weevils were trying to make their own babies. They were on a young Casuarina tree which had been ring-barked by some feral deer.
Here is a closer shot of one of the Weevils. It has dark brown freckles all over its body, and a very fine set of Antennae, which in classic Weevil fashion pop out of the side of the large proboscis (or "rostrum")
The Wombats, knowing that this is Sutton Forest, after all, have built their own elaborate "Two car garage" burrow. And down by the dam, a Black-fronted Dotterel (Elseyornis melanops) was doing a little dance in the water's edge. I watched this little guy run backwards and forwards along the edge of the water for many minutes. It was busy feeding. There was another of these bird across the dam, but they were not inter-acting in any obvious way.These small "waders" have a general preference for inland (fresh water) rivers and wetlands, and have taken to dams quite well. It is nicely marked, and the red eye ring is even visible (just) if you click on the image, to enlarge it.

In a few days I shall publish some of the photos of the flowers in Kim's garden.

Nature of New Life - Cow gives birth to calf

Tonight I went over to Kim's place for a meeting of the Save Water Alliance. I turned up half an hour early to take some photos of the new calves which Kim and Peter's Belted Galloways have produced in the last week.

As soon as we went down to the paddock we realised that one of the cows was going into labour. At first, we thought she was in trouble, but, while Kim rang Damian for assistance, in fact we underestimated this Cow, and her instinctive ability to do what she needed to do.

She was lying awkwardly on her side, with the feet of the calf barely protruding. She was very uncomfortable, getting up, moving a few paces, then collapsing again, then repeating this exercise. The time was 7.03.30 pm.Some 5 minutes (and many moves later) she again laid down, and the calf's feet and legs started to emerge. 7.08.50 pmAfter a further 6 minutes, the head emerged. 7.14.54 pm
Once that happened, it was nearly all over. 7.15.38 pm
The calf lay on the ground for less than a minute before it lifted its head for the first time. 7.16.30 pm. The Cow began her task of licking the calf, to clean it up, and to clear the membrane which enveloped the calf (when in utero).
The Cow began enthusiastically licking the calf, concentrating on the umbilicus. 7.17.06 pm. The afterbirth is obvious.
Within two minutes of delivery, the calf made its first attempt to get up on its legs. head raised, and knee bent under the body, taking its weight for the first time. 7.18.00There followed much more licking of the calf by the Cow, including a lot of face to face nuzzling with the calf, which would be important for "bonding". This leads to recognition by both animals, using the distinctive scents of cow and calf. This is a most important process for the Calf's survival. Meanwhile the calf was gathering its strength, and made its first successful attempt to stand. 7.31.00 pm At this point, the calf was 16 minutes old.
And then, once up, and after struggling to stabilise itself, the calf suddenly managed to become steady on its feet. Mission accomplished. 7.32.38 pm. The new calf was greeted very proudly by the Mum. The calf was a mere 17 minutes old. In fact it had not yet suckled, but clearly it was well on its way.
And we all had a meeting to hold, so we left the cow and calf to their own devices. After all, they had managed everything so far, with out our help - as if we were ever needed, despite what we had foolishly assumed.

The sweet mysteries of Life. From labour to being a free-standing calf had taken less than 30 minutes. At least half of that time was spent in cleaning the calf, and that all-important bonding process.

Deer, Oh Dear!

Feral Deer are a declared threat to certain classes of habitat in NSW. In fact there are six species known in NSW.

Kim had shown us some shrubby trees which has been killed by deer by stripping off the bark. We were surprised, for although we knew Kim had seen Deer on her property, we were not expecting to see trees killed by the Deer.

First we saw evidence - and then there was "proof positive"!

This young buck is probably a Fallow Deer, judging by the markings, the ears and the long tail, prominently used as an alarm signal. "A black dorsal stripe extends down the tail and around the area at the base of the tail but the under-tail is white and quite distinctive when raised in alarm." (Aust. Deer Association - Fallow Deer). Mature Fallow Deer "bucks" have a distinctive broad set of antlers. but this is a young animal, and is not carrying the distinctive antlers - but it does not have other characteristics of the Red Deer - which is the next most likely species. So, I call it as "probably" a Fallow Deer - but I am not an expert on deer identification. I am happy to be corrected. This youngster has lost one side of the set of antlers, so he looks lop-sided.

This young Deer, having studied us, decided to move away.
It had a stiff gait - almost a set of "springing movements".

It is well reported that they like revegetation areas: " ... grazing fallow can live quite comfortably in open country, but like to have timbered cover available. They are most successful in semi-developed country, along the edge of forested areas or in regeneration areas where first-order regrowth species, such as bracken fern and wattle, are dominant."

When it got to a safe distance from us, it stopped to check us out
and then headed off to a regeneration area looking for fresh vegetation.

Kim and Peter have created a nice environment for these Deer. Oh dear! That was not the intention.