Some people would see "royalty" as a "heritage" to protect... It's not. It's an inconvenient, unfair system of rule, even if only constitutional... One can keep the treasures and the buildings though for the public enrichment.

Thus some some traditions, mostly erroneous, are not to be kept, like religion, but the knowledge of the past can be preserved in regard to the value of buildings and glorious things that have been made — even built under old traditions that are irrelevant today......

Of all the importance of heritage, the value of natural heritage is paramount. 

MINING STATE ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING POLICY AMENDMENT

The NSW Government is seeking public feedback before Monday 12 August 2013 on an amendment to the Mining State Environmental Planning Policy. The National Trust is currently examining this document and the accompanying rationale. In view of the very short period for public comment the Trust seeks to alert people to initial concerns and request people to make their own representations on the amendment.

Details of the amendment and how to make a submission can be found on the website of the Department of Planning & Infrastructure .

Please forward a copy of your submission to the Trust at info@nationaltrust.com.au.

Coal mining is a major industry in Australia and NSW and the recent findings of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) confirm the need for great care in the handling of Coal Mining Development Proposals.

Download this map which shows the extent and scale of open-cut coal mining in the Upper Hunter area alone.

The Environmental Defenders’ Office has made initial comments on the amendment, stating that the Mining SEPP amendment “tilts the balance away from the current approach of balancing economic, social and environmental factors to one that privileges economic interests.”

A report to the UN Secretary General’s High-level Panel on Global Sustainability in March 2011 stated: -

“Many organizations hold the view that the division of sustainable development goals into the three pillars of economic development, social development, and environmental protection has proven to be problematic, and that the economic pillar has been wrongfully treated as paramount, to the detriment of social equity and the safeguarding of our natural world for future generations. The emphasis on an economic model that favours high short-term gains for some has failed to lift the majority of the world’s population out of poverty and has allowed private interests to dominate the public agenda.

Civil society groups resoundingly call for a new paradigm through which economic activity supports environmental health and social equity, prioritizes long-term over short-term horizons, builds resilience, and demonstrates respect for human rights principles. To be effective and credible, the new paradigm must be more transparent and accountable to all stakeholders and likely requires a strengthened public sector. Enhanced international cooperation and cross-border regulation are likely parts of the equation as well. Most of all, it will require sustained political will.”

From the Trust’s perspective, increasing numbers of Trust Register listed Landscape Conservation Areas, individual historic properties and towns are becoming threatened by the impacts of open cut coal mining. The Trust is currently finalizing a listing for the Trust Register of the Bylong Landscape Conservation Area, which is itself threatened by coal mining. There are already so many major open cut coal mining developments in operation it is difficult to understand why planning instruments should now be changed to “privilege economic interest” at the expense of our environmental heritage.

YESTERDAY came the news that NSW Finance Minister Greg Pearce has been sacked from Cabinet for what Premier Barry O’Farrell called a “clear breach” of the ministerial code of conduct.

Mr Pearce was a member Barry O’Farrell’s frontbench that he promised would be scandal free during his election campaign.

As I have written a previous article, this must be what is deemed a “scandal free” Coalition government frontbench.

• Arts Minister George Souris, who was caught publicly masturbating.
• Environment Minister Robyn Parker, who thinks logging is good for Koalas.
• Health Minister Jillian Skinner, whose office was evacuated by the threat of a few nurses delivering her a cake.
• Education Minister Adrian Piccoli, who publicly signed a pledge to maintain TAFE funding in his election campaign. He then slashed TAFE services as part of the Coalitions $1.8 Billion Education cuts. The cuts cost 800 TAFE workers their jobs. Mr Piccoli is also famous for leaving disabled children stranded by the side of the road when he changed their transport.
• Emergency Services Minister Michael Gallacher, who made the decision to close fire stations during a heat wave and spate of bush fires. This forced communities to rely on volunteer services and fire services from other areas which were left unprotected.
• The Attorney-General Greg Smith, who insulted the victims of paedophiles and supports priests charged with sexually assaulting multiple young children. He proposed legislation – now passed – that means victims of paedophile priests will never be compensated.
• Minister for Community Services Pru Goward, who has overseen what many have described as a public housing crisis. She has brought about such chaos in at DoCs that child welfare is at arguably its lowest point ever. This is to the point where there has been talk of federal intervention being required.
• Not to mention the Treasurer Mike Baird, who has a 100% success rate for delivering budget deficits after inheriting a surplus, and is famous for losing a $1 billion dollars.

Barry O'Farrell has been called on to apologise for a perceived racial slur against the Labor frontbencher Linda Burney after he declared she hadn't achieved her career success on merit.
Ms Burney, the first Aborigine elected to the NSW parliament and a former national ALP president, served as minister for community services in the former Labor government and is deputy leader of the opposition.
During a heated exchange in question time on Tuesday over whether the current community services minister, Pru Goward, had misled parliament over caseworker numbers, Ms Burney said Ms Goward had ''lost the confidence of every caseworker in this state''.
The Premier responded that Ms Goward ''has achieved every position in her life on merit'', before turning to Ms Burney and declaring: ''You can't say that.''

The comment was met with laughter from the government backbench.
Opposition leader John Robertson said Mr O'Farrell to apologise for the comments ''which have no place in Australia''.
''Ms Burney is unequalled in merit and achievement,'' he said in a statement. ''In addition to being the first indigenous person elected to the state's Parliament and first indigenous minister, Ms Burney is the chairperson of the Australian Rugby League Indigenous Council, has spoken at the United Nations on three separate occasions and is a former President of the Australian Labor Party.''
''It would be inappropriate for any member of the community to make those sorts of comments, let alone the Premier of NSW''.
Mr O'Farrell has a history of taunting Ms Burney in parliament. He once joked that she could play ''hooker'' in a rugby league team and accused her of ''casting her spells''.
At a media conference shortly after question time, Ms Burney said she had ''come to expect those sorts of insults from Premier O'Farrell''.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/barry-ofarrell-accused-of-racial-slur-against-indigenous-labor-frontbencher-linda-burney-20130820-2s93s.html#ixzz2cVP1gbnX

All those members of government who laughed are not worth being elected to parliament.  Linda Burney is a fine person with impeccable track record and an unequalled compassion. Barry O'Farrell should apologise or resign. Once again he has shown to be the worst or the worst barbarian in the New South Wales parliament. Shame Bazza Shame... 

'NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell rejected a deal from Kevin Rudd on the eve of the election to cut green tape for business, Labor has revealed.
Mr O'Farrell launched a political attack on Mr Rudd in Parliament this week, accusing him of abandoning negotiations with NSW to streamline environmental approvals for business.
The push to cut duplication between state and federal systems was in response to business complaints that duplication was increasing project costs and delays.
Mr O'Farrell has been lobbying for the reform for two years, and said he hoped Mr Rudd's talk about kick-starting the economy would lead to a breakthrough.

'As usual with Labor, all that spin was simply false,'' Mr O'Farrell told Parliament. He said Mr Rudd had prioritised a Greens preference deal over helping business. Mr O'Farrell said he would endorse Tony Abbott's green tape policy instead.
But Fairfax Media has been told a deal was put to Mr O'Farrell in the days before the election was called, and Mr Rudd had hoped to sign-up NSW before he visited the Governor-General.
Federal Environment Minister Mark Butler said: ''The Prime Minister put a proposal to Mr O'Farrell prior to the caretaker period aimed at cutting green tape, but unfortunately Mr O'Farrell declined to sign up. The proposal would have seen a significant reduction in overlap and duplication.''
The Rudd deal proposed a single gateway to apply for environmental approvals, cutting out significant duplication of paperwork but retaining separate state and federal government decision making at the end.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/ofarrell-axed-rudd-deal-20130817-2s3jb.html#ixzz2cVRJ2c9W

Bold by Gus...

Contrary to the recommendations of experts, the NSW Government last week passed a new law giving police the power to issue a $500 fine for swearing, writes Elyse Methven.

LATE LAST WEEK, the NSW government passed a package of laws to

‘… combat drug and alcohol-fuelled violence.’

One of these laws may have escaped your attention — a $500 fine for using offensive language.

Fines for swearing in public are not a new thing. Since 1 January 2008, police across NSW have had the power to issue on-the-spot fines (criminal infringement notices) amounting to $150 for the use of offensive language in or near, or within hearing from, a public place or school.  

Under Premier Barry O’Farrell’s new laws, that fine has more than tripled in value.

It is an unstated assumption that offensive language laws will, almost always, punish a very small selection of swear words. It is for this reason that these crimes are often referred to as ‘swearing laws’ or ‘anti-swearing laws’.

Police officers are often both the victims of, and witnesses to, such crimes. And in NSW, police tend to target the use of the words fuck (and its derivatives), cunt, or a combination of the two.

Of course, these words are not inherently offensive. The meanings attached to swear words are arbitrary, and change throughout time.

read more: http://www.independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/nsw-sets-500-fine-for-swearing--wtf,6130