Community forum
Where: Hunter Room, Newcastle City Hall, 290 King St, Newcastle, 2300
When: 6 – 7:45pm Wednesday 28 July, 2010
Why: The Tillegra dam has drawn fire from renowned water planning experts and ecologists, the fishing industry and numerous community groups. More than 8,000 people have made submissions, written to Jodi McKay and Premier Keneally and signed petitions expressing their opposition to this dam. Read more here.
Political speakers include:
· Jodi McKay, Member for Newcastle, Minister for the Hunter – declined and pending response to request for alternative representative
· John Kaye, Greens MLC – confirmed
· John Tate: Newcastle Lord Mayor, Independent candidate – confirmed
· Robyn Parker, NSW Liberal Party candidate – confirmed
We have also received confirmation that Bob Baldwin (Member for Paterson) and Jan Davis (Greens candidate for Paterson) will be attending.
Community speakers include:
· Simon Fane, Institute for Sustainable Futures
· Brad Warren, OceanWatch Australia
· Antoine Mangion, Combined Pensioners and Superannuates Association NSW
· Carol Pasenow, Chair No Tillegra Dam Group and family member of landowners in dam inundation area
· Justin McKee, The Wilderness Society Newcastle
· Linda Bowden, Tillegra Dam Community Reference Group
A strict format: Firstly, community representatives will very briefly outline their perspective on the proposed dam. Secondly, each political speaker will have three minutes to answer three set questions:
1. Will you stop Tillegra Dam and protect the Williams River?
2. Will you commit to an integrated water resource planning process to develop sustainable urban water strategy for the Lower Hunter that includes genuine public engagement and consideration of all options?
3. Will you direct preferences to a candidate who opposes the Tillegra Dam proposal?
Media logistics / Interviews : Justin McKee 0404 824 020
admin said:
Candidates commit to opposing Tillegra Dam
Candidates for the NSW seat of Newcastle tonight provided a clear indication of their position on the proposed Tillegra Dam at a community forum hosted by the Wilderness Society at Newcastle City Hall.
Liberal and Green representatives Hon Robyn Parker and Hon John Kaye indicated their definitive opposition to the dam, and supported a full and open integrated water resource planning process to develop sustainable urban water strategy for the Lower Hunter that includes genuine public engagement and consideration of all options.
Independent candidate and Newcastle Lord Mayor John Tate was less forthcoming and frustrated the packed city hall venue with equivocal responses that indicated he was yet to decide on the dam and needed more information. Cr Tate supported a thorough decision-making process.
Jodi McKay was the only invited political representative not to attend tonight’s community forum. As Member for Newcastle and Minister for the Hunter, Ms McKay has refused repeated requests to meet with community groups about Tillegra Dam since late 2009.
All political representatives supported an approach to water planning that considered all options including water demand management. Groups campaigning against the dam believe such a water planning approach will render the dam unnecessary.
“The consistent message from the community groups here tonight was that the Commonwealth Government must assess this proposed dam rigorously, and that such an assessment will stop Tillegra Dam in its tracks,” said Wilderness Society campaigner Mr Justin McKee.
A report card detailing the positions of all politicians in attendance will be printed in this Friday’s Newcastle Herald.
admin said:
Further to McKay being MIA (missing with in-action!) she has been misleading…
THE No Tillegra Dam Group has accused the state government of welching on a pledge to consider holding an inquiry into the controversial project.
The group said the agreement was reached during a meeting with the Minister for the Hunter Jodi McKay on January 14.
The minister denied giving an undertaking, saying the project was already going through the proper planning process scrutiny.
Ms McKay has also come under fire for not attending Wednesday night’s rally against the project.
“We have not heard from Jodi McKay since this meeting. We have not said anything before this because we trusted the Minister to move forward with an inquiry,” said group spokeswoman Carol Pasenow yesterday.
Ms Pasenow said the public needed answers.
“Minister for the Hunter Jodi McKay had promised to follow up on a Tillegra Dam inquiry.”
“She also agreed that the only way to resolve the issue of conflicting views about the dam was to launch an inquiry.
“It was agreed as a result of the meeting that [the No Tillegra Dam Group] would follow up with a letter discussing the inquiry proposal.
“This was sent to Jodi McKay’s office on January 18.”
A spokesman for Ms McKay said there had been no deal.
“The minister has never given the No Tillegra Dam Group an undertaking that an independent inquiry would be established into the proposed Tillegra Dam.”
“During a meeting on January 14 with the No Tillegra Dam Group, the Minister sought the group’s views on several issues of concern to them about the proposal.
“Since that meeting, the Tillegra Dam proposal has entered into the final stages of a merit-based assessment process, and the minister has indicated on several occasions that she will not pre-empt the outcome of that process.”