Members’ Newsletter
Friday 19th June 2015
PRA Conference August Emerald
This newsletter is part of a special mail out to all PRA members with information for the conference in Emerald. Please read other enclosed pages; the board would appreciate your support by filling out the registration form to attend and encouraging others to come along as well.
Day one, on Friday evening, August 21, Property Rights Australia is encouraging all attendees to join us for a Meet & Greet (6.00-8.00pm) at the Mayfair Ridge Tavern Function Room which is being organised by local PRA members.
Day two, Saturday August 22, comprises a full-day conference with guest speakers which includes both qualified experts in their own field and directly impacted landholders speaking about their experiences under existing legislation.(8.00 am Registration with 8.30 am Start)
The board met back in February to identify future issues that could leave PRA members at a disadvantage and where pressure could be applied to governments to change policy & legislation that would erode property rights. The conference theme, ‘Legacy or travesty’ refers to how we take a stand protecting our rights and not give up on creating a better legacy for the future. This year’s conference will have a wide range of topics with speakers from diverse backgrounds.
‘Reef Realities’ will focus on the Great Barrier Reef by Dr Walter Starck, an independent marine scientist with over 50 years worldwide experience in marine research and not afraid to give an independent opinion.
Tom Crothers, the former General Manager of the Water Allocation and Planning Group, DNRM, will talk about risks to underground water especially in relation to the Galilee Basin. He will also make comment about changes to the water Act.
Please read the enclosed material for further information.
Office shifted – new contact details
The Enterprise Centre where PRA had been at home for around 10 years was closed down resulting in a shift to office space in the Braford Society building. Thank you to Fiona for the extra you had to do for the shift and to Lorna Bahnisch for volunteering many hours. Although the shift was only 4 blocks it was in a different telephone exchange area and therefore PRA has a new phone & FAX number. Please take note of these changed details.
Address: 122 Denham St, Rockhampton QLD Postal: PO Box 2175, Wandal QLD 4700
Phone: (07) 4921 4000 FAX: (07) 4927 1888
Email: (remains the same) pra1@bigpond.net.au
Beef Week
Held every 3 years, this year in the first week of the May, beef Week again proved rewarding for PRA with many people visiting the site. We caught up with many old friends and PRA supporters and made new ones.
AGM & PRA Office bearers
PRA’s annual general meeting was held during Beef Week in Rockhampton. Usually the AGM is held together with PRA annual conference but with the work involved in running a site at Beef Week, conference had been shifted to August. The constitution states that the AGM has to be held before the end of June. Attendance was down but the meeting received many apologies from those who couldn’t make it. Those who had nominated for a board position were endorsed at the AGM. At the following PRA Board meeting an election was held with the result of –
Chairman: Dale Stiller Vice Chairman: Ashley McKay
Treasurer: Joanne Rea Secretary: Kerry Ladbrook
Promotions & membership: Tricia Agar Board member: Peter Jesser
Farm Biosecurity
Landowners have been left to carry future liabilities such as weed outbreaks & meat contamination from the coal seam gas industry. It is not unreasonable that you as a landowner demand a CSG company or any resource or supporting infrastructure company must comply with various agriculture enterprise biosecurity standards to be included in any Access or Conduct & Compensation agreements.
Grains Farm Biosecurity with Kym McIntyre, DAF, a workshop on June 25 at the Taroom Town Hall starting at 8.30am. To register contact Andrea Beard on mobile: 0427 274 455
Livestock Biosecurity Network are conducting regular workshops throughout Australia: http://www.lbn.org.au/event-calendar/
Vegetation Management
Considerable effort & hype is being devoted by The Wilderness Society & WWF in creating a false image of tree clearing out of control with incorrect claims that the Qld Newman LNP government had made wholesale changes to the Vegetation Management Act. TWS & WWF have the aim of pressuring the new ALP government to reinstate the VMA to its full draconian notoriety. In late May Queensland Country Life published a well edited, shortened opinion article by myself. The full version together with references is available at this link: http://evacuationgrounds.blogspot.com.au/2015/05/pra-denied-rights-to-landowners-not-be.html
Department compliance officers are looking for someone to hold up as an errant example. Based on several property inspections to date DNRM have insufficient information to lay charges and could well be conducting property inspections to speak with landholders hoping for some form of omission of guilt. PRA strongly advises landowners that if departmental staff approaches them on a land clearing matter to immediately seek legal advice. In these circumstances usual country hospitality and openness should not apply.
Regards
Dale Stiller
Dale Stiller, Chairman
Property Rights Australia
Phone: 07 49213430
Fax: 07 49213870
Email: pra1@bigpond.net.au
www.propertyrightsaustralia.org
STAND YOUR GROUND