Firing up the Northern Territory onshore shale gas industry could lead to an increase in fracking in the NT

Asian conglomerate Jemena wins tender to build NEGI gas pipeline from Northern Territory to Queensland

17/11/2015

An Asian conglomerate has been announced as the preferred bidder to construct a gas pipeline connecting the Northern Territory to Queensland.     

Jemena, which is jointly owned by the State Grid Corporation of China and Singapore Power, was announced by NT Chief Minister Adam Giles at a press conference today as the winner of the contract.
The pipeline project, known as the North East Gas Interconnector (NEGI), will link the Northern Territory's Amadeus pipeline to Queensland's Carpentaria pipeline between Tennant Creek and Mount Isa.
A simultaneous press conference was held in Mount Isa for the announcement.

Constructing a gas pipeline

• Surveying: Site surveys and studies are undertaken to ensure the pipeline is located and built to match construction techniques and environment and heritage protection measures.
• Topsoil stockpile and Trenching: Topsoil is pushed into a stockpile for use during reinstatement. A trench is cut for the pipe with excavation materials stockpiled for backfill.
• Stringing and Bending: Pipe that has already been inspected for integrity is laid end to end adjacent to the trench. Where necessary the pipe is bent to conform to land contours.
• Welding: Pipe segments are welded together, the joints are sealed, and the pipe is lowered into the trench by side-boom cranes or excavators in sections.
• Backfilling: The pipe is covered fine materials sifted from the excavation and the trench filled with earth removed during excavation and compacted.
• Testing: The entire pipeline is pressure tested with water to ensure the integrity of the pipe and the welded joints.
• Reinstatement: Following construction the easement is restored as close as possible to its original condition prior to construction with previously stockpiled topsoil.
  
  Source: Jemena

The 622-kilometre pipeline had been identified as a key to firing up the NT's onshore shale gas industry, which is expected to lead to an increase in hydraulic fracturing across the Territory.
"The pipeline itself is truly historic. It does cross borders. It is nation building," Mr Giles said.
"It does help solve Australia's looming energy crisis that is on its way."
Jemena managing director Paul Adams said gas delivered by the pipeline would "drive growth, prosperity and future opportunities for the Territory well into the future".
"Our vision for the NEGI is to drive commercial exploration and development of currently untapped gas reserves, unlocking the next phase of economic growth for the Territory and help build a stronger northern Australia," Mr Adams said.
"The sustainable development of these immense natural resources will drive growth, prosperity and future opportunities for the Territory well into the future."
Jemena beat three other proposals, two of which would have connected to the east coast through Alice Springs to Moomba in South Australia.
Mr Giles thanked unsuccessful bidder APA Group for its submission and said the choice came down to "who was prepared to take the risk for the reward... because we [NT Government] would not be putting any money into the construction of this pipeline".
Jemena owns and runs energy and water transportation assets across the east coast of Australia, according to its website, with $9 billion worth of utility infrastructure.
On its website, the company said it would "commit to Northern Territory, western Queensland and Indigenous business participation and employment targets" during the project.
"We will go beyond historical norms in local opportunity facilitation and give preference to local content from the regions, then from the NT and western Queensland."
The NEGI project is expected to deliver up to 900 direct jobs during its peak construction phase, tapering off to around 30 jobs once operational, though it is not clear what share of jobs will be based in Queensland.
The NT Government wants the pipeline to be operational by 2018.

A 'coup for Queensland', Premier says

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk welcomed the announcement.
"This is a coup for Queensland for the jobs and opportunities it will create for local suppliers, as well as the potentially cheaper energy it will supply to the north-west resources projects," Ms Palaszczuk said in a statement.
Queensland State Development Minister Anthony Lynham said export and domestic eastern seaboard gas demand was forecast to treble by 2020.
"More gas supplies can only help to contain energy prices that affect investment decisions," he said.
The Mayor of Mount Isa, Tony McGrady, said the pipeline was "terrific news for our region".
"It means jobs," Mr McGrady said.
"We have also built a new relationship between Queensland and the Northern Territory which offers great hope for future joint projects."

The sadness that has been visited on Bimblebox Nature Refuge

China First has been approved but the fight to protect Bimblebox has only just begun Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.

Dear Bimblebox Supporters, Many of you would have heard the bad news by now. At lunch time last Friday (9th Aug) the Queensland Government released the news that the Coordinator General has approved the proposed mine that will destroy Bimblebox Nature Refuge (known as the Galilee Coal Project or the China First Project). Obviously 'disappointed' is an understatement for what we're all feeling right now. You can see our new blog post on the decision here, including a link to a letter from Campbell Newman prior to the 2012 Queensland election, promising that under an LNP government "coal mining development will not be allowed in areas of high conservation value".  What do they think Bimblebox is!? This is far from the end. On signing the conservation agreements with both State and Federal Governments over ten years ago we promised to protect Bimblebox in perpetuity, and that’s what we intend to do - but we will need your help! Next Steps Clive Palmer's Waratah coal still needs: Federal Government approval - The mine will be assessed over the coming months and we will call on you to contact the new environment minister right after the election. Mining Lease and Environmental Authority - When Waratah Coal applies for these there will be a public notice and the opportunity for concerned community members to submit objections to the Land Court.  A water licence - To dewater the aquifer that neighbouring properties depend on and which may interconnect with the Great Artesian Basin Waratah Coal need a water licence from the QLD government we will need to lobby hard to ensure the government puts water above coal. Finance – By demonstrating our opposition to mining the Galilee Basin we will hopefully make potential financiers aware of the local and global environmental consequences of this mine.  We will be calling on you over the next few months to be more involved in this campaign. Please stay posted. If you would like to lead a local action group in your area to organise events at key moments for Bimblebox please get in touch. Donate China First is not the only project proposed for the region; the multiple mega coal mines proposed for the Galilee Basin will have significant repercussions for biodiversity and our vital groundwater resources, not to mention the global climate! The GVK/Hancock Alpha Coal Project was the first, and so far the only mine in the Galilee Basin to receive approval from State and Federal governments. Some landholders in the region (including Paola) have put in objections to the mine and are now in the Land Court ensuring there is some independent scrutiny applied to this project. We urgently need funds to help ensure we have the best experts and legal advice for this landmark case. We are spending a whole heap of our own money but we know many of you out there want to help. Big or small contributions will be greatly appreciated! Click here to contribute. Donations through this link go to Mackay Conservation Group's Bimblebox Fund who are supporting the campaign so that your contributions are tax deductible. You can also give us a call to arrange alternative donation methods on 07 49853474 Participate On the 25th of August we encourage those of you in Brisbane to head along to the Rally for the Reef. Because, of course at the end of the rail line from the mines in the Galilee Basin will be huge dirty ports covering communities with coal dust and putting more strain on our important Great Barrier Reef. 11am Sunday 25 August 2013 Queens Park, Brisbane RSVP via facebook or just gather your friends, make a Bimblebox placard and head along. And for those who don’t mind getting their hands dirty and can spare a good chunk of time there is plenty of work to do around the nature refuge. If you’re interested in coming out send us an email! Thank you for your ongoing support, With a fighting spirit, Paola, Ellie, Sonya and the rest of the Bimblebox Team PS - Please consider making a contribution to our legal fighting fund and forward this email to friends and family.

Be our friend on Facebook | forward to a friend  Copyright © 2013 Bimblebox Nature Refuge, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you have expressed interest in receiving updates about protecting Bimblebox Nature Refuge from mining Our mailing address is: Bimblebox Nature Refuge Bimblebox Nature Refuge Alpha, QLD 4724 Australia Add us to your address book

Save Bimblebox Nature Refuge from Clive Palmer's predation - Say no to his massive new coal mine in the Galilee Basin

Dear Bimblebox Supporters,

You may have heard that Clive Palmer’s Waratah Coal has put out its Supplementary Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the China First coal mine*. This mine would destroy Bimblebox Nature Refuge. We have until Monday (6^th May) to put in submission on the SEIS.

You can make your submission here.

After a mammoth effort late in 2011, together, we managed to get almost 2000 submissions in to the Coordinator General, and sent a clear message to the Queensland Government that mining on a Nature Refuge is not acceptable. Many of you may agree with us that a coal mine of this scale is not acceptable anywhere.

Over the last couple of weeks we have done our best to trawl through more than 4000 pages of SEIS and pull out the key issues we need to highlight to the Government. We now have 5 days to get this brief summary submission out to everyone in our networks and show our politicians the breadth and depth of support for Bimblebox and concern about this disastrous mine.

Please share the link and text below with friends, colleagues, family and any organisations you are part of. Can we reach 5000 submissions against this mine? Not without your help. After you've signed the submission please share it on facebook, twitter and email.

Thanks for your support,

The Bimblebox Team

P.S. you can also download, print, sign and send a slightly longer submission at our website. Why not print 10 or 20 and head to the local markets with a clipboard and pen?

----- Send the following email to your contacts:-----

Say no to Clive Palmer's massive new coal mine

Billionaire Clive Palmer is still pushing to get approval for his proposed China First coal mine.^* 

If allowed to go ahead, this project will destroy the Bimblebox Nature Refuge, impact on our precious groundwater resources and help open up the whole Galilee Basin to more coal mines.

Over the life of the mine, the coal from the China First project will generate greenhouse gases emissions equivalent to nearly four years of Australian total annual emissions! It would need to be transported over farmland and shipped through the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

While the owners of the mine stand to make large profits, it will have negative economic impacts on other, more sustainable, industries.

Public comments on the China First Supplementary Environmental Impact Statement are due May 6^th.  Add your voice to those calling for this project to be stopped.

* Otherwise known as Galilee Coal Project

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Support a UN 5th World Conference on Women (in Australia, please) - Part 2

It is the evening of 1 January 1995.  The place is Tennant Creek, community hub for The Barkly Tableland in the middle of the Northern Territory.  My friend, Shazza, has come round for dinner.  Naturally, at the beginning of the year one's thoughts turn to the year ahead, what one might do, what plans one might make.  I said to Shazza I reckon I might go to this women's forum in Beijing.  Shazza quickly responded that if I was going she was coming too.

Sharon Kinraid - Beijing 1995

One thing led to another.  By the end of January, 

• a meeting had been held in the electorate office of Maggie Hickey, Member for Barkly in the NT Legislative Assembly
• an organisation had been established called The Women of the Barkly
• a fundraising program had been initiated with the intent of subsidising members of The Women of the Barkly who attended the Women's Forum to be held later that year in Beijing.

Maggie Hickey MLA (in sunglasses) with Penny Curtis

at the pre-Beijing display at Julalikari, Tennant Creek

 Beginning in 1975, the first UN Women's Conference was held in Mexico City.  The UN Decade for Women went from 1976-1985. The Mid-Decade Conference was held in Copenhagen in 1980 and the End of the Decade Conference was held in Nairobi in 1985.  Governments nominate delegates to the official conference.  They need not be members of Parliament.  Australia's contingents have usually comprised a mix of female politicians and distinguished women supported by a number of bureaucrats.  Side by side with the official Conferences have been Women's Forums.  Anyone can go to these. 

Quentin Bryce, Governor-General of Australia (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In 1985, the Commonwealth of Australia made a decision to fund 20 women to attend the End of the Decade Women's Forum in Nairobi, Kenya.  I was at work - I managed the Mount Isa Public Library at that time - and received a phone call from Quentin Bryce - yes, the same Quentin Bryce who is now Governor-General of Australia.  I had established - with the help of some great friends - the Union for Western Women to work for and give a voice to women living in remote north-west Queensland.  When the Hawke Government came to power it had established outposts of the Office of Status of Women in Brisbane and Hobart.  This had been done because the ultra conservative state governments in Queensland and Tasmania had dug their heels in and refused to establish entities to serve the specific needs of women.  In fact, in Queensland where I lived under the Bjelke-Petersen police state, Joh Bjelke-Petersen use to claim that Women's Shelters were hives of Marxist activity!  Quentin headed up the Queensland outpost ably assisted by Beryl Holmes. Quentin was the fairy godmother of the Union for Western Women.  One of our great themes was that, because we were isolated, we needed to network with people to bring information in and we needed to network with people so that they could see how we lived and worked and take our information out.  Ordinarily, this would be the work of a politician but our State and Federal representatives were conservative and not very good at doing these simple tasks.  But Quentin came, Quentin saw, Quentin communicated as she still does to-day.

For the first time in my life, I was off overseas - to Nairobi.  What an experience! Africa - 12,000 women from everywhere - radical, conservative, ordinary women.  The clothes, the hair, the cultures, the discussions!  

Korean women - Beijing 1995

Because I lived in Mount Isa, I searched for workshops which would speak about the topic of remoteness and underdevelopment in a first world country.  There was nothing that quite hit the spot.  There and then I decided that if I came to a conference like this again, I would do a workshop myself.

My 1985 Nairobi decision to do a workshop resulted in the 1995 decision by The Women of the Barkly decision to do a workshop at the Women's Forum in Beijing.  Not only did we make a decision to do the workshop, we applied successfully to the Australia Council for funding to make a video and commission a photographic exhibition to depict the life and art of The Women of the Barkly. 

Pauline Buxton 

The photographic exhibition was not a difficulty because we had two talented female photographers in town who could work together on the project.  One was Pauline Buxton and I cannot recall the name of the other.  Perhaps someone else can help me out in this regard.  They depicted women in all sorts of occupations even that of a jockey!

Gerardine O'Sullivan

The video - professional, broadcast quality video - would have, ordinarily, been a bit more difficult.  But we had a good and talented Tennant Creek friend in Gerardine O'Sullivan who used to work with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).  She promised and delivered a wonderful video called Strong Women : Strong Land..   

When these two major commissions were fulfilled we had just enough money left to produce a brochure which explained everything.  We whizzed through Alice Springs to catch our flight to Sydney picking up the brochures en route.  On the flight from Sydney to Beijing we began our publicity blitz on the plane.  See brochure images and flyer below.

Click to enlarge in new tab

In Beijing, one of the most exciting things was that not only did we have so many women packed into our Workshop that we had to close the doors, Carmen Lawrence, who was then Minister assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women, had chosen Tuesday to be her day to visit the Forum - and she came to our workshop.  When one is away from home in a foreign land doing a workshop at a women's forum, it fills one with pride to be visited by your very own Minister.

Carmen Lawrence (in the red dress)

with women from The Barkly region of the Northern Territory

UN Women's Forum - Beijing - 1995

The enthusiasm of little tiny Tennant Creek for Beijing Women's Forum 1995 - and our menfolk were right behind us too and we would be pulled up in the supermarket to describe our adventures when we got home - was catching.  Local CWA and ATSIC women came too. Arguably, Tennant Creek and The Barkly sent more women (as a percentage of population) than Sydney did!

So please take this trip down Memory Lane seriously, and go back to the previous post and complete the petition for yet another Women's Conference and Forum.  The only continent which has not yet been represented as a host for these Conferences is Australia.  There is a section on the petition for making comment.  Could you please use this to put in a plug for the next UN Women's Conference and Forum to be held in Oceania, in particular Australia.  And then lobby relevant Minister's for Women's Affairs at Commonwealth, State and Territory level accordingly.  You might even like to send them a copy of this post.

Miss Eagle

Brigid O'Carroll Walsh

Beijing 1995 

The Women's Beijing Sphere

Professor Joe Camilleri on China - Australia's Challenge at Oases

From Dale Hess:

Dear Breakfasters, 


Welcome to 2012 ! Hopefully we'll see you there:

Saturday, February 4: 

Prof. Joseph Camilleri talking about China:Australia's Challenge

Joseph Camilleri is Professor of International Relations at La Trobe University. He has written and lectured extensively on international relations, governance and globalisation, human rights, North-South relations, international organisations, the United Nations, and the Asia-Pacific region.

Professor Camilleri is actively engaged in international research, education and advocacy on issues of human rights, civilisation dialogue, global governance reform, peace and security. 


He is the recipient of St Michael's Award for Distinguished Service to the Community, and past Australian President of the International Christian Peace Movement, Pax Christi.

Time 9 am-11.30 am breakfast (9 - 9.45 am)

Cost waged $25, unwaged $15

RSVP to OASES 03 9819 3502 or email info@oases.edu.au

The Empire strikes back: USA takes China to the WTO over wind power subsidies #renewables #trade #flexingmuscles

Tweet

Wind Turbines, Lake George (Weereewaa), near Bungendore NSW

September 2009

The turbines were in test mode at this time.

What can one say about the World Trade Organisation (WTO) from my lowly position in the world?  I hear news items from time to time announcing that Australia is taking a matter to the WTO or someone is trying to get their produce into the Australian market and has had to take their case to the WTO. We object because our country is clean of whatever and the other country gives room and board to some insect or disease I have never heard of.  Is our complaint just?  I don't know.  We just might be drumming up objections on behalf of our sweet-smiling agricultural folk who carry a lot of weight come election time. A bit like the case outlined below which is taken at the instigation of steelworkers in an economy in which manufacturing has been declining.

In short, the WTO probably saves us a few wars, armed conflicts and military skirmishes - which might have been the case a century or two ago.  To New York, the nations of the world take their trade disputes. International bureaucratic processes ensue and a long time later there is a response or a decision.  Well, you know what they say about conception and elephants, Networkers.

That long-winded intro is to tell you about what might be a little doozy for the WTO to decide - and innocent by-standers are left to their own conjecture on what it might be all about actually.

The Obama Administration in the USA has filed a complaint with the WTO over China's wind-power subsidies.  I learned this from my Daily Grist (see here). Based on my limited knowledge and limited ability to observe Australia's goings on at the WTO, the Grist assessment sounds reasonable.  The outline done by greentechmedia gives a good nuts and bolts description of the process. But we mustn't be one-sided about this, must we.  So over I popped to the New York Times.

The NYT highlights the involvement - or quiescence - of General Electric, a company not always known for sound environmental practice.  Further criticism of China is here in highlighting the way China is alleged to treat foreign companies in China.

I have to say though that I do find this response from an NYT reader of interest:

There is another side to this story, of course - namely, that both the Obama and Bush Administrations have focused on subsidizing the following:

1) Coal-to-gasoline plants (billions from the DOE, often cloaked as "CO2 capture projects")

2) Tar sand imports (billions in Congressional loan guarantees for new gas pipelines to feed the tar sand production system)

3) Liquefied natural gas imports (more billions to Exxon and Chevron for their Indonesian and Papua New Guinea LNG projects)

4) A new round of ridiculously expensive taxpayer-subsidized nuclear reactors ($8 billion in loan guarantees for Southern - Georgia nuclear plants).

There are many similar examples of the Obama-Bush focus on fossil fuels and nuclear - but solar and wind have received almost nothing in comparison.

Clearly, this could be challenged by China as unfair government support for fossil fuel & nuclear (which, despite the earnest claims of Energy Secretary Chu, are hardly "clean" and definitely not renewable) - but China is obviously more concerned with reducing its dependence on fossil fuel imports by moving state support away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy.

The U.S. would be wise to follow suit - but the gross imbalance between U.S. subsidies for fossil fuels & nuclear over solar, wind and sustainable biofuels (algal biofuels & artificial photosynthetic approaches) has distorted U.S. energy markets and made investors very hesitant about putting their money into renewables - a situation which pleases the fossil fuel & nuclear cartels to no end.

Hence, the U.S., on energy, is running with cartel capitalism - not with competitive free market approaches - and should itself be subject to severe WTO penalties for such blatant market manipulation.

~~~~~~~~
I suppose Networkers,

(bad pun warning!)

we shall have to wait and see which way the wind blows.

Further reading:
NYT articles based on search query
Wind Power

Related articles

• U.S. Says China Fund Breaks Rules (nytimes.com)
• Obama administration files WTO complaint against China over wind power subsidies (latimesblogs.latimes.com)
• U.S. challenges China wind power aid at WTO (reuters.com)
• China defends wind power policies against U.S. complaint (reuters.com)
• US accuses China of illegally subsidising wind power manufacture (guardian.co.uk)
• China says wind, solar subsidies WTO compliant. (hosted2.ap.org)
• US: China's Clean Energy Subsidies Violate WTO Agreements (environmentalleader.com)
• China says wind, solar subsidies WTO compliant (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• China moves to defuse trade row with US over green technology (guardian.co.uk)
• US Takes Trade Action Against China on Wind (spectrum.ieee.org)

Foreign investment in Australia

Graph from  here

Overseas/Foreign investment has been a factor in Australian economic history since white settlement began.  However, foreign investment in Australia is occurring in a different context from very before: globalisation; sovereign wealth funds; burgeoning markets; free trade across the world; transitioning empires on the Pacific Rim; and a high Aussie $.

Graph from here

I intend this post to become a Post of Record.  I am kicking it off with links to comment about foreign investment from China and Spain.  Networkers, if you wish to contribute to this record, please forward information to misseaglesnetwork(at)gmail(dot)com.

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CANADA

Intoll takeover wins FIRB approval

CHINA

China continues strong investment in Australia (Lateline TV Clip)

SPAIN

$600m takeover bid launched for Sunrice (Lateline TV Clip)

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Stock of Foreign Investment in Australia by Country, 2009¹ 

Table (converted to .jpeg) from here.

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Related reading:
Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) website
World Investment Report Division on Investment & Enterprise -
United Nations Conference on Trade & Development (UNCTAD) website
Foreign investment in and out of Australia latest data 

Foreign investment in Australia and China - Lowy Institute

Foreign direct investment fact sheet

Foreign investment and the Australia United States Free Trade Agreement

Foreign Investment: Is Australia's Tax Appeal for Private Equity Players Now Under Threat?

Key developments in Australia's foreign investment regulations in 2009 and the outlook for 2010

Changes to Australia's foreign investment policy - the impact on resources plays

Reserve Bank of Australia - Bulletin - 2010 September quarter

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Please help Miss Eagle to keep this Post of Record

up-to-date and relevant

by sending fresh and appropriate material to

misseaglesnetwork(at)gmail(dot)com

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Related articles

• CHRONOLOGY-Sovereign wealth funds and their developments (reuters.com)
• China to ease restrictions on foreign investment (reuters.com)
• India Just Broke Its Record For Most Foreign Investment In A Single Year (EPI, PIN) (businessinsider.com)
• Chinese state investment 'not welcome' (news.theage.com.au)
• Aust investment in China low (news.theage.com.au)
• Australia's Swan Highlights Intervention Risk on Dollar Parity (businessweek.com)
• Japan Considers Stimulus, Wealth Fund (online.wsj.com)
• Get ready to lift interest rates: IMF (news.theage.com.au)

Chinese investment in Australia: will future interests conflict?

Picture from here

It ill behoves me to draw attention to statements by a former economic adviser to George W. Bush.  But here you are, Networkers.

I am not one to get nervous or up-tight about foreign investment in Australia.  We whitefellas took over lock, stock, and economic barrel and didn't go away - so howzat for foreign investment!  

However, we Anglo-Celts and those who don't mind living with us dominate.  Some of us would like to keep our autonomy and self-determination (yeah, I know, we are not good at allowing the same processes to the First Nations but I'm fighting for that, too).  

Trouble is that I don't have a lot of confidence in Australian assertiveness in foreign relations.  We like to big note ourselves as tilters at authority - but we are not, you know. 

Someone once wrote - it might have been Sol Encel who did a lot of good stuff on Australians and authority - that in Australia anyone in a blue hat can direct the traffic.  Ever noticed that?  If there is need and someone just gets out and starts directing people, we follow.  

As a nation, we are great forelock tuggers.  First of all, we tugged it to England and Empire. And many still do.  For the past sixty years or so we have been tugging it to the USA and have become part of its Empire. I think if a referendum was held to-morrow for Australia to become the 51st state of the USA instead of just a colony, the proposal would get up.  

But now China is the emerging imperial power - and it is buying into Australia, just as England and the USA have done in the past.  But times they are a'changing.  China has a lot of mouths to feed.  China is not a democracy.  With England and the USA, we had distinct ethnic and language ties.  Except for the increasing number of Chinese Australians who are still a minority and a long intertwining of history , we don't have the same common heritage.

My concern is how assertive Australian governments and corporations are prepared to be on behalf of their own people, their own nation. 

For instance, in the matter of Food Security:  

Food Security, because of population growth and global warming, is set to become an issue even in a prosperous country like Australia.  There is considerable Chinese investment in agricultural holdings in Australia.  If we have need in this country and China has need in its country, will China still be allowed to export its Australian-grown and manufactured food to its homeland from Australia?  This is what bothers me.  

Are we able to withstand the blandishment of the renminbi.  For example, take the ritual courting movements of Rio Tinto and China in the last year or two - and it managed to continue while Rio's executives were languishing in prison on corruption charges!

On the Liverpool Plains in NSW, where landowners in one of Australia's richest foodbowls have been doing battle against miners, the intruders have not only been our own BHP Billiton but Shenhua.  These resource buccaneers claim they are only exploring - but this is not true.  These titans are very sure they will hit pay-dirt and then more of our beautiful food-producing landscape will succumb to the unsightliness and horribleness of the open-cut pit mine.

In this post-election period, there has been much discussion on the topic of transparency.  I would like to see transparency in the matter of our foreign relations - both from our government but also from business. I want to see government and business taking their roles as Australians seriously.  I want to know that Australian governments and corporations are not on sale to the highest bidder.  I want to know that Australians come first with them - even above the almighty dollar and yuan.  I want to know that the needs of this nation and its people will be given the highest priority by its government and its corporations.

In short, I don't want to see kow-towing and obsequity.

Further reading:

Chinese investment in Australia - Laurenceson

The changing global financial environment - Lowy Institute 

CSR tops list for Chinese investors

China's investments in Australia

Chinese investment in Australia

Chinese investments in Australian resources