Labor candidate for Bega, Wilma Chinnock has welcomed the NSW Governments simple and inexpensive process for resolving tree disputes between neighbours.
“In my doorknocking throughout the electorate, it is amazing how many people comment on the problem they are having with trees on adjoining properties”
The new laws allow a household facing damage or potential injury from a neighbour’s tree to apply for special orders to have the problem fixed quickly.
“in the majority of cases that I have seen whilst talking with residents, it will be an elderly person who lives alongside a vacant piece of land or a holiday home. Generally the overhanging tree sheds its leaves and branches into their gutter and this poses a real fire threat and rusts the guttering. This can be very difficult for the elderly person to overcome”
The application must be made in writing. Application forms can be accessed online at www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/lec, or by calling 9228 8388
There is an application fee of $173 for individuals and $346 for corporations.
“I will have information about this initiative with me when I am doorknocking and I feel certain that this simple and relatively inexpensive process for resolving disputes will be appreciated by many residents who have had ongoing problems with trees on adjoining properties.”
Labor candidate for Bega, Ms Wilma Chinnock, has described the latest CSIRO analysis of the effects of Climate Change as “frightening reading that must make everyone sit up and take notice starting with the Prime Minister”.
“the NSW Labor government has a target of 15% renewable energy by 2020 and a 60% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. There is absolutely no reason why John Howard cannot commit to the same targets and also sign the Kyoto Protocol”
“its time that the Prime Minister committed to reaching the targets that have been set in NSW to combat climate change”
“I join with the Premier, Morris Iemma in calling for the Prime Minister to show national leadership and convene a climate change summit. This goes beyond party politics. We need a national plan.”
“John Howard must also adopt the emissions trading scheme that NSW is committed to”
The CSIRO report comes at a time when leading researchers are making a huge exodus from Australia due to the absence of adequate Federal funding for research.
“This not only takes the high quality researchers away from Australia but also their important technology. If we kept these researchers in Australia we would have an industry that would create thousands of jobs and a future for our children”
“The Federal government is sitting on a massive surplus of money which it should be using for nation building instead of buying votes. With the correct investment there can be a clean energy industry in Australia that would produce enough power for the whole of Australia. With adequate research this solar industry can find ways of producing power cheaply enough to compete with the coal powered production of electricity”
Scientists have revealed that there is enough solar energy falling on Australia in one summers day that could be harvested and supply the entire energy needs of the world for 6 months.
“solar energy is a far richer resource for Australia than uranium or coal”
"all spending on education is an investment in our future" says the Labor candidate for Bega, Wilma Chinnock.
"I am delighted to hear the Federal Labor leader, Kevin Rudd, make a huge commitment to education"
We must not place all the emphasis on university education. Australia is facing a critical skills shortage and this highlights the need for more trade positions, vocational courses in schools and TAFE.
It is really important that the Federal Liberal Government stops giving the majority of its funds to the rich private schools in Sydney.
I will always fight for our fair share of funds. The taxpayer wants value for money!
Labor candidate for Bega, Wilma Chinnock, has met with the Minister for the Environment, Bob Debus, when he came to the South Coast Fire Command Centre in Bega on Thursday.
"What was really obvious is that the teams from the NSW Fire Services, National Parks, the local volunteer fire brigades and local bull dozer operators are working together really well and containing the fire that is burning out the back of Wadbilliga National Park"
"It is still a huge concern but the teams are well equipped, well trained, experienced and determined"
"A genuine thank you to every single person out there working to protect our region. The State Labor Government is determined that every person is fully equipped, trained and supported"
What a great organisation the Volunteer Coastal Patrol is. They are situated in just about every harbour around our coastline and are a vital link of protection for all sea going craft.
The Patrol boat at Narooma has been moored near the boardwalk on the northern side of the Narooma bridge.
Recently 2 adjacent berths have become available near the southern end of the Town Wharf and the Narooma RVCP has requested a berth there.
"If the Patrol boat can be moored at the Town Wharf, they can reduce the response time by 15 minutes and that could be the difference between life and death" Wilma said.
"I have written to the minister for Lands, Tony Kelly in full support of the request, and I have also asked that the berth be made available at minimum cost. This fantastic volunteer organisation has my full support"
Labor Candidate for Bega, Wilma Chinnock today welcomed news of progress towards the construction of the $17 million Pambula River Bridge
Tenders for the construction of the bridge have been called.
“ the closing date for Tenders has been extended by two weeks until 31 January because all the tenders requested the extension as a result of the shut down over the Christmas / New year period” Ms Chinnock said.
“the member for Bega has complained about this short extension but I think that all workers, even consultants should be allowed time off over Christmas to spend with their families. I think that the member for Bega is simply complaining for the sake of it. The extension was granted by both the State and Federal Government, so he should not be complaining about the State government.” Ms Chinnock said.
“I am particularly delighted that the new bridge and road approaches will be widened to provide safer passage for pedestrians and those on bicycles. I had made representations to the minister about this because in my door- knocking many residents had made mention of the need for all users of the road to be accommodated. This is a great win for all residents and users of the road.” said Ms Chinnock.
The NSW Government is investing $12 million in the construction of better road approaches and a new bridge over the Pambula river. The Federal Government is cntributing $5 million.
“The new bridge will reduce the problem of the road being cut off during flooding to beyond once in 100 year levels.”
“On top of this, work is nearly complete on the realignment of the southern approaches – part of the NSW Government’s $30 million Princes Highway Safety Package.
“This is a about improving the safety and reliability of this important stretch of highway. The Iemma Labor Government is heading in the right direction in improving rural and regional roads,” Ms Chinnock said.
“Particular thanks must go to the members of the Sapphire Coast branch of the ALP who have organised petitions about the bridge over many years. I then took this issue to the State Labor Conference and spoke on their behalf. I also recognise the hard work done by Member for Monaro, Steve Whan. This is a great demonstration of the benefits of having a voice directly to the State Labor government.
The completion of the project is expected to be mid to late 2008.”
There is no doubt that 2007 will be a big year for us all. I face the fight of my life in a State election campaign and no doubt you will have your own challenges.
The 5 Steps to Happiness recorded below, make a lot of sense:
1. Free your heart from hatred (learn to forgive)
2. Free your mind from worries (most never happen)
3. Live simply (appreciate what you have)
4. Give more (its better to see the joy on their face now)
5. Expect less (then anything you get is a bonus)
All the best for 2007. Make every day a good one!
Labor candidate for Bega, Ms Wilma Chinnock has welcomed the announcement by Premier Morris Iemma of mandatory renewable energy targets for NSW
These targets will slash greenhouse emissions and provide a major boost to the renewable energy sector," said Ms Chinnock
The new targets set by the NSW Labor Government mean that by law, 10% of electricity consumed in NSW by 2010 will have to come from renewable energy sources such as solar and wind. This figure will rise to 15% by 2020.
I have already signed up to Country Green Energy which costs us about $1.50 extra per week on our electricity bill. This encourages my energy provider to source power from wind and solar farms. However I believe that there should be incentives to change to green energy as many people on fixed incomes cannot afford even a small price rise.
Most people are overcome with the enormity of climate change and global warming. They think that their actions are so small that it will not make a difference. We have to start believing in the Power of One.
On our farm at Quaama we have just planted 3000 trees for carbon sequestration, wood products, oil and habitat and water catchment protection.
We cannot expect businesses and communities to make changes if we are not prepared to make them ourselves.
This is a significant step taken by the State Labor Government but climate change is an enormous problem and it is time that the Federal Government showed real leadership on this issue.
“I am calling upon the Howard government to get serious about climate change and sign the Kyoto Protocol now.
The Federal Government is sitting on a huge tax payer funded surplus. They should be investing in the future and renewable energy is a top priority.
Blessed are those who can laugh at themselves;
.....they will always have entertainment!
Over 40 people took the opportunity to inspect the historic home and cottage gardens of Robyn and Bob Herdegen at Quaama on the weekend.
In welcoming people to their homestead, Robyn Herdegen gave a short history of the home built by E.J. Tarlinton in 1894. Five of his descendants attended the event.
Robyn Herdegen took the opportunity to introduce her friend of 25 years, Labor candidate Wilma Chinnock who gave a talk on how individuals could move towards sustainability and lighten their footprint on the planet.
"Growing some of your own vegetables, and composting all of the garden and kitchen waste are a good start" said Ms Chinnock.
As a primary producer, Ms Chinnock has been successful in combating fireweed using Boar goats and she has recently planted 3000 trees on her property for wood products, oil and biomass production as well as water catchment and habitat protection.
"talk is cheap, particularly around election time. It is important to show a real commitment to the environment by how you live" said Ms Chinnock
"to solve a problem, we cannot employ the same thinking that created it"
Albert Einstein
Local beef producers, Greg and Wilma Chinnock of Quaama, believe that they have achieved a workable solution to the threat posed by fireweed. At the same time they have diversified their farm base and increased productivity. We believe that if farmers in the Bega Valley can get on top of fireweed, then there is great beef marketing potential for “fireweed free” beef .
We first discovered fireweed on our property about three years ago. It was in very small quantities and we felt that we could control it by hand picking and the odd bit of spraying on sites where there were multiple plants growing.
It soon became apparent though, that this would need to be a lifelong commitment. We are lucky, our neighbours are also vigilant about eradicating the weed. However our property is bounded by the Princes Highway and also two frequently used dirt roads, so it meant that we have to fight the incidence of seed blowing in and coming off transport vehicles. There was a high incidence of plants around dams, indicating that migratory birds also are carriers.
We could see many hours of backbreaking work ahead of us. Then we attended a field day organised by SCPA about Boer goats. The property had no fireweed at all even though it was surrounded by the weed in plague proportions. We decided to trial 6 goats on our 40 acre house paddock. Within a fortnight we could not find a fireweed plant anywhere in this paddock and decided then that we were on a winner.
Greg did some financial investigation on the cost of upgrading the fencing on the main farm paddocks with 6 strand hinge joint mesh. With a bit of lateral thinking, we decided to take the opportunity to put in some shelter belts of trees and some larger plantings of native forest plantation to make the best use of the newly renovated fences. With the acquisition of two stud Boer bucks and 8 more does, we ended up this season with 14 females and 24 kids.
The goats have been transferred to the larger parts of the farm but the same success story has been evident. Within a week their paddock has become fireweed free.
We still need to spend time checking the other paddocks that have not been goat proofed, but that is minor compared to the work we were doing in previous years. We have a planned program to upgrade the fencing so that very soon the goats will be able to be placed in every paddock.
Because we pull the majority of mature plants before the goats are introduced, we are confident that they have a low intake of toxins. They are typically placed in a paddock after it has been grazed by the cows so there is still a considerable variety of other feed for them to browse.
As well as eradicating the weed from our property, we have the added benefit of introducing an animal that has a ready market opportunity. Goat meat is in great demand as an export product as well as in gourmet restaurants. So we hope to diversify our farm output in the years ahead.
It is obvious to us that there is no single method of eradication. A combination of methods will have to be used, but as Einstein said “ to solve a problem, we can not employ the same thinking that created it”. We encourage local farmers to explore the goat option because it is certainly working for us, saves us time and money and is low impact on the environment.
"I am only one
But still I am one!
I cannot do everything
But still I can do something!
I will not refuse to do
The something that I can do"
Helen Keller 1880-1968
The Labor candidate for Bega, Ms Wilma Chinnock, has used Mental Health Week to put her full support behind the call from community groups for the co location of psychiatric facilities in the new $100 million Bega Valley Shire Hospital.
"I congratulate the mental health staff who serve the shire and do a great job in less than impressive facilities. I attended the Mental Health Forum at the Bega RSL a few months ago and found it to be very informative. "
"It is absolutely essential that the new hospital has the facilities and staff to provide for early intervention, support, crisis accommodation and treatment of mental health issues "
"If a patient presents themselves to a hospital emergency ward when they need urgent help, then it makes common sense to have the staff and facilities on site to immediately deal with the situation. It has been shown that improving the access to psychiatric and mental health services will reduce the severity and length of the illness. "
"There are also improved outcomes if people receive treatment for mental illness within their own community rather than in an isolated psychiatric institution, so once again with a growing population there is a need to have the facilities here in the Bega Valley "
"I am particularly concerned about the high incidence of depression and anxiety amongst young people. Improving young people's mental health must be a priority "
"In the 25 years that I have been teaching young adults, I have seen that they often think that the future is hopeless and feel powerless in determining the direction that they can go. This is where preventative initiatives must come in. "
"We each must learn the signs that could indicate the onset of a problem. These include feeling down, worthless, tired and irritable, hopeless, angry or suicidal, for more than a few days. Other signs include finding it hard to sleep or concentrate, failing to enjoy things that you normally like, difficulties with eating regularly and being unable to control mood swings. "
"The message is very clear: urge them to get help early.
We all have to learn how to cope with stress in a positive way and also how to recognise and manage depression. In Australia, depression ranks fourth in terms of disease incidence behind heart disease, cancer and stroke.
There is no doubt that there is a sense of uncertainty with job insecurity, financial pressures, global warming and the ongoing threat of terrorism. So it is important to plan time for stress –less or stress – reducing activities such as exercise and positive community involvement.
I am committed to assisting people with mental illness get help where and when they need it most. Mental Health is as important as physical health so we need to promote it, reduce the discrimination against those working their way through it and most importantly set up the structures locally that can assist people right here in the Bega valley.
Some valuable contacts can be found in Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, Lifeline on 131114 and the Mental Health Referral Service on 1800 674 200.
 - ALP Candidate Wilma Chinnock discussing the issues with Julie Davies, President of the Cobargo Public School P and C.
A kind word to someone who is struggling is worth more than a million congratulations when he succeeds.
On September 1st, the Australian Labor Party endorsed Wilma Chinnock of Quaama, as their candidate, for the electorate of Bega.
Wilma has committed herself to sweep away wedge politics and the total negativity that has dominated the electorate for the past 3 years.
Voters will have a clear choice at the next State election due to be held in March 2007. They can vote Liberal and have someone sitting on the oppostion back bench whinging and complaining for the next 4 years. Or they can vote Labor and have a positive and powerful voice in the government.
If the NSW Liberals were to win government in NSW, they would hand over our industrial relations system to John Howard. That would be a green light for employers to reduce pay and conditions.
The Liberal party has promised to axe 29 000 public service jobs. This would have a devastating affect on the services provided throughout the electorate of Bega and would indirectly affect police, nurses, teachers and personnel in departmental offices.
As the ALP candidate in the 2003 election, Wilma Chinnock worked hard and achieved a swing of 3.2% which was 6 times the state average.
Ms Chinnock is presently employed as the Head of Mathematics, Science and Agriculture at the Bega Valley Christian College. She is highly qualified holding degrees in Mathematics, Psychology, Social Work and Education. She also has extensive political experience and has represented the electorate on over 10 occasions to State and Country Conferences of the ALP.
A highlight of her recent community work was the success of the lobby group Operation New Hospital, of which Wilma is a member, in lobbying for the $100 million hospital for the Bega Valley
Shire.
We have 100 million reasons to vote Labor, and that means voting for Wilma Chinnock at the next state election
Why not volunteer your support to getting Wilma elected? She is someone who is really interested in fixing the problems and getting some practical solutions for our community?
After attending the public meeting at the Merimbula RSL on Monday 28th August, I realize why political commentators conclude that the Liberal party has no chance of winning the state election in 2007.
John Turner, Liberal shadow minister for local government, was less than impressive. He admitted to the meeting that he had only a mediocre awareness of local issues. He had only glanced at the extensive Operational Review of the BVSC that afternoon. In simple English, he was totally unprepared for the meeting.
Thankfully many members of the audience had read the document and were well informed. Some spoke enthusiastically about retaining rate pegging, something that the Liberals are thinking of abolishing. The Liberal shadow minister wallowed in motherhood statements about independent boards making decisions about rate pegging, freed from the influences of politicians. The Liberal shadow minister had to admit that the proposals he was doing a very bad job of explaining, were in fact a “work in progress” so no detail was available.
Liberal shadow minister, John Turner criticised the Local Government act. However later in the meeting he admitted that it had been brought in by the Liberal government years ago and they were only now were realising that it had “unforseen consequences”.
John Turner made some seemingly generous promises of funding for timber bridges and water and sewerage projects. Generous it seemed until the figure is spread out over 134 councils throughout NSW. In fact the Liberals’ offer is a drop in the ocean compared to the $25 million that the NSW State Labor Government has granted to the Bega Valley alone, for its recent sewerage upgrade.
At the conclusion of the meeting we were asked to vote on three resolutions. The vote for the first resolution revealed an almost equal divide and the Liberal member for Bega could hardly hide his surprise and consternation. I would have thought that in the interest of democracy and accuracy a hand count would have been the appropriate action to take at this time. But alas, no! It was declared passed anyway.
What we are going to get for our rates each year is an important issue. The ratepayers of this shire deserve better than what was served up by the Liberal shadow minister and Liberal member for Bega on Monday night.
Wilma Chinnock
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