Ernie Bennett betrays the Clarence in an act of bastardry

Ernie Bennett, recently unsuccessful Federal Nationals pre-selection candidate and mayor of the Kyogle local government area which would only boast around 4,000 resident souls on a good day [kyogleweb.com.au,15 August 2007], has just betrayed the entire Clarence River system catchment area and the estimated 113,000 people who depend on it for water security.

 

Mr. Bennett met with Malcolm Turnbull, Federal Minister for Environment and Water Resources, and invited that gentleman to go forward with his plans to further investigate water diversion from or within NSW Northern Rivers catchment areas.

 

He appears somewhat naively to think that simply telling Mr. Turnbull that no-one wants a dam on the Clarence River and, that he, Ernie Bennett would like to see the Federal Government involved in the formation of an unspecified regional water plan, will actually result in a good outcome for everyone [The Daily Examiner,Grafton,"NOROC tells Turnbull - 'hands off the Clarence",p.5]. 

 

At this stage it is unclear whether the constituent councils of the Northern Rivers Regional Organisation of Councils (NOROC) had passed any resolution endorsing either Ernie Bennett's invitation on behalf of NOROC or his integrated regional water plan and Federal Government involvement in planning such a scheme. 

 

In an effort to ingratiate himself with the Federal Liberal Party and Nationals, Mr. Bennett has perpetrated an act of pure bastardry which will see Messrs. Howard and Turnbull push even harder to steal Clarence catchment freshwater.