The Bakhtiyari family is from Afghanistan, but the government plans to
deport them to Pakistan.

Roqia’s brother Mazher Ali was forcibly returned to the Pakistani city of
Quetta in July 2003. He was jailed for having false documents and forced to bribe his way out.

Ali came to Australia in 2001 and was found to be a refugee and granted a temporary visa. Roqia and the children arrived almost a year later and had their claims rejected.

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Public pressure continues to mount against the Bounty Gas project with Greens MP Sylvia Hale visiting the area tomorrow. Locals are concerned that the project will have no benefits for the community and will have many detrimental environmental effects.

Ms Hale will visit the area with Greens candidate for Shortland, Bob Phillips, as well as concerned members of the community and representatives from the Central Coast Community Environment Network.

“The community has asked me to visit the area because there are no perceived benefits for the local people, and there are many serious environmental concerns that have not been addressed,” Ms Hale said.

“There has still been no independent Environmental Impact Statement conducted. Bounty Oil and Gas and their hand picked consultants so far have conducted all environmental studies.

“The limited studies paint a picture of unacceptable environmental damage.

“There are many specific environmental impacts including heavy metal and toxic chemical water pollution that will result from the project.

“An industrial accident could have catastrophic environmental consequences,” Ms Hale said.

Greens candidate for Shortland, Bob Phillips said that the community was being sold out by the project.

“We can’t see any benefits for the Central Coast,” Mr Phillips said.

“Any jobs that the project creates will be highly specialised. Because there are no other similar projects in the area, employees will be shipped in from outside the Central Coast.

“What’s more, the Central Coast misses out on the economic benefits because the federal government will receive all the royalties from the project.

“Before any drilling begins, we need to be certain that that the oil and gas project won’t have detrimental effects on the community or the environment,” Mr Phillips said.

“The Bounty Oil and Gas project is subsidised through the federal Government’s 150% tax rebate for petroleum exploration.

“The Greens want to see fossil fuel rebates scrapped in favour of investments and research in the renewable energy sector,” Mr Phillips said.

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While most of Australia cranks up the festive spending and looks forward to celebrating Christmas with family feasts in air-conditioned comfort, one section of the community is resorting to hunger strikes and rooftop protests in order that their plight be recognised.

Newcastle Greens and other concerned people will honour the plight of these people and all the other asylum seekers, including one hundred children still detained by the Australian government, in a vigil in Civic Park this Thursday 16 December from 4.30pm - 6.30 pm.

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What would make you climb onto a metal roof in the summer in Port Augusta and go on a hunger strike? You’d have to be nuts - or a victim of Australian policy on those seeking asylum from a place like Iran, a place our leaders regard as part of the Axis of Evil, where they don’t have democracy like we do. But then we have Baxter and other places like it. Merry Christmas, Australia.

Published in The Herald
Letters, December 15 2004

Genetically modified organisms are being imported into the Port of Newcastle. This includes feed for chickens that are consumed by our local residents.

Scientists do not know the longterm effects of genetic engineering and yet the government does not act in our interests in allowing the spread of GE material to continue.

Newcastle residents have come together to raise the issues of GE and its effects in our community. The Newcastle Residents Against Genetic Engineering (NRAGE) meet regularly at the Octapod (corner of Auckland and King Streets in Newcastle).

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