Fracking exclusion zones
STEPHANIE Hill’s letter “Fracking facts show cracks” in the February 3 Katherine Times stated that June Tapp was being “very naughty” with misinformation in an earlier letter, in addition to also suggesting that Mrs Tapp should stick to the facts if she wished to keep her credibility.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Mrs Tapp was asked whether she knew the Member for Katherine, Willem Westra van Holthe, was part of the Giles-led Country Liberal Party government.
I am certain Mrs Tapp was aware of this.
She would also know that, after his midnight coup a year ago, the Member for Katherine declared himself to be the “chief minister apparent” – but only for a few hours, because Chief Minister Adam Giles refused to step aside.
Nowhere in Mrs Tapp’s letter was there any suggestion that Mr Westra van Holthe's views were contrary to those of his government.
Mrs Hill is misleading the public.
To clear the matter up, Katherine is still a town that has residential and rural residential blocks within its municipal boundaries.
Katherine Town Council has applied for the entire municipality to be designated a fracking exclusion zone, however, as of mid-January, this had not happened.
The council has assured community members that the matter would be discussed Department of Mines and Energy chief executive officer Ron Kelly in February.
It is rather ironic to consider that the entire Coomalie local government area has been designated a fracking exclusion zone, following an application that was lodged after a similar application was submitted for the Katherine municipality.
While the Member of the Legislative Assembly for the Coomalie region is the Environment Minister, it is interesting to speculate on the fact that Mr Westra van Holthe holds a higher position in the government, yet Katherine has still not had its application approved.
It is a pity that Katherine and the Coomalie region cannot swap MLAs for awhile.
Bruce Francais, Katherine
STEPHANIE Hill has deliberately changed the main and only point of my letter.
The point of the letter was that Willem Westra van Holthe does not support Katherine Town Council, which has, on behalf of the people of Katherine, asked that no fracking takes place on any land within the municipal boundary.
Mrs Hill’s attempt to muddy the water in support of fracking can be cleared up immediately by the Member for Katherine stating publicly that the official policy of the Country Liberal Party is a complete ban on all fracking within Katherine municipal boundaries and those of other councils across the Northern Territory.
June Tapp, Katherine
Where are the dozers?
IF THE government is now making a move on the ruined unit block that keeps attracting firebugs, it must be almost time for an election.
According to your paper, Housing Minister Bess Price has said a decision on the Katherine South disgrace will be announced “very soon” but, reading between the lines, it looks as though she and her colleagues would have been prepared to ignore the problem for another four years had your reporter not rattled her cage.
Anyone who has lived in Katherine for any period of time knows the ridiculous history behind the unit block.
None of them, though, can explain why it has sat there for as long as it has.
If the government had done its job and bulldozed the problem years ago, there might have been a few people living in new public housing on the site that would have been prepared to vote for the Country Liberal Party.
The burnt-out property is an accurate representation of the government which refused to do something about it.
