Groundwater: out of sight, not out of mind: @molessarah reports

By Sarah Moles Very wise people have said some crucially important things about water. For me, Leonardo Da Vinci summed it up best with: “Water is the driving force of all nature”.  W.H. Auden comes a close second: “Thousands have lived without love, not one without water.”   Given its essential place in supporting life, […]

Conflicts of interest, Tara data and baseline studies: Katherine Marchment reports

[clear] By Katherine Marchment CSG is suspected to have negative impacts on the environment (water, air and soil), as well as economically and on human and animal health. The information that can be accessed about this is too abundant for one article. Therefore, for the purposes of this article, I will concentrate only on the […]

Emerging democracy and the No Fibs Vision: @stephaniedale22 reports

By Stephanie Dale No Fibs – we’re a citizen journalism experiment emboldened by the success of our coverage in the 2013 federal election campaign. And we’re turning our attentions to the robust CSG movement that has emerged along Australia’s east coast. It’s true. We’re upstarts, punching above our weight. During the recent election we had […]

New No Fibs citizen journalism project: The CSG social movement

By Margo Kingston 7 October 2013 I knew I wanted to do journalism differently after experiencing the disconnect between the reality on the ground and the closed world of insider political reporting while covering Pauline Hanson’s 1998 election campaign. My idea was to live in the north western NSW town of Bourke to report rural and […]

Latte-sipping city slicker @VanBadham gives thanks for rural independents and sees a new dawn for values in politics

By Van Badham  August 27, 2013 The tactical employment of demeaning stereotypes has always been popular in the Australian political discourse.  Just lump together some universally loathed behaviours – like vanity, self-indulgence or entitlement – dress them as communities you’re trying to discredit, and parade them like carnival villains. “Union thugs”, anybody? “Feminazis”?  “People smugglers”? “Asylum […]

Macarthur candidates forum an eye opener: @LisaKremmer reports

By Lisa Kremmer @LisaKremmer 26 August 2013 On Wednesday 21st August I attended a candidates forum organised by a local Murdoch newspaper.  Most candidates for the Macarthur and Werriwa electorates were present.  It was an eye opener, that’s for sure. I came away with great dismay over what I had witnessed.  It wasn’t just the answers […]

Food and agriculture debated by Labor and Greens in Wills: @takvera reports

By John Englart 25 August 2013 Discussing Food and agriculture policy may seem a little bit incongruent in an inner urban electorate, but the forum held in Wills at the Coburg Farmers market on Saturday highlights that city people are concerned with farming and agricultural practices that affect everyone from farmers to city consumers. The […]

ALP hands off in Macarthur: @LisaKremmer reports

By Lisa Kremmer @LisaKremmer 22 August 2013 Having the opportunity to write about the election from the comfort of my backyard has been an interesting experience for a number of reasons.  For one, it’s given me some insight into the people who live here, they are after all the voters who will help decide the outcome.  […]

Who locks the gate in a state forest? by Pilliga reporter Iris Ray Nunn

  By Iris Ray Nunn “We could make some money out of this pipeline Quincy.” This is what Narrabri grazier David Quince's neighbour said to him back in 2010. The neighbour had been visited by a consultant for Eastern Star Gas. The company chairman at the time was former deputy Prime Minister John Anderson. In November […]

#CSG – a statement of sovereignty by Pilliga reporter Iris Ray Nunn

  By Iris Ray Nunn I believe the most important issue emerging from the coal seam gas invasion is not necessarily the water, the air or the land as such, it is about changing the law of this land. Too long we have seen the law – that we are meant to obey and respect […]