[Kharon]

You have to wonder, don't you.   But it is I believe becoming very clear that whatever plans were made and whoever hatched them never, not ever contemplated those plans being 'investigated'.  If and it's a big IF, Bill Heffernan decides he is going to have the lid off this can of worms, there is a good chance of someone landing in serious bother.

It seems to be a hellish, untested legal stew; the Archerfield crew seem to have done some brilliant homework and provided some real head-scratchers for the AAAT presidents to grapple with.  Can't see Bankstown being any different.  But time; time is the killer. No idea how long it would take to mount a Senate inquiry, start the various agencies involved on the investigation; trail; get some semblance of a case to be heard (if any) ; then the whole thing has to get through the tortured, expensive procedure of an inquiry.  Then it's all got to be tested and proven and argued and ruled on.  How long has the Archerfield dust up dragged on now? – with no result.

The little birds will have long since flown to coop by the time any form of inquiry is mounted; the only real hope is in the stage which follows the Master Plan approval; this invokes the terms of lease which, in short, say, that once an airport – always an airport – and evermore shall be so. Amen.

Lots will depend on the inimitable Heff being able to defeat the inscrutable mandarins; those who gave green lights and, what I hope are false promises to those who seek to replace aerodromes with gods know what – in search of even more profit.

[thorn bird]

Airports - get 'em while they're hot.

Well, well, well, t'would seem the skullduggery rumours certainly have been germinating; for quite a while now the name Bob Ell has been whizzing about the Bankstown grapevine, story is said to emanate from BAL; -go figure .  So Just who is this Bob Ell??  Start with -THIS - from 2013.

"BRW Rich Lister Bob Ell is set to buy a prime industrial property in Sydney’s south-west as the market for A-grade industrial assets heats up. The 34-hectare site on the corner of Milperra Road and Henry Lawson Drive is near Bankstown airport and two kilometres from the M5 Motorway.

Ell’s company Leda Holdings now has a pipeline of industrial developments and investments of about $650 million. A Leda spokesman says demand is steady for prime industrial property along the M5 and M7 Motorways.

“Land in Sydney’s south-west and off that M5 corridor is not plentiful, there’s not a lot of land out there," the spokesman says. “Even in the Eastern Creek precinct the land is drying up. There’s not a shortage by a long shot but there’s certainly not going to be an oversupply in the future."

The purchase, for an estimated $25 million, hinges on a lengthy development approval process with the federal government, owing to the site’s proximity to Bankstown airport.

The purchase, for an estimated $25 million, hinges on a lengthy development approval process with the federal government, owing to the site’s proximity to Bankstown airport. Ell hopes to build an industrial park that will house a mix of large industrial users, retail showrooms and bulky goods centres".

Hmm?? $25 Mil for almost a quarter of the airport?? Cheap at half the price!! and you'll note, no mention that its actually "AIRPORT" land......

  More from The Monthly - HERE - 

In December 2005, when I was advising premier Iemma, I received a phone call from NSW ALP secretary Mark Arbib. Arbib told me that Bob Ell, of Leda Holdings, was a significant donor to Labor’s coffers and had a problem with his development proposal on the far-north coast. Arbib asked me to look into it. I reluctantly agreed to do so, but was startled when the very next day Ell rang me directly, having obtained my number from Arbib. Ell’s opening gambit was to declare that it was actually Arbib who wanted me to be informed about his issue. He clearly believed he had influence because of his generosity to Labor. I made no promises other than to review the case to ensure it was being handled properly.

Such behaviour was part of a pattern. For example, in his book The Fog on the Hill, Sartor recounts how Ell doggedly pursued a political campaign over five years to overturn a sound planning decision in the Illawarra region to his own advantage as a landowner. This was the culture inside which Obeid and Macdonald allegedly thrived, to the point that only voters could end the corruption at the core of NSW Labor, reducing the party to a parliamentary rump in 2011.

Well, well, well, a property developer and a political "DONOR" to boot.

And it would seem an environmental vandal as well.

Two years after the Tweed’s biggest developer admitted to ‘accidentally’ clearing a huge swathe of protected bushland in the Cudgen Nature Reserve next to its massive Kings Forest township development, the state government has moved again to prosecute the company.

The NSW environment department yesterday said proceedings in the longrunning case against a Leda Group company for damaging reserve land next to its subdivision for 4,500 homes on the Tweed coast in March 2011 had begun in the NSW Land and Environment Court.

In her speech to parliament on the 2011 incident, Ms Faehrmann said she noted that the former Labor government ‘also saw fit to approve the Kings Forest development despite the developer having a history of illegal vegetation clearing’.

‘On 9 November 2007 Gold Coast City Council secured orders in the Queensland Planning and Environment Court compelling companies owned by Bob Ell to revegetate land that had been illegally cleared in November and December 2006 at Pimpama, Queensland.
‘The court judged that Leda Developments Pty Ltd and Leda Developments No 2 Pty Ltd had cleared major portions of a holding of about 100 hectares without the relevant development permits from the council.

‘As well as the recorded conviction for illegal clearing, Bob Ell has a reputation for getting away with many other instances of native vegetation clearing and habitat destruction.

And a political "DONOR"

The property tycoon behind the Tweed’s two biggest ever housing developments tried to buy favours of the state government and the local shire council by making large donations to political parties and campaigns, the NSW Supreme Court in Sydney has been told.

Tom Molomby, SC, who is defending Tweed councillor Katie Milne in a defamation case brought against her by billionaire property developer Bob Ell, told the court last week the list of donations included $11,000 to former planning minister Frank Sartor in 2003, before he was in office.
The list also revealed that Mr Ell paid for several expensive dinners, costing between $2,000 to $5,000, with Mr Sartor when he was minister for planning as well as then premier Morris Iemma and ministers Joe Tripodi and David Campbell between 2003 and 2006.

Mr Ell’s Leda property group has state government approval for the development of the townships of Kings Forest on the Tweed coast and Cobaki near the NSW-Queensland border, both for around 10,000 homes.

Mr Molomby also told the court that in October 2005 Mr Ell donated $110,000 to the NSW Labor Party, prior to lodging the Kings Forest application with the state government, which gave him access to then premier Bob Carr and various ministers.

Two months later, in December 2005, Mr Ell sent Mr Sartor, then planning minister, a letter.
The court was told that other recipients of Mr Ell’s largesse included an election campaign under the banner ‘Tweed Directions’, which bankrolled a group of pro-development councillors in the council election of 2004 to the tune of $80,000.

Mr Molomby told Justice McCallum that the ‘vast bulk of donations’ to Tweed Directions was made by Ell’s company Leda Holdings Pty Ltd, which was involved in the two Tweed developments.

Mr Molomby also presented the court with a list of donations between October 2005 and December 2007 made by companies owned or co-owned by Mr Ell.

Here [Mr Ell] is, a month after his regional manager has written seeking to have his site declared state significant, saying he was “very surprised” to hear that the minister hadn’t already heard of his application,’ Mr Molomby told the court, according to the SMH report.

‘He then encloses documents directly to the minister… documents that formed part of the application. That’s part of the expectations that he had, having engaged in the donation activity, including $100,000.

Could he be also described as a Bully  - as well as

‘To give a flavour of his reputation, Anne Davies described Bob Ell as having a “reputation as a tough developer, unafraid of litigation” in an article headed “Development yields nothing but a crop of litigation” published in the Sydney Morning Herald on 8 November 2004. In the same article, Leda’s manager of residential development, Reg Van Rij, is quoted as saying that “Bob Ell has deep pockets, a stubborn personality and a litigious nature”.

‘Ell and Leda have sought to silence critics with threats of defamation. Leda recently supplied a 74 page dossier to local media with details of people they consider to be hurdles to their developments, including local ecologists and councillors.

‘The dossier has not been made public, other than by selected quotes in the Tweed Daily News of 27 October 2011. However, it is understood that some people have been targeted simply because they made submissions to public consultation processes.

‘Is this latest clearing a repeat offence? Is it an example of a developer clearing vegetation from public land with the highest level of conservation protection confident that it can persuade and intimidate the authorities into bestowing retrospective approval should they be challenged?
‘Is it another example of a developer treating the risk of litigation in Australia’s various land and environment courts as just another cost of doing business?

‘If it does transpire that this clearing is a repeat offence then the most severe penalty available should be imposed.

‘It should be a penalty that acts as a serious deterrent for a wealthy developer and not one that can be written off as just another cost of doing business.

Keeping good company !

PROPERTY developer Bob Ell is one of the many Sydney identities who had dealings with slain businessman Michael McGurk.

But unlike others, such as property developer Ron Medich, who had a falling out with McGurk - Mr Ell kept in contact with Mr McGurk until his last few days, even dining with him the day before he was murdered.

It was Mr Ell, a former carpenter turned billionaire property developer, who stepped forward to put up $100,000 bail in April as surety for Mr McGurk.

Mr Ell acted after Mr Medich withdrew his surety for Mr McGurk, whose charges of firebombing and assault were later dropped.

Mr Ell made it on to the BRW Rich List in 2006 with reported wealth of $1 billion and is the director of a slew of companies, the best-known being the Leda Group of companies.
The criminal courts where the surety was lodged are located at a different end of the Sydney CBD and not the place Mr Ell's lawyers usually frequent.

This is not to say Mr Ell's various property deals aren't controversial and don't end up in the civil courts. One of his employees at Leda was quoted in 2004 as saying: "Bob Ell has deep pockets and a stubborn personality."

Leda Developments was dragged into a NSW Supreme Court case when it was said to have bought a swathe of land on the NSW far north coast worth $25-$30 million for $8.7m in 2002 to help a Japanese company put the land out of reach of its creditors.

Rather vindictive sort of bloke it would seem from this piece:-

BILLIONAIRE developer Bob Ell brought a defamation case against Tweed Councillor Katie Milne "to rid himself of a pesky councillor by bankrupting her," the Sydney Supreme Court has heard.

Mr Ell claims he has been "gravely injured" by a letter penned by Ms Milne which linked him to murdered Sydney businessman Michael McGurk and made reference to his donations to politicians.

"One of his employees at Leda was quoted in 2004 as saying: "Bob Ell has deep pockets and a stubborn personality."

Leda Developments was dragged into a NSW Supreme Court case when it was said to have bought a swathe of land on the NSW far north coast worth $25-$30 million for $8.7m in 2002 to help a Japanese company put the land out of reach of its creditors".

But, then again, they do say "You can't believe what you read in the press"; don't they?...

[P7_TOM]

Legal eagles and word weasels.

I just wonder how many of the wanabee property developers have actually had their word weasels and legal eagles read the Airports Acts 1996 - HERE – from the AP library; it is worth the time.  IF there is some real political will to keep aviation and it's infrastructure intact, out of developers hands, the Act may well provide the vehicle; it is explicit (depending on who reads it and how).

Anyway – dry as sticks unless you have an interest keeping flood plains where they need to be, asbestos out of the house and a marked aversion to two headed barking ducks or, children who glow in the dark.  

Handing over -

[thorn bird]

It is getting increasingly difficult not to imagine there has been a covert and concerted effort to influence both the political and bureaucratic entities charged with the oversight of how Australia's secondary airports are administered.

This manipulation has been going on for a long time, probably to when Australia's secondary airports were transferred into the clutches of development sharks.  I guess it was always going to be, just as CAsA will do what its charged to do, churn out regulations with no regard for the consequences of their regulation, development sharks will do what development sharks do, develop, with no regard for the consequences of their development. 

With CAsA the prime objective is power, and access to the Holy public trough, with developers the prime objective is the holy dollar.   Here's a vision for the poor civilian residents of the Bankstown, Holsworthy Chipping Norton area. 

An "Intermodal transport Hub", whatever that means, a grand vision of the previous Minister for Infrastructure.

Envision Freight trains from Port Botany bringing thousands of containers 24/7 to a sorting center. Thousands of semi trailers roaring through the suburbs 24/7. That is the concept.

Bankstown airport becomes a 24/7 Airfreight hub, reduced to a single runway, all other aviation excluded.

Imagine for a moment, all the Department of defense land at Holsworthy, Bankstown Airport, Warwick Farm, all "VACANT" undeveloped land then think on:

"BRW Rich Lister Bob Ell is set to buy a prime industrial property in Sydney’s south-west as the market for A-grade industrial assets heats up. The 34-hectare site on the corner of Milperra Road and Henry Lawson Drive is near Bankstown airport and two kilometres from the M5 Motorway."

"Ell’s company Leda Holdings now has a pipeline of industrial developments and investments of about $650 million. A Leda spokesman says demand is steady for prime industrial property along the M5 and M7 Motorways."

“Land in Sydney’s south-west and off that M5 corridor is not plentiful, there’s not a lot of land out there," the spokesman says. “Even in the Eastern Creek precinct the land is drying up. There’s not a shortage by a long shot but there’s certainly not going to be an oversupply in the future."

The purchase, for an estimated $25 million, hinges on a lengthy development approval process with the federal government, owing to the site’s proximity to Bankstown airport.

"The purchase, for an estimated $25 million, hinges on a lengthy development approval process with the federal government, owing to the site’s proximity to Bankstown airport. Ell hopes to build an industrial park that will house a mix of large industrial users, retail showrooms and bulky goods centres".

The Sharks circle.

Can a bunch of aviation enthusiasts stand a hope in hell of competing with the sort of money available to corrupt the political or bureaucratic process.   Not a snowballs chance in Hades.

This is Australia corruption does not exist!!

Yet a  "PAIN" associate who has been researching for this thread has received death threats......  ...(bad; seriously, silly move). 

It is passing strange that in the course of his investigations various government agencies have expressed outrage over the evidence of non compliance with the law, only to not wish to be involved a week later.  To quote our associate, its almost like "someone" is following me around with a very full brown paper bag.

Hmmm??  - I Wonder,  if the population surrounding Bankstown airport are aware that the airport is a "Certified" Toxic Waste Dump.

Who certified it as such?

Oh really? : an authorized environmental person. Was this person employed by BAL?

Did he use a Commonwealth Government letter head to write the approval?

Was he game to actually sign that approval?

Was this person qualified and authorized to declare a flood plain a TOXIC waste dump?

Well I guess the answers to these questions is academic, depends how much money was paid to and to whom, I guess....

[Kharon]

Wow;

There is whisper, which if true and handled properly, by the grown ups, suggests there is quite a story brewing related to the airport approved to have a toxic waste dump built on a flood plane. We will have to wait (alas) a little while before getting to the nitty-gritty of the this extraordinary tale.   Without getting into the deep, dark details (just yet) I believe there are going to be some difficult questions asked; those questions are best asked under parliamentary privilege.

One question which may safely be pondered is the mystery of the moved NDB (radio beacon) at Bankstown airport.  Go back a while to where the scandal of an ASA director resigned, under a cloud rumoured to be tinged with both sexual and credit card scandal first was mooted.  It was all very neatly hushed up of course but left a broken man and a promoted woman in it's wake; one of the alleged unspoken reasons for that resignation was the movement of the  NDB. Moved some 200 feet, without official sanction or funding and as you may see, no simple task -  moved to accommodate – what?  we wonder. 

That boys and girls is this weeks brain teaser.   Perhaps after estimates a few more clues will be available; perhaps not.  Money moves in mysterious ways..

Toot toot...... ....

[Kharon]

High risk business.


The NDB mystery is a mere Bagatelle.  What a tangle, it must be one, if not the greatest legal nightmares in history.  The vexed question – Who's land is Bankstown airport?.  

There is great debate, some say Commonwealth others, are equally adamant that it belongs to the State.   It is way above my pitiful sum of legal knowledge; the latest 'argument' thrown into the mix is that it has, for many years, been Commonwealth 'policy' to frame lease agreements in the 'language' of the State concerned, which seems to make good sense for translation and other practical purposes. But when it comes to 'development' outside the sprit and intent of the Airports Act, the devil most certainly resides in the detail and lengthy, drawn out legal debate seems inevitable, to avoid the spectre of liability. 

I don't mind that too much, before development starts, but it is concerning that a flood plane has been 'tampered' with and there is some doubt that the land fill used to do so is acceptable for the purpose.  It's bad enough that someone's home which had not previously been flooded has the carpets ruined and the house is full of mud, but if that mud turns out to dangerous or harmful, what then?  

I wonder if we have the luxury of long, complex legal debate spanning a decade to resolve the matter?  I even wonder if the time required for a 'study' and analysis is available, given that even if there is only a remote possibility that property may be damaged or people being placed in jeopardy exists someone is going to be sued.  In practical terms, should it be ruled that the proposed rape of Bankstown airport be stopped; at least until we can say, for certain sure it's safe to continue.  I do wonder who will be ultimately liable, Commonwealth, State or developer for any or all of the consequences, should things go awry.  It's as clear as the Georges river mud at present.

Perhaps the Murky Machiavellian crew can answer those questions at Estimates, if the questions are asked.  May have to drag Dolan in for a short session of Q&A, seems he too was involved 'in the beginning'.  What a mess... / -... -.- 

[P7_TOM]

Yes, it's that time of the week again, my unavoidable turn on Prune watch.  Gold amongst the dross rewarded my patience.  A post by Casaweary – legend of the IOS.

I have been flying in this region for 15 years. I have never seen such a poorly mismanaged aeronautical airport operation as what Cairns has become in the past 2 years. What CAsA hasn't been able to do to finish off GA for good the clowns at Cairns airport (i mean Cairns aiRORT) are doing. I've been forced to relocate to Mareeba and not by choice (and nothing against Mareba either) and I have lost money and business because of it. The ACCC needs to act.

Cairns airRort are simply making the aeronautical charges so high that they are pushing us out. Which is handy for them as they plan to turn the old GA location into a shopping precinct and making more mega dollars. So while airport management and CEO (poor one at that) come to work in their Mercedes Benz's we all get screwed and sent to the Tablelands. What's worse is that the Cairns airport CEO is so tight that his PA told us that 2 years ago at Christmas he put in an expense receipt for $2 which was what it cost for him to park at the party location. And once she told us that he wouldn't take his precious Merc to an offsite meeting because the round trip was about 100 km's and he didn't want to add wear and tear to his tyres which cost $4000 for the lot. Also he and his so-called managers regularly indulge in $400 lunches and piss all that money away while we can't fly locally for a living. What a pathetic tightar#e, and that my fellow aviators is what we are dealing with here.

No sadly our beautiful northern region has been financially raped by this CEO Scottsman and friends, all for the lining of his pocket and JP Morgans pocket. And don't forget, he also took our GA RWY away from us, and coincidentally that old RWY area is scheduled in the masterplan to become a new GA area which will charged at some of the highest rates in the Australia.

Scum. Why won't old mate Entcsh campaign against this act of bastardry?

Why won't other local operators stand up to these clowns and tell the community how they are being disadvantaged by this gouging as it damges the overall economy, not just individual operators?

Maybe we can all chip in $2 and buy this tool a ticket back to Scotland or whatever rock he crawled out from under?

I'm over it. Signing off.

Cas, with apologies, edited it slightly.  The post describes exactly where the whole sorry airRorts debacle is heading - down the pipes, unless you are involved with the 'developers'.  Not my idea of 'developing an airport either. - But come for tea with Aunty Pru – open invitation. You know you want to.      Tom.

[Peetwo]

 Passing strange but did Murky Mandarin & his minions forget something..   

Finally (& true to form; about a month behind every other Mandarin) M&M etc. submitted the AQONs for last Estimates, last Friday 15 May 2015 for all agencies/Department sections responsible for Aviation Safety except for - wait for it - Aviation & Airports division...err WTF??

See here a gap between QON 123 & 140:

123
Office of the Inspector of Transport Security
(PDF 16KB)
15/05/2015

(BLANK)

140-160
Airservices Australia
(PDF 825KB)
15/05/2015

  Reference QON index, QON 124-139 bottom page 49 to top of page 55 (for Airports & Aviation, DoIRD) which included QON 125 from the Heff... :

CHAIR: Could you provide to this committee the environmental approval that allowed that build-up to be done?

Mr Wilson: Certainly, Senator. I do not have it with me, but I can take that on notice.
…
Mr Mrdak: What we might do, Senator, is, if you could set out the issues, then we will answer what we can tonight or take them on notice and give you detailed answers. So, if you could give to us your questions or assertions.

CHAIR: As you know, the destruction of this flood plain is going to have an affect on the residential people in the area in the event of a flood incident. It is going to have a serious impact on the people who have had nothing to do with this dodgy deal, but who happen to live adjacent. The flood plain has been filled and the flood has to go somewhere. The council knows about it and the guys that did it knew about it as they were doing it. To add to that the fill, which was the cheapest that they could

find, is full of contaminated material, which allegedly was supposed to be supervised under the environment approval process. I rest my case. You have a problem, boys.

Mr Mrdak: Senator, with those matters, we will take them up and come back to you with a detailed response.

Ok so maybe that is where the problem lies i.e. M&M can't find any detail to obfuscate the response...



MTF...P2   

[Kharon]

Silence, was the stern reply.

P2 - Perhaps 'they' can't answer until they know what Heff knows; makes it fascinating.  The BRB thought so anyway.  Much time and debate invested in the airport questions.  Good turn out of the BRB last evening, it's always interesting when someone brings along 'guests', you know the type of thing – Charlie's mate Pete is in town and they bring the FO along.  Two such crews turned up, made the darts challenge 'interesting' to say the least.  Not quite as interesting as the aerodrome betting though.  I have to set the Estimates tote odds and to be honest, it's a puzzle, bear with me, I'll try to explain.

Time – normally this is not too difficult to factor, a margin must be allowed particularly for the QoN response.  But it's tricky; when the question is asked and taken on notice (QoN).  The department being questioned take it away, try to work out the what, where, when and how much damage can be done; then the answer is work shopped to a fare thee well.  Once a suitable 'non' answer is drafted it is sent along to the secretariat who dutifully get the AQoN out. The Senators crew then catch the AQoN and see what they can winnow from the dross.  It's an old game, a deflected question with a non answer may have to be rephrased and wait another three or four months, until the next estimates before the wily answer is challenged.  This process has been observed to take up to two years, without providing even a semblance of a sensible answer to the long forgotten, now pointless original question. Then of course there is only limited time (and patience) available during the estimates show to get at a real answer; this all works in favour of the department on the spit.  Time, patience and rat like cunning is needed to trap a 'crat in the QoN game.

For example; the 'airports' crowd have deliberately delayed their AQoN for 30 days; this only gives Heff's crew a very short period of time to assess the answers, which will, if the department word weasels have done their job, only lead to more questions, to be taken on notice and so the tedious process starts all over again.  

But here's my problem – has team Heff been beavering away, digging out their own answers?  This is where it gets interesting, the MM overlords must be getting nervous. Heff is a powerful opponent.   I'm not speaking of the lowly pawns, but of the unseen PS family mandarins, the Cantberra aristocracy.  Those who lurk and 'work' their mysterious spells in the rarefied atmosphere above the Murky Machiavellian power scale.   Those to whom MM is merely a sacrificial pawn, for they do know where the skeletons (or toxic waste if you like) are buried, they know who, where, when and how much it all cost.  So if Heff has the good oil and as much, if not more information than the MM mandarins; is someone is going to catch it?.  That's where the betting starts.   So to the betting ring:– 

Heffernan: to have some very damaging information and a full head of steam.  Serious odds on favourite. 

DoIT : to offer a sacrificial lamb.  Even money. 

Sacrificial lamb:  the careful punter can make a serious return on the investment here, Merde'k is out at 16/1, other selections range between 20's and a safe each way at 4/1.

So, place your bets – but, beware the airports race is a very dirty, rough, no holes barred event.  Cheating, bribery, chicanery and nobbling are all allowed, even encouraged.  The purse is considered to worth the risk.  Block of flats, bag of sweeties and a night of delight for the officials are the entry fees.  (One even got a farm, but that children, is a tale for another day).

I have seriously digressed – the BRB report will be put on notice and provided a little closer to estimates kick off.  But yes, we won the darts, only just; honour was saved by a last round streak of brilliance from the visiting Sheik which carried the day; close run thing though.   

Toot toot.... ....

[Kharon]

Good catch Thorny.....

Dunno about Mr Gray Gobbles, but I believe the Chairman of the FAC  BAL's predecessor was also the chairman of Goodmans, who own Moorabin and who developed the TOLL freight shed at Bankstown.

Meanwhile at Bankstown and the issue of contaminents, this article  HERE -from the AAP.

"Toxic firefighter training site Fiskville continues to come under scrutiny as more evidence is heard at a Victorian parliamentary inquiry.

The Country Fire Authority facility was closed in March after a cancer cluster was discovered among firefighters who lived and trained there.

Testing revealed parts of the Fiskville site were contaminated with PFOS, a toxic chemical used in firefighting foam.

A parliamentary inquiry into the centre, which will hear more evidence on Monday, has been told neighbouring residents and livestock tested positive to high levels of PFOS after cancer cluster allegations arose in 2011".

[P7_TOM]

The letter.

I am reliably informed that on the Ray Hadley morning show - (Radio 2GB) – there was a discussion involving a letter; purporting to be scribed by although unsigned from a very senior public servant to the inestimable Bill Heffernan.  Apparently, the constant asking of questions about aerodromes by Senators and parliamentarians is getting on the wires of some, irritating and upsetting 'em.   Unsubstantiated rumour has it that Heff nailed the letter to his front door to mark the place where the hide of whoever penned the missive is destined to be hung, once found.

I will try and find the part of the RH show which carried to the article, got to be good for a laugh at the very least.  In the meantime -

I had written him a letter which I had, for want of better
  Knowledge, sent to where I met him down the Lachlan, years ago,
He was shearing when I knew him, so I sent the letter to him,
  Just “on spec”, addressed as follows: “Clancy, of The Overflow”.

And an answer came directed in a writing unexpected,
  (And I think the same was written in a thumbnail dipped in tar)
‘Twas his shearing mate who wrote it, and verbatim I will quote it:
  “Clancy’s gone to Queensland droving, and we don’t know where he are.”

Thanks Banjo..

[Peetwo]

The letter.

I am reliably informed that on the Ray Hadley morning show - (Radio 2GB) – there was a discussion involving a letter; purporting to be scribed by although unsigned from a very senior public servant to the inestimable Bill Heffernan.  Apparently, the constant asking of questions about aerodromes by Senators and parliamentarians is getting on the wires of some, irritating and upsetting 'em.   Unsubstantiated rumour has it that Heff nailed the letter to his front door to mark the place where the hide of whoever penned the missive is destined to be hung, once found.

I will try and find the part of the RH show which carried to the article, got to be good for a laugh at the very least.  In the meantime -

I had written him a letter which I had, for want of better
  Knowledge, sent to where I met him down the Lachlan, years ago,
He was shearing when I knew him, so I sent the letter to him,
  Just “on spec”, addressed as follows: “Clancy, of The Overflow”.

And an answer came directed in a writing unexpected,
  (And I think the same was written in a thumbnail dipped in tar)
‘Twas his shearing mate who wrote it, and verbatim I will quote it:
  “Clancy’s gone to Queensland droving, and we don’t know where he are.”

Thanks Banjo..

Courtesy of the Mandarin 25 May 2015:

Public servant rips into Heffernan over Senate Estimates chairmanship

---

by
The Mandarin
25.05.2015



An anonymous public servant lambasted Senator Bill Heffernan’s chairing ability in a letter the committee chair read out at Senate Estimates this morning.

Senator Bill Heffernan is a “shithouse chair” says a senior public servant, who wrote to the Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Committee chair in an anonymous letter.

Heffernan read the letter into Hansard at Senate Estimates on Monday morning before proceeding to discuss the issue of alterations made to Hansard last year by the office of Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce, a debacle that ultimately led to the resignation of Department of Agriculture secretary Paul Grimes. The letter read:

“Dear Senator Heffernan, I was one of the many senior public servants waiting around in the witness room to appear before you in committee on Tuesday night’ — this is in February,” the letter read.
“We waited and waited. Three hours went by as we all sat round twiddling our thumbs, watching you and your dipshit colleagues trying to score political points off each other.
“You are a shithouse chair, and clearly have no ability to stick to an agenda.
“No wonder everyone wants to boot you out, and God help the animals on your farm if you run the farm like you run the Senate committee.”

Heffernan said he wished the author of the letter had provided their name so he could contact them to discuss the issue.

“Historically, anyone who tells me to go and get knotted, which is what this is doing, I usually ring them — I’ve never sent an email in my life — and say, ‘I’m so happy you’ve had the opportunity to go and tell me to get knotted. Now what can I do to help'” he said at Estimates.

“We recognise that the system now, which has changed in recent months, isn’t working in the way in which it was intended, so we are working towards trying to fix that, and we regret that there were a lot of people who’d come from a long way who didn’t get to be witnesses because there was no control on the time.

“I’m asking people on this committee to bear that in mind.”

I think your getting to them Heff - Keep up the good work & keep the bastards honest..

MTF...  

[Kharon]

Bill and the pipe bomb.  Love the picture, Heff looking at the assembled minions, sizing up a suitable orifice to park a pipe bomb; bloody good idea Bill.  

Aunty Pru has made mention before that 'savvy' Senators, fully briefed with penetrating question and rock solid answers are demanding 'real answers' in real time.  

“We recognise that the system now, which has changed in recent months, isn’t working in the way in which it was intended, so we are working towards trying to fix that, and we regret that there were a lot of people who’d come from a long way who didn’t get to be witnesses because there was no control on the time.

“I’m asking people on this committee to bear that in mind.”

Then there is the breathtaking arrogance of a PS (dip-stick) who believes that 'his' time is worth more than the other 100 odd folk collective 'person hours' required to be at estimates.

Is Conroy the root of all evil? – "Well we can sit here all night, if you like" (paraphrased).

Go get 'em Bill, we can make plenty more of those uniquely shaped, close fitting bung blasters.

So ..  ...  .....

[Gobbledock]

Well, a signed letter or a phone call to Heff abusing him will annoy him greatly, but an annonymous shit-o-gram will downright piss him off!! Not only that, it will inspire him and motivate him to squeeze harder! Someone made a big mistake, they haven't tamed the lion they have poked it! But seriously, isn't it typical of politics and bureaucrats? Some spineless toad didn't even have enough hair on his balls to face Heff man to man, to sort it out in a dignified professional manner. Not even a robust discussion, an arm wrestle or a 'one fall only cage match using tables, ladders and chairs'. No, whoever the weakling was he knows he is outmatched by the crusty old Senator with decades of wins under his RM Williams belt. Heff can take this as a compliment, a thumbs up to what a formidable and tough opponent he is. Kudos to you Heff.

But that's the way Governement works isn't it. That's why we have the problems that we have. Sneaky, underhanded weak minions. As to the identity of the letter writer well that is anyone's guess, the list of limp wristed footstools is too long to post here. I'm surprised poor Heff doesn't have to check under his car in the mornings or look for horse heads in his bed!!

Never mind dear Senators, keep pushing through your work as you are obviously making inroads, but beware of the pumpkin lantern that is in fear of losing it's shining light. Apart from that you can, only if you want to, call on Gobbles and the IOS. We are only to happy to indulge in a bit of tendentious biff, throw a few pot plants at the enemy, even pick up handfuls of worm castings and rub it into the eyes of the enemy!!! It's a free service provided to special friends in need.

Below, scene 1, act 2 - A French Gobbles and his IOS guarding the Castle of SMS while the evil Pumpkin Head and Co make outrageous aviation demands;

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=A8yjNbcKkNY

"Hate mail filled skies for all"

[P7_TOM]

Willy Leaks:

This highly confidential 'vision' of Heff meeting the minions, to discuss 'matters'. was Smuggled out at great personal risk by Half Baked; IOS Legend.

[Gobbledock]

Yuk yuk yak, Tom. That looked and sounded like one of Dr Voodoo's silly speeches!

[Peetwo]

The letter.

I am reliably informed that on the Ray Hadley morning show - (Radio 2GB) – there was a discussion involving a letter; purporting to be scribed by although unsigned from a very senior public servant to the inestimable Bill Heffernan.  Apparently, the constant asking of questions about aerodromes by Senators and parliamentarians is getting on the wires of some, irritating and upsetting 'em.   Unsubstantiated rumour has it that Heff nailed the letter to his front door to mark the place where the hide of whoever penned the missive is destined to be hung, once found.

I will try and find the part of the RH show which carried to the article, got to be good for a laugh at the very least.  In the meantime -

I had written him a letter which I had, for want of better
  Knowledge, sent to where I met him down the Lachlan, years ago,
He was shearing when I knew him, so I sent the letter to him,
  Just “on spec”, addressed as follows: “Clancy, of The Overflow”.

And an answer came directed in a writing unexpected,
  (And I think the same was written in a thumbnail dipped in tar)
‘Twas his shearing mate who wrote it, and verbatim I will quote it:
  “Clancy’s gone to Queensland droving, and we don’t know where he are.”

Thanks Banjo..

Courtesy of the Mandarin 25 May 2015:

Public servant rips into Heffernan over Senate Estimates chairmanship

---

by
The Mandarin
25.05.2015



An anonymous public servant lambasted Senator Bill Heffernan’s chairing ability in a letter the committee chair read out at Senate Estimates this morning.

Senator Bill Heffernan is a “shithouse chair” says a senior public servant, who wrote to the Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Committee chair in an anonymous letter.

Heffernan read the letter into Hansard at Senate Estimates on Monday morning before proceeding to discuss the issue of alterations made to Hansard last year by the office of Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce, a debacle that ultimately led to the resignation of Department of Agriculture secretary Paul Grimes. The letter read:

“Dear Senator Heffernan, I was one of the many senior public servants waiting around in the witness room to appear before you in committee on Tuesday night’ — this is in February,” the letter read.
“We waited and waited. Three hours went by as we all sat round twiddling our thumbs, watching you and your dipshit colleagues trying to score political points off each other.
“You are a shithouse chair, and clearly have no ability to stick to an agenda.
“No wonder everyone wants to boot you out, and God help the animals on your farm if you run the farm like you run the Senate committee.”

Heffernan said he wished the author of the letter had provided their name so he could contact them to discuss the issue.

“Historically, anyone who tells me to go and get knotted, which is what this is doing, I usually ring them — I’ve never sent an email in my life — and say, ‘I’m so happy you’ve had the opportunity to go and tell me to get knotted. Now what can I do to help'” he said at Estimates.

“We recognise that the system now, which has changed in recent months, isn’t working in the way in which it was intended, so we are working towards trying to fix that, and we regret that there were a lot of people who’d come from a long way who didn’t get to be witnesses because there was no control on the time.

“I’m asking people on this committee to bear that in mind.”

I think your getting to them Heff - Keep up the good work & keep the bastards honest..

MTF...  

Well, a signed letter or a phone call to Heff abusing him will annoy him greatly, but an annonymous shit-o-gram will downright piss him off!! Not only that, it will inspire him and motivate him to squeeze harder! Someone made a big mistake, they haven't tamed the lion they have poked it! But seriously, isn't it typical of politics and bureaucrats? Some spineless toad didn't even have enough hair on his balls to face Heff man to man, to sort it out in a dignified  professional manner. Not even a robust discussion, an arm wrestle or a 'one fall only cage match using tables, ladders and chairs'. No, whoever the weakling was he knows he is outmatched by the crusty old Senator with decades of wins under his RM Williams belt. Heff can take this as a compliment, a thumbs up to what a formidable and tough opponent he is. Kudos to you Heff.

But that's the way Governement works isn't it. That's why we have the problems that we have. Sneaky, underhanded weak minions. As to the identity of the letter writer well that is anyone's guess, the list of limp wristed footstools is too long to post here. I'm surprised poor Heff doesn't have to check under his car in the mornings or look for horse heads in his bed!!

Never mind dear Senators, keep pushing through your work as you are obviously making inroads, but beware of the pumpkin lantern that is in fear of losing it's shining light. Apart from that you can, only if you want to, call on Gobbles and the IOS. We are only to happy to indulge in a bit of tendentious biff, throw a few pot plants at the enemy, even pick up handfuls of worm castings and rub it into the eyes of the enemy!!! It's a free service provided to special friends in need.

Below, scene 1, act 2 - A French Gobbles and his IOS guarding the Castle of SMS while the evil Pumpkin Head and Co make outrageous aviation demands;

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=A8yjNbcKkNY

"Hate mail filled skies for all"

Top post Gobbles.. Here is the vid footage of Heff's reading into Hansard the spineless toad's anonymous 'dipshit' letter...

Oh and compliments to the @TheMandarinAU - http://www.themandarin.com.au/ - for covering this...

MTF...P2

[Peter Lovett]

Seeing that this thread started with reference to Bankstown I thought it passing strange that no here has yet mentioned the place has been put up for sale, along with Camden.

Yesterday's Fin Review had an article that the place was on the market for upwards of $195m and with an annual return of $19m plus the option to develop the bits not required for aviation for the remaining 82 years of the lease.

Perhaps it is all getting too hard for the current owners especially heading into an uncertain economic future but I don't think a 10% return is going to excite too many buyers, especially if there is environmental questions hanging over the site.

[Peetwo]

Seeing that this thread started with reference to Bankstown I thought it passing strange that no here has yet mentioned the place has been put up for sale, along with Camden.

Yesterday's Fin Review had an article that the place was on the market for upwards of $195m and with an annual return of $19m plus the option to develop the bits not required for aviation for the remaining 82 years of the lease.

Perhaps it is all getting too hard for the current owners especially heading into an uncertain economic future but I don't think a 10% return is going to excite too many buyers, especially if there is environmental questions hanging over the site.

Good point Pete, perhaps it is because we've been a little preoccupied with Senate Estimates but here is the article to which I think you are referring:

Bankstown and Camden airports up on offer



 
by Mercedes Ruehl

A consortium including Mirvac Group, AustralianSuper and Colonial First State has quietly put the Camden and Bankstown airports up for sale with price expectations exceeding $195 million.

A sale of both airports was called off in late 2012 after shareholders decided to hold out for a better sale environment.

Now the two sites, which generate an annual rental income of more than $20 million, are again being offered for sale as a package deal as well as a development opportunity. Spanning 509 hectares in total, there is the potential for more than 40 hectares of surplus development land.

The owner, known as BAC Holdco, has appointed Colliers International's Gavin Bishop and Malcom Tyson and Grant Samuel's Damien Elias and Salih Harman to advise on the off-market sale although the parties declined to comment.

Both airports were privatised in 2003 and are held under long term leases with the Australian government, with 82 years still remaining. In total across both Camden and Bankstown there are more than 175 tenants, half of those are related to the aviation industry. Over the last few years the airports have had an average of vacancy of only 1 per cent and the weighted average lease expiry exceeds six years.

Interested parties are being asked to submit non-binding indicative offers after which a shortlist of potential buyers will most likely be drawn up to undertake detailed due diligence before making a final offer.

Bankstown, the fifth busiest airport in Australia, makes up the bulk of the revenue. Several expansion projects are in the works for some existing tenants. In addition to that there is 12.7 hectares of surplus land on the site currently and potential for a further 19 hectares. Camden has a little over 8 hectares of surplus development land.

The two airports were purchased as part of a package along with Hoxton Park airport in November 2003 for $211 million.

 
Aviation & Airports has been slated for Estimates tomorrow at 9am but the ATSB & ASA have just been sent home due to delay's with Infrastructure Australia questioning. However I believe we could possibly hear more on this tomorrow at Estimates...

MTF...P2

[Peetwo]

Okay have completed the youtube video segments off Estimates yesterday, that dealt with Airports.

The Bankstown issue was mostly brought up within the CASA session & consequently Senator Heffernan didn't have much to say about the issue with the Department's Aviation & Airports section. Nonetheless I've included one of the Airport videos, the tailend of which primarily deals with Aviation Cabotage that I know some on here will be interested in. Part 2 I will include within the relevant thread (just got to find it.. ) it also is mostly to do with Cabotage.  

#Be warned in the following vid that silly, bloody, loud-mouthed miniscule Michaela Cash pipes up at the end with the standard Govt deniability line, which nearly made me want to puke..     

MTF...P2