‘Big boys’ and blueberries: what’s got the Coffs talking
From ‘big boys’ to exploitation in the blueberry industry, these stories got the Coffs Coast talking this week.
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From 'big boys' to exploitation in the blueberry industry, these are the stories that had the Coffs Coast talking this week:
Need 'big boys' at the table to grow our airport says Mayor
We've got to the have the big boys with us at the table if we want Coffs Harbour to grow, says Mayor Denise Knight.
She was referring to the decision to move ahead with leasing the Coffs Harbour Airport to a private entity. The details are commercial in confidence and yet to be released to the public.
"I believe Council has done a great job with the airport bringing it forward to a point; but if you want to be in the game - manage more flights and have access to other airports whether internationally or interstate - we need to be at the table, and when we are talking with the big boys we have to have a big boy in there speaking for us."
You said:
Cath Fowler - Regardless of my view on the airport, utterly disappointed with Denise's use of language here. Words matter. Some of the major 'big boys' to negotiate with are the airlines. I suggest she looked up who the CEO of Virgin Australia is - a woman. Do better. Much, much better. This isn't the 80s. "A figure of speech" doesn't cut the mustard these days. She should have learnt that with her cripple disaster.
Tony Judge - Privatised airports are a great money spinner for the company that wins the contract. Suddenly, they have a monopoly and a captive client base. Everyone who uses the airport ends up paying over the odds for food, parking and anything else they buy. It's inevitable.
Ann Leonard - Any indication who the "the big boy" is and which "big boys" at which "big boy" table it is we are speaking of? There are all kinds of "big boys" out there. Some are great. Some.....not so much.
Rachel Kay - Sadly disappointing that our female leader is using such ridiculous gendered phrases and showing so little confidence. Australia was made great by the little people having a go.
Jonathan Cassell - Not sure why airport expansion is happening now. Given what's happened of late, we should wait 10yrs and then make a decision. Why the rush?
Donna Kerr - Denise the stuff that oozes from your mouth .. for a mayor representing a regional city your language and speech is very poor... let's bring in the big boys .. we need to have a big boy... really Denise.
John Dowsett - The community will not gain
Rohan Smith - Ballina is not privatised and it has not hurt them...just saying
REVEALED: Coffs investigation shows exploitation 'rife'
A report on Coffs Harbour's blueberry industry has outlined widespread underpayment and labour exploitation.
It has also shown landlords are profiting from the exploitation.
Researchers spent 12 weeks in the region, gathering data and stories from blueberry workers employed during the 2020 picking season. They found that some were paid as little as $7 a bucket to pick low-quality fruit - the equivalent of $3 an hour.
You said:
Marie Faw - Where are you Gurmesh Singh? These people need help. Shades of slave labour. A black cloud hangs over our community. How can these people get away with this corruption in our back yard. Needs to be named and shamed.
Paul Crowfoot - About time. They should've clamped down on this a long time ago. I'm more concerned about the safety of the tenants if a fire or something else happened in the house with that amount of people in each property and if they have adequate smoke alarms etc fitted
Reanne Kennedy - Not to mention over crowding in some houses I've seen houses only renting to blueberry pickers with 2 sets of bunks in each room and for that they charge $150-$200 a week per person. It's unsafe and unfair. Large families and low income earners can't afford that and aren't allowed to have that many people in the one house.
Belinda Lee - It always amazes me when this exploitation and illegal actively is common knowledge in the community... Yet it's allowed to continue.... Obviously the industry is lining the right pockets.
Dep Mayor celebrates DA approval of Cultural and Civic Space: Singh says fight on
DEPUTY Mayor George Cecato is "not bothered" by MP Gurmesh Singh's calls to stop construction of the Cultural and Civic Space.
Before the approval of the development application had even been announced, Mr Singh was on local radio expressing his disappointment at the likelihood it would be given the green light.
He took the front foot again on Monday issuing a press release condemning the project before the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment or even the Coffs Harbour City Council had issued their own statements.
You said:
Lorraine Penn - It is high time people accepted this project is going ahead for everyone in the community.
Robyn Cragg - We are with Gurmesh, the anger against this building is still there. We cannot afford a building like this right now .
Marie Faw - This has gone through the necessary processes and found to be a project to benefit the community and within the council's ability to finance. Let's get on with it.
Cath Fogarty - Unlike the flawed grant processes that we have seen rolled out at a state and federal level where due process is not followed in favour of political interests and interference, it is refreshing to see that some fundamental and stringent processes such as those established by the Department of Planning are adhered to. Not 'liking' a project or not 'liking' a location is not due process.
Michelle Stewart - Don't worry Gurmesh, the rage will be maintained
Raewyn Chapman - Good onya Gurmesh
‘Grave crime:’ Man jailed over stabbing death in KFC car park
The young man who stabbed Canberra teen Lachlan ‘Lachie’ Andrews to death during a brawl at a Northern Rivers KFC has been sentenced to jail but could be out on parole as early as February. Here’s the sentence.
‘A lot of info’: Re-appeal’s positive results into Bowraville murders
Police have received ‘a lot of information’ from in and around Bowraville after re-appealing to the community for answers to three young lives cut short in the 1990s.