We’re calling on Orica to immediately move their stockpile of ammonium nitrate out of Kooragang Island port and into a safer location far away from people’s homes and families. There’s no reason why a stockpile like this is located in the heart of Newcastle, when the only people it serves is the fossil fuel and mining industry. My name is Keith Craig, a proud Newcastle resident, chemical engineer and Stockton Community Action Group member. In 2003 I visited Toulouse in France, two years after 300 tonnes of devastating ammonium nitrate exploded killing 30 people and injuring 14,000. The people were still traumatised and suffering, just like they will be in Beirut for many years to come. There have been over 30 major explosions of ammonium nitrate worldwide following the start of production in the earlier 1900s. I don’t want this same devastation to happen in Newcastle. Many Newcastle residents already know Orica for all the wrong reasons. In 2011, Orica leaked ammonia and the carcinogenic hexavalent chromium into the air above North Stockton, an inner-city suburb of Newcastle. It was days before Orica told residents about the potential leak — during which time residents and families had inhaled the toxic substances as they went around their daily lives and sent their kids to school as usual. North Stockton residents have had to live with elevated pollution levels and air thick with dangerous PM2.5 particles for years. Also in 2011, Orica had three chemical spills and was responsible for a release of arsenic into the Hunter River. Orica’s plant in Sydney suburb of Botany also released mercury vapours which exceeded the licensed levels. In 2012, A NSW Upper House Select Committee investigation found that Orica had breached its operating license over the previous decade not just once or twice, but a shocking 130 times. Following the Beirut blast, Orica has hit the media circuit to downplay the risks of a similar explosion in Newcastle, but residents aren’t buying it. There’s NO SAFE way to store ammonium nitrate this close to population centres of any kind. In addition to residents, Newcastle community groups, the Stockton Community Action Group, Correct Planning and Consultation for Mayfield, Throsby Villages Alliance, Better Planning Network NSW and Hunter Community Forum all have major concerns around the large stockpiles of ammonium nitrate. Groups like these have been fighting to remove the stockpile for years. This recent Beirut explosion again shows just how dangerous these stockpiles can be. It would be catastrophic for the community if an accidental explosion were to occur. Will you sign the petition and help us avoid a potentially catastrophic explosion?

Arthur Street, Kings Beach is currently a safety hazard where someone will be killed if nothing is done to calm traffic and convert Arthur Street between Upper Gay Terracev and Maltman Street South and Canberra Terrace into a one-way street, thereby preventing vehicles from trying to ascend it. The Arthur Street switchback gardens represents an opportunity to boost the Caloundra economy by encouraging tourists from Kings Beach to the switchback gardens and the re-vamped Lions Park tourism precinct then on to the Caloundra CBD to patronise shops in Bulcock Street. The switchback gardens would become a beautiful and safe setting for the fitness enthusiasts currently using the Arthur Street steps, eliminate the noise issues and provide habitat for insects and birds in nearby Lions Park as well as photo opportunities and tourism promotion for Caloundra.

Gardiner Park is in a floodway and because of this the proposed soccer field will sit 1.2 metres higher than the current field. It has to be free of dirt, soil, leaves and other organic materials to remain impervious. Synthetic fields also heat up by 15 degrees once the temperature hits 30 degrees - not only impacting the health of the players but the residents who will live besides this heat box. Bayside Council has failed to take into account the residents who live along the three sides of the park, or other residents who use the park to walk across to get home or to the train station. Bayside has just signed the Barton Park upgrade at $31 million where multiple sports fields are being constructed. The Banksia Tigers are using Riverine Park, in the same suburb, for training. There are plenty of other fields in Banksia and we ask for Gardiner to remain an open grassed space for the residents and sport teams.

With the global Black Lives Matter movement in the media at the moment this has also put the spotlight on other forms of institutional racism in Australia. For me this has led to my own personal reflection about racism and the effect it has had on my own family and community. For several years I have complained to the Maitland Council about a racist statue in Maitland called “jocko: the little black boy”. Pic below. Apparently it has been around since the 1800’s and was once used as a hitching post for horses back in the day. This statue represents a racist caricature of an African boy in a subservient role. Not to mention it’s links to slavery. Blackface is not acceptable so why should a minstrel style statue be acceptable in a public place in 2020? It is symbolic of a time and culture that demeaned and dehumanized people of colour. I have written to council many times to ask them to permanently remove both statues but they have either not responded or responded by saying that it’s been around since the 1800’s and they have no intention of removing them. I would like to seek you support with this petition and present it to Maitland Council with a clear message that this racist symbol has no place in our community. I would like to ask if you also find the statue offensive and agree it should be removed immediately could you please join us in signing the petition and circulate it as widely as possible.

The Lindenow Valley vegetable growing area is only 500m downwind from a proposed mineral sands mine in Glenaladale, East Gippsland. We want the Australian public to know that the area where their veggies are grown is under threat from this mine that is being proposed in an already severely drought and fire affected area, and a traumatised community. If this mine proceeds it is highly likely their veggies will be contaminated from radioactive and highly toxic substances, as well as putting at risk up to 1,500 jobs. If the more than 4GL of water that will be needed by the mine for processing and dust suppression was redirected to growing vegetables, five times more jobs would be created than the 197 jobs the mine proposes to create. 82% of the directly impacted landholders said, in response to a survey question, that they want their land mineral sands mining free. Kalbar is an investment company not a mining company. They propose to dig up 1600 hectares of farm land above subterranean water courses to reach ancient sand dunes 45 metres down, which contain a spectrum of useful but toxic and or nuisance chemicals including Zircon, Rutile, or Titanium Metals with traces of Thorium in the region of the RAMSAR listed Gippsland Lakes. The company proposes to create ten pits from which heavy mineral ore will be extracted and processed on site before transport by road to a port in Gippsland where it will be loaded on to ships for Worldwide distribution. The mining company, or another entity that may buy the mining lease from Kalbar if approval is granted by the Victorian Government, will not be obliged to restore the properties to the state they were in prior to mining commencing. In this conflict, the farmers and some of the landholders of Lindenow, point out that their properties are watered from under the ground by aquifers that fill a chain on ponds even in times of drought. They believe that those water sources are below the surface of the land and above the ore body that will be extracted by open mining techniques. They contend that if approved, the mine will destroy the water courses making restoration of their properties impossible. In addition, the East Gippsland region was recently severely impacted by drought and then bushfire and we cannot afford this blatant destruction of our already damaged and fragile environment. A recent Queensland (2018) mine did not have the financial capacity to restore hundreds of square kilometres of land following a disastrous mining venture. Dont let this happen in our back yard!

These 14 parking spaces are used by local residents, customers of local businesses and couriers. It is unnecessary to remove them to make way for a bus lane as it will not improve traffic flow or travel times since the buses will still have to merge. It is also unnecessary to move the bus stop 35m south of its current location to allow for more buses and passengers to use it in the future as there are multiple bus stops available at Hornsby Station less than a block away, where it would cause less pedestrian congestion & not negatively impact local residents & businesses.

With more people working from home than ever, it has become clear that our communities are in desperate need of more recycling pickups. Inner West Council is already behind on this – City of Sydney Council has been doing weekly recycling pickups for a while now. This is not good enough from our council that claims to have environmental credentials. We've heard stories from people who have been putting recycling in their general waste, and this has been a particular problem for the many share houses in the area. As one person said, "this is no way to live." An added benefit is that this will create jobs for many waste collectors and sanitation engineers. Many people in this industry worked in commercial waste collection, which has seen a decline due to less people working in offices due to the pandemic. Sign this petition and tell the Inner West Council that enough is enough – for the environment and for our homes, we need more recycling pickups!

Access to physical bank services is a basic need.

There is obviously a massive need for more registered nurses in the healthcare system that is under an overwhelming strain. More nurses may return to their profession if given an opportunity. It does not make sense that 10 years should be a magic timeframe that you suddenly have no ability to perform your duties. If you can pass the re-entry program then surely that should enough to satisfy the Nurses board that they are safe to practise.

Canada Bay Council should build us a track for our Mountain Bikes, this is so kids stay active, fit and social while in lockdown and out of lockdown, in a way that we enjoy on our bikes and in the sun. We have nowhere to go to ride our bikes, riding our bikes is the only thing that keeps us from staying inside all day on our devices.

According to the WHO guidelines, 40% of Australians are classified as inactive. The costs to the health care system of inactivity related disease and illness is enormous. The burden of disease for Bribie Island and surrounding communities is already relatively high compared to neighbouring jurisdictions due an older population and people from low socio-economic backgrounds. Public pools can help reduce morbidity and mortality. Learn to swim, aquatherapy, aquarobics, lap or squad swimming, school carnivals and specifically tailored activities not only improves individual well-being, their provision can also contribute positively to the broader community socially and economically.

This green space is home to many species of birds and animals. During the recent closure of the reserve these birds and animals were often found distressed by the encroachment on their homeland. Butler Reserve has been used by all locals. Elderly people who were born in nearby homes and have lived there all their lives use it to walk safely often with their pets.. Until the council prevented access to the Reserve youngsters regularly played cricket , football and other games as it is the only safe space large enough for this use in the area. Thousands of people benefit ( local vendors, shop keepers ,musicians and tourists) from both the Monthly and weekly Farmer's markets. Butler Reserve provides a tranquil space during the very busy tourist times. Again before access was closed artists could be found painting or musicians playing and writing in solace. Experimental attempts at providing a carpark on this reserve have all failed. During the past it has been opened as a free carpark which led to overuse by van dwellers who while they attempted to treat the land with respect had no facilities provided by Council. Therefore rubbish and human waste became a problem. The Reserve was then transformed into a paid carpark and was immediately underused and remained so until this scheme was also abandoned by Council. It is clear that the carpark idea does not work and should not be implemented. Greenspace is a form of social capital that is evidently highly valued by all councils in other LGA's eg. Gold Coast. In fact it is also apparent that these public green spaces are highly valued in all country towns even those where available water is an issue. They reflect the underlying values of a town and their leaders. Increasing they are being seen a highly important for the wholistic health of people, mental, physical and spiritual. Please accept this as a sincere and worthwhile platform for abandoning any plans for a carpark on Butler Reserve.