The wires are obviously deliberately cut.
1. Dirty Tactics | 2. FarmOnline Media | 3. Mini-update
Yesterday Matt and Janet were horrified to find that someone had cut the wires on the perimeter fence. There was no evidence anyone had taken anything, nor do we know who did it. An unrelated random crime, or, who knows — someone hoping to spook and intimidate them? (A future purchaser of a fire-sale bargain farm?)
Farm Online Reports on The Thompsons
Please visit one of the few media outlets to write about the Thompsons and let them know how important this story is.
Farm weekly: Recievers Move in To Narrogin Feedlot
This is WA’s biggest rural newspaper, in the Rural Press stable that has newpapers in every state in Australia.
If you go to the link above & read the article in full, you will see that you can add comments.
Thanks Dale Stiller and John from CA.
Not so nice. What were they aiming at?
Mini Update:
I asked Janet for a note today as to where things are at. She replied:
Click for larger copies of all these photos.
We’re working on legal action to be taken in the Federal High Court that we are hopeful will allow us to maintain control of our own precedent-setting case against the State of Western Australia and the Department of Environment and Conservation.
We’ve already lost Lindley Boseley and we seem to have lost our lives savings and our ability to repay good suppliers. But if we can at least regain control of our own case against DEC, which we’ve been working on for many long months now, we might be able to make a difference. If we can use our horrendous story to bring this monster of bureaucracy back into line, we must. This is where 100% of our efforts are directed at the moment.
Peter Spencer (of Tower of Hope fame) surprised us by flying to Perth and coming to the feedlot last Wednesday. Peter was invaluable to us while here. He provided moral support just when we needed it most, he gave us advice on legal and constitutional matters, and he even played with our kids and swept the floor. His presence was timely and well-placed
We cannot tell you all how much it means to us to have your notes of encouragement (know that we read everything, even if we cannot reply due to time constraints), your donations to our children, and your commitment to help right some wrongs…
Janet
Having spoken to her on the phone, yes, the deliberate vandalism or invasion of her property did disturb her. Who wouldn’t be…
UPDATE:
Peter Spencer writes about this on SOS News.
h/t to Bulldust. Ta!
Matt and Janet,
I wish you success in your legal fight with the DEC. And I hope it comes quickly.
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Durning this time of preparation for a legal fight will be hard going while under continual intimination by the recievors.
All of those who have supported Matt & Janet must now dig down & hold your interest with miniual information about latest events & not allow NAB, DEC or the recievers believe that over time people have lost interest.
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posted on the Daily Telegraph:
! UPDATE ! : DEC to Amend License
The Hon Grant Woodhams MLA, Member for Moore and Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, has issued an email to those who had written to him expressing concerns related to the current dispute between Narrogin Beef Producers (Thompson family) and the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC).
“I have been advised that DEC is in the process of issuing an amended license to Narrogin Beef Producers and I will closely monitor the outcome of this process.”
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If the Hon Grant Woodhams MLA says “I will closely monitor the outcome of this process”, you can bank on it. This generates a lot of good will and addresses the principal issue, a license that will allow Narrogin Beef Producers to get back on its feet. The problem, there isn’t a lot of time to wait for DEC to get the license in order.
If it were me, I’d contact NAB and get the receivership set aside or at least postponed to the original end of year deadline in anticipation of the new license and with an amended business plan.
NAB surely sees the opportunity to support a resolution and services thousands like Narrogin Beef Producers. Its in their best interest to achieve a positive outcome.
Getting the feedlot up and running is the best solution. Resolution of damages can potentially be addressed out of court down the road.
Contact NAB and Hon Grant Woodhams with a business plan to get the feedlot up and running under a new DEC license and the Thompsons are likely to turn the corner on this mess.
There are only 10 days left before the receivership takes effect.
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“Peter was invaluable to us while here. He provided moral support just when we needed it most, he gave us advice on legal and constitutional matters, and he even played with our kids and swept the floor.”
Three cheers for Peter Spencer!
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Cutting a boundary fence is such a taboo in rural communities. It could lead to stock losses and the resulting damage. If someone cut my boundary fence I would be doing all I could to investigate who did it. The Thompsons probably have their suspicions. Were there any tire tracks or other clues? Is there any evidence of trespass? Has the water supply been tampered with? I hope the Police have been informed.
This is a serious and deliberate bully tactic to unsettled, intimidate and demoralise the Thompsons. I hope it has the opposite effect for Matt and Janet – keep your spirits up, and keep your guard up too.
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It is good to hear that this has finally been picked up by the pollies*. Grant seems like a good one to run with it:
http://www.nationalswa.com/OurTeam/TheStateParliamentaryParty/HonGrantWoodhamsMLA.aspx
Here’s hoping we have turned the corner in this battle and things start moving in the right direction. The media silence is still appalling…
* WA State Parliament doesn’t sit until next week, we are in week 2 of a two week break right now.
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Re John from CA
Sounds like good news, but is it too little, too late given the cashflow issues? Woodhams comments are all well and good but don’t address the liquidity problems. Suggesting damages can be settled out of court later doesn’t help provide operating capital, or any surety that the Thompsons can litigate. What seems to be needed is the licence and compensation *now* to fend off the administators, and let the Thompsons get the business back up and running.
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Talking of WA Parliament, a worthy mention is ex minister Monty House and Paul Omodei LA 5th may 2004, Land clearing, removal of rights of privite property owners. The EDO gets a mention ,very interesting statements and issues are highlighted , and shows how strong the LIBS and NATS fought on property rights, until they gained power in 2008. Even Premier Barnett in Feb. 2001 was passionate about property rights.Why is PROPERTY RIGHTS such a TABOO subject with current ministers and media. Peter Spencer stated correctly, this is not about money or land, it was a gift from our fore fathers and inheritence to a Christian nation by way of a good constitution.It was one of the stongest pillars that built a great nation.
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Re Atomic Hairdryer
First step is to ensure they drop the receivership in favor of working out a solution. As I understand it, the license was the stumbling block for NAB and related operating capital. Its also the stumbling block to selling the property which the Thompsons should have the option to do.
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What is happening to the Thompsons is an absolute disgrace but it is happening all over the country with unrepresentative bureaucratics running roughshod over innocent people. My question is where do we go and what can we do to stop this abuse of our rights, people need to organize to stop these injustices on more than a one at a time basis because as we attempt to put out spot fires the inferno continues unabated. (Sorry for the emotive language) but the situation is getting out of control.
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They need 3 miracles. an amended lisence. A reprieve from the siezure by the bank and working capital. I suspect they have a couple secret enemies that want to damage their lands.
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I think a heart felt letter writing (e-mail) campaign to Mr. Cameron Clyne CEO of the National Australia Bank at this point could make a HUGE difference.
The principal concern related to the value and potential use of the land is in resolution; pending DEC license amendment. Its simply a matter of time which DEC has failed to perviously perform adequately for years so its likely to take a “while”.
Heaven only knows what measure it will take to get the inept to perform but we’re about to see.
This is a no-brainer (sorry for the US slang) for the Bank and a big opportunity to save the day. They are surely going to get our applause if they step in and dump the receivership in favor of resolution.
One way or the other, after all the Thompsons have been through they deserve the right to sell their own land or continue to develop it to the benefit of the Town and Shire.
Matt and Janet need to submit a Business Plan for reorganization of the feedlot under new licensing and identify the benefits to the community. Given that they are unlikely to know the final DEC license, a projection of cost benefit analysis for Mr. Cameron Clyne and the Hon Grant Woodhams should be quite an eye-opener.
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http://fw.farmonline.com.au/news/state/livestock/cattle/receivers-move-in-to-narrogin-feedlot/1957518.aspx?storypage=0
This our voice, the Rural Press Australia.
If you go to the link above & read the article in full, you will see what we are.
Oddly, the world watches as we make a choice — and wonders.
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… until the Fat Lady Sings There is Hope <– If you don't have a voice, use your GrandMothers.
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This situation is going from bad to worse with such low tactics. Trying to intimidate the Thompson’s – is it a warning to the rest of us here who abhor such tactics?
As Dale Stiller post above, “dig down & hold your interest”.
But more than that we must stand our ground and let no Australian family be victimised, used and abused through bureaucracy abuse, bank abuse, or green driven agendas.
Strongly worded emails and vocalising our disgust at this situation, and the hundreds of others that have been targets before the Thompons is imperative.
Bring it on – enough is enough! The people of Australia wish to have their rights returned.
No politician was voted in to take away our rights, no bank has the right to diminish private citizens equity through misrepresentation of false values, no government department is there to service itself!
Bad behaviour is not tolerated.
The MSM will not go unnoticed in all of this either – thank you Jo for keeping us informed.
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I actually posted the Farm Weekly story a couple days ago but it slipped under the radar being O/T ‘n all 🙂
http://joannenova.com.au/2010/10/the-parodies-of-the-1010-eco-attack-dogs-begin/
Post 34.
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I’m very very concerned about fences being cut.
I had the misfortune of a similar thing happen on my hobby farm, found 2 of my horses grazing on the side of the road.
The image of my horses spooking and running into traffic (albeit a quiet road) haunted me for many nights.
I agree the police should be called immediately.
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BTW Ian Dunlop has another alarmist piece at the ABC:
http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/39714.html
My post is copied here because there is a good chance it will get modded out of existence because I call him out on his ignorance:
“Congratulations on the unsubstantiated FUD. It is becoming quite apparent that you do not understand the basis for the climate models. Let me give you a Cliff’s Notes version:
1) CO2 in the atmosphere is increasing – undisputable fact.
2) The CO2 increases in the atmosphere are largely attributed to man’s burning of fossil fuels – still no dispute.
3) CO2 causes some direct warming of the atmosphere, but it is a logarhytmic effect, so that it takes doublings of CO2 to cause about 1C warming – scientific fact.
4) The entire “world-is-going-to-end” alarmism coming from your camp revolves around feedback loops in the climate escalating the effect of the minor CO2 warming. These feedbacks are not known with any degree of certainty and are quite possibly negative, not positive as assumed by IPCC models. If they are low or negative there is absolutely nothing to worry about in regard to temperature rises.
When you want to start debating science and not peddeling alarmism you may get some credibility siir, but until then… well I shall keep from being rude.
PS> If you don’t understand the concepts of point 4 there is absolutely no point arguing with ignorance.
PPS> Weather events have absolutely nothing to do with climate. There was a stunningly cold freeze in the Andes this winter… weren’t quoting that were you. That’s called cherry-picking BTW.”
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Why is it every time there is a Thompson thread I have temp news and vice versa?
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UPDATE:
Peter Spencer writes about this on SOS News.
http://sosnews.org/index.php?mact=News,cntnt01,detail,0&cntnt01articleid=65&cntnt01origid=80&cntnt01returnid=93
Bulldust! Thanks, You deserve a h/t and I saw your comment on the ABC thread. There are just too many balls to wack…
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Nah all good… it serves as a lesson to me to make more than a one line post when lobbing up something relating to the Thompsons 🙂
The ABC didn’t put up the post above so I gave them the expurgated version second time around. I must say I get a tad tired of playing whack-a-dolt with all the people posting inane arguments on the ABC blog, but somehow I keep coming back for more.
It is the former educator in me… just can’t stand ignorance in any form.
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This goes way beyond a dirty trick.
Isn’t this illegal in Australia?
Determined to fight on
http://agmates.ning.com/group/propertyrightsaustralia/forum/topics/determined-to-fight-on?xg_source=activity
On Monday October 4th, Matt reported in a discussion in Agmates that “Someone cut a fence and tried to come in at some point. I suspect they may have come in early one morning when Janet and I were gone, saw Peter and left.”
On the following day the Thompsons discovered an act by the recievers that makes one wonder of its legality. In a carefully worded comment Matt Thompson said, “Ferrier Hodgson has conviniently picked up my mail from the post office for me, and forgot to give it back. How can they do that?”
The receivers believe that they now own all assests of the Thompson’s company Narrogin Beef Producers, property, equipment, apparently the mail and very questionably any legal case against the Department of Environment & Conservation (DEC) who caused this whole fiasco to start. The receivers cleared the entire mail box, surely they have no right to this families personal mail. Isn’t this an invasion of privacy?
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Something I read elsewhere which might not apply here, but. In the US where the home repossessions have gone wild, one suggestion is to demand proof of ownership from the receivers, it seems often those claiming back property are no longer the actual owners. If nothing else this could delay and give breathing space.
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I’ve twice been in a situation where my employer went into receivership.
Each time, the receivers “burned up” the value of the remaining assets leaving nothing but slim pickings for anybody else except the ATO. And it’s not like the receivers behaved in away to recover 100% of the money that was owed the failed companies.
Receivership doesn’t look like a good way to recover money owed.
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Ferrier Hodgson has a website with “contact us” facility. I used it to give them a blast. I chose the Perth office.
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I found a quote from Wendy McElroy, the founder of ifeminists.com, that rings true for me:
“Government should get out of the way. It should allow people to open cottage industries without making them jump through hoops and licenses and taxing them to death. It should open up public lands and do a 20th-century equivalent of 40 acres and a mule. It should get out of the way of people and let them achieve and rise.”
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! UPDATE !
In response to Ferrier Hodgson’s recent theft of the Thompson’s mail, VP Lee McNicholl of Property Rights Australia today contacted Ferrier Hodgson case manager Ms. Caitlin Smith stating, “…pending legal action will expose all those involved in dodgy or unconscionable behavior and I hope that Ferrier Hodgson would be keen to avoid doing anything that is illegal.”
The Thompson’s are currently filing in Federal Court to have Ferrier Hodgson removed.
source: http://agmates.ning.com/group/propertyrightsaustralia/forum/topics/determined-to-fight-on?xg_source=activity
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! UPDATE !
Posted on Farm Weekly, AGMates, and The Daily Telegraph.
Personal Note: the pending DEC license change should be sufficient for NAB to postpone or remove the pending October 15th eviction notice. Why is this unprofessional Ferrier Hodgson nonsense still going on? Is Hon Grant Woodhams aware of this?
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Countryman has a new article, Visit lifts family’s feedlot fight hopes
The title refers to the visit of Peter Spencer but goes onto say –
Also quoted is Federal Victorian MP John Forrest
Rob Gillam,president of the Pastoralists and Graziers Association is quoted as saying
Lastly the DEC spokeperson has said that the Narrogin feedlot had been allowed to go to 10 000 head “subject to licence conditions.”
Bit of spin, failed to enlighten what the licence conditions were that made the feedlot operation totally unfeasible
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I would have thought interfering with soneones private mail would be a criminal offence?
Then again, given all the underhanded tactics used by DEC et al does it surprise you that their mail is being intercepted?
And, why did the post office hand the mail over?
Mailman
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Friends today may or not be an eventful day for Matt, Janet Thompson & family. October the 15th was the date given in the last notice received from NAB & the receivers Ferrier Hodgon for eviction from the property.
Thanks to you the NAB & receivers have been kept at bay. I would suggest that there is a role for you to play again today and for you to ASAP email the following addresses to indicate your disappointment in action taken in the past and your resolve to broadcast far & wide your outrage at any future move against the Thompson family.
Phone NAB head office 1300 889 398
Email: james.stafford@nab.com.au
Email: michael.chaney@nab.com.au
Email: cameron.clyne@nab.com.au
Email: cherelle.x.latta@nab.com.au
The Receivers are: FERRIER HODGSON http://www.ferrierhodgson.com (contact facility available)
OR email caitlin.smith@fh.com.au (Perth office)
Email Perth resident partner of Ferrier Hodgson
darren.weaver@fh.com.au
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But no bids were received, well if Sir Charles Court was still alive this would not be happening. What a mess of intrigue? Who are really the interested undisclosed parties that the NAB could be possibly are acting for, or is it just a bankers pick nick, self interest to grab a good business? That’s not unusual considering the overinflated values on the books regarding residential loans, maybe they see as a quick profit to support their nefarious benefactors to take out the competition? Or does the property have undisclosed accounts to be settled. If not, is a state agency involved in the behind the scenes negotiations to acquire under some nefarious environmental precursor, yet to be declared through discovery, or will it ever be declared.
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Dallas @ #31
You raise a couple of interesting points. s I have not seen your name on these threads before, I will attempt to clarify a few points. First and foremost there is no reliable published evidence that another buyer actually existed. That part is pure and simple innnuendo.
Earlier statements show that there are considerable amounts owed to various unsecured creditors.
The value of the property, I believe is highly dependent on an agreement of sorts being negotiated with the so called objectors, whose claims are heavily discounted by Mr Barry Carbon, an ex EPA president, who chaired the consultative committee.
It appears to me that DEC, when all is considered are liable in negligence. The Thompsons are now extremely well represented.
You are right, it is a mess of intrigue
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