A few things of interest.....
Clarence
Valley, NSW
*
Much
like the saplings in her hand, Hayley Talbot is hoping her idea to
help local bushfire-affected areas will sprout and grow tall.
Ms
Talbot, through her business Blanc Space, and project partner
ex-professional surfer Daniel Ross have created the Caring for the
Clarence project, in which 5000 trees will be planted to help rebuild
the local koala population ravaged by bushfires.
Partnering
with the NSW Government’s Save Our Species program to fund the
initiative, Ms Talbot said she wanted to contribute to the area in a
tangible way.
“I
wanted to do something that has some longevity, that would help us as
a community and help our homeland heal,” she said.
While
the effort to plant 5000 trees on private properties around the
Mororo and Woombah area may seem like a mammoth task for a group
reduced in numbers by COVID-19 restrictions, Ms Talbot said they
worked at it one tree at a time.
“I
really feel like it’s been a great example of what any community
member can do if they’re passionate and energetic,” she said.
Guided
by conservation scientists and using trees of local provenance, the
program used data from Google Earth combined with information on
koala sightings to plant areas of use to sustain the population.
“From
there it was about engaging with local property owners because every
tree we’ve planted has been on private land,” Ms Talbot said…..
[The
Daily Telegraph,
1 July 2020]
*
Clarence
Valley local government area now eligible for federal government
drought
support
administered by St. Vincent de Paul until end of 2020. [Queensland
Country Life,
2 July 2020]
One
of the largest capital works programs ever seen in the Clarence has
passed through council, and is set to provide a $70.6 million
investment in local roads and infrastructure during this financial
year.
At
Clarence Valley Council’s June 23 meeting councillors voted to
adopt the 2020-21 budget, paving the way for a significant economic
boost to the region.
“A
significant capital works program totalling $70.6 million has been
agreed for the 2020/21 financial year,” Clarence Valley Council’s
general manager Ashley Lindsay said.
“The
key features are $22 million to road and bridge infrastructure
projects and approximately $32 million allocated to open spaces,
community facility and building projects.” Mr Lindsay said an
additional $5.2 million will be generated from the final year of a
three-year special rate variation which commenced 2018/2019.
“The
majority of these funds will be spent on roads and infrastructure
asset renewals.
“This
is the final year of council’s four-year financial improvement plan
adopted in June 2017, which lays the foundations for the long-term
financial well being of the organisation, and the services,
facilities and infrastructure it provides for the community,” he
said…. [The
Daily Telegraph,
3 July 2020]
COVID-19
Pandemic
*
44% of all those in residential aged care who caught COVID-19 and 9%
of older people receiving care services in the home died as a result
of this viral infection [Australian Dept. of Health, 5 July
2020]
* COVID-19 growth rate graph
[ABC News, 9 July 2020]
Liberal
Party Politics
*
Finance
Minister Mathias Cormann, the man who revived Arnold Schwarzenegger’s
“economic girly man’’ insult in the Australian political
lexicon and privately called Scott Morrison “narcissistic” is set
to quit politics sparking a cabinet reshuffle.
Australia’s
longest serving Finance Minister has denied growing speculation he
will quit politics for months, but has responded with notable silence
to three reports in the last month that he plans to resign.
But
his departure also is set to remind voters of the ongoing leadership
fallout within the Coalition over the ascension of Prime Minister
Scott Morrison and his increasing popularity, dominance and control
of the government in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last
month, there was even speculation that he might return to Europe in a
diplomatic posting for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development.
But
the Belgian-born Liberal senator told friends he is more attracted to
making some money in the corporate sector. [News.com.au,
3 July 2020]
*
By the
end of this year we will be half-way through this current term of
government.
Having
decided not to recontest the next election, I can confirm that I have
advised the Prime Minister that the end of this year would be an
appropriate time for an orderly transition in my portfolio.
[Australian
Finance Minister Mathias Cormann, Statement,
4 July 2020]
*
THOUGHT
FOR THE DAY: It's only taken PM Scott Morrison a little over 23
months to quietly push Dutton-supporter Mathias Cormann out of the
Australian Parliament. Who is next? [@no_filter-Yamba,
5 July 2020]
*
The NSW Liberal Party has appointed a former ICAC executive to
investigate claims the minutes of the local branch of Prime
Minister’s right-hand man Alex Hawke were doctored to secure his
power base.
In
the most significant development
since the scandal was first revealed by News Corp almost two years
ago, the party office has confirmed in an email sent to affected
branch members on Friday that it has enlisted the former head of the
corruption watchdog’s investigations unit, Michael Symons, to head
up the internal inquiry.
Liberal MP Alex Hawke. Picture: Kym Smith |
The
party head office has been in internal turmoil since being made aware
of allegations that Mr Hawke’s factionally-aligned heads of the
Baulkham Hills branch in his electorate of Mitchell changed the
minutes to block the memberships of 10 new conservative members.
Had
the new members been recorded accurately at the meeting — held in a
western Sydney funeral home — Mr Hawke’s Centre Right faction
would have lost control of the branch, potentially putting his
preselection in jeopardy.
Control
of branches is critical
in influencing Federal, State and local government preselections. At
a State level, the Baulkham Hills branch is critical for NSW Police
Minister David Elliott. [The
Daily Telegraph,
5 July 2020]
Eden-Monaro
Federal By-election
*
At 7:30pm on Saturday 4 July 2020, when First Preference vote
counting ceased for the night in the NSW Eden-Monaro federal
electorate, it was apparent that an est. 62,22%
of voters were not having a bar of Scott Morrison & his hard
right Lib-Nats government. [Australian
Electoral Commission,
4 July 2020]
At
the same time in bushfire ravaged little Cobargo at least 59.68%
of local voters refused
to give the Morrison Government candidate their First Preference
vote.
Even
after they appear to have been not so subtly threatened:
the
residents of Cobargo – the centre of a tragedy in January – swung
to the Liberals on Saturday night. Perhaps
this is a bushfire effect in the sense locals accepted the
government’s core message during the campaign: the fire clean up
will move much faster if you send Fiona Kotvojs to Canberra, rather
than a member of the opposition. [The
Guardian,
5 July 2020]
*
By
early
Sunday
evening
61.71% of all voters in Eden-Monaro who cast a formal vote had
refused
to give the Morrison Government’s candidate their First Preference
vote. So the inevitable happened…..
I'm pleased and honoured to be elected the next Member for Eden-Monaro.— Kristy McBain (@KristyMcBain) July 5, 2020
To the people of Eden-Monaro – thank you.
I won't let you down. pic.twitter.com/tTpIZguggB
Research
economist discovers ‘Scotty From Marketing’ Morrison’s economic
playbook
So,
a short recession’s not enough. You want to create a prolonged
depression, right?
Perhaps
you run businesses that specialise in disaster capitalism. Maybe you
want to suckle at the teat of a dying fossil fuel industry for a
little longer. It could be that you miss the social division and
inequality of the Victorian era. Maybe you’re just a jerk.
Whatever
your motivations, this guide will take you through the basic steps of
pushing an already struggling economy into a full-blown crisis…
Read
the full article here.
[The
New Daily,
5 July 2020]
About
endangered flying foxes
“Their supermarket has been destroyed...and there isn’t another one within flying distance”. The Grey-Headed Flying Fox is being threatened with extinction by the effects of climate change, their future looks grim.— ACF (@AusConservation) July 5, 2020
📸 #AnnetteRuzickaPhotography pic.twitter.com/zDGac9XrQJ
Protecting the Orange Roughy
The
orange roughy fishery, which some have dubbed the "posterchild
of fishery mismanagement", has been the subject of debate since
the 1990s when stocks collapsed after just 20 years of commercial
fishing.
It's
a fish that can live for more than 140 years and can't breed until
around 30 — and conservationists say its unusual biology should
make it off-limits to commercial fishing.
But
industry groups say they've learnt from past mistakes and can harvest
orange roughy sustainably.
Now,
acting on behalf of an Australian trawl-fishing interest group,
US-based consultancy MRAG Americas Inc has recommended the fishery be
given sustainability status.
The
consultancy handed down its recommendation last week to MSC, an
international non-government organisation that certifies the
sustainability of fisheries based on the sustainability of the
exploited fish stocks, maintenance of the fishery ecosystem, and
responsible management.
Objections
were raised by the Australian Marine Conservation Society and
conservation group WWF but were dismissed on a technicality,
according to AMCS spokesperson Adrian Meder.
Mr
Meder said the report contains a number of flaws that show a lack of
understanding of the biology of the species and fishery.
"It's
the shonkiest piece of greenwashing I think I've seen in my entire
career. It gets the basics wrong on so many levels," Mr Meder
said…..
Orange
roughy facts
- Researchers have caught orange roughy up to 149 years of age, making them one of the longest-lived fish species. It's estimated that individuals may live up to 200 years.
- They don't reach sexual maturity until around 30 years of age and by fish standards, don't produce a lot of offspring.
- Orange roughy live between 700 metres and 1500 metres deep. They roam across seabeds but congregate on underwater shelves and seamounts to breed, meaning they can be easily caught in large numbers.
- The fish are caught by bottom trawling, usually across seamounts.
- They live in cold water, and in Australia are mostly found off Tasmania, Victoria and the Great Australian Bight.
- Commercial fishing for orange roughy began in earnest in the 1970s, with the biggest extractions taking place in New Zealand waters followed by Australia.
- They're also found in the waters of Namibia, Chile, in the Atlantic and south Indian Ocean, however stock data is limited in many of these places.
- The flesh is pearly white and delicate. [ABC News, 5 July 2020]
Just
for the nostalgia
Year
1987
George
Harrison: Voice & Guitar
Eric
Clapton: Guitar (a Les Paul)
Jeff
Lyne: Guitar
Phil
Collins: Drums
Ringo
Starr: Drums
Ray
Cooper: Percussion
Mark
King: Bass
Elton
John: Piano
Jool
Holland: Piano
Pauline
Hanson, One Nation’s Racist-In-Chief
Pauline
Hanson labelled residents in the nine public housing estate towers
"drug addicts" and "alcoholics" who can't speak
English, in an interview this morning on Channel Nine's Today Show.
After
widespread backlash across the morning, Channel Nine released a
statement to announce that Hanson won't be joining the Today Show in
the future…..
[SBS
News,
6 July 2020]
Rex
Regional Express Airine
The more than a little petty and spiteful, Messrs.
Lim Kim Hai, John Sharp, Lee Thian Soo, Neville Howell, Chris Hine, James
Davis and
Ronald
Bartsch remain
firm in their refusal to continue to fly Rex Express small passenger
jets into Grafton Airport in the Clarence Valley.
Leaving
the valley without an airline service.
IMAGE: Rex Regional Express revised air routes |
* It appears that 'Scotty From Marketing' has been away on holidays for most of the last six days and intends to keep holidaying for another six to seven days.
IMAGE: Found on Twitter |
* "As you know, it is a school holidays and Jenny and the girls will be taking some time on the outskirts of Sydney....We have technology where I can be with them and continue to take briefings, calls and meetings in dealing with the situation whether it be Victoria or the other situations in the country. "As a dad, I will take some time but at the same time I can assure you we will remain absolutely focused on the things we need to focus on next week." [9 News, 10 July 2020]
Morrison holidaying in a crisis *again* proves he doesn't regard it as a serious job. He's there for the power, not the service.— Richard Chirgwin (@R_Chirgwin) July 10, 2020
That he's not getting chased with cameras says a similar thing about our political press.
Scott Morrison was ALREADY on holiday with the family and Twitter busted him AGAIN. Not that you heard anything from the MSM. Now he has been busted, he says he won’t be with them full time in wish washy words. I call BS. #auspol— 🐨🦇🎀💧Angry Granny (@AngryGranny1) July 10, 2020
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