Streuth Ruth! Abbott's a cobber of the elderly and Rudd's a granny basher?

You've gotta love the boy. Here he is gamely battling for that extra spin by having a go at Rudders and Swanee over the latest Intergenerational Report released yesterday.
Apparently the PM and Treasurer are guilty of elder bashing by pointing out that growing numbers entering retirement are posing a bit of a problem for a national economy which was traditionally coming off on a strong base of taxpaying workers.
Leader of the Coalition Opposition Tony Abbott hopes that I'll accept that he's my true blue friend, working flat out protecting me from Labor's nasty age discrimination.
"It's not seniors' fault that the government is under cost pressure. This idea somehow seniors are to blame for our economic problems, it is wrong, it is demeaning to great people who have worked hard for our country."sez our Tones.

Here's how Labor's 2010 intergenerational report basically assesses the aging of the population;
"Australia faces significant intergenerational challenges.
Population ageing will mean that there will be fewer workers to support retirees and young dependants.
This will place pressure on the economic growth that drives rising living standards.
At the same time, the ageing population will result in substantial fiscal pressures from increased demand for government services and rising health costs.
Australia's population will continue to grow over time but at slower rates
than in the past. A growing population will help manage pressures of the ageing population but will put pressure on our infrastructure, services and environment. This will require continued planning and investment ahead of time."

Here's how the Coalition's 2007 intergenerational report viewed the same issue;
Demographic and other factors will continue to pose substantial challenges for economic growth and long-term fiscal sustainability.
The projections in IGR2 show that over the next 40 years:

• the population will continue to increase in size but with a higher proportion of older people;
• economic growth per person will slow as the proportion of the population of traditional working age falls; and
• substantial fiscal pressures will emerge due to projected increases in spending, particularly in the areas of health, age pensions and aged care."

And before that in 2003 the Libs and Nats looked at that same ageing population in the first intergenerational report;
Australia, like most industrialised countries, is experiencing an ageing of its population. This is already beginning to place some pressure on government spending. However, much larger pressures are expected to emerge when the 'baby-boomer' generation starts reaching old age in the middle of the next decade.
By careful planning now, we will be better prepared to meet the future challenges of an ageing population.

Can't tell the chooks apart can you! Because the long term demographic shift exists and it will affect the economy.
Tony Abbott is showing what a bl**dy nong he really is in trying to run with this thought bubble for the next 24 hours and this particular greybeard would like to take his 'caring' and shove it down his dishonest pollie throat.

Australia's 2009 greenhouse gas emissions report card shows good intentions are never enough to drive meaningful change

Although government and the media are inclined to place a very positive spin on these figures from The Climate Group's Greenhouse Indicator Annual Report 2009:Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia and Australian Petroleum Use and Emissions Annual Report 2009, one has to wonder what Australia's total greenhouse gas emission levels are given that two states and one territory are missing from the electricity calculations (the Australian Capital Territory appears to be included with NSW).

What the national petroleum and electricity production and consumption profile suggests is that Australia spent 2009 merely marking time in relation to her total national greenhouse gas emissions, given that this year's figures come off the back of a national estimated increase of 553 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, or 1.1 per cent, in 2008 and an energy sector increase of 42 per cent from 1990 to 2007, and by another 1.5 per cent in 2008 according to the Federal Minister for Climate Change and Water in June 2009 and the east coast's total 2008 greenhouse gas emissions were 19 per cent higher than in 2000.

Excerpts from the aforementioned The Climate Group documents:

2009 Results

Across Victoria, NSW, Queensland and South Australia annual emissions were 5.3 million tonnes lower in 2009 than in 2008.

This is a fall of 1.8 per cent for the year.

The decrease was not uniform across all states.

Annual emissions in Victoria and Queensland registered the smallest relative reduction, with falls of 0.5 per cent (543,500 tonnes) and 1.1 per cent (852,210 tonnes) respectively.

Emissions in NSW and South Australia declined more substantially, down by 3.1 per cent (3,201,360 tonnes) and 4.2 per cent (730,210 tonnes) respectively.....

Electricity

Across the four states the total electricity generated during 2009 was 1.9 per cent lower than 2008. Coal was responsible for 87.8 per cent of all scheduled electricity generation, down from 88.9 per cent the previous year.

The share of gas‐fired generation rose from 8.4 to 9.3 per cent and the share of renewable generation increased slightly from 2.7 to 2.8 per cent.

The overall greenhouse intensity of scheduled electricity generation remained virtually identical to 2008.

In 2009, greenhouse intensity of electricity generation was 0.9267 tonnes CO2e per MWh. In 2008, it was 0.9282 tonnes CO2e per MWh.

In Victoria, electricity demand fell by 2.0 per cent in 2009 compared with the previous year.

Generation from brown coal‐fired generators increased by 1.1 per cent, while 27 per cent less electricity was produced from gas.

A fall in demand combined with a smaller decline in generation meant that Victoria's net export of electricity to other States was 73 per cent higher in 2009 than in 2008.

About 4.6 per cent of electricity produced in Victoria was exported in 2009 compared with 2.6 per cent in 2008.

In NSW, electricity demand fell by 1.2 per cent in 2009.

Generation from black coal‐fired generators in NSW fell by 6.1 per cent with gas‐fired generation achieving a 191 per cent growth due to new power stations being commissioned.

However, this was coming off a very low base of 0.6 per cent of total generation in 2008, rising to 1.7 per cent of generation in 2009.

Net imports from other states grew by 61 per cent compared with 2008 levels representing 5.6 per cent of overall electricity demand in 2009, up from 3.4 per cent in 2008.

In Queensland, electricity demand grew by 1.5 per cent this year compared with 2008.

Generation from black coal‐fired generators fell by 3.0 per cent while gas‐fired generation increased by 16 per cent.

The net export of electricity to other states from Queensland was 24 per cent less than the amount exported in 2008. In 2009, Queensland exported 8.1 per cent of the electricity it generated, down from 10.5 per cent in 2008.

In South Australia, electricity demand increased by 0.1 per cent in 2009.

Generation from coal‐fired generators fell by 2.8 per cent while electricity produced from gas‐fired generation was 11.5 per cent lower, meaning that total generation fell by 4.3 per cent in 2009.

Subsequently, South Australia went from being a marginal net exporter of electricity in 2008 to a net importer in 2009.....

Petroleum

Total emissions from petroleum‐based fuels were 95.630 million tonnes across all four states.

In contrast to the previous year, 2009 has seen a decrease in sales of petroleum‐based fuels across all states, except in SA.

Victoria was the state that had the greatest fall in emissions from petroleum, with emissions falling by 2.1 per cent or 540,000 tonnes.

NSW and Queensland only recorded slight reductions of 0.2 and 0.3 per cent respectively.

South Australia was the only state to register and increase – a marginal rise of 3000 tonnes or 0.3 per cent.

These reductions in petroleum sales come despite positive population growth in each of the states, and growth in Gross State Product in each state.

Across the different types of petroleum‐based fuels, results were mixed. Diesel sales were up across all states except for in Victoria were they fell.

Petrol sales fell in Victoria and Queensland, remained the same in NSW and increased in South Australia.....

National Overview of Petroleum

During the 12 months from October 2008 to September 2009, the use of petroleum‐based fuels across Australia produced 120.7 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.

This represents around 20 per cent of the Australia's total emissions.

This was a reduction of 1.6 million tonnes or 1.3 per cent on the previous 12 months and went some way to reversing a 2.9 per cent rise in emissions from petroleum based fuels between 2007 ‐ 08.

This decline in petroleum emissions occurred despite a rise in population of 2.1 per cent across the country.

The use of and resulting emissions from LPG, petrol, diesel and other fuels all fell this past year with the exception of aviation fuel, emissions from which saw a small growth of 0.1 per cent to 16.1 million tonnes .

It is likely that the fall in overall petroleum use and emissions is largely due to the global financial crisis, which has curtailed business and industrial growth, especially in heavy industry and resources sectors.

The GFC also affected consumer confidence....

New South Wales emissions for the week ending 14 Jan 2010*:
1.972 million tonnes CO2e
This year to date: 3.808 million tonnes CO2
Last year to date: 3.699 million tonnes CO2

* NSW’s emissions from energy grew by 13% or 136,000 tonnes due mainly to an increase in emissions from coal-fired generation. Emissions from coal-fired electricity, which accounted for 85% of electricity generation in NSW this week, grew by 11% or 118,000 tonnes with a number of generation units coming online to meet the higher demand. Electricity demand grew by 14%. NSW imported 6% of its electricity demand from other states, compared to 11% last week. Emissions from gas grew by 25% or 24,000 tonnes. Emissions from petroleum products fell by 0.8% or 5,000 tonnes. This week’s Indicator is 3.8% higher than the same week in 2009 and total emissions to this stage of 2010 are 3.0% higher than the similar stage last year. This week’s Indicator is 29% above the average equivalent 1990 weekly emissions and 11% above the equivalent 2000 weekly average.

Sh*t happens....

We finally decided to upgrade the old pit toilet on the farm.

It was a hard decision since it was agreed that a septic system would use too much flushed water and the potential to cause problems with the ecological balance of a swamp near the house was too great.

Not that toilet water would have been a problem in this year of five local floods, but dry years do occur.

We finally decided that a composting system would be the best in our situation.

It was then we had a great stroke of luck, the son-in-law was at an auction and there, large as life, was a brand new unused state of the art composting toilet.

The fact that he was over 1,000 kilometres away from the farm did not cause him to hesitate - at the fall of the gravel he was the proud owner of a massive virgin crapper at a bargain basement price.

So this Christmas he loads the dunny on the back of a trailer behind the family car and heads north to the farm, turning heads all the way up the Pacific Highway.

On the family's arrival at the farm we wander around the house yard, beers in hand, working out where the new toilet should be sited.

It had to be conveniently placed near the house, yet have a good view and not interfere with other aspects of the house yard design. A few beers later we agreed on the best site for the new toilet.

It was time to get the ditch dingo working, since the base section has to be buried over one metre into the soil.

About 800cm into the dig we struck solid clay - the heavy solid sticky type. It was useless to continue digging as this type of clay will expand quickly when wet. So the decision was made to build up the soil around the compost unit instead.

The new toilet now nick-named The FARTUS (apologies to Dr Who) was in place and waiting for the actual building of the toilet hut section. One of the cousins who had been in the Navy said he thought that the new installation looked like a submarine conning tower.

That night it rained and stormed, then it rained again.

The misty morning light revealed the sight of the composting toilet bobbing incontinently in a muddy sea. We now had a Collins-type sub.

So later that day we downed a few more beers (I had switched to rum and coke by this stage) and decided that this was a sign from Huey. The whole toilet situation had to be re-thought.

Graphic from My Little Family's Genealogy

Fair dinkum, you're a bit of a political b*tch aren't you Kristina!

With something of a carefully stage-managed publicity blitz Kristina Keneally launched herself as NSW Premier late last year.
She faced the meeja on taking office and promised a government focus on five main issues - one of which was the "most vulnerable members of the community".
Now it didn't take long to see that this touchy-feely sentiment was going to be a load of hot air.
You can't get much more vulnerable than those Aussies living on or below the poverty line but I didn't see the new premier rushing to roll back the former Rees Government decision to take a big bite out of the Federal Government's one-off basic payment increase for quite a few single pensioners later this year, and this week the state government she heads is defending its Solar Bonus Scheme levy which will see those families on very low incomes and pensioners without assets subsidizing the cheaper power supplied to people rich enough to be able to install solar power throughout their houses.
"Effectively, the costs of the feed-in tariff paid to a customer with a solar PV system will be spread across all customers on the network."
This on top of the fact that the NSW Government is about to give the nod to yet another hefty increase in electricity pricing (after a plump increase in 2009) so as to cover the black hole it allowed to develop in power supply infrastructure which needs to be quickly papered over if government wants to sell-off state energy assets.
Yeah, Kristina - that's really governing for the vulnerable that is!
I don't care how small the buyback levy may or may not be for the average family - it's the bl**dy principle.
Why should the interests of silvertails still rule in New South Wales and a hypocritical blow-in premier dare to act as if that's a really bonza state of affairs.

Pic from KKK's scrap book of media images

Just another example of how rural & regional NSW is being let down

The Daily Examiner editor points out the inequity in energy service delivery costs across New South Wales.

Comment from The Daily Examiner, 21 December 2009
Click on image to enlarge

Australia's Future Tax System Review Panel releases paper on Road and Transport sector tax reform

Commercialisation of the Australian road system will not be as simple as commercialising former public utilities such as power generation. Much more attention needs to be directed at practical issues of implementing such arrangements. [from Summary 6, A Conceptual Framework for the Reform of Taxes Related to Roads and Transport, June 2009]

On the NSW North Coast we have limited access to air, sea or rail freight and so are dependant on state and national road systems being used to supply us with many of life's necessities.

The purchase price of these necessities are frequently higher in regional areas because of added transport costs.

This same limited transportation also means that more of our personal and business travel is conducted on the east coast road network and fuel costs possibly impact more heavily on rural and regional households than they do on metropolitan households.

When Australia's Future Tax System Review Panel released a paper on 13 August 2009 titled A Conceptual Framework for the Reform of Taxes Related to Roads and Transport it is of direct interest to our local communities:

This report concentrates on road transport and the supply of road services. Section 1 provides background to the general tax‐transfer policy problems that arise in relation to road transport; Section 2 discusses partial and general equilibrium methodology issues; Section 3 discusses excises on fuels and other vehicle‐related charges; Section 4 discusses congestion and pollution‐related transport externalities; Section 5 singles out traffic accident and insurance externalities; Section 6 deals with road capital and maintenance issues; Section 7 considers general equilibrium and double dividend issues; Section 8 briefly considers rail, taxi, air services and shipping issues. Section 9 synthesises the main policy issues raised.

PDF download here.

Frontier Economics recycles its submissions to government and turns them into Turnbull's Greener, Cheaper, Smarter ETS? rofl

In September 2008 business consultants Frontier Economics (Australia) made an 18-page formal submission to the Commonwealth Department of Climate Change on the emissions trading scheme Green Paper.
It has previously made a 36-page formal submission to the Garnaut Climate Change Review in April 2008.

Unsurprisingly in August 2008 the consultants also advised on a joint industry response by the National Generators' Forum (which represents 22 major power generators) to the Rudd Government proposed emissions trading scheme.

What all this means is that the Rudd Government had considered Frontier Economics' assessment of ETS models and conclusions before it finalised the government's own proposed Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme(CPRS) legislation.

Now I may be a trifle thick here, but I cannot see how Malcolm Turnbull or the Coalition get any political brownie points for this basic reworking of Frontier Economics earlier positions with a bit of colourful window dressing thrown in to produce the August 2009 Greener, Cheaper, Smarter ETS aka the 102-page graph ridden report The economic impact of the CPRS and modifications to the CPRS:REPORT FOR THE COALITION AND SENATOR XENOPHON.

If Rudd's CPRS is shaping up to be a dud because it gives too much leeway to dirty industries, then Turnbull's ETS is a complete disaster because it appears to give these industries even more (with only a promise of very short-term savings for ordinary Australian households during implementation of this scheme) and without a clear, workable incentive for industry to actually reduce greenhouse gas emission levels.
It seems we are supposed to rely on other countries doing the actual carbon reduction and being ever willing to sell Australian industry what Turnbull fondly supposes will be rather cheap credits.

Conclusion: Malcolm Turnbull will continue to be an embarrassment until his party finally potty trains this political l'enfant terrible.

Can't get to see your G.P. for a month? Worried about that long wait at accident and emergency? Been on an elective surgery list for a year?

Can't get to see your G.P. for a month? Worried about that long wait at hospital accident and emergency? Overwhelmed by the thought of a day-long trip to see a specialist? Upset by the fact that a family member is hundreds or thousands of kilometres away receiving in-patient treatment? Concerned that you won't survive a life-threatening disease because poorer health outcomes sometimes correlate with life in the regions? Indignant that you can get elective surgery within two months if you have the money to pay but are on a waiting list for twelve months if you are poor? Think your local district hospital won't be there at the end of the year if this area health service cost cutting keeps up?

Well these are pretty common worries for many Australians living in rural and regional areas. But never fear - Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is out there clutching his copy of A healthier future for all Australians - Final Report June 2009.

The National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission may say that; The health of our people is critical to our national economy, our national security and, arguably, our national identity. Our own health and the health of our families are key determinants of our wellbeing. Health is one of the most important issues for the Australian people, and it is an issue upon which they rightly expect strong leadership from governments.

However don't expect significant federal-state consultation on the report's recommendations before the next federal election.

The Liberals and Nationals won't add anything constructive to consideration of the public health service as they don't want timely consultation because it will take away an election campaign stick that it can use to beat the Rudd Government about the head and, Labor won't be rushing forward either because it will be easier to continue promising golden health reform in the lead-up to polling day than it will be to defend leaks about inevitable federal-state consultation hiccups.

As for those medieval guild relics, the 'gentlemen's' unions covering general practitioners and medical specialists - well they won't be doing more than blowing obstructive hot air until someone promises them that there will be a larger user pays component favouring their pockets in any national health system.

So. Can't get to see your G.P. for a month? Worried about that long wait at hospital accident and emergency? Overwhelmed by the thought of a day-long trip to see a specialist? Upset by the fact that a family member is hundreds or thousands of kilometres away receiving in-patient treatment? Concerned that you won't survive a life-threatening disease because poorer health outcomes sometimes correlate with life in the regions?Indignant that you can get elective surgery within two months if you have the money to pay but are on a waiting list for twelve months if you are poor? Think your local district hospital won't be there at the end of the year if this area health service cost cutting keeps up? Get used to it and hope that you survive until that shining day when Kevin Rudd finally 'fixes' the public health system.

A healthier future for all Australians - Final Report June 2009:

Executive Summary

Recommendations

Saffin highlights problems with Maclean Hospital senior management staff cuts

On 3 June 2009 the Labor Member for Page, Janelle Saffin, stood in up the House of Representatives and spoke on behalf of the people of the Lower Clarence:

While Maclean District Hospital sits just outside my electorate of Page in Cowper, thousands of my constituents in the Lower Clarence rely on it. Many constituents hold real fears about the future of their hospital, particularly if the EO/DON is transferred to Grafton Base Hospital 45 kilometres away to become the DON for both Clarence Valley hospitals. Ordinarily such a centralisation proposal, obtained by the Daily Examiner newspaper, might make sense. However, coming at the same time as the North Coast Area Health Service is deleting a total of 400 positions from Tweed Heads to Port Macquarie for budgetary reasons, my constituents see this hospital management restructure as a body blow to their smaller hospital. The ladies of the Maclean Lower Clarence Hospital Auxiliary have written to me saying they cannot see how one director of nursing can be expected to provide fair management to two hospitals. Neither can I. They say:

This could well be a precursor to our hospital being downgraded even further and therefore jeopardising the level of service provided to our community, which continues to grow steadily, thus putting more pressure on the hospital and its staff.

While I understand the need for belt tightening in the context of responding to the global recession, I share the community concerns that the target of 400 positions will put too much pressure on front line health workers and potentially affect the quality and viability of hospital services. As a starting point, I am asking that the existing management arrangements for Maclean and Grafton hospitals remain in place and unchanged. I note in today's Northern Star, the newspaper at the other end of my electorate, that the editorial heading is 'Health system needs injection of sense'. I agree.

On a positive note I report that two of my major election commitments from 2007—redevelopment of Grafton Base Hospital's operating theatres and emergency department and the fast-tracking of Lismore Base Hospital's radiotherapy unit—are progressing well. At the end of budget week I returned to Grafton to see the North Coast Area Health Service Lodge a DA for three new operating theatres with the Clarence Valley Council. This was a milestone event for everyone who supports the hospital, particularly its Medical Staff Council Chair, Dr Allan Tyson; Grafton Community Health Committee Chair, Shirley Adams; Area Health Service Advisory Council member, Sandra Woods; and Clarence Valley Mayor, Councillor Richie Williamson. The council is expected to approve the planning application within weeks. The main building works tender will be let in September 2009. Construction is due to be completed in December 2010.

In this year's budget there was an announcement from Minister Roxon that the government would invest in a $560 million network of state-of-the-art regional cancer centres with associated accommodation centres. I am encouraging the Lismore district's medical fraternity and other community leaders to work with me to secure one of up to 10 such centres, enhancing the one that we have under development. We could have our PET scanner and accommodation service.

If you have not yet signed the petition to the NSW Minister for Health asking for reconsideration of these senior staff cuts, contact Jim Agnew on (02) 6646.1685 after 5pm each day for current locations of this petition.

The Member for Page rises to her feet in praise of local emergencey services and residents during May 2009 flood

From OpenAustralia this week:

Janelle Saffin (Page, Australian Labor Party) Link to this Hansard source

I would like to give the House an update on the major flooding that has had a devastating impact on the cities, towns and rural areas across my electorate of Page this week and, indeed, in the neighbouring electorates of Richmond, Cowper and Lyne and in South-East Queensland. Our trade subcommittee, which I chair, was due to hold hearings in Melbourne last Thursday and Friday but I cancelled at the first hint of what was to come as I received briefings on and read the weather forecasts for the Northern Rivers and South-East Queensland, which showed a deterioration in the weather.

Even though we did not go on to a big flood alert I knew from experience, having lived in a flood-prone area for a long time, what was about to come. I wanted to do what I could to help the New South Wales State Emergency Services, all the local volunteers, the police, the local councils, the Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter service, the New South Wales Rural Fire Service and the fire brigades in what has been a magnificent flood coordination effort on the ground, in the air and on the water.

Tragically, the floods were fatal, claiming two lives: a 70-year-old man died in his submerged car in floodwaters south of Coffs Harbour last Friday night and another man died earlier in Queensland. I know that everyone in this House sends their deep condolences to their families.

Today's Northern Star newspaper carries a story of how four Bexhill residents, Allen Petty, Glenn and Kerri Nelson and Ben Saunders, used a canoe to save a backpacker, Jodie, from a near drowning just north of Lismore. While the foursome underplayed their heroic actions, they deserve the highest praise.

I really want to pay tribute to another small army of heroes: the 400-odd State Emergency Services volunteers in the Northern Rivers and the mid-North Coast who worked long shifts around the clock to prepare local communities for nature's onslaught and to execute evacuation plans. In the Clarence Valley around Grafton they doorknocked over 10,000 people, warning them and having them prepare. Everybody was brought into service to ensure that we were well and truly prepared.

We also had SES people there from all over the state, and I thank them. They have received an estimated 2,700 requests for assistance since last Tuesday and have performed more than 200 flood rescue operations, such as assisted evacuations, resupplying food and medical supplies to isolated properties and helping with stock as well. Regional SES controllers Richmond-Tweed's Scott Hanckel in the north and Dave Mackey in the south have kept me briefed on the flood situations, as have local mayors and senior police. I also had firsthand experience.

I would also like to personally thank my colleague the Attorney-General, Robert McClelland, for flying to Lismore on Saturday to announce that the Commonwealth government would be providing financial assistance to communities affected by heavy rainfall and flooding. I also thank the Prime Minister for his announcement in this place today of additional assistance, because that will really help those people who have been devastated by floods, both the individuals and particularly our producers: our rural sector and small businesses. Those cash grants of up to $15,000 where they have to expend money getting themselves back in order through the floods will be very welcome indeed. In fact, I have had thankyou calls from farmers tonight for that.

The New South Wales Premier, Nathan Rees, and the state Minister for Emergency Services, Steve Whan, also came to the region and to Lismore to declare a natural disaster zone, pledge assistance and start working closely with the Commonwealth on a recovery plan for the region. The emergency services minister was originally there to open a fire station. The weather changed and he stayed and was there for most of the flood.

The New South Wales government have appointed former New South Wales police commissioner Ken Moroney as recovery coordinator for the North Coast floods, a welcome appointment. Mr Moroney, who was stationed as a police commander in Lismore from the early seventies until the early eighties and experienced the major flood of 1974, this morning held meetings with key personnel in Lismore and this afternoon flew to Grafton to make assessments.

I would also like to thank the ABC, who did a magnificent job yet again in a time of disaster. They stayed on air 24/7 and made sure that the whole community had reports that were up to date, timely and accurate. We gave the message over and over to everybody to have their ears tuned to the ABC. (Time expired)

Those wonderful Firies and other emergency service workers

It's times like this that bring home how wonderful Australian emergency services really are.
With many people in northern NSW having family spread around the country in areas affected by bushfire or flooding, we all have to rely on those big-hearted volunteers to look after these far away loved ones in times of danger and distress.

But it's not only the Firies and State Emergency Services workers we need to thank for their efforts either.
It is also the South Australian, Victorian, Queensland and New South Wales police, power company workers, local council staff, community groups, the Red Cross network and ABC Radio emergency service broadcasting, as well as countless neighbours and strangers who weigh in to help in times of trouble.
So here's a big thank-you to all these brave people as they continue to battle the worst that nature can throw at them.

The pic I've included is from ABC Melbourne.

Andy
Northern Rivers

Guest Speak is a North Coast Voices segment allowing serious or satirical comment from NSW Northern Rivers residents. Email ncvguestpeak at live dot com dot au to submit comment for consideration.

2009 on the NSW North Coast: time to brace ourselves for price hikes

Well the festive season is virtually over and there is only Australia Day left to mark the end of most people's December holiday break.

So what have we to look forward to on the NSW North Coast?

The cost of prescription medication under the Commonwealth Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme went up this month by $1.60 to $32.90.
Pensioners will have to pay $5.30, up from $5, and will also have to pay for 62 scripts before they qualify for the safety net provision.
Of course, as it was getting harder to find prescribed medication being dispensed for $5 this will come as no surprise to many pensioners.
There is also no indication that Centrelink's pharmaceutical allowance will be increased to cover more than the current one script per fortnight.

The New South Wales retail price of electricity supplied to residential customers is likely to be fully deregulated sometime this year, coupled with the latest decision by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal to allow a 26 per cent increase in electricity prices within the next two years.
The first price change is likely to be on 1 June this year.

Residential and business water charges will go up again this year, by around a 7.6 per cent annual increase if the North Coast Water timeline is any indication.

The Rees Government appears to be endorsing the IPART recommended 8.5 per cent increase of the maximum cap on regional bus fares.
As Sydney metropolitan and outer-metropolitan rail and bus fare increases have already been announced, expect to see local bus companies increase fares soon after any government announcement.
Further fare rises can also be expected over the next four years., but for the first time all-day pensioner excursion tickets will be available on the North Coast.

Iemma & Costa: Here're your hats, what's your hurry...

So NSW Treasurer Michael Costa is threatening to quit within 10 weeks if he doesn't get his way over the partial sale of the state's electricity assets and other as yet unnamed measures.
And little Morrie Iemma is bleating about the fact that not undertaking complete power privatisation has wrecked the NSW credit rating.

Ignoring the fact that it would take more than the loss of a projected $10 billion in sale funds to bring down a credit rating which Standard & Poors had at AAA less than a year ago.
The fact of the matter is that these two political drongoes had continued on where Bob Carr left off and run the state's infrastructure into the ground before facing harsh realities.

And now Iemma has the hide to sool his nasty little Pomeranian, Health Minister Reba Meagher, onto the NSW North Coast and threaten to withhold future hospital infrastructure upgrades at Lismore Base Hospital because he didn't get his own way over electricity.

Well, the answer to that from many on the North Coast would be the same as the one from Maud up the street:

Sit on it and rotate, fellas!

Pic from Jupiter Images

Versailles in Macquarie Street

The NSW Government adjourned the electricity privatisation debate and vote in the Upper House of Parliament yesterday.
The matter of adjournment was put to the vote and the plan was for the bill to come before parliament again on 23 September 2008.

According to the Fairfax media; "During the Opposition's address, Mr Costa said: ''this is a joke'' and left the house. Members of the public gallery applauded as he left."

ABC News also reported; "New South Wales Treasurer Michael Costa says he is thinking about quitting politics as his electricity privatisation plans head for certain defeat in State Parliament today."

NSW unions thought that privatisation was now off the agenda and potential buyers were snakey; "The New South Wales business community is "dismayed" by the collapse of the Iemma Government's electricity privatisation plan, the Australian Industry Group (Ai Group) says."

Bring it on Iemma was full of bluster before the bill debate began, but the best he could do in the immediate aftermath was issue a media release about a mini-budget (due to the 'loss' of the supposed $15 billion coming from sale of assets) before skittering into the bunker.

What is an indisputable fact is that Iemma and Costa recalled parliament from recess with no hope of having the numbers and cost the state's bottom line around $500,000 it could ill afford.
He did this because yesterday was a piece of theatre only - designed to allow King Louis Iemma to bypass parliament and go ahead with Marie Antoinette Costa's sell off.

With New South Wales Government now residing in Versailles, I wonder where they will build Petit Trianon?

Maud up the street doesn't care much where they plonk the fancy real estate. She has her knitting needles out and is busying practising her Thérèse Defarge lines.

Costa the Political Thug is out-of-control

NSW Labor Government Treasurer, Michael Costa, has gone so far over the line he is now a mere dot on the horizon.

Costa the political thug, the ultra bully, has been sprung according to The Sydney Morning Herald yesterday.

"MICHAEL COSTA has been threatening Labor MPs that their electorates will be starved of funding unless they support the Iemma Government's bid to privatise the power industry."

It seems that the foul-mouthed Dr. Evil just doesn't understand that these sitting MPs were not elected by voters to represent the Iemma Government.
Voters elected them to represent the will of their electorate and the majority of people in NSW appear to be against the privatisation of NSW electricity assets.

Costa is quick to complain when others mention his bi-polar disorder, but slow to recognise that he is obviously not always in control of his impulses.

Right now those impulses are leading him to subvert the democratic process.

Is this the shape of things to come if 'hie heidyin' Iemma gets his way over privatisation of NSW electricity supplies?

With Morris Iemma due to meet with the ALP administrative committee next week, after previously attempting to smooze State President Bernie Riordan, I would like to remind Iemma, Costa, Sussex Street and the Coalition Opposition that voters are still watching their manoeuvres.

Thus far, none of those pushing for the sale of NSW power assets (or those Nationals currently pretending to oppose the idea) have been able to satisfy that the following will not come to pass.

Dozens of governments have embarked on the pathway to electricity deregulation and privatisation since the mid-1990s. It has become the accepted wisdom amongst governments and opinion leaders despite the consequent price rises and disasters that have followed in its wake: the series of blackouts that have been experienced from California to Buenos Aires to Auckland; the government bailouts of electricity companies that have been necessary in California and Britain; the need for electricity rationing in Brazil; and the fact that it has become too expensive for millions of people from India to South Africa.

Electricity deregulation and privatisation is referred to as ‘liberalisation’ by its advocates who use the term to disguise what is in essence a massive shift of ownership and control of electricity from public to private hands, in the name of economic efficiency and in the cause of private profits. ‘Liberalisation’ has meant that maintenance teams that were once fully staffed have been dramatically cut leading to frequent equipment failures. It has meant that privately owned electricity conglomerates are able to blackmail governments into bailouts and high prices with threats of blackouts. And it has meant that the planning function of electricity authorities that once ensured adequate generating reserves for times of peak demand, and kept infrastructure up to date in developed countries, have been abandoned to market forces. Because of market forces electricity prices are based, not on the cost of production, but on how desperately consumers want electricity and this has led to sky-rocketing prices whenever private companies have been able to limit supply in times of high demand.

The privatisation of electricity is not something that citizens have demanded nor wanted. In general, there has been very little public participation in electricity reform decisions and as the consequences are observed, there have been many bitter protests against electricity privatisation.
[From Sharon Beder,'Critique of the Global Project to Privatize and Marketize Energy', June 2005, pp. 177-185]

Another round of free energy audits for low-income households and supply of some energy saving devices

If you have a Centrelink or Veterans' Affairs Pensioner Concession Card and haven't has your house audited to see how you can save energy and money, here is your chance to participate this year.

According to the NSW Dept. of Environment and Climate Change [June 2008] it will begin free audits on the NSW North Coast in November.

NSW households spend as much as $32 per week on gas and electricity, on top of transport fuel costs. Over the next five years the NSW Government will help the most vulnerable households to save energy and money to buffer them against rising energy prices.
Through the NSW $63 million Low Income Household Refit Program, 220,000 households will receive an energy efficiency audit, refit kits that include water and energy saving devices and advice, and information on purchasing more efficient appliances.

Quoted in The Daily Examiner last week, a departmental spokesperson also included draught-proofing doors and windows in this offer.

Contact details were listed in The Daily Examiner as:
Phone 1300 631 967 or email ccf@environment.nsw.gov.au and put "household refit" in the subject line.

Iemma jacks up electricity price ahead of planned privatisation of NSW power industry and pensioners shiver

NSW North Coast low-income earners, retirees and pensioners can expect their household electricity bills to rise by between $31 and $90 a year on average depending on which power company supplies the house.
This represents a rise of around 4.8 to 8.5 per cent, commencing on 1 July 2008.

With the inevitable network charges/service costs rise which would accompany the Iemma Government's planned privatisation and the expected steep rise in actual cost of electricity per kilowatt hour when emissions trading comes into being, North Coast residents may soon find that this essential service is moving beyond the limits of their pocket books.

Water use costs have also risen, so that in another four years it is likely that the Centrelink utility allowance will make barely a mark on the average household electricity and water bills of the elderly or disabled.

Many North Coast residents are permanent renters and therefore cannot take advantage of renewable energy rebates for energy saving systems which their landlords currently have no incentive to have installed in the first place.
The only option, for many elderly or chronically ill people surviving on low incomes, will be to cease making themselves hot meals or heating their homes on those cold winter nights.

Thanks, Messrs. Iemma and Costa and, thanks in advance to Mr. O'Farrell as it is obvious that the Liberal-Nationals Coalition intends to join in selling us all down the river to assist those big business political donors.

Photograph from ABC News

Australian Housing Affordability Map

Map found in BankWest Key Worker Housing Affordability Report 2008 based on salaries of nurses, ambulance officers, teachers, police and firefighters.

An Australia-wide comparison placed the NSW North Coast's Bryon Bay in the top ten least affordable towns and rural areas for key workers.

The Far North Coaster online magazine reports:
The BankWest Key Worker Housing Affordability Report released this week based on ‘key workers’ salaries found Byron Bay the most expensive place to live in regional NSW, with Kiama second, Ballina third and Tweed fourth.---
The report used a median house price in Byron Shire of $501,500.
The median house price in Ballina Shire was $435,000, while in Tweed Shire it was $433,500.
The report based its figures on average salaries for teachers, nurses, police officers, ambulance officers and fire-fighters.
Average salaries used in the study were: nurses $48,661; teachers $54,835; police officers $65,913; fire-fighters $55,783; and ambulance officers $61,893.
An area was classified as unaffordable if median house prices are more than five times a key worker’s annual earnings.

ALP rank and file sock it to Iemma and Costa in Crikey

Excerpt from article on the privatisation of NSW electricity in Crikey yesterday.

NSW ALP ignoring an ever-angrier rank and file
By Ben Aveling, Secretary of the Alexandria Branch of the ALP:

But now, Morris Iemma and Michael Costa have announced that they make the decisions, no correspondence to be entered into.
The Alexandria branch is a small branch, a couple of private sector employees, some public sector employees, a few small business owners. None of our regulars is a "staffer" and, like most similar branches, we are not factionally aligned. We don’t expect to dictate policy, but we do have a right to stand up and be counted.
We first tried to do this through our local State Electoral Council. Our motion against electricity privatisation passed, as did stronger motions from other branches. But in violation of two rules, the meeting had been postponed, moving it past the cutoff date for conference submissions and none of the motions reached conference. Nor was this the only attempt to manipulate the decision of conference.
In frustration, we turned to the rulebook and found that we could ask the Administrative Committee to consider the behaviour of Iemma and Costa, which we did. John Della Bosca’s response was that it is “unacceptable” for rank and file members to expect senior ministers to be bound by party rules.
Iemma has gone further: if any MP obeys the rules and supports a policy in defiance of "cabinet solidarity", Iemma will seek to have that MP thrown out of the party. Michael Egan has made his own contribution to doublespeak: Labor governments should not listen to outside forces like the Labor annual conference; as if Iemma and his supporters could have been elected without the word Labor after their names on the ballot papers.
Make no mistake, the rank and file are angry. There is a small group of people, with no grassroots support, who are trying to hijack the Party and the state. Our collective opinion was heard loud and clear at State Conference and will not be silenced by bully boy tactics from a Premier and Treasurer who seem happy to split the Party for a policy rightly regarded with deep suspicion by the electorate. We have always negotiated and compromised. Now we are being told to walk away completely. We will not.