NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia each July to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Local NAIDOC Events Calendar
Monday 4 July 2011
NAIDOC Week 4-10 July 2011
NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia each July to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Local NAIDOC Events Calendar
FFS! Is Abbott for real?
When I first heard this masterful piece of economic nonsense last Thursday I couldn't believe my ears.
When asked about foreign mining companies and the money they derive from Australia's non-renewable resources, Tony Abbott said; "We’ve got to remember that foreign investors take millions out of our country but they put billions in first"
It seems Abbott refuses to recognise that he has no capacity for basic economics.
Rio Tinto alone produced net profit after tax of A$37.4 billion in Australia in the 10 years to 2009. That's about 3.74 billion annually that it probably took home to head office in a brown paper bag.
As for the tax these multinationals pay, well that's quite frankly laughable.
In the 2007-08 financial year 4,290 mining companies had combined incomes which totalled $160,323,192,189 with combined taxable incomes of $29,010,243,407.
Net tax actually paid was $8,068,463,15 after all allowed deductions had been made.
Of course the royalties mining businesses paid in the past were all tax deductible, and as exporters these same companies get such a whopping collective GST refund that it all but wipes out the financial impact of money paid in taxes by the industry as a whole.
Any fool can see that foreign mining companies are on a sweet deal here. So what does that make Tony Abbott - a specimen lower than a fool or simply a Lib?
Sunday 3 July 2011
Welcome to the wonderful world of residential electricity supply pricing on the NSW North Coast
Click on image to enlarge
Origin-Country Energy price increases came into effect on 1 July 2011 just in time to greet another spell of low night time temperatures (around 10C or under) and wintry daytime temperatures in the low 20s if one is lucky - accompanied by wind, rain and fog in some areas of the NSW North Coast.On average these are the differences between the last bill received for electricity consumption in the home and the final 63 days or so of the next bill:
* Residential light and power now costs an extra 4.106 cents per kilowatt hour plus GST.
* Off-peak hot water has risen by 1.566 cents per kilowatt hour plus GST.
* Supply charges on the former are up by 1.566 cents and on the latter by 1.299 cents without GST included.
According to IPART this round of price rises represents an average increase of 18.1% for Country Energy customers.
While Integral Energy customers will experience a 16.4% hike and EnergyAustralia customers will see their bills rise by 17.9%.
Welcome to the world of miserable heating choices until Spring arrives.
Levee wall art in Maclean NSW
Aspects of a section of a Clarence River levee wall in Maclean on the NSW North Coast.
The mural was painted on behalf of the Clarence Coast Cultural Committee as part of the district's celebration of the centenary of Federation.
It recognises community groups achieving 100 years of continuous service.
Click on images to enlarge
Saturday 2 July 2011
Monsanto's GM canola? Can't give the stuff away in WA
The following may be read while softly humming that old song Who’s sorry now?
The West Australian on December 16, 2010:
Harvesting a WA record 13,000-hectare genetically modified canola crop is a time-critical challenge for man and machine.
Monsanto plays hard in the West Australian on April 21, 2011:
GM canola seed company Monsanto estimated GM canola crops would surge from about 70,000 hectares to 100,000ha in WA this year.
On GM Canola seed costs for farmers in the West Australian on May 18, 2011:
“The seed is about $70 a hectare, but home-grown seed is about $12-$18 a hectare….. GM canola growers need to pay seed developer Monsanto a $3 technology fee on top of the seed and an end point royalty of $13.20 when they deliver the product. GM canola is also discounted on the world market, with growers receiving about $20 a tonne less than regular varieties.
The West Australian on May 26, 2011:
Two of Australia’s biggest grain traders say they have no plans to take genetically modified canola this season.
Elders-Toepfer Grain acting WA accumulations manager Ben Noll said the company was not currently taking GM canola and that was unlikely to change as the season progressed.
“From where we sit at the moment, we’re all non-GM, ” he said.
“We’re in the process of being involved in certification for the sustainability of canola products.”
Under the European Union Renewable Energy Directive, canola for the European premium-paying biofuel market requires International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC), which means sustainably produced canola is in and GM canola is out.
Glencore Grain, both Australia and WA’s second-biggest grain exporter, is not taking GM canola either — at least for the moment.
The company is also in the midst of ISCC……
Mr Haddrill said 95 per cent of WA’s canola went to Europe last year and given the dry conditions across much of northern Europe, demand would likely be high again this season……..
Gavilon currently has a $40 discount for GM canola and AWB has a $30 discount.
Viterra has GM canola bidding at $45 below non-GM and Emerald at $30 below.
The Hon. Peter Collier representing the West Australia Minister for Agriculture in the WA Parliament on June 23, 2011 in response to questions from Lynn McLaren MLC:
Question: How much GM canola was produced last year?
Answer: 49, 000 tonnes.
Question: How much of this GM canola has been sold and to whom?
Answer: I am advised that none of this canola has been sold at this point….
A. Tom Powell, Binnu The Countryman 10-6-10
B. Andrew Messina, Mullewa The West Australian 13-4-10
C. R & M Appleyard, Northern Gully The Countryman 24-6-10
D. J&B Bagley, Mingenew The Countryman 25-5-10
E. Bill Crabtree, Morowa Farm Weekly 4-2-10
F. Brian Ellis, Bindi Bindi Farm Weekly
G. John Shadbolt, ,Nungarin The Countryman 15-4-10
H. Jason Haywood, Goomalling The Counyry Man 17-6-10
I. Mervyn Burges, Meckering The West Australian 22-5-10
J. John Snooke, Meckering The West Australian 9-4-10
K. David Fullwood, Cunderdin The Countryman 18-3-10
L. Les Thompson, Wagin thecountryman.com.au/article/2912.html
M. Chris Hockey, Gibson thecountryman.com.au/article/2805.html
N. Michael Shields, Wongan Hills
1. Bodallin
2. Wongan Hills
3. Kojonup
http://fw.farmonline.com.au/news/state/agribusiness-and-general/general/huge-gm-canola-planting-at-bodallin/1874316.aspx?storypage=0
O. Craig Simpkin, Binnu 2ha 5ac The Countryman 1-7-10
* This post is part of North Coast Voices' effort to keep Monsanto's blog monitor (affectionately known as Mr. Monsanto) in long-term employment.
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