What's in the news in Armidale? Part 1: UNE

Having resided in Earle Page College during my under graduate days a few years back (Editor's comment: Nah! It was many moons ago!) I was somewhat upset when I picked up Wednesday's edition of The Armidale Express and saw its front page report (pictured above).

The University of New England is undertaking a $4.6 million program to have its seven residential colleges comply with fire code standards.

But, here's the rub. While the project covers all seven colleges, it's being done in two stages and for EPC only its ground and first floors will be upgraded in the project's first stage.That means the second (i.e. top floors) in EPC will be closed for accommodation purposes in 2011 so EPC will have to cut its student intake by 100 in 2011.

Credit: pic The Armidale Examiner

If you have a spare coin in your pocket - remember the Pakistan flood victims [photographs]

The Place

Images of Kot Addu district in 2009 and in 2010.
Flooding now affects an estimated 160,000 square kilometres in Pakistan since a heavy monsoon rain fell in July.

Donations can be made at:
Doctors Without Borders (Australia)
Oxfam (Australia)
Red Cross (Australia)
UN Emergency Response

The People

Amira, 2, a flood victim suffering from skin and stomach problems, cries at a hospital in Sukkur, in Pakistan's Sindh province September 1, 2010.


More flood photographs on Flickr here, here and here.

Photographs displayed here are from Google Images and Google Earth

How much the Northern Rivers has grown since then....

The NSW State Library and The Mitchell Libray (celebrating 100 years since its doors first opened) now have excellent online facilities and digital collections.

1920s and 1930s in the Northern Rivers District

Top River Street, Ballina
Middle Lismore from Girard's Hill

Middle Tweed River from Razorback
Bottom Maclean in the Clarence Valley

Walcha news

When touring around the countryside it's interesting to see what's in the local news.

Here's a sample of Walcha news:

Bruce Rutherford in this week's Apsley Advocate comments on the recent wet weather in the Walcha district and then puts things into a broader global perspective. Well done, Bruce!

Meanwhile, Coogee over at the Walcha News has a par about expiry dates.

Bailed Up! Now into our 14th day of political uncertainty

Bailed Up by Tom Roberts

It is now fourteen days since Australia went to a general election meant to decide its next federal government and still three of the five newly elected/re-elected members of parliament holding the balance of power in the House of Representatives have not made a decision concerning exactly which minority government they will support - Labor or the Liberal/Nationals Coalition.

The situation entered into farce early on when one successful WA Nationals candidate also attempted to deal himself in as an independent, even though he was firmly in the Coalition camp during the election campaign according to the party's website.

Now we are approaching a political climate in which supposedly considered judgement is beginning to give way to highway robbery as the three remaining unaligned seasoned independent MPs hold the nation and the two main parliamentary parties to ransom.

The fact that the Australian Electoral Commission will not be declaring the national poll within the next few days is no excuse for these prima donnas milking the situation for all it is worth.

By 4.30pm on 3 September 2010, 91.22% of the primary vote had been counted and the two party preferred count was 86.72% complete with only one seat considered technically doubtful according to a finely-honed computer program.

One wonders why any of us bothered to vote at all. Enough is enough. Align by Monday morning Messrs Katter, Oakeshott and Windsor (or announce that you will not be supporting a minority government) if you want to retain any semblance of credibility.