Proud local indigenous man says, "It's a shame that we are all classed as the same. "

Responding to a letter to the editor published in Wednesday's Daily Examiner, a local indigenous man from Yamba says, "It sounds like everyone, as a community, is painting the indigenous community with one brush".

Wednesday's letter appeared above the title "Name and address supplied". In other words, it was the work of Anon Y Mouse.

Here's the young indigenous man's letter:

Regarding the passage in the article "Ngaru Village", "the local indigenous population either doesn't care or couldn't be bothered to fix this major problem"... it sounds like everyone, as a community, is painting the indigenous community with one brush.

I have completed my HSC and have several jobs around town.

I plan on joining the NSW Police Force later this year.

As an indigenous local Yamba man it sounds like it can't be done, throughout the eyes of wider Yamba.

It's a shame that we are all classed as the same.

Jordan Walker, Yamba 

12 January 2012

And here's the letter written by  "Name and address supplied":

In Friday's paper we read about a police car having a window smashed leaving Ngaru Village when they were in search of three offenders who were hiding there after committing crimes. We read about persons from the village attacking golfers on the golf course.

The place in general looks like a ghetto, slum, or whatever, and it is disgraceful.

Believe it or not, there are people responsible for managing this area (the local land council) and it is blatantly obvious this is self-determination and governing has gone very wrong.

We need Housing NSW to come in and take over this embarrassment.

The local indigenous population either doesn't care or couldn't be bothered to fix this major problem.

They can't keep getting handouts all the time to fix their problems.

The rent these properties should be earning should be the money to upkeep the properties to a respectable standard.

You can bet your life tenants in Ngaru have major rent arrears and property damage issues that are not being addressed by their local land council.

Surely there must be a government body supervising how these land councils are using taxpayers' money.

Are they being audited as they are using taxpayers' money?

The land itself is a gorgeous piece of property and for the local indigenous population to treat the land this way is somewhat surprising, as they are supposed to have special attachments to the land.

Name and address supplied

10 January 2012

Is the Japanese whaling fleet refusing to obey a lawful direction to leave Australian territorial waters?

Since at least 11 January 2012 the Government of Japan-sponsored whaling fleet operating in the Southern Ocean has failed to obey a lawful direction of the Federal Government to quit Australian territorial waters surrounding World Heritage listed Macquarie Island - which also form part of the Australian Whale Sanctuary and the wider International Whaling Commission-endorsed Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.

One has to wonder why the Japanese Government imagines it has a right to ignore Australia's sovereignty in this manner.

Should it continue this intransigence then the Federal Government would be well within its rights to withdraw the credentials of the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan, His Excellency Mr Shigekazu Sato.

The Australian Whale Sanctuary has been established to protect
all whales and dolphins found in Australian waters

The Sydney Morning Herald 12 January 2012:

A JAPANESE whaling ship has defied high-level Australian complaints to stay in the waters of World Heritage-listed Macquarie Island.

The harpoon-equipped whale hunter Yushin Maru No.3 was still there late yesterday, hours after the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, said the ship was leaving.

''I'm aware that there has been one vessel which I'm advised has been in Australian territorial waters and I'll advise that it will leave Australian territorial waters,'' Ms Gillard said.

The Australian embassy told the Japanese government on Tuesday that whaling vessels were not welcome in the country's waters, repeating earlier complaints.

But the Japanese ship was photographed yesterday within a few miles of the coast of Macquarie Island, which is part of the state of Tasmania……

ANU professor of international law Don Rothwell said if Yushin Maru No.3 was staying close to Macquarie Island it was violating the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea which would normally allow a ship to proceed though these waters.

''The actions of Yushin Maru No.3 are not consistent with the right of innocent passage,'' Professor Rothwell said.

The Greens leader, Bob Brown, said the ship's presence was illegal and called for a naval vessel to be sent there.

Yushin Maru No.3 stayed just off the coast of Macquarie Island yesterday.

Photo: Carolina A Castro/Sea Shepherd

Page MP welcomes new national personal property register

Page MP Welcomes New National Personal Property Register

Page MP Janelle Saffin has welcomed a new national register for personal property securities (PPS) which will help Australian consumers and businesses ensure the property they buy doesn’t have a security interest over it.

The Federal Government has announced the new register will open for business on 30 January 2012. Stakeholders, including the major banks, have confirmed that they are ready to proceed.

“The new register will allow you to check that the goods you are considering buying, like a car, boat or machinery—almost anything except real estate—doesn’t have a security interest over it,” said Ms. Saffin

“Nobody wants to goods they have bought in good faith to be repossessed. This new register provides easy and affordable access to information before you purchase.

The new register will also provide additional protection for businesses that lease or supply goods, in the event that a debtor defaults or goes bankrupt.

“The national register will replace more than 70 different Commonwealth, state and territory acts and registers used to regulate personal property used as security,” said Ms. Saffin.

“The simplification of all these different registers will help make secured financing more accessible and reduce transaction costs, making lenders more willing to accept different kinds of personal property as security for loans.”

The existing registers transferring their data to the new register include the ASIC Register of Company Charges, the State Registers of Encumbered Vehicles (REVS) and Vehicle Securities Registers, and various other Bills of Sale, stock mortgage and crop lien registers.

Businesses and individuals that hold security interests will have up to two years to register their security.   

“Business can get ready to use the national register before it opens for business on 30 January by setting up their accounts from now until 15 January,” said Ms. Saffin.

Prior to the reforms commencing on 30 January, the Government will continue to communicate with business and consumers about the changes through advertisements on national radio, online and in print media.

Further information on PPS reform and access to the new register is available at http://www.ppsr.gov.au/ or by calling 1300 007 777.

6 January, 2012

Label says "organic" and "non genetically modified"? Buyer beware!

Like many people over the Christmas-New Year holiday season, I had occasion to hunt for items which met the dietary preferences of visitors. In this case a vegetable cheese made from non-genetically modified produce.

With limited time at my disposal I failed to practice what I preach (and actually do adhere to) for the rest of the year – I only read the front label and put the so-called organic non-GM soy cheese in my shopping basket.

Silly me. On arriving home and reading the back of the cheese packet this is what I found:

Omega 3 Soycheese

Product Specifications

Unit Weight: 200g

Pack Size: 70mm wide x 105mm long x 30mm deep

Ingredients

Water, Vegetable Oil (Canola 70%), Soy Extract (18%), Casein (Dairy Protein), Mineral Salts (339, 511), Salt, Food Acids (320,260), Flavour, Colour (Annatto Extract).

So what I had purchased was only 18 per cent soy ingredient, contained an unspecified amount of animal product and, possibly up to 17 per cent of GMO sourced, non-organic canola oil - because the labelling makes no claims at all about this oil.

Australian Eatwell Pty Ltd  (sometimes called DALICH PTY LTD) using the label Simply Better Foods should be ashamed of themselves for a front label that is misleading at best.

Eat well indeed! I won’t get caught like that again.

A reminder of the 2008 Federal Court of Australia ruling against Japanese whaling in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary

IN THE FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

NEW SOUTH WALES DISTRICT REGISTRY NSD 1519 OF 2004

BETWEEN: HUMANE SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL INC

Applicant

AND: KYODO SENPAKU KAISHA LTD

Respondent

JUDGE: ALLSOP J

DATE OF ORDER: 15 JANUARY 2008

WHERE MADE: SYDNEY

1. THE COURT DECLARES that the respondent has killed, injured, taken and interfered with Antarctic minke whales (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) and fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) and injured, taken and interfered with humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in the Australian Whale Sanctuary in contravention of sections 229, 229A, 229B and 229C of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth), (the “Act”), and has treated and possessed such whales killed or taken in the Australian Whale Sanctuary in contravention of sections 229D and 230 of the Act, without permission or authorisation under sections 231, 232 or 238 of the Act.

2. THE COURT ORDERS that the respondent be restrained from killing, injuring, taking or interfering with any Antarctic minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis), fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) or humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) in the Australian Whale Sanctuary, or treating or possessing any such whale killed or taken in the Australian Whale Sanctuary, unless permitted or authorised under sections 231,n232 or 238 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth).

Note: Settlement and entry of orders is dealt with in Order 36 of the Federal Court Rules.

Reasons for Judgement

Ramifications of Judgement