In the three months to June 2013 Australia's total Internet download volume hit 657,000 terabytes

Australian Bureau of Statistics

MEDIA RELEASE
8 October 2013		174/2013

Australian mobile handset downloads surge

Nearly 20,000 terabytes of data was downloaded by Australians with internet access connections via a mobile handset in the three months to June 2013, which is an increase of 6,000 terabytes according to figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

"Download volumes for mobile handsets have really seen explosive growth," said Lesley Martin from the ABS, "and while it's true that the number of mobile handset internet subscribers has also increased, that's been much smaller growth."

The total volume of data downloaded via mobile handsets between April and June 2013 was 19,636 terabytes, which is a 43 percent increase from the previous period of October to December 2012. 

Between December 2012 and June 2013, the number of mobile handset internet subscribers grew by 13 percent.

"Mobile handset downloads contribute a small percentage of our total internet downloads - in the three months to June, Australia's total download volume hit 657,000 terabytes, which is up 18 percent compared to the three months ended December," Ms Martin said. 

"Australia had 12,358,000 internet subscribers - not including mobile handsets - at the end of June 2013, showing a three percent annual increase. 

"In pure percentage terms fibre has been the fastest growing type of connection, with a 26 percent increase since December 2012; but it should be remembered that this growth is from a low base. 

"There's now 115,000 fibre connections compared to 6.2 million mobile wireless broadband connections such as a dongle or tablet SIM card, 4.8 million by DSL, 93,000 by satellite, and 227,000 still on dial-up."

Further information is available in Internet Activity, Australia, June 2013 (cat. no. 8153.0) available for free download from www.abs.gov.au.


Media Note: The ABS internet activity survey is run twice a year and covers internet subscribers as at end June and December, and download activity in the three months April to June and October to December. 
Please ensure when reporting on ABS data that you attribute the Australian Bureau of Statistics (or the ABS) as the source.

This is Sally Oelerich and her views are "very much" her own

This is Sally’s Twitter account

These are two of her tweets which have been predominantly pro-mining since she began tweeting

This is the curriculum vitae she supplied to Linkin

With this job description included

And this summary

You be the judge as to whether Ms. Oelerich is being an honest tweeter or merely a paid voice for the petroleum and gas industries

And whether or not she is well-mannered or something else entirely......

North Coast Voices reaches another milestone

Thanking all our casual and regular readers , 
both past and present

An announcement Clarence Valley Council would probably like to make

"Please, residents and visitors in Yamba, get this in your thick heads: the access way from the eastern end of Susan Street to Yamba Road is not a pathway."

That's what Clarence Valley Council would probably like to publish in its public notices, but won't. Hence, here it is on NCV - provided as a public service.

Those who use the "path", which strangely enough has been covered with bitumen and has an access point that was especially included in the kerb and gutter at the end of Susan Street probably think they're using a footpath but they are so wrong! (The access, which is to the right of a telegraph pole, is clearly shown in the pic below.)

Here's an extract from the minutes of the Clarence Valley Council Lower Clarence Access Committee Meeting on 17th July, which are an attachment
to Council's Business Paper - Environment Planning & Works Committee 

- 8 October 2013.

Item 8.4: Yamba Susan St. shortcut

Discussion/Comment: The path way near Susan St through to Yamba Road was bought [sic] up again re pathway being slippery with leaf litter.

Action/Recommendation: This is not a designated pathway and 

never will be as the width does not meet the regulations.

Used as a short cut.

Action Officer: Nil

This is what the non-footpath looked like this morning.

Image credits: Google Maps and Clarrie's resources

Metgasco finally admits that its Kingfisher E01 gas well was in trouble long before the explosion...

...and the NSW Mine Safety Investigation Unit reveals coal seam gas exploration and mining company, Metgaso Limited, did not install and plug the well with sufficient understanding of the processes involved.

@lockthegate

The Northern Star 27 September 2013:

On July 14 this year six Metgasco workers were placed into a "very high" risk situation during the shutdown operation of the Kingfisher E01 well on the outskirts of Casino, when 200m of steel drill pipes shot out of the well without warning.

The incident followed an attempt to drill through a special plug installed 200m down the 2km well shaft to "bleed off" rising pressure....

Flying metres into the air, the pipes fell to earth around the site, missing the six fleeing workers but causing extensive damage to surrounding equipment.

In an indication of the force, one of the drill pipes was ejected out of the drill site and into a neighbouring paddock.

The Mine Safety Investigation Unit reported the well had experienced "continuously rising pressure" during its lifespan due to loss of well integrity.

"Loss of integrity ... meant that gas under pressure could migrate between the inside and outside of the (well) casing," it stated.

It suggested efforts to monitor and control this building pressure had failed; one of the causes was an "insufficient understanding" of the level of pressure build-up, and the plug was installed too close to the surface.

NSW Mine Safety Investigation Unit 28 September 2013:

The workers report running away from the workover rig towards safe muster points and in doing so saw sparks and a brief ignition of gas above the rig as the last of the pipes ejected from the well....

The causes and circumstances surrounding the incident are being investigated by the department’s Investigation Unit.

The Metgasco team provided an object lesson to other coal seam gas miners; SAFETY ALERT High potential incident – drill string ejected from hole.

Federal Coalition Minister for Industry Ian Macfarlane - "this bloke is semi-literate" shill

The Australian Minister for Industry Ian Macfarlane fails to impress one Northern Rivers resident.

The Northern Star letter to the editor, 30 September 2013:

Loud and clear

So now the game truly is on for the people of the Northern Rivers with Ian Macfarlane, probably the most deceitful schmuck since Howard, spruiking the CSG industry line of a pending gas shortage in NSW.

After pretending to show concern over the intrusions of miners onto our lands he has done the usual 360- degree belly flop and landed well and truly into the loving laps of the industry carpetbaggers, because carpetbaggers is what these people are.

Like those original carpetbaggers who went into the south of the US after the civil war, profiteering then leaving the place in an economic and ecological shambles, this is what Macfarlane is proposing for NSW.

On top of that he thinks he insults the people opposing this toxic industry by calling them all sorts of names, the latest being "anarchists".

It is obvious this bloke is semi-literate, like most of the LNP, in that he shows his ignorance when using this label.

The anarchists were a group who brought freedom, democracy and rights back into a society riddled with the types of self-serving shills as Macfarlane. The problem with Macfarlane is that like most people of his ilk he just cannot be told. Well let's tell him loud and clear. NO CSG IN THE NORTHERN RIVERS!

M Mizzi

Byron Bay