Abbott the Ungracious

One rather felt it would be the case, but still it was disappointing that Opposition Leader Tony Abbott barely paid lip service to the historic moment for Australian society and federal politics last Thursday before trying to paint new Prime Minister Julia Gillard as one of the worst of the worst.
Following his vitriolic lead in a closely orchestrated attack were Julie Bishop and Warren Truss.
Badly done, Mr Abbott.

Although I have to admit his constant talk of Sussex Street death squads is giving me a good belly laugh at his expense.
In that I'm not alone. Twitter has a tag just for this:

DarrylMason: Can't sleep. Twitch the blinds to see outside, a night empty street, silent, but out there, somewhere, we now know, #labordeathsquads roam.

easynowtiger: RT @rod_benson: Had a knock at the door earlier. Thought it was the #LaborDeathSquads but it was just the #LatterDaySaints. Gave them a copy of Battlelines.

weezmgk: "Security threats prompt school lockdowns in NSW" http://is.gd/d3tqn SOMEONE MUST STOP #LABORDEATHSQUADS NAO!

What year is this again?

I clicked onto Computer World and saw this:













Err.....it's almost mid 2010 now for starters and the next NSW state election is not due until 26 March 2011 or thereabouts.
But Computer World can take heart - it could have been worse.
Recently the mainstream print media decided that a deceased local's nieces and nephews actually numbered amongst his in-laws. Something which might confuse future genealogists.
While I'm on the subject of out of whack - Maud up the Street want to know when the town clocks in Grafton and Yamba going to show the correct time?

Real news item

While earth-shattering news about events in Afghanistan, Canada, North Korea, South Africa and even down-town Canberra grace the headlines it's refreshing to know that a Clarence valley punter is able to eloquently express his concerns about a local matter of vital importance.

The punter, who hails from Junction Hill (a satellite suburb of Grafton), wrote to the local paper (The Daily Examiner) about a rumour circulating in the valley that his favourite tipple will not be available at next month's Grafton racing carnival.

John 'Loves Black Beer' B********'s (surname deleted) letter

New native title claim in the Clarence Valley being considered

The Daily Examiner reported on 22 June 2010 that a new native title claim may be lodged over the Clarence Valley coastal zone from Woody Head to Red Rock.

Currently there are approximately 3,925 sq kilometres under active native title claim from Evans Head and its hinterland to the Grafton area, as well as the waters of the Clarence River.
These claims are on land within Clarence Valley Council, Lismore Shire Council, Richmond Valley Council, Tenterfield Shire Council, Glen Innes Severn Shire Council local government areas.

If the media report is correct then this proposed application would be a logical progression of the sincere efforts of Northern Rivers traditional owners to gain a measure of protection for the environmental, cultural and spiritual values of this land.

I wish them well in their endeavours.

Come orf it, Mendoza!

I'd be the last person to support the proposition that the Oz public health system is working for everyone anyone, but I have to wonder about the motives of John Mendoza, former chair of the National Advisory Council on Mental Health.

This is John last Friday in the Ballina Shire Advocate:

"He said Mr Rudd failed to listen to him, snubbed today's summit at the University of the Sunshine Coast, and ignored a petition signed by 80,000 Australians calling for $500 million boost to mental health funding."

This is John in a GetUp! email doing the rounds:

"On Thursday, I and over 60 mental health organisations from across Australia intend to present a letter to Kevin Rudd with a plan of action for mental health. But so far, the Prime Minister has declined to receive it, and so too has the Health Minister, Nicola Roxon."

WTF?
A couple of weeks ago a letter is sent and the PM hadn't yet replied? Yep, a scandal of the first magnitude.

Rudd and Roxon refuse to have this letter re-presented to them (presumably by the doughty John) for the benefit of the media? A shocking abuse of power I tell you!

Rudd ignored a GetUP! petition which is apparently only a few days old and delivered to Canberra last Thursday? My gawd, that defies belief.

John - take two aspirin tabs and lie down - your ego is out of control.

Pic of the boofhead from GetUp! website

New Matilda will be missed when it closes its doors today

Best wishes for the future to all New Matilda

management, staff, journalists & assorted others

from all of us here at North Coast Voices

Take an utterly random trip down memory lane as New Matilda ceases publication today:

2010

So Long, Sussex Street By Andrew Elder

Mungo MacCallum: Serial Killer By Mungo MacCallum

The New Adventures Of Old Matilda By Robbie Swan

Someone Lend This Man An Economics Textbook By Ben Eltham

2009

Get Ready For These Nuclear Fallacies By Mark Diesendorf

What Makes Climate Sceptics Tick? By Lyn Bender

2008

Rudd Has Betrayed A Generation By Anna Rose

The 10 Worst Cock-Ups Of 2008 By Ben Eltham

2007

Cops Hit the Front Page By Sam Davies

Leaks and Whispers By Bruce Haigh

Brown's Got Soul By Tim Soutphommasane

2006

A Senate Majority Was Meant to Be Easy By Michael Brissenden

Time to Point the Bone? By Michael Brissenden

Minamata 50 Years On By Christopher Reed

2005

Our greatest addiction By Daniel Donahoo

Federal Labor - dealing with its economic mistakes By Kirk McKenzie

2004

Lady in waiting? By Christine Wallace

The sticky pole of nationalism By Maria Kunda

Speak no evil - security law on the books By George Williams

Waterlines Report June 2010: how much water does Australia use?

Australian Government Waterlines report 30 - June 2010:

This report documents:

• the location of significant intercepting activities that fall outside the current entitlement framework
• the potential rate of expansion of each activity over various time periods
• estimates of water usage of each activity in water management areas used in the Australian Water Resources 2005 report.

The report includes a definition and description of activities that intercept surface water and groundwater and identified the following activities for further analysis:

• overland flows
• farm dams
• stock and domestic bores
• plantations
• peri-urban development

The report shows that the total volume of water unaccounted for as a result of land use activities outside our current water entitlement regimes and planning frameworks equates to almost one quarter of all the entitled water on issue in Australia.

Or to put it another way - a combined volume of at least 5,600 gigalitres of fresh water is intercepted annually across the country. Which is around 10 Sydney Harbours worth of water according to my calculations and, much is apparently being siphoned off outside of current government-endorsed management plans.

Surface and/or groundwater interception activities: initial estimates (7.26MB)

Executive summary (141KB)