Can't say it often enough.....

Twitter #ausvotes top tweet early this morning:

DeathStarPR

If Abbot wins, rich, heterosexual middle-aged conservative Christian white people might FINALLY get a say in how Australia is run. #ausvotes via web

Official Australian Election vote count at last running tally 7am 22 August 2010

Click on image to enlarge

Australian Electoral Commission Virtual Tally Room:

Across Australia 14,088,260 electors enrolled to vote.
Currently 77.85% of the primary vote has been counted.
The two party preferred count is 74.71% complete.
The election results were last updated at 22/08/2010 7:34:29 AM.

Tweed Coast koala attrition levels reaching dangerous point

From The Far North Coaster online magazine on 18 August 2010 reporting as Tweed Shire Council prepares to undertake the first Koala Habitat Study since the mid-1990s:

The Tweed Coast Koala Advisory Group met for the first time last week and was presented with alarming results from a scientific study of local koala populations.
The group was formed to guide the development of a comprehensive Koala Plan of Management (CKPoM) to address growing concerns in the community and Tweed Shire Council about dwindling koala numbers.
The project aims to establish the current distribution, status and future prospects for koalas on the Tweed Coast and provide a CKPoM consistent with State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP) 44 and state and national koala recovery plans.
Ecological consultant Dr Stephen Phillips from Biolink presented a progress report on a Tweed Coast Koala Habitat Study (commissioned by Council with funding support from the Department of Environment Climate Change and Water) which found that the range and numbers of koalas had declined substantially in recent years.
"All evidence points to a relatively recent escalation in the rate of range contraction and decrease in occupancy rate that now places the long-term viability of the Tweed Coast koalas in real jeopardy," Dr Phillips said.
He advised that the proposed CKPoM would need to 'actively and aggressively engage population protection, management and recovery as the security for the remaining source populations is vital'.......

Biolink on the subject:

Threats to Tweed Koalas

􀂃 Apathy

􀂃 Inappropriate urban development

􀂃 Private forestry practices

􀂃 Motor vehicle strike

􀂃 Dogs in some areas

􀂃 Fire – including hazard reduction burning

The bad news

􀂃 Populations are now mostly gone from the north of the LGA, having either disappeared or largely declined from areas formerly supporting known populations eg. South Tweed/Fraser Drive, Chinderah and Kingscliff.

􀂃 Population attrition is also evident in the south of the LGA (Wooyung).

􀂃 Remaining Koalas on the Tweed coast are now mostly isolated from the rest of the LGA by the Yelgun to Chinderah motorway, where there is ongoing mortality despite ameliorative measures.

􀂃 The Tweed Coast population probably consists of less than 500 animals, not taking into account losses which were likely sustained during the 2005/2006 fire at Round Mountain.

The good news

􀂃 Cessation of logging practices in places like Mebbin, Mooball & Mt. Jeurasalem (former State Forests, now National Parks) will likely provide for potential population increase.

􀂃 There is good evidence that appropriate development can be effectively integrated with Koala habitat, eg. Koala Beach – shows how it can be done, but initial concepts can be improved (smaller building footprints/larger lot sizes, more internal greenspace).

Being grateful for small mercies

The Family First Party failed to get a candidate elected to the Senate of the Australian Parliament on 21st August 2010.
Which means that after FFP Leader Senator Steve Fielding's current term expires in the middle of 2011 there will be one less happy clappy nong mindlessly throwing his weight around.

Status quo remains on NSW North Coast as results of Australian Federal Election continues to be tallied nationally

Tonight the Australian Electoral Commission's Virtual Tally Room declared that in the Federal General Election, 21 August 2010:

Richmond electorate was won by sitting member Justine Elliot (ALP)
Page electorate was won by sitting member Janelle Saffin (ALP)
Cowper electorate was won by sitting member Luke Hartsuyker (NATS)
Lyne electorate was won by sitting member Robert Oakeshott (IND)

Currently 75.10% of the primary vote has been counted nationally and 73.34% of the two party preferred count completed.

Australian Election 2010 Virtual Tally Room and other links

Australian Electoral Commission Virtual Tally Room - will activate after 6pm on 21 August 2010.

ABC Online Australia Votes live cover - also on ABC1 and ABC News 24 at 4pm in Western Australia, 5.30pm in the Northern Territory and South Australia and 6pm in the eastern states

ABC Antony Green's Guide

ABC NewsRadio website streaming coverage at abc.net.au/newsradio
Radio election coverage will also be streamed on ABC Local Radio websites

SBS Online Vote 2010 with Live Election Map (updated every 3 mins) from 6.30pm

Bigpond Online Federal Election 2010 - live from 5pm

Sky News Australia Online Election 2010 Live Stream - initial reporting begins around 3.30pm.

Also Sky Channel 601 features Sky political editor David Speers in Sydney and Channel 602 will be hosted by Peter Van Onselen from the Canberra tally room

Twitter #ausvotes

Time to look skywards and pray for wise & perceptive vote casting across Australia tomorrow?

Sometimes the only comfort is remembering how small we are in the universal scheme of things.........

IRAS 05437+2502, a small, faint nebula
that spans only 1/18th of a full moon
toward the constellation of the Taurus