Australian governments receive yet another warning that mass extinction events are getting closer

All three tiers of Australian governments - federal, state and local - need to turn and face this reality.

Nature, Ecology & Evolution magazine, 20 July 2020:

Impact of 2019–2020 mega-fires on Australian fauna habitat 

Michelle Ward, Ayesha I. T. Tulloch, James Q. Radford, Brooke A. Williams, April E. Reside, Stewart L. Macdonald, Helen J. Mayfield, Martine Maron, Hugh P. Possingham, Samantha J. Vine, James L. O’Connor, Emily J. Massingham, Aaron C. Greenville, John C. Z. Woinarski, Stephen T. Garnett, Mark Lintermans, Ben C. Scheele, Josie Carwardine, Dale G. Nimmo, David B. Lindenmayer, Robert M. Kooyman, Jeremy S. Simmonds, Laura J. Sonter & James E. M. Watson 

Abstract 

Australia’s 2019–2020 mega-fires were exacerbated by drought, anthropogenic climate change and existing land-use management. 
Here, using a combination of remotely sensed data and species distribution models, we found these fires burnt ~97,000 km2 of vegetation across southern and eastern Australia, which is considered habitat for 832 species of native vertebrate fauna. 
Seventy taxa had a substantial proportion (>30%) of habitat impacted; 21 of these were already listed as threatened with extinction. 
To avoid further species declines, Australia must urgently reassess the extinction vulnerability of fire-impacted species and assist the recovery of populations in both burnt and unburnt areas. 
Population recovery requires multipronged strategies aimed at ameliorating current and fire-induced threats, including proactively protecting unburnt habitats. [my yellow highlighting]

The Guardian, 21 July 2020: 

The publication of the peer-reviewed study in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution followed the Morrison government on Monday releasing an independent review of the laws, known as the Environment Protection and Conservation Biodiversity (EPBC) Act. 

The interim review led by Graeme Samuel, a former competition watchdog head, found Australia’s environment was in an unsustainable state of decline and the laws were not fit to address current and future environmental challenges. 

Samuel recommended the introduction of national environmental standards that set clear rules for conservation protection while allowing sustainable development, and the establishment of an independent environmental regulator to monitor and enforce compliance. 

The environment minister, Sussan Ley, agreed to develop environmental standards, but rejected the call for an independent regulator and said she would immediately start work on an accreditation process to devolve responsibility for most environmental approvals to the states and territories. 

One of the Nature Ecology study’s authors, Prof James Watson, said the laws could be effective but only if protections were enforced. 

The act, which has been widely criticised for failing to stem a developing extinction crisis, largely leaves decisions to the discretion of the environment minister of the day.....

Australia 2020: and now for some economic bad news

On 23 July 2020 Australian Treasurer and Liberal MP for Kooyong Josh Frydenberg delivered a national economic and fiscal update.

He dutifully posted an upbeat media release and published the official update documents.

Here is a preliminary takeaway from this update*:

• total federal government payments have increased by $58.0 billion in 2019-20 and increased by $187.5 billion over the two years to 2020-21. The net impact of policy decisions since the 2019-20 MYEFO has increased payments by $58.0 billion in 2019-20 and $113.7 billion in 2020-21.

• declines in taxation receipts were $31.7 billion in 2019-20 and are expected to be $63.9 billion in 2020-21;

• the underlying cash balance is expected to decrease to an $85.8 billion deficit in 2019-20 and an $184.5 billion deficit in 2020-21. This is a a deterioration of $281.4 billion over these two years since the 2019-20 MYEFO;

• as a percentage of GDP the underlying cash balance is expected to be -9.7 per cent in 2020-21;

• debt levels have increased significantly. Gross debt was $546 billion (28.1 per cent of GDP) at 30 June 2019 and $684.3 billion (34.4 per cent of GDP) at 30 June 2020 and is expected to be $851.9 billion (45.0 per cent of GDP) at 30 June 2021. With net debt at 30 June 2019 standing at 373.5 billion (19.2 per cent of GDP), expected to be $488.2 billion (24.6 per cent of GDP) at 30 June 2020 and increase to $677.1 billion (35.7 per cent of GDP) at 30 June 2021;

• on a calendar-year basis real GDP fell by 3.75 per cent;

• real GDP is forecast to have fallen sharply in the June quarter 2020 by 7 per cent;

• nominal GDP is expected to be -4.75 per cent in 2020-21;

• nationally 709,000 jobs were lost in the June quarter 2020;

• the unemployment rate in June 2020 was 7.4 per cent and is expected to peak at around 9.25 per cent in the December quarter 2020 and is forecast to be at 8.75 per cent in 2020-21;

• Treasury has predicted that immigration will fall to 31,000 individuals in 2020-21 which is likely to affect the national budget bottom line; and

• the Morrison Government's go-to remedy for the poor economic outlook is to (i) consider reducing the federal government's taxation income even further by est. $143 billion in personal income tax receipts over 10 years commencing in 2021-22, (ii) reduce welfare spending by further limiting eligibility and reducing payment levels for JobSeeker and JobKeeper recipients from 25 September 2020 with the Coronavirus Supplement due to be removed completely by 31 December 2020, (iii) incease the level of casual and insecure work via industrial relations 'reform', and (iv) encourage women to have more babies to compensate for the current moribund population growth rate.

NOTE

* The Economic and Fiscal Update June 2020 is affected by the economic impacts of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic and to a lesser extent by the the impacts of the 2019-20 bushfires. 

Componding the situation is the high level of federal government borrowings which regularly occurred after 18 September 2013.

On 30 September 2013 the gross national debt stood at est. $220.67 billion and net national debt was $174.55 billion. At that time net national debt was in the vicinity of 13% of GDP. 

By 2 April 2019 the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison Government had raised the gross national debt to $534.42 billion. That's more than double the national debt left by the previous Labor federal government. 

On 2 April 2019 Frydenberg was predicting that gross national debt would rise to $627.26 billion by end of June 2019 with net national debt coming in at $373.47 billion and net debt predicted to come in at 19.2% of GDP by end of June. 

By 30 June 2019 the federal government paid est. $18.15 billion in interest on this debt in the 2018-19 financial year. 

The bottom line is that before either the bushfires or the pandemic even began the Morrison Government gross national debt stood at $546 billion or 28.1 per cent of Australia's GDP and net debt stood at 373.5 billion or 19.2 per cent of GDP by 30 June 2019.

Therefore emergency national funding for bushfires and pandemic only accounts for est. 23.5 per cent of the current national debt.

As at 30 May the Morrison Government's total liabilities in 2020 ran to $1,324.95 billion against assets of $700.74 billion according to Australian Government General Government Sector Monthly Financial Statements May 2020.

Memes of the Week

@raywilton4

@AndrewPStreet

Tweet of the Week

WATCH: The race is on to save beachfront properties at risk of collapsing on the Central Coast, after huge swell smashed the coastline.

The full story, 6.00pm on #9News pic.twitter.com/Qg1JJHKuAQ

— Nine News Sydney (@9NewsSyd) July 17, 2020

NSW-Victorian border controls tightened due to COVID-19 pandemic

NSW Police, Latest News, 22 July 2020:

The NSW Police Force is reminding the community that new border restrictions are in place and only valid permit holders will be allowed to enter NSW from Victoria. 

The amendment to the Public Health (COVID-19 Border Control) Order 2020, under section 7 of the Public Health Act 2010, directs that as at 12.01am today (Wednesday 22 July 2020), entry into NSW from Victoria is not permitted unless strict exemption criteria can be met. 

All permits approved under the previous order have expired and anyone eligible to travel into NSW must apply for a new permit on the Service NSW website. 

A high-visibility operation remains in place, with police from across NSW working alongside Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel to facilitate safe and lawful crossings along the border. 

Operation Border Closure Commander, Assistant Commissioner Scott Whyte, urged the community to avoid travelling during the morning and afternoon peaks. 

“Since the commencement of this operation, we have been working with the community and industry to minimise delays at checkpoints, and our best advice is not to travel unless it’s essential,” Assistant Commisisoner Whyte said. 

“For those who must travel, they can help reduce overall delays by avoiding peak times, particularly at the major checkpoints.” 

The major checkpoints are located at Albury/Wodonga, Moama/Echuca and Buronga/Mildura. 

Assistant Commissioner Whyte added that being prepared to produce documentation and identification will also assist in reducing individual interaction times at checkpoints. 

“As both police and the community adjust to the new permits, there will be delays in reviewing and clarifying details at checkpoints,” Assistant Commisisoner Whyte said. 

“By having the paperwork ready to go, we can all save valuable time, which will add up if we can save a minute when facilitating each of the hundreds of crossings each hour. 

“Finally, if you don’t have a permit, don’t come to the border. You will be turned around and if you don’t comply, we will take action.” 

More information about the restrictions is available at: https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/what-you-can-and-cant-do-under-rules/border-restrictions. 

The Public Health Act 2010 (NSW) provides police with the power to enforce Public Helath Orders. It is an offence for a person to fail to comply with an order, and severe penalties apply, which include a maximum penalty of up to $11,000 and/or six months imprisonment for individuals. 

The standard penalty will be a $1000 fine by way of a Penalty Infringement Notice (PIN). It is an offence to provide false information when applying for exemptions, with a maximum penalty of up to $22,000 and/or two years imprisonment for individuals. 

Police continue to appeal to the community to report suspected breaches of any ministerial direction or behaviour which may impact on the health and safety of the community. 

Anyone who has information regarding individuals or businesses in contravention of a COVID-19-related ministerial direction is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 
https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au or 1800 333 000. 
Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report crime via NSW Police social media pages.

Claims being made that people denied entry into Queensland are not moving out of northern NSW

Northern Rivers residents from the Clarence Valley up to the NSW-Queensland border are reporting a high incidence of 'visitors' from Victoria and Sydney who appear to be settling in for a prolonged stay.

Although it has been over 70 days since there was any local COVID-19 transmission, with interstate sourced infection again being reported in the Northern Rivers region some local residents are understandably becoming slightly nervous.

Northern NSW Local Heath District has advised that; Anyone who is unable to practise physical distancing should wear a mask and NSW Health has urged people to avoid non-essential travel and social gatherings.

Queensland Police have recorded attempts to cross the border by seven Victorians from banned areas & two Sydney men.

Queensland Police, media release excerpts, July 2020:

* A 27-year-old Victorian man has been fined after attempting to enter Queensland at Texas after allegedly claiming not to have been in Victoria within 14 days. Police intercepted his vehicle at a state border control checkpoint on Inglewood Texas Road around 3.30pm on Thursday [16 July 2020]. Officers will allege the man, who had been refused entry to Queensland twice previously, had been in Melbourne after receiving information from Victoria Police. 

 * Six Victorian travellers have been fined for trying to enter the state with false border declarations on the Gold Coast over the weekend [11-12 July. Police intercepted a minivan on Saturday night where all six occupants were refused entry at the M1 border control check point. On Sunday, officers intercepted the same van on Stuart Street in Coolangatta around 2pm. After speaking with the 19-year-old male driver, it will be alleged the same group were attempting to cross with border with declarations falsely claiming they had not been in Victoria in the previous 14 days. All six people, including two 19-year-old women and four men aged 18, 19, 23 and 28 years old, were fined $4,003 for failing to comply with the Covid-19 Border Direction. They were again refused entry. 

* Around 11am [8 July 2020], officers at the Griffith Street border control check point intercepted a bus and spoke with a 43-year-old male passenger to verify his border pass. His declaration indicated he was travelling from New South Wales to Queensland for essential medical treatment. Police will allege the Sydney man was in possession of false identification, did not require medical treatment and had completed the border declaration fraudulently. The man was refused entry to Queensland and issued with an infringement of $4,003 for failing to comply with the Covid-19 Border Direction.

* A New South Wales man has been fined after trying to enter Queensland in the boot of a vehicle at Wallangarra. Officers intercepted the vehicle on Border Street around 6.45pm on Sunday night [19 July 2020] and while conducting a search, located the 41-year-old man hiding in the boot. The man was fined $4,003 for attempting to enter Queensland without a Border Declaration Pass, in breach of the Queensland COVID-19 Border Direction. Two women, aged 28 and 29, were also in the vehicle at the time. All three people were refused entry to Queensland.

Sydney Morning Herald, 18 July 2020:

Scott Morrison decides to cancel Australian Parliament sittings until 4 August 2020

In November 2017 then Australian Prime Minister & Liberal MP for Wentworth Malcolm Bligh Turnbull cancelled House of Representatives sittings for thirteen days after his government lost its majority in the lower house.

Right from the start the politician who knifed him in the back to get his job decided to go further.

Image found on Twitter

Current Australian Prime Minister & Liberal MP for Cook Scott John Morrison (left) began and continues his prime ministership in almost constant electioneering rather than governing the country and, now goes even further by suspending the entire Australian Parliament at every opportunity.

The latest cancellation was announced on 18 July 2020.

From 24 August 2018 when he took office to 31 December that year federal parliament sat for 33 out of 129 days (including budget estimates sittings), in 2019 in sat for 61 out of 365 days (including budget estimates sittings) and to date in 2020 the Australian Parliament has sat for 28 out of 205 days and will not return to Canberra until 4 August 2020.

The reason given by Morrison for the low number of sitting days in 2020 is the risk of COVID-19 infection for members of parliament and staff.

He remains firm in protecting himself from infection at the same time that he is constantly urging others to return to school, return to the workplace, open up their businesses and states to keep their borders open.

The double standard he displays has been noticed and now added to the forty-two derogatory nicknames he has already accquired on social media is added another one - #JobShirker.

The fact that Morrison enjoys frequent unannounced holidays only reinforces the new choice in nicknames.