*****Season's Greetings for 2024 from***** ************North Coast Voices************

 

Best wishes for the festive season to our readers from

North Coast Voices

North Coast Voices will be on holiday until New Year's Day 2025

Animated from Google Images

With our families, friends & holidaymakers out on local rivers & coastal waters this summer perhaps a timely reminder is due concerning the danger of drowning

 

Lennox Head
IMAGE: Amy Fallon
The Guardian, 21.01.20
 

In the twelve months between 1 July 2023 and 30 June 2024 there were 323 drownings across Australia.

Last summer, 134 lives were lost, averaging at least one drowning per day. Older adults were particularly at risk, being 39% of all deaths, 27% of victims were people born overseas and 10% were children aged 0-14 years. A total of 82% of drownings were male.

Many drowning incidents occurred at unpatrolled or isolated locations, including beaches, rivers, lakes and dams.

All states and territories reported an increase in drowning compared to last summer, except for South Australia and the Northern Territory. [See:https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/research-and-policy/drowning-research/summer-drowning-toll]

ABC News, 22 December 2024:

More people have drowned across Australia in the first three weeks of summer this year than during the same period in 2023, with the current death rate 120 per cent higher than the five-year average, according to Royal Life Saving Australia data.

Australia's leading drowning prevention body has reported 18 drowning deaths since December 1, including six in New South Wales and five in Queensland.

In the first three weeks of December last year, 14 people died drowning in waterways across the country. The five-year average number of deaths since 2019 for the same period is 15 fatalities.....

Justin Scarr, the Royal Life Saving Australia CEO, told ABC News that the end-of-year holiday period and consecutive days of good weather across the country have contributed to the higher fatal drowning numbers....

"The weather has been great and many people are flocking to a range of waterways, including beaches and lakes," he said.

"We're urging people to plan. Preparation is key.

"When you arrive at a holiday location, it is the first couple of days where you are unfamiliar with the location, you don't know where the patrolled areas with lifeguards are, you don't know the time for the lifeguards and potentially you don't know necessarily the swimming ability of the people you are holidaying with.

"We urge them to make smart choices about where they are going picnicking, know the local conditions and if people can't swim, don't go near the water at all."....

Royal Life Saving Australia water safety guidelines at

https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/about/campaigns-and-programs/Water-Safety

Customer violence towards Woolworths & Coles frontline staff reported to be increasing. This festive season let's all be polite and tolerant to everyone on both sides of the store counter.

 

Woolworths Group, Coles Group, ALDI, and Metcash (IGA) the largest supermarket chains, along with Spar and a number of smaller grocery/convenience stores, have outlets across the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales.

However, it would be fair to observe that the market dominance of Woolworths and Coles raises their profiles in regional districts.

So that during first the panic buying shortages of the COVID-19 global pandemic years and, the prolonged cost-of-living pressures which followed on from those years, due to weaker than expected economic growth in major economies, global supply constraints exacerbated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, inflation and rising costs, it was Woolworths and Coles reputations which began to noticeably tarnish.

Due in part to some of the positions they took when managing stock distribution during the earlier stages of the pandemic. However, it was the growing unease from 2020-2021 onwards concerning the cost of basic grocery items which saw community sentiment finally brand them as 'price gougers' and, the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) in September this year announced it had "commenced separate proceedings in the Federal Court against Woolworths Group Limited (Woolworths) (ASX: WOW) and Coles Supermarkets Australia Pty Ltd (Coles) (a subsidiary of Coles Group Limited - ASX: COL) for allegedly breaching the Australian Consumer Law by misleading consumers through discount pricing claims on hundreds of common supermarket products".

None of these things excuse in any way the recent reports of an increase in violence towards supermarket staff, but it would be foolhardy of both Woolworths and Coles not to give thought to the part their corporate behaviours may have played in increasing the level of physical risk their staff potentially face in the workplace.

DailyTelegraph, 20 December 2024:

Woolworths has launched a violence prevention team to combat rising staff abuse while Coles is fitting some workers with personal security devices to protect them at work.

The supermarket giants are grappling with soaring rates of customer aggression and violence towards workers along with frontline workers at retail stores, hospitality businesses and shopping centres.

Woolworths has recorded more than 2100 incidents of violence and abuse since July this year across supermarkets, metro stores and Big W outlets, equating to nearly 500 incidents a month.

The supermarket has established a dedicated counter violence taskforce that has equipped staff members with tools to combat potentially dangerous scenarios. In the ACT, Woolworths has also successfully sought Workplace Protection Orders that prohibit repeat offenders from entering shops and harassing staff.

Woolworths is also using online module that train workers by screening videos of dangerous scenarios and teaching them the correct response to potential customer aggression and conflict......

Coles has started training staff to diffuse situations and regularly reports incidence of violence to police.

“The safety of our team members and customers is paramount, and we have a range of measures and processes in place to support our team,” said the spokesperson.

“Some of these include providing our team members with equipment such as personal security devices like duress devices and specialised training for our team members to help de-escalate situations.”

Scentre Group, which owns Westfield, has been running emergency response training and armed offender drills at stores with NSW Police, Queensland Police Service, the Australian Defence Force, South Australia Police, and the Australian Federal Police.

“We take our duty of care, and safety, extremely seriously,” said a spokesperson.

“Our security approach is created in partnership with law enforcement authorities, including Police and relevant government agencies.”.....

DailyTelegraph, 14 December 2024:

... Almost 100 people have been charged with offences against retail workers as authorities crackdown on unruly behaviour in shopping centres and supermarkets.

The charges occurred from June last year when the Minns government toughened laws protecting shop staff in ­response to a rise in violence.

Of those charged, 44 were convicted and 13 jailed.... 

The Sydney Morning Herald, 21 February 2024:

A Coles employee is fighting for life after being allegedly assaulted by a customer.....

The Australian femicide count reaches an appalling number in 2024 - averaging one woman violently killed every four days

 

This year 2024 marked 50 years since the creation of Australia's first women's refuge Elsie in Glebe, Sydney, for those fleeing domestic violence and 50 years since the establishment of the Sydney Rape Crisis Collective in Redfern, Sydney.

It is 29 years since a female counsellor was gaoled for protecting the privacy of her rape victim client by refusing a subpoena by the accused rapist for the counselling notes petaining to his victim.

It is 10 years since Destroy the Joint started the online Counting Dead Women recording the monthly toll of women who died violently at the hands of partners, family members, acquaintances or strangers.

It is also 9 years since this campaign commenced....

Death toll based on media reports as of 18 December 2024

The RED HEART Campaign’s Memorial to Women and Children Lost to Violence is an ongoing journalism-based story-driven project tracking every known Australian woman and child killed as a result of murder, manslaughter or neglect from White Settlement to now. Simply tap a heart to read each victim’s story. To add a loved one, change an entry or request more information, email admin@theREDHEARTcampaign.org

NOTE: The Red Heart campaign includes in its count Australian women who died violently while outside the country.

Tweed Shire local government the subject of more corruption allegations?

The Northern Star-Daily Telegraph, 19 December 2024:

Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) probe launched into Tweed Shire Council

A corruption probe has been launched into Tweed Shire Council, it can be revealed.

Multiple sources have told this publication an Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) investigation was recently launched into allegations surrounding council processes.

One source stated that the corruption probe was “common knowledge” in council and that “they have been trying to keep a lid on it”.

Another source said ICAC officers had recently raided council offices to conduct searches and obtain information, and that a number of staff had reportedly been suspended.

When asked about the probe, Tweed Shire Council Mayor Chris Cherry said she was “unsure” whether the investigation was “active” and that “it was likely to come out (in the media) sooner or later”. She then referred enquiries to general manager Troy Green.

In response to questions, a council spokesperson said: “All investigations are a matter for the Commission.”

“Where there is an active and ongoing investigation, it is not appropriate for council to give any response,” the spokesperson said.

“All enquiries should be directed to the ICAC. No further statements will be made about this matter by the council.”

An ICAC spokesperson said it would not “confirm or deny if it is undertaking investigations”.

In 2005, the state government sacked the Tweed Shire Council after allegations of corruption were aired to ICAC before handing responsibilities over to three administrators.

The probe came after an independent report by Commissioner Maurice Daly, who examined how Tweed councillors were elected, finding them to be influenced by a developer-led group called Tweed Directions.

The report claimed candidates who presented as independents were backed by developers who were responsible for a property boom on the Queensland-NSW border.

At the time, Local Government Minister Tony Kelly said the move had “distorted the community’s understanding of their real status and purpose” and council had “effectively lied to the community.”

The current probe has no links to the matters in 2005.

In September 2022 Tweed Shire Council published its Fraud and Corruption Control Policy Version 2.0 which reads in part:

Fraud refers to dishonestly obtaining a benefit, or causing a loss, by deception or other means. Corruption, in broad terms, is deliberate, a serious wrongdoing that involves dishonest or partial conduct, a breach of public trust or the misuse of information or material.....

This Policy affirms Tweed Shire Council’s commitment to supporting an integrity fraud and corruption control framework, communicates our intention and direction to fraud and corruption control and shows clear accountability structures.

Australian Budget MYEFO 2024-25: you've read the media headlines - now read the actual document

 

From the very first Albanese Labor Government budget the national electorate was cautioned that the newly minted annual budget surplus would not last if adverse global and domestic conditions continued.

Three years later MYEFO 2024-25 merely confirms that a deficit has returned for a projected period of four years, falling back to 1 per cent of GDP by the fourth year 2027-28.

A brief look at the projected economic and fiscal outlook.....

AUSTRALIAN BUDGET 2024-25, MID-YEAR ECONOMIC AND FISCAL OUTLOOK 2024–25 Updated economic and fiscal outlook (MYEO), excerpt, 18 December 2021:

Updated economic and fiscal outlook 

The impact of higher interest rates, cost-of-living pressures and global economic uncertainty has weighed on the Australian economy more than anticipated. Despite these difficult circumstances, the Australian economy has outperformed many advanced economies and is on track for a soft landing. The economy has continued to grow and inflation has moderated substantially. In the labour market, more than a million jobs have been created since May 2022, the participation rate is near record highs, real wages and household incomes are growing again, and the gender pay gap is the narrowest it has ever been. Business investment is at its highest level since the early 2010s.

Economic growth in Australia is expected to increase from 1.4 per cent in 2023–24 to 1¾ per cent in 2024–25, and then to 2¼ per cent in 2025–26. The pick-up in growth is expected to be supported by a gradual recovery in household consumption. The Government’s cost-of-living tax cuts, together with the anticipated easing in inflationary pressures and continuing employment and wage growth are expected to drive growth in real household disposable incomes in 2024–25. 

Inflation has moderated substantially in the Australian economy across both headline and underlying measures. Inflation returned to the RBA’s target band for the first time since 2021 in the September quarter 2024. This was supported by the Government’s cost-of-living relief in the 2024–25 Budget, which is expected to directly reduce annual inflation by ½ of a percentage point in 2024–25.

Underlying inflation fell by 0.5 percentage points in the September quarter to its lowest level in almost three years. The easing of underlying inflation has largely been driven by the normalisation of goods price inflation. Services inflation has also moderated from its peak. Inflation is expected to sustainably return to the RBA’s target band around the end of 2025.

Over a million jobs have been created in the Australian economy since the middle of 2022. Most of these gains in employment are expected to be preserved, with employment growth expected to remain positive but moderate over time. Labour force participation is forecast to remain near its peak. The unemployment rate is low by historical standards and is expected to remain comparatively low over the forecast period, rising modestly to 4½ per cent by June 2025.

Nominal wage growth has eased but is expected to remain above its 10-year pre-pandemic average of 2.7 per cent. Real wages are expected to grow over the forecast period due to a combination of solid wage growth and moderating inflation.

Investment will support growth in the economy in the period ahead, with business investment forecast to remain at around decade highs and dwelling investment expected to pick up.

While growth in public demand remains below its five-year pre-pandemic average, it has played an important role in ensuring the Australian economy remains on track for a soft landing. Without the contribution of public demand in the September quarter, growth in the economy would have been much weaker. State and local government spending was the major driver in public final demand. 

After recording the first back-to-back surpluses in almost two decades and the largest nominal back-to-back surpluses on record, a deficit of $26.9 billion is forecast for 2024–25. This is $20 billion better than the deficit forecast at the PEFO and an improvement on the 2024–25 Budget.

This MYEFO shows an improvement in the underlying cash balance by around $200 billion over the six years to 2027–28, relative to the PEFO. Gross debt is significantly lower, expected to stabilise at 36.7 per cent of GDP, 8.2 percentage points lower than the peak at the PEFO. As a share of the economy gross debt is lower in every year relative to the PEFO. .... 

The full 2024-25 MYEFO can be read and downloaded at https://budget.gov.au/content/myefo/download/myefo2024-25.pdf

Richmond Valley Council decision at odds with community expectations concerning use of Stan Payne Oval

ECHO, 17 December 2024: 

Evans Heads locals have raised concerns over the advertised rodeo ‘Buckin by the Beach’ scheduled for 28 December in Evans Head.

Originally advertised for Paddon Memorial Park next to the Evans River, residents said that the first they knew of it was from an ad offering ticket sales to the event. It has now apparently been moved to Stan Payne Oval. Though it is still being advertised online as at Paddon Park.

‘It is not clear from publicly-available information whether this rodeo has been approved by Richmond Valley Council (RVC) as nothing can be found on the RVC website at time of writing about the event except that a similar event was held in 2023 at the Stan Payne Oval at Evans Head,’ said a spokesperson for Evans Head Residents for Sustainable Development (EHRSDI).

According to one local the RVC the council overrode the Stan Payne Oval Committee to bring the event back to the property under their control leaving the community wondering ‘why bother having a management committee if the council can step in at the last moment and override their concerns without appropriate public consultation with those who will be most affected by the event’.

Inquiries made by EHRSDI reveal that those controlling the Stan Payne Oval area were not happy with the impact the previous event had on the condition of the playing fields and one resident, who contacted EHRSDI, said he had suffered a knee injury because of legacy uneven playing surfaces.

The Stan Payne Oval is subject to a Master Plan which was accepted by Council in June 2023 ( https://richmondvalley.nsw.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/SPEH-01-Adopted-Masterplan-2023-.pdf)

‘EHRSDI understands that the committee did not and does not want the rodeo to be held on the Stan Payne Oval because of the effects on the oval’s physical integrity and risk of injury from the legacy effects of that use,’ said the EHRSDI spokesperson.

‘Master Plans are supposed to be about “protecting the local character, heritage and environment” of a site”. It is difficult to reconcile the imposition of an out-of-town, for-profit rodeo with “the core focus” of the site which is “improving the community’s enjoyment within public spaces”.’

Evans Head Residents for Sustainable Development said today it has fielded a number of calls from local residents about the proposed rodeo event covering a range of concerns from the impact the event will have on water quality of the Evans River to the timing of the event in the middle of the busy Christmas period at Evans Head when riverfront usage is at a premium and the space will be lost to the public. Parking and noise problems were also raised.

‘The wider community is also opposed to the event being held at Evans Head because the community is already at capacity from the summer holidays and does not need yet another burden on local infrastructure.’

Animal welfare

Animal welfare issues have also been raised as a concern in relation to the rodeo.

According to research gathered by Dr Anne Gates, ‘Rodeos are a cruel spectator sport, condemned by all animal protection organisations, in which bulls, horses and sometimes other animals are physically provoked into displaying “wild” behaviour by the use of such devices as spurs, electric prods and flank straps. Animals suffer many kinds of injuries and are sometimes killed as a result......

RVC, National Rodeo Association, and the Stan Payne Oval committee have been contacted for comment.

Evans Heads locals have raised concerns over the advertised rodeo ‘Buckin by the Beach’ scheduled for 28 December in Evans Head.

Originally advertised for Paddon Memorial Park next to the Evans River, residents said that the first they knew of it was from an ad offering ticket sales to the event. It has now apparently been moved to Stan Payne Oval. Though it is still being advertised online as at Paddon Park.

‘It is not clear from publicly-available information whether this rodeo has been approved by Richmond Valley Council (RVC) as nothing can be found on the RVC website at time of writing about the event except that a similar event was held in 2023 at the Stan Payne Oval at Evans Head,’ said a spokesperson for Evans Head Residents for Sustainable Development (EHRSDI).

According to one local the RVC the council overrode the Stan Payne Oval Committee to bring the event back to the property under their control leaving the community wondering ‘why bother having a management committee if the council can step in at the last moment and override their concerns without appropriate public consultation with those who will be most affected by the event’.

Inquiries made by EHRSDI reveal that those controlling the Stan Payne Oval area were not happy with the impact the previous event had on the condition of the playing fields and one resident, who contacted EHRSDI, said he had suffered a knee injury because of legacy uneven playing surfaces.

The Stan Payne Oval is subject to a Master Plan which was accepted by Council in June 2023 ( https://richmondvalley.nsw.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/SPEH-01-Adopted-Masterplan-2023-.pdf)

‘EHRSDI understands that the committee did not and does not want the rodeo to be held on the Stan Payne Oval because of the effects on the oval’s physical integrity and risk of injury from the legacy effects of that use,’ said the EHRSDI spokesperson.

‘Master Plans are supposed to be about “protecting the local character, heritage and environment” of a site”. It is difficult to reconcile the imposition of an out-of-town, for-profit rodeo with “the core focus” of the site which is “improving the community’s enjoyment within public spaces”.’

Evans Head Residents for Sustainable Development said today it has fielded a number of calls from local residents about the proposed rodeo event covering a range of concerns from the impact the event will have on water quality of the Evans River to the timing of the event in the middle of the busy Christmas period at Evans Head when riverfront usage is at a premium and the space will be lost to the public. Parking and noise problems were also raised.

‘The wider community is also opposed to the event being held at Evans Head because the community is already at capacity from the summer holidays and does not need yet another burden on local infrastructure.’

Animal welfare

Animal welfare issues have also been raised as a concern in relation to the rodeo.

According to research gathered by Dr Anne Gates, ‘Rodeos are a cruel spectator sport, condemned by all animal protection organisations, in which bulls, horses and sometimes other animals are physically provoked into displaying “wild” behaviour by the use of such devices as spurs, electric prods and flank straps. Animals suffer many kinds of injuries and are sometimes killed as a result......

RVC, National Rodeo Association, and the Stan Payne Oval committee have been contacted for comment.