Never a truer word spoken on the Mad Monk - Part Two

This time it’s journalist Mark Dreyfus over at The Sydney Herald on the 11^th March 2011:

“Abbott's wildest claim is that he is running a ''truth campaign''. Leaving aside the Goebbellian cynicism of labelling a scare campaign a ''truth campaign'', I think it shows Abbott's contempt for the Australian electorate. His gaze is so firmly fixed on the prize of power that he is blind to the damage he is causing to the strength of our political system and the quality of debate. It is contemptuous to simply not answer real questions, to dismiss valid criticism without reasoning, to deflect real argument with personal attack.”

Part One here.

Environmental Roundup March 2011

Old Bar Sand Replenishment Group 12 March 2011:

INDEPENDENT MP for Lyne Robert Oakeshott has urged the Prime Minister to act on recommendations made last October in a seminal report to government about the impact of climate change on coastal communities. The report, titled Managing our coastal zone in a changing climate: the time to act is now, made 47 recommendations related to the need for national policy action on issues including coastal erosion and associated liability issues.

Environmental Defenders Office (NSW) 17 March 2011:

The EDO is acting for the Snowy River Alliance Inc ('SRA') in their challenge to the Water Administration Ministerial Corporation's ('WAMC') review of the Snowy Hydro water licence and a subsequent variation to the licence. The Snowy Hydro Corporatisation Act 1997 (NSW) ('Act'), requires the WAMC to conduct a review of the obligations under the licence relating to the "Snowy River Increased Flows" and to exhibit a copy of any state of the environment reports prepared by the Snowy Scientific Committee ("SSC"). On 23 July 2010, the EDO commenced proceedings in the Supreme Court of NSW on behalf of the SRA challenging the validity of the review.
The case was heard before Justice Hislop on 14 March 2011. SRA argued that the WAMC's review failed to meet the description of "review" as required by the Act and failed to exhibit any SSC reports prior to the review. If the review is found to be invalid, the variation to the licence may also be invalid. Justice Hislop has reserved his decision.

The Daily Examiner 18 March 2011:

THE Coastal Communities Protection Alliance in Wooli has been given more fuel for its argument to deal with the coastal erosion issues plaguing the community in a way other than Clarence Valley Council’s planned retreat option.
Dr Shaw Mead, director of international consultancy ASR, spent several days at the beachside village assessing the potential for protective measures for the dune system and Wooli Wooli River mouth, which suffered degradation from severe weather events and changes in sand movement during past years.

ABC News online 18 March 2011:

Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke has given the Victorian Government until April 8 to get cattle out of the Alpine National Park.
The Ted Baillieu-led government reintroduced cattle grazing into the park in January to test if grazing cuts down the bushfire risk.
But Mr Burke has lashed out at the State Government and says the matter should first have been referred for Federal Government approval.
He says if the State Government does not take the cattle out in time and refer the plan for his approval, the Federal Government will act anyway.
"Every Australian company knows they're not above national law. Victoria decided maybe they were, well they're now in for a shock. They're not above the law and by April 8 the cattle will be out and the matter will be referred," he said.
He described the Victorian Government's responses to his department's requests for information about the trial as "a joke".

Portlandia: Is It Local? Just for fun

Irrigators go all historical on Twitter

nswirrigators NSW Irrigators
Mike Wade from Cal Farm Water notes anniversary of Senate topping Julius Caesar - what happens to leaders not listening! #basinplan lesson?

Hang in there, Ginge!

Ginger Meggs needs our support as he copes with the fact that his best friend and current cartoonist, Jason Chatfield, was recently the victim of one very dangerous cabbie.
Chin up, Ginge. Get well soon, Jas!
From everyone here at North Coast Voices.

Ginge drawing found in Google Images

Death by typography at Corrs Chambers Westgarth

There is a May 2010 Corrs Chambers Westgarth Lawyers legal letter under the title Australian Defamation Notice posted on Chilling Effects.
It is hard to take this letter seriously when one counts the number of spelling errors.
Obviously the recipient didn't see the gravity – the number of Catholic Care employees named on the allegedly offending website has now risen to three.

Graphic found at Google Images

Giving The Greens a go......

…..’cause it will so p*ss orf  the conservative element on the NSW North Coast.

The Greens political advertising currently doing the rounds in an email.

Gen X, Gen Y, Gen Z and now ...

Veterans, Baby Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y and Gen Z are readily acknowledged but what about the latest lot?

According to a former resident of the Lower Clarence area youngsters in Australia have acquired a title that's in keeping with the notion of being able to readily identify them.

In a submission to the Issues Paper on a Sustainable Population Strategy for Australia the youngsters have been referred to as Generation Plasma. 

Former Treasurer Peter Costello, who so regularly reminds us he holds the title of Australia's longest serving treasurer, gets much of the credit for this generation's name, thanks to his baby bonuses which many new parents spent at retailers such as Harvey Norman and acquired plasma televisions. (Note to Mr Costello: 'longest serving' is not synonymous with 'best'.)

Although submissions to the Paper formally closed on Tuesday 1 March 2011, late submissions will be considered to mid-March 2011.

Read the submissions here.

Land values fall - finally the penny is dropping on the Clarence Coast?

The Daily Examiner 24 November 2009

For literally decades now – with information and risk scenarios firming along with the science as the years pass – the NSW Northern Rivers generally and the Clarence Coast specifically have been aware that these regions will probably be on the front line of climate change impacts. Heatwaves, increased fire risk, more drought periods per decade, more extreme rainfall/wind/flash flooding events are predicted.

With parts of Yamba Hill likely to end up in the ocean when specific weather and seas conditions batter the cliff face, rising sea levels also likely to cause strong storm surges which will inundate streets within the town as far up as Lake Kolora, higher groundwater tables or sea water in the aquifers and, river flooding predicted to be less frequent but more destructive

So it has been a quiet wonder over these last ten years to find that house and land values had been holding firm or rising.

Not anymore though, as it appears that prospective buyers may now be more cautious when scoping out coastal property and are probably not as willing to shoulder the higher end of the coming financial risk:

A DROP in land values of up to $600,000 for properties in Yamba's prestigious hill precinct will see ratepayers fork out hundreds, and in some cases thousands, of dollars less in annual rates.
Figures obtained by The Daily Examiner show drops of up to 30% over the six-year period from 2004 for land in streets including Ocean St, Pacific Pde and Clarence St.
Despite this, increasing values in other areas of the Valley will still see the council's rate revenue for the 2011/2012 financial year rise by a projected 15%.
One Pacific Pde block, valued at $2.34 million in 2004, plummeted $600,000 to $1.64 million in the 2010 valuation.
The owners of one property on Ocean St will have to fork out around $1200 less in rates per year after the value of their land dropped by $350,000 to $1.2 million.
And the reduction in land values isn't just confined to residential properties.
The value of land occupied by the Blue Dolphin resort dropped $3 million, which will see council get around $13,000 less in annual rates from the holiday park.
Without knowing the specifics impacting on Yamba land values, a representative for the Valuer-General's Department said local issues could effect the movements of valuations up or down.
“The valuations are based on sales analysis. If the sales are moving up or down this could be a factor,” the representative said.
The Valuer-General's Department will investigate factors influencing land values and The Daily Examiner will report on the results……
[The Daily Examiner, 19 March 2011]

Well, the warnings were there weren't they?

Climate change has potentially profound effects for the property and development industry. Stakeholders in the industry must begin to consider the various ways that climate change will impact upon property prices and valuation methodologies. [2010]

Tens of thousands of properties along the coast of New South Wales could be left uninsured to the threats of rising sea levels, Gabby Greyem reports.
Sea level rise could cost Australians $150 billion in uninsured real estate, according to Insurance Australia Group.
As a result of global warming sea levels are predicted to rise up to 40 cm by 2050 and 90 cm by 2100. 46,000 properties between Newcastle and Wollongong are less than three metres above sea level and are uninsured for coastal erosion or landslip.
Director of Lonergan Edwards & Associates, Tony Coleman, said most insurance policies cover the house and contents, but not the land value, and often the land is a significant part of a waterfront property’s overall value.
“Even half a metre within 50 years is a lot of extra sea to keep out if you’re trying to stop waves.
“A lot of people are going to lose their property and they won’t be insured,” he said.
Mr Coleman believes there is a growing realisation about the costs of sea level rise, but it is being overshadowed by the high focus on the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme. [2009]

One general insurer has estimated that the value of coastal property in Australia at risk to rising sea levels and erosion is between $50 billion and $150 billion.
In a submission to a Federal Government inquiry, the insurer even suggests an insurance fund into which owners of low-lying land would pay a regular levy for compensation when sea levels cause their land to become permanently unusable. [2008]

Climate change has the potential to impact heavily both society at large and the global economy. It is also increasingly being understood as a business risk.
Issues of energy and environment have, for some time, been of key interest and relevance to the actuarial profession on a number of fronts. In particular, the effect of climate change on insurance and the contribution of electricity markets to greenhouse gas emissions.
Such concern on the part of the actuarial community is hardly surprising, given that they are experts at understanding and assessing the financial impact of future uncertain events. There can be no set of complex problems more amenable to, and more in need of, application of the actuarial skill set than those generated by climate change.
Weather and climate are "core business" for the insurance industry. At its most basic, insurers underwrite weather-related catastrophes by calculating, pricing and spreading the risk and then meeting claims when they arise. A changing, less predictable climate has the potential to reduce the capacity of insurers to calculate, price and spread this weather-related risk. Policyholders, shareholders and the community at large all have a stake. [2007]

Implications for property values & insurance in risky areas [2006]

How small we are......

NASA video taken of the Sun on February 24, 2011:
large prominence erupting from the surface. The dramatic explosion was captured in ultraviolet light in the above time lapse video covering 90 minutes, where a new frame was taken every 24 seconds. The scale of the prominence is huge -- the entire Earth would easily fit under the flowing curtain of hot gas.

Mental Health: tell us something we don't know already

Stone the crows! The Australian Government had to fund a study to find this?
“A latest study shows that a job that provides low control, high demands, complexity and the perception of unfair pay may lead to worse mental health than being unemployed. The study appeared in the journal Occupational Environmental Medicine.”
Well that’s earth shattering old news for working sods across Oz. Now add living in overcrowded dwellings or poorly maintained and high rent housing, being denied adequate public health care or a decent education and we’re getting close to the basic causes of most of life’s enduring ills in the Lucky Country.
It goes without saying that being female, elderly or a child living in poverty frequently compounds those situations.

50 million 12 year-old girls live in poverty world-wide right now.
See a great little video on The Girl Effect
http://www.girleffect.org/video