Severe weather warning for Northern NSW 13 June 2011

 

Australian Bureau of Meteorology

Issued at 4:25 am EST on Monday 13 June 2011.

Weather Situation

A strong high pressure system west of Tasmania is moving very slowly east extending a ridge across southeastern and northwestern New South Wales and a low pressure trough is deepening off the central and northern coasts.

Heavy rain which may lead to flash flooding is forecast for the Northern Rivers, Mid North Coast and the east of the Northern Tablelands forecast districts during today.

Between 9am yesterday morning and 4am this morning, Evans Head received 160 mm of rain, Yamba 126 mm, Coffs Harbour 94 mm and Kempsey 76 mm.

The State Emergency Service advises that people should:

       Don't drive, ride or walk through flood water.

       Keep clear of creeks and storm drains.

For emergency help in floods and storms, ring your local SES Unit on 132 500.

The next warning will be issued by 11:00 am EST Monday.

       Flood Watch – Tweed, Richmond, Wilsons, Brunswick, Clarence, Coffs Harbour, Bellingen, Nambucca, Macleay, Hastings, Camden Haven, Manning and Macintyre regions.

       Flood Warning - Bellinger River,  

       Flood Warning - Orara River,

What language is that?

One thing growing older teaches is that change is inevitable and that the language one grew up amongst is no exception to this change.

I’ve accepted that British, Australian and American spelling is now interchangeable and am amused by new words which spread with the speed of lightening thanks to the Internet.

I wince at changes in emphasis which make certain words clumsy on the lip or almost unrecognisable to an aging ear, but which become verbal favourites of news readers everywhere in spite of the guidance contained within the covers of reputable dictionaries.

I am annoyed by the fact that “un” is frequently replacing the “in” of words such as indefensible, indiscoverable and indiscernible.

However, this is not the end of our ability to murder the mother tongue.

This week’s example of written gymnastics at the expense of the English language is “disencouraged”.

Now one can disentangle, disembowel, disenchant, or even disestablish but one can only “discourage” if the writer wants to express disapproval of or dissuade rather than encourage.

Even Microsoft’s Word spelling check rejects “disencouraged”.

Permanent ban imposed on Tony Abbott

I had a dream........

Abbott caught out again by his own words

Australian Opposition Leader Tony Abbott on the subject of ‘toxic’ tax in June 2011:
any move towards a carbon tax or an emission trading scheme would be an economic own goal, it would be an act of economic self harm by Australia."

However, in his 2009 A REALIST'S APPROACH TO CLIMATE CHANGE speech given at the David Davies memorial dinner the attitude was somewhat different:

Click on image to enlarge

http://www.tonyabbott.com.au/News/tabid/94/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/7087/A-REALISTS-APPROACH-TO-CLIMATE-CHANGE.aspx

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:VMmnb0GCLxoJ:www.tonyabbott.com.au/News/tabid/94/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/7087/A-REALISTS-APPROACH-TO-CLIMATE-CHANGE.aspx+A+REALIST

Front line services on the NSW North Coast get an additional $1.9 million in funding

 

From a 7 June 2011 media release from the Federal Member for Page on the NSW North Coast:

PAGE MP Janelle Saffin has welcomed the Gillard Government’s investment of an additional $1.9 million over three years to help 12 community organisations in her electorate provide emergency relief services to vulnerable families and individuals.

The Government is also providing ongoing funding for two financial counselling services -- the Lismore & District Financial Counselling Service Incorporated and Grafton-based Anglicare North Coast Incorporated – to assist people in crisis across the North Coast region.

Ms Saffin said this ongoing investment for front line organisations will ensure services in Lismore, Ballina, Casino, Kyogle, Evans Head and Grafton can continue to help people in real need.

“Emergency relief services provide vulnerable families and individuals with life essentials such as food, clothing, pharmacy, transport vouchers and help with accommodation and utility bills,” Ms Saffin said.

“This secure, ongoing funding recognises that demand for emergency relief services remains high across our region.”

The 12 local organisations, and their funding allocations, are:

·       Salvation Army, Lismore/Tweed, Goonellabah -- $352,619.

·       St Vincent de Paul, Ballina -- $318,024.                                  

·       Salvation Army Lismore Community Welfare Centre, Goonellabah -- $184,372.

·       Salvation Army Grafton Community Welfare Centre -- $183,970.

·       Casino Neighbourhood Centre Incorporated -- $172,110.

·       Riverside Care, South Grafton -- $166,052.

·       St Vincent de Paul, Lismore -- $148,333.

·       St Vincent de Paul, Kyogle -- $132,426.

·       Mid-Richmond Neighbourhood Centre, Evans Head -- $114,971.

·       Lismore Community Services Centre -- $83,302.

·       Bulgarr Ngaru Medical Aboriginal Corporation, Grafton -- $34,392.

·       Bunjum Aboriginal Cooperative Limited, Ballina -- $32,251.

Ms Saffin said she was pleased the Government is also continuing to fund the Lismore & District Financial Counselling Service and Anglicare North Coast over the next three years to deliver free, confidential and professional counselling to people experiencing financial difficulties.

The Gillard Government is providing $2.2 million over three years for the 1800 007 007 number so Australians who cannot readily access a face-to-face service can have immediate access to a qualified financial counsellor.

Unemployment: compared to the rest of the developed world Australia is not doing too badly

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, International Labor Comparisons

In May 2011 the official U.S. unemployment rate was 9.1 per cent, the latest figures available from the U.K. show an unemployment rate of 7.7 per cent (March) and, in New Zealand  and Canada the rate stands at 6.6 per cent and 7.6 per cent (April) respectively. Also in April 2011 Japan recorded a seasonally adjusted  unemployment rate of 4.7 per cent.

How the Australian Bureau of Statistics sees the Australian labour force in its latest release for May 2011:

MAY KEY POINTS

TREND ESTIMATES (MONTHLY CHANGE)

• Employment increased to 11,444,200.
• Unemployment decreased to 588,400.
• Unemployment rate steady at 4.9%.
• Participation rate steady at 65.6%.
• Aggregate monthly hours worked increased to 1,602.5 million hours.

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED ESTIMATES (MONTHLY CHANGE)

• Employment increased 7,800 (0.1%) to 11,440,500. Full-time employment decreased 22,000 to 8,027,100 and part-time employment increased 29,800 to 3,413,500.
• Unemployment increased 8,900 (1.5%) to 592,800. The number of persons looking for full-time work increased 6,700 to 421,800 and the number of persons looking for part-time work increased 2,200 to 171,100.
• The unemployment rate remained steady at 4.9%. The male unemployment rate decreased 0.2 pts to 4.5% and the female unemployment rate increased 0.4 pts to 5.4%.
• The participation rate remained steady at 65.6%.
• Aggregate monthly hours worked increased 6.4 million hours to 1,601.1 million hours.

LABOUR UNDERUTILISATION (QUARTERLY CHANGE)

• Trend estimates: The labour force underutilisation rate decreased 0.1 pts to 12.0%.
• Seasonally adjusted estimates: The labour force underutilisation rate increased 0.2 pts to 12.2%. The male labour force underutilisation rate increased 0.2 pts to 10.2%. The female labour force underutilisation rate increased 0.2 pts to 14.6%.

UNDEREMPLOYMENT RATE (TREND ESTIMATES)

MALES
The trend estimate of the underemployment rate for males fell from 5.6% in May 2001 to 5.2% in August 2002 before rising to 5.4% in May 2003. The trend then generally fell to 4.3% in May 2008 before rising to 6.3% in August 2009. The trend has since fallen to 5.3% in May 2011.

FEMALES
The trend estimate of the underemployment rate for females rose from 9.1% in May 2001 to 9.6% in February 2002. The trend then fell to 9.3% in August 2002 before rising to 9.7% in February 2004. The trend then fell to 7.8% in May 2008 before rising to 9.8% in November 2009. The trend has since fallen to 9.0% in May 2011.

Internet should remain as open as possible - UN expert on freedom of expression

On 3 June 2011 the United Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression Frank La Rue warned Friday that fearful Governments are increasingly restricting the flow of information on the Internet due to its potential to mobilize people to challenge the status quo.

Mr. La Rue also called upon Governments to develop a concrete and effective plan of action to make the Internet widely available, accessible and affordable to all segments of the population.

Excerpts from the Report of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression covering the free flow of information and recommendations are over the page.

Full report at http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/docs/14session/A.HRC.14.23.pdf

UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Media Release 3 June 2011