Faaark orf, Google! You need me more than I need you

“From 31 July, people who have created private profiles in, say, the ad broker's free email service Gmail will be deleted by Google unless individuals switch it to public view.

"The purpose of Google Profiles is to enable you to manage your online identity. Today, nearly all Google Profiles are public. We believe that using Google Profiles to help people find and connect with you online is how the product is best used. Private profiles don't allow this, so we have decided to require all profiles to be public," said the company.

Google said that it would only require a user's full name and gender to be displayed on the public profile. Any other information an individual doesn't want to reveal to the world can be edited or deleted.

"If you currently have a private profile but you do not wish to make your profile public, you can delete your profile. Or, you can simply do nothing. All private profiles will be deleted after July 31, 2011," said Google.

The move is part of Mountain View's wider ambition to bake social products into its search and email products.

As a result, anyone planning to use Google+ will need a public profile with, at minimum, their full name and gender displayed.” {The Register 7^th July 2011}

International Whaling Commission in July 2011: Australia replies to Japan

From Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society members blogging from IWC 63:

Japan notes the importance of the agenda item ‘Safety at Sea’ to them and that this issue will be looked at on Wednesday. He calls on his Commissioner to make a short statement. The Japanese Commissioner is grateful for the many messages of sympathy and offers of help that Japan has received subsequent to the Japanese earthquake. He noted the devastation wrought on coastal communities and that this makes it even more important to promote sustainable use.

The Hon.Tony Burke MP, Australian Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities replies to the Japanese position:

Intervention on safety at sea, International Whaling Commission, Jersey
E&OE Transcript 12 July 2011

TONY BURKE: Thank you very much Mr Chair.
While Australia has intervened previously, this is my first opportunity as Australia's Minister for the Environment to intervene and I wish to congratulate you on the role that you've taken on and the work that you've been doing with the Commission.
Mr Chair, Australia's position on safety at sea is actually shared by the Japanese Government. Nothing less than full compliance with domestic and international laws is acceptable. Safety at sea is important enough to make sure that laws are enforced and also important enough to make sure that appropriate international fora are used.
The International Maritime Organization is the appropriate forum for safety at sea. It had a resolution on the 17th of May of last year, specifically dealing with assuring safety during demonstrations, protests or confrontations on the high seas. It is extremely important to ensure safety at sea. The Australian Federal Police continues to deal with the investigations which have been put to us and deal with them through the appropriate law enforcement agency which we have.
But what is also being asked in the presentation by Japan are two further things.
First, every description of the whaling vessels involved was a reference to research vessels, to Antarctic research activities, to legitimate research activities. Those particular views are views that Australia cannot hold.
Secondly, the presentation from Japan also raised the issue of asking Australia to do more than what are our legal obligations under the International Law of the Sea. We cannot be in a situation where we are providing a higher level of support for a whaling vessel than we would provide to any other vessel within the waters, or within our responsibilities under the International Law of the Sea. That is effectively what is being asked.
So as long as the issue is focused on genuinely ensuring safety at sea, Australia is there and we are there to help provide our international obligations and indeed, Mr Chair, to also make sure that we provide an equal level of protection for all vessels. But to the extent that we are being asked to provide specific protection above and beyond, simply because a vessel is involved in whaling is something which goes beyond the reasonable expectations of safety at sea. And indeed the appropriate forum is not here but is the International Maritime Organization.

Who are the 500 biggest polluters?

Who are Australia's biggest polluters?
B#ggered if I know, but they’d have to be those companies producing around 80% of industry pollution.
So what particular industries are they hiding out in?
Well, surely it’ll be in coal mining, steel and aluminium smelting, cement and zinc production, pulp mills, coal-driven power stations and the like.
Still I’d love to have a peek at Gillard’s list, so I’d know which direction the gouging of my hip pocket will come from first.
And let's face it - it's London to a brick that gouging will happen at almost every opportunity. The captains of industry and their troops down the line will be unable to resist even if they face heavy fines when caught.
For all that – onya Joolya! Well done. The country is finally moving forward.

Pic: Mt. Isa

Update:
According to the Australian Government's Clean Energy Future website the profile of this group is -
135 operate solely in New South Wales and the ACT
110 operate solely in Queensland
85 solely in Victoria
75 solely in Western Australia
25 solely in South Australia
20 solely in Tasmania; and
fewer than 10 solely in the Northern Territory.
a further 45 liable entities operate across multiple states.
around 60 are primarily involved in electricity generation
around 100 are primarily involved in coal or other mining
around 40 are natural gas retailers
around 60 are primarily involved in industrial processes (cement, chemicals and metal processing)
around 50 operate in a range of other fossil fuel intensive sectors; and
the remaining 190 operate in the waste disposal sector.

Are those eager water raiders beginning to shape shift?

On 8 July 2011 The Daily Examiner again addressed the subject of mining exploration in the Clarence River catchment in journalist Terry Deefholt's article Gold mine plan causes concern:

PLANS to build open-cut gold mines in the steep terrain and high rainfall areas of the Orara Valley and near the Little Nymboida River have raised the concerns of well-known Clarence Valley campaigner Judith Melville.

Some of the old gold mine areas targeted are near world heritage-listed rainforest, some is farmland and some is state forest.....

“The mining boom has led to an increase in exploration pressures in the Clarence catchment and I have serious concerns over the potential impacts on catchment water and the level of water required to successfully run these mines,” she said......

Ms Melville described the State Government's regulations on tailings dams as woefully inadequate, referring to a Dam Safety Committee document which outlines how mine owners had to self-assess the risk to public safety from their tailings dams.

She said even a minor spill of mercury or arsenic into the water system could have a major impact.

“It's about perception ... can you imagine how quick Sydney restaurants would stop buying Clarence seafood if there was a perception of contamination?”

She also expressed concern about water usage.

“A thumbnail guide is that processing a tonne of ore requires a tonne of water,” Ms Melville said.

“What happens in a low-flow regime? Are we going to have less water coming in to support a healthy estuary because these companies want to operate all year round.”

Centius Gold's managing director John Slade said the company would conduct aerial magnetic surveys of the Bobo area (south-west of Grafton) in the next couple of weeks with plans to commence drilling shortly after, if the surveys stood up.

Mr Slade said it could take five years of planning, environmental impact statements and decision making before drilling led to a mine.

He said the company would not need to negotiate with any landholders in the next five years because there was enough prospect of gold in state forest areas.

As to concerns about mine tailings, including arsenic, reaching river systems, Mr Slade said the company's gold mining operations “don't touch the water table” unlike coal seam gas.

He said water used to extract gold was pumped into tailings dams unconnected to river systems and the water evaporated over time.

He said the high rainfall of the area would need to be taken into account when planning the size of tailings dams.

An independent geologist's report contained in an Anchor Resources prospectus rates the processing risk of a Bielsdown mine (about 15km north of Dorrigo) as “moderate to high”.

“The mineralisation at Bielsdown contains some mercury, which may be difficult to eliminate from antimony concentrates. If the mercury level in concentrates is too high it could render them unsaleable,” the report said.

A prospectus from Altius mining states the Karangi exploration licence covers at least 150 old gold mines, most of which closed early last century.

“The high grades mined would indicate that there is a strong possibility of developing a number of open-cut mining projects,” the prospectus says.

Has Steve Cansdell been caught out doing what pollies do best?

The Daily Examiner
9th July 2011

Click on letter
to enlarge

Clean Energy Future: Modelling A Carbon Price, in Australia July 2011

Clean Energy Future Modelling Fact Sheet

I hear'd it wiv mine own liddle ears - Abbott was counting out loud again

Tones the Terrible Abbott was in full flight for the meeja yesterday and opined that a couple with one child under 4 years and a single annual income of $65,000 would be worse off under a carbon tax by the Gillard Government's own calculations.
He was reported in print for posterity; "Mr Abbott pointed to Government documents, featuring cameos of how changes will affect people, showing that a single income family on $65,000 with a child under five years is worse off."
What Tones didn't say was that after a Clean Energy income supplement once the carbon price kicks in, ongoing tax concessions and probably a lump-sum payment in mid 2012, this family would only be out of pocket $43 a year at most or 82 cents a week after March 2013.
The sky's falling!
Even Teh Oz was forced to point out the obvious "82 cents a week", but couldn't quite bring itself to say the words "less than the price of a cup of coffee".

Cartoon from laberal

Carbon Tax: Independent Retirees, Carers, Centrelink/Veterans Affairs pension recipients & the compensation package

Before all renting pensioners living on the NSW North Coast go into a state of shock on hearing the news that the Carbon Price Mechanism announced today will see electricity prices rise by an estimated 10% in 2013 above price rises already experienced in 2011-12; let me say that the fortnightly increase in the pension from March 2013 (as well as the one-off advance payment in May-June 2012) will be quarantined from the base pension and therefore should not be calculated in any rent increase if they are living in NSW Dept of Housing or community housing accommodation.

Earlier today the Labor Member for Page, Janelle Saffin, kindly clarified the fact that these new payments will not be included in the base pension.

This fortnightly increase will be indexed to the CPI once the carbon price is implemented.
The existing fortnightly Pension Supplement which includes the Utilities Allowance (covering electricity/gas/phone/internet subsidies) is already indexed.

According to www.cleanenergyfuture.gov.au on 10 July 2011:

Pension increases
Age pensioners will be eligible for household assistance that at least offsets all of their expected average price rises under a carbon price.
Age pensioners (including part-rate pensioners) will receive assistance equal to a 1.7 per cent increase in the maximum rate of pension. This is an annual increase of up to $338 for singles, and $255 for each member of a couple.
Assistance to pensioners will be automatic and will start before the carbon price starts, through an advance payment of $250 for singles, and $190 for each member of a couple paid in May-June 2012.
From March 2013, assistance will be delivered through extra fortnightly payments.
This assistance builds on the Government’s pension reforms which have seen the age pension increase by $128 per fortnight for single pensioners and $116 per fortnight for pensioner couples on the maximum rate, since September 2009.
Veterans will receive assistance through service pensions and other payments such as disability pensions and war widow/widower pensions.

Support for self-funded retirees
Self-funded retirees who hold a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card will receive the same amount of assistance as age pensioners.
This will be worth $338 for singles and $255 for each eligible member of a couple.
Self-funded retirees may also benefit from new tax cuts.
Combined with increases to the Senior Australians tax offset, a single person over 65 with taxable income of $35,000 will get tax cuts of $502 per year from 1 July 2012.
They would also receive an additional benefit thanks to an increase in the Medicare levy low-income threshold, providing an extra $160.

Support for aged care residents and providers
Arrangements will be introduced to ensure that assistance is shared fairly between aged care residents and providers.
Aged care providers bear many costs for their residents, including electricity, and will receive around half of the assistance paid through the age pension. Age pensioners living in aged care will receive the balance of the payment, to help them with increases in their other costs of living.

Disability Support Pension and Carer Payment increases
People who receive the Disability Support Pension or the Carer Payment will be eligible for household assistance that at least offsets the expected average price impact under a carbon price.
Pension payments will increase by an amount equal to 1.7 per cent of the maximum rate. This will be an increase of up to $338 for singles, and $255 for each member of a couple.
Assistance will be automatic and will start before the carbon price with an advance payment in May-June 2012 which will provide assistance to cover the first nine months of the carbon price. Fortnightly payments will increase from March 2013.

People with essential medical equipment needs
People holding a Commonwealth concession card who have high home energy costs because they rely on essential medical equipment will also be able to claim the Essential Medical Equipment Payment of $140 through Centrelink. This is in addition to their other assistance.
This extra payment is to ensure they do not incur extra costs for using their medical equipment under a carbon price.

Anyone else wanting information about how the new climate change policy will affect them can go to www.cleanenergyfuture.gov.au and Treasury economic modelling. Graph found at Peter Martin's blog.

I didn't sign up for this......

.....in the morning

Lifestyle Resorts Australia spins its financial woes

Lifestyle Resorts Australia Pty Ltd - the Queensland-based company that owns the Oyster Cove Resort and whose approach to development has over the years caused a great deal of annoyance to homeowners in adjacent residential development in Yamba - has gone into receivership recently.

In 2010 this resort was also the subject of tenant dissatisfaction with regards to maintenance and safety issues.

According to The Daily Examiner on 7 July 2011:

Residents received letters this week from the parent company, Lifestyle Resorts, saying the senior living complex had been placed in the hands of receivers.
Lifestyle Resorts chief executive officer Sally Morrison said yesterday trading conditions were difficult, as they were for many companies around the world, but the aim was to try to trade out of financial trouble.
She said she wanted to assure residents their tenancies would continue as normal.
"A change of ownership does not affect the rights of tenants," she said.
"The important thing for residents to realise is that, for them, things will not change.
"People can become concerned when this sort of thing happens, but they have no reason to be."
She said a decision was made last week to appoint receivers Deloitte following meetings with the company's bankers.
Lifestyle Resorts has 186 occupied properties at Oyster Cove and has operated the complex for the past eight years.
Residents own their dwellings, but have a long-term tradeable lease over the land.
It has similar resorts on the Gold Coast and in Rockhampton. The Rockhampton facility, which has 140 properties, 119 of which are still available, is undergoing expansion.
In a letter to residents, director, Bob Morrison, said it was business as usual as per the terms of the site agreement.
"The receivership is to allow Lifestyle Resorts to continue to operate and ensure a continuity of service to you as a resident," he said. "All facility maintenance services will continue as normal with the same staff attending to your community."

Rather oddly, as of 8 July this was not news the company appeared willing to share with readers of its promotional website where it seems all is rosy in the garden still.

However the website is careful to make this claim:

Lifestyle Resorts Australia Pty Ltd makes no representations about the accuracy or suitability of the information or links provided on its web pages. Without limitation, this extends to any market research or commentary contained in this website.

It wasn’t that many years ago that Lifestyle Resorts Australia was telling the world that; The company has sold residential product totaling $70 million across six resorts, from northern NSW to central Queensland.

Apparently its white shoes are now sadly scuffed and down at heel these days.