Saturday 29 October 2011
A look back at New South Wales beach culture
http://youtu.be/8yyOzmedvEQ
Labels:
Australian society
Clarence By-Election Campaign Quote of the Week
Labels:
Clarence By-election,
Nationals,
NSW politics
Best question of the week
"How can he keep getting away with it?" one worker said. "Why can't they freeze his assets and his racehorses and everything?"
A question posed in The Daily Examiner on 25th October 2011 and one asked by many in the Clarence Valley.
Friday 28 October 2011
2011 Clarence By-election Scorecard. Part Two - tit for tat
NSW Nationals candidate Chris Gulaptis in the media this week:
In a campaign flyer mailed out across the Clarence electorate - we are already delivering on our election commitments in the Clarence electorate, such as the $3.7 million upgrade to Casino Public School.
Present as a photo opportunity only when - JILLIAN Skinner has accused the Health Services Union of steering a campaign by paramedics calling for more staff and resources.
NSW Country Labor candidate Peter Ellem in the media this week:
On Grafton Hospital - Peter Ellem (pictured) today joined Opposition Leader John Robertson and local nurses to demand State funding for orthopaedic surgery and equipment at Grafton Base Hospital. "The O'Farrell Stoner Government must fund orthopaedic surgery and equipment to complement the new federally-funded operating theatres at Grafton Base Hospital," Mr Ellem said. and "The O'Farrell-Stoner Government needs to invest at least $900,000 into refurbishing the pathology unit to ensure the future provision of these services at Grafton Base Hospital."
On the Grafton meatworks and Grafton Gaol - Meanwhile, Labor's candidate for Clarence says the State Government must rule out closing the Grafton Jail.
NSW Greens candidate Janet Cavanaugh on Facebook and a blog this week:
On Facebook - Come on Clarence vote 1 The Greens and let the Government know we don't want CSG wrecking our valleys and water supply!
Independent Wade Walker has made no public statement this week.
Independent Wade Walker has made no public statement this week.
Christian Democratic Party candidate Bethany Camac has not made any public statement in the media as yet.
Assessment:
1. Chris Gulaptis continues down a dangerous path. This week his claim that the Nationals delivered $3.7 million in funding to Casino Public School was exposed as merely honouring an existing building contract signed off on by the former NSW Labor Government in 2010 and, the positive announcement of some funding towards a Yamba Health Centre appeared to get little traction within the target community.
While lining up to be included in the frame when a NSW minister does a little union bashing is not a good look and talk of a jobs summit, while probably well-intentioned, had echoes of an earlier Labor campaign.
Relying on the NSW Health Minister to put a Yamba Health Centre media release online rather than doing this himself could be seen as rather lazy.
2. Peter Ellem continues to demonstrate that he understands how to communicate and is to some degree setting the political debate agenda.
3. Janet Cavanaugh is taking her candidature to social media and the local monthly markets. Which at this stage is probably a sensible use of limited resources.
4. Wade Walker by saying nothing (except in the comments section of The Daily Examiner where he goes under a pen name) does himself no good.
4. Bethany Camac remains an enigma wrapped in a mystery, so her status since the March 2011 state election remains unaltered to date.
Rolling Scorecard
Gulaptis -1.5
Ellem 2
Cavanaugh 1.5
Wade Walker 0
Bethany Camac 0
Wade Walker 0
Bethany Camac 0
Labels:
Clarence By-election,
NSW politics
Upgrade of Pacific Highway at Glenugie just south of Grafton has entered the home straight
Joint Media Statement
Federal Minister for Infrastructure & Transport Anthony Albanese
and
NSW Roads Minister Duncan Gay
MAJOR UPGRADE WORK AT GLENUGIE COMPLETE
The upgrade of Pacific Highway at Glenugie just south of Grafton has entered the home straight with major works now completed and motorists set to be driving on the newly duplicated stretch of road by the end of the month.
Federal Infrastructure and Transport Minister Anthony Albanese today joined Page MP Janelle Saffin onsite to see firsthand the finishing touches being applied and to thank the local community for their patience over the past 20 months while the work was being carried out.
“I also congratulated the project team on a job well. Their expertise and hard work has brought the project in on-time and within budget, delivering safer, faster and less frustrating driving conditions along a further 7 kilometres of highway,” said Mr Albanese.
“The completion of the entire upgrade will be yet another major milestone in the ongoing upgrade of this vital road. However, I am the first to acknowledge that there is still much to be done if the vision of a better, safer and fully duplicated Pacific Highway is to become a reality.”
The Glenguie Upgrade is a jointly funded project, with the Federal Government contributing $54 million and NSW Government a further $6 million. The project is on track to be fully completed by December, with only some minor work still outstanding.
NSW Roads Minister Duncan Gay said as well as delivering better, safer driving conditions, the ongoing duplication is also lifting the Pacific Highway’s capacity to carry the growing volumes of freight now being transported along it.
“This task has been given even greater urgency by the fact that interstate freight between Sydney and Brisbane is predicted to almost triple by 2029, with 80 per cent of this growth destine to be carried by trucks using the Pacific Highway,” said Mr Gay.
“In partnership with the Federal Government, we’re determined to get the job done as quickly as possible. Already the full duplication of the Highway is the largest road construction project underway anywhere in the nation, with more than 1,000 workers currently on site upgrading some 69 kilometres of road.”
[From the Office of Janelle Saffin MP, 25 October 2011]
Labels:
Commonwealth-State relations,
Pacific Highway,
roads,
RTA
Protect your retirement savings-Australian Crime Commission Board warns
Got a hard-earned nest egg you’re husbanding towards retirement? Don’t get complacent - 2,400 Aussies have already been fleeced. Make sure those assets are protected.
AUSTRALIAN CRIME COMMISSION BOARD MEDIA RELEASE 28th September 2011
The Australian Crime Commission (ACC) Board today urged Australians to protect themselves against the growing threat of serious and organised fraudulent investment scams.
Chair of the ACC Board, Australian Federal Police Commissioner Tony Negus, said serious and organised criminals are using the Internet to provide false legitimacy in their attempts to target the retirement savings of Australians.
“The level of superannuation and retirement savings in Australia is attractive to organised crime groups. Those people looking particularly to invest their savings should be wary of these fraudulent scams,” Commissioner Negus said.
“These scams are typically in the form of unsolicited cold calls used in association with sophisticated hoax websites to try and legitimise the scam. This type of crime is targeting the life savings of hard working people. Australian and international law enforcement partners stand committed to protecting the community from these crimes.”
To tackle this growing threat, the ACC Board established a multi-agency task force that aims to disrupt fraudulent serious and organised investment scams and harden the Australian environment against this type of organised criminality.
Led by the ACC, the task force comprises of law enforcement, regulatory and service delivery agencies across federal, state and territory government. Task force members include all ACC Board agencies, as well as the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Department of Immigration and
Citizenship, Department of Human Services and the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre.
Australian Securities and Investments Commission Acting Chairman, Belinda Gibson, said these fraudulent investment scams are incredibly sophisticated and very difficult for even experienced investors to identify.
“Perpetrators of these fraudulent scams are skilled at using high-pressure sales tactics, both over the phone and via email, to persuade their victims to part with their money,” Ms Gibson said.
Based on initial indications, more than 2400 Australians have lost in excess of $93 million to these scams, but it is believed there is a high level of underreporting and the extent is far greater.
“I urge investors to be immediately wary if they are called at random by someone offering an investment opportunity overseas,” Ms Gibson said.
This Media Release is issued by the ACC Board as a Public Bulletin in accordance with Section 60 of the Australian Crime Commission Act 2002.
People can protect themselves by hanging up on any suspicious calls received and by further investigating and researching any investment offer:
• Visit www.moneysmart.gov.au or call 1300 300 630 for further information.
• Alert your family and friends to this fraud, especially anyone who may have savings to invest.
• Report suspected fraud to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, via www.moneysmart.gov.au or 1300 300 630, or your local police. Any information that can be provided such as company name, location and contact details will assist with subsequent investigations and enquiries.
• Hang up on unsolicited telephone calls offering overseas investments.
• Check any company you are discussing investments with has a valid Australian Financial Services Licence at www.moneysmart.gov.au
• Always seek independent financial advice before making an investment.
For more information, see the Serious and organised fraudulent investment scam fact sheet on the Australian Crime Commission website,
http://www.crimecommission.gov.au/publications/crime-profile-series/serious-and-organisedfraudulent-investment-scams.htm.
This Media Release is issued by the ACC Board as a Public Bulletin in accordance with Section
60 of the Australian Crime Commission Act 2002.
Labels:
investor protection,
scam
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