Zinging U.S. President Trump appears to be the new pastime of old media

These Twitter exchanges happened 25 & 26 November 2017:

A noisy, visually intrusive marine industrial zone on flood prone Palmers Island was never going to be a good idea

This was never going to be good idea. Applying to rezone rural land in order to create a noisy, visual intrusive marine industrial precinct so near to residences, on flood prone land on an island with known riverbank instability, in order to build vessels ranging from 6 metres to 35 metres in length and refit/maintain other vessels.

Something Mayor Jim Simmons, Deputy-Mayor Jason Kingsley, along with Cllrs. Andrew Baker, Arthur Lysaught, Richie Williamson and Karen Toms, failed to fully appreciate when it came before Clarence Valley Council for a second time in November 2016.

The Daily Examiner, 25 November 2017, p.5:

The NSW Government’s planning Gateway has again knocked back Yamba Welding and Engineering’s proposed marine industrial precinct at Palmers Island.

This has been the second time in three years the plans have been denied by the government, and while Yamba Welding and Engineering managing director Bill Collingburn said he would continue to negotiate with the State Government, he would not rule out the potential that the company would “vote with their feet” and move interstate.

In the Gateway’s decision made on November 10, the Department of Planning and Environment deputy secretary of planning services Marcus Ray said the plan should not proceed due to a lack of demonstrated need for additional zoned land at the location, its inconsistencies with Clarence Valley Industrial Lands Policy and the North Coast Regional Plan 2036.

“The potential for noise and visual impacts on the amenity of the surrounding locality are considered unacceptable,” Mr Ray’s decision said.

Mr Collingburn said the latest decision was not the end of the project.

“We have got other avenues to explore, and we will be doing that, so this is not the end of it,” Mr Collingburn said.

“We spend more than $2 million a year in the Valley, and that’s a lot of money.

“We’ve been here 43 years and employ 32 people, we’ve got 10 young apprentices who would otherwise have gone to Sydney, and with this plan we have the potential to triple it.

“This plan has been well received by Clarence Valley Council and the community at large who want to see more jobs in the area.

“We want to stay here, and the government has left the door open, but if they decree we can’t expand then we will vote with our feet.”

Have our expectations in relation to medical treatment risen steadily or is NSW health service delivery getting worse?

The Sydney Morning Herald, 24 November 2017:

The Health Care Complaints Commission's annual report shows it was hit with 6319 complaints, which largely related to questionable treatments, misconduct and poor communication…..

Complaints surge

The NSW Health Care Complaints Commission was hit with 6,319 complaints in 2016-17 - leading to a 132 per cent growth in complaints over the past decade.

Health Care Complaints Commission Annual Report 2016-17:

Prosecuting complaints

The Commission referred 198 investigations to its Legal Division, compared with 139 in the previous year. This is an increase of 42.4%.

In the same period, the Director of Proceedings made 104 determinations whether or not to prosecute a complaint, 76 of which recommended prosecution before NCAT and 20 before a Professional Standards Committee. In eight complaints, the Director of Proceedings determined not to prosecute…..

The overall success rate of prosecutions before Professional Standards Committees and NCAT was 96.2%.

In 2016-17, the registration of 38 health practitioners was cancelled or disqualified. Three practitioners were suspended and had conditions placed on their registration. A further 31 health practitioners had conditions placed on their registration and were reprimanded or cautioned……

The proportions of complaints for each category of health service provider have remained consistent during the period. Individual health practitioners continue to make up the highest proportion of all complaints. Over the period 2012-13 to 2016-17 an average of 62.5% were about registered health practitioners, 35.1% of complaints received were about health organisations, and 2.4% were about non-registered health practitioners and practitioners whose registration status was unknown…..

And now for some good news.....

Via @simonahac, 24 November 2017

Facebook, Senator Rachael Siewert, 22 November 2017:

Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert has welcomed the Town of Port Hedland officially opposing the cashless welfare card.

“Despite the Mayor’s strong support of the card, I am glad other councillors have stood up to the card and now officially oppose it in Port Hedland.

“They have listened to Aboriginal organisations and others in the community that have explained how the card is a step backwards and will remove autonomy for those forced on to it.

“Time and time again we have seen evidence that involuntary income management does not help people struggling to get by, during the NT Intervention the long –term objectives were not met.

“Top-down income management policies that attempt to reduce disadvantage often has the opposite effect. It is time to ditch this ideological approach to addressing gambling and alcohol and drug addiction once and for all.

“We need investment in preventative measures and wrap-around services for those struggling with addiction”.