Once more the Adani Group demonstrates that it acts in bad faith and cannot be trusted

ABC News, 16 July 2019:

The Queensland Government is prosecuting mining giant Adani for allegedly providing false and misleading information to the Environment Department over land clearing at the site of its proposed Carmichael mine.

The ABC understands the charge under the Environmental Protection Act carries a fine that runs into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

"The prosecution relates to information contained in Adani's 2017/2018 annual return for its Carmichael mine," the department said in a statement to the ABC.

"The annual return requires information about planned and actual disturbance of land at the mine.

"The department alleges that Adani's annual return contained false and misleading information about the disturbance already undertaken at the mine during the annual return period."

Last September, Adani notified the Department of "an administrative paperwork error" in its annual return for the Carmichael mine.

The company admitted that areas "that were disturbed during the final three-and-a-half weeks of the annual return period should have been included".

The prosecution against Adani is listed for mention at the Brisbane Magistrates Court on August 16......

Guess who Clarrie spotted in Yamba?

Paparazzi, eat your hearts out!

Clarrie spotted this bloke, in company, having lunch at a cafe in Yamba on Friday.

Credit for image: abc.net.au

Quote of the Week

“High rents are a major contributor to household insecurity, personal stress and the risk of people, including children, slipping into real poverty and even homelessness. The North Coast rental market disadvantages many people because the competition for decent and affordable housing greatly outstrips supply. The reasons for this crisis are varied, including a general lack of rental stock, many houses in coastal towns becoming holiday rentals and the need to accommodate workers on the road projects, which results in inflated rents that stay that way after the workers move on.”  [St Vincent de Paul regional executive officer Michael Timbrell quoted in The Daily Examiner, 18 July 2019]

Cartoons of the Week

David Rowe

Alan Moir

In the Kalang River forests of New South Wales......

According to the NSW Office of Environment & Heritage the Milky Silkpod is found only within NSW, with scattered populations in the north coast region between Kendall and Woolgoolga.

This plant is currently listed as Vulnerable in NSW and has a Commonwealth conservation status of Endangered. Little is known of its reproductive biology.

However, this means little to the Forestry Corporation of NSW, its board of directors and workers or the Berejiklian Coalition Government.

The Belligen Shire Courier, 16 July 2019:

 OEH-Milky Silkpod profile. Photo Shane Ruming

A volunteer survey team that trekked through the Upper Kalang forests on the weekend found dozens of endangered plants damaged by Forestry Corporation's logging preparations.

The Milky Silkpod (Parsonia dorrigoensis) is listed as 'vulnerable' in NSW and is a nationally endangered plant.

As the name suggests, the forests of the Mid North Coast are a stronghold for it, with most records found between Kendall and Woolgoolga.

In 1999 it was estimated that there were less than 2000 individual plants and the main threat to the survival of this species is low numbers.

Official government advice on how to manage the plant says that "searches for the species should be conducted prior to any logging operations" and known habitat should be "protect[ed] from clearing, high levels of disturbance and development".

"Yet once again Forestry Corporation has shown its disregard for the the environment," survey team member Jonas Bellchambers said.

"Of the 110 confirmed new records identified on the weekend, 39 specimens were found that had already been damaged and are unlikely to recover.

"With more logging and roading imminent it is highly likely to wipe out a good part of this population.

"Like for most species, it's a death of 1000 cuts, and before we know it another plant has blinked out and has gone from our planet completely. We are in the midst of a major extinction event. Here we have a clear example of why. Because government and industry just don't care....

Exodus of senior NDIS officials over the last fifteen months

When well-paid senior management – some in the top percentile of Australia’s income earners – begins to abandon ship it’s time to consider if the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison Government has finally sunk the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

The Australian, 5 July 2019:

...The NDIA has confirmed deputy chief executive Michael Francis has resigned and will leave in September to take a role “closer to home”.

A spokeswoman also confirmed chief risk officer Anthony Vella has recently departed, along with Antonia Albanese, who was head of markets, provider and market relations.

Ms Albanese and Mr Vella both directly reported to the chief executive.

The Australian has also been told the general manager of critical services issue response, Stephanie Gunn, has quit.

Mr Shorten told The Australian Mr Robert was “either oblivious or delusional” for telling parliament the scheme was being run well.

“It is alarming that this group of senior executives lack such confidence in the way the NDIA is being run that they are choosing to leave,” he said. “This scheme is so important for the vulnerable but is being chaotically implemented.

“Yet the minister in parliament has told the nation it’s all going swimmingly. He must be either oblivious or delusional.”

The NDIA spokeswoman said: “The NDIA is grateful to our departing senior executives, who have made significant contributions to the NDIS.

“The NDIA has a strong and experienced leadership team, focused on continuing to guide the agency to deliver improved outcomes for NDIS participants. Interim arrangements with - experienced personnel have been put in place.”

The confirmation of executive departures came after Mr Shorten tweeted he was “hearing” that four senior staff resigned in the past seven days.

Former chief executive Robert De Luca suddenly resigned in May and is yet to be replaced. Former communications head Vicki Rundle is acting chief executive.

Mr Robert — a key numbers man for the Prime Minister in last August’s leadership contest — yesterday used question time to declare the NDIS was available to “all Australians on the continent”….. [my yellow highlighting]

Elwyn is spittin’ chips

Took a call from my mate Elwyn and he was, to put it super mildly, seething, red-hot furious.

Elwyn, who is a something of a quiz champion, leaves others at the Table of Knowledge at our local watering hole for dead. He watches any and all quiz shows on TV.

Elwyn credits his interest in quizzes to his mother who participated, with some success, on the radio program The Quiz Kids hosted by John Dease.

And why is Elwyn so stroppy? NBN TV has been showing repeats of Millionaire Hot Seat. 

Elwyn does have a good sense of humour. He was in stitches when he told me a contestant on Hot Seat this week said they hoped to go to France in June-July for FIFA’s Women’s World Cup of Football in France.

Elwyn took no comfort when I told him ABC TV did an “NBN” on Wednesday night and repeated last week's Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell.

Footnote: The contestant didn’t win and go to France for the WWC of Football despite having a second “attempt”.