Cartoon of the Week

Cathy Wilcox

Tweet of the Week

#BREAKING: Tiwi Traditional Owner Dennis Tipakalippa has won his landmark case over Santos’ approvals to drill precious Tiwi Sea Country!

The Federal Court of Australia has found that Santos failed to consult Traditional Owners as required. pic.twitter.com/WXcHLWRH1s

— Environmental Defenders Office (@EDOLawyers) September 21, 2022

Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme commences proceedings at 10am on Tuesday, 27 September 2022

 

Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme, MEDIA RELEASE, 21 September 2022:

The Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme will hold its initial public hearing in Brisbane at 10am on Tuesday, 27 September 2022.

At this hearing the Commissioner and Senior Counsel Assisting will make short opening statements.

No witnesses will be called.

The hearing will be held in the Grand Windsor Ballroom, Pullman Hotel King George Square, corner Ann and Roma streets, Brisbane.

The hearing will be streamed live through the Royal Commission’s website and a transcript will be available on the website shortly after the hearing.

Further information on the Robodebt Royal Commission is available at

robodebt.royalcommission.gov.au

Public submissions

The Royal Commission is accepting submissions from members of the public.

The online form for submissions is available on the Royal Commission website at

https://robodebt.royalcommission.gov.au/share-your-story

Submissions will be accepted until 3 February 2023.

Enquiries

For general enquiries, email RRC.enquiries@royalcommission.gov.au.

Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population has reached 984,000 men, women & children or 3.8 per cent of the total Australian population

    

It has been estimated that the Aboriginal population of Australia in January 1788 may have been as high as more than one million men, women and children.

By the time the 1921 national census was conducted only 72,000 people were identified as being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin.

The August 2021 Census has revealed a guardedly happier story.....

Australian Bureau of Statistics, media release, 21 September 2022:

Source: Estimates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, June 2021

Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population has reached 984,000 or 3.8 per cent of the total Australian population, according to the latest population figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

ABS Demography Director Emily Walter said that over the five years to June 2021, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population increased by 23.2 per cent, or 185,600 people.

"This is higher than the 5.5 per cent increase for the non-Indigenous population over the same period" said Ms Walter. “We have seen similar increases in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population between past Censuses, and they are partly explained by changing identification over time.”

While Victoria was the fastest growing state or territory for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait population with an increase of 36.2 per cent, it remains the jurisdiction with the lowest proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (1.2 per cent). The Northern Territory had the highest proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people relative to its total population size (30.8 per cent).

New South Wales had the largest Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population (339,500 people), followed by Queensland (273,200 people) and Western Australia (120,000 people). These three states comprised almost three-quarters of the total Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population of Australia.

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population had a younger age structure than the non-Indigenous population. One-third (33.1 per cent) of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were aged under 15 years, with just 5.4 per cent aged over 65 years. This compares to 17.9 per cent of the non-Indigenous population aged under 15 years and 17.2 per cent aged over 65 years.

“This younger age structure is the result of more babies being born and people dying younger in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population compared with that of the non-Indigenous population”, said Ms Walter.

Click on image to enlarge

• The preliminary estimates presented in this release are based on the 2021 Census counts of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, adjusted for net undercount as measured by the Post Enumeration Survey. They are different from statistics released in 2021 Census finds Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander older population continues to grow | Australian Bureau of Statistics (abs.gov.au) which are based solely on the 2021 Census counts of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

"Don't Drown Our Town" banners appearing on Yamba streets as the town waits to see how long and strong this third La Niña will be

Stop The Fill banner in front of retaining wall holding back landfill on a subdivision site in Carrs Drive, Yamba....

IMAGE: NBN News, 18 September 2022

Examples of STOP THE FILL: Don't Down Our Town corflutes out the front of homes on Yamba Rd, The Halyard & Golding Street....

Photographs supplied.

On the northern side of the Clarence River estuary, the little coastal village of Iluka is battling poor urban planning and an inadequate drainage network in a changing regional climate

Clarence Environment Centre, Winter newsletter – 2022, excerpt:

Who could have predicted that?

They have to be kidding!

The overworked phrase, “who could have seen this coming”, has been used by all levels of government to excuse the debacle which was the response to the recent flooding event across the Northern Rivers, and has been rightly ridiculed.

For 40 years, the world’s scientific community, through the UN, has been warning us that the changing climate will generate more frequent and more extreme weather events, and have begged the world’s governments to take appropriate action, with little success.

The failure of those governments to make meaningful attempts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is inexcusable. However, to fail to plan for those forecast catastrophic weather events, verges on criminal neglect. The recent flooding saw lives and property lost, businesses forced to close, and rendered thousands homeless.

In the Clarence Valley, the response to 4 decades of warnings about the inevitability of increased flooding. has been zero, something that even this latest disaster seems unlikely to change.

In fact, Council’s first act when reviewing the cause of ponding in some areas in Iluka, was to examine past rainfall data, leading to the hardly surprising conclusion that: “The significant rainfall has led to a saturated catchment and high-water table, exacerbating the time taken for water to disperse”.

Council’s statement continues with: “There has been no event or combination of events since records began that comes close to the rainfall totals recorded at Yamba”, going on to say: “We need to be aware that the most efficiently designed drainage systems are not built to cope with rainfall totals equal to that recently experienced”.

Ponding problems in Iluka from recent rains will only worsen with the clearing of forested land and replacing it with roof-tops, concrete and bitumen

Having had over 40 years to plan for just such an event, we have to ask, why haven’t adequate drainage systems been designed, and required to be installed in all new developments?

Alongside one of Iluka’s ponding problem areas, a 140-lot subdivision is currently converting 14ha of bushland into roofs, concrete and bitumen, all combining to channel rainfall, at speed, through an inadequate stormwater system, directly into those ponding hotspots.

The above image was of the condition of that housing development after the water had subsided. Laughingly advertised as “Birrigan Iluka Beach”, despite being nowhere near the waterfront, it has already changed water flows beginning with the removal of the forest which has led to the unprecedented ponding, prompting this Facebook comment (see right). 

Council should be taking its “Climate Emergency” declaration seriously, and plan accordingly, but they aren’t, with multiple floodplain developments underway or in the planning stages in Iluka and Yamba.

Interesting time ahead!

One of the many along the Northern Rivers still cleaning up & repairing homes after the floods? Keep a wary eye out for lead contamination

 

Clarence Valley Independent, 17 September 2022:

Communities across the Northern NSW region are being urged to be aware of the risk of lead poisoning as they repair and rebuild structures and landholdings after this year’s floods.

North Coast Public Health Unit is encouraging communities to use appropriate protection when fixing their homes, particularly older structures which may contain lead-based primers, paints or dust in roofs and wall cavities that can become a significant health risk.

Dr Paul Douglas, Director North Coast Public Health Unit said elevated blood lead levels can cause anaemia, kidney problems and neurological or developmental effects.

“As repairs continue across the region, people should remain vigilant in dealing correctly with old lead-based products,” Dr Douglas said.

“If you suspect historical lead exists, take precautions to reduce exposure whilst work occurs such as using disposable coveralls and face masks with a P1 or P2 filter when handling or disposing, and do not dry sand or scrape old lead paints. If in doubt, seek advice from a professional lead consultant.”

Lead can harm people of all ages, but the risks are greater for pregnant women, infants and children. For information on lead exposure in children, visit the NSW Health website: https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/environment/factsheets/Pages/lead-exposure-children.aspx

“Pregnant women and young children should also not be present while lead-based paint or other lead-containing products are being removed due to the toxic health risk it presents,” Dr Douglas said.

The NSW Environment Protection Agency website provides useful information on dealing with lead in your home and workplace, including information on renovations. Visit https://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/your-environment/household-building-and-renovation/lead-safety to find out more.

If you are concerned you or your child has been exposed to lead, contact your general practitioner or the Public Health Unit on 1300 066 055.

Independent information and advice on lead contamination and assessments is available from The LEAD Group on 1800 626 086 or visit www.lead.org.au.