In addition, greenhouse pollution is costing us $18 billion
per year already, based on the $31/tonne cost of carbon used by the Australian
Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE). Unless pollution
is reduced, climate change will cost at least $720 billion through to 2050.
Further, the cumulative cost through to 2050 of Commonwealth
budget revenue foregone on fossil fuel subsidies is at last count $212 billion
($5.3 billion per year). That includes money spent on FBT concessions for
company cars, fuel rebates to mining and transport companies, depreciation
rorts for aircraft and oil and gas machinery, and low tax rates for aviation
fuels.
ACF further rejected the suggestion that population growth
is needed to care for an ageing population. “Many other countries enjoy
thriving economies with stable populations. This should be Australia’s
aspiration as well,” said Mr Berger.
PM Sends Strong Message To Iran
Blocking the shipment of this cargo is
sure to hit the Iranian regime where it really hurts
The PM has confirmed today that three shipments of cargo
to Iran have been blocked by the Australian government.
Although the PM would not say what was in the cargo, Senator
Large Glasses used powers under the Cultural Weapons of Mass Destruction
Act to prevent the shipments from leaving the country.
It is understood there were fears, although where these
fears originated is not clear, that the Iranians were undeserving of the
contents of the cargo.
'Spring Hill Voice' can reveal that the shipments contained
thousands of copies of the PM's bestselling book 'Jasper
and Abby and the Great Australia Day Kerfuffle'.
The PM said that in terms of the context
of Australia's arse kissing, boogeyman and sabre rattling obligations, Senator
Large Glasses acted appropriately.
"This will send a strong message which is sure to
resonate loud and clear throughout the Islamic republic," he said.
Meanwhile, Australia continues exporting
wheat, coal, cars, manganese ores and confidential items to Iran.
Jazz Club Should "Get With The Times":
Squares
"... Oh the shark has pretty teeth dear,
And he shows them pearly white
Just a jack-knife has Macheath dear
And he keeps it out of sight. ..."
'Mack
The Knife', composed by Kurt Weill with lyrics by Bertolt Brecht [1928]
Kangaroo Point's iconic, historic and landmark Jazz Club
needs to "get with the times" according to The HypocrIte Squares
of Brisbane Society (T.H.I.S. is B.S.)
The society, whose membership comprises local politicians,
nimby blow ins, and the liquor licensing authority, are known throughout
Brisbane for their appreciation of jazz and their dedication to fostering
the city's live music scene.
A spokesperson for T.H.I.S. is B.S. said that if the Jazz
Club were to explore a few highbrow options, they might reconsider the 10.30
pm curfew.
"The Jazz Club needs to prove it's able to fit in
with the reputation of the suburb in which they are situated, so a change
of theme and bit more pussy is just what the venue needs," he said.
"The Jazz Club could even incorporate these changes
into a new name, something like, 'No Jazz But A Bit More Pussy By The River'".
Residents of Petrie Terrace agreed that something needed
to be done about the excessive number of Jazz Clubs in Brisbane, and that
opportunities to get hassled by drunken football teams or yahooing bucks
nights in certain suburbs was emerging as a real equity issue in the city.
"I can't imagine how awful it must be for the residents
of Kangaroo Point having a Jazz Club in their suburb," said one resident.
Great! So What's Council Going To Do About
The Threatened Fish Breeding Habitat At Marine Stadium On The Spit?
Gold Coast City Council Media
Release [2/2/10]
Around 1,000 hours spent monitoring disturbances by recreational
walkers to seabirds and shorebirds at the northern tip of South Stradbroke
Island has led to voluntary exclusion zones around important and sensitive
bird habitats in the area.
A report on the monitoring program presented to today’s
meeting of the Sustainable City Future Committee recommends Council works
with the Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM) and the
Queensland Wader Study Group to elevate nests to protect them from tidal
inundation and smothering from sand drift as well as providing shelters
such as hollow pipes to protect chicks from predators and exposure.
Committee Chairman, Cr Peter Young, said in addition to
monitoring disturbances to sea and shore birds between October last year
and January this year, Council conservation staff and community members,
in cooperation with DERM, had monitored the extent and breeding success
of the Little Tern colony.
“The Little Tern is a migratory seabird and is listed
as endangered under the Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992. South Stradbroke
is its only known nesting site in Moreton Bay,” said Cr Young.
The northern tip of South Stradbroke Island is a large
area of accumulated sand, about three kilometres in length and up to 1.5
kilometres wide. It is outside the formal boundaries of the Conservation
Park. Known locally as Horseshoe Bay and The Pin, it is a popular destination
for recreational boaties and walkers, and also is one of the city’s
most significant coastal nature conservation areas.
Cr Young said the monitoring program had confirmed that
Horseshoe Bay was used by at least 17 species of migratory shorebirds as
a high tide roost and low tide feeding area.
“For at least three of those species – the Eastern
Curlew, the Lesser Sand Plover and the Greater Sand Plover – it is
one of the most important roosting and feeding areas within Moreton Bay
over the summer months,” he said.
“Important sites such as these are why Ramsar (an
international registry of important wetlands) has designated Moreton Bay
as a site of international significance.”
Cr Young said 105 disturbances to sea and shore birds were
recorded during the monitoring exercise, the majority of which were due
to recreational walking near the high tide roosting area. There were three
recorded disturbances in the Little Tern nesting area.
Area Councillor Grant Pforr said Council and DERM were
working with the local community to implement protective measures including
educational, patrols, interpretive signs and the voluntary exclusion zones.
“An informal agreement has been brokered with the
owners of private vehicles registered for use on the island, as well as
two tour operators, to keep to the east of marker poles that have been erected
along the eastern coastal beach to protect breeding and roosting birds,”
said Cr Pforr.
Cr Pforr said ongoing community education was critical
to protecting the northern bird habitat areas of South Stradbroke Island.
“Many people who use the area appear unaware of its
importance to the birds and the potential for causing them harm simply by
approaching them, or by camping in unauthorised spots that may be near nesting
or roosting habitats,” he said.
“The initial response to the interpretive signs erected
by Council, along with educational patrols by DERM officers indicate this
approach is working, with the vast majority of people assisting the conservation
effort by keeping outside signed areas.”
The report will go to Monday’s meeting (8 February
2010) of the full Council.
Imaginary Wheels Rolling On Brisbane's
Imaginary Bike-Hire Scheme
Brisbane's imaginary bike-hire scheme
... putting more cars on the road
... I don't believe in Peter Pan
Frankenstein or Superman
All I wanna do is
Bicycle bicycle bicycle
I want to ride my bicycle bicycle bicycle ...
'Bicycle Race',
Queen [1978]
Brisbane's imaginary bike-hire scheme will slip into another
dimension today as what were once known as bicycle racks become "parking
stations".
Although cycling through the CBD and inner suburbs is extremely
treacherous, and only the barest token provision has been made for cyclists
in what has to be one of the most carcentric cities on the planet, 2000
imaginary bikes will be available for hire under the imaginary scheme.
Chair of the Deterring The Use Of Public Transport Committee,
Councillor Neversetfootonastinkybusinentiremylife said every effort had
been made to ensure the imaginary bike-hire scheme remained imaginary.
She said that as well as being a completely imaginary scheme,
imaginary flashing signs adjacent to "parking stations" would
advise cyclists to "get a car you loser hippy".
It is understood that the only thing not imaginary about
the imaginary bike-hire scheme is the cost, which is very very real.
An imaginary bike from the imaginary bike-hire
scheme at an imaginary bike "parking station"
Parnell: Where Are The Missing Millions?
Greens Media Release: [1/2/10]
Greens MLC Mark Parnell has again called for comprehensive
political donations law reform in response to the Australian Electoral Commission
(AEC) release of its donations and receipts data for 2008/09.
"There is a murky river of gold flowing into political
parties that the SA people simply do not know about," said Greens MLC
Mark Parnell.
"South Australia has the worst political donations
laws in the nation. Because of our slack laws, millions of dollars are flowing
into the Labor and Liberal parties that do not need to be declared.
"That is bad for democracy, especially just weeks
out from an election campaign," he said.
The AEC returns for 2008/09 again feature developers, lobbyists,
unions and the Australian Hotels Association prominently.
"Every year it's the same: pokie barons, property
developers and lobbyists all being extraordinarily generous to political
parties. The big question needs to be asked: why do they do it?
"Even worse, though, is the huge gap between the total
amount received by parties, and how much has been declared to the Electoral
Commission. In the case of Labor and Liberal, there is over $3 million that
remains unaccounted for.
"We simply do not know who has given the money and
what they expect in return.
"The Greens again call for state based law reform
to cast more light on the murky world of political donations," he said.
The AEC data has been uploaded onto a special easy to search
database: www.democracy4sale.org
Burleigh Big Waves [1/2/10]
Boy Was It Breezy On The Burleigh Headland!
Who Is Aidan McLindon?
He may have been in Kill TV - the band that stormed the
'Big Brother' stage back in 2005 and were known to play David Bradbury film
screenings, but part of his parliamentary maiden speech scared the bejesus
out of me:
