Band of Blue Rocks Brookside Shopping Centre:

Queensland Police Media Release

The Queensland Police Service’s Band of Blue will rock the Brookside Shopping Centre carpark on Saturday June 23 as part of Talking to the Blue.

When people have had all their questions answered by talking to officers in blue they can chill out to the tones of Band of Blue from 9.30am till 11am.

The Band of Blue is a six piece outfit made up of operational police officers. Their music is as diverse as their jobs in the Queensland Police Service with detectives, uniform and forensic officers all part of the group. They are not full time musicians and continue with their normal jobs in the police. Performances are limited to about six a year so as not to impact on their stations and workload.

Personal favourites of the band include Van Morrison, Blues Brothers, AC/DC, Eric Clapton, Jet and U2. The band has started playing country and western which, much to the surprise of some band members, they are really enjoying.

Leader singer and vocalist Detective Senior Constable Ciaron Jackson said the band had come together and were now having to decline gigs almost weekly.

“It’s really great getting up in front of a crowd and performing in uniform. People get a real kick out of seeing police really pouring their heart into the music,” Senior Constable Jackson said.

Recent gigs include the Daniel Morcombe Foundation Dinner Dance, Dingo Creek Jazz and Blues Festival and the Commissioner’s Christmas Carols.

“Our next big gig is Code Blue - Concert for a Cause on Friday July 13 at Brisbane City Hall,” he said.

“The band will be doing two performances, a matinee at 2pm and a 7pm evening concert.

“Although we have really had to cut back on the number of gigs this was one that we couldn’t decline. All proceeds will go to the Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation and Starlight Children’s Foundation. You just can’t say no to these kids.

“For the launch of Code Blue we performed in the Queen Street Mall on a Sunday morning. We ended up doing an encore just to keep the crowd happy.”

The band’s current line up includes two officers on brass; and officers on keyboard, lead guitar, percussion and rhythm guitar or sax.

“It’s a good blend of instruments that allows us to play a diverse range of music,” Senior Constable Jackson said.

Talk to the Blue is a road safety initiative aimed at connecting road users with specialists who may be able to provide advice. Police, Queensland Fire and Rescue Service, Queensland Transport and a number of private companies will be on hand to provide advice and give demonstrations on how equipment works.

Tickets for Code Blue – Concert for a Cause on July 13 are available through Ticketek.

Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Leaders March On Parliament House To Demand Justice

Approximately 200 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and their leaders and supporters marched on Parliament House at lunchtime today [22/6/07].

The atmosphere was very emotional, but restrained, as the protesters, who were escorted by Queensland Police riding bikes and "Murri Security", arrived after marching from South Brisbane.

Chanting "What do we want?" "Justice", they reached the gates of Parliament House and demanded the Queensland Government immediately address issues relating to local council amalgamations, stolen wages, fair state and federal representation for indigenous people and justice. All in the wake of the controversial, recent, acquittal of a policeman over a manslaughter charge which arose from a "Death In Custody".

Prior to the march arriving at Parliament House, a lone pedestrian walking toward QUT yelled "murderers" several times, to the group of Queensland Police standing guard at the front gate.

One protester called for a parliamentarian:

"Come out - you're supposed to represent us!" he yelled.

"We want the speaker! Someone who is not wearing a gun!"

The Clerk Of Parliament, Neil Laurie, briefly appeared and spoke to the crowd. The leaders then addressed the crowd more officially, in a series of passionate speeches. Bob Weatherall referred to the "second invasion" of Australia. "We are under siege in an undeclared war," he said. He later added, "We have a right to have our own laws in our own land."

Mr Weatherall said that Prime Minister, John Howard's, intention is to "wipe away" the 1967 Land Rights Act.

Other protesters spoke of the necessity of drawing international attention toward the plight of aboriginal Australians, and requested that the Torres Strait Island flag which flies at the front of Parliament House be flown the right way up.

Sam Watson called for a Royal Commission into the death of Mulrinji Doomadgee.

Save The Mary River Media Release

Dam opponents will hold their own meetings to uncover the social pain of the shattered Mary Valley community after residents walked out of State Government-run meetings designed to assess the same thing.

Save the Mary River Coordinating Group chairman Kevin Ingersole will head up the four meetings to be held in the Mary Valley next month.

The meetings would collect raw data on the impact that the proposed dam has had, and is having on the individuals and the social fabric of the affected communities, Mr Ingersole said.

And the group would give every member of the public the opportunity to participate in a social impact assessment, not a select few.

"The meetings have a very singular purpose - to record a grass roots response to the question of what were community values before the announcement to build the proposed dam and how those values have been impacted by the announcement and on-going government activities " Mr Ingersole said.

"They have nothing to do with property sales negotiations, the technical or environmental aspects of the dam.

"Queensland Water Infrastructure is required to do a social impacts assessment and they haven't asked residents as individuals for their response, well, we are giving the residents the opportunity.

"The responses collected at these meetings on a confidential basis and will be included in the information sent to the Federal Government, which will make the final decision on whether this dam gets built or not.

"This information is part of our group's response to the public comment on the environmental impact statement.

"We will not let unsubstantiated statements go unchallenged. We are emphasising a complete and accurate picture from the ground up - not top down."

At the meetings, Mr Ingersole will explain the QWI approach to the social impacts assessment, and why the Save the Mary River group does not support it.

He expects the meetings to be emotional, and the group has decided to have social workers on hand, Iain Watt (churches) and Jo O'Shanesy (independent) should anyone need assistance.

To give residents the opportunity to speak freely, media representatives will not be invited.

If people are unable to speak in public, they can make written submissions as individuals or as local groups of residents.

The meetings will be held at Kandanga Hall on July 10, Imbil Public Hall on July 11, Kenilworth CWA Hall on July 17 and Ridgewood Hall on July 12.

All meetings start at 7pm and all residents are urged to come along and have their say.

Activists Risk Their Lives For Peace: Peace Convergence Media Release

Several groups of pacifists have entered the Shoalwater Water Bay Training Area in order to disrupt the Talisman Sabre military exercise.

A statement from the groups reads:

"We are a group of people concerned about peace and our environment. Our consciences will not allow us to stand by while troops prepare for more war. We do not want to see this environment destroyed or exploited for these purposes. We plan to stay inside the training area for as long as possible."

Talisman Sabre is the largest joint military exercise hosted by Australia. 20,000 US troops are participating in this exercise which takes place in numerous training areas and support sites throughout Queensland, the Northern Territory and surrounding seas. Hundreds of people from around the country have gathered in Yeppoon as part of a Peace Convergence opposing the Talisman Sabre military exercise. Further nonviolent actions have been planned for the week.

For more information visit www.peaceconvergence.com

Hazardous Cycle Lane Closure On Victoria Bridge

A frustrated cycling commuter contacted the Community Action for Sustainable Transport group (CAST) this morning [18/6/07] to report that the inbound cycle lane on Victoria Bridge (Brisbane City) was blocked when she rode across the bridge at 8:30am.

After further investigation it was confirmed that the lane was blocked by a long, metal temporary fence which still remained after 9am despite being reported to the Brisbane City Council call centre.

Cyclists were forced to suddenly merge with heavy vehicle traffic because there was no prior warning signage and no opportunity for cyclists to turn around and get off the bridge onto the footpath.

"This dangerous and unnecessary hazard shows the kind of contempt Brisbane City Council has for cyclists," said CAST spokesperson Tristan Peach.

"Council would never allow an important car route to be blocked unnecessarily without warning," said Mr Peach.

"Cyclists are treated like second class citizens in Brisbane, and we demand that Council apologise for this mistake an ensure that it does not happen again," he said.

This bike lane is popular with the many cyclists coming from West End, South Brisbane, Highgate Hill and Dutton Park.

The barrier may have been left on the road after an event or road closure on the weekend.

Peace Takes To The Streets Of West End

A vibrant crowd of hundreds converged on the streets of West End today [16/6/07] to convey a theatrical message of peace to the people.

A young girl bearing a single red rose led the parade, followed by members of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Quakers and men bearing a coffin, upon which "Australian Sovereignty" had been printed.

Donned in an array of dazzling outfits, participants waved large flags, danced to the rhythm of beating drums, chanted and sang as they passed puzzled onlookers, Saturday shoppers and coffee sippers.

Police guided the parade from St Marys Church in Merivale Street to Boundary Street, where it concluded with more dancing and drumming beneath the Moreton Bay fig on the Russell Street corner.

The well co-ordinated parade was choreographed by award winning filmmaker David Bradbury. In a statement to supporters, he wrote:

"This is to be a stark reminder of what we as a nation have been complicit in by sending our troops to Iraq and hitherto remaining silent on the issue as the years go by and the slaughter continues on a daily basis with no end in sight."

Many of today's participants were from all around Australia, and will shortly head to Shoalwater Bay for a Peace Convergence, as tens of thousands of US and Australian troops engage in the joint military operation Talisman Sabre.

Pine Gap Protestors Fined

After being found guilty late last week for entering Pine Gap in late 2005, peace activists Jim Dowling; Donna Mulhearn; Bryan Law and Adele Goldie, were fined.

On their blog, "pinegapontrial" - which was created to cover the trial, there's an interesting story about Peter Garrett's visit to Alice Springs on 6 June. Here's an evocative excerpt:

"Garrett’s speech was a bit disappointing for many of us, most of his speech was talking of why Howard’s regime is bad for Australia (which most of the audience already believed), and when moving to Labor’s policy he sprouted clean coal (oxymoron in my view)!

He chose not to take questions from the floor, but to move among the crowd in conversation, which proved very controversial!

The realists among us reflected that this is what you need to do as a shadow-cabinet member. He got a bit of heckling from the audience (including us) about Rudd’s view of the war, and the change of ALP policy on uranium mining.

So when I got my 10 seconds with him, I thanked him for his previous and current work in the struggle against uranium mining, and stated that there were many outside the party standing behind him in this view. He assured me that he would continue to work, within party structures and limitations, for this aim.

“Political party line don’t cross that floor”…………..(U.S. forces)"

Cleaners Hand Out Annual Golden Toilet Brush Award On International Justice For Cleaners Day

Cleaners across Australia will be handing out their annual Golden Toilet Brush Award today [15/6/07], as part of global rallies for International Justice for Cleaners Day.

The Clean Start: Fair Deal for Cleaners campaign handed out the first awards last year to to owners who condone poor treatment for cleaners and insufficient time to clean properly, Jeff Lawrence, LHMU Cleaners Union National Secretary said today.

"We will be asking why some contract cleaning corporations are out of step with the rest of the industry - and awarding the Golden Toilet Brush to companies who just don't want to adopt improved working conditions."

In Brisbane a Golden Toilet Brush Award will be handed to Caruso Cleaning today at 12:15pm outside 111 George Street and 33 Charlotte Street, Brisbane.

"We believe the refusal of a companies like Caruso Cleaning to support the Clean Start: Fair Deal for Cleaners campaign shows their contempt for the situation of cleaners working in their buildings.

"We fear they are completely indifferent to the poverty level incomes, high rates of injury and work pressures experienced by cleaners in large office buildings," Jeff Lawrence, LHMU Cleaners Union National Secretary said.

Since the Clean Start: Fair Deal for Cleaners campaign was launched most major contract cleaning corporations have adopted the campaign's Responsible Contractor Principles (RCP’s).

"Now three-quarters of CBD office space in major cities across Australia is cleaned by companies who have adopted the Responsible Contractor Principles - this bodes well for lifting standards in our office environments," Jeff Lawrence said.

"The Clean Start: Fair Deal for Cleaners campaign wants to build good industry and enduring standards which improve both the office environment and the working standards for some of Australia's most low-paid workers."

International Justice for Cleaners Day on June 15 commemorates a day in Los Angeles in 1990 when immigrant cleaners holding a peaceful protest against a global contract cleaning firm were savagely beaten by police. Media coverage of the attack provoked a public outcry in the U.S. and abroad. With the assistance of workers and unions overseas, many of whom worked for the same company as the Los Angeles cleaners, the workers won their strike and secured better wages and benefits.

Just Be Kind To One Another: The Dalai Lama Speaks In Brisbane

"Brothers and sisters I am very happy to be here," pronounced the Dalai Lama, to a full house of blissed-out Brisbanites yesterday afternoon [13/6/07] at the Entertainment Centre. His Holiness held young and old in his thrall for over an hour, in what was for many, a once in a lifetime opportunity to hear him speak of his experiences and vision for world peace this century.

Seated in a large chair and accompanied by an assistant, His Holiness appeared instantly comfortable on the simple stage bathed in a delicate light. Large screens suspended on either side of the stage beamed his image to the audience at the far end of the Brisbane Entertainment Centre. He spoke calmly and assertively, keen to point out that his talk would emphasise secular ethics.

Drawing on his own experiences, he spoke of the physical benefits of keeping one's mind calm and the benefits of promoting gentleness and kindness.

"With hate, you suffer," he said, later adding that compassion does not necessarily derive from religious belief.

He explained that the promotion of human values/ethics through religion is "very difficult", and that it is futile to argue that world peace can only be achieved through a particular faith.

"Then the next question is, what religion?" he quipped.

Addressing the young people in the audience, His Holiness stated that it is you, who "truly belong to the 21st century", and will ultimately determine the shape of the planet.

As for the precariousness of our current geo-political situation, he said, "There is no possibility of compassion through weapons, and it is a mistake to try to eliminate those people in countries who have different views."

On 12 September, 2001, he recounted writing a letter to President Bush expressing his condolences, sorrow, and condemnation of this tragic event.

"As a human being he is a very nice person," he said.

But His Holiness warned that the way we are handling terrorism means that while we may have only one 'Bin Laden' today, eventually we will have 100 "Bin Ladens".

He said that although the 20th Century had been a century of war and bloodshed, he remained hopeful for the future.

"Although the beginning of the 21st Century has been tragic, we have to make every effort for this century to be a century of dialogue and not a century of violence," he said, to rapturous applause. He suggested that reducing nuclear weaponry would be a good starting point.

"To destroy your neighbour is to destroy yourself," he said.

He also advocated teaching young people how to find peaceful resolution through dialogue in the spirit of reconciliation.

His Holiness concluded by saying that said by the late part of this century we could accomplish a "long lasting peace and a better world".

He then answered a selection of questions from the audience about forgiveness, his personal happiness, and the Chinese occupation of Tibet, about which (although it has caused him tremendous sorrow) he remains steadfastly philosophical.

"If there is no possibility to overcome, there is no use worrying," he said.

Of course one cheeky audience member couldn't resist asking His Holiness whether Queensland would win the State of Origin.

"In that field, my knowledge is very limited - I'm not much interested in these things," he chuckled.

Another audience member asked if he could give some strategies for expelling negative emotions for non-Buddhists.

His Holiness referred to Chapter 6 of 'The Guide To The Buddhist Way of Life', for guidance on how we can learn love and compassion from one another. But as for Chapter 9, with it's serious debates on self, soul and god as creator:

"Don't look at this chapter!" he exclaimed.

In these troubled times, it was a privilege to hear the Dalai Lama speak. Indeed to share this experience with thousands of his supporters, and delight in his philosophy and gentle sense of humour, was unforgettable. You couldn't wipe the smiles from the sea of faces exiting the Brisbane Entertainment Centre. It may have been a chilly evening, but the air was buzzing with warmth, as folks chatted happily on the way to their cars and the train station.

His Holiness is 71 years, and was identified as the 14th Dalai Lama at the age of 3. He has lived in Dharamsala, a town in northern India since 1959, after the invasion of his homeland Tibet by the Chinese army under Mao Tse Tung in 1950.

The Dalai Lama negotiated for his country with Mao as a 19 year old, and has advocated for an autonomous Tibet within Greater China for many years. He has written more than 50 books, including 'The Art of Happiness', and 'Ethics for the New Millennium'.

The Dalai Lama was made a Nobel Peace Laureate in 1989. Last year he was made an honorary Canadian citizen, and the US Congress voted to award him the Gold Congressional medal, their highest civil honour. He is due to meet President Bush again later this year.

AEC Media Release

The AEC announced today [14/6/07] it is examining if any potential disclosure obligation exists under the Commonwealth Electoral Act in relation to a function hosted by the Prime Minister at Kirribilli House.

The AEC has noted suggestions that the Government may have attempted to "silence" or constrain the AEC responses to the media on this issue.

"The AEC takes its integrity and independence very seriously and I want to make it quite clear that no attempt was made by the Government or anybody else to influence the AEC in its response to this issue," Electoral Commissioner, Mr Ian Campbell said.

"Contrary to some media reports, the AEC Director of Funding and Disclosure, Mr Kevin Bodel was not asked by the AEC or the Government to "shut up" regarding these matters."

The AEC also confirmed today that it will examine a complaint by the federal Special Minister of State regarding the use of electoral roll information in connection with the ACTU and whether this may or may not be in accord with the Commonwealth Electoral Act.

Bardon Bikepath On Track

Told you we'd follow this up! If you've been a regular visitor to SHV, you'll recall a story on this website back in April about a non-violent action held by a group of Bardon locals against the Brisbane City Council's plans to remove a large Ficus Elastica (or rubber fig) from the Esplanade at Ithaca Creek.

The tree made way for a bike path extension, which is currently being constructed. A visit to the site last Monday [11/6/07] revealed plenty of earthmover action was evident in around the remaining larger trees - one of which has been braced. The concrete path is steadily snaking toward the bridge, and a section of the creek bank has been pulverised.

Other than that, Ithaca Creek looked lovely that afternoon following the previous week's desperately needed rainfall. We spotted plenty of birdlife - including a beautiful, white heron. No turtles or eels, but a furry, water critter swimming and hunting along the creek bank had us frozen for a few minutes (as we stood on the bridge adjacent to the Ithaca Tafe) thinking we were being approached by a platypus.

What a delight - a break in the drought followed by a glimpse of the sun, draws every man and his furry friend to the water's edge - promenading, picnicking and basking in the winter sun!

Michael Otterman Speaks At The Metro Arts

Last Tuesday evening [12/6/07], award winning freelance journalist Michael Otterman was in Brisbane to discuss his new book 'American Torture: From the Cold War to Abu Ghraib and Beyond'.

Otterman addressed a small group gathered at Metro Arts in Edward Street. He spoke at length about the revelations of his research into the book. Ottterman said the writing process was initiated when he wrote a small paper about the scandal of Abu Ghraib, while studying at the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Sydney in 2004.

'American Torture' delves into the origins of the interrogation techniques being used by the US military on terrorist suspects. Otterman said that in the 1950s, U.S. pilots and special service soldiers were tortured in controlled settings using psychological and sensory deprivation techniques, to better prepare them if they were to be captured by the Soviet Union. These techniques were eventually adopted by the U.S. military in the late 1950s/early 1960s. They were used during the Vietnam War, and spread throughout Latin America.

Otterman said that after 9/11 the rhetoric went "through the roof" with Vice President Dick Cheney's remark that "we need to go to the dark side", and a prevailing view that "the gloves are off". He went on to say that when President Bush authorised the CIA to detain, kill or capture anyone they deem to be Al Qaeda (17 September 2001), thus began "the unravelling of the rule of law". This act "nullified" the Geneva Conventions and the War Crimes Act. "Psychological tortures were now on the table," said Otterman. These methods shifted from secret prisons to Guantanamo, Afghanistan and Iraq. Anything short of organ failure or death was deemed to not be torture.

Believe it or not, this descent into moral depravity has been given credibility by a range of Australian politicians, academics and the media (see scenarios depicted in shows like '24' - which incidentally is the most purchased DVD by the US military!). "People who argue for torture always refer to the ticking time bomb case," said Otterman. i.e. that the controlled torture of an individual has prevented a terrorist act. Otterman argues that there has never actually been a ticking time bomb case. "It's a myth," he said.

Otterman later clarified this point when an audience member asked about the Bojinka plot, which a Brisbane academic has publicly claimed proves that torture prevented a terrorist attack and saved thousands of lives. Otterman said that it was actually the recovery of the perpetrator's hard drive, which provided the evidence that prevented the attack.

Referring to his interviews with Mamdoub Habib, he added, "Torture is the worst way to get information…people will say anything to please their interrogators."

Otterman made some startling statements about the CIA process of extraordinary rendition and claims the policy of outsourcing torture to Syria and Egypt began during the Clinton Administration. Evidently the Boston Red Socks plane was once used for extraordinary rendition.

"The U.S. doesn't even have diplomatic relations with Syria," he said.

In a spooky twist Otterman said that author Stephen Grey, who wrote 'Ghost Plane: the untold story of the CIA's torture programme' was thanked by CIA officers for letting people know what's going on as a deterrent.

Much of Otterman's research derives from declassified documents such as a 1963 manual for interrogation, which was declassified in 1997, and email correspondence between FBI agents and their superiors regarding the interrogation and torture techniques they observed the CIA using at Guantanamo.

"The FBI has a different system of interrogation - they use rapport methods - they do this for pragmatic reasons because they need the evidence to hold up in court," said Otterman.

"Torture works if you want to get someone to sign their name to something," he said.

This event was hosted by Amnesty International Australia.

Michael Otterman has covered crime and culture for an array of publications, including Melbourne's Is Not magazine, the Sydney City Hub newspaper, and Boston's Weekly Dig. He lives in New York City. American Torture is his first book.

'American Torture: From the Cold War to Abu Ghraib and Beyond', is published by Melbourne University Press.

Visit the American Torture website at www.americantorture.com for more details.

Open All Hours - Nearly!

Some inner city residents will have noticed a recent change to their local Supermarket trading hours. These changes occurred over the past couple of weeks, and vary according to locality.

Major changes include an extension to Saturday trading at Coles Myer Centre, Queens Plaza and Woolworths MacArthur Centre until 7 pm, and an earlier 7 am start at Coles Queens Plaza and Woolworths MacArthur Centre. The Supa IGA at Kelvin Grove now operates from 6 am until 9 pm seven days.

Coles New Farm, West End and Woolworths Spring Hill will retain their usual trading hours.

Trading hours are covered by the 1990 Trading (Allowable Hours) Act, which was last amended in 2002. The General Allowable trading hours are: 8 - 9 weekdays, 8 - 5 Saturday and 8 - 6 Sunday. Exceptions are provided for "exempt" and "independent" retailers.

The Supa IGA is the anchor tenant within the "Village Centre" of the Kelvin Grove Urban Village, which was opened by the Premier late last year. Since then, its trading hours have fluctuated, and up until last month, the Supa IGA closed promptly at 5.00 pm on Saturday afternoons. The centre, a $150 million development by Indigo, includes the Supa IGA, gourmet food stores, restaurants, specialist retail outlets and residential apartments. Interestingly, in fact absurdly, the Supa IGA have whole, fresh fish on ice, which I haven't seen outside a few co-ops for years!

Despite hearty promotional efforts by the local News Ltd press, there are a few retail vacancies in the "Village Centre". The hairdressing salon, nail bar and café/deli have recently departed, and the bottle shop's stock is minimalist to the point of being threadbare. The shelf in the front window has one lone bottle of red where a few hundred bottles could be displayed, so stock levels aren't exactly causing storage problems.

A resounding "no comment" was the response (of one outlet) to a question directed to the supermarkets seeking their response to changes to trading hours. Well, at least one outlet bothered to answer. The rest have been silent.

Inner City Supermarket Hours:

Coles, Myer Centre: 8 am - 9 pm weekdays, 8 am - 7 pm Saturday, 9 am - 6 pm Sunday
Coles, Queens Plaza: 7 am - 9 pm weekdays, 8 am - 7 pm Saturday, 9 am - 6 pm Sunday
Coles, West End: 8 am - 9.30 pm weekdays, 8 am - 5 pm Saturday, 9 am - 6 pm Sunday
Coles New Farm: 7 am - 9 pm weekdays, 7 am - 7 pm Saturday, 9 am - 6 pm Sunday
Woolworths, Macarthur Centre: 7 am - 9 pm weekdays, 8 am - 7 pm Saturday, 9 am - 6 pm Sunday
Woolworths, Spring Hill: 8 am - 9 pm Weekdays, 8 am - 5.30 pm Saturday, 9 am - 6 pm Sunday
Supa IGA, Kelvin Grove: 6 am - 9 pm Weekdays and Saturday and Sunday

Suspicious Death And Boarding House Fire

Police are investigating the suspicious death of a man in a Spring Hill boarding house this morning [10/6/07]. About 5.00am police were called to the boarding house where a man was located deceased inside. A man is currently assisting police with their inquiries. Only minor damage occurred to the residence.

Red Friday Protest Reaches Premier's Office

Spotted around 4.30 on Friday [8/6/07] afternoon, a salt of the earth type in a red frock tying a red ribbon on the jasmine vine outside the Premier's Office at Spring Hill.

Red Friday was a statewide protest against the high handed forced amalgamations of small local councils.

Red is the colour which has been chosen to symbolise the anti-amalgamation movement.

'Bearded Guru' - also captured in Albert Street [7/6/07]

Can The Great Barrier Reef Survive Climate Change?

Leading international researcher, Professor Terry Hughes discussed how coral reefs, including the Great Barrier Reef, are being impacted by climate change, and what can be done to build their resilience to future global warming, during a presentation at City Hall last night [4/6/07].

Professor Hughes said that wild stocks of many Great Barrier Reef species, such as crocodiles, dugongs, pearl oysters, sea cucumbers, sharks, turtles and reef fish, have been dramatically reduced over the past few decades. As an example, between 1970 and 2000, there has been a 75% decline in nesting loggerhead turtles. Increased water temperature, caused by climate change is directly responsible for coral bleaching - the most recent and worst example of which occurred in 1998.

Referring to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Amendment Act of 2004, which protects 30% of the reef as no-take "green zones", Professor Hughes said benefits have included ecosystem resilience, species diversity, abundance and body size.

Professor Hughes said that "sharp deductions in greenhouse gases" are required as soon as possible, but we can take additional measures to maximize the likelihood that the reef can cope with climate change.

A fish exclusion experiment he conducted on Orpheus Island after the 1998 bleaching event, studied the reef's ability to regenerate. "Loss of fish diversity is important, because they have different ecological roles," he said. Certain fish control prey species (seaweed, sea urchins). Professor Hughes said it was fortuitous that Australia doesn't have fisheries for herbivorous fish.

"The Great Barrier Reef rezoning has bought us some time, but I don't think that will be enough unless we can get a handle on greenhouse gas emissions," he said.

In response to a question from the audience about the health of the world's coral reefs, Professor Hughes referred to a recent report of the status of coral reefs which stated that one third of all coral reefs are too degraded to recover, one-third are in imminent danger, and one-third (which includes most of Australia's reefs) are "pretty good" as long as climate change doesn't affect them.

"The key issue is greenhouse gas emissions and Australia has been slow to deal with them," he said.

Professor Hughes concluded his presentation by remarking how ironic it was that Australia is the world's greatest producer of coal, and is home to the world's largest reef!

Professor Hughes is the Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University. His talk was presented by BrisScience, as part of their series of free talks, which are open to the general public. The topic of the next talk on 25 June, is the Mt Stromlo Observatory, and will be presented by Professor Paul Francis. For more information see: www.BrisScience.org.

Australia Has Failed On Housing: UN Report

A report on the state of housing in Australia, due to be handed down by the UN Special Rapporteur on Housing, states that there is a serious housing crisis in Australia.

The Special Rapporteur says that Australia lacks a clear, consistent, long-term and holistic housing strategy, and has failed to implement the human right to adequate housing.

The UN Rapporteur concludes that:

"Current indicators from diverse sources show regressive results: reductions in public housing, soaring private rental rates, an acknowledged housing affordability crisis and no real reduction in the number of people who are homeless in Australia."

The UN Rapporteur recommends:

"Federal and State authorities should make bigger efforts to explicitly incorporate the wide range of international human rights instruments to which Australia is a party, into the domestic legal system. Domestic implementation could include constitutional guarantees for human rights, adoption of bill of rights in states, justiciability of human rights, and guaranteeing efficient complaint mechanisms."

The Special Rapporteur also recommends that state/territory governments review residential tenancy laws in order to ensure compliance with international human rights standards.

Pine Gap Trial Update

The trial of the Pine Gap 4 continued today [1/6/07] in the Northern Territory Supreme Court.

Bryan Law, Jim Dowling, Adele Goldie and Donna Mulhearn are charged under the Defence (Special Undertakings) Act 1952 after doing a "Citizen's Inspection" of Pine Gap military spy base in December 2005.

Responding to a comment that the proceeding had become "like Alice in Wonderland", Jim Dowling said of Crown QC Mr Michael Maurice "I think the only thing left is for him to jump up and call 'Orf with their heads!'"

Extensive legal argument was conducted in the absence of the jury regarding public interest immunity. Mr Maurice made concerted attempts to attack not only the public's right to basic information but also the validity of civil disobedience as a tool for social change. He suggested at one stage that the appropriate response would have been to write letters to newspapers rather than enter Pine Gap. Donna Mulhearn responded by citing her experiences in Baghdad as a catalyst for the Citizens Inspection.

"If writing a letter to the editor is a reasonable response to images of children ripped apart, to the smell of human flesh, to the mourning cries of mothers in the marketplace then we have all failed," said Ms Mulhearn.

"I want to ask why members of the US Congress are regularly given tours of this facility when Australian Members of Parliament are not even given access to information [about the base]."

Mr Maurice went on to say that on a personal level he was sympathetic with the position the Pine Gap 4 have taken.

"Their position is a decent one," said Mr Maurice, "but that's not the point."

The trial will continue on Monday June 4 at 10am. The jury are expected to return after lunch at 2pm.

A public gathering of Pine Gap 4 supporters will take place tomorrow at 2pm (Saturday June 2) at the front gates of Pine Gap, Hatt Rd Alice Springs, which will include non-violent actions and demonstrations

*UPDATE* Two protesters were arrested at Pine Gap yesterday [2/6/07] when they climbed over the fence surrounding the facility in an attempt to make a citizens inspection. They were later released without charge.

Council Defeats Heritage Campaigner In Court Of Appeal

The owner of this house on Dornoch Terrace, Highgate Hill won a case to have it removed from the Council Heritage Register. Last week the Court of Appeal reversed that decision and the house is still Heritage Listed.

This is purely a personal opinion, and I admit that I am a heritage fan, but this house is hideous and decrepit, and of very little heritage value except perhaps as a shrine to crushed ideology. It even looks like it's leaning over and it's not even that old. To put it simply, it's spooky!

The owner spent many years campaigning to preserve Brisbane's heritage. This couldn't possibly be spite, could it?

One hears whispers around town that the penalty for removing or demolishing a "heritage" house is laughable, and easily incorporated into the cost of the development.

Brisbane should celebrate this fine example of heritage protection!

For Sale On Lilley Street

20 Lilley Street today, and in November, 2003

Lilley Street was named after Spring Hill resident Sir Charles Lilley, who was a Queensland Premier. He also served a time as the editor of The Moreton Bay Courier.

Houses appeared in Lilley Street from the 1860s onward. The existing houses have been there since the early 1900s. House numbers haphazardly appeared in the Brisbane Directories around 1900. Up until then, assorted cottages and slab huts were built and demolished regularly. According to the Brisbane Directory, a variety of professions were represented in Lilley Streets from 1876. In that year, Mr Thomas Wright (Compositor) and Mr Robert Wilson (Draper) are listed on the north side of Lilley Street, while Mr George Woodgate (Carpenter) lived on the south side.

In November 2003, eight houses in a group between Lilley and Twine Streets, Spring Hill were auctioned separately for a total of $3,170,000.00 - 20 Lilley Street sold for $367,500.

New Restaurant For Soho

A Development Application has been lodged with Brisbane City Council for an extension to short term accommodation and a new restaurant at the Soho Motel on Wickham Terrace. Last year, the Soho's restaurant underwent a decorative revamp, which replaced its unique and very 1970s kitchy ambience.

I wonder where those fabulous red, velvet retro dining chairs are now?

In the early sixties, Bernard King and others set up a theatre company and performed a short season at the Soho. They performed various solo and comedy pieces and a revue entitled 'Take Five'. According to Stephanie Clifford-Smith in her biography of Bernard King - 'A Marvellous Party', Bernard said,

"The two queens who were running the kitchen had a fight with management, and we arrived there one Thursday night and the doors were shut. They were thrown out and that was the end of it."

The season had lasted about eight weeks.

Bernard King lived in Kennigo Street, Spring Hill throughout the 1960s and 1970s.

The Radical Rainmaker

Stiger Vortex Raingun, Charleville 1947

As the rain bucketed down outside for the first time in months, Dr Katie McConnel gave a presentation at the Queensland Museum about Clement Wragge - an eccentric meteorologist who is best known for his troubled rainmaking experiments during the 1901-02 drought.

Wragge established a number of Australia's observatories (including one at the top of Mt Kosciusko), and had the highest profile of meteorologists throughout Australia and the other colonies. On a visit to Tasmania, the Hobart 'Mercury' ran a story entitled 'The Weather Wizard in Excelcius'.

Dr McConnel said that although Wragge's weather reports were highly respected by the Queensland public (pastoralists and mariners relied on his forecasts) he worked outside the establishment. At an intercolonial conference in 1888, a decree was issued which prohibited him from issuing his Australasian forecasts.

According to Dr McConnel, Wragge remained undeterred, and continued his weather forecasting. In fact, he often named unfavourable weather disturbances after politicians he perceived as being obstructionist. Occasionally, he would name favourable weather disturbances after someone he admired. An Antarctic depression, which he predicted would cause precipitation, was named for Dame Nellie Melba.

Despite his reputation, Dr McConnel said it was Wragge's rainmaking experiments during the Federation drought that lost him much of his local support. Wragge initially tested the Stiger Vortex (first used by viticulturists to disturb atmospheric conditions that produce hail storms) in the Brisbane Botanic Gardens. In September 1902, he tested the guns in Charleville. A short shower resulted, but the experiment was deemed a failure and the explosions reportedly made the town's horses bolt. A Stiger Vortex is on display in Charleville's Bicentennial Park, as well as at the Harrisville Historical Museum.

In 1906 legislation passed which provided for the appointment of a Commonwealth meteorologist. In a final act of bureaucratic bastardry Henry Hunt was appointed ahead of Wragge, who left Australia. He settled in Birkenhead, New Zealand and established the Waita tropical gardens. When Wragge's house sold in 2005, a newspaper article reported that the new owners said when they inspected the property, Wragge's ghost had spoken to them. It is unknown whether Wragge's Brisbane home, in Swann Road Taringa, is still standing.

Dr McConnel is a Research Historian at the Museum of Brisbane. Her presentation was part of the 'Queensland Connections' series of talks, which explore aspects of Queensland's history and cultural heritage.

These fascinating and educational talks are held on the first Wednesday of every month from 12.30pm - 1.30pm in the lecture theatre on Level 2 at the Queensland Museum, South Bank, South Brisbane. Admission is free but be aware it's first in, first served as sometimes the talks are so popular that they are booked out.

All Creatures Great And Small

"The threat to the media in this country is "the lack of plurality and the concentration of media outlets under the ownership of large groups such as news Limited and Fairfax...News Limited is an aggressive print media business. When opposition voices rise to be heard they are crushed...Rupert Murdoch's News Limited press speaks with one voice and that voice tends towards the autocratic and dictatorial. It is listened to by more than one in three Australians."

"Other journalists would carry their notes and personal detritus in chic leather brief-cases. He would sweep through the office with his personal effects stuffed into a much travelled nylon tote bay, his school-boy suit having seen better days and his mix of striped shirt and spotted tie screaming for deliverance from each other. But he was never bettered in his ability to hunt down a story. When a reporter had cornered a quarry on the streets, he would leap from his chair and demand high-fives from whoever was close by."

"I have had personal experience of using a story bordering on defamation after having shown it to the in-house lawyers and being told that the risk to the newspaper was acceptable and to go ahead. Ultimately it was widely acknowledged that the victim of the piece could not afford to take on the might of the newspaper or, if they did, we might get away with a payout somewhere in the region of $10,000."

Must be nearly winter solstice! A Newmarket sunset - 22/6/07

Despite the disruption, the pigeons prevail in the City Square! 22/6/07

Where indeed? Inscription on the concrete path, Coronation Drive, Toowong - 19/6/07

A West End Imperial! [this shining beauty snapped 16/6/07, West End]

The Twenty Dollar Car For Sale - Car Park adjacent to Skate Arena, Red Hill - 11/6/07

Such A Serious Face!

A serious stencil depicting the expression most folks have on their face as they deposit money in the 'Pay and Display' machine - Albert Street [7/6/07]

Gee That Development Application Didn't Take Long To Approve!

Not content with demolishing our heritage buildings, we must now destroy anything that reminds us of former Labor Lord Mayors - even the City Plaza building - which is less than 20 years old [snapped 7/6/07]

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