Comments

Dennis.K (not verified)

Thu, 2014-03-27 21:10

I don't think you are paranoid, and you may be surprised to find how many people might see things the same way you do. Quite literally, our way of life that has been built up IS being sold off. In the past, there were barriers which people had to stop their social structure being torn apart, some of it seemed nonsensical, based on mindless custom, tradition, or even some might have said bigotry and backwardness. But as we are seeing, many of these values did have, well, value! Values actually have value! For instance, communities were often tight knit and self controlling, but this value of 'owning your area' was fought against, and now no one feels they have the right to dictate what happens in their area. This is now economically exploited. Or values of traditional families and household structure, which again, resulted in economic exploitation. Or the idea of a common culture and shared national consciousness. Or the sense of national ownership, the importance of social groups, clubs. Multiculturalism seems to be more about manufacturing consent for demographic engineering, than about any actual positive cultural enrichment. Most of these so called "Multicultural" organisations really don't do anything apart from trying to eradicate and marginalise opposing ideas and providing economic lubrication so indiscriminate immigration can realise economic benefits to a few as quickly and efficiently as possible. Lets not forget, the migrants themselves are exploited, many not realising what they are getting into (debt slavery, crappy low paid work, fragmented communities, brutal living costs). I've had more than one I've worked with tell me that if they knew what it would really be like (as opposed to what they were sold), they wouldn't have come, citing reasons of 'work to live' culture and cost of living. Australia is being turned into a generic land, of interchangeable economic units who's value is only to an economy for economic exploitation seems to be where we are heading. But what else is there?

Dennis.K (not verified)

Thu, 2014-03-27 20:53

The problem is, that Ukrainians want to detach from Russia and move Westwards, but they are also aware that Europe is committing suicide, especially Western Europe. They don't want that either. So what to do?

It's easy to rag out nationalist parties, and just make accusations of it being Nazism V2.0, but one must realise why these parties arise. Its NOT out of 'bigotry' or 'hatred', but do to real problems which only they address.

People forget that the NSDAP addressed real, critical problems the Germans were facing. Being economically destitute, national humiliation, threat of Communist take over. At this time, there was a real fear in Europe that the Communist revolution would enslave them (Italy had the same fear, hence why the fascists were pushed into power there).

Fast forward a few generations, and Europe is facing another existential crisis, the likes of which occur once every few hundred years, if that. Centrist, moderate powers, and the intellectuals who support them essentially deny this, or try to redefine the problem as a non problem. Effort is put, not into fixing the problem, but trying to reengineer people so they don't consider it a problem. This can work, to a limited degree, but will eventually unravel, as it is now, and as it will here too.

Anonymous (not verified)

Thu, 2014-03-27 20:42

The two-week-old kittens were found mutilated behind a Blackburn petrol station in Melbourne's east last week. The police constable says: "Police concern is that people who can commit such horrendous acts to poor defensive animals may go on to commit other offences. "These poor kittens suffered, they died a slow painful death," she said. While it's "only" kittens now, many times cruelty to animals is the beginning of a life of crime, rape and even murder. These psychopaths start on animals, and sickeningly move to torturing and mutilating humans. RSPCA spokesperson says it is just one of a number of recent gruesome attacks on animals. "We have a number of dog beatings that have come to our attention, and now the stabbing of two-week-old kittens". We don't usually hear all this gruesome news, considering the crime wave in Victoria. The crime of aggravated animal cruelty carries a maximum ten year jail term. The horror of unspeakable crime against defenseless animals is also spreading to humans, often in family violence. The sub humans capable of this is an indication of society's decline, and disorder in our society. Due to high rates of population, the disturbances create fragmented values, mixed messages endorsing "diversity", and high opportunities to be anonymous and over-looked in the crowded court and justice system.

Cruiser (not verified)

Thu, 2014-03-27 14:19

Tasmania was our last bolt hole. A thousand plagues on the growth lobby. It was the bolt hole for Victorians who are being driven out of their city through housing unaffordability and untenable lifestyles. There is nowhere to get away from population growth. This is insanity. And it is all the fault of selfish bastards in government and commerce who would sell their own grandmothers just to appear important and make a grubby buck. How hateful these people are. They are betraying the rest of us. Hell, Port Arthur should be reopened to accommodate these human foxes.

nimby

Thu, 2014-03-27 11:15

The number of family violence units within Victoria Police has tripled since November 2011, with more than 30 now operating across the state. Between 2010 and 2012, assaults arising from family incidents in Victoria rose from 16,740 to almost 20,000. SMH: the growing problem of family violence in Victoria By 2012-13,referrals for family violence had more than doubled to 5010. This financial year, referrals to Berry Street Victorian Northern Domestic and Family Violence unit have reached 5700 with three months still to go. In January, The Age reported that the number of repeat offenders had more than doubled in the past five years. It's a symptom of dis-ease, of stresses on families, and dystopia of constant growth and adjustments. Dr Manjula O'Connor, a psychiatrist and executive director of the non-government Australasian Centre for Human Rights and Health, has been outspoken about family violence within Victoria's Indian community. ''We have become so politically correct that we don't dare talk about family violence as an issue within a particular cultural group,'' O'Connor says. We also have become buried in the political-correctness of the fall-out of heavy and malignant population growth! With full throttle growth in Melbourne, there's not stability, and this means pressures on family for jobs, mortgage stress, unemployment, homelessness, high costs of living and the anonymity of so many strangers of diverse backgrounds flooding communities. Housing is being crushed together, jowl to jowl, causing more conflicts and exacerbating the problems. Whittlesea is a growth corridor, and are experiencing excessive population growth. The City of Whittlesea is diverse, with a large proportion of residents born overs eas (34%) and a larger proportion born in non English speaking countries (32%) than the Melbourne statistical average. Over 40% of residents speak a language other than English at home, compared to the Melbourne average of 29%. The rate of family violence in the City of Whittlesea is at a critical new high at 1249 per 100,000 people, compared to 1071 for Victoria. . This is the highest rate of reported family violence in the Victoria Police Northern Division. Over the past five years the number of incidents reported to police in the Whittlesea LGA has almost doubled (see WCF Family Violence Fact Sheet 1) leading to local agencies declaring family violence a critical public health issue for our community and establishing the Whittlesea Family Violence Taskforce to address this. Whittlesea Community Features: Whittlesea CALD Communities Family Violence Services Housing growth, and the people that inevitably need to be imported to fill the properties, has a high cost, not only in monetary terms and in infrastructure debt, but in human social costs. .

Sheila Newman

Thu, 2014-03-27 02:15

"Australian governments need to come to terms with the prospect that no amount of increase in housing supply will meet demand if there is no limit to that demand." This is a great quote from an article by Kate Shaw, 'Housing blame game here to stay in world of infinite demand', 25 March 2014, 2.45pm AEST, Housing blame game here to stay in world of infinite demand. Kate says nothing that you couldn't read on candobetter.net seven years ago - "On housing affordability", but it is good that she is saying it, although now the horse has well and truly bolted, so perhaps it's no longer threatening to hear. Kate also compares the same damage in Vancouver, as Tim Murray often has on our pages here: Tim on Vancouver city planning and overpopulation. There are many other similar articles on candobetter.net: "Cost of housing and cost of dependency in Australia" and tags covering all aspects, such as this one: "Housing Affordability. The issue is self-government now, since clearly corporate interests have overtaken those of the state. I have yet to see anyone else blow the whistle on the relationship between successive federal governments and oppositions and some major corporations via the utterly benign-seeming The Australian Multicultural Foundation. But those connections have a lot to do with forced population growth and the constant propaganda we endure on the subject. It will be a red letter day when someone else investigates that mystery.

Sheila Newman

Tue, 2014-03-25 14:29

You make good points, Denis. It is all about money. Another way to describe the messages used to hook in customers and supporters is 'branding'. I keep trying to write about this. It underlies the decoy politics so many fall for. Call yourself 'Green' or 'Labor' or 'anti-racist' or 'Liberal' - and you get the attention and time of people who want what you advertise. That doesn't mean that you carry out what you advertised. It isn't as if political parties or NGOs can be held to their promises. They have even less to lose than commercial brands, who most people know now to test by experience. I personally like loose political affiliations - like candobetter.net, where, if you don't think you're getting what you came for, you can go away and write for someone else.

Sheila Newman

Tue, 2014-03-25 14:22

This is really so discriminatory towards Australians. I wonder what the questions put to immigrants were. I also think that most people, and especially elderly people and women, fear for their safety - largely because the mainstream media focuses on violent crime as if it were a widespread norm. This is one of the ways that they control people. They focus on women and elderly and immigrants as victims. More recently they are focusing on how young men get attacked. It is true that people do get attacked and certain cohorts are more vulnerable to certain attacks than others, but the popular media make this seem imminent everywhere. So, if you read the paper or watch the news, you will probably form the idea that you are unsafe because of your category. You may belong to several categories, for instance, immigrant, young male so if you often watched or read the news you would probably think you were in danger more than you are. The news will also teach that Australians are likely to attack people because Australians are racist, but how strong is the basis for this assertion? As Vivienne implies, population growth exacerbates all social frictions. It is also apparent from the social media that Australians fear being attacked by immigrants - for instance by terrorist Islamic sympathisers. And who promotes this idea? The government.

DennisK (not verified)

Tue, 2014-03-25 13:11

You can always tell what values are lacking in, or being destroyed by an insitutuion, or in politics, they are the ones they most loudly proclaim. Hitler went on about Peace. The Spanish Inquisition was about Mercy. Of cource they would insinuate there is racism and work to be done. Isn't that how anti-racist organisations get their funding? It's not like they are going to say "job well done. We aren't needed"! No, this paper is merely advertising for support and trying to sell a product. When a laundry detergent manufacturer says we need to buy it, we know why they are doing it. When a company says we need their services, we know why. This is no different. They exist because there is money to be made from "racism" from Anglo's and to a lesser extent Europeans, so by validating the purpose of their organisation, they can call for more funding. There is no money to be made combating racism in other groups. Racism overseas is far worse, but where's the money in promoting tolerance between say, Sinhalese and Tamils? Business also likes the benefits. Social cohesion limits business exploitation, so who better to push for destruction of social cohesion, than an organisation which says its for Social Cohesion. The fact is, Australia, like much of the West, have been among the first nations in history to volunteer to become a minority, and not only that, but do it peacefully while castigating those who object. It is simply unprecedented in history, where a group of people have volunteered, even grudgingly, to choose to becomie a minority and give up sole ownership over they systems and country. It is just laughable to suggest that we are racist and need to do more.

PostGrowthEra

Tue, 2014-03-25 10:49

People imagine that the dairy industry is benign, with happy and contented cows grazing and chewing their cud, and producing milk for us! People need to realise that cows produce milk when they have a calf, not automatically. For us to have the milk, as an industry, the calves must be removed from their mothers after a few days. Over 700,000 bobby calves are considered "wastage" of the dairy industry, and are slaughtered. The rest either end up being milking cows, or veal. The dairy industry knows that many consumers of milk would find the callous treatment of bobby calves completely unacceptable and rethink their financial support of the industry. If the treatment of bobby calves is to improve, it is imperative that the industry becomes accountable and for the public to exercise their consumer power. Better still, avoid dairy products! Animals Australia: take Action. Demand that animals not be treated as 'waste products'

PostGrowthEra

Tue, 2014-03-25 10:42

A survey on racism in Australia, to be released on Monday, is the latest in a series, Mapping Social Cohesion, funded by the Scanlon Foundation Asked to nominate what they ''least like'' about Australia, racism and discrimination was listed among migrants' chief concerns. Those from non-English speaking backgrounds were almost twice as likely to report suffering discrimination than those from English-speaking countries. The Age: Migrants fear racism and being victims of crime The fact that Australia has third world rates of immigration, and the source countries of migrants have nil or minimal, is not being taken into consideration. It's assumed that Australia is an open-bordered nation, with no claims to sovereignty or territory? The survey shows migrants who have arrived in Australia over the past two decades often feel singled out because of their skin colour or faith and report a disturbing lack of trust, both in other people and political institutions compared with the rest of the population. Rather than "racism" it's more likely to be a by-product of the negative impacts of high rates of population growth, and patriotism. Every national, and every patriotic person, must feel loyal to their own soil, and borders. It's more about being ethno-centric than racist! Migration rates have doubled from the 1990s, shifting from an emphasis on family unification to job skills. With rising unemployment, there's hardly a shortage of skills, or human resources to train! Migrants are more about housing growth, property development and mortgages. The government is preparing a new Racial Discrimination Act, to facilitate and force acceptance of high immigration rates. Interestingly it's the Scanlon Foundation doing this survey. Mr Scanlon, whose family wealth is estimated to be more than $600 million, set up a foundation with the aim to create a larger and socially cohesive Australia. It also happens that Mr Scanlon has extensive property development interests, which clearly benefit from immigration-fuelled high population growth. "My primary driver in (setting up the foundation) is if we don't have growth we are going to lose all our youth because the world is looking to train people around the world," he explains. "Instead of having stagnant growth, we're going to have a serious decline." Scanlon backs population growth- Herald Sun December 4th 2009. This organisation has vested interests in growth, the property development, and have obvious interest in quashing debate and utilizing the "racist" fears to make implementation of growth easier!

Anonymous (not verified)

Tue, 2014-03-25 10:15

Youth unemployment in outer east including Maroondah, Knox, Yarra Ranges, Whitehorse and Manningham jumps nearly 50 per cent.

As reported in the Herald Sun, 24th March, youth unemployment in Melbourne’s outer east has spiked nearly 50 per cent during the past two years, with a welfare advocacy group labelling the jobless rate a 'generational crisis'.

Melbourne’s outer east, which covers municipalities including Maroondah, Knox, Yarra Ranges and parts of Whitehorse and Manningham, experienced the biggest rise in youth unemployment across Victoria.

Youth unemployment in outer east including Maroondah, Knox, Yarra Ranges, Whitehorse and Manningham jumps nearly 50 per cent

How can housing growth be justified when jobs are being created to keep abreast with our artificially boosted population growth? On one hand we have dysfunctional "growth" policies and short-cuts to public services, but not for profit social organisations must pick up the debris. Brotherhood of St Laurence executive director Tony Nicholson said the statistics showed Victoria was facing a "generational crisis'.

TAFE cuts too have hit hard, but "skilled immigration" continues with impunity! It's a case of reverse racism, of our government preferring overseas skilled workers rather than our own human resources.

nimby

Mon, 2014-03-24 11:29

The total minerals and agriculture workforce is only about 5% of the Australian workforce; which is less than the number of unemployed people. The big mining boom was meant to be a platform for "big Australia" and great economic growth. However, all the empirical evidence is otherwise. A youth jobs crisis is threatening to expand across Melbourne after the biggest rise in the unemployment rate - in the eastern suburbs instead of the struggling west. It's a spreading threat, and a symptom of population overshooting our economy. It's not only in Melbourne, but across our country. There has been a shrinking of labour-intensive workforces and a shift by employers from being skill developers to skill buyers. Importing skills from overseas is a quick fix, instead of having to train locals. In the face of an ageing population, there is little doubt that a continued high rate of youth unemployment will adversely add a heavy burden on tax payers and welfare. Compliant temporary workers from overseas are more likely to be an attractive option for big businesses as they lower wages and conditions, and they are willing to get sponsored for PR. Our government is obsessed by high rates of GDP, increased by a continual injection of people from overseas. There's no correlation between grass-roots lobbying, the real world of struggling in the face of excessive numbers of skilled workers who are unemployed, and population overshoot. The "skills shortages" being advertised across the world is looking more of a lie and based on pure political spin with no basis in reality. Our educational institutions are failing to address educational requirements of our country, and instead have become degree factories, and part of the immigration program to lure people here for a "better life".

Matthew Mitchell

Mon, 2014-03-24 11:25

According to some early pioneers Carrum was a paradise - William Bruton's memories were:
From Carrum Cowboys:

"When I first visited Carrum, there was no ti-tree (or tea-tree) on the foreshore from Mordialloc to Kananook Creek. There was however a small patch of ti-tree about two miles from Mordialloc, called the scrub, which had not grown to the height , or spread as it has since done, but there were plenty of the east side of the road. The foreshore was a growth of honeysuckle ferns and wild currants, and when the trees were flowering, a large number of birds were seen, Magpies and crows preferred the other side of the swamp.

The call of the Kookaburra was heard everywhere and amongst the trees wattle birds, leatherheads,woodpecker, thrushes, kingfisher, robins and many different kinds of parrots, and as we camped near the swamp ti-tree when - Oh! wild turkeys - they know the human beings, and are up and off quickly. But what are those tall things over yonder? a flock of native companions. Rare as they are, they are still birds, but they are far more conceited than any other bird.

Here the gum trees lay prone where they have lain for hundreds of years, and others in the full glory of life send their spreading limbs and luxuriant foliage out, displaying their pride of life. Here also are the possums in plenty disporting themselves amongst the branches.

And so it seem that the energy of the axeman, the drainer, the builder have turned this heavenly paradise of thousands of years, into a joy somewhat like unto the dog of old, racing with the jam tin, which rascally boys have attached to his tail." [5]

(image: Carrum Carrum Swamp. Watercolour, James Curtis. 1872)

PostGrowthEra

Sun, 2014-03-23 11:17

The latest 5 year report by UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) details a litany of global impacts from intensifying climate change including the displacement of hundreds of millions of people, reduced crop yields and the loss of trillions of dollars from the global economy. The Age: new IPCC climate report predicts significant threats to Australia The world is hungry and increasingly so. Demand for the three staple food crops - rice, wheat and maize - is expected to grow 14 per cent a decade to 2050. Overall, food production globally must be increased by a staggering 70% to feed a world population that is growing at a rate of 1.16% (78 million people) per year. Meeting that demand will be hard at the best of times, especially with less resources such as nutrients and water, and more extreme weather. CSIRO's Dr Mark Howden says the food produced (yields) by most primary crops is presently growing by only about 1 per cent a decade, and will fall short of demand. The link between climate change and war is not clear, but inevitably there will be more conflicts of limited natural resources, such as food supplies. The pressure on living systems can't be assumed to be capable of being ramped up to meet the demands created by humanity's aggressive growth. We are walking blindly into catastrophe if we expect biological, ecological systems and food chains to increase their outputs at a time of increasing scarcities of land, natural resources such as water, energy and nutrients. Do we expect them to super-boost their production outputs, on less? The Reverend Thomas Robert Malthus (1766 – 1834) was an English cleric and scholar, widely known for his theories about population. His observed that sooner or later population will be checked by famine and disease. He's been discussed, dismissed and "disproved", but surely the present global "food security" crisis is another name for what he warned us about in the 19th Century- the Malthusian trap? Our governments are forced to take a climate change denial stance, to continue their economic model of growth and "business as usual". Just how compatible is our economic model, based on ongoing consumption of non-renewable energy sources, mining and "big Australia" compatible with global threats and trends?

Anonymous (not verified)

Sun, 2014-03-23 10:05

After decades of economic growth, debts are accumulating and austerity measures are being distributed onto the public. Australian economy has performed remarkably well over the last two decades, as we've been told. However, why are there cut backs all the time, especially to health?
Prime Minister Tony Abbot was giving a speech to the Australian-Canada Economic Leadership Forum in Melbourne, hinting at just this – as summarised bluntly by Christopher Pyne, Minister for Education:

"[The Prime Minister] said that the current growth in education and health expenditure was unsustainable, and that is true."

Australia: an economic ‘star’, but are we happier?

What's Tony Abbot's vision for economic growth? If vital spending such as education and healthy are being trimmed, and declared unsustainable, then why is our economy intricately linked to the housing and property markets, and population growth? Surely the purpose of our economy basically, is to serve us, and provide for the basics such as education and health, and high living standards. Instead, we've become slaves to it, and it's being forced to "grow" to our detriment.

A "surplus" is what is aimed for, but at the cost of how many cutbacks? Considering we have the highest unemployment rate since 2003, along with an increase in those registering as “long-term” unemployed, up 13.5% since January 2013, and more part time jobs being created than full time, surely we have over-shot our economy with regards to population size that can be employed and accommodated.

At present trends, each generation will be worse off, and our descendent will be sacrificed on the altar of "economic growth". There will be more people living outside participating in the economy, and less home ownership.

The housing boom can't be maintained, and it must implode through infrastructure debt, costs of living, and unaffordable mortgages.

Our economy has become, due to it's inherited basis, a big Ponzi scheme, heavily based on rising new taxes from population growth, and revenue for land subdivision and housing. The promised "prosperity" is not being produced, for the majority. Yet, we are trapped in this juggernaut of growth, debt, spending, importation of more people (taxpayers and buyers) and it becomes an addiction cycle.

PostGrowthEra

Fri, 2014-03-21 12:44

Spring Creek housing development at Torquay, on the Great Ocean Road Victoria, gets go-ahead from planning minister. Democracy isn't allowed to get in the way of property development! The Surf Coast Shire had written to Planning Minister Matthew Guy urging him to limit the town's boundary to Duffields Road, thereby protecting the Spring Creek area from development. But the minister has agreed with an independent panel, which found the area is the next logical extension to meet population growth. There's nothing "logical" about it! It's all about greed for growth, and promoting the housing industry! Our government is not "meeting" population growth, but encouraging and endorsing it! The more houses are built, the more people will come! There have been a number of community protests against the Spring Creek development but Mr Guy does not expect a community backlash. The public are being overwhelmed by the power of developers, strongly supported by our "planning" minister! The Mayor of the Surf Coast Shire, Rose Hodge, said the decision is disappointing. "This has been a difficult and complex issue, which has included extensive community involvement and strong views expressed," she said. "I know many people will be disappointed by the decision of the Planning Minister." There needs to be a diversity in Melbourne's economy, one that can survive any slowdowns and recessions. What we have now is a one-trick pony, property development based on the housing bubble. With jobs, infrastructure, public services, and amenities failing to keep abreast with growth, living standards and our economy can only decline. ABC: Spring Creek housing development gets the go ahead Matthew Guy is a front-man for the property developers' lobby group, moonlighting as our elected Planning Minister - however "planning" simply means giving ticks for new zones, and new housing schemes.

Bandicoot

Fri, 2014-03-21 12:19

Thank you Cienwen for a very informed and excellent article. There is a clear conflict of interests with the Minister for Agriculture also administering the Wildlife Act. It's a case of the prisoner, or exploited, being supervised by the same person, or group, that's also their advocate and defence! How can the welfare, and the protection of wildlife from cruelty and inhalation, realistically and objectively be under the same department as the one in charge of giving killing permits? The permit holder is likely not to be a professional or accurate shooter, and there are some horrific examples of jaws being blown off, and the animals being left to die in agony! What about joeys? We have dedicated wildlife carers spending hours trying to heal and nurture wounded kangaroos. Where can they be released to be safe? The same departments shouldn't be promoting the killing of kangaroos, and dispensing with ATCWs, and be responsible for the well-being. Previously, there were 30,000 carcasses of kangaroos left to rot, and going to "waste", in Victoria. Now, the number is up to 70,000! Once there is monetary gain, the number of shootings will increase, and there will be orders for pet food to fill! Kangaroos are seen as a "free" resource, and there for the pickings. What other native animal is so maligned and hated as our own symbols of Australia, the kangaroo? Please sign the petition| Stop the killing of kangaroos for pet food in Victoria, Australia

DennisK (not verified)

Fri, 2014-03-21 08:51

There is ony one city in Europe more populous than Melbourne, London. The scandinavian countries which are highly regarded, have lower populations than Australia. The idea that Melbourne has to become big is a sick joke, laughable and silly, spoken by puling lackwits. How people don't laugh right at Doyle's face when he says that is beyond me. Melbourne is already bigger than many world class first word cities not just in size, but population. His statement isn't just poorly thought out, its absurd. It's like a 140kg man saying he needs to put on more weight. Another 3 million, thats an entire Berlin moving in. Are we going to gain a Berlins worth of culture, living standard, infrastructure and wealth? No.

DennisK (not verified)

Thu, 2014-03-20 10:45

Doyle just says the words which he needs to say to keep the important people happy, thats it. It matters not whether they make sense, words are all that matters, and he says the right words at the right time. Thats true with most things now. Melbourne can't pull off high density living. I'm coming to the realisation that our growth mania is largely due to lack of leadership talent and sense of inferiority and insecurity. Melbournians (and likely Sydneyites too) have a nagging sense of irrelevance, and are trying to prove themselves "on the world stage" the only means we know how, mass, pointless and very messy growth. Doyle and cohorts simply have nothing at all, and submit to growth in a vain attempt to make Melbourne relevant.

nimby

Thu, 2014-03-20 10:12

The state government says its move to allow kangaroo meat to be turned into pet food will stop the waste of good meat. Just what are parameters of this "trail"? Until all the kangaroo are gone, and dead in Victoria?

Agriculture Minister Peter Walsh told 3AW Breakfast the new ruling would not increase the number of kangaroos culled, rather carcasses would no longer be wasted. So, instead of being "wasted", and let to rot, the kangaroo carcasses would be processed into dog meat!

No more kangaroos would be killed, but the kangaroo industry's John Kelly is wringing his bloody hands with delight! Kangaroo Industry Association spokesman John Kelly said they were lobbying the government to go one step further! This seemingly small step, of not "wasting" the dead kangaroos, is a defacto introduction to a full blown commercial kangaroo meat industry in Victoria- by small steps.

While our State governments sees the industry being worth over $1.4 million, there are aspects that need to be considered.

The government has no idea what the current population of kangaroos is in this state, or any state. Aerial surveys are sporadic and unreliable, and tainted by industrial motives.

Even though the government states 30,000-70,000 kangaroos are killed each year via the permit system, it has no idea as they have cut staff in DEPI to such a level no checks can be made before or after a permit is approved. These permits are easily dispensed over the phone, and there's no staff to check the "pest" impacts on farmers, or give advice on non-lethal alternatives to the ATCW killing permits.

Each year kangaroo populations in this state are devastated by bushfires and extreme weather. There were fires in the Grampians earlier this year.

Kangaroos do NOT breed like rabbits. Kangaroo joey mortality rates are on average 75% as joey survival rates to adult hood are very fragile. There are many limitations, such as "management", roads, habitat loss and fires.
Studies have shown that a female kangaroo will only effectively replace herself once in her lifetime (12 years). The "explosion" of numbers, and their infinite numbers, is a myth created by the industry itself.

Farmers tend to believe one kangaroo eats as much as one cow when in fact it would take on average 15 kangaroos to eat as much as one cow and they do not prefer to eat the same pasture as a cow. The grazing pressure of kangaroos is minimal compared to livestock.

Kangaroos are continuously hounded, harassed, maligned and hated by their own country-men. This malignant attitude towards our famous native animals is a result of many years of slander and mis-information to suit governments and the industry of skin and meat.

Just how will this "trial" be deemed successful, or not? By the death of our mobs in Victoria? Already in the early 1980s, the idea of a commercial kangaroo industry in Victoria was dismissed. Aerial surveys by the CSIRO deemed that there was too much intensive farming, and kangaroo densities were too low. Nothing has changed, and the pressures on kangaroos would be even greater, not less.

Vivienne Ortega

Thu, 2014-03-20 09:46

Melbourne in the 1970s was something to aspire to! We had very affordable housing, and many people even had holiday houses, high living standards, roads that weren't congested, education was available at a minimum cost, and there was room to move. Life was simple and we had high rates of employment. Food was cheap, and we didn't have the "growth corridors" causing high rates of crime, and social disquiet. We used to have the Gas and Fuel corporation, SECV providing cheap and reliable power, the Board of Works, and our water supplies weren't expensive as they are today. Our public services provided training, apprenticeships, and jobs. There were no "skills shortages", or massive public debt. We had our own traditional music and dance venues, and folk and rock music was thriving. The "reason" for justifying our present rate of population growth is because it's for the business elite, and to drive the property development industries - both powerful lobby groups. It's not in our interest, the public, and Doyle knows this!

Vivienne Ortega

Thu, 2014-03-20 09:24

LORD Mayor Robert Doyle has slammed the destruction of market gardens on the city fringe to make way for housing. Cr Doyle said that places like Clyde in the outer southeast were prime food-growing areas, but were threatened by urban sprawl. With Australia having only 6% of our land arable, for continual food production, and 3% of it in Victoria, it's high time someone spoke up about our aggressive housing and property industry in Victoria. With other economic activities struggling, this industry is thriving due to our immigration-driven high rates of population growth! The political control of population can't be ignored forever. What's incongruent is Doyle's irrational lack of logic. Cr Doyle urged governments to stop building new suburbs where there were no jobs, no public transport and a lack of other infrastructure and services. So, we wants ongoing high rates of population growth, but more people crammed together in a rat-race of congested housing and roads! “I believe in a big Melbourne, but I believe in a big smart Melbourne,” he told a Future Melbourne Network event this week. So, "big" and "smart" are synonymous, and not a contradiction for Doyle! There's nothing "smart" about ecological overshoot, or population overload. People should have more intelligence that bacteria, happily eating away at the substrate in their petri dish, reproducing with impunity, until they reach the limits of their tiny universe- the edges of the dish! While humans have more ingenuity, intelligence and creativity than mindless bacteria, there are always natural constraints to any growth. How does Doyle expect to "grow" and be a "big" population without expanding over our salad bowls? The only solution would be to force people to live in ever-climbing towers, and cram together in high rise apartments like those in Hong Kong and may parts of the world. Migrants come here for a "better life", with high standards of housing, room to move, job opportunities and better living standards and opportunities for their kids. Emulating a high rise future is not the Great Australian Dream! Cr Doyle said that Melburnians had to get used to higher density living in existing suburbs because of the exorbitant cost of creating new communities in fringe areas. What we "get used to" should be a choice, not imposed upon the public because of the megalomaniac growth policies of the elite, who themselves will reside in leafy residential streets, pampered by privileges. At least we have the new organisation, "Victoria First", to address the spin and illogical statements coming out of the mouth of our growth-obsessed administrators.

quark

Thu, 2014-03-20 09:08

Doyle asserted on ABC radio this week that none of us would want to return to Melbourne of the 1970s with only 2 million people. He then went on to attribute Melbourne's contemporary "vibrancy" to its higher population. It was really just a silly muddled rave. He did not explain what was so unpleasant about 1970s Melbourne, nor did he separate positive changes that would have occurred anyway with or without population growth.If he has any intelligence, he must have put it on automatic pilot for his interview with Jon Faine. For a topic as serious as Melbourne's population growth, he really owed it to the radio audience to give better reasons to be in favour of an ever growing population and creating high density urban living. Doyle's concern for market gardens impacted by urban sprawl (in an article yesterday) is reasonable but about 10 years behind the rest of us and just seems a justification for hyper densification.

Anonymous (not verified)

Thu, 2014-03-20 08:58

"Immigrants have a greater entrepreneurial spirit and benefit the Australian economy in numerous ways we were told". It seems that there is evidence of Lowy's low self esteem, and cultural cringe that Australia is inferior, and home-grown talent is of lower quality than what's from overseas. Unemployment is generally higher amongst immigrants. Fresh data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows people born in non-English-speaking countries have a much higher unemployment rate than the standard rate. Migrants face a range of barriers that people born in Australia don't, including language difficulties, unrecognised qualifications, unfamiliar workplaces and job application processes and a lack of networks and contacts. Net migration into Australia is around record levels. In the year to January, a net 380,000 people entered the country on a long term basis. This is well above the long term average of around 150,000. But since 2004, the average has been closer to 300,000 per annum. This stimulates the economy in the short term, as migrants settle and buy housing, consumer goods and pay taxes. However, the long term costs are ignored - in the debt of infrastructure, public service overload and congestion. This means mega-dollar spending to fix the mess, and by then there's a new government who predictably blames the previous government for financial mis-management! "Research shows there are high levels of under and un-employment amongst CALD communities particularly new migrants," Greens Mr Bandt said. "If you have skills but come to Australia from a non-english speaking country you are twice as likely to end up in a low skilled job as someone from an English speaking background." Greens Adam Bandt MP, will introduce a private members' bill to require the public service to double its employment of people with disabilities and people from non-english speaking backgrounds over the next five years. Migrants from non-English-speaking backgrounds are grouped with those with disabilities? It seems that the Greens will continue in their denial of high immigration rates as a burden to Australia, at all costs! According to a report prepared for the Department of Immigration in 2011, refugees who have settled in Australia have a higher incidence of business ownership than other migrant groups – and are more likely to be self-employed than people born here. However, refugees only make up a small proportion of our immigration intake!

Sheila Newman

Wed, 2014-03-19 21:37

Last night there was the Melbourne conversation night at Federation Square on the Future of Melbourne with Lord Mayor Robert Doyle on the panel as well as Rob McGauran (well known to a lot of us from VCAT). Robert Doyle talked about how wonderful Melbourne is and how it is going to get bigger and outstrip Sydney and had to stop going out but must build up to hold more people and that was good as it made a place more active and alive and it was far cheaper to upgrade infrastructure than put in new etc etc. He said he was talking about this to Ros Hanson too. McGauran talked among other things about how we needed to get denser as we were increasing in numbers. At question time Mary Drost challenged Doyle to debate Kelvin Thomson on the rate of increase of population. Doyle said he would because he does not agree with Thomson. Drost asked, when and where? In conversation later, according to Drost, Mr Doyle said that Kelvin Thomson would need to agree to the project and that it would need to be organised by Planning Backlash. Mary Drost suggested that the venue should be Melbourne Town Hall. Mr Doyle invited her to call him and talk with him about this.

Bandicoot

Wed, 2014-03-19 19:02

The Victorian government has announced plans to trial commercial killing of kangaroos in Victoria. Already across rural parts of Victoria tens of thousands of kangaroos are being labeled as 'pests' and shot. But these slaughtered animals cannot be sold. The Victorian government's plan to allow these animals to be sold for pet food would effectively put a price on our national icon's head — and could lead to more deaths, greater pressures on kangaroo populations and more suffering. While shooters are supposed to kill kangaroos with a single shot to the head, there are no guarantees and no effective monitoring to ensure animals do not suffer. Worse still, government guidelines encourage shooters to 'dispose of' orphaned joeys by beating them over the head with a blunt object. The shooters are not professional, but farmers with firearms. The government assures us that no more kangaroos will be shot than normal, but "only" 69,000 per year that goes to "waste" by rotting in the paddocks! This is an introduction to a commercial kangaroo industry, by stealth. Once there is monetary gain to be make from "culling" native animal pests, there will be more processed for pet meat. It's inevitable, and then the rest will be sold to restaurants. Please sign the petition: Stop the killing of kangaroos for pet food in Victoria

ChrisI (not verified)

Tue, 2014-03-18 14:29

DennisK those figures on Sydney/Melbourne versus famous international cities is interesting. Although actually I believe Australia's current population growth rate is somewhere between 1.6-1.8%, which is just shocking. And when I try to tell people this, they either don't understand how high this is or simply don't care. But the problem is that from colonization (invasion if you prefer) until recently, Australia probably was underpopulated. We could afford to grow at 1.6% or higher. This is our collective self image. A young, empty, newly settled land with huge growth potential. Look at our national anthem "For we are young and free...We've boundless plains to share". Well this is no longer the case. Let me quote "Overloading Australia" by Mark O'Conner, end of Chapter 3. "All countries start small, that is the nature of exponential growth. But once they pass 20 million, as we did recently, they are out of the nursery - and only two or three generations away from turning into another obese behemoth of 100 million or more." We've passed the tipping point from being a young, skinny nation into a fattening, middle aged nation. We can no longer afford to grow at 1.6% or more. But our self image is tied into this rapid growth. Probably our economy is too. This scares me. I want us to gracefully allow our population to stabilize, as soon as possible. I don't want to see Australia grow into "another obese behemoth of 100 million or more". But I don't know if this can be avoided.

Anonymous (not verified)

Mon, 2014-03-17 15:55

Last year there was a sadistic and brutal massacre of about 800 native waterbirds at Box Flat, near Boort Victoria. The State government is investigating the matter, and have information about the perpetrators. However, Agriculture Minister Peter Walsh is sitting on the report, yet at the same time erroneously permitted another duck shooting season in Victoria. There are about 45,000 licenced shooters in Victoria, and the season will continue until June, with 10 birds per day permitted! With such savage quantities of birds being shot, the wetlands will be quiet once the carnage is over. The season brings in $100 million in economic benefits. The massacre meant the some endangered species, such as the Speckled Duck, and swans were killed. However, the Government's forces are still patrolling the State's wetlands, and fining duck rescuers. The fines have been increased, for simply being in the water! Laurie Levy from the Coalition Against Duck Shooting was among those slapped with a $360 fine and a ban on returning to the northern Victorian Lake Elizabeth wetland until Monday. The number of ducks was low, making for a slow beginning, so the alternative entertainment is bagging the protestors and rescuers! People hate do-gooders, and those who practice compassion and speak reason! Instead of targeting the rescuers, out of respect for the dead birds, this year's season at least should have been cancelled, until the results of the enquiry were known and publicised. There are some red-necks who delight in victimising and vilifying Laurie Levy, and CADS. Minister Walsh is covering up the Box Flat massacre information, and is actively supporting shooters. The season should have been cancelled, and the killing fields of dead and rotting waterbirds cleared up.

harry cohen (not verified)

Mon, 2014-03-17 12:52

There is a Federal Labor member who has spoken out on population growth for some years — Kelvin Thomson. He has detailed a 14 Point Plan to Reduce our Population Growth (pdf, 92.6k) but it seems to have gained little traction even amongst his colleagues in the ALP. We need a new approach to grow to a critical mass of people able to counter the growth development mainstream media lobby which is all powerful.

DennisK (not verified)

Mon, 2014-03-17 11:09

This might be rehashing stuff people know, but you would be astonished as to how many people don't know this. When I tell people that Melbourne is bigger than almost all cities in Europe, they are more often quite surprised. They google and are shocked to find that their well known and loved cities are actually smaller! How can they be? The idea that Australia still needs to grow to 'compete on the world stage', to 'become somewhere' or make our cities livable is a lie. Here are some well known countries, some of which had contributed greatly the world, some still do, some still envied. All these numbers in this post are from Wikipedia. Sweden 9.517 million (Held up by many as an ideal country) Denmark 5.59 million (See above) Greece 11.28 million Israel 7.908 million (Major regional mover and shaker) Austria 8,504,850 Switzerland 8,112,200 Croatia 4,290,612 With cities, it becomes more interesting Hamburg 1.799 million Toronto 2.503 million Vancouver 578,040 (2006) Rome 2.753 million [em]Melbourne 4.077 million[/em] Paris 2.211 million Berlin 3.502 million World class cities, with fantastic infrastructure, smaller populations than Melbourne. Yet we are told we need to grow to have nice things... Lets look at large, cities, the ideal. Whos here? Lagos 16,060,307 (this is the 2nd largest in the world) Karachi 13,969,284 Moscow 12,111,194 Guangzhou 11,185,600 Shenzhen 10,467,400 Kinshasa 9,735,000 Tianjin 9,341,844 Tokyo 8,967,665 Faisalabad 7,310,691 Wuhan 6,886,253 Foshan 6,151,622 Shantou 5,391,028 I did leave out some well know examples (like New York, London), but this list is to point out that there are large cities, which most of the world probably hasn't heard of. Tianjin. Wuhan. Faisalabad. Size hasn't put these on the map culturally or politically. I think Australians have a sense of inferiority, whereby we are convinced we can make up for this by either just becoming big (bigger cities, bigger population, biggest buildings) or slavishly copying other cities and their attractions. The idea that 'we must be bigger' is just wrong, most likely a lie foisted upon us to play on peoples insecurities and make us thing that we achieve relevance, when we hit 30 million, or 40 million, or is that 30 million in Sydney alone? This sense of national insecurity is then used by the grown lobby to tell use that growth growth growth will make us something. That is to say, the prime reason for this crime isn't even true. There are no redeeming qualities of massively expanding population or having a high growth rate. The numbers inidicate perhaps the opposite. Either way, quality and good management are paramout. Growth is NO substitute. I do not accept there are major issues moving away from growth. The only issue is that we are run by people who have no idea to run any other type of economy. Here are countries by population growth rate as a percentage (2013 List by the CIA World Factbook), from Wikipedia Germany ?0.19 (European powerhouse) Austria 0.02 Finland 0.06 Korea, South 0.18 Norway 0.33 Italy 0.34 Hong Kong 0.39 China 0.46 France 0.47 Sweden 0.18 Russia -0.02 Here are some 'high growth' countries, the ones we think we need to emulate. Libya 4.85 Zimbabwe 4.38 South Sudan 4.23 Uganda 3.32 Liberia 2.56 Afghanistan 2.25 Australia 1.11 (note there are very, very few high quality countries above us). When I tell people that almost all European cities are smaller than Melbourne, they don't believe me. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Largest_cities_of_the_European_Union_by_pop... London is the ONLY one bigger (and London is fast becoming a mess). All of Europe, all that history and culture, and NO larger cities than Melbourne or Sydney. Yes, many countries have populations larger than ours, but they are far older countries. Even so, their growth rates are almost all lower than ours. So despite the population size, they do without 'growth'. Again, the point isn't to get off track, but to demolish the ONLY argument, sorry, [i]excuse for a crime[/i] that the growth lobby has pushed. "Growth" is just not necessary. Big cities are not necessary. This mentality is the mentality of people who simply have no ideas, no vision, and its just lazy. Its how poor countries operate, through nothing but sheer scale. Managing high population growth isn't a 1st world problem, its a 3rd world problem. If we are having that problem, we are running Australia like a 3rd world country which is what I see happening. We virtually no quality leaders either in business or politics.

DennisK (not verified)

Mon, 2014-03-17 09:26

Economists are like priests of days gone by. They claim that the society needs to be run by them, and when failures occur, rather than it being their fault, it's because people weren't following them closely enough. People used to whip themselves till bleeding and going without comfort and convinced this was for 'the good'. Today, we let our standards of lifestyle fall and impoverish ourselves with increasing economic inefficiencies, and are convinced this is for 'the good'. People who say we should accept high house prices and crowded roads and degradation of social cohesion for 'growth' are to me, exactly like those religious zealots of days gone by who used to self-flaggelate, live a life of chastity and privation and self imposed harsh conditions for religion. Silly. It made no sense. Neoclassical economics is the new religion and our politicians don't know anything else.

This article made the very pertinent point that advice on running a country must extend beyond just that from economics. In fact, economists should be far down on the list, because they can't say why a decision should be made, only what would happen. But look at the qualifications of our leaders. Very narrow, and few, if any of them have ever had truly productive work.

DennisK, The correct tags for italicisation (aka 'emphasis') are shown in these examples: <i>exactly</i>, which is rendered as exactly, or <em>why</em>, which is (usually) similarly rendered as why. The [i]why[/i] style of rendering is similar to what is used in the WikiText markup language, except that double brackets are used. - Ed

Anonymous (not verified)

Mon, 2014-03-17 08:35

I've had similar thoughts , but I've usually dismissed them as being "over the top" or too paranoid or radical to vocalise. It's that Australia is too dry, with a population too "small" on global scale to be a nation. It's as if some conspirators in government have already agreed to increasing the monetary value of our country, selling off our nation as an international resource, for international population, to be exploited for minerals and food. Australia is to be phased out and made a generic land, without identity, history, territories and sovereignty. Why would our real estate be sold to Chinese investors, along with businesses and land? The "multiculturalism" ignores any culture, or heritage, of Australia! The drive to globalise Australia, and ignore our culture and history, is insidiously part of the plot. The loss of biodiversity, despite the EPBC Act and other State legislation, is contradictory and is all part of the generic drive. The ruling focus on GDP and economic growth as the indication of measureable government success, despite lowing living conditions, joblessness and the squeeze on public services because of population growth, is a business plan for increasing our wealth, and making Australia more saleable for corporations. The downward push on working and pay conditions for Australia is a reversal of the Trade Unions and Labor party history and policies. Population growth now is stealing the future from our descendants, leaving them bereft of the Australia that was handed down in previous generation. Policies from our government are too irrational, contradictory and with high rates of immigration, it makes the population too fragmented and concerned with struggling for economic survival to actually be effective in lobbying for change.

Cruiser (not verified)

Mon, 2014-03-17 01:30

http://www.express.co.uk/comment/expresscomment/464548/Hidden-cost-of-mi... It has been revealed that between 1995 and 2011 immigration cost us a staggering £148billion which equates to £5,600 per household. Such an amount of money would be heartily welcomed by the British people who are sick and tired of working hard to get ahead while immigrants pick up jobs and benefits. The figures unequivocally show that the Left’s claim that immigration benefits this country is simply untrue. Uncontrolled immigration from the EU and a failure adequately to regulate immigration from the rest of the world has caused far more harm than good. Net migration to the UK was up 30 per cent this year with the number of immigrants rising above half a million. This is far more people than the UK can accommodate and a clear recipe for disaster. A series of weak and misguided immigration policies costing us billions of pounds is outright scandalous and the politicians must recognise that they have to listen to the people. We have had enough of soaring immigration. It is damaging our public services, it is eroding our sense of community and it has left us billions of pounds out of pocket. It has to be stopped before it costs us even more. Labour shows EU colours Ed Miliband’s latest attempt to fudge the issue when it comes to EU membership has been an unmitigated disaster. His promises are confused and ineffectual. As columnist Leo McKinstry notes today, in 2007 Labour refused a referendum on EU membership despite promising us that there would be one if Britain was asked to sign up to a new treaty. The right of the British people to have a referendum before giving away more powers to Brussels has since been enshrined in law by the current Government but Miliband’s love for the European project is such that we can be sure he will do anything he can to deny us a vote. One thing is for certain. A vote for Miliband is a vote against a British referendum on EU membership. After the wet now it’s dry We are now on course for the driest March on record. Following months of rain we have certainly earned a spell of nice weather. At this rate by the time April arrives we’ll be hearing the phrase that characterises the British summer for so many people: “Hosepipe ban.”

quark

Sun, 2014-03-16 21:50

The high population growth policies of both Liberal and Labor governments in recent years in Australia definitely amount to social engineering. The 2011 census showed that more than one quarter of people living in Australia were born overseas. Five years earlier “22.2% of Australians counted in the 2006 Census were born overseas”. In 2011 only 53% of Australians were children of 2 Australian -born parents whereas the 2006 census showed than 70% were of 2 Australian born parents. . The ABS says –

“Australia's population has increased each year since the end of World War II, due to a combination of high post-war fertility and high levels of migration. In 1901, 23% of Australia's population was born overseas. By 1947, the proportion of the overseas-born population had declined to 10%. The creation of a national government immigration portfolio in 1945 accompanied a gradual increase in the proportion of overseas-born Australians, reaching 22% by 1977. During the 1980s, 1990s and the early 2000s the overseas-born population fluctuated between 21% and 23%. At 30 June 2008, the number of overseas-born Australians was 5.5 million, representing just over one-quarter (26%) of the total population.”
http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/[email protected]/lookup/92C0101965E7DC14CA25773700169C63?opendocument

The 26% of people living in Australia being born overseas is of course not the highest it has ever been. In the 1890s it was over 30% but the proportion is now on the rise.

So, with only just over half of us being of 2 Australian born parents we cannot really as a whole “people” have more than a superficial grip on the land. This has been the problem ever since Europeans came here. There just cannot be the incidental oral history that you pick up from your father and mother as you grow up about the place you live in if your parents were not born in that place. You may be very well educated in the customs of your particular cultural origins, but there cannot be but minimal experience of the local environment historically and geographically unless you have made a special study. People who come to a new country cannot compare the past to now so a newly arrived couple bringing up children can make an effort to give their children experience of the natural world around them, which is really essential but they will still not know experientially what was lost in the last 10 years. (Natural places and open spaces are being lost very rapidly) The Australian Aborigines must have apprehended this loss and the un -knowingness of the new arrivals very keenly as their own history and sense of the world around them is passed down orally and they would have been able to see that this was impossible for the new arrivals to do.

In the context of a declining proportion of Australian born people in Australia , “multiculturalism”, another piece of social engineering has been very much encouraged with heavy propaganda alongside very high immigration. This seems a recipe to persuade new arrivals that their customs from somewhere else are more important than the awareness of the place they are now in, which in reality is what links them to others who share this place. It is a fact that the destinies of disparate peoples, through immigration have become entwined and this is the reality that must be embraced as a priority rather than focussing on all that which is not shared with others living on the same continent, in the same country.

As the overseas born proportion of people who live in Australia continues to increase we will further lose our connection to the land and its history. We will in the process lose our ability to care for and protect the land for future generations. Governments do not exhibit a sense of obligation or belonging to an entity called Australia as they sign away rights to protect the environment in the face or the commercial imperatives of corporations (Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement) and in a country with over 700,000 people unemployed increase the pool of available workers (by increasing 457 visas) with impunity and no explanation. They seem to be engineering “Australia” out of existence.

Sheila Newman

Sun, 2014-03-16 15:03

Sounds like a ruse to ruin the land and fragment and dissolve populations of animals so that it can later be resubmitted as a site for development. There seems no sincerity, science, kindness or notion of what our ultimate survival depends on in this decision. It's the ultimate deception and betrayal of hardworking conservationists and the public at large. Devil Bend on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria was subjected to this sort of delay and disorganise tactic. Groups supporting nature were gradually disorganised by seducing some into currying favour with government and politicians and sidelining others. Parks Victoria seduced some, then claimed it had no responsibility for wildlife. Ultimately the leaders of DevilBend became too old to fight. Frankston Reservoir nearly suffered the same fate, except that Quinn McCormack was able, with 'renegade' Frankston [once Liberal, now independent] MP, Geoff Shaw, to save this from becoming a Natural Features Reserve, in favour of a Nature Conservation Reserve. I later communicated with Geoff Shaw, asking how he felt about Victorian Forests, but was disappointed to get back a reply evincing total faith in Liberal forest policy. I spoke to someone who was a long time client of Shaws when Shaw was an accountant. He said that Shaw was very honest and a careful accountant and very religious. He said also that Shaw, like many politicians, is likely to embrace a project that has captured his attention and enthusiasm, but that this is a very hit and miss affair. I must say that I admire Shaw's ability to stick up for himself, and don't find him any more of a 'loose cannon' than most of his colleagues who stick together in a kind of feral herd.

Anonymous (not verified)

Sun, 2014-03-16 12:03

About 18 people were killed, and seven people confirmed dead, and dozens left injured in Nigeria's capital after thousands of panicked job-seekers stampeded during a government recruitment drive. Thousands of job applicants were at a stadium, for job recruitment for immigration department. There was a stampede as the hordes raced towards the stadium!

Millions had participated in the job seeking exercise all over Nigeria.

The 60,000 stadium had only one entrance, but it's not known how many people were there.

An AFP journalist on the scene counted seven dead and dozens injured. The hospitals were also overloaded, and many people could not be admitted.

The applicants, mostly youths, had certificates ranging from master’s degree to bachelor’s degree, Higher National Diploma, National Certificate in Education, National Diploma and Senior Secondary School Leaving Certificate. Like Australia, there is a crisis in youth unemployment, not lack of education and skills!

Unemployment in Nigeria stood at 23.9 per cent in 2011, while urban unemployment was estimated at 29.5 per cent in 2013. A report forecast that the misery index would likely increase further in 2014, from the 38 per cent it stood in 2013.

Nigeria has experienced a population explosion for at least the last 50 years due to very high fertility rates, quadrupling its population during this time.

Current population = over 171 million. The population of Nigeria has been projected to be 440.4 million by mid-2050 and 239.9 million by mid-2025.

This means that over the period of 37 years, Nigeria’s population figures will overtake those of the United States of America, which will be 399.8 million in 2050; Brazil, which will be 227.5 million; Pakistan, which will be 363.2 million; and Indonesia, which will be 366.2 million.

They are not only in ecological overshoot, but in economic overshoot!

18 die in immigration recruitment exercise

Vivienne Ortega

Sun, 2014-03-16 08:59

900 hectares of the former ADI Site at Penrith/St Marys has been spared from a massive housing development proposed by Lend Lease. This 900 ha contains about seven ecological communities listed under the NSW Government Threatened Species Act. Half the bushland is critically endangered Cumberland Plain Woodland. The area provides habitat to hundreds of species of plants and animals. Many of these are threatened with extinction. The site contains Emus and Kangaroos. These are Sydney's last wild Emus. Communities and conservation/wildlife groups are now being forced to fight for every bit of "vacant" land around their cities. As human numbers swell, wildlife are forced to the very edges of survival - and ultimate extinction! However, instead of a Nature Reserve, the government wants to use it as a Regional Park! The focus will be using it for recreation, not conservation! It seems that one way or another, Mother Nature must cave in and just herself as being "useful" for humanity, and for economic benefits, not just for natural values and the ecological communities! This "win" from the clutches of property developers has a sting in the tail! This proposal means Emus and Kangaroos will be displaced from their preferred habitat and confined to a small area of the Regional Park. They don't fit into this anthropocentric plan! The Nature will exist, but Emus and Kangaroos don't fit into the recreational agenda. There is no need to open this land up for public recreation. Only 5 minutes away is the 2000 hectare Penrith Lakes Scheme which is an old gravel mine site being rehabilitated. It has no endangered species on it. This area is more appropriate for people to trample than critically endangered bushland. PETITION: We want a Nature Reserve, not a regional park at ADI Site as agreed at recent community consultation workshops

Cruiser (not verified)

Sun, 2014-03-16 01:04

The German newspaper Der Tagesspiegel (Daily Mirror) launched an online survey on March 6th, asking its readers how the West should react with regard to Russia’s incursions into Ukraine. What follows were the different answers from which the readers could choose.

- Russia’s exclusion from the G8 summit should be considered
- The conflict can be only solved diplomatically, and the G8 summit is important in this respect
- Western censure is hypocritical, since Russia defends legitimate interests
- If the escalation continues, a military intervention by NATO forces should not be excluded

By four o’clock in the afternoon, 9420 readers had answered the survey, and what they had to say filled the presstitutes from the Tagesspiegel with sheer horror. Because only a puny four percent, and we know who those are, favoured a military intervention by NATO forces. Whereas a staggering seventy eight percent believed that Western hacks like Kerry or Merkel were mere hypocrites and that Russia defended indeed legitimate interests.

So what happened? At four o’clock and five minutes, the survey was abruptly taken off the net and never seen again. Which clearly indicates that the propaganda lies of our hostile elite and their once invincible media outlets are losing ground. And which, as you will agree, is a ray of hope in the murky Western skies, particularly since the once so totally indoctrinated and docile Germans are seemingly waking up.

Transl. Michael Colhaze
Freeman of All Noise and Smoke , posted Saturday, 8 March 2014
http://alles-schallundrauch.blogspot.com.au/2014/03/die-deutschen-reagieren-nicht-wie.html#ixzz2vSyNBTDc

Sheila Newman

Sat, 2014-03-15 10:44

I just received news that it was reported on 774news that Bruce Atkinson has probably been asked not to contest the next election to make way for Mary Wooldridge. Seems that standing up for democracy did not do his career any good. (See comment to which I am replying where he crossed the floor to vote against the Summary Offences Bill presumably because of concerns expressed in VCoss, Human Rights Commission and Fitzroy Legal service submission.

Sounds like Bruce Atkinson is the kind of politician Australia needs. We have precious few honorable ones who actually feel they have a duty to democracy rather than a duty to their party.

Let's hope that the Liberal Party realise that he is an asset or that Bruce will run as an independent.

Bruce Atkinson (Lib) is the President of the Legislative Council in Victoria.

He has written a paper, "Is it time to abolish state governments?" and originally trained as a journalist, working for suburban newsgroups and for Fairfax, then was a councillor and mayor. Below are some more details about this Liberal politician who seems able to think and act for himself.

From his "Profile"

"The Honourable Bruce Atkinson is the President of the Legislative Council and a Member for Eastern Metropolitan Region which includes many of the eastern suburbs and north eastern suburbs of Melbourne.

Trained in journalism, Bruce began his career as a cadet for the Newsads Group and later worked with the Fairfax and Leader newspaper groups. After undertaking a youth research study in the Waverley area, Bruce was a marketing manager and centre manager in major shopping centres.

He then established his own public relations, marketing and publishing business with a focus on the retail industry and small business.

Bruce was a Councillor of the city of Nunawading prior to his election to State Parliament, serving two terms as Mayor of that city, which subsequently merged with Box Hill to become the Whitehorse City Council.

A member of the Liberal Party since 1969, Bruce was first elected to the Victorian Parliament in 1992 as the Member for the former Koonung Province and was elected as a Member for Eastern Metropolitan Region in 2006 and again in 2010.

Prior to being elected to the role of President of the Legislative Council, Bruce has held a number of roles in Parliament including: Parliamentary Secretary for Planning and Local Government, Shadow Minister for Small & Medium Enterprises, WorkCover and Sport & Recreation, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Business Development and Deputy President of the Legislative Council.

He has held public office in the eastern suburbs for more than 30 years, 17 in local government and more than 20 in state parliament.

Bruce is a member of the Rotary Club of Nunawading and has a keen interest in sports including cricket, football and soccer. He is also involved as a member of the Knox Club, the Mitcham RSL Club and the National Trust.

Bruce attended Nunawading Primary School and Mitcham High School (now Mullauna College) and lives in Donvale."

nimby

Sat, 2014-03-15 09:30

Conservationists working to protect cassowaries in north Queensland are worried the species' numbers have dropped to an all-time low. But Jennifer Croes from Rainforest Rescue says it is estimated there is fewer than 1,000 that remain in the wild.

"The biggest challenge now is surviving in a modern world with us, humans." Ms Croes says the biggest threat to the birds is a loss of habitat, caused by development and cyclones.

Aggressive human population growth is denying the right of existence to these "dinosaurs" of the rainforests. They have lived in the region for about 80 million years, but they are struggling to survive the "modern" world of housing, land clearing, population growth and human destruction of their habitats.

Losing the ability to fly allowed the Cassowaries and their ratite relatives (with the exception of kiwis) to grow much larger than other birds. There are three species of Cassowary, but only the Southern Cassowary is found in Australia. Their closest relative is another Australian bird, the emu. These birds probably diverged from a common ancestor 25-30 million years ago.

Cassowary numbers in North Queensland at all time low: ABC
The disease of urbanisation is one that our native animals are not managing to adapt to, and it's happening too fast for evolutionary tactics. It's a dead-end street, and our rainforests can only end up becoming generic urban landscapes.

Ms Croes says when the animals venture into urban areas, they are often hit by cars as they are crossing roads.

On the other side of the spectrum, Agile Wallabies have grown in numbers because of land clearing at Mission Beach. The council want to "cull" them, but the responsibility of the State. They are now at loggerhead.
Environment and Heritage Protection Minister Andrew Powell said five current damage mitigation permits (DMPs) would allow for the removal of more than a thousand wallabies.

Dennis.K (not verified)

Fri, 2014-03-14 22:29

It's good people are trying a different approach, as the issue hasn't gained much traction, despite the potential support for it. Abbott is doing some of the work for you. His proposals to allow business to expand their intake of 457 visa workers has caused much ire, particularly since unemployment is rising here. My POV is that the media silence on the issue is the biggest factor. Refugees can be an issue, because refugees have no money. Legal immigrants do have money and can bid up property prices, so the media does not touch the issue because they cannot be 'an issue'. It is met with 'silence'. In fact the BIGGEST issues affecting us, the MSM ignore, deliberately. What makes it worse, is no one ever reads anti-growth arguments, so are unarmed with discussing the issue. The problem I see, is that groups like the SPP, don't have digestible, reproducible arguments that laypeople can use in conversation, or to respond to comments. Sure, there are nice articles, educated opinions, facts, etc, but educated opinions and facts don't mean success. Appealing to intellectuals doesn't result in success (if anything the opposite). People need to hear short talking points, repeatedly. Points they can remember and use.

Anonymous (not verified)

Fri, 2014-03-14 13:54

Based on year ending 2013 figures, humanitarian and asylum seekers formed less than 5 % of our population growth, yet the media gives them almost 100% of air time! The rest are lost, or ignored. The mass of our immigration figures are from skilled migration, and family reunions, etc. There was an interesting revelation in an article recently. The executive director of the Australian Mines and Minerals Association, Scott Barklamb, slammed the unions for using scare tactics regarding the loosening of "red tape" preventing businesses hiring foreign workers on 457 visas. ''The resource industry is not a large user of skilled migrants, but we do welcome any move to ensure that when employers do need to access overseas skilled labour, they cando so through an efficient and responsive system,'' Mr Barklamb said. Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/panel-reviewing-45... Wasn't Kevin Rudd's rationale for increasing the number of skilled workers because of the mining boom, and their chronic skills shortages? Now, they are saying they don't are "not a large user of skilled migrants"!!! They would prefer the willing and flexible from (mainly) third world countries, who ultimately want a good work record, and then have their employers sponsor them for PR.

George Gordon (not verified)

Fri, 2014-03-14 13:08

I read "Population Growth Slow Down" aims to raise both the public profile of the population issue in Australia and to lobby for change. I understand that tigers do not change their spots and politicians are reluctant to change their established policy position. To gain traction requires one person to be elected to one parliament in Australia . The maiden speech would be recorded in Hansard and would be available for widespread public edification and help to change voters attitude at subsequent elections.

Martin Tye (not verified)

Fri, 2014-03-14 07:02

Dennis,

Reply to first paragraph: This is not a duplication of efforts it is complimentary! If you read the website you will see that it is a re-branding of the issue. There is currently no 'membership-fee free' non-political organisation which can be seen as a place where anyone can go to register their disapproval of current population growth policies- like a petition.

I ran in the last election for the seat of Eden-Monaro representing the SPP who are doing a great job but I realised the public mind is so far from the understanding people like us have of the issue, that we needed to build a bridge to connect the ordinary person to organisations like SPA and SPP. I have put my time and money into this new organisation to 'open a new front' and attempt to reach into a new market. If an organisation like SPA were to re-brand in this way it may trivialise their efforts. As I see it, they are the engine room and we are the window dressing.

As for your economic comments, you seem to assume that we support slowly reducing our intake. We don't, our views on limiting population growth are drawn very much from sources like SPA and SPP. We fully appreciate that the need to stabilise our population (maybe reduce?) is urgent, but the 'business as usual' approach to marketing this idea is failing miserably. Any policy will have a 'slow down' period before stabilizing, we just choose to market the 'slow down' period' to keep people reading rather than 'shutting off'. I hope this makes sense.

I believe we need to try new things in the quest to achieve mass appeal for this issue until we find the magic bullet as no one has really 'cracked it' yet. We need an organisation with tens of thousands of members (not just hundreds). This is a chance to build that organisation. I hope all those concerned with population growth will get behind this new initiative. It does no harm to, and can only benefit existing organisations.

      Martin Tye, Director www.populationgrowthslowdown.com.au

Martin Tye (not verified)

Fri, 2014-03-14 06:31

You are absolutely correct. But we must be smart about how we sell this to the public. PGSD advocates zero NOM but chooses to highlight the 'slow down' period you have mentioned as a marketing strategy. We aim to win mass support for the population issue. We must read the public mind carefully and lead them to the 'end of growth' conclusion, trying to hit them over the head with it just alienates them. We need to show them a calm, measured response so as not to scare them off. I hope this clarifies our position. Martin Tye Director PGSD

admin

Fri, 2014-03-14 06:08

I share your concerns about all the listed supposedly humanitarian organisations, particularly "Amnesty International" (Amnesty).

In 2011 Amnesty supported the illegal invasion of Libya3 in which at least 30,00 died and another 50,000 were wounded. That year it added its support to the war against the Syrian people when it it "organised a demonstration last year, outside the London Syrian Embassy, with CAABU (Council for Arab British Understanding) calling for the overthrow of the sovereign Syrian government"1.

In 1991, Amnesty demonstrated that it was a mouthpiece for imperialist propaganda, rather than a human right organisation, when it endorsed the war against Iraq, falsely claiming that invading4 Iraqi soldiers had thrown babies from incubators and left them to die.2

The best way to prevent Amnesty and other phony human rights organisations from using this vigil to harm the people of Syria is for those who genuinely want peace and who support Syria's right to self-determination, to attend the vigil tonight at 7pm at Fed Square in Melbourne.

Footnote[s]

1. ⇑ Amnesty International: Imperialist Tool (24/10/2012) by Francis. A Boyle and Amnesty International: Imperialist Tool (8/8/2014) by Felicity Arbathnot on Global Research.

2. ⇑ CTE Kuwaiti baby incubator lies (26/8/2010) by Barry Zwicker on YouTube.

3. ⇑ See Amnesty International Killing Syrians (22/6/2014) on the Syrian Girl Partisan's YouTube Channel, Amnesty International, Avaaz helping to kill Syrians (23/6/2010) here on candobetter.net .

4. ⇑ After Kuwaiti oil companies began 'slant-drilling' under the border into Iraqi oil-fields, Saddam Hussein, the then dictator of Iraq, was set up by April Glaspie, the then US ambassador to Kuwait. Glaspie led him to believe that the United States would not respond if Iraq retaliated militarily against Kuwait for this theft of its oil.

Against Slavery (not verified)

Thu, 2014-03-13 23:07

Revealed in the news tonight. Tony Abbott has purchased a stack of drones to patrol our coasts. Was the fuss about asylum seekers contrived from the start to prime the Australian up to accept having our coasts and our own lives continuously surveilled in this way by drones? For, once you have drones supposedly out there looking for asylum seekers, then they can be used to spy on anyone. In a country where protests are being marginalised and our borders are actively disabled by government regulations encouraging entry to all and sundry via plane, we can expect no good of these drones. A new evil.

Against Slavery (not verified)

Thu, 2014-03-13 22:57

I see that Save the Children, Oxfam, World Vision, Amnesty International, Act For Peace, CARE and Caritas are going to supply speakers. Let's hope that these organisations are not going to present yet another western version of events there, like we hear every night on the news. Will they highlight how Syria looked after a huge population prior to western interference with tribes and will they acknowledge that it is Australia, the USA's and other 'allies' interference in politics thru illegal wars in the Middle East that is causing most of the asylum seekers that try to make it to Australia?

Dennis.K (not verified)

Thu, 2014-03-13 21:38

I find people who think they are doing the world a favour by having mass economic immigration both hypocritical and vulgar.

Immigration is a zero sum game, almost. A doctor moving here, is one moving away from somewhere else. Each skilled migrant, represents a loss of skill elsewhere. If "growth" is good, then our "growth" comes at the cost of another nation which spend money and resources to raise and educate the skilled migrant.

I say it is almost zero sum, because there is a loss. The host country has to spend to accommodate the move. Immigration for nation building purposes is essentially morally selfish.

Anonymous (not verified)

Thu, 2014-03-13 21:04

Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable. John F. Kennedy

Sheila Newman

Thu, 2014-03-13 21:03

Bruce Atkinson, the President of the Legislative Council, and Liberal Party Member for the Eastern Metropolitan region, bravely crossed the floor on this issue and voted with Labour and the Greens. He had written, prior to voting, that he was researching the matter very seriously and had paid particular heed to the submissions of VCOSS, Victorian Equal Opportunity, Human Rights commission and the Fitzroy Legal service and had considered the possible impacts on vulnerable people, including the homeless and mentally ill.

Unfortunately, the Bill still passed and is now an Act.

Anonymous (not verified)

Thu, 2014-03-13 11:00

Syria's healthcare system has crushed down to highly concerning levels with unheard diseases getting epidemic, doctors running away, and medicine shortage so dire that people get unconscious for medical treatments with metal bars.

"Across Syria, 60 percent of hospitals and 38 percent of primary health facilities have been damaged or destroyed, and production of drugs has fallen by 70 percent. Nearly half of Syria's doctors have fled the country.
See more at:

Other side of war; Horrible report of health condition in Syria

Children not just dying from violent means but from diseases that would previously either have been treatable or prevented.

Children having limbs amputated because clinics don't have necessary equipment for appropriate treatment

  • Newborn babies dying in their incubators during power cuts
  • Patients being knocked out with metal bars owing to a lack of anesthesia
  • Patients undergoing potentially deadly person-to-person blood transfusions

According to recent estimates, more than 120,000 people had been killed through the end of 2013 and more than six million have either been displaced within Syria or driven out of the country. On average, children are sick for a staggering 10 days out of each month. A doctor says that there is widespread bedwetting in the camp among children as old as 15 – to him, a symptom of deep psychological trauma.

Doctors use false names, even with each other. Carrying medical equipment is a risk and getting caught with a stethoscope at a checkpoint could mean death or detention. An increasing number of Syrian doctors are being killed or tortured as the war grinds on between President Bashar al-Assad — who was once an ophthalmologist in England — and rebels seeking to overthrow his regime.

Doctors risk murder and torture for treating the wounded in Syria’s civil war

Syria has descended from a secular society that received asylum seekers, to a cesspool of human misery, rebellion, and crimes against humanity. There seems to be axis where the evils of our globe settle, to cause festering of pain, and death. When children are caught up in the fire, it's particularly poignant and disturbing. What's more important than ever is world peace. The life-boats are full, and there's no room for conflict without loss of homes, tranquillity, sovereignties, security and lives.

Anonymous (not verified)

Thu, 2014-03-13 09:35

Workers with 457 visas have to continue to work in the same position at the company for two years before they can apply for permanent residency — and they have to remain at the job while their PR application is processed.

There are also pathways to permanent residency available to people who originally came to study; in 2011-2012 a whopping 30,978 of permanent residence visas were given to former student visa holders.

If your spouse or de facto partner is the holder of a Temporary Business (Long Stay) visa (subclass 457) and you can demonstrate that you are married to your spouse or that you have been in a de facto relationship (hetrosexual or same sex) for at least 6 months you can qualify for a visa as a secondary applicant on your spouse/de facto partner's visa.

Rather than qualified migrants putting up their hands to come to Australia and then seeking appropriate employment after they arrive, business recruits directly from overseas. Rather than public servants in Canberra attempting to predict which skills the economy will require next year, business hires the foreign workers it needs, as and when it needs them. In other words, there's no planning - just come and see what happens! It's open borders to Australia.

Almost 40 per cent of 457 visa holders have gone on to become permanent residents.

Or, to look at the statistics in another way, about half of the skilled migrants granted permanent residency last financial year were already living here on a temporary basis, mostly as migrant workers on 457 visas or as international students who had graduated from Australian universities and colleges. - See more at:

Temporary migration is a permanent thing

There's nothing more permanent than a "temporary" visa holder.

Jill Quirk (not verified)

Wed, 2014-03-12 23:12

Last night I attended the opening of "Last Summer for Royal Park" photographic exhibition by photographer David Tatnall at "45 Downstairs" Gallery (45 Flinders Lane Melbourne). The photographs of different aspects of Royal Park are superb, some in black and white and others in colour. All photographs can be purchased either framed unframed and proceeds will help run the case to stop the EW link through the park. Mr. Tatnall's photographs bring together the variety of beautiful parts of this wonderful bushy expanse so close to the city.

P. Tassium (not verified)

Wed, 2014-03-12 16:52

"NEW evidence of the hijacking of Labor’s flagship social housing scheme has emerged, with the companies behind a major Sydney development tapping $80 million in taxpayer subsidies to help build units for wealthy foreign students rather than the low-income Australian households the program was designed to help. Earlier this month, The Australian revealed that universities had won thousands of grants under the National Rental Affordability Scheme and were filling hundreds of these government-sponsored units with fee-paying international students. The revelations have prompted one of the architects of the scheme — National Shelter executive officer Adrian Pisarski — to call for changes to ensure it delivered truly affordable housing to those in need. “As one of the people who thought up NRAS in the first place, the original intention was not (for it) to be used for international students. The intention was to house low- to middle-income Australians,” he said. “To the extent to which it’s happening, it needs to be monitored and the intention of the scheme allowing that needs to be reviewed or at least given serious consideration. It should not be what the NRAS becomes.” He said there was evidence some international students faced difficulty in the private housing market and some student housing for them could be part of the mix, but the overall goal was to address the dearth of options for those on low wages. The $4.5 billion NRAS was launched by the then prime minister Kevin Rudd in 2007 as part of his public campaign to tackle homelessness and the “BBQ stopper” issue of rising housing costs for struggling Australians. It was designed to provide subsidies to developers of housing that would be rented to “low- and middle-income households at a rate that is at least 20 per cent below the market value rent”. A promotional brochure issued by developers Frasers Property Australia and Sekisui House Australia, and seen by The Australian, tells would-be investors in the Central Park development in central Sydney the project is “NRAS-advantaged” and that foreign students pay higher fees than locals, with their total expenditure topping $55,000 a year. “This provides some guidance as to the calibre of tenant typical of off-campus student accommodation facility such as Abercrombie Street,” the document says." [...] Read more (for a fee) from that Big Population promoter, the [Anti-]Australian, here: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/alp-housing-scheme-abused/story-fn59niix-1226850865063

DennisK (not verified)

Wed, 2014-03-12 14:41

"It is very important that we establish and defend the sovereignty of our borders... One of the reasons why it's so important to maintain that policy is that the more people think our borders are being controlled the more supportive they are in the long term of high levels of immigration. Australia needs a high level of immigration. I'm a high immigration man." – John Howard, RN Breakfast program, 29/01/2014 1

The Liberals tough stance on refugees, from day one, has been nothing more than a ruse to get the Australian people to consent to mass immigration and destroy the Australian nation. To the Liberals, Australia is nothing more than a resource for a few big business owners to use and exploit. The Australian nation, the people, are no different in their eyes to the resources in the ground.

Hopefully we can get a political party, which promises to charge this government, and past politicians, for treason and sentence them accordingly.

Footnote[s]

1. ⇑ Editor's comment: The story was not found here – could you post the URL of the program? An example of a "URL" (Uniform Resource Locator) is:

http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/breakfast/past-programs/?page=5

Anonymous (not verified)

Wed, 2014-03-12 13:54

This undemocratic and unpatriotic move is malignant considering the welfare bill blowout, unemployment rate, and the threatened end to the Age of Entitlements! The White Australia policy has been condemned and pushed into our history books, but it was more than about skin colour. It was about protecting our work force, our employment opportunities and our standards of living from the masses of those would have flooded our country from the Third world. Gina Rhinehard says that the welfare costs are too high and digging a hole in mining profits. Africans are willing to work for $2 a day! This move by stealth is a threat to wages and working conditions, and will push down Australia's living conditions to be more competitive with Asia and Africa. Immigration in Australia is out of control. We may as well give the role of government to mining industries, global and national wealthy corporations, and property developers! Policies that control our population growth and immigration are being left to those with vested interests, at the cost of the community.

Matthew Mitchell

Tue, 2014-03-11 16:02

David Horton edited the Indigenous map of Australia . Here is his thoughts on our current divisions of land based on his blog: So, it’s time twenty first century Australia began to adapt to the country. Two hundred and twenty years is surely enough to understand that straight lines drawn on a map in the British Colonial office have little relevance now. So rub them out, rather in the way that a pavement artist would scuff out the lines and boxes of a children’s hopscotch game before settling down to draw a masterpiece in chalk. We don’t need 18 regions – many of the historical factors don’t apply, language isn’t an issue, modern transport and communication remove some of the constraints. So, what do we need? Well, first the big one. Just as for the Aborigines, the Murray-Darling basin is an obvious unit. We could call it … Riverland. And then the others follow naturally – Desertland, Tropicland, Coastland, Mountainland, Westland, Forestland. Seven in all, same as now (assuming there would still need to be an ACT in which to hold the annual corroboree), each representing distinct geography and ecology. So, what would these new states do (apart from playing cricket)? Well, they would be responsible for setting appropriate population levels, and sustainable resource use (including sun and wind and tide for renewable energy) practices. And there would be responsibilites in looking after the fauna and flora of each region (the governor of each state would have a list to make sure that each generation handed on the same biodiversity to the next). And there would be duties specific to each region. Riverland would be responsible for ensuring that a raindrop falling in Queensland could eventually reach the Coorong, that wetlands were maintained, big irrigators sent to dryland agriculture school. Tropicland would need to keep an eye on northern agriculture and damming rivers, and the spread of cane toads. Coastland gets to keep developers off sand dunes and out of mangroves, and establish fishing exclusion zones; Mountainland has to keep water catchments in good shape, and keep cattle out of the high country; Desertland has to stop dust blowing and nurture bilbies; Westland is responsible for maintaining its aquifers and its honey possums; and Forestland is responsible for, well, not having pulp mills would be a start. You get the idea.

quark

Tue, 2014-03-11 12:39

It's interesting that the compound, sodium chloride, (common table SALT) is also the one that is fatiguing our land as an effect of excessive demands for water and the flogging of the whole system for larger yields for ever larger human populations.

DennisK (not verified)

Tue, 2014-03-11 12:19

Maybe it's naivety, but I would have thought it better for those interested, to join an existing structure, rather than duplicate efforts. Unless current parties are not open to change and new ideas... I think 'economic collapse' due to a sudden drop in migration is a bit of a furphy. Thats what the growth lobby use to push their agenda. Has growth increased our standard of living? No. It's driving up prices, damaging our community and overall, results in a net loss. The benefits don't outweigh the costs. Who would suffer should NOM be reduced drastically? Developers and those who directly profit from it. Why should we continue to pay to give them a soft landing? What obligation do I have to the property industry or even the construction industry to keep them going? But more importantly, lets say we slowly reduced our intake, would that make much of a difference? No. Much of this speculative investment is based on current trends. It would be good for sustainable population parties to offer ideas on how a drop in net immigration could be managed.

P. Tassium (not verified)

Tue, 2014-03-11 10:34

I am at a holiday resort and yesterday I bought a Bernard Salt book for 50c. Started reading it last night, but got bored almost immediately. I think I might have reading on paper fatigue syndrome. ..or is Bernard Salt fatigue syndrome? It says on the page before the title page that he is "one of Australia’s leading advisors to the property and development industry and for almost 2 decades his commentary on demographic trends , aimed at business, has been widely reported in the national media.” That says a lot about the national media doesn’t it? Happy to report someone whose comments are aimed at business but not so happy to report those whose comments are just scientific or aimed at the common good.

Anonymous (not verified)

Tue, 2014-03-11 09:39

Even if NOM was stopped now, our population would still continue to grow as births outpace deaths, due to the momentum of growth and the number of young people. Our population would slow down and stabilise by mid century. With all the constraints and scarcities and threats of climate change, this should be the decision for now - slash the main sources of our population - net overseas migration except to wind down present visa applications, and continue with our humanitarian intake. Our economy collapse? There would still be enough growth for property developers, and for businesses to growth their customer base. There would be more opportunities for existing locals to obtain jobs and houses. There's no point in pretending we can continue as we are - the industries parasitically profiting from population control will eventually have to make a U turn to more productive industries and economic activities.

Sally P (not verified)

Tue, 2014-03-11 00:52

Tonight on Australian Story there was a story of a bloke who in his middle age took up bird photography in Mandurah WA. Inevitably when anything is about nature came the sad part. The place is being ruined through development A woman — someone Starr from the local conservation group –probably an important one– put forward the extremely outrageous suggestion that they should find new ways of developing …..or perhaps…….. not developing at all (this bit was in a small voice)

Photos were superb – all sort of migratory water birds..

Geoffrey Taylor

Mon, 2014-03-10 19:21

Certainly, this scam in which housing needed by native Australians is being sold off to parasitic overseas speculators, violates ethical standards.

Whilst we still have a semblance of free speech and a free and open Internet, it should be possible to remove from office the governments who are complicit in this scam.

Victorians will get a chance to do that at the state elections scheduled to be held on 30 November. This could happen sooner with the help of the labor movement who are against Victorian Premier Dennis Napthine's anti-free-speech "Summary Offensives and Sentencing Amendment Bill"

When that happens, and we are governed by people who wish to serve the people of this country and not wealthy domestic and foreign elites, then every politician and public servant found to have been complicit in this scam can be made to pay.

At the very least they should be sacked. Ideally they should also be made to suffer the deprivation they intend to inflict on fellow Australians. If it can be found they have broken laws, then they should be fined, have their assets, including their homes taken from them or even imprisoned.

Such a government should also make the wealthy foreign speculators sell back their ill-gotten gains at no more than the cost which they paid for the apartments less the cost of administering the buy-back.

Matthew Mitchell

Mon, 2014-03-10 18:02

A related issue (drawing on an earlier article on the Constitution) is a Change.org proposal by Michael Johnstone to change our constitutional processes for treaty signing:

Click here for the Conduct a Review into the Australian Treaty Process petition

This change is needed because current the Government (Cabinet) can sign away our sovereign rights in treaties without going to the people and without the full treaty being debated by parliament. Signing something like the TPP and other free trade agreements, like the Korea-Australia FTA, will reduce our options in how we respond to imminent crises by tying us to Investor State disputes and other encumbrances.

Anonymous (not verified)

Mon, 2014-03-10 16:38

Chinese are the biggest buyers of direct real estate in Australia, according to the Foreign Investment Review Board’s latest tally of approvals. That has given rise to concerns about distortions in the market.

'$5 million visas' for Chinese rich could be invested in start-ups

Canada’s luxury housing market has already been impacted by changes to immigration policy and could be in for rougher times as foreign investors are lured to the United States, and Australia, instead. Canada's federal budget has closed a loophole offering a shortcut to wealthy investors. A story in the South China Morning Post found there are 45,000 wealthy Chinese immigrants, with a combined worth of least $12.9-billion, waiting to get into Canada under the program.

Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty announced that their 28-year-old visa scheme, designed to attract wealthy foreigners to the country, would be axed because their housing market had been inflated to one of the most expensive in the world!

However, here in Australia, the visa program for wealthy Chinese is to be open and extended. A program that provides residency visas to Chinese and other millionaires with $5 million to invest in Australia is set to be expanded.

The Abbott government is reviewing and plans to expand the significant investment visa program, which has granted four-year visas to 116 foreigners in just over a year. We can only expect to see prices inflated even further as Australians continue to be locked our of home ownership.

The Stop Population Growth Now, and Sustainable Population Party, should also address the issue of the sovereignty of our real estate, and the predatory foreign property industry. Our already porous borders are being manipulated by who can pay the top dollar to enter our nation. We may as well open our borders, and parliament house, and allow Chinese elite, and property investors, to run out nation!

quark

Mon, 2014-03-10 15:18

I was at Australia Zoo late last year and was impressed and not offended at all at the way the animals were confined or treated. The Steve Irwin tradition of displaying animals in a dramatic way is continued with a sort of amphitheatre and trained staff showing off the behaviours of animals such as crocodiles and birds of prey. In the animal hospital they were treating injured koalas. Injuries are usually from cars . I thought the guide could have made a bit more the population growth that is killing these much loved animals.Their habitat is progressively destroyed for housing and then what is left is criss -crossed with roads carrying cars with oblivious drivers.

Dennis.K (not verified)

Sun, 2014-03-09 22:22

I'm not fond of the idea of a zoo, but I found Australia Zoo, when I was there in 2007 quite impressive. Not just in scale, but in the attention to detail with regards to care of the animals, and in creating a natural and comfortable environment. As to Steve Irwins treatment of animals, he earned the nickname "the croc botherer". He was sincere about conservation, and his videos and zoo were his attempt. Do I think the ends justify the means? Well, he's done a lot (the zoo and the TV shows are just part it, he and Terri Irwin also established other wildlife refugees, and started the Wildlife Warriors Worldwide), and he did what he thought needed to be done.

Sheila Newman

Sun, 2014-03-09 16:16

Hi J. Wilson,

I've only been to the Australia zoo once, but it was vastly superior to most zoos and they have amazing capacity for helping injured Australian animals at their Wildlife hospital. However, I guess the best testimony I found of Steve Irwin's bona fides on this was from kangaroo campaigner Pat O'Brien, who says in this very short video about how Irwin sought him out and funded his work, that he didn't like zoos, but that the Australia Zoo was different.

Sadly, Pat O'Brien died late last year.

There are a number of other videos interviewing Pat O'Brien on this channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/QueenieAlexander2000/videos?view_as=public

Anonymous (not verified)

Sun, 2014-03-09 11:49

Thanks to break-neck speed of Melbourne's population growth and lack of public transport, traffic on the East West Link in the morning peak is expected to have slowed to 20-30 km/h by 2031 as worsening congestion, pushing the road close to capacity just 12 years after it is due to open.

12 years will not even give the time for Melbourne's population to reach 8 million, as targeted by our government. It's over-reached the Plan Melbourne, as they projected "only'' 6.5 million by 2050.

On opening, the EW link is thought to carry 80,000 vehicles a day, (2019), but this will swell out to increasing to between 100,000 and 120,000 a day by 2031, modeling shows.

Read more:

East West Link to hit peak capacity by 2031: expert by Adam Carey, Transport Reporter for The Age

... behind a paywall at http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/east-west-link-to-hit-peak-capacity-by-2031-expert-20140306-34ab6.html

Traffic expert Stephen Pelosi said at the hearing that the most effective way to ease congestion would be to apply a higher peak-hour toll to reduce the number of discretionary trips. So, the travelling public and businesses would be penalised for the congestion that they don't want in the first place!

Labor's shadow planning minister, Brian Tee, said the prediction that the link would become congested within 12 years proved it was a poor investment for the state. However, there's been no population plan coming from the Victorian Labor party either - just more "growth" and "business as usual" on both sides - while our city ends up increasingly strangled and gagged by congestion, traffic, and people!

For 8 billion dollars, the public deserve a realistic and long-serving solution to traffic flows, not just one that will survive for 12 years before also being clogged up! Nothing can grow forever, but the logic seems to pervade the city's planners. The demographic Ponzi-pyramid of growth will eventually implode through unpayable debt, unaffordable costs of living, and a city in stand-still because all arterial routes are blocked by traffic, and priced off the roads by increasing petrol costs.

nimby

Sun, 2014-03-09 09:27

Previously off-limits areas of southeast Queensland may need developing due to "population explosion". Queenslanders will be forced to sacrifice its “sacred cows” to accommodate a projected population increase of more than two million over the next 30 years. This "projected" population increase is not from high fertility levels, but high rates of net overseas migration! State forests, pineapple farms, canefields and sensitive coastal zones such as Pumicestone Passage may be needed as the region looks to accommodate an extra onemore than one million-plus dwellings, or 34,000 new houses a year. While the UN says that food production globally must increase by 70% to cope for 9 billion people, here in Australia we are carving up farms and vegetation for more concrete, bitumen and houses! Such is the lack of innovation and bankruptcy in ideas, that housing has become the default route to increase economic activity, "jobs", and the GDP! Jeff Humphreys, senior principal at infrastructure and environmental services company Cardno said: “We thought we needed 750,000 new dwellings to accommodate a (population) growth of 1.6 million ... 480,000 additional dwellings are now required on top of those that were already planned for in the existing urban footprint"! What a windfall for property developers, and land-owners? Experts said that by 2041, southeast Queensland’s population could reach 5.5 million . This is despite the fact that there is already a crisis of unemployment in Queensland. The "jobs" provided by property development and construction are contractual, not permanent, and actually add to the unemployment rate by adding more people. A recent report by the Brotherhood of St Laurence found levels of youth unemployment in Queensland were at 13.2% of those aged 15 to 24, behind only the lagging economies of Tasmania at 17.4% and South Australia at 13.7%. There's no economic demand for more people! Mr Humphreys said the region must also examine other “sacred cows” such as biodiversity corridors “to see if they can be reconfigured and still meet ecological outcomes”. So, some of our native species, already threatened by human impacts, must another "sacred cow" to go under this malignant growth plan. Of course, supporting the plan is "demographer" Bernard Salt- the megalomanic growth addict! Previously offlimits areas of South East Queensland may need developing due to population explosion

PostGrowthEra

Sat, 2014-03-08 10:01

Billionaire mining magnate Gina Rinehart has attacked Australia's "entitlement mentality" and called on the nation's leaders to emulate former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher. Mrs Rinehart wrote Australia is facing a future of government debt due largely to its $130 billion annual welfare bill. Coming from a position of privilege and being born into extreme wealth, it's easy to condemn those on welfare as being an economic burden. Thatcher is most remembered for her program of sweeping economic changes throughout the 1980s, including mass privatisation of government assets, financial market deregulation and labour law changes designed to limit the influence of trade unions. Supporters of her policies point to a reduction in inflation and return to economic growth experienced by Britain in the 1980s. It assumes that economic growth should be the measure of government and national success? The mining tycoon took aim at welfare recipients and the political left for spending the ‘‘bottomless pit’’ of revenue created by mining. ‘‘We are living beyond our means,’’ Ms Rinehart, worth an estimated $19.89 billion, reportedly wrote in a column for the Australian Resources and Investment magazine. Ms Rinehart wants the Federal Government to spend money on dams and have lower tax rates in Northern Australia. “She’s against social welfare but she’s very much in favour of business welfare for herself,” Mark Latham said. Australia's immigration program has continued at illogically high rates, forcing up our population growth faster than jobs and our economy can accommodate. Back in 2009 and 2010, it was assumed that our "mining boom" would continue and our economy would grow, and more jobs would be created. This hasn't happened, but population growth has continued anyway. Population growth is outstripping it's benefits, and Ponzi-growth pyramid schemes always become obvious in hindsight, when the costs of maintaining them become clear - then the vulnerable are vilified and blamed for the downfall - not the governments and corporate giants who manipulate policies for their own vested interests!

J. Wilson (not verified)

Sat, 2014-03-08 08:25

I was amazed to read your comment that Steve Irwin did not support the commercialisation of animals. He did. He specialised in tormenting and provoking captured wild animals so his films would be more entertaining. He imprisoned animals in a zoo - which is still going. His main aim was to make money from exploited animals and it makes me sick to see him lauded as some sort of eco warrior. He was the exact opposite!

admin

Sat, 2014-03-08 01:34

This is the first time in four and a half years that I have ever heard this allegation of suspicious behaviour on the part of Schapelle's defence team.

Are you claiming that, before the drugs were burnt by the Indonesian Police, that the Australian Federal Police offered to test the DNA and fingerprinting on the bag and the defence team then declined to have the bag tested by the AFP?

So, why, if as you are implying, that evidence of Schapelle's guilt was on the bag (as well as in the bag), would the Indonesian police have then burnt that bag of marijuana?

James Sinnamon

Fri, 2014-03-07 23:32

Most likely the marijuana were planted in Schapelle's boogie board bag by a corrupt baggage handler to be transported within Australia. The marijuana could have instead been meant to be sent to destinations such as New Zealand, Fiji or Vanuatu.

Whatever Sharon may have meant by "out of Australia", it is obviously ridiculous to suggest that any criminal in his/her right mind would smuggle marijuana from Australia to a place like Bali where it is only worth a fraction of its value in Australia. It should not take anyone more than the five minutes necessary to scan through the main points above, in quoted boxes and larger font, to know that if they are true (as can be proven) that Schapelle could not possibly be guilty of the crime of which she was found guilty by the corrupt Balinese judicial system. Her imprisonment is a grave miscarriage of justice.

Do you know any reasonable person who doubts Schapelle's innocence?

Vivienne Ortega

Fri, 2014-03-07 18:39

As documentaries like Blackfish have made all too clear, orcas and dolphins live terrible and unhappy lives in captivity at SeaWorld. It's just shocking to hear that 15-year-old Bindi Irwin, the daughter of the late Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin, has become SeaWorld's new Youth Ambassador. Bindi will be part of "Generation Nature," a new SeaWorld program that, she says, "is all about encouraging kids to get involved and be game-changers for wildlife in wild places." That sounds great -- but Bindi is setting a poor role model for thousands of children by becoming the ambassador for a place like SeaWorld, where orcas and other marine animals are confined to tanks and forced to perform tricks. Please sign a petition asking Bindi Irwin to step down from position as Youth Ambassador for Sea World. This is compromising the high ideals fought for by her father, Steve Irwin. He did not support the commercialisation of animals, the trapping and capture of animals for entertainment, and displays to exhibit human dominance of captured wildlife. She should be supporting Sea Shepherd, and save the dolphins campaigns, not those who trap and exploit them for $$$$ Bindi Irwin please step down as SeaWorld Ambassador

PostGrowthEra

Fri, 2014-03-07 18:29

These courageous and unassuming migratory birds fly all the way from Russia and Japan to the wetlands near Port Fairy, Victorian coast, but unless property developers are trimmed of the malignant greed for land and profits, they will have nowhere safe to land! EDO Victoria is assisting local bird lovers who wish to protect the dwindling habitat of the impressive migratory bird, the Latham’s Snipe. It is seeking a merits review in VCAT of the Moyne Shire Council’s decision to allow the development of the habitat. By definition, "development" should imply improvements, increasing complexity and design, not greed and destruction for profits devoid of social and environmental responsibility. The EDO is representing Port Fairy locals, teacher Jodie Honan and artist and avid birdwatcher Don Stewart, in their quest to save habitat the Powling Street wetlands complex. Southbeach Wetlands and Landcare Group Don Stewart said buffers of 150 metres to 200 metres needed to be enforced around the wetland — despite pre- existing homes already within that area. It's an example how silently and by stealth our native species are being enclosed and excluded from their habitats by human population growth - causing irreversible destruction and habitat loss. Port Fairy's wetlands are disappearing. The Latham’s Snipe is listed as near threatened in Victoria, and is an international shorebird migratory species listed under the EPBC Act as being a ‘matter of national environmental significance’. For the local Port Fairy community and for the small bird they are rallying to protect, this most recent battle is one that cannot afford to be lost. The case was heard in Warranmbool last week.

quark

Fri, 2014-03-07 17:06

The Last Summer project is a series of large format photographs made in the summer of 2013 – 2014 of Melbourne’s Royal Park. Threatened by the massive East – West road project, this could be the last summer for Royal Park. www.thelastsummer.org New photographs will be added to this website regularly during the final month of summer and into autumn 2014. Exhibition of photographs at fortyfivedownstairs gallery 11 – 22 March 2014, 45 Flinders Lane (near Exhibition St. OPENING IS MARCH 11th 5pm-7pm with launch at 6.00pm. Please come! Sponsored by Protectors of Public Lands Victoria Inc. Contact: [email protected] Mobile: 0408022408

J Poulter (not verified)

Fri, 2014-03-07 15:58

Not impossible at all to believe that smallpox was deliberately introduced into Australia because there is evidence this was deliberately done in America. I was however not able to find any evidence that it was deliberately introduced into Australia, but what I did find that there has been a collusive attempt to deny and cover up the fact that it was introduced. Again I do not think this has been a conspiracy to conceal a consciously planned act, but to deny responsibility for the stupidity, neglect and apathy that caused the holocaust on Aboriginal people. They simply didn't care if it got out to the Aboriginal community, their only thought was to protect the colonial settlement from the disease. Subsequent generations of historians have gone to great lengths to create specious theories of how smallpox came to Australia, but this cannot be taken as proof of an original genocidal act. It can only be taken as proof that succeeding generations have a strong wish to deny that colonisation had genocidal consequences.

Anonymous (not verified)

Fri, 2014-03-07 12:09

Residential development on the urban fringe is pushing native animals down the creek corridors towards the city.
Wildlife carers, conservationists and rescuers are facing an uphill battle for the survival of native animals against Melbourne's aggressive rate of population growth.

Such is the nature of our present "planning" schemes, any "vacant" that not owned or protected by State or national park status is grabbed for housing.

Deaths and injuries to animals such as wombats are simply considered incidentals, or collateral damage, and an unavoidable consequence of progress and economic growth!

Clearing removes habitats leading to the direct loss of millions of native animals and plants every year and creates an extinction debt - something that we in Australia are already renown for!

According to Bush Heritage Australia, nearly half our mammal species, including some wombats, wallabies and bandicoots, are either extinct or threatened with extinction as a result of land clearing, habitat destruction and other threats. Wildlife Victoria records show the rescue organisation treated 51 wombats in the northern metropolitan region during the past 12 months, with numbers steadily increasing over the past 10 years.

Mark Winfield from the Department of Environment and Primary Industries agreed that development was pushing wombats upstream, but said revegetation along the Yarra River and Darebin Creek had also made those environments more appealing.

An economy that only thrives on housing, and importing people, is inevitably hostile to wildlife, the environment, and biodiversity.

An economy reliant on importing people, and housing, is inherently anthropocentric and environmentally destructive.

Herald Sun: Housing development on Melbourne's fringe pushes wildlife down the creek

Wildlife "down the creek" is ironically a reminder that extinction is an incremental process, and forever!

ChI (not verified)

Fri, 2014-03-07 00:45

I have cautiously bought up the issue of Australia's insanely high population growth rate with several people. The response, invariably, is complete apathy. They don't care one way or the other. I believe this is the most important issue facing Australia (peak oil a very close second). Yet it seems most of the population regards this issue as completely insignificant. But at some point they will care. I have hope that when the limits to growth hit, and the economy suffers, then public opinion will swing so far against further immigration that even growth-worshipping politicians and businesspeople will be forced to take notice. But this won't be for a couple decades, at the very least.

Anonymous (not verified)

Thu, 2014-03-06 22:47

Subject for this comment was added. - Ed

The AFP offered to conduct DNA tests and fingerprinting of the bag but Schapelle's legal team declined the offer when told the results would be made available to the prosecution as well. Sounds a bit sus to me.

MM (not verified)

Thu, 2014-03-06 08:37

I am an Australian. Not a pretend one that got here yesterday but a member of a family that built this nation. Multiculturalism and immigration and the media have sold everything we built and died fighting for to China, India, Africa and the Middle East. We allowed the vilest of people to get into positions of power and sell the country and culture from under us. Imagine in a couple of decades when there is no Australians left except in pictures and old advertisements and imbecilic episodes of rubbish like home and away. When the last master built home is bulldozed by the Chinese. Not a sound will be heard. How could we have known the end would come at the speed of light.

Anonymous (not verified)

Wed, 2014-03-05 12:53

Colonialist were stealing land for indigenous people for their communities, and for their cattle. It was spread of incarceration and destruction of the traditional owners. They were kept prisoners under a law of "Protector of Aborigine People" which was Orwellian for the systematic entrapment, isolation, and the destruction of their culture and way of life. The Coorie people believe that smallpox was introduced into the Murray region for the deliberate population control of the region. I once went to an in-training session about teaching Aborigine children, and this was their belief. With all the other injustices and atrocities happening because of colonial invasion and submission, it's not impossible to believe.

nimby

Wed, 2014-03-05 08:48

Prime Minister Tony Abbott says Australia has enough national parks and he will set up a new Forest Advisory Council to support the timber industry. He said that "too much forest is currently locked up in Tasmania". Under a peace deal with the Wilderness Society and the forestry industry, 170,000 hectares of forest was added to the area, and the Government has formally asked the World Heritage Committee to delist 74,000 hectares. "We have quite enough national parks, we have quite enough locked-up forests already. In an important respect we have too much locked-up forest." Mr Abbott also criticised the Tasmanian Greens, blaming the party for everything from the state's ailing economy to its poor educational outcomes. According to the CSIRO, land clearance and habitat modification are major problems in conservation biology because of both their direct impacts on biodiversity loss and flow-on effects leading to habitat deterioration and degradation, which also have negative implications for biota". About 80% of the world’s original cover of forest has been cleared, fragmented, degraded or converted to plantations (World Resources Institute, 1997), of which about 50% has been totally cleared. Almost 80% of mammals and about 60% of birds listed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature have declined prima-rily as a result of habitat loss". What adds to the tragedy is that Australia has the highest rate of mammal extinction of the modern world. The article continues: "Notably, Australia is the only country in the top 20 land-clearing nations with a developed first world economy! More than 550 000 hectares of native vegetation are cleared in Australia each year (Australian Conservation Foundation, 2001). Even this staggeringly high figure may be an underestimate. In 1999, permits to clear more than 730 000 hectares of vegetation were issued by the governments of New South Wales and Queensland (State of the Environment, 2001a)". For years The Wilderness Society and forestry industries were on opposite sides of the conservation debate on old growth forests. Now they're on the same side with the same message for Tony Abbott, amid concern that intervention by the federal government could blow up the peace deal on Tasmania's forests. Increased forest protection was traded off for industry assistance measures, including a "green stamp" for timber products demanded in key export markets such as Japan. See The Australian: Forest foes join forces to fight Tony Abbott Bigger trees grow faster than smaller ones, which means larger trees will absorb carbon dioxide faster. Tasmania has Australia’s greatest tract of temperate rainforest, the little-known Tarkine wilderness in the north-west of the state. Northern and Eastern Tasmania contain significant examples of these forest types and are the stronghold of dry-sclerophyll eucalypt forest which is important to biodiversity. Tasmania’s old growth forests are home to the world’s tallest hardwood trees and a wealth of threatened wildlife such as the Tasmanian Wedge Tailed Eagle, the Swift Parrot and the Giant Fresh Water Crayfish Once a deal is made, no government should have the right to break a well-campaigned contract, made by industries and not-for-profit campaigners!

Dennisk (not verified)

Tue, 2014-03-04 15:34

The key is to break the back of the LibLab duopoly. We are making progress. A hung parliament, record number of senate candidates, minor parties gaining power. The duopoly will change the rules to stop this development (with the support of the MSM), but this may lead to further alienation. A party only needs one or two members in parliament to give it legitimacy and I don't think parties should focus just on winning seats. Minor parties and independants I think need to worry less about taking power, and more about what they can do outside of the political system. True politics is engaging with people and assuming power. Minor parties need to take on a more socially active role and become a thorn in the side of others. We also need more talent. There is IMO very little talent to counteract the rather weak LibLab duopoly.

nimby

Tue, 2014-03-04 09:08

The current plans for the upgrade of the Pacific Highway in NSW may destroy a critical koala colony in Ballina. The proposed route would run straight through the middle of a nationally significant koala population in the Blackwall Range wildlife corridor, known to be a linchpin colony, and vital for the survival of coastal koalas. This wildlife hotspot is also home to another 30 threatened or endangered species that will also be put at risk. There are a number of alternative routes the highway could take that would avoid killing koalas and other wildlife. A report, written be respected ecologist Dr Steve Phillips, identifies the Meerschaum Vale, Blackwall Range and Coolgardie koala population as "a key source population for breeding and dispersal" and suggests it should be listed as an "important population" under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Act. Dr Phillips's research suggests the koalas in that region have been there since at least the beginning of the 20th century. Doctor Steve Phillips says the chosen route bisects a regionally significant colony of up to 200 koalas. A packed public meeting at the Ballina RSL has urged a route change to save three colonies of the endangered NSW coastal koala, Echonet Daily reports. “The Ballina koala study is a game changer: it shows that we have a nationally significant koala population that should be protected by the EPBC Act,” said Greens Councillor, Jeff Johnson. Please call on the NSW Minister for Roads and Ports, Duncan Gay; the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure, Brad Hazzard; and Federal Environment Minister, Greg Hunt, to choose an alternative koala-friendly route that delivers a safer Pacific Highway and also protects our iconic koalas. Your message will be copied to the NSW Premier, Barry O’Farrell. We’ve prepared a template e-mail for you to send. We encourage you to personalise this copy to make it more effective. Please ensure that you are polite at all times. IFAW: Protect Ballina's koalas from the bulldozers CommunityRun petition: save Ballina's koalas

Michael S.

Tue, 2014-03-04 01:28

Was Jeff's decision to sell off the SEC's assets one of the dumbest moves in the history of Victoria? I remember at the time calculating that the money paid, which was used to pay off Victoria's debt at the time, was equivalent to about $1100 per household. (It's been a long time since I did the calculation; but it was something like that.) The business was broken into smaller, arguably sub-economic, pieces. The power generation components were sold complete with unlimited access to free coal. There is several hundred years' supply available and no financial incentive to reduce consumption of this zero cost consumable. Of course the carbon tax would have increased the cost of supplying electricity to consumers, but the consumers - not the generators - would pay. So still no incentive for the generators to reduce consumption. Jeff laid the foundation for businesses that were paid a Regulated rate of return on the value of their assets. Hence they had an incentive to GROW the size of those assets to GROW the return. I'm not sure of the exact details, but the return was somewhere between 5% and 7%. Singapore Power now owns the transmission infrastructure. They had a vested interest in expanding it, given that their cost of capital overseas was far less than the Regulated Return. But hang on. We have PV Solar and a need for distributed generation using alternative energy. This will reduce the demand on the transmission infrastructure at the same time as the private businesses that now own it want to AUGMENT it for their vested interest. So that one off payment of $1100 per household has sabotaged responsible planning of this essential component of social infrastructure. Thatcherism Australian style. Conceptually absurd vandalism from start to finish..................??

Ilan G (not verified)

Mon, 2014-03-03 22:23

There is a lot of complaints about the "crowded" curriculum, but the information presented in this article should be taught in every Australian school as part of our history. I found Australian history to be rather dull at school and have since learned a lot more that should have been taught that is far more interesting. An article like this should be at the foundation along with the nature of Aboriginal society and how they lived on this continent (expanding on themes outlined in this article). It really has filled a lot of the holes in my knowledge regarding early European settlement and the end of the indigenous culture & civilization as it was.

Anonymous (not verified)

Mon, 2014-03-03 16:33

Regrettably and tragically, asylum seeker from Iran, Reza Barati, was killed in a riot on Manus Island detention centre. As translated by a family friend, Reza was seeking asylum because ''All he wanted was to have a better life - he was an intelligent young man with productive years ahead of him and he would have been good for the Australian economy.''

By definition, asylum seekers do not have a home, and can't live in their own country because they are not safe. They should not be here for "a better life" or to contribute to the economy! Family friend said ''Reza was not a political refugee – he was a social refugee.'' Just how does "social refugee" fit into the category of being officially a refugee? Reza was the eldest of his siblings, who had trained as an architect, had particular responsibilities to his family. No doubt once he achieved a "better life" and job in Australia, he would unite with his family in Australia!

At the weekend, Immigration Minister Scott Morrison released a statement saying that new information suggests the fatal head injury sustained by Mr Berati, along with much of the violence that night, occurred inside the detention centre's perimeter.

It appears the attack that led to Mr Barati's death, and injuries to more than 60 asylum seekers, was an orchestrated response to a rolling protest that involved asylum seekers chanting ''F--k PNG'' and baring their buttocks. A Papua New Guinean police spokesman has told Fairfax Media that 23-year-old Reza Barati was killed by multiple blows to the head, probably from a piece of timber.

Iranians gain relatively painless entry to Indonesia, with the Middle Eastern country on the list of those whose nationals are able to acquire a visa on arrival. That has meant that Iranians ultimately seeking to arrive in Australia by boat are able to conduct the stretch of the journey as far as Indonesia without legal difficulty. After leaving Iran, many head to Dubai, make their way to Bali or Java before making the final journey south. Many of the Iranians arrivals are middle-class residents of big cities such as Tehran who have been able to summon up the tens of thousands of dollars to pay a people smuggler for a chance at entry to Australia.

The death is tragic, and Berati's murderer needs to be brought to justice. However, the justification that he was "fleeing from persecution", terror, torture, and was unable to live in Iran have been exaggerated. How many other asylum seekers are really "social asylum seekers" trying to get a "better life"- something that we all in Australia are all trying to do - in the face of massive legal immigration!

There has to be a better system than detention centres and imprisonment. Australia has the second largest acceptance of per capita in the world of humanitarian refugees.

We should remove our signature from the UN Refugee Convention, and decide off-shore the refugee we will accept into Australia, and the rest can then be considered illegal entrants. This would remove the impetus of detention centres, and exaggerated claims, public outcries, people smugglers, the lure of believing that Australia has got a '"better life" on offer, and the frustration and the political foot-ball asylum seekers have become.

Matthew Mitchell

Mon, 2014-03-03 12:57

Yes, good suggestions Jenny. We definitely need something - and soon too - before even more damage gets done. This problem was also raised by Klaas Woldring last year and he had a proposal along these lines also (Change the Electoral System and End Adversarial Politics). Steve Irons also has a suggestion on changes to electoral boundaries (and a bit more also) so as to address our environmental problems, in particular the very serious problem of water, a critical resource in world's driest continent (see Steve's proposal at bloggerme.com.au).

Given this clear need for change, the only question in my mind is how do we make it happen? Anyone got ideas?

Anonymous (not verified)

Mon, 2014-03-03 09:43

How is it even constitutional to sell of public assets, the jobs and economic benefits and jobs that belong to Victorians? Jeff Kennett is arrogant and full of bluff. He betrayed his electorate, and destroyed jobs and communities, and consumers are now over-paying for electricity power. The private companies are reaping profits too, from our rampant population growth, with up to 2000 new consumers each week.
The former Victorian premier and former Labor leader fronted the Channel 7 breakfast show to discuss the news that Qantas is cutting 5000 full-time jobs in an attempt to recover a massive $2 billion hole in its finances. "I support what Mr Joyce is doing. It’s not easy, it's certainly very tough and at least he’s trying to get the airline back on it’s feet. This isn’t a popularity poll. It's not good enough for two journalists or broadcasters, who I suspect have never employed a person in their life, to actually be sitting there questioning an individual who, in my opinion is dealing ...” he trailed off.

What's the point of keeping a foreign owned aircraft company "on its feet" if the benefits are not for Australians, when it's meant to be our airline!
Kennett is also behind the privatisation of the Port of Melbourne, and the government should ''put it out to tender very quickly''. He said his government would probably have sold it to further its infrastructure agenda if it had won the 1999 election. It's easy to sell off other peoples' property, and gain the accolades from the elite and business communities. Now they want easier access to 457 visa workers, while unemployment is increasing in our State.

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