Category: Archive

Sale of Snowy Scheme reflects the immaturity of Australia

admin /14 May, 2006

Our continent, the driest in the world, has only the Snowy Scheme to show for 218 years of white settlement, according to an opinion piece in The Land (27/4/2006 p.25).

Snowy sale worse than Whitlam: The past 20-odd years have seen no major water work done at all and now we are to sell the biggest water scheme the nation has achieved. We used to criticise Whitlam for "selling off the farm", but his asset sales were nothing compared to the current debacle.

$82b in 20 yrs: In 20 years "flog the farm" Ministers (State and Federal) have sold $82 billion worth of our assets. The NSW lot defies description. Selling the Snowy to multi-national greed is the ultimate proof of their lack of vision and reflects the immaturity of an infant nation.

Water crisis? Easy, get a water tank

admin /11 May, 2006

Ian Mott (email: talbank@bigpond.net.au) commenting in The Courier Mail (6 May 2006, p.29), things need to be made clear on the water "problem". We only have a water crisis if there is some part of the words "water tank" that are beyond comprehension. The average home has more than 250sq m of roof which will deliver almost 100 per cent of the 250kL of rain that will fall on it.

Bolivia takes oil control back from multinationals

admin /11 May, 2006

The nine-point decree seizing control of Bolivia’s energy enterprises implements – but goes further than – a law approved last year after weeks of street protests led, among others, by now-President Evo Morales, a socialist of indigenous descent, and a referendum in 2004 in which 92 per cent backed nationalisation of oil and gas, noted The Economist (6 May 2006, p.41).

Aust urged to join Blair initiative to expose global resources corruption

admin /11 May, 2006

The Australian resources industry has been urged to back the British Government’s global initiative to stamp out corruption by disclosing all payments they make to governments in developing countries, reported The Age (10 May 2006, p.B5).

Public transport advocate calls for tax reform

admin /9 May, 2006

The economic case for ecological tax reform is strong but ultimately it’s bigger than just the economy, said Kerryn Wilmot, treasurer of Victoria’s Public Transport Users Association kerryn.wilmot@ptua.org.au, in The Age (8 May 2006, p.B6).

Thousands protest Qld Govt’s proposed dams

admin /9 May, 2006

Thousands of people have attended grassroots protest meetings against the State Government’s proposed dams for the Mary River in the Sunshine Coast hinterland and the Logan River south of Brisbane, reported The Courier Mail (5 May 2006, p.12).