Category: Archive

The Age, 11/4/2006, p. 14

Source: Erisk Net

The Australian, 8-9/4/2006, p. 27

Source: Erisk Net

"Big Oil would rather fill the pockets of its executives and shareholders, … letting consumers, during tough economic times, pick up the tab," wrote Jason Vines, a VP of Chrysler. … more

Lubricating the machinery at govt to govt level: The inquiry was told that Mr Downer flew to London in May 2003 and met with former British foreign minister Malcolm Rifkind, now a BHP executive, to discuss how the Australian government could represent the mining giant’s interest in Iraq at a ministerial level with the US government.

BHP Billiton claims "talked it over" with Aust govt: But the ministerial submission about the London meeting presented to Mr Downer in May 2003 alluded to the sanctions-busting deal BHP had first proposed in 1996 when it turned a gift of wheat to the Iraqis into a loan. "BHP Billiton advises that this arrangement was discussed with the Australian Government at the time," wrote DFAT first secretary on the Iraq Taskforce Bill Patterson.

The Australian Financial Review, 12/4/2006, p. 8

"Ridiculous" legislation could halt sustainable development: Wild Rivers Taskforce chairman, AgForce water spokesman Kim Bremner, said the Government’s ridiculous wild rivers legislation had the potential to halt sustainable development in vast areas of the state. He said the Georgetown meeting would call for a balanced approach to the nomination of the Gregory and Staaten Rivers and the Mornington Inlet as wild, as well as the draft code associated with the legislation.

Declaration of wild rivers kills farming, rural communities: "The declaration of any river as wild would sound the death knell not only for farming and grazing operations, but also for rural communities in the surrounding catchment," Mr Bremner said.

Queensland Country Life, 9/3/2006, p. 3

10 irrigators form Best Juice plant orchards from Qld to NSW Central West: Prompted by growing demand for fresh fruit juice, a group of 10 leading irrigators, calling their joint venture the Best Juice Company, are in the process of planting citrus orchards on farms strategically located in a strip from near Cunnamulla in Qld to Narromine in NSW’s Central West.

800ha of citrus to yield 750kL/week: Best Juice Company chairman and future citrus grower, Will Kirkby – a Moree cotton grower elected to lead the business at an annual general meeting late last month – said the group eventually hoped to have 800ha of citrus planted between them. This would enable them to supply enough fruit to make 750,000 litres of juice a week.

Market-driven contract: Mr Kirkby said the agreement between Best Juice and Pure and Natural was different to most agricultural supply contracts because it was designed from the supermarket shelf back. "It is a market-driven contract as opposed to production driven," Mr Kirkby said. "The product is sold before it is produced, instead of the other way around."

Income up $600/ML of irrigation water compared to cotton: Best Juice growers are expecting this contract will help them achieve income returns significantly higher per megalitre of irrigation water used than can be achieved with cotton. Best Juice’s outgoing chairman, Steve Buster, Darling Farms, Bourke, said long-term returns should average about $1000/megalitre, as opposed to less than $400/ML for cotton and $60/ML for cereal crops. But growers’ were only able to bank on receiving these returns because of their determination to grow the best quality fruit possible.

The Land, 6/4/2006, p. 41