EcoRadio

Category: Sustainable Settlement and Agriculture

The Generator is founded on the simple premise that we should leave the world in better condition than we found it. The news items in this category outline the attempts people have made to do this. They are mainly concerned with our food supply and settlement patterns. The impact that the human race has on the planet.

  • Australian Greens, Labor commit to agreement for stable Government

    1 September 2010

    Australian Greens, Labor commit to agreement for stable Government

    The Australian Greens and the Labor Party have signed an agreement to
    ensure stability for Labor in Government. The Greens will ensure supply
    and oppose any motion of no confidence in the Government from other
    parties or MPs.

    Labor will work with the Greens to deliver improved transparency and
    integrity to Parliament and pursue policies that promote the national
    interest and address climate change.

    As part of the agreement there will be regular meetings between the
    Prime Minister and Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown and newly-elected
    Lower House MP Adam Bandt.

    “There will be a Climate Change Committee resourced as a Cabinet
    Committee, an investment in dental health care in the next budget and
    completion of a $20 million study into High Speed Rail by July 2011,”
    said Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown.

    “The agreement includes a wide range of measures. These include:
    * A Climate Change Committee
    * A full parliamentary debate on Afghanistan
    * A commitment to work with the Greens on dental health care
    investment
    * Completion of a $20 million High Speed Rail study by July 2011
    * Legislating for truth in political advertising
    * A Leaders’ Debate Commission
    * Establishing a Parliamentary Integrity Commissioner
    * Establishing a Parliamentary Budget Office
    * Restrictions on political donations
    * A move toward full three year governments
    * Specially allocated time for debate and voting on private
    members bills and a fixed and fair allocation of questions for
    Independent and minor party members in Question Time
    * Referenda for constitutional recognition of Indigenous
    Australians and Local Government
    * A commitment for reform to provide above the line voting in the
    Senate
    * Better processes for the release of documents in the public
    interest in both Houses of Parliament
    * Access to relevant departments, including Treasury and Finance &
    Deregulation for Greens election policies.

    Media contact: Erin Farley 0438 376 082
    www.greensmps.org.au

  • UN report damns Australia’s failure to end discrimination

    NB It should not be forgotten that they are the original inhabitants.

         We are the intruders.

    31 August, 2010

    UN report damns Australia’s failure to end discrimination

    The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) has
    delivered a damning report on Australia’s failure to meet international
    commitments on eliminating discrimination.

    Greens Senator Rachel Siewert, Spokesperson for Aboriginal and Torres
    Strait Islander Affairs says the report lends its voice to international
    calls for Australia to negotiate a treaty with Aboriginal and Torres
    Strait Islander people.

    “It is not surprising that the UN is disappointed with Australia’s
    failure to deliver on its human rights commitments, especially those
    concerning Indigenous Australians,” Senator Rachel Siewert said today.

    “Racial discrimination is embedded in the Australian Constitution and
    continues to be enacted in the laws and policies of our states and
    territories.

    “Both Tony Abbott and Julia Gillard made election commitments to pursue
    the constitutional recognition of Australia’s First Nations and so it is
    now the perfect time to move on constitutional reform.

    “The UN committee also urged Australia to ‘…ensure the Racial
    Discrimination Act prevails over all other legislation which may be
    discriminatory’ and ‘…adopt comprehensive legislation providing
    entrenched protection against racial discrimination’.

    “Recent amendments to the Northern Territory Emergency Response Bills by
    the Gillard Government are a clear example of our failure to fully
    restore the RDA and wilfully misinterpret ‘special measures’ as a means
    of continuing discriminatory practices.

    “The continued backing of the discriminatory NT Intervention laws by
    both the ALP and Coalition led to the unprecedented swings in polling
    booths in central Australia against the sitting member and Minister for
    Aboriginal Health Warren Snowdon – with some booths showing swings of
    upward of 50-60% against him and 30-40% to Greens candidate and NTER
    critic Barbara Shaw,” said Senator Siewert.

    The Greens say the UN CERD report also calls for measures to improve the
    accessibility of justice and legal services and greater roles for
    Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in policy development.

    “Our high rate of indigenous incarceration continues to be a serious
    concern, making the adoption of a Justice Reinvestment Strategy and
    increased funding for Aboriginal legal aid services is an absolute
    priority,” Senator Siewert said.

    “Improved mechanisms to ensure proper consultation with Indigenous
    communities in policy development and implementation remain essential if
    we are to deliver on our commitments to end inequality in this country,”
    concluded Senator Siewert.

    _______________________________________________
    GreensMPs Media mailing list

  • One in 10 would vote differently in election

     

    Voters in NSW and Queensland, the states which recorded the biggest swings against the Labor government, were also more inclined than those in other states to vote differently the second time around.

    The four independents mulling over who to support in a minority government have not ruled out walking away from the whole process and making the country have another election should they be unsatisfied with the intent of the negotiations.

    The Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott, has been accused by the Greens leader, Bob Brown, of spoiling for another election. Mr Abbott has publicly rejected this.

    The poll did not indicate which party would benefit should there be another election. Labor suffered the most from changed voter behaviour on August 21 with a large swag of votes going directly to the Greens. It suffered a 5 percentage point swing against it on the primary vote, of which 3.6 per cent went to the Greens and 0.6 per cent went to the Liberals.

  • Row erupts over vote count

     

    “That the two-party preferred total displayed on the AEC’s website is meaningless can be seen if you tally the members elected in these 142 electorates. You get Coalition 72, Labor 70. Missing are four Independents, a Green, a WA National and two Labor MPs.”

    He says the reality of forming a government depends ultimately on the numbers in the House.

    “The first preference or 2-party preferred vote might provide a talking point but both are constitutionally irrelevant to the formation of government.”

    Independent MP Tony Windsor says the two-party preferred vote is not the key factor for him as he decides how to use the balance of power.

    He and the two other incumbents, Bob Katter and Rob Oakeshott, still have “two or three days” of information gathering, he says. They will also meet with senior public servants, heads of departments and lobby groups.

    “The main thing I’ll be looking for is in relation to stability of governance for the next three years, and that’s going to be fairly difficult to find with very tight numbers. That’s the main objective in this,” Mr Windsor said.

    Labor and the Coalition are trying to convince the independents that they will be able to offer stable government.

    Labor frontbencher Craig Emerson says his party can give that guarantee because its rules prevent MPs from crossing the floor, while Liberals are free to dissent.

    Dr Emerson says Mr Abbott would not have the numbers in his own party to keep his promise to reopen the offshore processing centre at Nauru.

    Meanwhile Hobart-based independent MP Andrew Wilkie says the two-party vote count is not relevant to him.

    The AEC says the final vote totals are not expected until Friday.

    Ms Gillard will be fronting the National Press Club in Canberra today to present her case for leading the nation.

    Tags: government-and-politics, elections, political-parties, labor-party, liberal-party, greens, federal-elections, australia

  • Wilkie wants pulp mill approval shelved

     

    Mr Wilkie has previously said he would support a mill that was genuinely pollution-free and water and energy efficient.

    His list also includes calls for the re-alignment of the controversial Brighton Bypass north of Hobart, to protect the 42,000-year-old Jordan River levee site.

    Mr Wilkie is expected to make up his mind about which party to support by the middle of the week.

    Tags: business-economics-and-finance, industry, environment, environmental-management, government-and-politics, elections, timber, environmental-impact, federal-elections, australia, tas, launceston-7250

    First posted 1 hour 36 minutes ago

  • Important gains likely for the Kimberley, but serious threats intensify

    This contradicts Mr Barnett’s own public statement that it would be “pointless” to pursue compulsory acquisition because: 

    “The chief proponent Woodside and other operators [Shell, BP, BHP and Chevron] are unlikely to maintain interest in the project without the agreement of the traditional owners. We would be applying it to a piece of land that would never be used.” (WA Business News, Dec 2008).

    We’ll have to wait and see what these companies do if the Premier does go down this path!

    Back to the better news

    Following intense campaigning, the WA government has been under pressure to improve protection of the Kimberley and address the many serious threats to the region’s environment.

    Now it appears some of these concerns are finally being addressed, with the Premier’s announcement possibly including:

    • The new ‘Camden Sound Marine Park’ – focused on parts of the Kimberley Humpback Whale nursery;
    • A new marine protected area over parts of Roebuck Bay near Broome;
    • A new conservation reserve over parts of the north Kimberley, including marine areas, which incorporates and ‘connects up’ multiple land tenures;
    • Around $9 million in funding for management;
    • Welcome changes to the WA Conservation and Land Management (CALM) Act to allow for greater Indigenous involvement in conservation and management in the Kimberley.

    While these measures would have merit, in each case and as a total package they fall short of what is needed and what has previously been recommended by scientists and conservation groups.

    As always, any measures to improve conservation outcomes in the Kimberley need to have the support and involvement of the region’s Traditional Owners – and this can be achieved by, for example, greater use of ‘Indigenous Protected Areas’ and expanded Indigenous Rangers programs.

    Just another policitial ‘offset’

    The Premier looks as stubbornly determined as ever to pursue the massive polluting LNG industrial site and port at James Price Point near Broome – using the above environmental announcements as an attempted “offset” for his damaging industrialisation agenda.

    And now there are several new destructive proposals for the Kimberley, such as open cut coal mining in the Fitzroy River valley south of Derby and copper mining near the famous Horizontal Falls north of Derby.

    Our political and corporate leaders seem not to understand or appreciate just how special and unique the Kimberley is. Keeping it that way is not only important environmentally, but provides the basis for the region’s future economic prosperity.  As usual, it’s up to us to tell them what they just don’t get!

    What you can do!

    When the Premier makes his announcement on conservation measures there is likely to be a period for public comment. Be prepared to tell Premier Barnett that ignoring large parts of the Kimberley earmarked for damaging development is not good enough! The whole Kimberley needs better protection and management, not just  the areas industry doesn’t want. 

    • Stay informed – join our Facebook page and bookmark our website for regular updates on how you can get involved in our Save the Kimberley Campaign;
    • Find out more about the announcement and the questions we need to ask to assess how effective the proposed changes are for the Kimberley;
    • Get involved in community consultation after the Premier’s announcement.

    We will be in touch with more information as it is announced, and with ideas about more things we can all do to help protect our amazing Kimberley.

    Yours, for nature,
    Jenita Enevoldsen
    on behalf of The Wilderness Society, WA.