Category: News

Spoiler alert: Griffith by-election result is announced on this article. Do not read until February 9 if you intend to enjoy the election.

Most Australians and nearly all Queenslanders are heartily sick of politics: None more so than the people of Griffith. They adored the Ruddster with rock-fan like devotion only to be let down again and again. And then, again. Rudd’s ‘good burghers’ (ironically, the line was used sarcastically by the Greens in the 2007 campaign) are now forced back to the poll because he could not see out a term on the back bench – despite explicitly promising to do exactly that.

Ci’est la vie, that was then this is now, and a fresh bunch of candidates line up to tickle our collective fancy. Only problem is, gee whizz, those candidates are not so fresh. Ebbs and Glasson are old white guys, coming back for a second round, determined to prove something to themselves and their long-suffering wives. Battle-worn and proud, they will display their scars claiming experience and wisdom, ‘cause that’s what old guys do.

Glasson wants us to remember that he is a doctor, “trust me”, gets things done and will unshackle small business from all that awful red and green tape. Don’t worry about that nasty Prime Minister in Canberra and the shenanigans of the party I represent, when we get back far enough to the past it will all fall into place and you CAN “trust me”, remember.

Ebbs is valiantly trying to get the media to recognise that the sky is falling, the Greens are really a Rhode Island Red and it is completely unfair that coverage is focussed on whether Terri or Bill will dosh out the biggest pile of pork(ies) to their constituents.

Well, sorry Sir, this is the class of 2014 and we want bread, circuses and cheap grain and we don’t care if our government rips the guts out of some over-crowded country to feed our faces, even if hell on earth comes to us in our old age. Some of us are not going to have to wait and I’m really annoyed because I am far too young to experience hell just quite yet.

No doubt Ebbs has a time capsule containing an unpublished novel titled I Told You So already stashed away somewhere about his person. I call it the suppository of righteousness.

So, the Fresh New Face is Butler who will help redress the gender balance in Canberra, is probably of immigrant stock, has good labour lawyer credentials and a background fighting on behalf of the unions and … hang on that sounds quite familiar too. Where is it, my god, was she the Prime Minister … it seems like aeons ago. No! Butler is new but the story is familiar. I call her the Apparat Chick.

And then there is the line up.

Bless their cotton-socks, they step up to exercise their democratic muscle, inspired by the success of the Shooters in NSW, the Motor Sports mob in WA (or is he going back to the polls?), Katter in Queensland (or is he last year’s story?) and Palmer everywhere (will he really repeal ALL of Newman’s laws?)

Most of them are wonderful people, sincere and ready to put their own personal cash in the kitty for the cause because they believe. If only they could get the message out and other people would believe too.

They love Ebbs because his suppository of righteousness is bigger than theirs, but they have to punish him because he can’t put them all first, I mean second, and he’s a smooth talker and if only he would see the light and promote their cause just a bit more then they would do as well as he does and that would be much more even-handed and fair, even if it doesn’t much change the result. <breathe>

So punters, get in amongst it and press the flesh. Give it a squeeze to see if it bleeds and to find out if I am right-on-the-money or simply a bitter-and-twisted, post-modern, over-hyphenating, cynical Gen-Alpha who knows that in the age of corporate-feudalism these idealists are tragic clowns, meat for the blood-sport that is the daily media.

Get to the Westender Meet-the-Candidates at Souths on Feb 5th and see for yourself. Then re-read this and weep.

Feel free to let me know what you think because I won’t be taking any notice, I already know the result. The Apparat Chick will cream the old white men. See, I’m from the future and I know where you live.

The strata title industry in Queensland applauds a ruling by the Court of Appeal of the Supreme Court of Victoria, clarifying the lawful use of class 2 (residential) buildings for short-term stays and holiday letting.

The Australian Building Code defines Class 2 buildings as containing two or more sole-occupancy units each being a separate dwelling. Apartments are class 2 buildings.

The ruling is regarded by the industry as vitally important – especially in major holiday letting markets like the Gold and Sunshine Coasts – in clarifying the letting rights of strata title owners and managers.

This ruling came after Melbourne City Council and a group of unit owners in a residential building at Docklands claimed that short term letting of apartments in the building was unlawful and that such use was only permitted in class 3 buildings that are explicitly residential.

Strata Community Australia (Qld), the peak body for the multi billion dollar Body Corporate and Community Title Management industry in Queensland, says the clarified definition of “dwelling” in the Building Code of Australia is a positive and vital step forward in clarifying the lawful letting of class 2 building units (like most holiday apartment buildings).

Strata Community Australia (Qld) President, Simon Barnard, said today the sector supports the decision, and believes it will benefit both the property and tourism industries.

“This ruling will provide a precedent for the many investment owners as well as management rights operators of residential apartment complexes throughout Queensland and Australia”, Mr Barnard said.

“It is reassuring having this ruling in place in Victoria. If the same dispute was to occur in Queensland it will now be much easier to protect the many investors who purchase units in high-tourist areas, with the clear intention of renting the properties to holiday makers, for short periods of time”

“The Queensland tourism and property investment market rely heavily on the return from short term stays and holiday letting in areas like the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast. The Supreme Court ruling provides confidence that the Building Code will now be applied correctly in short term and holiday apartments.”

The Court of Appeal found that the use of the word “dwelling” in the relevant definition did not limit the residential use to permanent or long term residence. The concept of dwelling encompasses short term and holiday accommodation and there is no basis for limiting the word dwelling to just long term residential use.

Brisbane native Grace Scholl will be graduating from the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) in December, with a Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in Geography. After graduating, she will move to East Sale to start her training as an Air Combat Officer in the Royal Australian Air Force

An Air Combat Officer helps navigate F-18 Super Hornets. Her first year of training at the School of Air Warfare will prepare her for her future role.

Grace considers a career in the Australian Defence Force to be very exciting.

“ADFA has already taken me around the country and has given me many opportunities. I recently had the chance to participate in an international cadet exchange to the United States Air Force Academy, something I would have never done if it wasn’t for ADFA.

“I have certainly enjoyed the challenge. However, the most memorable moments have occurred under pressure. The bonds you create with people in these circumstances are powerful and I have definitely made friends for life.”

All ADFA officer cadets and midshipmen participate in a Graduation Parade at the end of each year to celebrate the completion of undergraduate degrees.

“There is a sense of pride, partaking in an event which is a milestone for the Third Year class. I am excited about graduating and moving onto my professional training, but I will certainly miss the friends made at the Academy, who I now consider my family. I am proud to serve with this motivated and dedicated group of people,” Grace said.

“I was the only girl who wanted to attend ADFA in my year at high school, but if I was to say anything to any other women who wanted to join ADFA, it would be that it’s not as hard as people think; the physical element is not that much of a shock. Joining ADFA can be a challenge, yet in the end it is extremely rewarding.”

ADFA enables officer cadets and midshipmen to develop the necessary skills to be successful junior leaders of the Australian Defence Force. These future leaders embody the best values of the services: Professionalism, Loyalty, Integrity, Courage, Innovation and Teamwork.

ADFA is currently recruiting for its 2015 intake. For further information on military training and study at ADFA and careers in the Army, Navy or Air Force go to: www.defencejobs.gov.au or call 13 19 01.

Thousands of honey bees in Australia are being fitted with tiny sensors as part of a world-first research program to monitor the insects and their environment using a technique known as ‘swarm sensing’.

The research is being led by CSIRO and aims to improve honey bee pollination and productivity on farms as well as help understand the drivers of bee Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), a condition decimating honey bee populations worldwide.

Up to 5,000 sensors, measuring 2.5mm x2.5mm are being fitted to the backs of the bees in Hobart, Tasmania, before being released into the wild. It’s the first time such large numbers of insects have been used for environmental monitoring.

“Honey bees play a vital role in the landscape through a free pollination service for agriculture, which various crops rely on to increase yields. A recent CSIRO study showed bee pollination in Faba beans can lead to a productivity increase of 17%,” CSIRO science leader Dr Paulo de Souza, who leads the swarm sensing project, said.

“Around one third of the food we eat relies on pollination, but honey bee populations around the world are crashing because of the dreaded Varroa mite and Colony Collapse Disorder. Thankfully, Australia is currently free from both of those threats.”

The research will also look at the impacts of agricultural pesticides on honey bees by monitoring insects that feed at sites with trace amounts of commonly used chemicals.

“Using this technology, we aim to understand the bee’s relationship with its environment. This should help us understand optimal productivity conditions as well as further our knowledge of the cause of colony collapse disorder,” Dr de Souza said.

The sensors are tiny Radio Frequency Identification sensors that work in a similar way to a vehicle’s e-tag, recording when the insect passes a particular checkpoint. The information is then sent remotely to a central location where researchers can use the signals from the 5,000 sensors to build a comprehensive three dimensional model and visualise how these insects move through the landscape.

“Bees are social insects that return to the same point and operate on a very predictable schedule. Any change in their behaviour indicates a change in their environment. If we can model their movements, we’ll be able to recognise very quickly when their activity shows variation and identify the cause. This will help us understand how to maximise their productivity as well as monitor for any biosecurity risks,” Dr de Souza said.

Understanding bee behaviour will give farmers and fruit growers improved management knowledge enabling them to increase the benefit received from this free pollination service. It will also help them to gain and maintain access to markets through improving the way we monitor for pests.

“We’re working with the University of Tasmania, Tasmanian Beekeepers Association, local beekeepers in Hobart and fruit growers around the state to trial the technology. Many growers rely on wild bees or the beekeepers to provide them with pollinators so they can improve their crops each year. Understanding optimal conditions for these insects will improve this process,” Dr de Souza said.

To attach the sensors, the bees are refrigerated for a short period, which puts them into a rest state long enough for the tiny sensors to be secured to their backs with an adhesive. After a few minutes, the bees awaken and are ready to return to their hive and start gathering valuable information.

“This is a non-destructive process and the sensors appear to have no impact on the bee’s ability to fly and carry out its normal duties,” Dr de Souza said.

The next stage of the project is to reduce the size of the sensors to only 1mm so they can be attached to smaller insects such as mosquitoes and fruit flies.

Background

Varroa Mite

Varroa mites are external parasites of bees. The mites, which are about the size of a pinhead, use specialised mouthparts to attack developing bee larvae or adult bees, resulting in deformed bees, reduced lifespan and ultimately the destruction of the colony or hive. These mites are the most important pest of honeybees around the world.

Colony Collapse Disorder

Colony collapse disorder (CCD) is a phenomenon in which worker bees from a beehive or European honey bee colony abruptly disappear.  Colony collapse is significant economically because many agricultural crops worldwide are pollinated by European honey bees.

Hear one of Australia’s most influential financial leaders, Ian Narev, talk of how trust and gut instinct has guided his journey to becoming Commonwealth Bank Group general manager and CEO. Mr Narev, who holds Masters degrees in Law and International Relations, will outline the critical challenges for the CBA, particularly the disruptive technology threats from global players and the calls for more competition in the banking sector. He will also outline his vision for growth and the leadership strategies that he believes are essential to a dynamic, innovative and customer-centric organisation. Hosted by journalist and QUT Alumna Ellen Fanning.

Tickets on sale January 13, here.

The QUT Business Leaders’ Forum is recognised as the pre-eminent business leadership event in Brisbane. For over a decade it has developed an international reputation for attracting dynamic world-class leaders in a dialogue on today’s leadership challenges. The Forum informs, challenges and inspires audiences on leadership, business excellence, corporate social responsibility, sustainability and related public policy.

Queensland’s business and political community hear prominent speakers explore trends, issues and ideas shaping the economy and politics of the nation. The Forum is also the city’s premier event for high-level networking.

Each forum features a speaker’s presentation, followed by an informal interview and questions from the audience. Each event is moderated by one of Australia’s most respected journalists, Kerry O’Brien.

Hot Brown Honey Burlesque is raunchy, intelligent and confrontational.

Three very sexy ladies and one cross dressing man titillate, challenge and confront the audience from every which way over about an hour of action packed burlesque crossing genres and genders like most of us cross lines in the footpath.

In a year where this reviewer saw about a dozen different theatrical performances, I certainly left the best til last seeing the New Year in at Woodford Folk Festival with the smartest, sassiest show I saw during 2013.

I can’t say whether you will feel confronted or not. That will depend on your ancestral relationship with colonial exploitation, your sexual orientation and comfort with sexual imagery. Woodford on New Years Eve is not Queensland’s most straight laced crowd by a long shot but I’d say most people in the audience were confronted at some stage during the evening.

The chorus of a song about colonial sperm, “Milky milky the milkman, spreading his cream all over the land” may well shock some. The sight of a man of Dutch heritage picked at random from the audience and dressed as a baby, sucking from the teats of a large black woman singing those words is bound to shock a few more. An extra frisson is provided by a dissertation about the behaviour of colonists “taking women without asking … just like they took the land”. With the added nuance that most white South Africans of note were raised and nursed by black nannies the frisson becomes a palpable tension relieved by laughter as the scene unfolds and the song begins.

By the time the song ends and 350 white hippies are shouting “black power” and “black  is beautiful” it is perfectly clear that the hot brown honeys have the situation in hand, the audience in the palm of their hands and their subliminal messaging well down our collective gullet.

I find myself humming “Milky Milky the Milkman” a full week later as I write and my hair standing on end all over again at the audacity of these very, clever women.

And that is just one of the dozen or so numbers delivered during the course of the evening.

The Hot Brown Honey’s last performed in Brisbane in November. Let’s hope they’ll be back as soon as possible. You can betcha bippy that Westender will be letting you know when they do.