A careless moment thirty years ago resulted in a drop of blood from a bomber's finger falling on a piece of cardboard recovered from a bombed church hall. The analysis technology available today did not exist at that time and this evidence was carefully stored away along with countless other similar items held in the evidence rooms of police warehouses.
This week a suspect was arrested and will face trial over what were termed the "Family Court bombings " that were part of a vendetta to maim or murder judges in the Sydney family court system. Thirty years is a long time to escape justice and the bomber must have figured that he was home free. This outcome must be sending shivers of apprehension down the spine of many others who think that they have successfully evaded detection for crimes committed in the distant past.
The police are constantly mulling over their "cold case " files with regard to the technology available today. These reviews take into consideration the advances in blood technology and other scientific breakthroughs that make sense of what was incomprehensible when the crime was committed - and that evidence can now be used in today's courtroom to gain a conviction.
What must worry the criminal fraternity is the ongoing regularity of these reviews, because the advance of technology is both relentless and wide ranging. What was once insignificant can now tell a story that relates to a conclusion that can be proven in court - and that technology field shows no sign of ever ending. What is stored in those evidence rooms can come back to haunt the perpetrators of crime in the decades yet to come.
Not only is cold case review bringing results, modern technology is a weapon in police hands that often solves what seems a crime devoid of witnesses. A car hits a pedestrian and causes fatal injuries and the driver fails to stop. A few specks of paint can be analysed to give the make and model of the car involved - and the police start to check the cctv camera system in a wide range of surrounding territory.
The extend of security camera use is simply amazing. Some will remember the Jill Meagher murder. Vital evidence came from a shop that had a cctv installed to watch over it's contents - and this camera recorded the street scene outside it's shop window. It showed the victim walking past - followed by the murderer - and established his presence at the crime scene.
When looking for a suspect car the police have access to the council street scene cctv cameras, but also the innumerable private systems in place to keep watch on the forecourt of service stations, clubs, hotels and all manner of commercial businesses. It is time consuming but by culling through the footage it becomes possible to identify and track a car - and eventually one of these views records it's registration number, resulting in a knock on the door and some questions for the driver to answer.
It was evident in the family court bombing vendetta that someone was taking personally the decision of a family court judge that must have gone against his wishes and was intent of taking revenge - to the extent of murder. The police had their suspicions, but were unable to put together a compelling brief of evidence to enable charges to be laid.
This trial has yet to convince a judge and jury but it will be of high public interest and no doubt the criminal fraternity will be very attentive to learn how the blood connection was made that resulted in an arrest after such a long period of time.
Friday 31 July 2015
Thursday 30 July 2015
Paranoia !
There is an ugly form of paranoia spreading through football crowds that has many people worried. Just one Sydney Swans player has been singled out for special treatment and whenever he makes an on-field move or touches the ball this brings a chorus of booing from the opposition teams fans.
Adam Goodes is Aboriginal and is not only a talented Australian Rules player but was also honoured as Australian of the year. He has been captain of the Sydney Swans and he makes no secret of his desire to stamp out racism in sport. Many think that it is this that may be the root cause of what can only be described as a vendetta whenever he takes the field.
Many months ago a spectator in the crowd called him "an Ape " and he responded by stopping and pointing at her. As a result, she was approached by officials and removed from the ground. This was a thirteen year old girl and it appears that some of the crowd though her removal and shame was an over reaction.
More recently, Goodes caused a stir when he scored a badly needed goal at a critical stage of a game and broke into what can only be described as a "war dance " ! This raised the subject of the Maori "Haka " performed when any New Zealand team takes the field and is a tradition that goes back many years. The media suggested that Goodes was trying to promote a similar Australian version based on Aboriginal culture.
From that point Goodes became a marked man to fans of what opposition team was playing the Swans. The crescendo of booing steadily increased and is now reaching the point of sheer paranoia. Probably many have no idea why this is happening, but the power of public perception does not need a motive. Some now join in because it seems to be the thing to do.
In all probability this is being enhanced by our racist elements. Offensive remarks and name calling has rankled players of overseas teams and the fact that Goodes has become the champion of the anti racist movement has put him squarely in the racist spotlight - and this booing campaign is their response.
Now comes the tantalising question of how we do something about it ? It shows no sign of easing and Goodes has elected to have a few days off, obviously affected by this constant barrage of hate whenever he is on the field of play. To some in the racist crowd, this will be taken as a sign of victory and very likely the crecendo will increase on his return.
Crowd behaviour is an enigma that bedevils many sports. English soccer players were once banned from Europe because of boorish manners and the setting off of flares in stadiums is a trait that has made an appearance here. This booing outbreak is a new phenomenon - and game orgtanizers are in a quandary as to what action to take.
An appeal for crowd decency is unlikely to get a positive response from the racist element, although it would probably shutup more responsible fans and there is always the prospect of fist fights in the crowd if booing becomes a social issue. The forceful removal of booing fans also crosses a line because it will infringe on the freedom of speech concept we hold so dear. Racial slurs are a more definitive offense. Booing can be a response to an unpopular refereeing decision, hence to ban that in any form would seem an infringement of civil liberties.
Hopefully,common sense will prevail. The fact that this has reached the stage of becoming a prime feature in public debate will surely cause some in the crowd to think twice before they resort to what is really an offensive racist act. If the vast majority of fans decide that it is "un-Australian " it will disappear !
Adam Goodes is Aboriginal and is not only a talented Australian Rules player but was also honoured as Australian of the year. He has been captain of the Sydney Swans and he makes no secret of his desire to stamp out racism in sport. Many think that it is this that may be the root cause of what can only be described as a vendetta whenever he takes the field.
Many months ago a spectator in the crowd called him "an Ape " and he responded by stopping and pointing at her. As a result, she was approached by officials and removed from the ground. This was a thirteen year old girl and it appears that some of the crowd though her removal and shame was an over reaction.
More recently, Goodes caused a stir when he scored a badly needed goal at a critical stage of a game and broke into what can only be described as a "war dance " ! This raised the subject of the Maori "Haka " performed when any New Zealand team takes the field and is a tradition that goes back many years. The media suggested that Goodes was trying to promote a similar Australian version based on Aboriginal culture.
From that point Goodes became a marked man to fans of what opposition team was playing the Swans. The crescendo of booing steadily increased and is now reaching the point of sheer paranoia. Probably many have no idea why this is happening, but the power of public perception does not need a motive. Some now join in because it seems to be the thing to do.
In all probability this is being enhanced by our racist elements. Offensive remarks and name calling has rankled players of overseas teams and the fact that Goodes has become the champion of the anti racist movement has put him squarely in the racist spotlight - and this booing campaign is their response.
Now comes the tantalising question of how we do something about it ? It shows no sign of easing and Goodes has elected to have a few days off, obviously affected by this constant barrage of hate whenever he is on the field of play. To some in the racist crowd, this will be taken as a sign of victory and very likely the crecendo will increase on his return.
Crowd behaviour is an enigma that bedevils many sports. English soccer players were once banned from Europe because of boorish manners and the setting off of flares in stadiums is a trait that has made an appearance here. This booing outbreak is a new phenomenon - and game orgtanizers are in a quandary as to what action to take.
An appeal for crowd decency is unlikely to get a positive response from the racist element, although it would probably shutup more responsible fans and there is always the prospect of fist fights in the crowd if booing becomes a social issue. The forceful removal of booing fans also crosses a line because it will infringe on the freedom of speech concept we hold so dear. Racial slurs are a more definitive offense. Booing can be a response to an unpopular refereeing decision, hence to ban that in any form would seem an infringement of civil liberties.
Hopefully,common sense will prevail. The fact that this has reached the stage of becoming a prime feature in public debate will surely cause some in the crowd to think twice before they resort to what is really an offensive racist act. If the vast majority of fans decide that it is "un-Australian " it will disappear !
Wednesday 29 July 2015
Spreading the Joy !
Miller's Point is an inner Sydney suburb with some magnificent harbour views. It is also the site of ancient public housing and these include a nineteenth century terrace and an assortment of houses that are in dire need of major repair. The building industry knows that the cost of trying to bring them up to scratch would be prohibitive and it would be far cheaper to think demolition - and a rebuild !
That is exactly what the state government thought and so far 23 have been sold, with the sites bringing between $1.6 and $ 2.5 million each, delivering over $50 million - which has been used to create 1500 new social housing dwellings in Sydney and rural New South Wales.
Any reasonable person would see the logic in this plan. If a building is old and decrepit and situated on a valuable land site a wise owner would realise on the asset and use the money to create a bigger number of dwellings where property values are lower. There is a huge waiting list for public housing and this building plan is adding to housing stock and easing the pressure to put a roof over the head of more people.
A further six old homes at Miller's Point are slated for auction, and once again the tenants are fighting a last stand to try and prevent the sale. They claim a " right " to remain in public housing at this site and simply want these last remaining old homes restored at a great cost rather than spreading the joy for a lot more public housing people.
These people are public housing tenants - and they are not facing homelessness. What they are objecting to is the loss of magnificent harbour views - and that is not something guaranteed to anyone in either the private or public housing sector. It would be quite feasible for land between Miller's Point and the harbour to become the site of a towering unit block that obliterated those harbour views - and that could happen with no regard to the ownership of the homes involved.
This standoff involves a clash of thinking on the whole public housing issue. Many people seem to think that when they finally acquire the rental of a Housing Commission home it is " theirs " for life - and that is plainly not so. Public housing is allocated with need in mind and tenants should expect several changes of venue as they move from single status, to living with a partner and children, to old age. The Housing Commission builds it's housing stock accordingly to achieve the logical mix to suit it's tenants needs.
There is another aspect of public housing policy that seems to be forgotten. Rents are geared to the financial status of the tenant and consequently the ability to pay becomes the criteria - but it works both ways. There is no hard and fast rule, but there is an expectation that when a tenant's financial situation improves they will either rent in the private sector or take up home ownership. Public housing is not on offer to the wealthy - and certainly not to millionaires !
The rules in place and to which tenants agree on being allocated public housing is the promise that they will regularly keep the Housing Commission informed of their income level - and the income earned by any other person residing in the home. The rent is geared to the level of income being generated within the tenancy - not to the individual whose name appears on the tenancy agreement, and this relates to both overtime and any business activity being carried out by a tenant.
That magic word "entitlement " seems to often appear when housing disputes arise. There seems to be an assumption that a Housing Commission tenancy is for "life " - and this is not so. It is totally unreasonable that a government agency should waste money trying to bring to standard old property long past it's commercial lifetime just to satisfy the tenant who happens to like the view.
Housing stock is just like any other commercial asset. If it can be sold to increase the wealth necessary to broaden the provision of public housing for the masses, then that is the course of action required by the Commission. To do otherwise would be a dereliction of duty !
That is exactly what the state government thought and so far 23 have been sold, with the sites bringing between $1.6 and $ 2.5 million each, delivering over $50 million - which has been used to create 1500 new social housing dwellings in Sydney and rural New South Wales.
Any reasonable person would see the logic in this plan. If a building is old and decrepit and situated on a valuable land site a wise owner would realise on the asset and use the money to create a bigger number of dwellings where property values are lower. There is a huge waiting list for public housing and this building plan is adding to housing stock and easing the pressure to put a roof over the head of more people.
A further six old homes at Miller's Point are slated for auction, and once again the tenants are fighting a last stand to try and prevent the sale. They claim a " right " to remain in public housing at this site and simply want these last remaining old homes restored at a great cost rather than spreading the joy for a lot more public housing people.
These people are public housing tenants - and they are not facing homelessness. What they are objecting to is the loss of magnificent harbour views - and that is not something guaranteed to anyone in either the private or public housing sector. It would be quite feasible for land between Miller's Point and the harbour to become the site of a towering unit block that obliterated those harbour views - and that could happen with no regard to the ownership of the homes involved.
This standoff involves a clash of thinking on the whole public housing issue. Many people seem to think that when they finally acquire the rental of a Housing Commission home it is " theirs " for life - and that is plainly not so. Public housing is allocated with need in mind and tenants should expect several changes of venue as they move from single status, to living with a partner and children, to old age. The Housing Commission builds it's housing stock accordingly to achieve the logical mix to suit it's tenants needs.
There is another aspect of public housing policy that seems to be forgotten. Rents are geared to the financial status of the tenant and consequently the ability to pay becomes the criteria - but it works both ways. There is no hard and fast rule, but there is an expectation that when a tenant's financial situation improves they will either rent in the private sector or take up home ownership. Public housing is not on offer to the wealthy - and certainly not to millionaires !
The rules in place and to which tenants agree on being allocated public housing is the promise that they will regularly keep the Housing Commission informed of their income level - and the income earned by any other person residing in the home. The rent is geared to the level of income being generated within the tenancy - not to the individual whose name appears on the tenancy agreement, and this relates to both overtime and any business activity being carried out by a tenant.
That magic word "entitlement " seems to often appear when housing disputes arise. There seems to be an assumption that a Housing Commission tenancy is for "life " - and this is not so. It is totally unreasonable that a government agency should waste money trying to bring to standard old property long past it's commercial lifetime just to satisfy the tenant who happens to like the view.
Housing stock is just like any other commercial asset. If it can be sold to increase the wealth necessary to broaden the provision of public housing for the masses, then that is the course of action required by the Commission. To do otherwise would be a dereliction of duty !
Tuesday 28 July 2015
Foot-Brawl !
Increasingly we are seeing junior sport invaded by spectator parents incensed by umpiring decisions or generally disagreeing with the state of play when the score is not favouring their chosen team. This can range from verbal abuse of both officials and players to downright thuggery when pitches are invaded and punches are thrown.
Some kids avoid sport altogether because of the embarrassment their parents cause and we are having difficulty attracting umpires and the various field officials who are the backbone of most sports because of this growing danger. In some areas sport is assuming an ethnic following and when different teams have old enemies with recriminations from past wars this past seems to be resurrected in pitch invasions at the first opportunity.
It is terribly disheartening to a young sportsperson freely giving up his or her time to officiate in junior sport to be castigated and abused for what are considered to be umpiring mistakes. In professional sport we now have a video umpire who has the opportunity to replay the disputed move frame by frame - and who has the final decision. Often, the field umpire lacks a critical view of the incident and refers judgement to the video umpire as the fairest way to reach a decision.
That is not an option available in junior sport. Young umpires with limited experience make mistakes and that is an integral part of the game. Sports commentators are the filter to raise questionable decisions and this is part of the learning process for those finding their way in sports umpiring. A little media criticism is a healthy way to correct umpiring imbalances.
There is a vast chasm between professional sport and the junior games played in the suburbs each weekend. Sporting stars these days earn salaries similar to movie stars and they command vast sections of the print media and television time Fame seems to be an aphrodisiac that attracts beautiful women, brings opulent cars and a hedonistic lifestyle, and it is the aim of most juniors to develop their game to the stage that they join their heroes and don the jersey of the team they favour.
Unfortunately, the image presented by those at this pinnacle of fame often leaves a lot to be desired. Drinking to excess in wild nights on the town. Confrontations with police and the taking of drugs. There have been suggestions of match fixing and gambling on sports results - and many sporting heroes seem to treat their women with contempt. There seems to be a continuous litany of famous names being arrested or causing disrepute by their actions - and the clubs that profit from their fame seem reluctant to bring them into line.
A famous player and his brother are accused of intimidating the umpire of a suburban game and threatening physical action. It seems that this confrontation and the threats were recorded on a Smartphone and an attempt was made to seize the instrument and delete the footage, and this all happened in front of an audience of young players. It seems that these two men have a past history of similar incidents.
Sporting clubs continually threaten action when this type of misbehviour occurs, but are usually slow to put their threats into action. The next day, this offender was not stood down and was allowed to play and it has been claimed that the incident is only an accusation - and no action will be taken until the matter is heard in court.
That flies in the face of the command from the clubs that punishment will be immediate whenever a player brings the sport into disrepute by any action. When a player is booked for DUI the stand down applies, long before the matter goes to court. When a female partner is assaulted the very application for a protection order brings instant retribution. When a far yells a racial slur, expelling from the ground is immediate.
Somehow protecting key players and keeping them on the ground to keep the fans coming seems more important to the clubs than protecting the junior game. This "stand down " only came after relentless media finger pointing made any other option impossible !
Some kids avoid sport altogether because of the embarrassment their parents cause and we are having difficulty attracting umpires and the various field officials who are the backbone of most sports because of this growing danger. In some areas sport is assuming an ethnic following and when different teams have old enemies with recriminations from past wars this past seems to be resurrected in pitch invasions at the first opportunity.
It is terribly disheartening to a young sportsperson freely giving up his or her time to officiate in junior sport to be castigated and abused for what are considered to be umpiring mistakes. In professional sport we now have a video umpire who has the opportunity to replay the disputed move frame by frame - and who has the final decision. Often, the field umpire lacks a critical view of the incident and refers judgement to the video umpire as the fairest way to reach a decision.
That is not an option available in junior sport. Young umpires with limited experience make mistakes and that is an integral part of the game. Sports commentators are the filter to raise questionable decisions and this is part of the learning process for those finding their way in sports umpiring. A little media criticism is a healthy way to correct umpiring imbalances.
There is a vast chasm between professional sport and the junior games played in the suburbs each weekend. Sporting stars these days earn salaries similar to movie stars and they command vast sections of the print media and television time Fame seems to be an aphrodisiac that attracts beautiful women, brings opulent cars and a hedonistic lifestyle, and it is the aim of most juniors to develop their game to the stage that they join their heroes and don the jersey of the team they favour.
Unfortunately, the image presented by those at this pinnacle of fame often leaves a lot to be desired. Drinking to excess in wild nights on the town. Confrontations with police and the taking of drugs. There have been suggestions of match fixing and gambling on sports results - and many sporting heroes seem to treat their women with contempt. There seems to be a continuous litany of famous names being arrested or causing disrepute by their actions - and the clubs that profit from their fame seem reluctant to bring them into line.
A famous player and his brother are accused of intimidating the umpire of a suburban game and threatening physical action. It seems that this confrontation and the threats were recorded on a Smartphone and an attempt was made to seize the instrument and delete the footage, and this all happened in front of an audience of young players. It seems that these two men have a past history of similar incidents.
Sporting clubs continually threaten action when this type of misbehviour occurs, but are usually slow to put their threats into action. The next day, this offender was not stood down and was allowed to play and it has been claimed that the incident is only an accusation - and no action will be taken until the matter is heard in court.
That flies in the face of the command from the clubs that punishment will be immediate whenever a player brings the sport into disrepute by any action. When a player is booked for DUI the stand down applies, long before the matter goes to court. When a female partner is assaulted the very application for a protection order brings instant retribution. When a far yells a racial slur, expelling from the ground is immediate.
Somehow protecting key players and keeping them on the ground to keep the fans coming seems more important to the clubs than protecting the junior game. This "stand down " only came after relentless media finger pointing made any other option impossible !
Monday 27 July 2015
The " Lefties " Mutiny !
Bill Shorten looked like a man between a rock and a hard place at this weeks ALP Conference. One of the deciding issues at the next Federal election will undoubtedly be our policy towards controlling the nation's borders - and as ALP leader this brings him into conflict with the left wing of his party - and the wishes of the voting public.
The mess Kevin Rudd made when he eased the successful control policy John Howard had implemented was plain for all to see. We live in a tough and violent world and mass migration out of Africa and the Middle East is swamping the southern countries of Europe. Our present tow back policy has stopped the boats, but the people smugglers are just waiting to again ply their trade if the opportunities offer.
Shorten grasped the nettle and did an about face. He narrowly won a vote on the conference floor to adopt Tony Abbott's tow back regime as official ALP policy and even adopted the use of orange lifeboats where people smugglers deliberately sabotage their vessels. He is convinced that he needs such a policy in place if he is to attract enough votes to win office at the next election.
There is furious opposition within the party and it's massive left wing is staging a mutiny. It was an ominous sign of where this split is heading when deputy leader Tanya Plibersek, the rival he beat in the leadership scramble after Rudd's resignation, Anthony Albanese and the leader in the Senate, Penny Wong all deserted him and cast their votes against his policy change.
This goes to the very heart of what the Labor party is supposed to represent. Those with long memories will remember where a similar clash of issues resulted in a split that saw the Democratic Labor party emerge and divide the vote to the extent that the ALP spent decades in the wilderness. That old motto of "United we win - and divided we fall " comes into play. At present it seems that there are more divisive issues within leadership ranks than policies on which all agree.
Waiting in the wings is the same sex marriage divide and that huge issue of reintroducing some sort of carbon control mechanism. In particular, the public are confused as to exactly what Bill Shorten means when he talks of a measure that is a thinly disguised repeat of Julia Gillard's carbon tax - but dressed up with a new coat of paint, a new name and trotted out as a new entity that will miraculously solve the global warming problem.
The real problem is that the ALP is not really a political party in a cohesive sense. It is really an umbrella organization under which a vast variety of " causes " shelter. It's backbone was - and is - the trade union movement and yet this has lost mass appeal and is fast concentrating into specific industries where it uses it's muscle to implement what seems like gang warfare. It is an important funding source for the politicians and its voting power is way out of proportion to it's numbers.
Shorten has the job of coach driver and needs to gather together the reins of his multi-horse team to try and get the ALP war wagon on a course that appeals to the voters. The division that became evident on this tow back the boats issue looks far too deep to be papered over and left to be tackled on some future occasion, and yet the rigidity of feeling from the left leaves Shorten's leadership at risk.
The three " mutineers " are at the very apex of power within the ALP and the fact that they have dared to openly vote against their leader is not an expression of confidence. No doubt that behind the scene the phone traffic is number counting and factional alliances are being garnered - with change in mind !
Another sign of the times at this conference was the absence of the luminaries who always make a great entrance to the cheers of the crowd. Neither Bob Hawke nor Paul Keating chose to attend and those empty chairs spoke volumes of the degree of discontent roiling the party.
Bill Shorten has nailed his colours to the mast. This is a practical attempt to infuse the party with policies that the voting public will accept at the risk of violating many of the old shibboleths that underpin the thinking of both left and right extremists.
It is a battle that must warm the heart of Tony Abbott as he watches this disarray enhance the prospects of him gaining a second term in government !
The mess Kevin Rudd made when he eased the successful control policy John Howard had implemented was plain for all to see. We live in a tough and violent world and mass migration out of Africa and the Middle East is swamping the southern countries of Europe. Our present tow back policy has stopped the boats, but the people smugglers are just waiting to again ply their trade if the opportunities offer.
Shorten grasped the nettle and did an about face. He narrowly won a vote on the conference floor to adopt Tony Abbott's tow back regime as official ALP policy and even adopted the use of orange lifeboats where people smugglers deliberately sabotage their vessels. He is convinced that he needs such a policy in place if he is to attract enough votes to win office at the next election.
There is furious opposition within the party and it's massive left wing is staging a mutiny. It was an ominous sign of where this split is heading when deputy leader Tanya Plibersek, the rival he beat in the leadership scramble after Rudd's resignation, Anthony Albanese and the leader in the Senate, Penny Wong all deserted him and cast their votes against his policy change.
This goes to the very heart of what the Labor party is supposed to represent. Those with long memories will remember where a similar clash of issues resulted in a split that saw the Democratic Labor party emerge and divide the vote to the extent that the ALP spent decades in the wilderness. That old motto of "United we win - and divided we fall " comes into play. At present it seems that there are more divisive issues within leadership ranks than policies on which all agree.
Waiting in the wings is the same sex marriage divide and that huge issue of reintroducing some sort of carbon control mechanism. In particular, the public are confused as to exactly what Bill Shorten means when he talks of a measure that is a thinly disguised repeat of Julia Gillard's carbon tax - but dressed up with a new coat of paint, a new name and trotted out as a new entity that will miraculously solve the global warming problem.
The real problem is that the ALP is not really a political party in a cohesive sense. It is really an umbrella organization under which a vast variety of " causes " shelter. It's backbone was - and is - the trade union movement and yet this has lost mass appeal and is fast concentrating into specific industries where it uses it's muscle to implement what seems like gang warfare. It is an important funding source for the politicians and its voting power is way out of proportion to it's numbers.
Shorten has the job of coach driver and needs to gather together the reins of his multi-horse team to try and get the ALP war wagon on a course that appeals to the voters. The division that became evident on this tow back the boats issue looks far too deep to be papered over and left to be tackled on some future occasion, and yet the rigidity of feeling from the left leaves Shorten's leadership at risk.
The three " mutineers " are at the very apex of power within the ALP and the fact that they have dared to openly vote against their leader is not an expression of confidence. No doubt that behind the scene the phone traffic is number counting and factional alliances are being garnered - with change in mind !
Another sign of the times at this conference was the absence of the luminaries who always make a great entrance to the cheers of the crowd. Neither Bob Hawke nor Paul Keating chose to attend and those empty chairs spoke volumes of the degree of discontent roiling the party.
Bill Shorten has nailed his colours to the mast. This is a practical attempt to infuse the party with policies that the voting public will accept at the risk of violating many of the old shibboleths that underpin the thinking of both left and right extremists.
It is a battle that must warm the heart of Tony Abbott as he watches this disarray enhance the prospects of him gaining a second term in government !
Sunday 26 July 2015
The " Right " of Refusal !
A spat at the height of the judiciary has shone the light on Melbourne's elite "Gentleman's clubs " because they have not moved with the times and still refuse to admit women as members. This has evoked a stinging criticism from the Victorian Court of Appeal President, Christopher Maxwell who deplored the fact that Supreme Court Justice Marilyn Warren had not been invited to become a club member - because of this " men only " rule. Justice Warren is a woman !
This seems to be heading into confrontation because Justice Warren has declined an invitation to speak at one of these clubs because of this rule and Christopher Maxwell has knocked back a similar invitation because to accept would appear to be endorsing discrimination.
In the city of Melbourne several hallowed clubs have been a bastion of masculinity since the nineteenth century. Membership is by " invitation only " and it is rumoured that in some instances a prospective entrant can be " black balled ". Proposed members must get the approval of the existing membership by those members anonymously casting a white marble into a container. Should a single member cast a black marble - the membership will be refused.
Many hallowed institutions that previously banned women from membership have changed their rules after attack from the feminist movement, but Federal sex discrimination laws make an exception for single sex clubs - and of course that also applies to women's clubs that exclude male membership.
Women's groups seem to be very vocal the moment any form of barrier impedes their progress and they claim the " right " to legally remove obstacles. There seems to be a vast imbalance in what is permissible when women prefer to restrict entry to their gender and what they will allow to happen in the male world. It is also rare to find a male trying to tear down a female bastion to entry.
The barriers are often subtle. Many weight loss clinics either hold " female only " sessions or are exclusively open to only women because their members prefer the sweaty business of exerting energy to be carried out in female company. Many clubs and associations are concerned with women's issues and while their constitution does not exclude men, any male who tries to gain entry will be frozen out with unmistakeable signals that their presence is unwelcome.
What seems to be missing is the difference between excluding gender as a barrier to a trade or a profession and the right to gather together mutually in an atmosphere where the interests of a single gender predominate. Coal mining was long deemed a male only trade and women were excluded from many professions until well into the twentieth century - and the armed services have only recently allowed women in combat roles. In today's world, few avenues of earning a living are closed to the fair sex.
It seems grossly impertinent for women to demand entry to institutions which originally formed to provide a sanctuary for men to escape the needs that society imposed on the conduct of the sexes at mixed gatherings. Subjects too delicate to be discussed in mixed company can be freely expressed and many men who felt uncomfortable in the presence of women are able to gain stature and confidence by their absence. They are able to make friendships without the complications that opposing sexes bring to those equations. The clubs were a harmonious retreat where matters of men's interest predominate.
Today's feminists see any gathering of men as an affront to be attacked. The gaining of membership is usually just the prelude to an entire change of the fundamentals to remove the attributes that men find appealing. They see this as as a degree of "storming the castle" and instituting change that will make men walk away in droves. Anything that appeals exclusively to men is an affront to women - and must be destroyed.
This attack on the Melbourne clubs seems to break new ground. It seems to suggest that since a woman has become a Supreme Court Justice this elevation must automatically open all doors because of her standing. It is noticeable that when Julia Gillard became Australia's first female prime minster there was no outcry to force her entry into these same clubs. It seems that mere politics attains a lesser level of autocracy to the judiciary.
Australian law wisely differentiates between the world of commerce and the world of social connections. Both of the sexes have freedom to form their own associations if they so wish, provided that in doing so they do not provide barriers to the others advancement. That is unlikely to change in the foreseeable future !
This seems to be heading into confrontation because Justice Warren has declined an invitation to speak at one of these clubs because of this rule and Christopher Maxwell has knocked back a similar invitation because to accept would appear to be endorsing discrimination.
In the city of Melbourne several hallowed clubs have been a bastion of masculinity since the nineteenth century. Membership is by " invitation only " and it is rumoured that in some instances a prospective entrant can be " black balled ". Proposed members must get the approval of the existing membership by those members anonymously casting a white marble into a container. Should a single member cast a black marble - the membership will be refused.
Many hallowed institutions that previously banned women from membership have changed their rules after attack from the feminist movement, but Federal sex discrimination laws make an exception for single sex clubs - and of course that also applies to women's clubs that exclude male membership.
Women's groups seem to be very vocal the moment any form of barrier impedes their progress and they claim the " right " to legally remove obstacles. There seems to be a vast imbalance in what is permissible when women prefer to restrict entry to their gender and what they will allow to happen in the male world. It is also rare to find a male trying to tear down a female bastion to entry.
The barriers are often subtle. Many weight loss clinics either hold " female only " sessions or are exclusively open to only women because their members prefer the sweaty business of exerting energy to be carried out in female company. Many clubs and associations are concerned with women's issues and while their constitution does not exclude men, any male who tries to gain entry will be frozen out with unmistakeable signals that their presence is unwelcome.
What seems to be missing is the difference between excluding gender as a barrier to a trade or a profession and the right to gather together mutually in an atmosphere where the interests of a single gender predominate. Coal mining was long deemed a male only trade and women were excluded from many professions until well into the twentieth century - and the armed services have only recently allowed women in combat roles. In today's world, few avenues of earning a living are closed to the fair sex.
It seems grossly impertinent for women to demand entry to institutions which originally formed to provide a sanctuary for men to escape the needs that society imposed on the conduct of the sexes at mixed gatherings. Subjects too delicate to be discussed in mixed company can be freely expressed and many men who felt uncomfortable in the presence of women are able to gain stature and confidence by their absence. They are able to make friendships without the complications that opposing sexes bring to those equations. The clubs were a harmonious retreat where matters of men's interest predominate.
Today's feminists see any gathering of men as an affront to be attacked. The gaining of membership is usually just the prelude to an entire change of the fundamentals to remove the attributes that men find appealing. They see this as as a degree of "storming the castle" and instituting change that will make men walk away in droves. Anything that appeals exclusively to men is an affront to women - and must be destroyed.
This attack on the Melbourne clubs seems to break new ground. It seems to suggest that since a woman has become a Supreme Court Justice this elevation must automatically open all doors because of her standing. It is noticeable that when Julia Gillard became Australia's first female prime minster there was no outcry to force her entry into these same clubs. It seems that mere politics attains a lesser level of autocracy to the judiciary.
Australian law wisely differentiates between the world of commerce and the world of social connections. Both of the sexes have freedom to form their own associations if they so wish, provided that in doing so they do not provide barriers to the others advancement. That is unlikely to change in the foreseeable future !
Saturday 25 July 2015
When Hacking turns Deadly !
A " Computer on wheels " is an apt description of the modern automobile. When we take our car in for service the technicians hook up their factory software run work computers with the onboard computers that run all the vehicles functions and they talk to each other and determine what work needs to be done. In many cases, it is just a matter of adjustments that have no need for a man with a spanner. It all happens with data transmission that flows in the cyber world.
Each new car model sees an increase in onboard computer technology and all that is about to go into overdrive with the move towards the self driving car that is already undergoing tests. It will be computers that detect hazards and sense the proximity of other vehicles and it will be computerised navigation devices which will steer the vehicle to where we want it to take us. In place of a human, it will be a computer that sits in the driver's seat.
This week a news item opened a new can of worms that will scare the pants off many people. Some computer teckies demonstrated that it was possible to hack into the computer system of a modern American car from a distance of fifteen kilometres and take control of it's driving functions. This film clip showed guys sitting at a laptop far away turning on the windscreen wipers, activating the radio - and more alarmingly - taking control of the steering and making the car's braking system inoperative.
We are well aware that hackers have penetrated most of the world's cyber security systems. Computer spying is a constant battle between countries trying to not only steal valuable commercial trade secrets but also as weapons of war in the event of a confrontation. We are aware that in the event of a conflict a cyber attack could shut down the national banking system and cripple the distribution of all essential services, such as electricity and communications.
Even our personal computers are not safe. We are advised to be careful not to open emails from unknown sources lest they install spyware that records our passwords and allows external control to shut us out. Cyber bandits them change our passwords and demand a ransom to restore our control and unless this is paid we have permanently lost all the data held in our files.
It will come as a shock to many to even think that a clever hacker can take control of the computers running our car. That seems to be the perfect murder weapon. We imagine driving on a quiet country road when the car speed suddenly increases and we find the steering is not in our control - and the brakes no longer work. At very high speed, the car deliberately crashes into a roadside tree !
It has just been demonstrated - that this is possible. The maker of the vehicle involved has been quick to claim that this was a model only recently available in America and no cars with that level of computer systems have been sold in Australia - but you can be assured that smart cyber criminals are now thinking through the methods they use to hack their way into computers - with cars in mind.
Even if the car you are now driving lacks the sophistication to allow an outside source to take control, a line has been crossed and it is unthinkable that future models will have less computer involvement in running their systems, and it is a proven fact that hackers have managed to evade even the most sophisticated safeguards put in place by sovereign nations to guard the deepest level of national secrets.
Perhaps in the near future all those who fear assassination - both national leaders and the heads of drug crime gangs - will demand vehicles than run on engine systems that lack computer management.
We may see premium prices paid for what mechanics would consider old clunkers in a mechanical sense, but engines which are reliable when maintained by a mechanic with skills learned in a bygone age. It seems that hacking has crossed a deadly boundary !
Each new car model sees an increase in onboard computer technology and all that is about to go into overdrive with the move towards the self driving car that is already undergoing tests. It will be computers that detect hazards and sense the proximity of other vehicles and it will be computerised navigation devices which will steer the vehicle to where we want it to take us. In place of a human, it will be a computer that sits in the driver's seat.
This week a news item opened a new can of worms that will scare the pants off many people. Some computer teckies demonstrated that it was possible to hack into the computer system of a modern American car from a distance of fifteen kilometres and take control of it's driving functions. This film clip showed guys sitting at a laptop far away turning on the windscreen wipers, activating the radio - and more alarmingly - taking control of the steering and making the car's braking system inoperative.
We are well aware that hackers have penetrated most of the world's cyber security systems. Computer spying is a constant battle between countries trying to not only steal valuable commercial trade secrets but also as weapons of war in the event of a confrontation. We are aware that in the event of a conflict a cyber attack could shut down the national banking system and cripple the distribution of all essential services, such as electricity and communications.
Even our personal computers are not safe. We are advised to be careful not to open emails from unknown sources lest they install spyware that records our passwords and allows external control to shut us out. Cyber bandits them change our passwords and demand a ransom to restore our control and unless this is paid we have permanently lost all the data held in our files.
It will come as a shock to many to even think that a clever hacker can take control of the computers running our car. That seems to be the perfect murder weapon. We imagine driving on a quiet country road when the car speed suddenly increases and we find the steering is not in our control - and the brakes no longer work. At very high speed, the car deliberately crashes into a roadside tree !
It has just been demonstrated - that this is possible. The maker of the vehicle involved has been quick to claim that this was a model only recently available in America and no cars with that level of computer systems have been sold in Australia - but you can be assured that smart cyber criminals are now thinking through the methods they use to hack their way into computers - with cars in mind.
Even if the car you are now driving lacks the sophistication to allow an outside source to take control, a line has been crossed and it is unthinkable that future models will have less computer involvement in running their systems, and it is a proven fact that hackers have managed to evade even the most sophisticated safeguards put in place by sovereign nations to guard the deepest level of national secrets.
Perhaps in the near future all those who fear assassination - both national leaders and the heads of drug crime gangs - will demand vehicles than run on engine systems that lack computer management.
We may see premium prices paid for what mechanics would consider old clunkers in a mechanical sense, but engines which are reliable when maintained by a mechanic with skills learned in a bygone age. It seems that hacking has crossed a deadly boundary !
Friday 24 July 2015
Dodgy Convictions !
We often read of evidence given in court cases where a fellow prisoner turns police witness and rats on his cellmate. This week it seems that what is referred to as " Prisoner A " recounted how police induced him to pretend that he knew a crooked cop who could transfer DNA onto a murder weapon to throw the investigation onto an entirely different person. It was hoped that this scheme would result in the remand prisoner revealing the whereabouts of the murder weapon as part of the plot.
Prisoner A also revealed that he had been paid almost $5,000 in weekly amounts of $ 500 and regular " Assistance Affidavits " that resulted in a twenty percent sentence reduction - for his "assistance " ! He also revealed that he would have to serve the balance of his sentence under maximum security because cooperating with police was the most heinous crime in the prison code of conduct. Every day he continued to extract information held the risk of discovery and had that happened he would have been taken to an empty cell or the shower block - and pumped full of holes. It would have been the end of him !
This evidence was given in a murder case that would be termed " sensational " and which is widely reported. There is no doubt that in the prison concerned it would not take too long for the dots to be connected and others realise just who Prisoner A happens to be, and who is now described as a "Dog " - the appendage that follows a police informer for life. No doubt he will be quickly released, but if he ever again becomes a prisoner his life will be on shaky ground.
It also raises the issue of ethics. Somehow it seems to tread that fine line that divides what is due process in solving crimes - and entrapment. In the majority of cases the evidence boils down to conversations between the police informer and the suspect, and this becomes what is termed "hearsay " ! When there is the inducement of both money and an abbreviated sentence there is a very definite reason for the informer to tell the police what they want to hear - and not necessarily the truth !
Even when a judge advises a jury to be aware of this disparity, in the absence of absolute evidence of guilt the suggestion that the accused has admitted the crime to another prisoner can sway the verdict in juror's minds. This is specially so if the person giving evidence has a confident demeanour and presents as a reliable witness. A witness who stands straight in the witness box, maintains eye contact with the jury and answers clearly and easily to all questions asked will often be more compelling than an accused, who may be both frightened and hesitant.
We pride ourselves on our system of dispensing justice An accused is entitled to the presumption of innocence - until convicted by a court, but can spend years on remand and treated as a convicted prisoner until the prosecution is ready to proceed.
An accused person is entitled to be represented by a trained legal person who will assist in the defence, but the quality of that defender will be determined by the means of the accused. If that defender is a lawyer appointed by the court then it will probably be a freshly minted new entrant to the bar with little court experience. Depending on the importance of the charge, the prosecution will draw from a stable of experienced lawyers and there may be a serious mismatch of skills between prosecution and defence.
Theoretically, the judge or magistrate hearing a case serves two roles. Not only does he or she have to bring in a finding of guilt or innocence, it requires a form of arbitration on the presentations of both the prosecution and defence counsels, the presentations being required to conform with the rules of evidence and the protocols that apply within the legal structure.
Paying or otherwise rewarding a prisoner serving a sentence to act as a proxy of the police in putting together a prosecution case seems a clear distortion of fair play. The accused is under duress by being locked away from home and loved ones and faces the prospect of a prison sentence at the end of a coming trial. In some cases, a confession may be extracted under duress. He or she may be frightened of a cell mate and may concoct a story to ease the pressure, using that confession as a form of self defence.
It seems to be an emerging prosecution tactic to deliberately coerce a compliant convicted inmate to serve as a police conduit, with the assistance of the prison authorities. Not only is this person foisted on the accused as a cell mate, attractive rewards are available for success and the police suggest courses of illegal strategies that may be employed to gather a response. To many people, that is the classic definition of entrapment.
Perhaps it is time the judiciary laid down hard and fast rules as to how such evidence should be treated - and what rules of conduct in it's collection should apply !
Prisoner A also revealed that he had been paid almost $5,000 in weekly amounts of $ 500 and regular " Assistance Affidavits " that resulted in a twenty percent sentence reduction - for his "assistance " ! He also revealed that he would have to serve the balance of his sentence under maximum security because cooperating with police was the most heinous crime in the prison code of conduct. Every day he continued to extract information held the risk of discovery and had that happened he would have been taken to an empty cell or the shower block - and pumped full of holes. It would have been the end of him !
This evidence was given in a murder case that would be termed " sensational " and which is widely reported. There is no doubt that in the prison concerned it would not take too long for the dots to be connected and others realise just who Prisoner A happens to be, and who is now described as a "Dog " - the appendage that follows a police informer for life. No doubt he will be quickly released, but if he ever again becomes a prisoner his life will be on shaky ground.
It also raises the issue of ethics. Somehow it seems to tread that fine line that divides what is due process in solving crimes - and entrapment. In the majority of cases the evidence boils down to conversations between the police informer and the suspect, and this becomes what is termed "hearsay " ! When there is the inducement of both money and an abbreviated sentence there is a very definite reason for the informer to tell the police what they want to hear - and not necessarily the truth !
Even when a judge advises a jury to be aware of this disparity, in the absence of absolute evidence of guilt the suggestion that the accused has admitted the crime to another prisoner can sway the verdict in juror's minds. This is specially so if the person giving evidence has a confident demeanour and presents as a reliable witness. A witness who stands straight in the witness box, maintains eye contact with the jury and answers clearly and easily to all questions asked will often be more compelling than an accused, who may be both frightened and hesitant.
We pride ourselves on our system of dispensing justice An accused is entitled to the presumption of innocence - until convicted by a court, but can spend years on remand and treated as a convicted prisoner until the prosecution is ready to proceed.
An accused person is entitled to be represented by a trained legal person who will assist in the defence, but the quality of that defender will be determined by the means of the accused. If that defender is a lawyer appointed by the court then it will probably be a freshly minted new entrant to the bar with little court experience. Depending on the importance of the charge, the prosecution will draw from a stable of experienced lawyers and there may be a serious mismatch of skills between prosecution and defence.
Theoretically, the judge or magistrate hearing a case serves two roles. Not only does he or she have to bring in a finding of guilt or innocence, it requires a form of arbitration on the presentations of both the prosecution and defence counsels, the presentations being required to conform with the rules of evidence and the protocols that apply within the legal structure.
Paying or otherwise rewarding a prisoner serving a sentence to act as a proxy of the police in putting together a prosecution case seems a clear distortion of fair play. The accused is under duress by being locked away from home and loved ones and faces the prospect of a prison sentence at the end of a coming trial. In some cases, a confession may be extracted under duress. He or she may be frightened of a cell mate and may concoct a story to ease the pressure, using that confession as a form of self defence.
It seems to be an emerging prosecution tactic to deliberately coerce a compliant convicted inmate to serve as a police conduit, with the assistance of the prison authorities. Not only is this person foisted on the accused as a cell mate, attractive rewards are available for success and the police suggest courses of illegal strategies that may be employed to gather a response. To many people, that is the classic definition of entrapment.
Perhaps it is time the judiciary laid down hard and fast rules as to how such evidence should be treated - and what rules of conduct in it's collection should apply !
Thursday 23 July 2015
Be Careful what You Wish For !
Stephen Hawking, this world's foremost physicst has teamed up with Russian billionaire Yuri Milner to harness a $135 million project to search for extraterestrial intelligence. It will use a mix of optical and radio telescopes to probe the dark regions far beyond our solar system in the belief that other life exists in the vastness of space.
Planet Earth first began to announce our presence at the start of the twentieth century when Marconi invented radio and since then we have been blasting radio signals into the cosmos as the speed of light - 186,000 miles per second. By mid century we were into the rocket age and our space probes have travelled billions of miles into outer space. So far, nobody has bothered to call us back !
For some strange reason we seem to think that if other life exists - it will be friendly. A lot of people really believe that we are visited by little green guys in flying saucers and that they are people of great wisdom who are in the process of making up their minds about revealing their presence.
Perhaps we would be wise to reflect on how we earthlings behaved when we developed ships that enabled us to cross oceans. Remember that Spaniard, Cortez and what he did when he found South America and moved in on Montezuma ? They enslaved the nations they conquered in their quest for gold and valuables They simply conquered - and took away anything of value.
Remember what happened when Europeans discovered Africa. That was the start of the slave trade. We rounded up men, women and children and forced them onto ships and took them to distant lands, where they were sold to the highest bidder at the slave markets - and that only ceased about a hundred and fifty years ago.
The same picture was enacted everywhere that those with superior weapons and means of travel encountered less developed races. There was no question of helping them to gain development. We simply took over their lands and imposed our way of life - and demanded that they obey our laws. Such was the colonial era. Explorers found undiscovered lands, placed their country's flag on the beach and claimed it for their king or emperor. Any opposition was put down through force of arms.
In most cases we devoured the riches of these countries for our own benefit and forced both our language and our religion on those we conquered. If we do discover other forms of intelligent life in outer space and it has the ability to travel to earth there is every chance that it is more technically advanced than we are - and that poses the question of whether it will come in peace - or do as we did in past centuries !
Many believe that what saves us from such a fate is the tyranny of distance. We believe that nothing can travel faster than the speed of light and therefore even our radio signals would require the same time lag for a response to reach us. That same limitation would apply to an extraterestial deciding to drop by for a chat.
There is another sombre outcome of our swashbuckling forebears finding new lands that comes to mind. They brought with them diseases from which the natives had no natural immunity. These common ailments like Measles, Chicken Pox and even the common cold tore swathes through populations and destroyed their societies. If we do ever attract visitors from outer space that is an outcome we would do well to remember.
Think back to the sort of life we led just a century ago. The age of the computer, the mobile phone, the medical marvels we can now perform - all of these would have been pure science fiction and unattainable at that time. A further century from now and our way of life will certainly be equally unbelievable - on a similar scale.
If we do manage to establish some form of contact with a form of intelligence somewhere in outer space, we will be setting off a chain of events that will be totally outside our ability to control the outcome. We would be wise to be very careful about what we wish for !
Planet Earth first began to announce our presence at the start of the twentieth century when Marconi invented radio and since then we have been blasting radio signals into the cosmos as the speed of light - 186,000 miles per second. By mid century we were into the rocket age and our space probes have travelled billions of miles into outer space. So far, nobody has bothered to call us back !
For some strange reason we seem to think that if other life exists - it will be friendly. A lot of people really believe that we are visited by little green guys in flying saucers and that they are people of great wisdom who are in the process of making up their minds about revealing their presence.
Perhaps we would be wise to reflect on how we earthlings behaved when we developed ships that enabled us to cross oceans. Remember that Spaniard, Cortez and what he did when he found South America and moved in on Montezuma ? They enslaved the nations they conquered in their quest for gold and valuables They simply conquered - and took away anything of value.
Remember what happened when Europeans discovered Africa. That was the start of the slave trade. We rounded up men, women and children and forced them onto ships and took them to distant lands, where they were sold to the highest bidder at the slave markets - and that only ceased about a hundred and fifty years ago.
The same picture was enacted everywhere that those with superior weapons and means of travel encountered less developed races. There was no question of helping them to gain development. We simply took over their lands and imposed our way of life - and demanded that they obey our laws. Such was the colonial era. Explorers found undiscovered lands, placed their country's flag on the beach and claimed it for their king or emperor. Any opposition was put down through force of arms.
In most cases we devoured the riches of these countries for our own benefit and forced both our language and our religion on those we conquered. If we do discover other forms of intelligent life in outer space and it has the ability to travel to earth there is every chance that it is more technically advanced than we are - and that poses the question of whether it will come in peace - or do as we did in past centuries !
Many believe that what saves us from such a fate is the tyranny of distance. We believe that nothing can travel faster than the speed of light and therefore even our radio signals would require the same time lag for a response to reach us. That same limitation would apply to an extraterestial deciding to drop by for a chat.
There is another sombre outcome of our swashbuckling forebears finding new lands that comes to mind. They brought with them diseases from which the natives had no natural immunity. These common ailments like Measles, Chicken Pox and even the common cold tore swathes through populations and destroyed their societies. If we do ever attract visitors from outer space that is an outcome we would do well to remember.
Think back to the sort of life we led just a century ago. The age of the computer, the mobile phone, the medical marvels we can now perform - all of these would have been pure science fiction and unattainable at that time. A further century from now and our way of life will certainly be equally unbelievable - on a similar scale.
If we do manage to establish some form of contact with a form of intelligence somewhere in outer space, we will be setting off a chain of events that will be totally outside our ability to control the outcome. We would be wise to be very careful about what we wish for !
Wednesday 22 July 2015
A Compulsive Disorder !
For the residents of Bonara Avenue, Bondi this week was described by some wag as " Groundhog Day " ! Once again a fleet of council trucks and an army of council workers descended on the huge pile of decaying rubbish stockpiled in and around an otherwise neat little cottage in this very sought after and expensive suburb.
The " Hoarder family " were at it again - and this was the sixteenth time that the council had resorted to a court order to force the cleanup of decaying rubbish which was emitting offensive smells and providing refuge for an army of rats and other vermin. It was described as " everything and anything " that the women in this family collect and store on their property, filling the verandah, all the garden area and even extending out onto the nature strip.
After the fifteenth cleanup long suffering neighbours thought relief was at hand. The council was cumulatively owed $ 370,000 for their work and they sued to recover $ 180,000, forcing the property to face public auction, but at the last minute the family found the cash to clear that debt - and the hoarding of rubbish began again.
The council also obtained a court order to prevent any of the family from coming within ten metres of the work crew and one of the women tried to prevent items being removed. She was arrested and charged with " wilful obstruction ", put before a court and released on bail. She returned to the house and did exactly the same again, and this led to a further arrest.
Perhaps we need to have a look at the laws on the statute books to save people from what amount to " compulsive disorders " which force them to break the law and reduce themselves to penury. In milder form these instances of compulsion are common - and usually harmless. For some people it takes the form of endlessly feeling the need to wash their hands, while others have a compulsion to inspect all electricity outlets to ensure that they are turned off.
Clearly, accumulating rubbish on a residential property breaks council by-laws and poses a public health risk. If the present regular intervention to force a cleanup continues the debt will eventually force the sale of the property and the women will find themselves both homeless and impoverished. It is in their own interests - and in the interests of the other unfortunate residents of Bonara Avenue - to bring a permanent change to this situation.
Clearly, the usual injunctions issued by the courts is ignored because this compulsion to collect and hoard rubbish has a psychiatric base. It is not the common action of ordinary people, although many do have something similar in a much milder form. In such cases, this manifests itself in a reluctance to dispose of items which " may become handy " later in that persons mind. Rarely does that transpose itself into a mountain of junk that overwhelms a house and garden.
It is this very extremity that is staying the hand of those tasked with dealing with this problem. These women are the legal owners of the property and forcing medical attention on unwilling patients is both abhorrent to the medical profession and to those framing the legal code. It is usually only as a last resort and most people are only taken into medical care against their will when they pose either harm to others or to themselves.
The law bends over backward to deliver privacy and the right to be " eccentric " - within reasonable limits - but this constant and compulsive hoarding shows no sign of ceasing and is heading towards an inevitable outcome. If these women end up broke and homeless, surely all the signs that they needed help that was medically denied will be levelled against those who had the power to intervene - and didn't ?
The " Hoarder family " were at it again - and this was the sixteenth time that the council had resorted to a court order to force the cleanup of decaying rubbish which was emitting offensive smells and providing refuge for an army of rats and other vermin. It was described as " everything and anything " that the women in this family collect and store on their property, filling the verandah, all the garden area and even extending out onto the nature strip.
After the fifteenth cleanup long suffering neighbours thought relief was at hand. The council was cumulatively owed $ 370,000 for their work and they sued to recover $ 180,000, forcing the property to face public auction, but at the last minute the family found the cash to clear that debt - and the hoarding of rubbish began again.
The council also obtained a court order to prevent any of the family from coming within ten metres of the work crew and one of the women tried to prevent items being removed. She was arrested and charged with " wilful obstruction ", put before a court and released on bail. She returned to the house and did exactly the same again, and this led to a further arrest.
Perhaps we need to have a look at the laws on the statute books to save people from what amount to " compulsive disorders " which force them to break the law and reduce themselves to penury. In milder form these instances of compulsion are common - and usually harmless. For some people it takes the form of endlessly feeling the need to wash their hands, while others have a compulsion to inspect all electricity outlets to ensure that they are turned off.
Clearly, accumulating rubbish on a residential property breaks council by-laws and poses a public health risk. If the present regular intervention to force a cleanup continues the debt will eventually force the sale of the property and the women will find themselves both homeless and impoverished. It is in their own interests - and in the interests of the other unfortunate residents of Bonara Avenue - to bring a permanent change to this situation.
Clearly, the usual injunctions issued by the courts is ignored because this compulsion to collect and hoard rubbish has a psychiatric base. It is not the common action of ordinary people, although many do have something similar in a much milder form. In such cases, this manifests itself in a reluctance to dispose of items which " may become handy " later in that persons mind. Rarely does that transpose itself into a mountain of junk that overwhelms a house and garden.
It is this very extremity that is staying the hand of those tasked with dealing with this problem. These women are the legal owners of the property and forcing medical attention on unwilling patients is both abhorrent to the medical profession and to those framing the legal code. It is usually only as a last resort and most people are only taken into medical care against their will when they pose either harm to others or to themselves.
The law bends over backward to deliver privacy and the right to be " eccentric " - within reasonable limits - but this constant and compulsive hoarding shows no sign of ceasing and is heading towards an inevitable outcome. If these women end up broke and homeless, surely all the signs that they needed help that was medically denied will be levelled against those who had the power to intervene - and didn't ?
Tuesday 21 July 2015
Lucky Dip !
It is amazing the number of bureaucratic hoops we have to jump through before we can establish a new business. We need to register a business name with the government and then there is the need to get council permission to trade from whatever premises are involved. It has to conform to whatever zoning is in place and there is every chance that it will stir a NINBY reaction and there will be protests on the grounds of noise or traffic problems. A huge number of activities are regulated and a license is required to trade.
It seems that Airnb has simply thumbed it's nose at this vast thicket of regulations and setup a business in 34,000 cities spread over 190 nations and now has a turnover of $25 billion. It simply signs up very ordinary people, living in very ordinary houses to offer to rent a room to tourists at a rate well below that charged by the established accommodation industries.
That is the very antithesis of the plan slavishly followed by the hotel and motel chains that trade across the world. They are offering a very predictable standard of accommodation so that it will meet the travellers expectation before they even walk through the door. There is a degree of uniformity in the room size, furnishings and cleanliness that allows the traveller to meet expectations in whatever country they visit.
The Airnb offerings disturb Tourist Accommodation Australia ( TAA ) which is the governing body for the tourist trade. It seems that the main criteria here is price. It is precisely a " lucky dip " when a traveller arrives at the door of the intended host. He or she has no idea of what standard is involved - and even less about the person or family who are to become their landlord for the duration of the stay. They will be asked to write a report after that event and presumable that will be the method of weeding out those who fail to meet standards.
That is a far cry from the impositions demanded of the legitimate tourist accommodation industry. Kitchens are regularly inspected to maintain a clean bill of health and standards are clearly written into operating laws. Fire safety is ensured by regular fire safety checks by the fire brigade and the police respond to any suggestion that drug use is prevalent. The average person has every reason to feel safe and comfortable under the care of a reputable trading chain.
Along with Airnb the taxi trade is under fire from Uber - and once again the lucky dip applies. Those hiring it's services have absolutely no idea what make of vehicle will arrive, nor who will be behind the wheel. That driver will not wear a uniform and none of the background checks necessary to be accepted for a legitimate cab license will have been performed. Once again filing a report on vehicle cleanliness, driver courtesy and ability to perform an adequate service will be the main criteria in judging those offering their cars under the Uber brand.
Surprisingly, few cities seem to have been able to fall back on licensing regulations to to prevent either Airnb or Uber setting up and competing with the industries they tax heavily under their by-laws. Those who have tried have achieved mixed results and in most cases the whole process has devolved into endless appeals and being referred to higher courts. This is not helped by the vast mish-mash of rules and regulations that are intertwined between cities, states and countries on a world wide basis. It seems that each case needs to be settled within the confines of it's own individuality.
Of course this whole new idea hangs in the balance of public acceptability. The lure is paying a lower price for a service, but if some maniac kills and dismembers a family staying under an Airnb roof or a horrific rape and murder is committed by a Uber driver - the whole perception of safety changes.
Precisely the same could happen in a well known motel chain or by a legitimately licensed and uniformed cab fleet driver, but somehow that control lack sticks in the public mind and they become afraid to use the service.
As with all forms of the "lucky dip " - luck is the deciding factor !
It seems that Airnb has simply thumbed it's nose at this vast thicket of regulations and setup a business in 34,000 cities spread over 190 nations and now has a turnover of $25 billion. It simply signs up very ordinary people, living in very ordinary houses to offer to rent a room to tourists at a rate well below that charged by the established accommodation industries.
That is the very antithesis of the plan slavishly followed by the hotel and motel chains that trade across the world. They are offering a very predictable standard of accommodation so that it will meet the travellers expectation before they even walk through the door. There is a degree of uniformity in the room size, furnishings and cleanliness that allows the traveller to meet expectations in whatever country they visit.
The Airnb offerings disturb Tourist Accommodation Australia ( TAA ) which is the governing body for the tourist trade. It seems that the main criteria here is price. It is precisely a " lucky dip " when a traveller arrives at the door of the intended host. He or she has no idea of what standard is involved - and even less about the person or family who are to become their landlord for the duration of the stay. They will be asked to write a report after that event and presumable that will be the method of weeding out those who fail to meet standards.
That is a far cry from the impositions demanded of the legitimate tourist accommodation industry. Kitchens are regularly inspected to maintain a clean bill of health and standards are clearly written into operating laws. Fire safety is ensured by regular fire safety checks by the fire brigade and the police respond to any suggestion that drug use is prevalent. The average person has every reason to feel safe and comfortable under the care of a reputable trading chain.
Along with Airnb the taxi trade is under fire from Uber - and once again the lucky dip applies. Those hiring it's services have absolutely no idea what make of vehicle will arrive, nor who will be behind the wheel. That driver will not wear a uniform and none of the background checks necessary to be accepted for a legitimate cab license will have been performed. Once again filing a report on vehicle cleanliness, driver courtesy and ability to perform an adequate service will be the main criteria in judging those offering their cars under the Uber brand.
Surprisingly, few cities seem to have been able to fall back on licensing regulations to to prevent either Airnb or Uber setting up and competing with the industries they tax heavily under their by-laws. Those who have tried have achieved mixed results and in most cases the whole process has devolved into endless appeals and being referred to higher courts. This is not helped by the vast mish-mash of rules and regulations that are intertwined between cities, states and countries on a world wide basis. It seems that each case needs to be settled within the confines of it's own individuality.
Of course this whole new idea hangs in the balance of public acceptability. The lure is paying a lower price for a service, but if some maniac kills and dismembers a family staying under an Airnb roof or a horrific rape and murder is committed by a Uber driver - the whole perception of safety changes.
Precisely the same could happen in a well known motel chain or by a legitimately licensed and uniformed cab fleet driver, but somehow that control lack sticks in the public mind and they become afraid to use the service.
As with all forms of the "lucky dip " - luck is the deciding factor !
Monday 20 July 2015
When the Unexpected Happens !
It must seem like awakening from a vivid nightmare to find yourself in a foreign country and be presented with a bill for $ 1.3 million Australian dollars. That was exactly the situation faced by an Australian couple who were on holiday in Hawaii. They were expecting the birth of a child, due in September and took the opportunity for a holiday before the responsibilities of parenthood kicked in. They were in the remote paradise of Kona when this expectant mother's water broke, resulting in an emergency flight to Honolulu, where their baby was born at twenty-six weeks and placed in intensive care. They were warned that this high level would need to be maintained right up to the expected birth date of September 9.
This unexpected but joyous event came with bill shock ! The American health system is very different from Australia's and even if they had adequate travel insurance it would not include the birth of a baby. There will be some limited relief from Medicaid, the US equivalent of our Medicare, but the bills continue to mount - opening an interesting can of worms !
It is not unusual for families to take an overseas holiday in the earlier months of a pregnancy and yet the unexpected can happen. Just as in this case a massive bill can arise from an event that is not termed as an accident. What happens if the patient is a person of limited means and unable to settle with the medical people ?
No doubt the Australian embassy will provide comfort by trying to negotiate an outcome, but the debt is subjected to American law and the costs being charged are the legitimate amounts applicable to the medical services provided in that country. The doctors and the hospital have every right to expect to be paid.
The fact that the patient is a visitor on an entry visa complicates the matter. It is quite possible that leaving the country might be refused by immigration control at the airport if that bill remains unpaid, in which case finding shelter becomes a new problem. A lot will depend on the laws in place in the individual state where this takes place and the policies of the hospital in dealing with unpaid debt. If this involves a hard line approach, the release of the child may be contingent on the bill being settled,.
In this case, it seems that family resources will come to the rescue, but it serves as a warning to others to think long and hard about what protection can be put in place before undertaking any overseas trip where the unexpected can possibly happen. The wise take out travel insurance, but there are limitations on the cover applicable. It may not be possible to get cover for an event such as the early birth of a child and the costs that will involve. Where such a risk is uninsurable, perhaps a holiday destination within Australia would be a safer option.
One of the problems is that risk varies all over the world. The same situation of getting an unexpected debt can have very differing outcomes depending on the laws in place in the country involved, and some involve a prison term as a punishment. Even when bankruptcy is an option, the process can take months - and even years - to legally settle.
The joy of travel has become widely available thanks to cheap airline tickets and the ever expanding resort industries and most travellers return without mishap, but leaving the protection of Australia's shores does carry risk. The wise will take that into contention when they make travel plans !
This unexpected but joyous event came with bill shock ! The American health system is very different from Australia's and even if they had adequate travel insurance it would not include the birth of a baby. There will be some limited relief from Medicaid, the US equivalent of our Medicare, but the bills continue to mount - opening an interesting can of worms !
It is not unusual for families to take an overseas holiday in the earlier months of a pregnancy and yet the unexpected can happen. Just as in this case a massive bill can arise from an event that is not termed as an accident. What happens if the patient is a person of limited means and unable to settle with the medical people ?
No doubt the Australian embassy will provide comfort by trying to negotiate an outcome, but the debt is subjected to American law and the costs being charged are the legitimate amounts applicable to the medical services provided in that country. The doctors and the hospital have every right to expect to be paid.
The fact that the patient is a visitor on an entry visa complicates the matter. It is quite possible that leaving the country might be refused by immigration control at the airport if that bill remains unpaid, in which case finding shelter becomes a new problem. A lot will depend on the laws in place in the individual state where this takes place and the policies of the hospital in dealing with unpaid debt. If this involves a hard line approach, the release of the child may be contingent on the bill being settled,.
In this case, it seems that family resources will come to the rescue, but it serves as a warning to others to think long and hard about what protection can be put in place before undertaking any overseas trip where the unexpected can possibly happen. The wise take out travel insurance, but there are limitations on the cover applicable. It may not be possible to get cover for an event such as the early birth of a child and the costs that will involve. Where such a risk is uninsurable, perhaps a holiday destination within Australia would be a safer option.
One of the problems is that risk varies all over the world. The same situation of getting an unexpected debt can have very differing outcomes depending on the laws in place in the country involved, and some involve a prison term as a punishment. Even when bankruptcy is an option, the process can take months - and even years - to legally settle.
The joy of travel has become widely available thanks to cheap airline tickets and the ever expanding resort industries and most travellers return without mishap, but leaving the protection of Australia's shores does carry risk. The wise will take that into contention when they make travel plans !
Sunday 19 July 2015
The Evidence doesn't Lie !
We have "experts "with a string of letters after their name assuring us that this Shenhua coal project on the Liverpool Plains is perfectly safe and there is no danger that it will disrupt the aquifers that make this land amongst the most productive in agricultural Australia.
Angry farmers who oppose this new mine now have their argument backed by what is happening nearby and are entitled to use the " Told you so ! " example to force a new evaluation of the risk. The timing is perfect because while the $ 1.7 billion Shenhua has approval, not a single sod has been turned to bring it into reality.
All eyes are now turned on Whitehaven Coal's Werris Creek mine situated above the Liverpool Plains. The difference is that this is a productive coal mine and when the open cut operation gouged out below the hundred metre mark - a strange thing started to happen.
Water began to flood into the pit - and adjacent farmers found that their bores - which had been a reliable source of irrigation water for years - suddenly had depleted flow - or went entirely dry !
It does not take a mathematical mind like Stephen Hawking's to join the dots together. The blasting and digging have changed the course of the aquifer water flow - which the experts said would not happen - and now irreparable damage has been done - to both the mine and the farms.
Of course the experts are yet to be convinced that this is so, and are desperately seeking some other reason. The mine is making plans to pump this unwanted water out of it's pits and is looking to dispose of it by making it available for Pivot irrigation on two adjacent farms it owns - and which it bought from former politician Tony Windsor. These are now leased back to him at peppercorn rents.
This will change the entire financial structure of the area. Those irrigated farms will sharply increase in value as their productivity surges and there will be a consequent decrease in value of surrounding land that is deprived of it's former source of water.
The farmers - who are the very people who know their land and the cycles that apply to agriculture - have warned that open pit mining and farming are a bad mix, and in particular - the aquifers that make the difference between good and indifferent farm country are easily disrupted - and like Humpty Dumpty, the egg that fell off a wall - once broken can not be put together again !
The message is resonating - load and clear - for all to see. If Shenhua goes ahead it puts the irrigation of the vast Liverpool Plains at risk and we now have a practical example of just what can happen in the labyrinth of waterways deep underground - that we don't fully understand.
There is also a further worry. We have no idea how far the Werris Creek disruption may spread and over what period of time. We know that there is a vast interconnectivity with aquifers and in many cases their reservoirs have built up over centuries. Once there is even a small change in the rate and direction of the flow, the long term results are then unknown.
There is another inescapable reality that needs to be taken into account. The population of planet Earth has ticked over past seven billion and ten billion will be reached before mid-century. That is a lot of extra mouths to feed and the agricultural land to provide that food is finite.
Whenever it comes down to a decision whether it is better to mine coal or use the land to grow food there is simply no contest involved.
Angry farmers who oppose this new mine now have their argument backed by what is happening nearby and are entitled to use the " Told you so ! " example to force a new evaluation of the risk. The timing is perfect because while the $ 1.7 billion Shenhua has approval, not a single sod has been turned to bring it into reality.
All eyes are now turned on Whitehaven Coal's Werris Creek mine situated above the Liverpool Plains. The difference is that this is a productive coal mine and when the open cut operation gouged out below the hundred metre mark - a strange thing started to happen.
Water began to flood into the pit - and adjacent farmers found that their bores - which had been a reliable source of irrigation water for years - suddenly had depleted flow - or went entirely dry !
It does not take a mathematical mind like Stephen Hawking's to join the dots together. The blasting and digging have changed the course of the aquifer water flow - which the experts said would not happen - and now irreparable damage has been done - to both the mine and the farms.
Of course the experts are yet to be convinced that this is so, and are desperately seeking some other reason. The mine is making plans to pump this unwanted water out of it's pits and is looking to dispose of it by making it available for Pivot irrigation on two adjacent farms it owns - and which it bought from former politician Tony Windsor. These are now leased back to him at peppercorn rents.
This will change the entire financial structure of the area. Those irrigated farms will sharply increase in value as their productivity surges and there will be a consequent decrease in value of surrounding land that is deprived of it's former source of water.
The farmers - who are the very people who know their land and the cycles that apply to agriculture - have warned that open pit mining and farming are a bad mix, and in particular - the aquifers that make the difference between good and indifferent farm country are easily disrupted - and like Humpty Dumpty, the egg that fell off a wall - once broken can not be put together again !
The message is resonating - load and clear - for all to see. If Shenhua goes ahead it puts the irrigation of the vast Liverpool Plains at risk and we now have a practical example of just what can happen in the labyrinth of waterways deep underground - that we don't fully understand.
There is also a further worry. We have no idea how far the Werris Creek disruption may spread and over what period of time. We know that there is a vast interconnectivity with aquifers and in many cases their reservoirs have built up over centuries. Once there is even a small change in the rate and direction of the flow, the long term results are then unknown.
There is another inescapable reality that needs to be taken into account. The population of planet Earth has ticked over past seven billion and ten billion will be reached before mid-century. That is a lot of extra mouths to feed and the agricultural land to provide that food is finite.
Whenever it comes down to a decision whether it is better to mine coal or use the land to grow food there is simply no contest involved.
Saturday 18 July 2015
The Strata Law Jungle !
The New South Wales state government has undertaken the long overdue task of reforming this state's strata laws, first enacted when just a tiny sector of the population was housed in what became known as the " vertical village ".
Things that were overlooked at that earlier time, such as crowding in small units are likely to be regulated by a strict code of a maximum of two adults to each bedroom, leaving the situation for kids with more flexibility. It is hoped that this will be the weapon to combat what have become defacto boarding houses operating on a " hot bed " basis to gain the maximum return for housing a vast number of people in a very small unit.
The law will be eased to make it easier for those who wish to have some sort of pet. At present some body corporate regimes are fanatical and extend bans far beyond just keeping a dog or a cat. This level of refusal has even extended to a single goldfish in a small bowl. It is likely that this right of rejection will be reversed. A resident will have an automatic right to keep a pet and it will be up to the body corporate to prove that the pet chosen is unsuitable for that type of housing. It would probably prevent someone wanting to keep a mule on an upper floor of a unit development.
One of the biggest points of friction in communal living are those who ignore the parking regulations that apply to common property. Blocked access and parking on spaces specifically allocated to numbered units can lead to actual fist fights and now it is proposed that this parking be administered by the relevant local council. A call for the attendance of a council parking ranger would result in the offender being handed a parking infringement fine, or in extreme cases - the car being towed away.
Perhaps the most contentious change proposed concerns the redevelopment of existing apartment blocks. In many cases a change of zoning law where such a block is near a transport overchange will see a huge increase in land value and some residents may wish to sell to see demolition and the block replaced by a bigger and more modern building, which would deliver a big profit gain for each present owner. At present, that requires the agreement of a hundred percent of those owning units in the building.
Just a single holdout can deliver frustration to the many and it is being proposed that the acceptance level be reduced to seventy-five percent of owners. Obviously, there will be instances where those with a strong reason not to sell will be forced to have their home sold out from under them by the combined vote of other residents. In particular, this will affect those in extreme old age who are not interested in making their fortune but only wish to live their final years undisturbed. It is hoped that the framing of this law will include avenues of appeal that will deliver moderation.
This reframing also seeks to prevent cabals of owners or management agents actively soliciting proxy votes from absentee landlords or disinterested owners to give them absolute control of voting rights and the ability to implement laws of their choosing. In many cases this enables them to order work that inflates the levies charged and brings the running of the building to the level of a personal fiefdom. It may require annual body corporate meetings to be internet connected so that those who would have a problem attending in person are encouraged to view and vote remotely.
The one thing that is absolutely certain is that whatever changes are enacted will not suit everybody. Pity the legislators who have to put together a framework for living which encompasses the wishes of that great diversity of humanity - that is the human race. When the letter of the law is finally revealed, individuals will decide into which category their fate has been decided. Winners - or losers !
Things that were overlooked at that earlier time, such as crowding in small units are likely to be regulated by a strict code of a maximum of two adults to each bedroom, leaving the situation for kids with more flexibility. It is hoped that this will be the weapon to combat what have become defacto boarding houses operating on a " hot bed " basis to gain the maximum return for housing a vast number of people in a very small unit.
The law will be eased to make it easier for those who wish to have some sort of pet. At present some body corporate regimes are fanatical and extend bans far beyond just keeping a dog or a cat. This level of refusal has even extended to a single goldfish in a small bowl. It is likely that this right of rejection will be reversed. A resident will have an automatic right to keep a pet and it will be up to the body corporate to prove that the pet chosen is unsuitable for that type of housing. It would probably prevent someone wanting to keep a mule on an upper floor of a unit development.
One of the biggest points of friction in communal living are those who ignore the parking regulations that apply to common property. Blocked access and parking on spaces specifically allocated to numbered units can lead to actual fist fights and now it is proposed that this parking be administered by the relevant local council. A call for the attendance of a council parking ranger would result in the offender being handed a parking infringement fine, or in extreme cases - the car being towed away.
Perhaps the most contentious change proposed concerns the redevelopment of existing apartment blocks. In many cases a change of zoning law where such a block is near a transport overchange will see a huge increase in land value and some residents may wish to sell to see demolition and the block replaced by a bigger and more modern building, which would deliver a big profit gain for each present owner. At present, that requires the agreement of a hundred percent of those owning units in the building.
Just a single holdout can deliver frustration to the many and it is being proposed that the acceptance level be reduced to seventy-five percent of owners. Obviously, there will be instances where those with a strong reason not to sell will be forced to have their home sold out from under them by the combined vote of other residents. In particular, this will affect those in extreme old age who are not interested in making their fortune but only wish to live their final years undisturbed. It is hoped that the framing of this law will include avenues of appeal that will deliver moderation.
This reframing also seeks to prevent cabals of owners or management agents actively soliciting proxy votes from absentee landlords or disinterested owners to give them absolute control of voting rights and the ability to implement laws of their choosing. In many cases this enables them to order work that inflates the levies charged and brings the running of the building to the level of a personal fiefdom. It may require annual body corporate meetings to be internet connected so that those who would have a problem attending in person are encouraged to view and vote remotely.
The one thing that is absolutely certain is that whatever changes are enacted will not suit everybody. Pity the legislators who have to put together a framework for living which encompasses the wishes of that great diversity of humanity - that is the human race. When the letter of the law is finally revealed, individuals will decide into which category their fate has been decided. Winners - or losers !
Friday 17 July 2015
Coal ? Or Food ?
It is shaping up as being a similar battle to the Franklin dam issue in Tasmania. That plan to tame a wild river to generate hydro electric power divided the nation and brought the Greens into the political equation as a third force in politics.
Approval has been given for a new coal mine owned by China to be established on the legendary Liverpool Plains, arguably this nation's best and most productive agricultural land in northern New South Wales. The Shenhua Watermark Coal mine will occupy thirty-five square kilometres of our best crop land and cost $ 1.7 billion to develop. It will certainly generate jobs and result in the rejuvenation of many nearby country towns.
The ire that is sticking in the throats of farmers and many city folk across the nation is the issue of deliberately destroying the long term use of prime agricultural land for the short term benefit of jobs and dollars earned to export a mineral that is blamed for global warming and a damaging increase in the amount of carbon dioxide in the air we breathe.
There is certainly a rich lode of coal under the Liverpool plains, but this mine will consist of three giant open pits and the excavation will create mountains of tailings, and all of that will be just nine hundred metres from the acquifer that makes the Liverpool Plains so productive. When the mine eventually ceases production, it will leave a wasteland that looks like the surface of the Moon - and will be totally unproductive for agriculture or any other useful purpose.
The Liverpool Plains is known as "black soil " country and is famed for the productivity of it's crops. Many fear that an open cut mine will interfere with the complex water distribution of the acquifer water that makes the land so productive. Scientists are divided, but it is a step into the unknown and if the opinion proves to be incorrect we will pay a terrible price for approving that mine.
It is not as if coal is a scarce commodity. It is plentiful in eastern Australia and the main reason the Liverpool Plains have been selected seems to be that it is nice flat land that does not need costly tree clearing - and is adjacent to road and rail to bring it to market. Establishing a coal mine elsewhere would cost more - and so the bottom line prevails as more important than any possible damage it may do to farming interests.
There is also the bogey of this mine being owned by China. We are very sensitive to all forms of foreign ownership in Australia and Chinese money pouring in to buy Australian housing has been blamed for locking our first home buyers out of the market. Conditions are being enforced, limiting purchases to newly constructed homes and freeing up the existing homes market for those locals making their first acquisition.
We seem to have a deep seated notion that we Australians are quite happy to grow things - or mine things - or manufacture things to export and sell to China, but we resent the very idea of another nation having control by buying Australian land or owning a company that dictates the wages paid or the hours worked by our citizens.
Back in the days following the end of the second world war it was clear that America was now the richest nation on the planet and there were howls of protest that America "was buying up Australia ". It was conveniently forgotten than in the preceding age it was money from Britain and other parts of Europe that was expanding the Australian manufacturing scene, and creating the great buildings that dotted Australian cities.
Just as the Franklin river ideological battle was a turning point in Australian politics, the confrontation over the Shenhua mine looks like developing into an issue that will be decided at the ballot box. Both the Federal and state governments may stand their ground and the experts who opine that the acquifers will not be damage may be proven right. The mine may proceed and be successfully developed.
But the politicians have well tuned ears in ascertaining voting intentions and if this creates the groundswell that became apparent over the Franklin issue the self preservation mode will click in and not only will this mine be cancelled, we may also see a vast change of direction on all issues of foreign ownership in this country.
Now it all depends on the skill of the ecological army of keeping the issue alive and at the forefront of public attention !
Approval has been given for a new coal mine owned by China to be established on the legendary Liverpool Plains, arguably this nation's best and most productive agricultural land in northern New South Wales. The Shenhua Watermark Coal mine will occupy thirty-five square kilometres of our best crop land and cost $ 1.7 billion to develop. It will certainly generate jobs and result in the rejuvenation of many nearby country towns.
The ire that is sticking in the throats of farmers and many city folk across the nation is the issue of deliberately destroying the long term use of prime agricultural land for the short term benefit of jobs and dollars earned to export a mineral that is blamed for global warming and a damaging increase in the amount of carbon dioxide in the air we breathe.
There is certainly a rich lode of coal under the Liverpool plains, but this mine will consist of three giant open pits and the excavation will create mountains of tailings, and all of that will be just nine hundred metres from the acquifer that makes the Liverpool Plains so productive. When the mine eventually ceases production, it will leave a wasteland that looks like the surface of the Moon - and will be totally unproductive for agriculture or any other useful purpose.
The Liverpool Plains is known as "black soil " country and is famed for the productivity of it's crops. Many fear that an open cut mine will interfere with the complex water distribution of the acquifer water that makes the land so productive. Scientists are divided, but it is a step into the unknown and if the opinion proves to be incorrect we will pay a terrible price for approving that mine.
It is not as if coal is a scarce commodity. It is plentiful in eastern Australia and the main reason the Liverpool Plains have been selected seems to be that it is nice flat land that does not need costly tree clearing - and is adjacent to road and rail to bring it to market. Establishing a coal mine elsewhere would cost more - and so the bottom line prevails as more important than any possible damage it may do to farming interests.
There is also the bogey of this mine being owned by China. We are very sensitive to all forms of foreign ownership in Australia and Chinese money pouring in to buy Australian housing has been blamed for locking our first home buyers out of the market. Conditions are being enforced, limiting purchases to newly constructed homes and freeing up the existing homes market for those locals making their first acquisition.
We seem to have a deep seated notion that we Australians are quite happy to grow things - or mine things - or manufacture things to export and sell to China, but we resent the very idea of another nation having control by buying Australian land or owning a company that dictates the wages paid or the hours worked by our citizens.
Back in the days following the end of the second world war it was clear that America was now the richest nation on the planet and there were howls of protest that America "was buying up Australia ". It was conveniently forgotten than in the preceding age it was money from Britain and other parts of Europe that was expanding the Australian manufacturing scene, and creating the great buildings that dotted Australian cities.
Just as the Franklin river ideological battle was a turning point in Australian politics, the confrontation over the Shenhua mine looks like developing into an issue that will be decided at the ballot box. Both the Federal and state governments may stand their ground and the experts who opine that the acquifers will not be damage may be proven right. The mine may proceed and be successfully developed.
But the politicians have well tuned ears in ascertaining voting intentions and if this creates the groundswell that became apparent over the Franklin issue the self preservation mode will click in and not only will this mine be cancelled, we may also see a vast change of direction on all issues of foreign ownership in this country.
Now it all depends on the skill of the ecological army of keeping the issue alive and at the forefront of public attention !
Thursday 16 July 2015
To Rot in Jail !
There is no doubt that Andrew Peter Garforth committed a terrible crime. Back in 1992, nine year old schoolgirl Ebony Simpson got off her school bus and was walking to her home when Garforth abducted her and she was raped and murdered. Garforth tried to cover his crime by binding her arms and legs with wire - and throwing her into a farm dam to drown.
His trial shocked the nation and he was jailed for life, with his file marked "Never to be released ". He is now 52 years old and he has served 22 years of his life sentence. Once again his name is in the headlines because his security clearance in Goulburn prison has been downgraded from " Maximum " to " Medium " and this would allow him to be enrolled in work or rehabilitation courses.
Public outrage at this news resulted in a petition with many signatures and that clearance decision has been revoked by the Corrective Services minister. It seems to be the will of the people that he be left to rot in jail until claimed by death.
That is understandable, but it runs against the notion that the prison system is supposed to be a place of rehabilitation. Australia has produced many murderers who shocked the nation and names like Belanglo State Forest killer Ivan Milat and Port Arthur massacrer Martin Bryant regularly come to mind for mention in the news.
This "Lock ém up and throw away the key " attitude is exactly the opposite to the practice that prison officers use to control inmates under their care. Good behaviour results in rewards being gained. Bad behaviour results in those same rewards being withdrawn. Small luxuries can be bought from the prison shop with the money loved ones provide or which prisoners earn in the gaol system and working side by side with this is the clearance system that controls the severity under which prisoners serve.
Prison is a microsm of life outside. Work levels are part of that reward system. Some are more valued than others and all have to be earned by good behaviour, and that is what makes a prison workable from a discipline point of view. Most prisoners have a release date clearly indicated in their sentence, but " lifers " still need to tow the line and gaining small privileges is carefully crafted into the prison regime - to maintain control.
Some seem to construe this clearance change as the fore runner to release. That was certainly not being considered, but if Garforth has earned a " model prisoner " status by being civil to guards and strictly obeying the rules it would not be usual to reward him. That might take the form of being allocated work in the jail kitchen or gardening in the kitchen garden, but it would be impossible while that prisoner is still classified at the extreme level of clearance.
We are not seeing the riots in Australian prisons that are common in some jails overseas. Prison is not a pleasant place, but ours are far better than the " hell holes " run by some regimes. New South Wales is bracing for trouble next month when a smoking ban is imposed on prisoners, and this follows damage in Victoria when the tobacco ban came into force there. Prison order balances on a fine edge - and when something that is seen as a privilege is withdrawn it can quickly tip that balance.
There is also a clash between the need for the media to get a good story and how the prison system works. Any story depicting what some see as luxury living will bring public outrage and pressure on the politicians involved to clamp down on excess - and that is precisely what has happened in this Garforth case.
Twenty-two years is a long time behind bars and the people who really know if he is feeling remorse and if he has changed his ways are certainly the men and women who observe him on a daily basis. It seems that he is destined to spend the rest of his years in some strict sort of isolation - and that is the demand that the public is insisting must be preserved.
That old "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth " still prevails in many minds. Surely we have progressed from the days of burning witches at the stake to solve our crime problems. If we just remove all rewards for good behaviour - then the sort of prisons we deserve are the sort of prisons we will undoubtedly have !
His trial shocked the nation and he was jailed for life, with his file marked "Never to be released ". He is now 52 years old and he has served 22 years of his life sentence. Once again his name is in the headlines because his security clearance in Goulburn prison has been downgraded from " Maximum " to " Medium " and this would allow him to be enrolled in work or rehabilitation courses.
Public outrage at this news resulted in a petition with many signatures and that clearance decision has been revoked by the Corrective Services minister. It seems to be the will of the people that he be left to rot in jail until claimed by death.
That is understandable, but it runs against the notion that the prison system is supposed to be a place of rehabilitation. Australia has produced many murderers who shocked the nation and names like Belanglo State Forest killer Ivan Milat and Port Arthur massacrer Martin Bryant regularly come to mind for mention in the news.
This "Lock ém up and throw away the key " attitude is exactly the opposite to the practice that prison officers use to control inmates under their care. Good behaviour results in rewards being gained. Bad behaviour results in those same rewards being withdrawn. Small luxuries can be bought from the prison shop with the money loved ones provide or which prisoners earn in the gaol system and working side by side with this is the clearance system that controls the severity under which prisoners serve.
Prison is a microsm of life outside. Work levels are part of that reward system. Some are more valued than others and all have to be earned by good behaviour, and that is what makes a prison workable from a discipline point of view. Most prisoners have a release date clearly indicated in their sentence, but " lifers " still need to tow the line and gaining small privileges is carefully crafted into the prison regime - to maintain control.
Some seem to construe this clearance change as the fore runner to release. That was certainly not being considered, but if Garforth has earned a " model prisoner " status by being civil to guards and strictly obeying the rules it would not be usual to reward him. That might take the form of being allocated work in the jail kitchen or gardening in the kitchen garden, but it would be impossible while that prisoner is still classified at the extreme level of clearance.
We are not seeing the riots in Australian prisons that are common in some jails overseas. Prison is not a pleasant place, but ours are far better than the " hell holes " run by some regimes. New South Wales is bracing for trouble next month when a smoking ban is imposed on prisoners, and this follows damage in Victoria when the tobacco ban came into force there. Prison order balances on a fine edge - and when something that is seen as a privilege is withdrawn it can quickly tip that balance.
There is also a clash between the need for the media to get a good story and how the prison system works. Any story depicting what some see as luxury living will bring public outrage and pressure on the politicians involved to clamp down on excess - and that is precisely what has happened in this Garforth case.
Twenty-two years is a long time behind bars and the people who really know if he is feeling remorse and if he has changed his ways are certainly the men and women who observe him on a daily basis. It seems that he is destined to spend the rest of his years in some strict sort of isolation - and that is the demand that the public is insisting must be preserved.
That old "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth " still prevails in many minds. Surely we have progressed from the days of burning witches at the stake to solve our crime problems. If we just remove all rewards for good behaviour - then the sort of prisons we deserve are the sort of prisons we will undoubtedly have !
Wednesday 15 July 2015
Brave Souls !
Despite teetering on the very edge of the abyss it seems that Europe and the Greeks have stepped back and kicked the can further down the road - and a new $53 billion in bailout funds will be added to Greece's debt. The details have not been released but it seems that Alexis Tsipras has ignored the overwhelming rejection of further austerity measures delivered in the referendum of just a few days earlier and agreed to the demands made by Angela Merkel of Germany, Francois Hollande of France and Donald Tusk, president of the EU council to lower pensions and implement even tighter austerity measures on the Greek economy.
There will be obvious short term gains. Emergency funds will see the banks reopen and some sort of pension payments will recommence, but apart from that - nothing has changed. Greece is still stuck with a vastly over valued Euro that is crippling it's economy and it will continue to have a huge number of people unemployed. Younger - smarter - educated Greeks will leave the country in droves and those remaining will stagger under the yoke of what is clearly an unpayable debt.
It can only be concluded that this new bailout is an arrangement between " brave souls ". The Greeks are stuck with a prime minister who has done precisely what he was elected not to do, and the leaders of the EU have doled out more loan money to a country that has not met it's previous reform commitments in exchange for past bailouts.
It would indeed be an optimist who thinks that the Greek saga is over. We seem to be midway through the stage version of a "Greek Tragedy " and the audience is waiting for the story to reach it's inevitable ending !
Greece has hogged the headlines for months and yet a similar debt problem is playing out on the other side of the world. Puerto Rico is a strange little country that America took under it's wing when as a result of the Spanish/American war of 1898 the United Status took "protectorate status " over Cuba, the Philippines and Puerto Rico.
This Caribbean island has long wanted to become an American state and it enjoys special status as a Commonwealth, with a social safety net paid for by US taxpayers. It has been in deep recession for a decade and it's governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla has stated that it's national debt of $ 72 billion is virtually " unpayable ".
There is a ghostly parallel here to the situation in Greece. The currency of Puerto Rico is the US dollar and it's spiking value is undermining Puerto Rican exports and making the tourist trade uncompetitive. Recession has seen five percent of it's citizens migrate abroad - mainly to the US - to seek better job opportunities and only forty percent of it's citizens work in the regular work force. It is a country of small enterprise, often conducted from home.
Fortunately, almost the entire Puerto Rican debt is owed to America and it is anticipated that eventually the island will follow the course of Hawaii and achieve statehood. It will then be little different to the other US states in holding debt owed to Uncle Sam that is continually rolled over from year to year.
The big danger when paying debt becomes a problem - is precedent. Debtor nations are watching closely and a few years ago Africa was deemed encumbered with unpayable debt and much of this was " forgiven ". Argentina, a regular debt defaulter has been forced into a further default when a court found in favour of "Vulture " funds which had snapped up it's unpaid debt for mere pennies and insisted it be included in a scheduled part payment.
Russia used trumped up charges and dodgy accounting to dismember a major oil company and disperse it's assets to the state. It's original shareholders won a damages case and Russia is using state sovereignty and refusing to pay up and it seems likely that it's foreign holdings may be seized.
In many other cases international debt has been subjected to arbitration, resulting in the debt being settled in what has been called a " haircut " with the debt holders being forced to settle for less.
Fear of where the final outcome may lead seems to influence decision makers. In the vast majority of cases finality is deferred - until another day !
There will be obvious short term gains. Emergency funds will see the banks reopen and some sort of pension payments will recommence, but apart from that - nothing has changed. Greece is still stuck with a vastly over valued Euro that is crippling it's economy and it will continue to have a huge number of people unemployed. Younger - smarter - educated Greeks will leave the country in droves and those remaining will stagger under the yoke of what is clearly an unpayable debt.
It can only be concluded that this new bailout is an arrangement between " brave souls ". The Greeks are stuck with a prime minister who has done precisely what he was elected not to do, and the leaders of the EU have doled out more loan money to a country that has not met it's previous reform commitments in exchange for past bailouts.
It would indeed be an optimist who thinks that the Greek saga is over. We seem to be midway through the stage version of a "Greek Tragedy " and the audience is waiting for the story to reach it's inevitable ending !
Greece has hogged the headlines for months and yet a similar debt problem is playing out on the other side of the world. Puerto Rico is a strange little country that America took under it's wing when as a result of the Spanish/American war of 1898 the United Status took "protectorate status " over Cuba, the Philippines and Puerto Rico.
This Caribbean island has long wanted to become an American state and it enjoys special status as a Commonwealth, with a social safety net paid for by US taxpayers. It has been in deep recession for a decade and it's governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla has stated that it's national debt of $ 72 billion is virtually " unpayable ".
There is a ghostly parallel here to the situation in Greece. The currency of Puerto Rico is the US dollar and it's spiking value is undermining Puerto Rican exports and making the tourist trade uncompetitive. Recession has seen five percent of it's citizens migrate abroad - mainly to the US - to seek better job opportunities and only forty percent of it's citizens work in the regular work force. It is a country of small enterprise, often conducted from home.
Fortunately, almost the entire Puerto Rican debt is owed to America and it is anticipated that eventually the island will follow the course of Hawaii and achieve statehood. It will then be little different to the other US states in holding debt owed to Uncle Sam that is continually rolled over from year to year.
The big danger when paying debt becomes a problem - is precedent. Debtor nations are watching closely and a few years ago Africa was deemed encumbered with unpayable debt and much of this was " forgiven ". Argentina, a regular debt defaulter has been forced into a further default when a court found in favour of "Vulture " funds which had snapped up it's unpaid debt for mere pennies and insisted it be included in a scheduled part payment.
Russia used trumped up charges and dodgy accounting to dismember a major oil company and disperse it's assets to the state. It's original shareholders won a damages case and Russia is using state sovereignty and refusing to pay up and it seems likely that it's foreign holdings may be seized.
In many other cases international debt has been subjected to arbitration, resulting in the debt being settled in what has been called a " haircut " with the debt holders being forced to settle for less.
Fear of where the final outcome may lead seems to influence decision makers. In the vast majority of cases finality is deferred - until another day !
Tuesday 14 July 2015
Stamp Duty Alternatives !
The vexing subject of stamp duty is attracting the attention of economists and there is a suggestion that it be replaced by increasing the GST from it's present ten percent to a new level of of twelve and a half percent - and be applied to a wider range of goods and services.
The Property Council has run this suggestion across a broad spectrum survey with a finding that forty-seven percent approve, thirty-two percent decline and twenty-one percent are undecided. The main objection to stamp duty is concentrated on first home buyers, making it harder for them to gain a foot on the home ownership ladder.
What seems to have escaped attention is the repetitive nature of this tax. Back in the early days of the last century we lived an entirely different lifestyle. A young couple married and he became the "breadwinner " and she became the "homemaker ". It was rare for married women to continue to be employed and most men continued in the same job for the rest of their working lives - and they lived in that first home they purchased until they died of old age.
Today both partners can expect to work for the greater balance of their lives and economists claim that not only will they have several job changes, they will need to retrain in entirely new work categories to remain skills relevant. It is likely that as a result they will probably have several changes of city and most probably changes of state - and that means changes of housing.
Often, the first purchase is a city apartment to suit working in the CBD and the arrival of children make a move to the suburbs attractive to gain more space and a small backyard. It is almost certain that eventually retirement will involve a purchase in a retirement village - and in every occasion that dreaded stamp duty will apply to their housing costs.
One of the problems of trying to modify stamp duty is the fact that it is a state tax and as such is subjected to different political outlooks and vastly changed land values. In New South Wales it returned $ 7.3 billion to the state treasury in 2014/15 and delivered a surplus of $ 2.1 billion. It is therefore an integral part of the finance pie.
Of course, it would be logical to trim the rate that applies to stamp duty as the price of housing elevated, but that would deprive state treasuries of much needed funds and the loss would need to be replaced by some other form of tax. We seem to be heading towards a compromise that would see the stamp duty rate lowered, but compensated by a small increase in the GST. The one thing that would founder on politics would be any move that reduces state income.
It s a fact of life that all forms of government become instantly addicted to income flow, just as drugs take hold of the lifestyle of users. There is also the issue that stamp duty applies to a lot of other transactions and not just house purchases. With hindsight it might have been a better tax collected when a house was sold rather than bought. In today's market, this impost could be better afforded by those quitting the market than those trying to gain a foothold - but trying to create such a change would be a nightmare.
Our GST is out of step with most other world economies in that food is excluded. This was probably necessary at the time of implementation to try and "sell " a brand new tax to a suspicious public but there is building pressure to reform taxation and close off a lot of tax breaks and collect tax wherever spending takes place - on the basis that the rich spend more than the poor.
While there is a certain logic in the tax net collecting when money is spent rather than when it is earned - and that does tend to close down the "black " economy - it would need to be very carefully orchestrated to compensate the lower income strata from becoming seriously out of pocket.
There is a tendency to set targets based on the average person. Unfortunately, this usually delivers excess dividends to those at the very top of the pyramid and abject penury to those at it's base. It will take the efforts of a very clever economist to deliver tax justice across all earning categories.
Whatever proposals that involve the GST will need a very thorough work evaluation to determine the final outcome !
The Property Council has run this suggestion across a broad spectrum survey with a finding that forty-seven percent approve, thirty-two percent decline and twenty-one percent are undecided. The main objection to stamp duty is concentrated on first home buyers, making it harder for them to gain a foot on the home ownership ladder.
What seems to have escaped attention is the repetitive nature of this tax. Back in the early days of the last century we lived an entirely different lifestyle. A young couple married and he became the "breadwinner " and she became the "homemaker ". It was rare for married women to continue to be employed and most men continued in the same job for the rest of their working lives - and they lived in that first home they purchased until they died of old age.
Today both partners can expect to work for the greater balance of their lives and economists claim that not only will they have several job changes, they will need to retrain in entirely new work categories to remain skills relevant. It is likely that as a result they will probably have several changes of city and most probably changes of state - and that means changes of housing.
Often, the first purchase is a city apartment to suit working in the CBD and the arrival of children make a move to the suburbs attractive to gain more space and a small backyard. It is almost certain that eventually retirement will involve a purchase in a retirement village - and in every occasion that dreaded stamp duty will apply to their housing costs.
One of the problems of trying to modify stamp duty is the fact that it is a state tax and as such is subjected to different political outlooks and vastly changed land values. In New South Wales it returned $ 7.3 billion to the state treasury in 2014/15 and delivered a surplus of $ 2.1 billion. It is therefore an integral part of the finance pie.
Of course, it would be logical to trim the rate that applies to stamp duty as the price of housing elevated, but that would deprive state treasuries of much needed funds and the loss would need to be replaced by some other form of tax. We seem to be heading towards a compromise that would see the stamp duty rate lowered, but compensated by a small increase in the GST. The one thing that would founder on politics would be any move that reduces state income.
It s a fact of life that all forms of government become instantly addicted to income flow, just as drugs take hold of the lifestyle of users. There is also the issue that stamp duty applies to a lot of other transactions and not just house purchases. With hindsight it might have been a better tax collected when a house was sold rather than bought. In today's market, this impost could be better afforded by those quitting the market than those trying to gain a foothold - but trying to create such a change would be a nightmare.
Our GST is out of step with most other world economies in that food is excluded. This was probably necessary at the time of implementation to try and "sell " a brand new tax to a suspicious public but there is building pressure to reform taxation and close off a lot of tax breaks and collect tax wherever spending takes place - on the basis that the rich spend more than the poor.
While there is a certain logic in the tax net collecting when money is spent rather than when it is earned - and that does tend to close down the "black " economy - it would need to be very carefully orchestrated to compensate the lower income strata from becoming seriously out of pocket.
There is a tendency to set targets based on the average person. Unfortunately, this usually delivers excess dividends to those at the very top of the pyramid and abject penury to those at it's base. It will take the efforts of a very clever economist to deliver tax justice across all earning categories.
Whatever proposals that involve the GST will need a very thorough work evaluation to determine the final outcome !
Monday 13 July 2015
An Interesting Space Mission !
Pluto - the last planet orbiting our sun is about to get a visit from the space probe " New Horizons " in the next few days. Pluto was only discovered as recently as 1930 and it is completely baffling to science because it appears to be a "dwarf " planet, or perhaps just a big space rock. It is only about a sixth of the diameter of our moon, but it has five of it's own moons and they orbit in a completely random pattern.
New Horizons was launched in January 2006 and has attained a speed of fourteen kilometres per second on it's journey into space, making it the fastest space probe ever. Until now, Pluto has been virtually ignored and we have concentrated more on Mars and distant galaxies, but this tiny sub planet has intrigued many people and we are finally getting to unmask it's secrets. The theory persists that when this galaxy was being formed poor old Pluto was probably work in progress - and nature ran out of building materials and gave up on the job, leaving it half finished.
It is what happens when New Horizons is finished taking photos of Pluto that the real mission begins. It will continue it's journey deeper into space and during 2017 until 2020 it will be investigating the Kuiper Belt - and that is something that many think poses the most danger to planet Earth.
Way out in space the Kuiper Belt is a mass of space debris of almost unimaginable proportions. We think it consists of rocks of various sizes drifting endlessly in orbit and in all probability these were left over when the planets were formed. This was the raw material that the nucleus gravity of each planet attracted as it coalesced it's solid core and formed a magnetic field - that attracted even more debris - and eventually created an atmosphere.
The problem is this mass of rock is quite capable of colliding and such collisions can change orbits. Our earth is a very tiny little target in a very big sky, but should one of these large space rocks come our way and slice into the earth it could send us the same way as the Dinosaurs - into extinction.
Judging by the craters on our moon, space collisions were a frequent oddity in the distant past and we still see small meteorites burning up in the night sky. We call them"shooting Stars " and they usually burn up before they reach this planet's surface, but more formidable hits can occur without warning.
In 1908 one of these devastated eight hundred square miles of forest in Tunguska in Russia's Siberia. It is estimated that a space rock coming to earth caused an explosion consistent with that of about forty nuclear bombs of Hiroshima size, and in February, 2013 a much smaller event happened over Chelyabinsk, a Russian city in the Ural mountains. The sonic boom broke thousands of windows and caused brick walls to topple, and dozens of people suffered injuries. Despite space research and facilities like the Hubble telescope, we had no advance warning that such a disaster was about to happen.
That is what worries some scientists. If a similar event to what happened in Tunguska in 2008 hit and demolished a major world city it could be thought to be a nuclear strike - and set off a raging nuclear war in response. We need to know a lot more about the Kuiper belt and how we can advance our early warning system - or possibly take action to nudge an oncoming rock onto a new course to miss Earth.
New Horizons will give us our first look at just what is in a massive circular orbit and with that knowledge we may be able to create a way of predicting future danger. We would all sleep a lot more soundly knowing that we have satellites keeping an eye on the Kuiper belt. The first task is to map it's extent - and that is about to happen !
New Horizons was launched in January 2006 and has attained a speed of fourteen kilometres per second on it's journey into space, making it the fastest space probe ever. Until now, Pluto has been virtually ignored and we have concentrated more on Mars and distant galaxies, but this tiny sub planet has intrigued many people and we are finally getting to unmask it's secrets. The theory persists that when this galaxy was being formed poor old Pluto was probably work in progress - and nature ran out of building materials and gave up on the job, leaving it half finished.
It is what happens when New Horizons is finished taking photos of Pluto that the real mission begins. It will continue it's journey deeper into space and during 2017 until 2020 it will be investigating the Kuiper Belt - and that is something that many think poses the most danger to planet Earth.
Way out in space the Kuiper Belt is a mass of space debris of almost unimaginable proportions. We think it consists of rocks of various sizes drifting endlessly in orbit and in all probability these were left over when the planets were formed. This was the raw material that the nucleus gravity of each planet attracted as it coalesced it's solid core and formed a magnetic field - that attracted even more debris - and eventually created an atmosphere.
The problem is this mass of rock is quite capable of colliding and such collisions can change orbits. Our earth is a very tiny little target in a very big sky, but should one of these large space rocks come our way and slice into the earth it could send us the same way as the Dinosaurs - into extinction.
Judging by the craters on our moon, space collisions were a frequent oddity in the distant past and we still see small meteorites burning up in the night sky. We call them"shooting Stars " and they usually burn up before they reach this planet's surface, but more formidable hits can occur without warning.
In 1908 one of these devastated eight hundred square miles of forest in Tunguska in Russia's Siberia. It is estimated that a space rock coming to earth caused an explosion consistent with that of about forty nuclear bombs of Hiroshima size, and in February, 2013 a much smaller event happened over Chelyabinsk, a Russian city in the Ural mountains. The sonic boom broke thousands of windows and caused brick walls to topple, and dozens of people suffered injuries. Despite space research and facilities like the Hubble telescope, we had no advance warning that such a disaster was about to happen.
That is what worries some scientists. If a similar event to what happened in Tunguska in 2008 hit and demolished a major world city it could be thought to be a nuclear strike - and set off a raging nuclear war in response. We need to know a lot more about the Kuiper belt and how we can advance our early warning system - or possibly take action to nudge an oncoming rock onto a new course to miss Earth.
New Horizons will give us our first look at just what is in a massive circular orbit and with that knowledge we may be able to create a way of predicting future danger. We would all sleep a lot more soundly knowing that we have satellites keeping an eye on the Kuiper belt. The first task is to map it's extent - and that is about to happen !
Sunday 12 July 2015
Lowering the " Stars and Bars " !
It seems strange a hundred and fifty years after the end of the American Civil war the flag of the losing side still flies over the Statehouse of South Carolina, the first state to secede from the Union. That war raged from 1861 to 1865 and the first shots were fired in South Carolina when the Confederacy fired on Fort Sumter.
This war was probably inevitable because America's north and south developed very different economies. The north was a manufacturing economy while the south excelled at agriculture - and specially tobacco and cotton. This was labour intensive and relied on slave traders raiding villages in Africa and capturing black men, women and children for transport to America to be sold by public bidding in the slave markets. That war decided the issue of slavery and the eleven states that formed the Confederacy were forced to surrender in 1865.
Freedom means different things to different people. While southern former slaves were no longer owned by their masters, rigid restrictions remained. They were denied the vote and this after war era saw the white robed Ku Klux Klan impose it's code of order on the black community - in what came to be called the "Jim Crow " order of segregation. This " White Supremacy " ethos signalled it's presence by the inclusion of the stars and bars of the Confederacy flag on public buildings, on car number plates and often on the label of manufactured goods.
South Carolina has now ordered the Confederate flag to be lowered on the Statehouse and removed to a civil war museum after a white teenager used it as a symbol of his wish to start a new race war when he shot and killed nine black worshippers in a historic black church. Major American shopping chains have announced they will no longer sell merchandise bearing the Confederate flag and there are moves by other former Confederate states to drop this symbol from car registration plates.
Taking the flag from public disclosure by legislation will do little to change the view on white/black relations held by those whose outlook has remained unchanged since 1865. There is even the likelihood that it may gain new life as the symbol of hate groups, just as the swastika is still revered by neo-Nazi adherents of National Socialism still lingering in Germany. The difference is that anyone openly flying the swastika in Germany would find themselves quickly incarcerated in a prison.
That church shooting elevated the Confederate flag to a hate symbol that probably only existed in very few minds. To many others it was a nostalgic memory of how many thought of the "old south " - somewhat romantically of great plantations and a social way of life as extolled in the movie "Gone with the Wind ". There is an ever present danger that in banning something, we simply elevate it as a symbol around which a new form of hate festers.
It is worth remembering that Australia had an armed rebellion in 1854 when angry gold miners objected to the authorities tripling the license to dig for gold to three pounds per month and sent police on regular rounds to inspect valid licenses. This led to what became called the "Eureka Stockade " when armed miners clashed with British soldiers, leaving 27 dead. The battle was fought under the Eureka flag, which depicted the Southern Cross - which is a constellation in this hemispheres sky.
This Southern Cross is now the emblem of protest. In particular, it has been adopted by the most militant trade unions but it is also a favourite depiction of what is Australian in sport and where national fervor arises. It would be unthinkable to ban it because it once was hoisted above a historic battle scene. The miners may have lost that "war " but the Southern Cross is now a universal symbol with wide meaning. It is simply an integral part of the Australian culture.
Time will tell how this move to banish the Confederate flag evolves. The fact that it was adopted by a young man with hatred towards coloured people has elevated it to a notoriety that it doesn't deserve.
That church shooting has reinforced the link between the Confederate flag and slavery. A month ago it flew on flag poles virtually unnoticed. Now - the very sight of it will send many people into tirades of rage. The end result may be the exact opposite of what was intended !
This war was probably inevitable because America's north and south developed very different economies. The north was a manufacturing economy while the south excelled at agriculture - and specially tobacco and cotton. This was labour intensive and relied on slave traders raiding villages in Africa and capturing black men, women and children for transport to America to be sold by public bidding in the slave markets. That war decided the issue of slavery and the eleven states that formed the Confederacy were forced to surrender in 1865.
Freedom means different things to different people. While southern former slaves were no longer owned by their masters, rigid restrictions remained. They were denied the vote and this after war era saw the white robed Ku Klux Klan impose it's code of order on the black community - in what came to be called the "Jim Crow " order of segregation. This " White Supremacy " ethos signalled it's presence by the inclusion of the stars and bars of the Confederacy flag on public buildings, on car number plates and often on the label of manufactured goods.
South Carolina has now ordered the Confederate flag to be lowered on the Statehouse and removed to a civil war museum after a white teenager used it as a symbol of his wish to start a new race war when he shot and killed nine black worshippers in a historic black church. Major American shopping chains have announced they will no longer sell merchandise bearing the Confederate flag and there are moves by other former Confederate states to drop this symbol from car registration plates.
Taking the flag from public disclosure by legislation will do little to change the view on white/black relations held by those whose outlook has remained unchanged since 1865. There is even the likelihood that it may gain new life as the symbol of hate groups, just as the swastika is still revered by neo-Nazi adherents of National Socialism still lingering in Germany. The difference is that anyone openly flying the swastika in Germany would find themselves quickly incarcerated in a prison.
That church shooting elevated the Confederate flag to a hate symbol that probably only existed in very few minds. To many others it was a nostalgic memory of how many thought of the "old south " - somewhat romantically of great plantations and a social way of life as extolled in the movie "Gone with the Wind ". There is an ever present danger that in banning something, we simply elevate it as a symbol around which a new form of hate festers.
It is worth remembering that Australia had an armed rebellion in 1854 when angry gold miners objected to the authorities tripling the license to dig for gold to three pounds per month and sent police on regular rounds to inspect valid licenses. This led to what became called the "Eureka Stockade " when armed miners clashed with British soldiers, leaving 27 dead. The battle was fought under the Eureka flag, which depicted the Southern Cross - which is a constellation in this hemispheres sky.
This Southern Cross is now the emblem of protest. In particular, it has been adopted by the most militant trade unions but it is also a favourite depiction of what is Australian in sport and where national fervor arises. It would be unthinkable to ban it because it once was hoisted above a historic battle scene. The miners may have lost that "war " but the Southern Cross is now a universal symbol with wide meaning. It is simply an integral part of the Australian culture.
Time will tell how this move to banish the Confederate flag evolves. The fact that it was adopted by a young man with hatred towards coloured people has elevated it to a notoriety that it doesn't deserve.
That church shooting has reinforced the link between the Confederate flag and slavery. A month ago it flew on flag poles virtually unnoticed. Now - the very sight of it will send many people into tirades of rage. The end result may be the exact opposite of what was intended !
Saturday 11 July 2015
Selling out " Worker's Rights " !
It seems that the first "Trade Union " was formed in Merry Olde England way back in 1824. A group of farmers agreed to cut the pay of their farm hands and expected to get away with it because they were the only employers in the district. If they maintained discipline, the farm workers would have to accept their offer.
Six men refused - and were put before a magistrate and sentenced to seven years transportation to Australia. The sentence was carried out and this caused such a public outcry that the English government issued pardons and paid compensation. Called the "Tolpuddle Martyrs " the victims had quickly gained their own farms in New South Wales and most refused to return to England, instead having their wives and children join then in this new land.
A Royal Commission into the Australian Trade Union movement is discovering deceit and malpractice that goes to the root of the association between politics and those who hold office to represent workers. At it's base is the conundrum of where loyalties lay. Some think that getting a supporting political party into governing office takes precedence because that can deliver legislation to enhance worker's rights, while others expect union leaders to represent the men and women who pay their weekly dues to see they get a fair wage and decent working conditions.
Unfortunately, the record of those elected to control the levers of power within the union structure is far from glorious. We have seen greed and avarice dragged through the courts when union representatives have used public money to live the high life, hiring prostitutes and using union funds as their own personal piggy bank. Some unions have simply degenerated into criminal fiefdoms which use their muscle to exploit the opportunities that power delivers to plunder the public purse. It is impossible to complete some public works without negotiating some sort of " peace " agreement with the unions to avoid bankruptcy.
These "deals " are coming to light as this Royal Commission probes and puts those in high places under the spotlight. One such arrangement paid the salary of a politicians campaign manager during an election and this was not disclosed - as required by law. That happened in tandem with the same firm negotiating a workers pay agreement with the union - and final disclosure only happened days before it became known that it would be raised in this public enquiry.
The "lurks and perks " were astonishing. In some cases firms were induced to pay the union dues of their workers into union funds because that automatically ensured that they could vote on union matters as fully paid up members - and this was to the advantage of the union boss seeking higher office. In many cases, the final pay arrangement actually disadvantages workers and they received less than the awards, but this was in exchange for lump sums paid to the union under the guise of various research projects or educational programmes.
Welcome to a world of evasive answers and subterfuge. The most likely outcome is a further drop in the numbers joining unions - and that has become a mere shadow of the glory days of past decades. There is a place for well run unions and obviously some unionists run for office with good intentions and deliver on their promises, but they seem few - and far between. As a class of people we are not exactly enamoured with our politicians - and some union leaders rank even far lower - verging on outright criminality.
The main outcome of this Royal Commission will be to drag union - and political - malpractice kicking and screaming - into public view. The rank and file will demand more accountability about how their funds are dispersed and laws may need to be changed to ensure that legal business practices apply to audits and procedures for disbursing funds and they no longer remain at the sole discretion of office holders.
It is doubtful that anyone will actually face criminal charges. This enquiry has been described as a "witch hunt " and much of the evidence consists of innuendo and skirting the fine edges of the law. The power of the most militant unions remains unbroken and they retain the power to disrupt worksites and cause catastrophic loss to those who employ their members. To tame that situation may involve a war that Australian citizens are not yet prepared to fight.
The interesting thing will be how this outcome affects voting intentions. The ordinary rank and file trade unionist has a right to feel cheated and it is evident that the union movement has been a stepping stone for union leaders to get their snout in the gravy boat that is Federal parliament. The number of ex union parliamentarians holding office is just overwhelming.
Usually, memories are short - and nothing really changes !
Six men refused - and were put before a magistrate and sentenced to seven years transportation to Australia. The sentence was carried out and this caused such a public outcry that the English government issued pardons and paid compensation. Called the "Tolpuddle Martyrs " the victims had quickly gained their own farms in New South Wales and most refused to return to England, instead having their wives and children join then in this new land.
A Royal Commission into the Australian Trade Union movement is discovering deceit and malpractice that goes to the root of the association between politics and those who hold office to represent workers. At it's base is the conundrum of where loyalties lay. Some think that getting a supporting political party into governing office takes precedence because that can deliver legislation to enhance worker's rights, while others expect union leaders to represent the men and women who pay their weekly dues to see they get a fair wage and decent working conditions.
Unfortunately, the record of those elected to control the levers of power within the union structure is far from glorious. We have seen greed and avarice dragged through the courts when union representatives have used public money to live the high life, hiring prostitutes and using union funds as their own personal piggy bank. Some unions have simply degenerated into criminal fiefdoms which use their muscle to exploit the opportunities that power delivers to plunder the public purse. It is impossible to complete some public works without negotiating some sort of " peace " agreement with the unions to avoid bankruptcy.
These "deals " are coming to light as this Royal Commission probes and puts those in high places under the spotlight. One such arrangement paid the salary of a politicians campaign manager during an election and this was not disclosed - as required by law. That happened in tandem with the same firm negotiating a workers pay agreement with the union - and final disclosure only happened days before it became known that it would be raised in this public enquiry.
The "lurks and perks " were astonishing. In some cases firms were induced to pay the union dues of their workers into union funds because that automatically ensured that they could vote on union matters as fully paid up members - and this was to the advantage of the union boss seeking higher office. In many cases, the final pay arrangement actually disadvantages workers and they received less than the awards, but this was in exchange for lump sums paid to the union under the guise of various research projects or educational programmes.
Welcome to a world of evasive answers and subterfuge. The most likely outcome is a further drop in the numbers joining unions - and that has become a mere shadow of the glory days of past decades. There is a place for well run unions and obviously some unionists run for office with good intentions and deliver on their promises, but they seem few - and far between. As a class of people we are not exactly enamoured with our politicians - and some union leaders rank even far lower - verging on outright criminality.
The main outcome of this Royal Commission will be to drag union - and political - malpractice kicking and screaming - into public view. The rank and file will demand more accountability about how their funds are dispersed and laws may need to be changed to ensure that legal business practices apply to audits and procedures for disbursing funds and they no longer remain at the sole discretion of office holders.
It is doubtful that anyone will actually face criminal charges. This enquiry has been described as a "witch hunt " and much of the evidence consists of innuendo and skirting the fine edges of the law. The power of the most militant unions remains unbroken and they retain the power to disrupt worksites and cause catastrophic loss to those who employ their members. To tame that situation may involve a war that Australian citizens are not yet prepared to fight.
The interesting thing will be how this outcome affects voting intentions. The ordinary rank and file trade unionist has a right to feel cheated and it is evident that the union movement has been a stepping stone for union leaders to get their snout in the gravy boat that is Federal parliament. The number of ex union parliamentarians holding office is just overwhelming.
Usually, memories are short - and nothing really changes !
Friday 10 July 2015
Public Health Threats !
Medical panic swept through Australia when the words "Mad Cow disease " appeared on news broadcasts. Probably a lot of people dropped beef from their menu from fear that our cattle stock was infected, but it seems that we have little to fear. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease - or CJD as it is known - is one of two strains and the one that is killing a man here can not be spread by infection and has nothing to do with what we eat. It occurs sporadically and the chances of it appearing in our genes is similar to winning the jackpot in Lotto.
The other variation is a disease of cattle and outbreaks in Europe have led to the mass killing of dairy herds and the burning of their bodies in crematoriums . Thankfully, this disease has never been experienced in Australia.
This Mad Cow scare has come at an opportune time. The world disease fighting body setup by the United Nations is under heavy criticism for it's performance during the recent Ebola outbreak in Africa. We came very close to a world catastrophe and for a while it was touch and go as to whether Ebola would escape the confines of Sierra Leona, Liberia and Guinea and sweep through the rest of the world. The fact that it remained basically contained in Africa and killed only 11,000 people was not due to the efforts of the World Health Organization ( WHO ) who are supposed to be our guardian against mass disease.
Doctors without Borders is a private charity and it's people battled Ebola while the WHO initially did nothing ! It wasn't until August 2014 that the WHO declared an emergency and even then communications between the field and head office were mismatched - and the danger was disregarded. WHO failed to marshal world countries to provide the supplies and medical staff to isolate those infected and dispose of bodies, allowing the infection to gain ground.
It was noticeable that there was a vast difference between the effort to save lives in Africa and the reaction when an Ebola victim turned up in a western country. Medical resources swung into action and that person was whisked away into isolation. Medical teams were given the proper equipment to avoid contamination and no expense was spared in limiting the outbreak. In comparison, the incidence of those fighting the disease in Africa and catching Ebola because of sub standard facilities was high.
The WHO top tier of management now admit that the Ebola outbreak was handled badly. The question is whether they have learned and put in place the coordination to react swiftly the next time a threat appears - and that could be a freak of nature or the intentional act of war launched against the civil populations by jihadists. Not so long ago a mass attack with Anthrax seemed likely and it seems that most countries have at least dabbled in the development of both chemical and biological weapons.
Once Bubonic Plague killed at least a third of the population of Europe and we worry that nature may allow the passage of diseases from animals to humans. In particular, the danger is rising in avian and swine colonies and it seems that Ebola makes this passage when jungle animals are killed and eaten as "bush meat ". There have been outbreaks of both bird flu and swine flu and some scientists think that the emergence of a completely new disease is inevitable. It is only a matter of time.
The world was lucky that a charitable foundation entirely funded by public donations stepped into the gap and held the fort when Ebola burst onto the world scene. Doctors without Frontiers was more effective than the WHO, the Red Cross and the Red Crescent combined. All three have evolved into giant bureaucracies with extended command chains - and the inevitable fiefdoms that come into conflict with one another and slow decision making.
Next time, we may not be so lucky. Now is the time to kick butts and slim down the bureaucracy into a working model that has the power to mobilize health workers and support facilities - and reform the WHO to do the job it was created to do !
The other variation is a disease of cattle and outbreaks in Europe have led to the mass killing of dairy herds and the burning of their bodies in crematoriums . Thankfully, this disease has never been experienced in Australia.
This Mad Cow scare has come at an opportune time. The world disease fighting body setup by the United Nations is under heavy criticism for it's performance during the recent Ebola outbreak in Africa. We came very close to a world catastrophe and for a while it was touch and go as to whether Ebola would escape the confines of Sierra Leona, Liberia and Guinea and sweep through the rest of the world. The fact that it remained basically contained in Africa and killed only 11,000 people was not due to the efforts of the World Health Organization ( WHO ) who are supposed to be our guardian against mass disease.
Doctors without Borders is a private charity and it's people battled Ebola while the WHO initially did nothing ! It wasn't until August 2014 that the WHO declared an emergency and even then communications between the field and head office were mismatched - and the danger was disregarded. WHO failed to marshal world countries to provide the supplies and medical staff to isolate those infected and dispose of bodies, allowing the infection to gain ground.
It was noticeable that there was a vast difference between the effort to save lives in Africa and the reaction when an Ebola victim turned up in a western country. Medical resources swung into action and that person was whisked away into isolation. Medical teams were given the proper equipment to avoid contamination and no expense was spared in limiting the outbreak. In comparison, the incidence of those fighting the disease in Africa and catching Ebola because of sub standard facilities was high.
The WHO top tier of management now admit that the Ebola outbreak was handled badly. The question is whether they have learned and put in place the coordination to react swiftly the next time a threat appears - and that could be a freak of nature or the intentional act of war launched against the civil populations by jihadists. Not so long ago a mass attack with Anthrax seemed likely and it seems that most countries have at least dabbled in the development of both chemical and biological weapons.
Once Bubonic Plague killed at least a third of the population of Europe and we worry that nature may allow the passage of diseases from animals to humans. In particular, the danger is rising in avian and swine colonies and it seems that Ebola makes this passage when jungle animals are killed and eaten as "bush meat ". There have been outbreaks of both bird flu and swine flu and some scientists think that the emergence of a completely new disease is inevitable. It is only a matter of time.
The world was lucky that a charitable foundation entirely funded by public donations stepped into the gap and held the fort when Ebola burst onto the world scene. Doctors without Frontiers was more effective than the WHO, the Red Cross and the Red Crescent combined. All three have evolved into giant bureaucracies with extended command chains - and the inevitable fiefdoms that come into conflict with one another and slow decision making.
Next time, we may not be so lucky. Now is the time to kick butts and slim down the bureaucracy into a working model that has the power to mobilize health workers and support facilities - and reform the WHO to do the job it was created to do !
Thursday 9 July 2015
A New "Consent " Demand !
It is well known that the Sydney Lord Mayor would like to chase cars out of the city and get people riding bikes as their prime means of transport and council has ripped up 660 parking spaces to create more inner city cycling lanes, but now a new tactic has the restaurant trade wondering if it is being singled out as part of this "no cars "" plan.
Redfern is becoming a trendy inner city suburb and on street parking is scarce, but the developers planning a big new restaurant were astonished to find what they consider a bizarre demand attached to the consent required by council for it's approval.
They will have to provide a "Green Travel Plan "" designed to discourage patrons from travelling to the restaurant by car and they will be required to monitor the means of transport diners use and submit an annual report. Presumably, reception will need to advise those booking for a meal of this restriction, although it is not clear whether conditions will apply to those who ignore the warning and arrive in their private car.
It certainly breaks new ground. In this case, the consent needed to establish a new eating place in the city is being held hostage to the means of transport it's customers will use. It will involve rather intrusive questioning at the time of booking and some arriving at the door may take umbrage at being asked their travel plans. Even when the greatest tact is used, this may rub a raw nerve with some people.
The civil liberties crowd will certainly question whether council has the right to impose this demand in exchange for allowing the establishment of a public facility in this city. There are many existing restaurants in and around Redfern and they will not be obliged to maintain such a register - nor compile an annual report. It is an imposition that could affect the economic viability of trying to establish a new clientele in an existing competitive market.
We are spending a lot of public money reintroducing trams to this city and work is underway extending the rail network. Running in tandem is the massive West Connex highway extension to speed road traffic in and out of the CBD and all this raises the question of just who has the responsibility for car parking space.
It could be construed that councils are making an end play to force the use of public transport by making travel intentions of customers an item in gaining project assent. Access is certainly a limitation that any developer would take into consideration when planning a project but that is a commercial decision and should not be rejected or approved on the whim of a council.
Basically, a lack of available parking presents an investment opportunity for the financial world. The aspect of free kerbside parking belonged to a distant age and now most kerb space is metered or time restrictions apply. In many cases refitting an aged building as a parking station for cars will return a far greater profit than merely offering it for rent as a site for offices or warehousing. If the demand for parking is consistent and over a long period that is a commercial decision that would be attractive to superannuation or investment fund managers.
Perhaps it is becoming unrealistic for people to expect to park their cars for free in the city when they dine or attend a cultural event. There is the risk of returning to find their valuable vehicle stolen or damaged and there would be appeal in paying a few dollars to have it safely stored under the watchful care of guards - and from where it can be accessed with the personal safety of the driver and guests assured.
It all seems to come down to a clash of wills between some people who want to use force to change driving habits and the reluctance of many to change their ways. When parking becomes a nightmare some will seek a public transport remedy, while others will simply avoid that area and go someplace else. That is where the skill of the entrepreneur comes into play. Those that make their product so appealing that rejection is not an option either manage to sway their customers to the public transport option, or the demand induces another entrepreneur to provide off street parking facilities.
The last thing this city needs is a council interfering in commercial decisions !
Redfern is becoming a trendy inner city suburb and on street parking is scarce, but the developers planning a big new restaurant were astonished to find what they consider a bizarre demand attached to the consent required by council for it's approval.
They will have to provide a "Green Travel Plan "" designed to discourage patrons from travelling to the restaurant by car and they will be required to monitor the means of transport diners use and submit an annual report. Presumably, reception will need to advise those booking for a meal of this restriction, although it is not clear whether conditions will apply to those who ignore the warning and arrive in their private car.
It certainly breaks new ground. In this case, the consent needed to establish a new eating place in the city is being held hostage to the means of transport it's customers will use. It will involve rather intrusive questioning at the time of booking and some arriving at the door may take umbrage at being asked their travel plans. Even when the greatest tact is used, this may rub a raw nerve with some people.
The civil liberties crowd will certainly question whether council has the right to impose this demand in exchange for allowing the establishment of a public facility in this city. There are many existing restaurants in and around Redfern and they will not be obliged to maintain such a register - nor compile an annual report. It is an imposition that could affect the economic viability of trying to establish a new clientele in an existing competitive market.
We are spending a lot of public money reintroducing trams to this city and work is underway extending the rail network. Running in tandem is the massive West Connex highway extension to speed road traffic in and out of the CBD and all this raises the question of just who has the responsibility for car parking space.
It could be construed that councils are making an end play to force the use of public transport by making travel intentions of customers an item in gaining project assent. Access is certainly a limitation that any developer would take into consideration when planning a project but that is a commercial decision and should not be rejected or approved on the whim of a council.
Basically, a lack of available parking presents an investment opportunity for the financial world. The aspect of free kerbside parking belonged to a distant age and now most kerb space is metered or time restrictions apply. In many cases refitting an aged building as a parking station for cars will return a far greater profit than merely offering it for rent as a site for offices or warehousing. If the demand for parking is consistent and over a long period that is a commercial decision that would be attractive to superannuation or investment fund managers.
Perhaps it is becoming unrealistic for people to expect to park their cars for free in the city when they dine or attend a cultural event. There is the risk of returning to find their valuable vehicle stolen or damaged and there would be appeal in paying a few dollars to have it safely stored under the watchful care of guards - and from where it can be accessed with the personal safety of the driver and guests assured.
It all seems to come down to a clash of wills between some people who want to use force to change driving habits and the reluctance of many to change their ways. When parking becomes a nightmare some will seek a public transport remedy, while others will simply avoid that area and go someplace else. That is where the skill of the entrepreneur comes into play. Those that make their product so appealing that rejection is not an option either manage to sway their customers to the public transport option, or the demand induces another entrepreneur to provide off street parking facilities.
The last thing this city needs is a council interfering in commercial decisions !
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