The " Privacy " issue !

As part of the computer age a new form of communication brought a mixed bag of delight and threats.  Public forums like Facebook and Twitter opened the opportunity for very " ordinary" people to have their say on anything from their personal gripes to comment on world events.  Just about any imaginable subject was open slather for a " Tweet " !

Unfortunately, there was a dark side to this world wide web.  When relationships soured a partner with malicious intent could post salacious pictures on the net to inflict hurt and the innocent party had difficulty getting them removed.   That was usually a lengthy process and by the time they succeeded - the damage was done !

Social media is such a new phenomenon that just how the law applies to it is uncertain.  Laws are now in place to punish people who post offensive material without the consent of the person depicted in any photograph or other form of image and the media proprietors must respond promptly to legitimate " take down " requests.  The protocols in place are being steadily tightened.

Now a new form of attack has burst onto the social media scene.  A correspondent who it is claimed is the CEO of a trading company has revealed damaging financial information on the inner workings of that company.  The matter revealed includes the margins in place to deliver profit and even the arrangements with individual clients.  This is precisely what the courts would consider " commercial confidential "  and slap on a restricted access notice if it emerged in a court case.

The instigator certainly was not that firms CEO.   Someone used that persons identity to create a Twitter account and it seems that this was part of a determined plan to harm the integrity of that company.  As fast as these tweets are taken down, new ones appear, purporting to come from other senior company members.   It seems to be a case of mass identity theft.

It is also apparent that the nature of the disclosure makes it certain that the information is coming from an internal source and of coursed the company is desperate to learn just who is responsible. Twitter refuses to reveal that information, unless ordered to do so by a court.  The company's lawyers have sought a court order to uncover the tweeters name, IP address, phone number, email address and location.   It is also requested that such information also apply to accounts linked to that same email.

No doubt this disgruntled tweeter will be unmasked, but that will open a new can of worms.  This was not a blackmail attempt.   There was no threat of further disclosures unless a ransom was paid, hence this disclosure was not a crime.   It is quite possible that simply disclosing information that its owner would prefer to keep secret breaks no law.  In fact, some people will claim that it is fully justified in the interests of " whistleblower "  protection.

Perhaps this opens a new hazard for company management.  The unnerving prospect that a low level employee with access to critical company information may become aggrieved because of being passed over for promotion and decide to take revenge on the company by divulging sensitive information on public media.   It also opens an avenue of discontent that may arise if management needs to discipline an employee for shoddy work.  It delivers an entirely new aspect on the risks companies face in maintaining good internal security and staff loyalty.

It seems that the advance of science is a double edged sword !

Now the " Abortion " Issue !

Most people are sick and tired of the avalanche of letters arriving in the daily mail seeking donations for various medical research charities.  We agree with the aims of many, but there is a limitation on how much the average family can afford to contribute.

The destination of the " charity dollar " is widely split.   We need to decide whether to fund medical research that may find a cure for many debilitating  diseases or whether the money would be better spent saving those starving to death in drought stricken countries but now it seems we are about to be asked to put our hands in or pocket to fund abortion and contraceptives for those Australians who can't pay for private services.

Marie Stopes Australia is the only supplier of medical abortion in this country and they have now attained tax deductable  status on the donations they received.  They are seeking " brave philanthropists " to bankroll a three million dollar fund to provide both abortions and contraceptives to those Australians unable to afford them.

The average cost of a medical termination in Australia runs to five hundred dollars, and this is unaffordable to many in the lower social order.  In addition, those from rural locations must find travel and accommodation money to access whatever services are available.   There are long waiting times for those seeking long acting reversible contraception at hospital out patients departments.

Reproductive services in Australia's health system stirs varied emotions.  The Catholic church opposes most forms of contraception and rejects abortion under any circumstances.  When the " pill " became the newest form of contraception more than half a century ago it put a cheap and reliable form of contraception in the hands of the masses.  To most people, the debate on contraception was over.

Abortion is an entirely different matter.  Publicly funded abortion services are not available in New South Wales, Queensland, The ACT and Tasmania.   Other states provide limited services and it is freely available in a few public hospitals only in Victoria.

In fact abortion is still a crime in New South Wales and is only permitted when a doctor deems that continuation of a pregnancy will harm the physical or mental health of that person.  This is open to wide interpretation and consequently availability usually relies on the moral outlook of the individual doctor.  It is freely available in some areas, and almost entirely missing in others.

Asking the public to donate to provide abortion services opens an old wound.   Those that oppose abortion tend to do so with an almost savage intensity.  A fund to pay for abortion services for the poor will be like waving a red flag in front of a bull.

Unfortunately, it seems the only way many will succeed in terminating an unwanted pregnancy.  We are unlikely to see debate in our parliament to allow pregnancy termination services in the hospital system.   Our cowardly politicians would run a mile before committing themselves to a public vote - and risk losing voting support in their electorates.

As the present furore over same sex marriage shows, anything to do with " sex " still stirs public emotions.  Unwanted pregnancies should be a thing of the past.  Modern, reliable contraception is available on prescription from most medical clinics but even the few dollars involved is beyond the reach of some people.

And for the really poor, that good old trusty condom is freely available for pennies at the local service station - and most grocery outlets !

Those " Heritage " Decisions !

The battle for the preservation of parts of " old " Sydney sometimes wanders into strange decision making.  Such was the case when plans went before council for a new apartment building on Bayswater street, Potts Point.  This was a replacement for a 1912 vintage Edwardian faced apartment building which some people thought had " heritage " value.   As a result, the plan only received approval with the inclusion of provisions that this old façade be preserved and integrated into the new building.

That certainly delivered immense problems to the developer, not the least of which was site access. How do you construct a new eight story, forty-four apartment building on a city site when the only access to the street is blocked by a façade - which must be retained ?   It seems the developer just ignored the heritage order and used sledge hammers to destroy the façade.

That was a law breach that could result in a $5 million fine and possibly a prison term if it proceeds to a criminal prosecution.  But the façade destruction did eliminate the problem of integrating something old into something new.  The heritage order required this old façade of Hensley Hall to be preserved and the new building constructed both behind and above that façade.    That would require a 1912 entrance to a building with apartments already selling off the plan for prices starting at $ 820,000.

The developer now claims that the destruction of the old façade was inevitable.  On inspection, it was found that the spandrels and parapets thought to be masonry were actually timber and this was rotted with age.  This unstable structure was cleared away because the developer intends to restore the façade - using brick.

From a point of view of building practice, trying to construct a new building while an unstable facade is preserved would be a nightmare.  Far easier to simply restore something reasonably like what was there before, but using modern material.   The only problem is that this new façade will bear absolutely no relationship to what was sought to be preserved.

To the eye of the historian, heritage is preservation of something that is an example of the past exactly as it was in that earlier period.  Many would question whether inflicting the façade of an old building on the front of a modern high building serves that purpose.  Few will be satisfied with a carefully constructed impression on what that old façade looked like but presented with modern building materials.

Now the law must take its course.  A punitive aspect must discourage others from interfering with heritage orders but it should also include a more technical involvement in the decision when heritage orders are being decided.   The aesthetics need to be in tune with the practical nature of what is proposed.

It will be interesting to see exactly what finally fronts the street when this new Hensley House opens its doors to the public.

The " Gender " Issue !

Becoming a director of a public company brings with it prestige and influence, but it also imposes an obligation to  abide by the rules that government agencies impose.  A director who flaunts those rules can face court and be convicted of a felony which results in a prison sentence.  In many cases, the court will bar that person from serving as a company director for a given number of years.

In the distant past, it was unusual for a woman to serve on the board of any company in Australia.  It was usual for a small group of men known for their business integrity to sit on a number of company boards and there was male exclusivity in both the board of directors and the senior management of most companies.  This was a very " comfortable " arrangement that persisted for years.

In fact, in the earlier twentieth century it was unusual for many women to have any sort of permanent employment after marriage.  The genders observed the male as the " breadwinner " and the female as the " home maker " and most women were simply tasked with rearing the children.   That is not the situation today.

The economics of present day Australia require both genders to earn a pay packet and a huge child care industry exists to allow that to happen.  Women have not yet risen to pay equality with men but they are fast moving into management roles and many are starting their own companies.  The " glass ceiling " has been shattered and one of the reasons is the move women have made in getting elected and serving in Australia's parliaments.

Those parliaments are now looking to rebalance company boards with a greater number of women directors and this seems to be meeting resistance. Statistics show that eleven of the ASX 200 companies have no women on their boards and a further sixty-four have just one.  There is suspicion that many companies simply select a reasonably compliant woman for the job and that the appointment is merely for " keeping up appearances ".  The  " real " decisions are still made by the conclave of men.

" Push " is changing to " shove " and the forty thousand members of the Australian Institute of Company Directors ( AICD ) is coming under pressure to accept a government mandated  quota system in which all boards will comprise a thirty percent women content by the end of 2018.

There is no doubt that the aspect of how women see things can be beneficial to the way companies do business because women are fifty percent of the purchasing public.  A well balanced board is less likely to make marketing mistakes or stray into practices which break the law, but there is a danger when appointing women to boards becomes a legal requirement.  Gender then becomes the ruling factor rather than aptitude for the job.

It is rather frightening to think that if this law becomes reality, in the coming fifteen months an enormous number of companies across the entire business spectrum will need to select and appoint women directors to achieve that thirty percent gender balance.  How many compliant wives or mistresses will be elevate to board status, to make up the numbers and achieve legality ?   How many women will be thrust into positions in which they lack the business knowledge or the particular depth of technical know how of the business they now control ?

It would do immeasurable damage to the status of women to have a few glaring examples of newly appointed women directors resulting in marketing fiascos - and the critics will exploit that with glee. This time factor is too short to implement with legal thrust.  A five year time frame would allow suitable women to be groomed for the job, and for women with board pretensions to prepare for that responsibility.

The " Rohingya " Problem !

The misery of unwelcome minorities at war with their hosts is often a tragic leftover from the days of European nations establishing their colonial empires.   At a time when Britain ruled both India and Burma and they needed workers to establish a new industry they simply moved expatriates from one country to another.

How the world has changed.   India gained freedom in 1947 but divided into India and Pakistan to separate warring religions.  Part of Pakistan later hived off to form Bangladesh and Burma changed its name to Myanmar.  A Muslim minority stranded in Myanmar are now the "Rohingya " and they are persecuted by their Buddhist hosts.

There are about a million Rohingya in a remote coastal part of Myanmar bordering Bangladesh.  They have lived there for many generations under British rule but the relationship soured after that country's independence.  The Rohingya live in poverty and they are refused national identity. Now they are experiencing a campaign of terror inflicted by the Myanmar army.  Their villages are being burned and they are subjected to rape and extermination.  Hundreds of thousands have been fleeing to Bangladesh.

In effect, this is a classic example of  " ethnic cleansing ".  The Myanmar Buddhists want to drive them out - and Bangladesh is an overcrowded country - and doesn't want them.  The United Nations is calling for calm and trying to negotiate a settlement.

Myanmar is not a normal country.  For years it was ruled by a military junta and only recently has it emerged as a part democracy.  The military yielded some power to Aung San Suu  Kyi but they control the parliament and retain full control of law and order - and defence.

One of the problems is that hot heads amongst the Rohingya took up arms and attacked police posts. That has caused the military to launch a reign of terror on the entire population and Aung San Suu Kyi's appeal for calm is being ignored.  The military claim that this Muslim insurgency will attract freedom fighters from Islamic State and they intend to stamp out the insurrection before it gathers strength.   They seem intent on pushing the Rohingya over the border and not letting them return.

Aung San Suu Kyi is in a difficult position.  The Buddhist masses  support the Rohingya removal and if she speaks out in their favour she will lose their support.   She walks a delicate balance, imposing a small degree of conformity on the army and gently nudging Myanmar towards becoming a democratic country.  She is losing world support because of her silence on the Rohingya.

Most of the Rohingya are now living in squalid refugee camps in Bangladesh.  Their villages are burnt to the ground and the Myanmar army shows no sign of stopping its campaign.  It seems the Rohingya will shortly be entirely displaced and the people of Myanmar will have got their wish.  Unfortunately, the Rohingya may end up being an unwelcome Muslim minority imposed on a resentful Muslim majority country.   Their impoverishment is unlikely to improve.

The United Nations may impose sanctions on Myanmar, but that country is struggling to find its place in the world and sanctions may cause the army to reimpose the control it is only slowly yielding.  If force resulted in a Rohingya return, it would probably become a religious civil war as freedom fighters join what is fast becoming a religious jihad.

When religion is involved, sanity rarely prevails !

Threat to Uber !

When Uber suddenly thrust itself on the taxi market with a competing fleet of privately owned cars most people were astonished.  It was thought that the taxi industry was a closed shop.  The government carefully controlled the number of license plates it allowed and owning a plate to operate a taxi was a very valuable commodity.  Taxi plates changed hands for thousands of dollars.

Suddenly, Uber crashed onto the market and appeared to totally ignore the law that applied to the taxi industry.  Their effrontery brought them the free publicity they craved as they sought ordinary motorists and their cars to create a competing taxi service that would undercut the regulated fares charged by the  regulated taxi industry.

The carefully constructed regimen that applied to taxis was discarded.  Cab drivers could be fined for failing to wear the approved uniform and cabs needed to be fitted with a fare meter that charged on a mixed combination of distance travelled and time elapsed.   Uber passengers had their fare charged to their credit card and the rate varied according to the time of day and demand for cabs.  If it started to rain - and cab use increased - the fare was immediately hiked.

These cheaper fares brought immediate public support.  No longer were cabs identifiable by their livery and signage.   The car that arrived in response to a phone call could be any make or model, and the driver could be of either gender - and any age.  Passengers were often later quizzed on their ride satisfaction.   Was the driver courteous ?   Did the trip meet expectations ?

Naturally, the regulated industry protested loudly.  The competition decreased the income of licensed taxi drivers sharply and the value of taxi plates immediately dropped.  The regulated industry warned that children and young adults were being placed in the hands of drivers who had not undergone security checks and were at risk, but cheaper fares were resulting in a steady custom on the Uber network.

It looked like Uber was unstoppable.  Despite legal action to enforce the taxi laws Uber became established in world cities, despite mayhem in its operating inner circle.   There were claims of sexist behaviour and cronyism and its founder was forced to resign.  The company was accepting operating losses as it gained strength in the market and there was the expectation that a more regulated approach would be forthcoming shortly.

All that changed with the news that the mighty city of London had announced that Uber's license to operate would not be renewed when it expired on September 30.  Despite the Uber bravado that it was a " pirate " operator it seems it did need a license.  World city authorities had simply caved in under pressure - and  now this Achillies heel law has been revealed.

London's transport regulator found that Uber's approach and conduct was not fit and proper to hold a private vehicle hire license.  It said Uber had demonstrated a " lack of corporate responsibility " and cited " potential public safety and security implications ".

No doubt this will go to appeal to the highest court but the ability to ignore the law and operate freely in London has been curbed - and other world cities will be watching with interest.  What may emerge is a more regulated Uber forced to operate more in keeping with the traditional industry.  It is quite possible that those very appealing cheap fares may move closer to those of the traditional cab fleets if this concept of private cars being used for hire is allowed to continue.

Whenever a new concept emerges in defiance of the government it is not an equal contest.  The government has reserve powers - and in the end the government usually wins !

The " Radicalization " Process !

Law enforcement has a problem deciding how to deal with jihadist terrorists who have been convicted and sentenced to prison.  They are regarded as very dangerous prisoners and in New South Wales they are concentrated in our most secure prison - the Supermax at Goulburn.   They are kept separate from other prisoners to avoid the spread of radicalization.

At present, official policy relies heavily on isolation.  Prisoners are not allowed mobile phones and contact with friends and families is restricted to monitored land line phone calls in which they are prohibited from conversing in Arabic.   It is evident that a clandestine supply chain exists and that contraband finds its way into prisons in exchange for money.  That has always existed across all levels of incarceration.

The terrorists who exist in Australia are linked to Islamic State and we therefore contend that this is a religious war.  The aim of Islamic State is to conquer and install a Caliphate and impose their Wahabistic version of Islam on all that they control.  Where they reign we have seen incredible cruelty and they do not hesitate to use social media to illustrate their way of life to the world.

A terrorist in an Australian prison has a lot to offer those with whom he has contact.  He is a man of power representing what others see as a successful organization which until recently has carved out a kingdom in the Middle East.  One of the key recruiting issues is the well publicised fate of non Muslim women captured in conquered territory.   They were regarded as sex slaves and those not desired by terrorists are sold in slave markets to the highest bidder.  To unsuccessful, low life ordinary prisoners this would sound a huge incentive to join terrorist ranks.   It is not surprising that jailed terrorists can successfully radicalize new recruits.

Some psychologists question the depth of religious fervour driving many jihadists. It seems to be part of the human psyche to seek to attain power and this jihadist outlook sheds both mercy and the usual moral restraints that apply.  It offers a life of excitement and the ability to exercise a degree of power unimaginable in their normal life in the lower social order.   Such people are in prison because they represent society's failures.

This is nothing new.  Gang bosses who have emerged to the top of the criminal heap by cunning and bravado have always recruited gangs during their time in prison. They offer a degree of protection to those who come under their reign and use their wealth to disperse favours to reinforce their rule.  In todays world, jihadists are the people who can dispense this power to the lower order.

A school of thought is emerging that jihadists maintain their cohesion by being congregated together. Should they be spread widely in the general prison community this isolation would tend to sap their conviction to jihad and aid rehabilitation.  This is a style of imprisonment that is being tried in Victoria.

Once again, results will be determined by the individual characteristics of each jihadist.   Those recruited by the prospect of power and excitement will probably crumble first but it is a worthy experiment and a reasonable alternative to the present method - which is not producing a result.

Mandatory "Re-Call " Laws !

If you are driving a Toyota, Nissan, Honda or a Mazda make of car there is a very good chance that the air bag that was designed to save you in a crash - may kill you instead. A vast number of car manufacturers fitted their models with Tanaka brand air bags and then it was discovered that they have a fault.  In some instances, when the bag inflates to cushion your head in a crash, the propellant becomes excessive and destroys its restraints, sending sharp particles of metal into the face of the person behind the air bag - with fatal results.   It is like driving with a shotgun pointed at your head.

The Tanaka company has been driven into bankruptcy and the re-call and replacement of these faulty air bags is now the responsibility of the individual car manufacturers, but the work has progressed tardily.  Almost 2.5million cars in Australia have had their air bags replaced, but a huge number are still waiting and now another 877,000 cars thought to be unaffected have joined the queue.

The government suspects that the car industry is dragging the chain because of the enormous cost involved, and because they consider the risk overstated.  It is a fact that only a small percentage of these air bags deliver a lethal result and in the entire globe only nineteen fatalities have been recorded, with about two hundred others suffering lesser injury.  This is a voluntary re-call, and the government is thinking of making it mandatory.   That is causing the entire car industry shock and alarm.

It is reasonable to understand that manufacturing such a large order of replacements would take time and many members of the public have been slow to respond to that re-call.  Over the years there have been numerous car safety problems that have resulted in fatalities and the car industry fears that if mandatory re-call becomes an issue it could bankrupt any of the major car companies who have the misfortune to experience a major re-call fault.

For some strange reason, Australia treats cars differently to other goods and services covered by consumer protection laws.   If you buy a faulty toaster or television set the famous " Thee R's " apply - Replacement - Refund - or Repair -  at the customers choice.  Many people have called for what are called " Lemon Laws " to apply to cars.  So far these have not been applied in this country.

The modern car is a marvellous piece of machinery constructed on a production line and faults are rare, but occasionally someone has the misfortune to get one that seems to spend weeks in the repair shop having warranty faults fixed.   In many other countries, specific laws come into play when the repair time exceeds a limit - and the customer can return the car for a refund or accept a new car as a replacement.

That is not particularly onerous on the car manufacturer.   Obviously, they will eventually fix the fault and sell the car again  on the used car lot.  It simply transfers whatever loss is involved from the owner to the manufacturer - and that is what protection laws are supposed to provide.   That is the penalty for creating a defective product.

The government may be threatening to make re-calls mandatory to spur the car industry to make a greater effort to quickly resolve this air bag problem.  While the risk of death from a faulty air bag is small it needs to be eliminated entirely.  While it exists, a simple rear end bump would be sufficient to result in an air bag fatality - and that is unacceptable.

Perhaps now is a good time to create a realistic " Lemon Law " to protect car buyers.

The Education " Money Trap " !

It is now familiar lore that without a university education todays children are destined to join the vast majority who will face long term unemployment as the world embraces both robotics and AI.  Gaining that all important degree is fast becoming an obsession with many parents who make sacrifices to ensure that their children attain the " good life " !

Unfortunately, we are seeing many students both failing to adjust to university life and dropping their studies because they are not mentally tuned to academic study.  In Australia, they walk away owing a HECS debt, but many overseas students studying at our universities pay full fees upfront.  In most cases, that money comes from their parents pocket.

Education in Australia is one of our major export industries.   We gain a whopping £ 21.8 billion annually educating the world's children and our universities are magnets for attracting students from both China and India. In foreign eyes, an education in Australia is deemed far superior to what is offering in their home country.

That Australian university education used to almost guarantee both a good job and a big salary.  The number of people who now attain university qualifications is diluting the job markets and this is specially prevalent in China.  A survey of 150,000 Chinese overseas students has revealed that they now make only 500 Chinese Yuan ($100 ) more a month than Chinese educated university graduates.

The problem is that for the average Chinese parent the cost of sending their sole son or daughter for an Australian education is financially crippling.  In many cases they can only raise that sort of money by selling their home and many make that sacrifice in the expectation that it will bestow wealth on their child.  In China, a lack of welfare results in most children caring for their parents in their old age.

The warning sign is both loud and clear.   If this flow of overseas students diminishes sharply our universities will be in dire financial trouble.  Melbourne's big Monash university gained income of $ 652 million from overseas students last year - and that was an increase of 23 percent on the previous year.

We seem to becoming hostage to public opinion.   The pundits are emphatic that we are facing a jobs drought and the uneducated are doomed to penury, but not all children are suited to academic study and many are being pushed into universities who would be better off learning a trade.  We are now finding that most trades deliver as good a financial return - if not better - than many qualified people in professional fields.

Unfortunately, the solution is not in our hands.   Chinese parents were artificially forced to limit family size and consequently they bestow great hope on a single son or daughter.   Their hopes often exceed that persons ability to cope with their expectations, leading to financial disaster.

We can only await the inflow of students finding its own level, but we would be wise to strictly monitor the credentials of learning institutions offering education in this country.  Some have recently closed their doors, leaving students stranded without promised diplomas and doubt has been cast on their achievement levels.  It is essential that oversight achieves probity to maintain the integrity level that makes Australia a worthy educational destination on the world stage.

Doomed to Failure !

There is not a major city in the world that does not have what some euphemistically call a " Red Light District ".   The characteristics change from city to city, but it is generally conceded that this is the place where sex can be bought and it will contain a concentration of bars and entertainment venues providing activities designed to shock and titillate party goers.   In Sydney that used to aptly describe Kings Cross.

Earlier, it was Sydney's " bohemian " district but during the war in Vietnam it became the R & R venue for both Australian and American troops.  Understandably, the type of entertainment sought by young men released from the battle scene centred around " girly " shows and Kings Cross was  named " the Golden Mile ".  Venues made their proprietors very rich and Kings Cross became the epicentre of crime in Australia.

When the Vietnam war ended the clientele changed.  The young people of Sydney seeking a night out headed to Kings Cross and soon unruly crowds milling in the streets and moving between venues brought trouble.  Fist fights brought death to some and the government introduced lock-out laws to tame the crowds.  Those crowds withered away and forty-two bars, clubs and small businesses have since closed their doors.  " The Cross " is now a desolate scene far removed from the previous glory days.

Inevitably, with land prices rocketing in this city the business community sees opportunity. Kings Cross is located right in the heart of the city and these venues are ripe for redevelopment. Plans are coming forward to turn these old venues into towering office blocks but pressure is being brought to retain some of the iconic neon signs that made the old Cross the roaring vice capital of an earlier age.  It is proposed that the spectacular signage that proclaimed both " Porky's" and " Dream Girls " be retained and simply tacked on to the front of new office blocks to satisfy the whims of the National Trust.

We have not had a lot of success in grafting memories of an older Sydney on newer structures and somehow lurid neon signs advertising venues many would prefer to forget grafted on the front of buildings containing the offices of respectable companies does not appeal.  To some, it may seem " tacky "  and it is being referred to as bringing a " Disneyland " aspect to the city.   Introducing a " make believe " element.

The old Kings Cross is dead and its ghosts need burial.  It is about to renew itself in modern form and it is inevitable that Sydney will soon create what will become its new " Red Light " district somewhere else in the city - and those living there may not find that appealing.

Usually, such a " happenance " comes about by sheer chance.   An existing pub or club draws immense crowds because what it offers becomes popular.  Surrounding businesses change in character to accommodate those crowds and very quickly a myth becomes self generating.   This " hub " becomes the action scene - and it attracts all the other sorts of business that are common in a red light district.

Perhaps what condemned Kings Cross to ultimate failure was its lure as the city's sole concentration of semi illicit entertainment.  It was just too big and the crowds were becoming unmanageable.  What emerges as a replacement may be scattered over several venues or develop across a much wider suburb.

This suggestion of trying to retain the old image by inappropriately pasting those old neon signs onto the front of new buildings is doomed to failure.  It is more likely to be an embarrassment to those tasked with working in those venues.

" Ghost " Politics !

A strange thing happened at last weeks New South Wales local government election.   In some electorates candidates representing the " Liberal Democrats " appeared on the voting papers but there is little evidence of any sort of campaign or attendance at functions designed to have those offering explain their polices.   On voting day, nobody was on hand to proffer how to vote cards to the voters - and  - surprisingly -  they won three seats at the North Sydney council.

They were joined by a fourth Liberal Democrat who garnered nineteen percent of the vote without bothering to run a campaign but did have a higher profile.  It appears that many in the electorate are less than impressed with the state of politics at Federal, State and local government level and are prepared to break away from old political alliances.

It has become very evident that the electorate has moved away from the previous era of loyalty to either Labor or the Liberals when voting was usually carried out along party lines.  The all important Senate is now a mix of minor parties and their votes carry the balance of power.  That is unlikely to change in the immediate future.

Perhaps this tactical change at the local government level is the start of a new trend.  The " Liberal Democrats " are really a faction within the Liberal National coalition party with a much more " libertarian " outlook than many of their more conservative colleagues.   They seem to favour issues such as gun rights, assisted death for the terminally ill and legalisation of Cannabis.   In most respects they are in tandem with the public mood.

This recent local government election seems to have been a testing of tactics.   They choose an electorate with a strong Liberal voting record and ran three virtual unknowns under the " Liberal Democrats " banner, but without any corflute signs on people's front lawns, literature stuffed into letterboxes or attempt to sway the voting public.   Competitors had difficulties locating contact details to invite them to public meetings where policies would be debated.

They were virtually " ghost candidates " - appearing on the ballot paper but invisible in the run up to the election.  Tactically, this offered an alternative to those who are more likely to favour the Liberal outlook more than Labor but are displeased with the performance of the party in either the Federal or state sphere.  It offered an alternative while still remaining broadly within the conservative outlook of politics.

Many people regard local government as a safe way of delivering a protest vote.  Electing the odd maverick to council is unlikely to have major repercussions because a council is a microcosm on the broad political scene.  The chance of doing harm is negligible, but many voters would hesitate to make a similar decision at the state or Federal level.

Perhaps that is changing.   The fact that today when either the Liberal Coalition or Labor gain the treasury benches they find themselves having to woo minor parties in the Senate to pass legislation is consistent with moves in world politics.   It now seems rare for a political party to have the ability to pass legislation without negotiating with a blocking force.

The public mood is changing - and with it the voting pattern.

Now A Coal Shortage !

It does look like the people of Australia are at the end of the queue when it comes to our natural resources.  A few months back we were told that one of the reasons there was a coming electricity shortage was the lack of sufficient gas to run power stations converted from coal use.

We are about to become the biggest gas exporter in the world and so much of this gas is contracted for export that insufficient remains for local supply.  It was suggested we could keep the lights on if we stopped our irrational opposition to " fracking " the unlimited gas beneath our feet here in New South Wales.

Now we learn that those existing old coal burning monsters that the energy industry is so keen to close are running short of sufficient coal to meet our electricity needs this summer.  If all started when the Hazelwood plant in Victoria closed in March.   The loss of its production made output from AGL's generating stations at Liddell and Muswellbrook critical, but both have been starving for coal and stockpiles have dwindled to about three weeks supply.  These two plants deliver 4300 megawatts of power and burn twelve million tonnes of coal a year.

Liddell is scheduled to close in 2020 and that is resulting in a battle between the government and AGL to keep the plant running for another five years.  It seems certain that it will not close because the government will compulsorily acquire it as a last resort.  Until we finally deliver working replacements for our future electricity needs plants such as these are essential to maintain the base load supply.

Australia is also one of the world's biggest exporters of coal and it is this product that keeps the lights on in both Japan and India - and to some extent, in China.   It seems that it is our very success as a coal exporter that is starving Liddell and Muswellbrook of the coal they need to operate.  Our rail structure is insufficient to move coal to both the power generating industry and the coal export hubs with a degree of reliability.

It is all a matter of priorities.  The priority of rail freight goes to export because export coal prices are higher than domestic ones.   We have plenty of coal but we lack the ability to reliably move it from its production base to where it is needed.  Every time a supply glitch occurs the impetus is on supplying the export need and the power stations miss out on their intended deliveries.

This is not a new problem.  These two Hunter region plants have been forced to ration coal since October, 2016.  It is also a shortfall that is in the hands of the government to overcome.  Keeping the lights on in this country must take precedence and the government has the awesome power of legislation at its disposal.   It would not be unreasonable for it to enact legislation to give priority to the movement of coal to power stations to have absolute necessity on our rail network.

In fact, many people will wonder why that was not part of the deal when the entire coal export industry structure was put in place when new mines were opened.   It should have been a very logical part of the consent structure !

A " Life Skills " Issue !

The average car weighs over a tonne and we have a very strict regimen that intending new drivers must meet before they are issued with a driving license - and they are graded through a series of license stages over several years before they can achieve a clear, unconditional driving permit.

We require a learner to spend many hours gaining driving experience under the tuition of a licensed driver and recording that time in a log book.  They must learn the rules that apply and satisfy a computer screen questionnaire before they will be road tested by a license examiner and many fail on their first attempt.   The system is sufficiently severe that we can be assured that all new drivers have at least an adequate skill in controlling a car on the road and that will develop further as they gather road experience.

It comes as something of a shock to learn that gaining a license to drive a nine tonne truck may be achieved with just one day of driving school tuition.   Experienced senior truck drivers are adamant that this is insufficient to master the skills that are necessary to control a heavy vehicle loaded with freight in the mixed conditions drivers will experience on this states roads.

Drivers no longer have to learn how to descend a hill only using gears, which is a legal requirement on many steep slopes.   Experienced drivers question the ability of learners to understand a Roadranger gearbox which delivers between nine and eighteen speed variations - in a single day.

The danger is obvious.  Newly licensed drivers at the controls of a juggernaut occupying many times the space of a car are let loose on our crowded main highways where the traffic flow is travelling at more than a hundred kilometres per hour.  The road freight industry is notorious for unrelenting pressure to maintain often unrealistic delivery schedules and these can only be achieved by speeding and ignoring safety driving time breaks.   The outcome is frequent road crashes, often involving other road users.  One recent fatality on NSW roads involved a twenty year old driver who had gained his license with just six hours training before the crash.

A nine tonne truck loaded with freight can become a deadly weapon.  Even when no injuries occur, trucks taking corners too fast and overturning create traffic jams that last for hours and we have recently experienced high loads bringing down the ceiling in road tunnels and causing traffic delay. An efficient truck driver must know more than just adequate driving skills.  Safely moving freight from one place to another involved a knowledgeable of the intended route and its hazards and the  limitations of the vehicle being used.  The driver also has the responsibility of ensuring that the load is properly secured and that the cargo is safely loaded.

It seems evident that one of the problems relating to the transport industry is attitudinal.   In a world where educational skill is sending many to universities because qualification is now essential the task of driving heavy transport is still seen as a semi skilled job.   Where all else fails, a person can get a job driving a truck after just a few hours training.

A person behind the wheel of a fully laden nine tonne truck is not dissimilar in the area of responsibility to the pilot of a plane or the person controlling a train.   Lack of skill or a momentary mistake can result in the death of a number of people.

It is evident that the approach to heavy vehicle licensing in New South Wales is below an acceptable standard and needs urgent revision.   Transport is an essential industry and the people we are permitting to get behind the wheel need to be both trained in the mechanical handling of the vehicle and also in the responsibility that goes with taking one of these big rigs on the road.  Attitudinal training is equally important in making transport a safe industry.

In The " Small Print " !

Remember that time after the end of the second world war when a new petrol station seemed to be springing up on just about every corner block across the cities ?  A clutch of international oil companies was competing for " market share " and as fast as these new brand stations were built they were placed in the hands of franchisees.

That was a time when the word " service " really did apply to " service stations ".   When a motorist drove in a team of people descended to not only pump petrol, but to clean the windscreen, check the oil and water, adjust the tyre pressure - and often present gifts such as drinking glasses or a set of steak knives.

Those were the days when Australia was host to a plethora of oil company names that have long retracted to the handful of base oil companies, and those old service stations no longer offer a " grease and oil change " or other minor repairs.   Today they have become the new breed of " convenience stores " - that also sell petrol.

Some are owned by oil companies and run by their direct employees, but the vast majority are still franchisees in direct competition to one another and this results in the price competition we see daily.  The price of petrol can vary greatly from suburb to suburb as franchisees adjust their selling margin to attract greater throughput.

This industry recently drew newspaper headlines as an under payment of employees scandal emerged.   It seems that many franchises could not break even unless they cheated on wages, offering cash in hand deals below the minimum hourly rate or demanding employees work unpaid overtime.  The government cracked down hard and considered legislation to make correct pay a responsibility of the oil company owner with massive fines for irregularities.

One of the major principals of franchised petrol stations is Caltex.  It appears that this implied responsibility to be in control of wages paid by franchise operators has resulted in Caltex resorting to the fine print in contracts to terminate agreements.  Under these agreements, Caltex can seize control of a petrol station when even a modest underpayment of wages has taken place and can do this without any reimbursement to the franchisee.

It is reported that when franchisees have refused to take part in audits of their books, over a hundred franchises have been summarily terminated and the business placed under direct Caltex control in recent days.  It seems a new way of thinking has emerged on the brand market share issue.

It will be to the detriment of drivers wallets if the oil majors retreat from the franchise system and take direct control of petrol resellers.   In such a situation, the selling price is more likely to be uniform across the state and dictated from head office in place of the competition that presently takes place between individual franchisees.

This also raises a security issue.   The number of outlets selling petrol has decreased sharply from those heady days of multiple brand names.  We have not had a strike in the oil industry for some years, but most drivers well remember the days of odds and even number plates used as a rationing measure and petrol sales being restricted to ten dollars on any one day.  The misery of long queues and petrol stations only opening for limited hours.

Should the sale of petrol retract to just resellers owned and operated by the oil majors there would be little incentive for retaining such a wide spread of resellers.  Profitability would be enhanced by restricting sales to a lesser number of major outlets and making motorists queue for service.

The motoring public will follow this emerging trend with more than passing interest.

That " Vaccination " Issue !

The New South Wales parliament has finally lost patience with the anti-vaccination brigade and their shenanigans to have children avoid that life preserving jab.  No matter that the entire health industry supports vaccination as the only way to eliminate a range of childhood diseases a few objectors gain media coverage with their nonsense that vaccinations cause autism.

For what is termed " herd protection " we need to achieve a ninety-five percent immunization  rate and that has required a law change.   The NSW parliament has passed a bill to amend the Public Health act.  From January of next year children that are not fully immunized  will no longer be able to be enrolled or to attend child care facilities.

This legislation closes the one loophole that very articulate non-vaxers have used to sway a proportion of the public to refuse the vaccination needle.   Until now the state has recognised a claim that parents who have a " conscientious objection " to vaccination as a valid reason for refusing to have their children vaccinated.   That will no longer apply.

The act has been strengthened to catch child care centres which ignore the rules and accept unvaccinated kids and parents who either forge or falsify documentation to try and get around the rules.  That will become an offence under the amended law and carry fines of up to $ 5,500.

This law change became necessary because of the unrelenting activities of a few zealots running anti vaccination campaigns on public media.  They manage to sway public opinion by what seems to be a compelling medical argument.  This is usually composed of matter that has long been proved wrong by science but repeated claims can throw a doubt in the minds of some parents and cause them to hesitate.  As a result, vaccination levels have hovered about the eighty percent level, allowing diseases such as whooping cough and meningococcal to gain a hold.

The people at the forefront of this anti vaccination movement are usually without any medical qualifications, but there are a few deluded medically qualified doctors who have been induced to give their support.  Obviously, they would be listened to by parents and that is a very dangerous reason why vaccination levels have slipped below that ninety-five percent mark.

It seems that the Australian Health Practitioners Registration Agency has now began to call such doctors to appear before one of its panels to be questioned.   That could lead to the matter of ethics becoming a registration issue.  It seems that child vaccination is fast becoming a critical issue that needs to be universally in place if we are to escape the return of childhood diseases that were a scourge of past centuries.

For the dedicated few who still believe the anti-vaxers - the only remaining option seems to be home schooling !

Responsible Journalism !

Every newspaper editor knows that a good scandal story sees copies fly off newsstands as sales rocket.   The same applies in the magazine trade.  The main targets are celebrities.  We are fascinated with the people who appear in the movies we watch and the new genre of television personalities.  All this delivers a good living for both the in-house journalists who create the stories and the vast army of paparazzi who invade victims privacy to get the shot that may make them rich.

Truth is often a casualty when a good story sets sales soaring.  The suggestion that a leading personality is having an affair will have readers agog.  At times, the pursuit of stories has descended into deadly harassment as the untimely death of Princess Diana aptly testified. Reputations are often trashed and vindication through the courts has proved to be difficult.

All that changed this week when the Victorian Supreme court handed actress Rebel Wilson a massive  damages payout.   The court found that Wilson had been defamed by the publishers of Woman's Day and awarded her $ 650,000 in general damages and a whopping $ 3.91 Million in special damages.   This was the highest defamation payout in Australian legal history.

It seems that the Woman's Day articles went after Wilson unmercifully with the contention that she was a liar and that her account of her earlier lifestyle was untrue.   This Australian story was amplified by many American news channels and had the result in Wilson being dropped from the leading roles in two Hollywood movies.   It was contended that not only were the stories untrue, but that Woman's Day knew they were untrue - and printed them anyway.

What will have the publishing media sitting up and taking notice was the venom with which Woman's Day appeared to attack Wilson.   This was not just a casual story that appeared in a single issue.  She was branded a serial liar in eight separate issues and this took on the appearance of some sort of vendetta.  Wilson had been prepared to settle out of court for a mere $ 200,000 and this was scorned and rejected by the publisher.  Wilson then proceeded to go to court action.

A new benchmark has been set and story editors will now have to weigh the chances of damaging stories ending up in court.   This $ 4.56 million damages payout will be a significant setback to the magazines profitability.  The publisher may consider taking the matter to a higher court but it seemed an emphatic decision and a further loss would incur more crippling legal fees.   Rebel Wilson has indicated that it was the principle rather than the money behind her action, and she will donate the money to charity.

The celebrity world will heave a sigh of relief.   Perhaps newspaper and magazine journalists will now need to be much more careful in the matter they print in view of this damages award.  It may even have an effect on the survival of the magazine trade.  Many readers bought them for the salacious stories that they knew to be mostly untrue, but if these disappear then interest may wane. It seems that the Supreme court has done more than just hand down an award.  It has introduced a need for responsible journalism that may be incompatible with magazine publishing.

Water Supply Danger !

Adding to the uncertainty about whether we will have enough electricity to keep the lights on this coming summer, a new threat is emerging to our water supply.   A report by consultants PSM has revealed massive cracks in the earth above areas being mined for coal at the Dendrobium mine near Wollongong.

It is important that nothing interferes with the natural flow of water on the land surfaces because we rely on this to fill the water storage  rivers and lakes that form our water supply.  As a result, a vast area surrounding the city of Sydney is designated a " catchment " area and is subjected to activity control.

What is alarming about these newly discovered cracks is that they pose a danger to both Cordeaux reservoir and Avon reservoir, and both of these constitute the water supply for the city of Wollongong.  Sydney Water is the coordinating authority for the integrated network of dams and rivers that provide the drinking water for the greater Sydney area.

The problem with these newly discovered cracks in the ground is that they will redirect the natural water flow and may upset the water level in the sensitive upland swamps that hold balancing water.  The outcome is unknown, but anything that threatens the water supply must be taken seriously.

What seems to be the issue is longwall mining.  This is an efficient way of mining coal with machinery but it leaves behind vast empty tunnels where the coal used to be.   The earth above mining areas is subjected to " settlement " and home building codes allow for this to mitigate damage.  Usually, this settlement is both gradual and minor and happens over a long period of time.  The fact that deep cracks have appeared indicates that this settlement is both violent and short term.

The Dendrobium mine was originally owned by BHP Billiton and has been spun-off to subsidiary  South 32.   It was recently granted approval for more longwall mining without submitting a water impact statement.  It provides employment for four hundred miners and the future of the mine will obviously have an impact on employment in the Wollongong area.

The coal from Dendrobium is high quality and sought after overseas but we have a high number of massive new mines coming online and most of these are open cut mines.  The Wollongong mines are deep shaft operations and require the use of longwall equipment to be commercially viable. The question arises as to whether longwall is still an option in catchment areas where the holes it leaves may endanger the water supply ?

Obviously, the first requirement is to evaluate what damage has already been done, and what needs to happen to mitigate further damage.  The outcome will be politically controversial !

On The Brink !

A UBS report warns that $500 billion in home mortgage loans are based on incorrect loan application information.  What this is saying is that applicants have overstated their assets and income and most do not meet the standards expected for loan repayments.

The banks are supposed to be tightening credit to achieve better loan security, but evidence points in the opposite direction.  Of those who have recently received a mortgage loan from a bank, two percent said they were encouraged to be inaccurate in their application.

It seems that the banks have too much money sitting in their vaults where it is delivering no return and Australian industry is not expanding and seeking development loans to soak up that cash.  As a result, the banks have a very strong incentive to be aggressive in the home loan mortgage field because it is underpinned by rapid and long term price expansion.

At the moment, a customer with a mortgage who falls behind with payments can put the house back on the market - and expect to make a profit, but that sounds like playing that old game of " musical chairs ".   If we encounter another recession that person trying to sell a house is going to be like the player when the music stops -  stuck without a seat to sit on.

Realists know that the situation can change overnight.  This house price balloon is a mirage that can pop at the first sign of trouble. Many remember the experience back in 2008 when home prices dropped sharply and buyers became an extinct species.  Many found that they owed more on their mortgage than the home could now be expected to sell on a depressed market - and the banks were quick to foreclose when repayments went into arrears.

All this is exacerbated by a trend where parents are making loans so that their children have the necessary deposit to get a mortgage and get a foot on the home purchase ladder.   In many cases this is a gift rather than a loan, and the parents see is as simply bringing forward a natural inheritance issue.  In some cases, it compromises their own retirement income.  Usually that money from a parent goes towards the bare minimum deposit necessary to finance a bank loan.

What is frightening is the prospect of a significant number of home loan repayments being forced into deficit and starting a panic.  Wages have been static for some time, and the doubling of electricity prices has added pressure to many household budgets.  Mortgage repayments are taking a greater percentage of family income and in some instances that is now nearing fifty percent - and that is not sustainable.

Right now, the biggest threat to the Australian economy seems to be headlines that spook the infallible contention that hose prices will go ever upwards.   It is inevitable that interest rates must eventually rise and even a small rise will tip some borrowers over the edge.  That dividing line between concern and hysteria can develop very quickly.

Unfortunately, we seem to heave learned little from the experience of 2008.

" Heritage " Issues !

We have just had a local government election in New South Wales and the political control in a number of local councils has changed.  With that change will come a very different outlook on how decisions are made and this will probably change the " look " of many of our older suburbs.

There is a constant battle in most area between " developers " who want to tear things down and build new structures, and a " heritage lobby " who want to keep iconic structures which preserve the heritage aspect of our past.  We well remember the battles in past decades over preservation of Sydney's  " The Rocks " area with its green bans that led to the disappearance and probable murder of Juanita Neilsen.

The problem is that bringing a new development on line usually delivers a huge profit to a successful developer and this breeds an " whatever it takes " style of thinking to apply to overcoming obstacles. Developers - or people closely allied with developers - seek election to councils and we are painfully aware that not all council decisions are made entirely on the merit of the proposal.   Often money changes hands to influence decisions.

When heritage issues arise it has become the custom to arrive at a partial solution.  The development is approved, but with the proviso that a portion of the original structure be maintained to preserve a memory of how Sydney used to be.  This is often impractical and causes an immense cost blowout in building the new structure.    In some cases, it is preferable from a cost point of view to ignore the order and pay a huge fine rather than suffer the disruption that preservation would impose.

Just such an incident is happening in the heart of Sydney's Kings Cross at this moment.  A Singapore based developer had approval for a forty-four apartment building in Bayswater road.  The problem was that this construction required the demolition of an existing building which has heritage claims.  Known as " The Hensley " this issue led to a battle in council between opposing forces and eventually the matter was settled with an arrangement whereby the façade of the old building would be preserved and the new structure would be erected behind and above the existing façade which would remain facing Bayswater road.

When construction began, workers with sledge hammers simply demolished most of the front of the Hensley, leaving just two slim columns which have little identification with the old building.  There are claims of heritage heresy, but the developer has a point that access to the site is impossible with the heritage section blocking entry.

This removal of the wall contravenes the development approval but that is now no longer a live issue. That façade no longer exists and it can not be resurrected.  The only retainer to the old Hensley is that the name will be bestowed on this new apartment building.  The only remaining issue is the penalty for the breach that will be imposed on the builder.

Last weekends council elections delivered change.  The attitude of councils is conditional on the mix of people who now make the decisions and developers will be carefully evaluating he mix of Liberal, Labor, Greens and Independents who are new to office.   It may take a little time until a ruling outlook manages to coalesce.

Hopefully, a more practical solution to heritage issues may emerge.  Many of the awkward contradictions that served for solutions in the past were doomed to failure !

The " Charity " Rat Race !

Perhaps one of the easiest ways to attain the good life is to start a " Charity ".  Find an appealing need  across the entire charity spectrum.that is not being serviced and use the media to draw it to public attention.   It is not hard to attract a few famous celebrities to add their voices to an appeal for public funds and very quickly you have a legally established charity.   The government maintains a charities " watchdog " but it mainly oversees that the charities under its control submit an annual balance sheet and meet the criteria of having a duly elected supervising board. Who sits on that board is up to the charity.

It is usual for the person who sponsored the charity to serve as its chairperson - and that becomes a paid position.  The charity needs a registered office, and in many cases it will provide a company car and meet the expenses that its chief executive needs to keep that charity in the public eye and ensure that the donations keep rolling in.

These days charities seem to raise money mainly by mailing out professionally enhanced appeal letters to the public.  Obviously, it must work of they wouldn't keep doing it, but that is an expensive " hit or miss " way to attract funds.  Another clever way of funding operations is to attach the services provided to one of the government programmes whereby it becomes simply a conduit for a government entitlement for the end recipient.   Many a charity is nothing more than a " money manager " organising the distribution of government funds.

On the social scene, being the chief executive of a charity is a matter of upscale prestige.  That person is usually feted by the media - and politicians love nothing better than to appear on television giving their support for a worthy cause.   Not only do some charities lose direction along the way, others descend into what can only be termed " criminal activities " when the money passing through their hands tempts avarice.

Such is the situation with the failed Guardian Youth Care charity.   It set out to care for children with high needs and dangerous behaviour in group homes throughout western Sydney.   This not-for-profit charity raised six million dollars from the public but now its largest creditor is the Federal government to whom it owes $19.6 million by way of various entities who received unauthorised subcontracts.   It is likely that this money is gone - and will not be recovered.

This charity malaise extends right across the entire charity spectrum.   Even the distribution of funds from the RSL organization is being questioned.  Several thousand registered charities are on the government books and many have ceased operation and not lodged a balance sheet in years.  Often the registered office holders are no longer contactable.

Probably, the majority of charities are legitimate and doing a good job for the community, but it is obvious that control is lacking.  It is too easy for people with ulterior motives or even those with criminal records to infiltrate an existing charity or start a new one.   The government charity watchdog needs to be given new teeth - and the ability to probe deeper to ensure that public money is being protected.

The "Unmentionable " becomes an Asset !

Remember the days when the contents of Sydney's sewers was simply pumped into the ocean ?   That  was the time when the water offshore was discoloured by a massive and very unpleasant stain - and when onshore winds blew, surfers were encountering what they euphemistically called !" Bondi cigars " !

We have come a long way since those days.  Most human waste is treated and reduced to a harmless sludge and the pipes that carry it into the ocean now go a very long way offshore.   But it seems we have entered a new era where what Sydney flushes is fast becoming a very valuable commercial product.

The boffins have worked their magic and developed a process which turns human waste into a fertilizer which greens paddocks used to feed grazing animals.  Farmers report that crop yields improve by between twenty and thirty percent and they can run more sheep on the improved acreage.
This product is known as " Biosolids " and it has completely transformed the economics of our sewer system.

To remove toxins and bacteria the sludge is  baked in digesters at high heat for long periods to remove the water content and make is more compact.  This size reduction lowers transport costs to the farms and there is the added advantage that the gas expelled is now used to generate electricity.  What used to be a drain on the public purse is being turned into a source of income.

We are fast reaching the stage where demand exceeds the supply, but some very strict regulations apply governing where biosolids can be used.  For a start, the proposed site needs an environmental assessment and both councils and neighbours need to be notified.  Site restrictions then apply,  It can not be applied on the sloping ground of a hill or near a source of water and farmers can not graze stock for a period of thirty days after application..  It is specifically suitable for grazing land and can not be used on land used for crops such as potatoes, spinach or lettuce.

It seems that biosolids have the capacity to transform what is marginal grazing land into prime pasture capable of supporting a higher concentration of sheep or cattle to meet the food supply demands of our growing world population.  There is the added advantage that it permanently improves the nature of the soil because it adds nitrogen and phosphorous and breaks down more slowly than synthetic fertilizer.  In this way, it tends to make the pasture more drought resistant.

No doubt biosolids will generate plenty of jokes pertaining to the origin of the product but returning it to agriculture is something that less sophisticated society has practiced since the dark ages.  Now it seems that the greening of Australia will become reliant on what its citizens will be urged to supply as the base product.

The daily grunt will add to overall prosperity !

A NINBY issue !

The State Planning and Assessment Commission is the final arbiter on development plans and it is presently considering the building of a $ 700 million waste incinerator at Eastern Creek.  This is a very large project and it is proposed to burn 1.4 million tonnes of waste that would otherwise go to a landfill - and at the same time use the resulting heat to generate enough electricity to serve thousands of homes.

As expected, this new innovation is not welcomed by residents living in Eastern Creek and so far it has generated more than 950 objections, with just two submissions favouring the scheme.   Eastern Creek is thirty-five kilometres from the Sydney CBD and is classified as a mixed residential/industrial suburb.   The proposed incinerator is of modern design and it will blend in with surrounding gardens.  The submission suggests that there will be little in the way of released residue to disturb its neighbours.

Angry Eastern Creek residents claim that the State Planning and Assessment Commission is merely a rubber stamp that approves ninety-six percent of the matter that appears before it.  They have mounted a major information campaign to have the matter serve as a political weapon.  This seems to have spooked the state government with the Premier commenting that even if the Commission gives it the nod she may intervene and consider all options.

This tends to make something of a joke of public money expended on review facilities such as the Planning and Assessment Commission.   We have a problem is this state because existing landfills are rapidly reaching capacity and any new sites will experience this same rejection as the waste incinerator.  At the same time, we have an electricity crisis and bringing online a new generating source would be very welcome.

A waste incinerator that also generates electricity is a badly needed innovation - and it has to go somewhere !  There is little doubt that if an entirely new site is chosen, it will result in exactly the same NIMBY reaction that we are seeing at Eastern Creek.  Sadly, this rejection is based more on perception than on fact.  The nay sayers are depicting it as an ugly, dirty monstrosity that will blight their suburb with toxic waste and lower the value of their homes.   In reality, it will be modern design set in pleasantly blended garden facilities and the engineering promises efficient incineration with very little released effluent.  If it goes ahead, it will probably quickly become a valued source of employment for the area.

The danger is that if it is rejected at Eastern Creek, it may languish and never find a site where it is acceptable.  We will persist in putting our waste into holes in the ground and they will become further from the city, pushing up the costs and ignoring technology in keeping with this twenty-first century. The company backing this proposal has promises that must be kept.   It should go ahead and be closely monitored.  If it fails to meet the promised standards it should be forced to take remedial action - and total closure and removal is a final option in the hands of the Commission.

Otherwise, it could share the same fait as the facility to store our nuclear waste.  Forever denied a site where it can be established because of safety concerns and that ever present NIMBY issue.

Our Dark Past Returns !

The Federal parliament is grappling with the task to toughen the criteria that intending migrants need to pass to become citizens of this country.  The aim is to ensure that those we welcome to these shores assimilate into the broader community and we seem to think that learning to speak the English language is critical to achieving that objective.   The proposal before parliament would impose a four year waiting period before new migrants could apply for citizenship and require proficiency in English and testing on the subject of " Australian values ".

This proposal has failed to get the numbers in the Senate after passing in the lower house.  It is opposed by both Labor and the Greens, and now the Nick Xenophon team has given the bill the thumbs down in its present form.

That requirement for English language proficiency will stir emotions in the broader community.  In the decades when the " White Australia " policy was in place we shunned the open rejection of applicants because of their skin colour and substituted a language test as the way of rejecting applicants that did not meet our colour criteria.

This language test was clearly designed to slant the result in the examiners favour.  It was not a test of English, but a test of any of the world languages chosen to apply to that particular applicant.  A person from Europe might be required to demonstrate proficiency in a little used language from the remote corners of the jungle in South America.   The failure rate was automatic for those the examiners set to fail.

After the second world war ended we received hundreds of thousands of refugees escaping the ruins of European cities and fleeing ahead of Communist advances.  Many arrived with just the clothes on their backs - and absolutely no knowledge of the English language.   For years we had adults struggling to make their wishes known - and the phenomenon of their kids acting as interpreters as they became proficient in both English and their parents home language.  Many migrant wives never managed to learn English and yet these families settled to become productive and loyal Australian citizens.

It is clearly ideal if incoming migrants are proficient in English and it speeds settlement and aids getting a job, but if it becomes the essential entry criteria we will rob this country of many brilliant minds who go on to establish enterprises and contribute to the national wealth.  There is a danger that this English test may be applied selectively.   Just like that testing back in the days of the White Australia policy.   It may be used to discriminate against those from countries that we do not favour.

Those earlier migrants struggling with the English language contributed greatly to the Australian lifestyle we enjoy today.  The Australian cuisine has expanded by many wonderful dishes and flavours and customs from all over the world are interleaved with our ever changing lifestyle.  We are an ever evolving nation and that evolvement is based on the changes that migrants bring.

Perhaps the difference between then and now is our adoption of " multiculturalism ".   We used to encourage migrants to learn English. Now we encourage them to retain their old language and join our multicultural world.   We need to be very careful with this piece of legislation.  We need to think long and hard about just what sort of Australia we hope to create for the future !

" Blackouts " Coming !

Here we are in the first week of Spring and with the prospect of a long, hot summer awaiting us.  The only fly in the ointment seems to be a doubt that we will have enough electric power to avoid blackouts on the hottest days.

This quagmire is the result of an emotional panic in public minds that we need to save the planet by stopping the use of coal for power generation and the usual political opportunism to block any measures that would bring practical relief.  The public mind is set on replacing coal with wind and solar, despite its inability to deliver a reliable base load supply.

This has been exacerbated by the close down of several old coal fired power generators with others slated for removal from the grid in the years ahead.  The spotlight is shining on the  forty-six year old Liddell plant in the New  South Wales Hunter region.   This is scheduled to stop operation in 2022.

This plant is owned by AGL, one of the biggest power suppliers in Australia and the government is insisting that closure be delayed and the plant remain operational for another five years.  That is meeting resistance from AGL and one of the reasons is the company promise that it is " getting out of coal " which is cementing its image in public minds as a " progressive " company.

We seem to be caught in a " betwixt and between " situation.   Old plant closures that have already taken place leave us perilously short on the hottest days to come and at the same time the fuel favoured to replace coal - gas -  is going to export, leaving insufficient to bridge the gap if we build new generators in time.

The government is negotiating with AGL and no doubt the problem may be resolved, but if not it may become necessary to either buy or nationalize Liddell to keep it running and ease the crisis.  Unfortunately power generation is a state issue and this further complicates getting a common approach in place to what will quickly become an Australian financial problem.  Our electricity charges are now the highest in the world and supply interruptions would quickly cause what is left of Australian manufacturing industry to become uncompetitive.  In particular, we would lose our aluminium production sector.

What is urgently needed is to bring the entire Australian power grid under the control of a single authority and give that the ability to decide how we are to generate the electricity this country needs. All options - on the table.  We have a big share of the worlds Uranium - and nuclear needs to be evaluated in a clear and professional manner.   We may need to still use coal in the short term but the power Australia needs will certainly be a hybrid mix of solar and wind, hydro electric generation - and base load by burning some type of fuel.   There are obvious advantages of integrating the eastern states in a common distribution grid.

Now all we require is political sanity to make that happen !

The " Blood " of Life !

Many emergency operations would not be possible without the ability of the doctors to replace blood lost with a blood transfusion to keep the patient alive.  That is something that we take for granted, but every now and then the blood bank warns that supplies are running low and urgently appeals for donors to give blood.

The Australian Blood Bank is an entirely volunteer operation.  In many countries, blood donations from the public are a source of income for donors and this brings with it the risk of people with medical reasons that make them unacceptable disguising that danger simply because they need the money.  The Australian blood supply is stringently tested before it passes into hospital use.

We are facing one of those periods of low blood supply because this years flu season has been massive.  About three thousand donors who are usually scheduled to give a donation have had to cancel because they are sick with the flu.   The Health department estimates that this years flu season claimed about sixty thousand victims, compared with 35,538 last year.   The service advises donors that they can give blood at least seven days after the last flu symptoms disappear.

It seems that human blood is strange stuff.   It comes in quite a  few different varieties and it is critically important that the patient in need gets the right grade. O-negative is the universal type that can be given to all patients with maximum safety, and hence the Blood Bank is urgently needing donors with O-negative blood in their veins.

Between eight and nine percent of the public are O-negative, but this blood type accounts for about fifteen percent of all hospital demand.  Strangely, few people seem to know their blood type but all blood is type tested in every aspect of is journey from donor to patient.

The Blood Bank is urging those who have recovered from the flu to give urgent thought to a blood donation.  It is a matter of grave concern when stocks are running low because it disrupts surgery schedules when postponement is necessary if blood supplies can not be guaranteed to supply the estimated need.

New donors would be very welcome.  Many members of the public have established a commendable record of making regular donations over a long period of years and trips to the Blood Bank become something of a rite of passage.    It is not an unpleasant procedure and it is usually rewarded with a cup of tea or coffee - and biscuits.

The fact that the Australian Blood Bank is entirely reliant on the good grace of the Australian public is a matter of national pride.  Whenever a hospital patient needs blood, it is immediately available in this country without charge.

Armageddon !

A lot of senior citizens remember the newspaper headlines on August 12, 1953.   That was when the world learned that the Soviet Union has first test fired a Hydrogen bomb !   It was a cause for dismay.  We had hoped that the Hydrogen bomb secret would remain in western hands for many decades.

Sixty-four years later and we are all still alive and we have avoided the dreaded start of World War Three.  The Soviet Union has imploded and the threat of Communism being forced on an unwilling world by military means has been lifted.  We no longer liver in fear of Russia or China suddenly launching a nuclear attack without warning.

Up until now we have lived with the Hydrogen weapon being in the hands of half a dozen nations headed by sane people.  This ultimate weapon stands ready in a reserve status.  Should anyone be so stupid as to launch one in attack they would be similarly destroyed by the response.

All that changed in the twinkling of an eye when North Korea exploded its first Hydrogen bomb in the last few days.   The aims and ambitions of its leader, Kim Jong-Un are enigmatic. He is a dictator heading an impoverished hermit kingdom with one of the worlds biggest conventional armies.  He openly expresses hatred of both the United States and Japan and it is now clear that he is fast reaching the operational stage of an ability to reach the rest of the world with nuclear tipped ICBM's.   He now has the ultimate weapon - the Hydrogen bomb - in his keeping.

It must be very tempting for Donald Trump, the American president to use the opportunity offering to eliminate this threat and restore the world to its previous nuclear balance.  Technically, the United States and North Korea are still at war. The 1950/53 Korean war ended in a temporary armistice and has never proceeded to a peace treaty.  North Korea is openly threatening America there is no doubt that the United States has the military power to win such a war.  The only unknown factor is what degree of damage North Korea might manage to cause in such a confrontation.

It could destroy Seoul, the South Korean capital and it might launch an ICBM that hits an American city, but the response would be less than the destruction the United States would rain down on that little country.  Overlapping hydrogen bomb explosions would reduce the country to charcoal and eliminate its people.

That may well be an option Donald Trump is seriously considering.  Should the US hold its hand and do nothing the future is ever more frightening.  It seems inevitable that North Korea will continue to develop even better ICBM capabilities and that its warheads will improve to multiple re-entry diverse target models.  It is already testing missile launch from submarines, hence it may soon be able to threaten from a fleet hidden in the worlds oceans.

The unknown factor is just what sort of person is Kim Jong-Un ?   Is his demonic façade the product of an unhinged mind, or can he be expected to achieve moderation once he believes that his military make his country safe from attack.  Is his dictatorship safe from the aspirations of the generals that surround him - or is it inevitable that this unstable regime will try to blackmail the world into giving it a living ?

For many years the world lived on the edge of Armageddon. Looks like we are back to the status quo !

Power Rationing !

An insidious idea has been suggested to avoid the need to implement an upgrade of the Snowy River hydro scheme that has a price tag running into billions of dollars.   The power companies want consumers to give their permission for their power utility to take control of their air conditioner and swimming pool pump at times of high demand.

This spiel is unconvincing.  It is suggested that if power to these services is turned down just a little bit that would reduce the load across the network or in a particular part of the network.   It seems to suggest that air conditioners and pool pumps will continue to give service, but just a little more slowly when the voltage they receive drops below the normal level.

It will be interesting to hear what the makers of these electrical items have to say on the matter.  The modern electric motor that powers these services is constructed to specific tolerances and the design is suited to the specification of power levels delivered by the Australian electrical system.  Once someone starts monkeying with the voltage suppled all sorts of unexpected consequences are likely to appear - and then there is the implication for warranties.

This suggestion sounds like the thin edge of a very unpleasant wedge.  Power demand in Australia is constantly rising as new innovations are bought by the public and the power companies claim they need to renew poles and wires to deliver this added voltage to consumers.  At the same time, the generators of that power are slipping below demand because we are retiring old coal fired power stations and facing political gridlock in approving their replacement.

The power level in Australia was set at 240 volts a very long time ago and that is the standard to which electrical appliances are constructed.   If we start delivering less than 240 volts to selected items such as air conditioners and pool pumps, how long before the general supply falls below that level as a means of evening out demand at high peak ?

We have spent billions installing the NBN to give a first world service in the computer age.  That will not be helped if at the same time we are reverting to a third world electrical supply.  To add insult to injury, it is being suggested that consumers be rewarded for accepting sub standard voltage by a lowering of the bills they will have to pay.

To many minds, this sounds like ever slipping standards.  It all started when the state governments passed the electricity supply into commercial hands in exchange for the money they needed to fix the roads and transport systems, and this coincided with global warming throwing the onus on reduction in coal use to save the planet.  From there it all went downhill.

The cost of electricity to consumers has more than doubled and now it seems we are not generating enough of the stuff to meet demand.  The creation of new generators is bogged down in a political fight between the solar and wind lobby and those advocating the judicious use of coal and natural gas to supply demand peaks.   As a result, no new generators are under construction and we are heading into a power crisis.

Time the people of this state demanded this situation be sorted - and that the 240 volt standard be maintained.  Lowering the voltage is not the answer !

Consumer Protection Downgraded !

We look to the law for protection but the law is never a certainty.   It all depends on the interpretation placed on the wording of that law by the individual judge hearing the case.  Such a decision handed down in the Federal Court seems to diminish the protection of consumer rights under Consumer Law.

Consumer law in Australia is quite unequivocal on the procedure when somebody buys an item that fails to perform correctly within the warranty period.   They are entitled to select from their choice of what are often referred to as the " three R's  " -  Refund - Replacement or Repair.

Where that takes place is also abundantly clear.  The faulty goods need to be returned to where the original sale took place.  Some merchants try to fob off customers by claiming that they need to return the faulty item to the manufacturer and often literature packed with the item also makes this claim, but that only applies when the sale is in a state or country which lacks any form of consumer law.   In New South Wales, if the goods were sold in this state, the return is to the place of purchase.

A ruling handed down in the Federal court will surprise many people.  The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission ( ACCC ) took the Korean LG behemoth to task because it was claimed that LG charged customers for parts and labour when they returned faulty television sets that were covered under warranty.

The ACCC also  argued that information on LG's website about manufacturers warranties was misleading.  Information about Australian Consumer Rights  at the bottom of the site was in " small and closely spaced text ".

This ACCC case was dismissed by Justice John Middleton on the grounds that LG received a request for repair, made an offer and that offer was accepted by the customer.  The finding was that " LG was entitled to so conduct itself ".   Justice Middleton then went on to say that there is no allegation that LG acted in bad faith, deliberate falsehood going to ultimate liability or other unconscionable conduct.   The issue of Australian Consumer rights being in small and closely spaced text was also rejected on the grounds that LG had no obligation to tell consumers their rights under Australian consumer law.

These findings certainly open an interesting can of worms.  It seems that if a customer returns faulty goods there is no expectation that the warranty will  automatically come into play.  The customer must specifically demand access to one of those " Three R's " or the merchant may legally make an offer for a lesser course of action to settle the matter - and if that is accepted - no law has been breached.

The ACCC has the right to appeal those decisions and that is now under consideration. The whole purpose of consumer law is to protect vulnerable people from suffering loss where goods do not meet the standards expected of a new item.   What is being brought into question is the right of merchants to offer less than what is mandated by law and having such arrangements accepted by those who lack knowledge of their rights or who are intimidated by any form of authority.   It legitimises a lesser settling of the entitlement of the buyer by imposition of charges that they are not liable to pay.

Consumer rights groups will certainly urge the ACCC to expedite that appeal.

Ending the " Surcharge " Ripoff !

From yesterday it became illegal for a merchants accepting EFTPOS payments by way of a Debit card, or Visa, MasterCard or American Express credit card to charge any more than the cost the banks impose for that transaction.  That differs between individual banks, but the charges fall into the category of .05% for debit cards, 1 to 1.5% for Visa and MasterCard payments and between  2 and 3% for American Express.

The Australian  Competition and Consumer Commission has warned that breaches of the law will result in substantial first offence fines and the law will be diligently policed.   These surcharges have been the subject of constant complaints from card users with some merchants imposing a cost running into dollars for a service fee that cost them mere pennies.  It had become a hidden way of artificially adding a loading to the face value of the bill.

This legislation is long overdue. The " tap and pay " method applied to using mobile phones is fast decreasing the settling of small amounts with cash and there is the expectation that this will sharply increase in the future.   Cash is becoming a cost imposition on traders.  The reduction in bank branches has made banks reluctant to accept major cash deposits over the counter and many merchants are forced to have special service companies collect, count and deposit it - and that comes at a cost.

In particular, the increased use of debit cards has overwhelming advantage..  The money is instantaneously transferred from the bank account of the customer into the bank account of the merchants.  The trader is relieved of the danger of having tempting cash in the cash register to  attract bandits.  That is an advantage most thinking merchants would find attractive.

Paying taxi charges with a card and the use of cards in restaurants are notorious for card fee ripoffs.  The public should lodge a complaint if they find they have been charged an excessive fee for card use and there is the expectation that the offending merchants will be quickly brought to book.   There is also the expectation that this overcharge will be refunded.

There is another ripoff area that should be brought to the attention of the ACCC and that is the conditions imposed on gift certificates.  A gift certificate is simply a substitute for cash and its face value will be instantly refunded in cash when it is presented to the issuing company.  It was always open ended, but in recent years many issuing companies have imposed a time limit - usually twelve months validity.

Many gift certificates are never presented to a merchant and their value is not redeemed.  They are tucked away in a wallet and forgotten, or sometimes used to make a purchase which leaves an unspent balance.  This is a cash bonanza for the issuing company because they have received full payment in exchange for what had become a worthless piece of paper.

There are often limitations on the use of gift certificates.   Some merchants insist they can not be used for the purchase of items marked down at a sale price and must be used on full price items.  This is an artificial imposition that can be challenged at law, and it should be enforced by the ACCC.   In all respects, such gift certificates should have the same bearing as the presentations of banknotes.

The law change on card use surcharges is welcome.  Hopefully, similar legislation to cleanup the gift card disadvantages will quickly follow.