There is a certain inevitability about the news that " Road Trains " are to be allowed to use the Hume Highway once the Holbrook by-pass is complete - and the Hume is a divided four lane highway all the way between Sydney and Melbourne.
Back in November, 2005 the law was changed to allow what became known as " B-Doubles " to use the nation's road system. This was a 26 metre freighter consisting of a prime mover towing two semi-trailer bodies, There were many restrictions imposed to ensure road safety, but over a short period of time the economics of B-Doubles saw this system expand and now the majority of road freight consists of this configuration.
We are about to experience an upgrade to a 35 metre " B-Triple ", consisting of a prime mover towing three semi trailer bodies. This is already legally used in the Northern Territory - with the exception that there these " Road Trains " can extend to four semi trailer bodies behind that prime mover - and they are not restricted to divided, multi-lane highways.
The trucking industry is appealing for Road Trains to also use the Pacific highway, but this is being opposed. What is not being said is the situation that will occur when these road trains reach the entrance to both Sydney and Melbourne. Their freight needs to get to a destination within that city - and logically the road trains will seek to be allowed to move within the confines of the city highway system. We already see B-Doubles delivering freight to our supermarkets. Get ready to see that morph into " B-Triples " once this juggernaut becomes the norm.
Statistics show that heavy trucks figure disproportionally in road accidents causing death. One of the most frequent complaints about road trains from drivers in the Northern Territory is the incredible amount of water they throw up when driving in rain. They are almost impossible to pass when encountered on ordinary two-lane roads - and inevitably that is where they will eventually end up if this plan goes ahead.
It seems that we are caught in the coils of an economic dilemma. There is constant pressure to keep the cost of living low by improving low cost freight capacity and that means bigger and longer trucks. At the same time, an expanding Australian population is flooding our road system with more new cars each year - and the money to build a bigger and better road system is diverted to other priorities. A mere trickle finds it's way for this purpose.
Whatever restrictions that are applied - or promised during the " selling " of this proposal - are unlikely to prevail for very long. Wherever you encounter a B-Double on our roads today, expect that to be a B-Triple road train within a short period of months after the legislation becomes law.
Monday, 31 December 2012
Sunday, 30 December 2012
Something stinks !
Two of the world's biggest banks have just been hit with massive fines - and yet it is apparent to most people that something stinks in the world banking industry ! HSBC has been fined $ 1.9 billion for conniving with drug dealers to launder money and breaking the sanctions imposed on Iran by the world body. UBS has been fined $ 1.7 billion for manipulating the LIBOR rate - the mechanism which controls the rate of interest charged within inter-bank commercial lending.
What is missing is a penalty for this criminality coming home to roost on the heads of those who actually run these banks. The people who take home multi million dollar salaries and get obscene bonuses for the work they perform walk away whistling ' Dixie " ! They are not required to stand before a court, nor are they threatened with a prison sentence. They retain their positions - and nothing really changes.
Of course, they claim that what happened was without their knowledge and shift the blame onto " rogue traders " further down the management line. Even if this is true, they deserve dismissal for incompetence. The head of such an organization has a duty to know exactly what is going on in the firm they head - and ignorance is no excuse.
These huge fines sound like they are delivering a suitable penalty - but they miss the mark. They are a mere fraction of the profits these banks make and much of that profit has come from the criminal activity for which the fines are levied. The banks will still post big dividends to their shareholders - and they would have been even bigger - but for these fines, so the real penalty is being sheeted home to the very people who had the least to do with this form of criminality.
With the same people heading the banks, where does remorse come into the equation ? They are no doubt sorry - that they got caught. Most probably the fines will not stop with the few already levied and more banks will be drawn into this web of deceit, but the regulatory authorities were also lax - and it seems that no heads have rolled there as a consequence either !
It sounds like an " I'll scratch your back and you scratch mine " type of situation. Justice will not be served while the big guys at the top remain the top item on the totem pole. This type of criminality needs appropriate consequences - and that means dismissal, corporate disgrace, a suitable gaol term - and a ban from holding any management position for a long period of years.
As things stand, a repeat scenario a few years down the track seems almost a certainty !
What is missing is a penalty for this criminality coming home to roost on the heads of those who actually run these banks. The people who take home multi million dollar salaries and get obscene bonuses for the work they perform walk away whistling ' Dixie " ! They are not required to stand before a court, nor are they threatened with a prison sentence. They retain their positions - and nothing really changes.
Of course, they claim that what happened was without their knowledge and shift the blame onto " rogue traders " further down the management line. Even if this is true, they deserve dismissal for incompetence. The head of such an organization has a duty to know exactly what is going on in the firm they head - and ignorance is no excuse.
These huge fines sound like they are delivering a suitable penalty - but they miss the mark. They are a mere fraction of the profits these banks make and much of that profit has come from the criminal activity for which the fines are levied. The banks will still post big dividends to their shareholders - and they would have been even bigger - but for these fines, so the real penalty is being sheeted home to the very people who had the least to do with this form of criminality.
With the same people heading the banks, where does remorse come into the equation ? They are no doubt sorry - that they got caught. Most probably the fines will not stop with the few already levied and more banks will be drawn into this web of deceit, but the regulatory authorities were also lax - and it seems that no heads have rolled there as a consequence either !
It sounds like an " I'll scratch your back and you scratch mine " type of situation. Justice will not be served while the big guys at the top remain the top item on the totem pole. This type of criminality needs appropriate consequences - and that means dismissal, corporate disgrace, a suitable gaol term - and a ban from holding any management position for a long period of years.
As things stand, a repeat scenario a few years down the track seems almost a certainty !
Saturday, 29 December 2012
The " Hostage " dilemma !
A new threat has emerged for Australians living overseas or taking a holiday in countries with a restive insurgency demanding the formation of a Muslim state. The risk of being kidnapped and held for ransom.
Such is the situation for Warren Richard Rodwell. This Australian and his Philippino wife ran a shop in Mindanao and has now been a captive of Abu Sayyaf for more than a year. His captors recently posted a picture on YouTube showing him with a current daily newspaper to deliver a " proof of life " message. They initially demanded a ransom of two million Australian dollars, but this has now been substantially reduced.
This man is in great peril. Abu Sayyaf is a terrorist group with a long history of financing their activities from the proceeds of kidnapping for ransom. When demands are paid, victims are usually safely released, but when their demands are not met the victim is usually summarily executed. In a statement on YouTube, Rodwell says he has lost hope - and trusts neither Abu Sayyaf or the Australian government.
It is a fact of life that the position taken by Australia is that it does not pay ransoms for the release of it's citizens. This throws the onus back onto friends and family of the victim, and the outcome then depends on whether the friends and family have the resources to raise the money. It also helps if the victim is an attractive woman or a celebrity well known to the media. The worst possible scenario - a victim who is a " nobody " with no rich friends or supporting media interests.
Australia's Foreign minister reiterates the Australian position of not paying ransoms and passes the rescue buck back to the government of the Philippines. It is a sad fact of life that military rescue attempts of hostages have had a sorry history of failure. In many cases they have developed into a fire fight in which the hostages have been killed.
It seems that Abu Sayyaf have taken a more reasonable stance on their demands. They have dropped that ridiculous two million dollar tag down to somewhere near twenty thousand dollars and with a bit of serious renegotiation's it might drop even further. It all depends on whether Rodwell's wife can raise any sort of money, and whether he has family and friends in Australia who are able - and prepared - to help.
So - Australians thinking of taking an overseas holiday need to asses the risks of wherever their travels will take them. Do not expect the Australian government to come to the party with ransom money if you are kidnapped, and it would be wise to sound out family and friends attitudes before you leave.
The fact that Warren Rodwell's situation has hit the pages of the Australian media may change his situation. There is a possibility that a " white knight " may emerge or public subscription may raise the ransom money. If he is released, it will certainly be a newsworthy event and we will hear about it.
If nothing else, this tragic case should make Australian travellers think long and hard before venturing into places where kidnapping for ransom is even a possibility !
Such is the situation for Warren Richard Rodwell. This Australian and his Philippino wife ran a shop in Mindanao and has now been a captive of Abu Sayyaf for more than a year. His captors recently posted a picture on YouTube showing him with a current daily newspaper to deliver a " proof of life " message. They initially demanded a ransom of two million Australian dollars, but this has now been substantially reduced.
This man is in great peril. Abu Sayyaf is a terrorist group with a long history of financing their activities from the proceeds of kidnapping for ransom. When demands are paid, victims are usually safely released, but when their demands are not met the victim is usually summarily executed. In a statement on YouTube, Rodwell says he has lost hope - and trusts neither Abu Sayyaf or the Australian government.
It is a fact of life that the position taken by Australia is that it does not pay ransoms for the release of it's citizens. This throws the onus back onto friends and family of the victim, and the outcome then depends on whether the friends and family have the resources to raise the money. It also helps if the victim is an attractive woman or a celebrity well known to the media. The worst possible scenario - a victim who is a " nobody " with no rich friends or supporting media interests.
Australia's Foreign minister reiterates the Australian position of not paying ransoms and passes the rescue buck back to the government of the Philippines. It is a sad fact of life that military rescue attempts of hostages have had a sorry history of failure. In many cases they have developed into a fire fight in which the hostages have been killed.
It seems that Abu Sayyaf have taken a more reasonable stance on their demands. They have dropped that ridiculous two million dollar tag down to somewhere near twenty thousand dollars and with a bit of serious renegotiation's it might drop even further. It all depends on whether Rodwell's wife can raise any sort of money, and whether he has family and friends in Australia who are able - and prepared - to help.
So - Australians thinking of taking an overseas holiday need to asses the risks of wherever their travels will take them. Do not expect the Australian government to come to the party with ransom money if you are kidnapped, and it would be wise to sound out family and friends attitudes before you leave.
The fact that Warren Rodwell's situation has hit the pages of the Australian media may change his situation. There is a possibility that a " white knight " may emerge or public subscription may raise the ransom money. If he is released, it will certainly be a newsworthy event and we will hear about it.
If nothing else, this tragic case should make Australian travellers think long and hard before venturing into places where kidnapping for ransom is even a possibility !
Friday, 28 December 2012
Euthanasia.
Euthanasia - or the right to decide when you want to die - hits the headlines from time to time. Suicide is perfectly legal these days - provided nobody helps you end your life. If they do, they commit a crime and they could end up before a court and receive a prison sentence as punishment.
That very word - Euthanasia - makes politicians jittery and sends the churches into tirades of apoplexy. They claim sole rights to be the moral administrators of the " dieing business " and in many cases have a " make them suffer until their last breath " attitude. In some cases, breathing your last in a church run hospital could be a very painful end.
In recent times we have tolerated marvellous institutions called a " Hospice " or " Palliative care ". It is usually housed in a state run medical facility, and it is intended as a humane place for the terminally ill to end their days. The medical people who run them are dedicated to stopping pain, even if this means administering pain killing drugs that will shorten our life span by days, hours - or even minutes. This is a subject that the legal fraternity dodges like the plague. Nobody wants to tackle the fine line between easing a human over the line between a dignified, humane death and the awful pain that a disease like cancer can inflict in it's final stages.
The problem is that not every person with a terminal illness is able to access one of these helpful facilities. You simply can not walk in the door and announce that you want to die. Access is controlled by the medical profession, and here the religion of the attending doctor can have a big influence on how you are treated. Those who are simply tired of living are usually given the " bum's rush " !
We have had dedicated proponents of Euthanasia put a case to make help in ending life legal and they have usually been vilified by both church and state. The names Jack Kevorkian and Philip Nitschke come to mind. Both have devised methods which allow those who believe they have the right to decide their end of life to carry out this function by their own hands, without putting friends and family at risk by the necessity of assistance. Unfortunately, that is of little help to those with physical limitations.
Some countries have bitten the bullet and enacted legislation that allows the medical profession to help those seeking to end their life. In each case, participating is a personal decision by the doctor involved and usually he or she will not grant that help to all seekers. The applicant would need to present a compelling case. In particular, the easing of pain is usually the deciding factor.
So - we in Australia have a sort of defacto Euthanasia system that is totally ignored by the police, courts and government. Kindly doctors increase pain killing drugs to the old and feeble in the full knowledge that these will shorten their lives, and in the government run palliative care units the administration scrupulously looks the other way as ending pain takes precedence over longevity.
Every now and then some case attracts media attention because of claims made in respect of inherited estate or a moral objection emerges and the whole subject gets a thorough airing. There are calls for the law to be made clearer - and the politicians run for cover and the churches beat their chests and claim the moral high ground.
When the dust settles - back to " business as usual ". It seems that the " dieing business " is a matter of luck. Hopefully, you end up in the hands of compassionate people - but unfortunately not everybody has that good fortune.
That very word - Euthanasia - makes politicians jittery and sends the churches into tirades of apoplexy. They claim sole rights to be the moral administrators of the " dieing business " and in many cases have a " make them suffer until their last breath " attitude. In some cases, breathing your last in a church run hospital could be a very painful end.
In recent times we have tolerated marvellous institutions called a " Hospice " or " Palliative care ". It is usually housed in a state run medical facility, and it is intended as a humane place for the terminally ill to end their days. The medical people who run them are dedicated to stopping pain, even if this means administering pain killing drugs that will shorten our life span by days, hours - or even minutes. This is a subject that the legal fraternity dodges like the plague. Nobody wants to tackle the fine line between easing a human over the line between a dignified, humane death and the awful pain that a disease like cancer can inflict in it's final stages.
The problem is that not every person with a terminal illness is able to access one of these helpful facilities. You simply can not walk in the door and announce that you want to die. Access is controlled by the medical profession, and here the religion of the attending doctor can have a big influence on how you are treated. Those who are simply tired of living are usually given the " bum's rush " !
We have had dedicated proponents of Euthanasia put a case to make help in ending life legal and they have usually been vilified by both church and state. The names Jack Kevorkian and Philip Nitschke come to mind. Both have devised methods which allow those who believe they have the right to decide their end of life to carry out this function by their own hands, without putting friends and family at risk by the necessity of assistance. Unfortunately, that is of little help to those with physical limitations.
Some countries have bitten the bullet and enacted legislation that allows the medical profession to help those seeking to end their life. In each case, participating is a personal decision by the doctor involved and usually he or she will not grant that help to all seekers. The applicant would need to present a compelling case. In particular, the easing of pain is usually the deciding factor.
So - we in Australia have a sort of defacto Euthanasia system that is totally ignored by the police, courts and government. Kindly doctors increase pain killing drugs to the old and feeble in the full knowledge that these will shorten their lives, and in the government run palliative care units the administration scrupulously looks the other way as ending pain takes precedence over longevity.
Every now and then some case attracts media attention because of claims made in respect of inherited estate or a moral objection emerges and the whole subject gets a thorough airing. There are calls for the law to be made clearer - and the politicians run for cover and the churches beat their chests and claim the moral high ground.
When the dust settles - back to " business as usual ". It seems that the " dieing business " is a matter of luck. Hopefully, you end up in the hands of compassionate people - but unfortunately not everybody has that good fortune.
Thursday, 27 December 2012
A fateful decision !
Wollongong relies heavily on two industries to underpin it's workforce, and they are both intertwined. We make steel in this city - and we mine coal. On Christmas eve the Planning and Assessment panel tasked with approving mining operations gave assent to Gujarat NRE to start their number 5 Longwall operation at Russel Vale colliery. Many people will give a sigh of relief that jobs have been saved - but others will wonder what sort of monster has been unleashed in the earth far below this city.
A century ago coal was mined by men wielding picks and shovels. Pit ponies spent their lives underground, hauling skips of coal to where they could be brought to the surface. Mining was a dangerous job and the unions were strident in demanding ever improving pay and working conditions for miners. The introduction of mechanical equipment to mine coal was treated with deep suspicion and resistance.
Eventually, the mining companies won the mechanical battle and today the economics of mining rests on the use of Longwall equipment to gouge out an endless stream of coal at a cost that meets world competition. The existing Longwall at Russel Vale mine had exhausted it's coal seam and 520 mining job were dependent on a new Longwall operation getting the green light from the Assessment panel.
The problem with Longwall operations is that it leaves a big hole where the coal has been removed, and this leads to subsidence of the land above. A group calling itself " Illawarra Residents for Responsible Mining " ( IRRM ) has wanted this issue put before a public meeting to be fully examined before any decision was reached. Obviously, that will now not happen.
Conditions were attached to this approval. The length of the new Longwall has been reduced from 1145 metres to 845 metres and this will reduce the impact of subsidence on the land above, but the boffins are unclear on how mining by this method will interact with the dams, lakes, rivers and streams that supply our drinking water. At the same time, the earth beneath our feet is under attack from gas miners who intend to apply a " fracking " process to un-mined coal to release methane gas stored in the deposits.
IRRM wants all forms of mining closely examined to determine future outcomes for this city before we make decisions that set events in motion. Unfortunately, we do not have the time factor on our side. Gujarat NRE either starts to mine coal again - or those 520 miners are out of a job. That must have had a major impact on the Christmas eve decision.
It seems to be a matter of crossed fingers - and hoping for the best. In a perfect world, these sort of decisions would take place after long and exhaustive investigation of all the aspects involved. In the real world, future risk takes second place over the issue of jobs that put money in people's pockets and sustain the community in which we live.
That hasn't changed since the days when coal was mined with pick and shovel !
A century ago coal was mined by men wielding picks and shovels. Pit ponies spent their lives underground, hauling skips of coal to where they could be brought to the surface. Mining was a dangerous job and the unions were strident in demanding ever improving pay and working conditions for miners. The introduction of mechanical equipment to mine coal was treated with deep suspicion and resistance.
Eventually, the mining companies won the mechanical battle and today the economics of mining rests on the use of Longwall equipment to gouge out an endless stream of coal at a cost that meets world competition. The existing Longwall at Russel Vale mine had exhausted it's coal seam and 520 mining job were dependent on a new Longwall operation getting the green light from the Assessment panel.
The problem with Longwall operations is that it leaves a big hole where the coal has been removed, and this leads to subsidence of the land above. A group calling itself " Illawarra Residents for Responsible Mining " ( IRRM ) has wanted this issue put before a public meeting to be fully examined before any decision was reached. Obviously, that will now not happen.
Conditions were attached to this approval. The length of the new Longwall has been reduced from 1145 metres to 845 metres and this will reduce the impact of subsidence on the land above, but the boffins are unclear on how mining by this method will interact with the dams, lakes, rivers and streams that supply our drinking water. At the same time, the earth beneath our feet is under attack from gas miners who intend to apply a " fracking " process to un-mined coal to release methane gas stored in the deposits.
IRRM wants all forms of mining closely examined to determine future outcomes for this city before we make decisions that set events in motion. Unfortunately, we do not have the time factor on our side. Gujarat NRE either starts to mine coal again - or those 520 miners are out of a job. That must have had a major impact on the Christmas eve decision.
It seems to be a matter of crossed fingers - and hoping for the best. In a perfect world, these sort of decisions would take place after long and exhaustive investigation of all the aspects involved. In the real world, future risk takes second place over the issue of jobs that put money in people's pockets and sustain the community in which we live.
That hasn't changed since the days when coal was mined with pick and shovel !
Wednesday, 26 December 2012
A hidden agenda ?
There is a fine line between legitimate marketing plans to attract customers to improve sales results, and using unfair tactics to drive competitors out of business to achieve monopoly status. In the important food and grocery trade, two giant companies dominate and have a fast approaching eighty percent market share Their ambitions have expanded and now they are dominating both the hardware market segment - and the supply of car fuels.
It is the use of petrol discounting that is causing the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission ( ACCC ) to investigate the practice of giving discounts on petrol sales to customers who buy at least a $30 purchase in a single transaction at their stores. In a worrying trend, the usual four cents per litre saving has been doubled to eight cents - and it seems likely to remain valid for extended periods of time.
That extended discount is a powerful incentive for car owners to shop exclusively for petrol at the company's petrol station chain. The Holden Commodore has a seventy-one litre tank and the discount delivers a $ 5.68 saving.
The problem is two-fold. The two grocery companies are so big and powerful now that they are in a position to use bargaining muscle on the oil companies to gain preferential price supply, enabling them to offer discounts without hurting their bottom line - and the small and independent petrol resellers face competition they can not match - and their numbers dwindle to the point when a two brand petrol monopoly is a real threat to price stability.
The job of the ACCC is to maintain competition in the marketplace across the entire supply system and prevent the establishment of monopolies that can be used to unfairly impose price hikes. This investigation will look at whether this discount scheme on petrol is intended to thin out the independents by making them uncompetitive - and if that is to the detriment of all those who buy petrol.
Cynics will not be holding their breath awaiting a verdict that delivers justice. There have been many enquiries into the petrol pricing system and none have reached a logical conclusion. The oil companies are just too big and powerful to be brought into line, and the two grocery chains have the fire power to make both Federal and state governments back off.
There have been promises to bring clarity into petrol pricing, but the present " price cycle " argument is little more than a joke. Holiday peak demand always sees the price of petrol hike - and this Christmas break has delivered the usual result. When the GFC hit some banks were judged " too big to fail ". It seems that the oil companies are " too big to discipline " - and the grocery duopoly are fast reaching that same status.
The ACCC was brought into being with high expectations that it would have the teeth to create a fair market place. It has won a number of small victories, but when it comes to the big issues it seems to be a completely " toothless tiger ".
This investigation is taking on the big end of town. An " inconclusive finding " is certain !
It is the use of petrol discounting that is causing the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission ( ACCC ) to investigate the practice of giving discounts on petrol sales to customers who buy at least a $30 purchase in a single transaction at their stores. In a worrying trend, the usual four cents per litre saving has been doubled to eight cents - and it seems likely to remain valid for extended periods of time.
That extended discount is a powerful incentive for car owners to shop exclusively for petrol at the company's petrol station chain. The Holden Commodore has a seventy-one litre tank and the discount delivers a $ 5.68 saving.
The problem is two-fold. The two grocery companies are so big and powerful now that they are in a position to use bargaining muscle on the oil companies to gain preferential price supply, enabling them to offer discounts without hurting their bottom line - and the small and independent petrol resellers face competition they can not match - and their numbers dwindle to the point when a two brand petrol monopoly is a real threat to price stability.
The job of the ACCC is to maintain competition in the marketplace across the entire supply system and prevent the establishment of monopolies that can be used to unfairly impose price hikes. This investigation will look at whether this discount scheme on petrol is intended to thin out the independents by making them uncompetitive - and if that is to the detriment of all those who buy petrol.
Cynics will not be holding their breath awaiting a verdict that delivers justice. There have been many enquiries into the petrol pricing system and none have reached a logical conclusion. The oil companies are just too big and powerful to be brought into line, and the two grocery chains have the fire power to make both Federal and state governments back off.
There have been promises to bring clarity into petrol pricing, but the present " price cycle " argument is little more than a joke. Holiday peak demand always sees the price of petrol hike - and this Christmas break has delivered the usual result. When the GFC hit some banks were judged " too big to fail ". It seems that the oil companies are " too big to discipline " - and the grocery duopoly are fast reaching that same status.
The ACCC was brought into being with high expectations that it would have the teeth to create a fair market place. It has won a number of small victories, but when it comes to the big issues it seems to be a completely " toothless tiger ".
This investigation is taking on the big end of town. An " inconclusive finding " is certain !
Tuesday, 25 December 2012
" Mission Impossible " App.
This morning, as presents are unwrapped under the Christmas tree it is a fair bet that many teenagers will be expecting to see a shiny new tablet as a gift from their parents. The " Tablet " in all it's forms is the newest miracle gizmo from the world of electronics and it can do just about everything in a computer's capacity - but in slimmer, lighter form.
Coincidentally, on Friday a new Facebook Poke App was released that will bring older parents memories back to that popular television series -" Mission Impossible". You may remember it's introductory scene. A secret agent receives a tape with his mission instructions - with the warning that " it will destruct in five seconds ".
This new App - which is a free download - allows users to post photographs to friends - with the capacity to make them self destruct after a nominated number of seconds. It is on the screen briefly - and then gone forever in three - five or maybe ten seconds.
Sounds like fun - but there could be a sinister side. This would seem to be the perfect tool for teenagers under peer pressure to indulge in "sexting." - and for the uninitiated - that means exchanging nude photographs between boyfriends and girlfriends.
Some may be deluded into thinking that self destructing photographs are harmless. Just a quick peek - and that erasure delivers security. It ignores the fact that the receiver may take a screenshot - and the picture may live on forever - and one day come back to haunt the subject.
Many people who later became celebrities have been humiliated by indiscreet pictures that they had long forgotten. In some cases this has ruined promising political careers, and in others the embarrassment has caused them to step down from a lucrative competition.
Today's teenagers live in a world of intense peer pressure. To refuse to go with the crowd is a definite reversal of " cool " - and to be avoided at all costs. It is hard to imagine why anybody would want to see automatic self destruction of holiday scenes shared amongst friends. The very nature of this App suggests activity to be hidden from all - but a chosen few.
We live in an ever changing world and this is just one of the traps that lay in wait for adventurous teenagers. Tablets are a fact of life and many will be unwrapped this morning - and that App is a reality - just waiting to be free downloaded.
Parents are limited to giving good advice - and hoping their teenager has the good sense to impose reasonable limitations !
Coincidentally, on Friday a new Facebook Poke App was released that will bring older parents memories back to that popular television series -" Mission Impossible". You may remember it's introductory scene. A secret agent receives a tape with his mission instructions - with the warning that " it will destruct in five seconds ".
This new App - which is a free download - allows users to post photographs to friends - with the capacity to make them self destruct after a nominated number of seconds. It is on the screen briefly - and then gone forever in three - five or maybe ten seconds.
Sounds like fun - but there could be a sinister side. This would seem to be the perfect tool for teenagers under peer pressure to indulge in "sexting." - and for the uninitiated - that means exchanging nude photographs between boyfriends and girlfriends.
Some may be deluded into thinking that self destructing photographs are harmless. Just a quick peek - and that erasure delivers security. It ignores the fact that the receiver may take a screenshot - and the picture may live on forever - and one day come back to haunt the subject.
Many people who later became celebrities have been humiliated by indiscreet pictures that they had long forgotten. In some cases this has ruined promising political careers, and in others the embarrassment has caused them to step down from a lucrative competition.
Today's teenagers live in a world of intense peer pressure. To refuse to go with the crowd is a definite reversal of " cool " - and to be avoided at all costs. It is hard to imagine why anybody would want to see automatic self destruction of holiday scenes shared amongst friends. The very nature of this App suggests activity to be hidden from all - but a chosen few.
We live in an ever changing world and this is just one of the traps that lay in wait for adventurous teenagers. Tablets are a fact of life and many will be unwrapped this morning - and that App is a reality - just waiting to be free downloaded.
Parents are limited to giving good advice - and hoping their teenager has the good sense to impose reasonable limitations !
Monday, 24 December 2012
New Computer crime tactic !
It would be hard to find a business in Australia that did not rely on it's computer for record keeping, processing the order flow and payment for goods - and generally keeping the records that underline tax liabilities and accounting procedures. Criminal gangs from eastern Europe have perfected a new form of piracy that breaks into these computer systems and locks everything down behind encryption data that the computer owner can not penetrate. They then demand a " ransom " to unlock and restore these files.
This is not an attack system against giant corporations. The victims are small business and the asking price for restoring the embargoed files is usually somewhere between $ 1,000 and $ 5,000. Police suspect that what they know is just the tip of the iceberg. Many people just pay up - out of sheer desperation.
A leading Internet bookmaker found his computers locked down on Cox Plate day, one of the busiest betting days of the year. A medical clinic had it's client records locked away behind new encryption and even a small country community school was a victim. We have come to rely on the computer so completely that we are helpless when it fails to meet our needs.
The police advise us not to pay these ransoms and they do so with good reason. There is no guarantee that paying will result in that promise being kept, and " blackmailers " have a long history of returning to the crime scene to demand more money. The police themselves have experts skilled in breaking into computer hard drives and recovering information related to crime scenes - but this is a slow and laborious process. If a business took that course with computer experts they would probably eventually recover the lost information, but in the interim their business may not survive.
These crime gangs are deploying hackers with near genius skills. Opening an infected email is one point of entry, but they have devised " brute force " methods, using computer power to sort through big numbers of de-fault passwords to crack the code. They usually demand payment for computer unlocking via remote payment systems that leave few traces. This is a very sophisticated and highly skilled criminal activity.
Because it is being used successfully, it seems inevitable that it will expand and attack more victims. The wise will make sure that every aspect of the information in their computer is locked away in a remote memory unit so that if necessary - they can abandon that infected computer and start afresh with new equipment. This form of cyber crime may be the crest of an information tsunami and it may be a good idea to have a second computer system running in tandem - but fully isolated from that system connected to the Internet.
It pays to protect your computer privacy with good firewalls, but if a computer is a vital component in the business that provides your income, you would be wise to go far beyond firewalls and install a defence beyond the reach of even the most advanced hacker.
When it comes to computers and crime, the only view of the future can be summed up with " Expect the unexpected " !
This is not an attack system against giant corporations. The victims are small business and the asking price for restoring the embargoed files is usually somewhere between $ 1,000 and $ 5,000. Police suspect that what they know is just the tip of the iceberg. Many people just pay up - out of sheer desperation.
A leading Internet bookmaker found his computers locked down on Cox Plate day, one of the busiest betting days of the year. A medical clinic had it's client records locked away behind new encryption and even a small country community school was a victim. We have come to rely on the computer so completely that we are helpless when it fails to meet our needs.
The police advise us not to pay these ransoms and they do so with good reason. There is no guarantee that paying will result in that promise being kept, and " blackmailers " have a long history of returning to the crime scene to demand more money. The police themselves have experts skilled in breaking into computer hard drives and recovering information related to crime scenes - but this is a slow and laborious process. If a business took that course with computer experts they would probably eventually recover the lost information, but in the interim their business may not survive.
These crime gangs are deploying hackers with near genius skills. Opening an infected email is one point of entry, but they have devised " brute force " methods, using computer power to sort through big numbers of de-fault passwords to crack the code. They usually demand payment for computer unlocking via remote payment systems that leave few traces. This is a very sophisticated and highly skilled criminal activity.
Because it is being used successfully, it seems inevitable that it will expand and attack more victims. The wise will make sure that every aspect of the information in their computer is locked away in a remote memory unit so that if necessary - they can abandon that infected computer and start afresh with new equipment. This form of cyber crime may be the crest of an information tsunami and it may be a good idea to have a second computer system running in tandem - but fully isolated from that system connected to the Internet.
It pays to protect your computer privacy with good firewalls, but if a computer is a vital component in the business that provides your income, you would be wise to go far beyond firewalls and install a defence beyond the reach of even the most advanced hacker.
When it comes to computers and crime, the only view of the future can be summed up with " Expect the unexpected " !
Sunday, 23 December 2012
" Dodgy " Christmas food !
The few days before Christmas usually brings forth legions of entrepreneurs offering cheap wares from roadside stalls or directly from the boot of cars. In particular, the popularity of seafood for the festive season results in many offers of oysters and prawns.
Saving a little money would be a bad trade if the end result is a bout of food poisoning. It would be wise to think long and hard about the safety of any food products on offer from a " no questions asked " itinerant retailer.
In many cases cheap oysters turn out to be a product stolen from an oyster farm, but what we don't know is if that oyster farm has been subject to a sales embargo because the river water has suffered pollution. The thieves couldn't care less. That is not their problem. They are only interested in making a quick profit and if customers suffer health problems they are almost impossible to trace.
Even if the product offered is legitimate, there is a health problem involved. This is the hot time of the year and the best these roadside people can offer is a few bags of ice to keep the stock fresh - and that does not last long in the boot of a car. Shop refrigeration is subjected to regular health checks to ensure food is kept at the right temperature. Roadside prawns carry no health guarantees.
It is a fact of life that many big food wholesalers use the festive season to clear out stock that has been held in refrigeration too long. There is an optimum shelf life for most refrigerated food and it is tempting to unload stock that is nearing it's " use by " date to the " roadside merchants " looking for a quick bargain.
As well as food, a risk factor exists in most things offered at roadside stalls. Some merchants have a stock of " last minute " Christmas gifts - for those either short of money or who are desperate for something when all the shops have closed for the Christmas break.
Often what is offered is the products withdrawn from sale because they posed safety risks. The legitimate shops are prevented from selling these toys and they have " jobbed " them out to a roadside reseller at a loss to recoup a few dollars. A buyer is risking loose parts that may choke a child or dangerous darts that could lead to blindness. These products are cheap - and nasty !
The big attraction is usually - price ! Whenever something is on offer at a price way below what you would normally expect to pay - it would be a good idea to think it through - and wonder why ?
That usually brings you to suspect this offering has a " dodgy " background.
Which brings into play that old truism - When the price is low the quality matches the price !
Saving a little money would be a bad trade if the end result is a bout of food poisoning. It would be wise to think long and hard about the safety of any food products on offer from a " no questions asked " itinerant retailer.
In many cases cheap oysters turn out to be a product stolen from an oyster farm, but what we don't know is if that oyster farm has been subject to a sales embargo because the river water has suffered pollution. The thieves couldn't care less. That is not their problem. They are only interested in making a quick profit and if customers suffer health problems they are almost impossible to trace.
Even if the product offered is legitimate, there is a health problem involved. This is the hot time of the year and the best these roadside people can offer is a few bags of ice to keep the stock fresh - and that does not last long in the boot of a car. Shop refrigeration is subjected to regular health checks to ensure food is kept at the right temperature. Roadside prawns carry no health guarantees.
It is a fact of life that many big food wholesalers use the festive season to clear out stock that has been held in refrigeration too long. There is an optimum shelf life for most refrigerated food and it is tempting to unload stock that is nearing it's " use by " date to the " roadside merchants " looking for a quick bargain.
As well as food, a risk factor exists in most things offered at roadside stalls. Some merchants have a stock of " last minute " Christmas gifts - for those either short of money or who are desperate for something when all the shops have closed for the Christmas break.
Often what is offered is the products withdrawn from sale because they posed safety risks. The legitimate shops are prevented from selling these toys and they have " jobbed " them out to a roadside reseller at a loss to recoup a few dollars. A buyer is risking loose parts that may choke a child or dangerous darts that could lead to blindness. These products are cheap - and nasty !
The big attraction is usually - price ! Whenever something is on offer at a price way below what you would normally expect to pay - it would be a good idea to think it through - and wonder why ?
That usually brings you to suspect this offering has a " dodgy " background.
Which brings into play that old truism - When the price is low the quality matches the price !
Saturday, 22 December 2012
Mining " Subsidence " !
There is an old saying that " your home is your castle ". Unfortunately, that is far from true. When you buy a home you get possession of a piece of land, but you have absolutely no control over what is happening deep in the earth below. In Wollongong, that means you may be living above a coal mine.
Dendrobium mine needs to expand it's operations into new " Longwalls " and there is an application to license the extraction of forty-seven million tonnes of coal from ten new galleries by 2022. The problem is that this form of mining leaves a vacant hole in the earth where the coal has been - and over time the earth above " subsides " on the principle that weight and pressure return things to normal.
What must alarm all local home owners is the estimation by coal experts that this subsidence will range from 2 to 2.8 metres at each of these ten Longwall galleries. The implications are horrifying !
The government has set in place a subsidence restoration board to compensate people for damage to their homes and councils enforce strict building regulations to ensure that homes built in subsidence areas are weight spread and designed for the task, but there is also the aspect of damage to dams, lakes and rivers - and the road and rail systems we rely on for commerce.
Planet Earth is under attack from the relentless drive to extract more and more minerals to support our export industries, and at the same time coal that is not being mined is subject to " fracking " to extract coal seam gas for our energy needs. We are venturing into the unknown - and at best we are relying on the opinions of experts as to what the consequences may be.
There is alarm that both mining and fracking may damage the Illawarra water catchment area and already some creeks have shown signs of water loss. In other places, swamps and still water have methane gas bubbling up from cracks in the sub-surface. This is apparent where water is involved, but if it is also happening on land we face the prospect of a volatile gas adding to the fury when a bushfire erupts.
The prospect of land falling away to the height of a tall man is a consequence that must be addressed in considering this mine expansion approval. Of course, money is at risk if that approval is not granted. A lot of money has already been spent to develop Dundrobium and many jobs are at stake. It would be a local disaster if the mine was forced to close, but it could be an even bigger disaster if subsidence ruined house owners and industry - and shattered this viable community.
The big question is whether we can take that risk, or if it would be better to mine the coal from dozens of new coal fields located in rural areas of this state. Unfortunately, that involves the loss of land that is delivering valuable farm crops, and many new mines will be open cut operations, leaving the land sterile for farming when the coal is exhausted.
The impetus for decision making seems to be for short term gain. The economy needs the tax money mining brings - and the community needs the job that mining provides. Experts differ on the consequences, and both sides of the argument exploit that uncertainty to push their case.
Pity the people who have to deliver a verdict - one way or the other. Damned if they do - and damned if they don't ! But the consequences of those decisions are something that our kids and grandkids will have to live with - further down the track !
Dendrobium mine needs to expand it's operations into new " Longwalls " and there is an application to license the extraction of forty-seven million tonnes of coal from ten new galleries by 2022. The problem is that this form of mining leaves a vacant hole in the earth where the coal has been - and over time the earth above " subsides " on the principle that weight and pressure return things to normal.
What must alarm all local home owners is the estimation by coal experts that this subsidence will range from 2 to 2.8 metres at each of these ten Longwall galleries. The implications are horrifying !
The government has set in place a subsidence restoration board to compensate people for damage to their homes and councils enforce strict building regulations to ensure that homes built in subsidence areas are weight spread and designed for the task, but there is also the aspect of damage to dams, lakes and rivers - and the road and rail systems we rely on for commerce.
Planet Earth is under attack from the relentless drive to extract more and more minerals to support our export industries, and at the same time coal that is not being mined is subject to " fracking " to extract coal seam gas for our energy needs. We are venturing into the unknown - and at best we are relying on the opinions of experts as to what the consequences may be.
There is alarm that both mining and fracking may damage the Illawarra water catchment area and already some creeks have shown signs of water loss. In other places, swamps and still water have methane gas bubbling up from cracks in the sub-surface. This is apparent where water is involved, but if it is also happening on land we face the prospect of a volatile gas adding to the fury when a bushfire erupts.
The prospect of land falling away to the height of a tall man is a consequence that must be addressed in considering this mine expansion approval. Of course, money is at risk if that approval is not granted. A lot of money has already been spent to develop Dundrobium and many jobs are at stake. It would be a local disaster if the mine was forced to close, but it could be an even bigger disaster if subsidence ruined house owners and industry - and shattered this viable community.
The big question is whether we can take that risk, or if it would be better to mine the coal from dozens of new coal fields located in rural areas of this state. Unfortunately, that involves the loss of land that is delivering valuable farm crops, and many new mines will be open cut operations, leaving the land sterile for farming when the coal is exhausted.
The impetus for decision making seems to be for short term gain. The economy needs the tax money mining brings - and the community needs the job that mining provides. Experts differ on the consequences, and both sides of the argument exploit that uncertainty to push their case.
Pity the people who have to deliver a verdict - one way or the other. Damned if they do - and damned if they don't ! But the consequences of those decisions are something that our kids and grandkids will have to live with - further down the track !
Friday, 21 December 2012
The " Curse of religion " !
Religion can be a force for good - or it can be a weapon of war ! In Pakistan we are seeing religious intolerance condemning children to suffer the crippling effects of polio because the Taliban has issued a Fatwa, condemning to death those who provide immunization against this disease.
Six Pakistani women who were immunizing children were shot dead by militants in coordinated separate attacks in Karachi. As a result, the immunization campaign has been suspended. Polio has been wiped out in most western countries, but it remains endemic in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria - and that's where the Taliban holds sway.
The Taliban have their own weird ideas on what constitutes Islam and this includes banning most things the rest of the world considers " normal ". In areas they control, listening to music, watching television - and even flying kites is banned. Their " punishments " include stoning to death for adultery and the amputation of hands for theft. Now it seems that even the control of disease comes within their orbit.
It seems that this polio immunization ban stems from a " revenge motif ". A Pakistani doctor supposedly helped identify the house in which Osama bin Laden was hiding by using a fake medical check to obtain blood samples. These were then compared with known DNA to reveal a blood link between the terrorist and the people living in the suspected house. The Taliban are now saying that all forms of immunization is a cover for espionage - and they will kill to prevent it happening.
This blanket ban is going to spread death and misery in the lands they control. Countless children are going to have their lives ruined by a disease that it is possible to control - and even completely eliminate. No wonder we are seeing an exodus of thinking people from Afghanistan and other lands that suffer the brutal edicts of the Taliban on every aspect of their lives.
This is the same Taliban that deliberately shot a fifteen year old schoolgirl in the head - for daring to demand that girl's be allowed education. No wonder the Taliban need to keep their subjects dirt poor and ignorant. The moment education opens their minds they can see what a miserable life they are living - and they take off elsewhere for a better life.
The Taliban are fighting a losing battle. They retain control in many places by sheer force of arms, but bit by bit education is seeping into the life of the oppressed and loosening their hold. It is just a pity that until the numbers grow a lot of little kids are going to die or be crippled by a senseless ban imposed by ignorant fundamentalists who interpret a worthy religion into an obscene form to suit their own purposes.
Eventually, a battle between life saving firms of medicine - and religion - can only have one outcome !
Six Pakistani women who were immunizing children were shot dead by militants in coordinated separate attacks in Karachi. As a result, the immunization campaign has been suspended. Polio has been wiped out in most western countries, but it remains endemic in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria - and that's where the Taliban holds sway.
The Taliban have their own weird ideas on what constitutes Islam and this includes banning most things the rest of the world considers " normal ". In areas they control, listening to music, watching television - and even flying kites is banned. Their " punishments " include stoning to death for adultery and the amputation of hands for theft. Now it seems that even the control of disease comes within their orbit.
It seems that this polio immunization ban stems from a " revenge motif ". A Pakistani doctor supposedly helped identify the house in which Osama bin Laden was hiding by using a fake medical check to obtain blood samples. These were then compared with known DNA to reveal a blood link between the terrorist and the people living in the suspected house. The Taliban are now saying that all forms of immunization is a cover for espionage - and they will kill to prevent it happening.
This blanket ban is going to spread death and misery in the lands they control. Countless children are going to have their lives ruined by a disease that it is possible to control - and even completely eliminate. No wonder we are seeing an exodus of thinking people from Afghanistan and other lands that suffer the brutal edicts of the Taliban on every aspect of their lives.
This is the same Taliban that deliberately shot a fifteen year old schoolgirl in the head - for daring to demand that girl's be allowed education. No wonder the Taliban need to keep their subjects dirt poor and ignorant. The moment education opens their minds they can see what a miserable life they are living - and they take off elsewhere for a better life.
The Taliban are fighting a losing battle. They retain control in many places by sheer force of arms, but bit by bit education is seeping into the life of the oppressed and loosening their hold. It is just a pity that until the numbers grow a lot of little kids are going to die or be crippled by a senseless ban imposed by ignorant fundamentalists who interpret a worthy religion into an obscene form to suit their own purposes.
Eventually, a battle between life saving firms of medicine - and religion - can only have one outcome !
Thursday, 20 December 2012
" Quad Bike " ban !
The Federal government is considering passing a law banning children under sixteen from riding "Quad Bikes " - as all terrain vehicles are known - on farms or any other type of private property. It has no plans to make wearing a helmet compulsory, or forcing Quad bike manufacturers to include roll bars in their design.
There have been fifteen Quad bike deaths this year and last year saw twenty-three fatalities. The common thread is that Quad bikes are much heavier than a motorcycle and when used on slopes they have a tendency to roll - and the rider is often pinned underneath and either crushed or drowned if the accident happens in water.
This ban on children appears to be tackling the problem from the wrong end. Quad bikes are the danger, irrespective of whether the rider is an adult or a child. They can not be registered or legally used on a public road, hence the 220,000 already in Australia are used on private property - or illegally for fun on fire trails or beaches.
Placing a ban on child riders will probably be universally ignored. We already have a problem with unregistered trail bikes buzzing around public land and the best efforts of the police have done nothing to curb this offence. The strange thing is that these trail bikes are perfectly legal on private property and we are now proposing to let that legality continue - but ban kids from the four wheel version.
It would be a better idea to make the Quad bikes safe for all riders, and that requires just a simple law to make a roll bar mandatory for all such bikes imported and sold in Australia. Existing laws make it necessary for riders of both motorbikes and bicycles to wear a safety helmet, and legislation should be amended to include Quad bikes in this requirement.
It would be ideal if such a law would make the owners of the 220,000 existing Quad bikes install a roll bar, but that is unlikely, but all things mechanical eventually wear out and if new machines are safer we will eventually improve the situation.
It seems that this new Federal law is a knee jerk reaction to pressure from child safety authorities. There is little point in enacting a law that can not be enforced when the safety problem can be tackled by a simple import provision policed by our customs services.
Making Quad bikes safer will save lives !
There have been fifteen Quad bike deaths this year and last year saw twenty-three fatalities. The common thread is that Quad bikes are much heavier than a motorcycle and when used on slopes they have a tendency to roll - and the rider is often pinned underneath and either crushed or drowned if the accident happens in water.
This ban on children appears to be tackling the problem from the wrong end. Quad bikes are the danger, irrespective of whether the rider is an adult or a child. They can not be registered or legally used on a public road, hence the 220,000 already in Australia are used on private property - or illegally for fun on fire trails or beaches.
Placing a ban on child riders will probably be universally ignored. We already have a problem with unregistered trail bikes buzzing around public land and the best efforts of the police have done nothing to curb this offence. The strange thing is that these trail bikes are perfectly legal on private property and we are now proposing to let that legality continue - but ban kids from the four wheel version.
It would be a better idea to make the Quad bikes safe for all riders, and that requires just a simple law to make a roll bar mandatory for all such bikes imported and sold in Australia. Existing laws make it necessary for riders of both motorbikes and bicycles to wear a safety helmet, and legislation should be amended to include Quad bikes in this requirement.
It would be ideal if such a law would make the owners of the 220,000 existing Quad bikes install a roll bar, but that is unlikely, but all things mechanical eventually wear out and if new machines are safer we will eventually improve the situation.
It seems that this new Federal law is a knee jerk reaction to pressure from child safety authorities. There is little point in enacting a law that can not be enforced when the safety problem can be tackled by a simple import provision policed by our customs services.
Making Quad bikes safer will save lives !
Wednesday, 19 December 2012
Medical Breakthrough !
The health ministry has approved a new test to determine if people are HIV positive - and it will deliver a result in just thirty minutes as opposed to the months of waiting with the old regimen. Getting tested is as simple as determining blood sugar levels. It involves a simple pin prick to get results.
HIV has been a scourge on the Australian gay scene since it emerged as a " new disease " several decades ago. It is thought that it originated in Africa, but nobody is certain how and where the link occurred that allowed it to taint human blood and lead to death from AIDS.
Since 1985, 30,000 Australians have been infected with HIV and 11,000 have gone on to develop AIDS, leading to 7,000 deaths. It is probably a diagnosis that is feared as much as cancer. HIV is no longer an automatic death sentence. Drugs have been developed to treat this disease and there is hope that further down the track a cure may be possible.
At present, the best defence is caution. The mode of transmission is usually unprotected sex, the sharing of hypodermic needles or the unsafe handling of blood from any source. Unfortunately, the initial fear of the disease has muted and now many people are no longer using a safety regimen.
The best hope from this new, quick test is that it will induce more people to take the test - and learn that they are HIV positive sooner. Forewarned, they will be introduced to the drugs that keep the disease under control - and they will be unlikely to unknowingly infect others.
HIV has moved from being a scourge limited to the gay scene. It is widespread in the general community and in some countries it has cut a swathe that has resulted in big orphan communities, many of whom are also HIV positive from their birth mother.
Australia has been the lucky country when it comes to both HIV and AIDS and now there are no excuses for victims to unknowingly infect others. If even the slightest chance of infection has occurred, a result can be obtained in just thirty minutes - and all that is required is a simple drop of blood to take that test.
HIV has been a scourge on the Australian gay scene since it emerged as a " new disease " several decades ago. It is thought that it originated in Africa, but nobody is certain how and where the link occurred that allowed it to taint human blood and lead to death from AIDS.
Since 1985, 30,000 Australians have been infected with HIV and 11,000 have gone on to develop AIDS, leading to 7,000 deaths. It is probably a diagnosis that is feared as much as cancer. HIV is no longer an automatic death sentence. Drugs have been developed to treat this disease and there is hope that further down the track a cure may be possible.
At present, the best defence is caution. The mode of transmission is usually unprotected sex, the sharing of hypodermic needles or the unsafe handling of blood from any source. Unfortunately, the initial fear of the disease has muted and now many people are no longer using a safety regimen.
The best hope from this new, quick test is that it will induce more people to take the test - and learn that they are HIV positive sooner. Forewarned, they will be introduced to the drugs that keep the disease under control - and they will be unlikely to unknowingly infect others.
HIV has moved from being a scourge limited to the gay scene. It is widespread in the general community and in some countries it has cut a swathe that has resulted in big orphan communities, many of whom are also HIV positive from their birth mother.
Australia has been the lucky country when it comes to both HIV and AIDS and now there are no excuses for victims to unknowingly infect others. If even the slightest chance of infection has occurred, a result can be obtained in just thirty minutes - and all that is required is a simple drop of blood to take that test.
Tuesday, 18 December 2012
Gun Control ?
The events in Connecticut will again raise the question of gun control in America - and again any positive response will be strangled by the National Rifle Association. ( NRA ). The sticking points are the " right to bear arms " written into the American constitution - and the fact that the majority of Americans have an affinity for their guns, and once again the division of politics will draw a line on this issue.
Strangely, if America ever did attain gun control it would probably do nothing to prevent this type of mass shooting. Restrictive gun laws apply in Australia, Britain, Germany and a host of other countries, but from time to time a deranged person goes on a killing spree - with guns that are legally licensed. Some people will point the finger at recent events in Oslo - which has some of the strictest gun controls in the world.
Gun control in America would certainly reduce rage and spur of the moment killing events, but it is impossible to totally outlaw guns. The military - the police - sporting people - all have a legitimate need to have guns and as we are seeing here in Australia - the criminal fraternity has no problem in smuggling firearms into this country.
The Newport killings were carried out with legally licensed guns. Initial reports claimed that pistols were used but we now learn that most victims were killed by multiple wounds - from a rapid fire assault rifle. Some years ago an American president imposed restrictions on the sale and possession of such weapons, but that law was rescinded and now anyone with a clean police record is legally able to go into a gun shop and buy such an item.
America may have more luck passing legislation to restrict the sale of military grade weapons. It is far easier to make a case for outlawing machine guns in public hands than preventing householders from keeping a pistol for home defence. Unfortunately, the statistics prove that murders committed with machine guns are much less evident than those that involve cheap and easily concealed hand guns - but at least it would be a start.
At the moment, public opinion probably favours gun control, but once the panic subsides the NRA will skillfully make it's case for " responsible ownership of guns " - and that will coincide with some politicians pushing the " right to arms " barrow. The logical way to decide the issue would be by a referendum - but that is unlikely.
Perhaps gun ownership in America is too widespread to ever be brought under control. Owning a gun seems to be part of the American psyche and it is far easier to stop something from happening - than to turn back the clock and reduce what is seen as a basic right when that involves handing in something you cherish.
At this time, being an American seems synonymous with owning a gun. It would be a brave leader who staked his presidency on altering that stance !
Strangely, if America ever did attain gun control it would probably do nothing to prevent this type of mass shooting. Restrictive gun laws apply in Australia, Britain, Germany and a host of other countries, but from time to time a deranged person goes on a killing spree - with guns that are legally licensed. Some people will point the finger at recent events in Oslo - which has some of the strictest gun controls in the world.
Gun control in America would certainly reduce rage and spur of the moment killing events, but it is impossible to totally outlaw guns. The military - the police - sporting people - all have a legitimate need to have guns and as we are seeing here in Australia - the criminal fraternity has no problem in smuggling firearms into this country.
The Newport killings were carried out with legally licensed guns. Initial reports claimed that pistols were used but we now learn that most victims were killed by multiple wounds - from a rapid fire assault rifle. Some years ago an American president imposed restrictions on the sale and possession of such weapons, but that law was rescinded and now anyone with a clean police record is legally able to go into a gun shop and buy such an item.
America may have more luck passing legislation to restrict the sale of military grade weapons. It is far easier to make a case for outlawing machine guns in public hands than preventing householders from keeping a pistol for home defence. Unfortunately, the statistics prove that murders committed with machine guns are much less evident than those that involve cheap and easily concealed hand guns - but at least it would be a start.
At the moment, public opinion probably favours gun control, but once the panic subsides the NRA will skillfully make it's case for " responsible ownership of guns " - and that will coincide with some politicians pushing the " right to arms " barrow. The logical way to decide the issue would be by a referendum - but that is unlikely.
Perhaps gun ownership in America is too widespread to ever be brought under control. Owning a gun seems to be part of the American psyche and it is far easier to stop something from happening - than to turn back the clock and reduce what is seen as a basic right when that involves handing in something you cherish.
At this time, being an American seems synonymous with owning a gun. It would be a brave leader who staked his presidency on altering that stance !
Monday, 17 December 2012
This troubled world.
Each nights television news relates scenes of carnage in the streets of cities all over the world. In Egypt, Cairo is in turmoil as Egyptians fight over attempts by Islamists to force Sharia law through by way of a new constitution. Damascus and the other cities of Syria are a living hell as rebels and government forces battle for control. In Africa, hundreds of thousands of civilians are displaced by civil war and religious conflict - and in the settled states of Europe there is hunger and unemployment as bankrupt governments try to stave off economic collapse.
In contrast, Japan was seen as a model of stability. It delivered a post war miracle when it became the engine of the world in producing cheap cars and inventing electronic goods in the 1970's and 1980's - but from there it has been all down hill. Somehow the impetus was lost and the Japanese economy has withered.
Japan is heading towards new elections and there are signs that a new mood is emerging. Japan's defeat in the second world war delivered an American occupation and a peaceful constitution. It was allowed only a modest defence force and it's safety was guaranteed by the mighty United States war machine. Freed from the cost of defence spending Japanese civil services soared.
Asia is now a fast changing and dangerous place. A militant China is challenging the United States for both economic and military supremacy, South Korea is emerging as the new country to be reckoned with on the trade front - and North Korea is both a nuclear power and the country fast developing the means of asserting that power on a world basis. The Japanese people have a reason to be alarmed.
Sabre rattling over disputed islets in the South China sea is causing Japan to assess it's military deficiencies in relation to China. It faces a formidable foe just across the water and that potential foe has nuclear weapons and a massive war machine. For some Japanese, now is the time to forget the events of 1941 to 1945 and reemerge as a military power.
This new awakening is showing itself in denials about the atrocities it's forces committed during the second world war. Many voices claim that the " Rape of Nanking " did not happen. Others deny that Japan forced the women of invaded nations to become " comfort women " providing sexual services to their troops. Today's Japanese leaders continue to visit the Yasukuni shrine, the national monument to the war dead of Japan's wars from 1867 to 1951 - despite the fact that it honours men that the west executed as war criminals.
If Japan shakes off it's mood of pacification and starts to rearm we will be well on our way to as Asian troika. Three countries with the population needed to achieve economic and military greatness are stressing their muscles - and it is inevitable that a fourth will soon join the party.
China is the present leader, but India and Japan have the potential to provide the foil to China, and a rapidly developing Indonesia will soon have the economic clout to be a fourth military giant. In past centuries, the European states provided the cockpit for countless wars. It seems that Europe is now destined to be a bit player - and the action has moved to our back yard !
In contrast, Japan was seen as a model of stability. It delivered a post war miracle when it became the engine of the world in producing cheap cars and inventing electronic goods in the 1970's and 1980's - but from there it has been all down hill. Somehow the impetus was lost and the Japanese economy has withered.
Japan is heading towards new elections and there are signs that a new mood is emerging. Japan's defeat in the second world war delivered an American occupation and a peaceful constitution. It was allowed only a modest defence force and it's safety was guaranteed by the mighty United States war machine. Freed from the cost of defence spending Japanese civil services soared.
Asia is now a fast changing and dangerous place. A militant China is challenging the United States for both economic and military supremacy, South Korea is emerging as the new country to be reckoned with on the trade front - and North Korea is both a nuclear power and the country fast developing the means of asserting that power on a world basis. The Japanese people have a reason to be alarmed.
Sabre rattling over disputed islets in the South China sea is causing Japan to assess it's military deficiencies in relation to China. It faces a formidable foe just across the water and that potential foe has nuclear weapons and a massive war machine. For some Japanese, now is the time to forget the events of 1941 to 1945 and reemerge as a military power.
This new awakening is showing itself in denials about the atrocities it's forces committed during the second world war. Many voices claim that the " Rape of Nanking " did not happen. Others deny that Japan forced the women of invaded nations to become " comfort women " providing sexual services to their troops. Today's Japanese leaders continue to visit the Yasukuni shrine, the national monument to the war dead of Japan's wars from 1867 to 1951 - despite the fact that it honours men that the west executed as war criminals.
If Japan shakes off it's mood of pacification and starts to rearm we will be well on our way to as Asian troika. Three countries with the population needed to achieve economic and military greatness are stressing their muscles - and it is inevitable that a fourth will soon join the party.
China is the present leader, but India and Japan have the potential to provide the foil to China, and a rapidly developing Indonesia will soon have the economic clout to be a fourth military giant. In past centuries, the European states provided the cockpit for countless wars. It seems that Europe is now destined to be a bit player - and the action has moved to our back yard !
Sunday, 16 December 2012
" Proceeds of Crime " Law !
Each Australian state has laws intended to strip criminals of rewards gained from their criminal activities. It is not unusual to see expensive cars, jewellery and all the " toys for the boys " associated with a rich lifestyle confiscated by the state when a leading drug dealer is convicted and sent to gaol.
It seems that ever hungry state treasuries are seeking to expand the reach of this acquisition law way beyond the intended targets - and this has been nipped in the bud by a Victorian appeals court.
Judy Moran was the matriach of a leading Melbourne crime family and she was recently convicted of having a hand in the murder of her brother in law, Des Moran. The Director of Public Prosecutions ( DPP ) launched a court action to seize the proceeds from the sale of Judy Moran's family home, sold for $ 1.07 million - on the basis that it was " used in a crime ".
They lost this action in the Supreme court, had a second bite at the cherry in the Court of Appeal - and lost again. It was drawing a very long bow to claim that the murder over a family falling out constituted a crime which somehow involved the family home of one of the participants being the " proceeds of that crime ".
Both the Supreme court and the Court of Appeal declined to see a connection that would establish the family home of many years as the " proceeds of the crime of murder " - and that was exactly what the DPP was proposing.
The law is a constantly changing interpretation of it's original intention. Barristers submit arguments on how they think the law should be applied in certain different circumstances, and judges decide and rule on each of those submissions. In many cases, a superior court examines this new finding and either gives it the nod - or strikes it down.
Had this extension of recognising assets not directly associated with criminal activity in gaining them as legal targets for seizure by the crown, we would have opened up a brand new revenue stream. The DPP could have gone after any and all assets of any individual convicted of a crime by using this new interpretation of the " proceeds of crime " law.,
It seems that ever hungry state treasuries are seeking to expand the reach of this acquisition law way beyond the intended targets - and this has been nipped in the bud by a Victorian appeals court.
Judy Moran was the matriach of a leading Melbourne crime family and she was recently convicted of having a hand in the murder of her brother in law, Des Moran. The Director of Public Prosecutions ( DPP ) launched a court action to seize the proceeds from the sale of Judy Moran's family home, sold for $ 1.07 million - on the basis that it was " used in a crime ".
They lost this action in the Supreme court, had a second bite at the cherry in the Court of Appeal - and lost again. It was drawing a very long bow to claim that the murder over a family falling out constituted a crime which somehow involved the family home of one of the participants being the " proceeds of that crime ".
Both the Supreme court and the Court of Appeal declined to see a connection that would establish the family home of many years as the " proceeds of the crime of murder " - and that was exactly what the DPP was proposing.
The law is a constantly changing interpretation of it's original intention. Barristers submit arguments on how they think the law should be applied in certain different circumstances, and judges decide and rule on each of those submissions. In many cases, a superior court examines this new finding and either gives it the nod - or strikes it down.
Had this extension of recognising assets not directly associated with criminal activity in gaining them as legal targets for seizure by the crown, we would have opened up a brand new revenue stream. The DPP could have gone after any and all assets of any individual convicted of a crime by using this new interpretation of the " proceeds of crime " law.,
Saturday, 15 December 2012
The " Personality " era !
Council meetings are now broadcast live to the people of Wollongong, and this ushers in a new era where the councillors morph from being the faceless men and women who decide our civic affairs - to stage personalities who will be judged on their ability to portray themselves as sharp. witty debaters who can entertain as well as make sensible decisions.
At this stage the conduct of council meetings is still governed by old rules that seem to come into conflict with this new reality.Those attending a live council meeting are denied the right to address councillors from the gallery, but those at home are permitted to email or " tweet " .directly to the I-Pads that council has given each elected representative. To further create division, those attending a council meeting are required to turn off their mobile phones while in the building, yet those sitting at home watching the meeting on TV are free to interact with their councillor as they please.
It seems that those dedicated people who take council matters seriously by attending council meetings are to lose their voices and be disadvantaged by the new media which allows those not constrained by rules only applicable within the building to have full access to their representatives as the meeting progresses - while the live audience remains mute.
There is also a danger that this new interaction play will see that old shibboleth of politics - " The Dorothy Dixer " - come into play. It would be tempting to have cohorts ask questions that councvillors are eager to answer - to bring forth an appealing point of view that could go down well with the voters at the next election. It seems certain that televised events will reward those with telegenic qualities who are able to portray themselves as " action " men and women.
Of course being an elected member of council is really a lesser form of politics. For many, it is a stepping stone towards a bid for a seat i n state or Federal politics and therefore all the rules that apply to politicians come into play. Councillors can choose to ignore questions they do not wish to answer or they can deliver a long winded reply that is short on substance and deflects the focus the question intended to explore.
We live in the " communication age " and televised council meetings are supposed to bring civic affairs within reach of the " little people " who pay rates to keep councils solvent. How many will bother to tune in to broadcasts is a moot question - and whether future council meetings will degenerate into sessions of actors " hamming it up " for vote catching appeal remains to be seen.
At this stage the conduct of council meetings is still governed by old rules that seem to come into conflict with this new reality.Those attending a live council meeting are denied the right to address councillors from the gallery, but those at home are permitted to email or " tweet " .directly to the I-Pads that council has given each elected representative. To further create division, those attending a council meeting are required to turn off their mobile phones while in the building, yet those sitting at home watching the meeting on TV are free to interact with their councillor as they please.
It seems that those dedicated people who take council matters seriously by attending council meetings are to lose their voices and be disadvantaged by the new media which allows those not constrained by rules only applicable within the building to have full access to their representatives as the meeting progresses - while the live audience remains mute.
There is also a danger that this new interaction play will see that old shibboleth of politics - " The Dorothy Dixer " - come into play. It would be tempting to have cohorts ask questions that councvillors are eager to answer - to bring forth an appealing point of view that could go down well with the voters at the next election. It seems certain that televised events will reward those with telegenic qualities who are able to portray themselves as " action " men and women.
Of course being an elected member of council is really a lesser form of politics. For many, it is a stepping stone towards a bid for a seat i n state or Federal politics and therefore all the rules that apply to politicians come into play. Councillors can choose to ignore questions they do not wish to answer or they can deliver a long winded reply that is short on substance and deflects the focus the question intended to explore.
We live in the " communication age " and televised council meetings are supposed to bring civic affairs within reach of the " little people " who pay rates to keep councils solvent. How many will bother to tune in to broadcasts is a moot question - and whether future council meetings will degenerate into sessions of actors " hamming it up " for vote catching appeal remains to be seen.
Friday, 14 December 2012
Local job malaise !
The announcement that the Illawarra Coke company will close it's Coalcliff plant in 2013 with the loss of fifteen jobs will send a chill through the hearts of the unemployed in this region. Every commuter using rail to and from Sydney would be familiar with the battery of coke ovens at Coalcliff and to see this go just one year short of a century of operations illustrates the death march that is consuming Australian industry.
Illawarra Coke company is facing hard times because of the GFC and it's affect on European manufacturing, combined with the downturn in the Australian steel industry, a world over supply of coke, the strong Australian dollar - and of course - the carbon tax.
What must concern Wollongong residents is the fact that once this plant closes and those fifteen workers join the dole queue, these jobs will be lost forever. There is little chance of a reopening when better times return.
Once a plant closes any hope of a return disappears under the weight of the restrictions that apply in compiling an application for a new operating license - and this involves costly investigations of plant and fauna presence, a pollution survey on output and water resources, traffic effects, zoning compatibility, effect on any Aboriginal past use of the area - and most probably a concerted series of court actions by nay sayers who seem determined to stop all and any commercial activity on the escarpment.
We seem to face a strange conundrum that is new to this day and age. Where once people expected to live and work within their community, it seems that we reject local work sources as too noisy or too polluting to share our cities. It is doubtful that if there was a proposal to site the Port Kembla steel mill at it's present site, it would have a hope of gaining approval today. We would demand that it be located on a new site, far removed from the city.
If or when the day arrives that the world needs more coke, it is likely that any new coke oven operation will be located a long way from Wollongong, probably in proximity to one of the new distant coal mines. As a result, jobs will not be available to Wollongong workers, or if they are - they will be on a fly in, fly out basis.
The first rule of commerce is that to pay for imports you need an almost equal export stream. We seem to be degenerating into an exporter of minerals, wheat and wool - and little else ! That marvellous world of " services " has gone offshore to low wage countries and now we are told that our education facilities are not up to scratch. Australian children are not reaching the heights of Asian children and it seems unlikely that we will emulate Germany - where a skilled, high wage work force is dominating machine exports from the entire Euro block.
We need to pour more treasure into expanding our education and work skills, and we need to be less squeamish about a mix of industry and housing to make sure that jobs are where workers can access them. Otherwise, our cities will become more like Canberra - a place that produces absolutely nothing tangible - but employees a lot of people tapping keyboards.
Unless we address this slide into oblivion, a decade or so from now Australia may be regarded as " the poor white trash of Asia " !
Illawarra Coke company is facing hard times because of the GFC and it's affect on European manufacturing, combined with the downturn in the Australian steel industry, a world over supply of coke, the strong Australian dollar - and of course - the carbon tax.
What must concern Wollongong residents is the fact that once this plant closes and those fifteen workers join the dole queue, these jobs will be lost forever. There is little chance of a reopening when better times return.
Once a plant closes any hope of a return disappears under the weight of the restrictions that apply in compiling an application for a new operating license - and this involves costly investigations of plant and fauna presence, a pollution survey on output and water resources, traffic effects, zoning compatibility, effect on any Aboriginal past use of the area - and most probably a concerted series of court actions by nay sayers who seem determined to stop all and any commercial activity on the escarpment.
We seem to face a strange conundrum that is new to this day and age. Where once people expected to live and work within their community, it seems that we reject local work sources as too noisy or too polluting to share our cities. It is doubtful that if there was a proposal to site the Port Kembla steel mill at it's present site, it would have a hope of gaining approval today. We would demand that it be located on a new site, far removed from the city.
If or when the day arrives that the world needs more coke, it is likely that any new coke oven operation will be located a long way from Wollongong, probably in proximity to one of the new distant coal mines. As a result, jobs will not be available to Wollongong workers, or if they are - they will be on a fly in, fly out basis.
The first rule of commerce is that to pay for imports you need an almost equal export stream. We seem to be degenerating into an exporter of minerals, wheat and wool - and little else ! That marvellous world of " services " has gone offshore to low wage countries and now we are told that our education facilities are not up to scratch. Australian children are not reaching the heights of Asian children and it seems unlikely that we will emulate Germany - where a skilled, high wage work force is dominating machine exports from the entire Euro block.
We need to pour more treasure into expanding our education and work skills, and we need to be less squeamish about a mix of industry and housing to make sure that jobs are where workers can access them. Otherwise, our cities will become more like Canberra - a place that produces absolutely nothing tangible - but employees a lot of people tapping keyboards.
Unless we address this slide into oblivion, a decade or so from now Australia may be regarded as " the poor white trash of Asia " !
Thursday, 13 December 2012
A poisoned chalice !
Back in the days when Wollongong was changing from a " nightsoil " era to a modern sewerage system a parcel of land at Bellambi Point was acquired by the Water Board as part of it's treatment system. The city outgrew Bellambi Point and a bigger treatment plant elsewhere now makes this parcel of land redundant to Sydney Water's requirements - and that creates a headache for Wollongong council.
It has been suggested that council buy this land and bring it into public ownership, but this comes into conflict with the notion that most parts of what is now Wollongong had strong ties to the Aboriginal community, and that all unused land be returned to Aboriginal ownership. This is the issue at the root of the Sandon Point controversy, which has seen part of that land parcel occupied by an " Aboriginal embassy " and an ongoing legal battle fought in the courts.
Wollongong council has wisely decided to stay out of this issue. The state government is the entity responsible for Sydney Water and council has simply washed it's hands of the affair and will leave it to the government to make whatever decision it chooses on the future of this parcel of prime waterfront land. A cost factor is involved because Sydney Water will need to remove existing buildings and restore the site to it's pristine state.
Waterfront land within a city suburb would have a value running into many millions of dollars. At issue is the question of prior ownership before the first fleet arrived in 1788. The Aboriginal people claim that the settlers " stole " their land - and they want it back. Action by the High court in recent times seems to support that notion. Whatever decision is finally made on the future of Bellambi Point will not please everybody !
It seems to be a " poisoned chalice " that will burn the fingers of all who try to settle the issue. As things now stand, this land is in the ownership of the state government because of it's use by one of it's entities. Perhaps the wisest choice is to let it remain so - and put it to use as the site of Aboriginal housing to partly satisfy Aboriginal claims.
It seems inevitable that whatever decision is made, it will eventually end up in the courts because the matter of Aboriginal ownership is an ongoing battle that still has a long way to go. From time to time watershed decisions have been handed down and it is possible that one day " Bellambi Point " may join "Mabo " and " Wave Hill Station " as iconic decisions in that battle.
Wollongong council is showing good sense in standing well clear of this fracas !
It has been suggested that council buy this land and bring it into public ownership, but this comes into conflict with the notion that most parts of what is now Wollongong had strong ties to the Aboriginal community, and that all unused land be returned to Aboriginal ownership. This is the issue at the root of the Sandon Point controversy, which has seen part of that land parcel occupied by an " Aboriginal embassy " and an ongoing legal battle fought in the courts.
Wollongong council has wisely decided to stay out of this issue. The state government is the entity responsible for Sydney Water and council has simply washed it's hands of the affair and will leave it to the government to make whatever decision it chooses on the future of this parcel of prime waterfront land. A cost factor is involved because Sydney Water will need to remove existing buildings and restore the site to it's pristine state.
Waterfront land within a city suburb would have a value running into many millions of dollars. At issue is the question of prior ownership before the first fleet arrived in 1788. The Aboriginal people claim that the settlers " stole " their land - and they want it back. Action by the High court in recent times seems to support that notion. Whatever decision is finally made on the future of Bellambi Point will not please everybody !
It seems to be a " poisoned chalice " that will burn the fingers of all who try to settle the issue. As things now stand, this land is in the ownership of the state government because of it's use by one of it's entities. Perhaps the wisest choice is to let it remain so - and put it to use as the site of Aboriginal housing to partly satisfy Aboriginal claims.
It seems inevitable that whatever decision is made, it will eventually end up in the courts because the matter of Aboriginal ownership is an ongoing battle that still has a long way to go. From time to time watershed decisions have been handed down and it is possible that one day " Bellambi Point " may join "Mabo " and " Wave Hill Station " as iconic decisions in that battle.
Wollongong council is showing good sense in standing well clear of this fracas !
Wednesday, 12 December 2012
A " Lucky " escape !
Yesterday, the residents of Bulli found the notorious Bulli Pass cordoned off with an exclusion zone because an LPG tanker had crashed and recovery efforts were under way to remove it's volatile cargo. It seems that this truck suffered a mechanical failure and without brakes - the driver attempted to headup one of the safety ramps. This failed, and the truck careered deeply into the surrounding bush, but the tank it carried did not rupture.
This was a matter of sheer luck protecting the people who live at the lower end of Bulli Pass. History carries many reports of out of control vehicles crashing into homes and killing residents, but the damage from a tanker carrying eight thousand litres of LPG crashing and exploding is almost unimaginable.
This raises the question of why trucks carrying dangerous loads are still permitted to use Bulli Pass ? The law requires all bus and heavy vehicle traffic to engage low gear to descend the pass, but in the event of mechanical failure this road is unforgiving - and at the lower end it is lined with people's homes.
It is a fact of life that commercial traffic must use either the F-6 Mount Ousley road entrance to and from Wollongong, or Bulli Pass, but at least the F-6 is multi-lane and for much of it's descent there are more safety measures - and the concrete noise walls give a degree of protection to nearby suburbs. It would not be rocket science to demand that petrol and LPG tankers be required to only use the F-6 option as a safety measure !
Port Kembla is being developed as an alternative to Port Botany. It already serves as the entry point for new motor vehicles and work is under way to expand the docking facilities for more shipping, and this will be in addition to the existing terminals for coal and grain. The only limitations to further expansion is the lack of road and rail access to the rest of this state.
Hopefully, we will soon see a positive outcome in completing the Maldon Dombarton rail link to free up commuter traffic on the existing Sydney line, but there are simply no plans to create an alternative to the slow grind up and down Mount Ousley road - and separate car and heavy vehicle traffic to improve safety.
The only real alternative would be a tunnel through and under the escarpment to create a better gradient and meet up with the F-6 on Maddens Plains. It will be costly, but Port Kembla can not reach full potential until we deal with our road and rail problems.
What can be achieved by a mere stroke of a pen is an edict to ban dangerous goods being transported up or down Bulli Pass. That accident with an LPG tanker provides a strong incentive for immediate action !
This was a matter of sheer luck protecting the people who live at the lower end of Bulli Pass. History carries many reports of out of control vehicles crashing into homes and killing residents, but the damage from a tanker carrying eight thousand litres of LPG crashing and exploding is almost unimaginable.
This raises the question of why trucks carrying dangerous loads are still permitted to use Bulli Pass ? The law requires all bus and heavy vehicle traffic to engage low gear to descend the pass, but in the event of mechanical failure this road is unforgiving - and at the lower end it is lined with people's homes.
It is a fact of life that commercial traffic must use either the F-6 Mount Ousley road entrance to and from Wollongong, or Bulli Pass, but at least the F-6 is multi-lane and for much of it's descent there are more safety measures - and the concrete noise walls give a degree of protection to nearby suburbs. It would not be rocket science to demand that petrol and LPG tankers be required to only use the F-6 option as a safety measure !
Port Kembla is being developed as an alternative to Port Botany. It already serves as the entry point for new motor vehicles and work is under way to expand the docking facilities for more shipping, and this will be in addition to the existing terminals for coal and grain. The only limitations to further expansion is the lack of road and rail access to the rest of this state.
Hopefully, we will soon see a positive outcome in completing the Maldon Dombarton rail link to free up commuter traffic on the existing Sydney line, but there are simply no plans to create an alternative to the slow grind up and down Mount Ousley road - and separate car and heavy vehicle traffic to improve safety.
The only real alternative would be a tunnel through and under the escarpment to create a better gradient and meet up with the F-6 on Maddens Plains. It will be costly, but Port Kembla can not reach full potential until we deal with our road and rail problems.
What can be achieved by a mere stroke of a pen is an edict to ban dangerous goods being transported up or down Bulli Pass. That accident with an LPG tanker provides a strong incentive for immediate action !
Tuesday, 11 December 2012
The " Art " question ?
Wollongong council is discovering what a labrynth it has entered in trying to decide how to spend half a million dollars on a piece of " art " to feature prominently in the Mall upgrade. The very word " Art " has multiple meanings to just about every citizen of this city - and getting even a few to reach common agreement would be an impossible task.
The quest drew thirty three submissions and these were eventually short listed to just four. After consideration, council has decided that none of these are really suitable for the task. It is back to square one in selecting a focal point for the Mall.
The usual thing that figures large in promoting an area image is the type of industry involved. Most Australians think of coal and steel when they think of Wollongong, but we are also a farming district and it is quite possible that coal mining and steel making may fade in the coming years. Wollongong could become a very different industrial city by the turn of this century.
We have a university that is punching well above it's weight. Perhaps this innovative institution is the future and Wollongong will become a university city known for excellence. Education is a world growth industry and Australia is already riding the wave of a fast emerging Asian middle class seeking the tools of life for their children.
It would be tragic to waste half a million dollars simply because housing some sort of " Art " in the Mall has been included in the concept. At best, this was an idea that required further examination, and now the prospects of success are not encouraging. If local talent is not forthcoming, it would suggest buying something that is already world famous and locating it here is the next option - and that hardly seems to serve the intended purpose.
Half a million dollars is a handy sum of money. It would be interesting to ask the citizens of this city for their " wish lists ". What would they like to see in the new Mall that could be achieved with that sort of price tag ?
There is every chance that we would be swamped with suggestions - and they will range from the ludicrous to the imaginative - and possibly one or two will strike a chord that results in something new and exciting emerging that starts a trend.
It seems that the money is there - just waiting to be spent. All we need is the right project, and the way to make this the " people's Mall " and bring shoppers back to the city is to involve the citizens in the decision making process.
Forget " Art " ! That was an idea from yesteryear. Lets tap the ideas and aspirations of the people of today !
The quest drew thirty three submissions and these were eventually short listed to just four. After consideration, council has decided that none of these are really suitable for the task. It is back to square one in selecting a focal point for the Mall.
The usual thing that figures large in promoting an area image is the type of industry involved. Most Australians think of coal and steel when they think of Wollongong, but we are also a farming district and it is quite possible that coal mining and steel making may fade in the coming years. Wollongong could become a very different industrial city by the turn of this century.
We have a university that is punching well above it's weight. Perhaps this innovative institution is the future and Wollongong will become a university city known for excellence. Education is a world growth industry and Australia is already riding the wave of a fast emerging Asian middle class seeking the tools of life for their children.
It would be tragic to waste half a million dollars simply because housing some sort of " Art " in the Mall has been included in the concept. At best, this was an idea that required further examination, and now the prospects of success are not encouraging. If local talent is not forthcoming, it would suggest buying something that is already world famous and locating it here is the next option - and that hardly seems to serve the intended purpose.
Half a million dollars is a handy sum of money. It would be interesting to ask the citizens of this city for their " wish lists ". What would they like to see in the new Mall that could be achieved with that sort of price tag ?
There is every chance that we would be swamped with suggestions - and they will range from the ludicrous to the imaginative - and possibly one or two will strike a chord that results in something new and exciting emerging that starts a trend.
It seems that the money is there - just waiting to be spent. All we need is the right project, and the way to make this the " people's Mall " and bring shoppers back to the city is to involve the citizens in the decision making process.
Forget " Art " ! That was an idea from yesteryear. Lets tap the ideas and aspirations of the people of today !
Monday, 10 December 2012
Unintended consequences !
The Migrant Amendment Bill 2012 which passed through the House of Representatives last week is intended to finally close the door on undocumented workers who are taking jobs away from legitimate Australian job seekers. It firmly puts the onus on every employer to fully check the bonafides of every job applicant by requiring the production of either a birth certificate or a passport to prove that they are legally able to work in Australia.
At first glance, it seems an admirable idea. We know that there are thousands of undocumented workers in this country and if we implement a filter such as a requirement to prove working validity at the point of hiring the problem is - theoretically - solved !
With this onus of proof comes a new legal responsibility - and with that a draconian regimen of fines for those who fail to adequately carry out this new duty. It will obviously slow down the hiring procedure and quickly become a new cost factor in doing business, which will be passed on by way of higher prices, but there are other factors that fall under the description of " unintended consequences ".
It is a fact of life that getting in the Australian harvest is almost entirely reliant on backpackers and those who are not entitled to work during their stay in this country. This is despite the fact that agricultural areas have large numbers of Australians drawing unemployment benefits, who simply refuse to do this type of work. There is a very real chance that if this legislation is forced on growers we may see a big proportion of next years harvest left to rot in the fields.
The giant mining industry is facing a worker shortage because it's mining sites are far removed from population centres. There are numerous industries within the big cities which rely on students attending our universities to clean offices and do menial work that simply does not attract legitimate Australian job seekers. The work force that keeps these industries moving comes mainly from people who do not have a legal right to work in this country. We interfere with that work flow at our peril.
Some will see this requirement to make those seeking work prove that they are either Australian citizens or visitors with a work permit as a back door method of bringing in what was once termed an "Australia Card . " This was rejected by the Australian general public as too intrusive - and verging on the concept of a " Police state ".
Will we see the day when some kid hoping to earn a few dollars with an after school job delivering junk mail - have to front up with a birth certificate to get the job ? How many existing Australians simply have no paperwork to meet that demand ? Have the people who framed this bill had the good sense to really think through all the consequences ?
It seems to be a case of " being careful of what you wish for ! "
At first glance, it seems an admirable idea. We know that there are thousands of undocumented workers in this country and if we implement a filter such as a requirement to prove working validity at the point of hiring the problem is - theoretically - solved !
With this onus of proof comes a new legal responsibility - and with that a draconian regimen of fines for those who fail to adequately carry out this new duty. It will obviously slow down the hiring procedure and quickly become a new cost factor in doing business, which will be passed on by way of higher prices, but there are other factors that fall under the description of " unintended consequences ".
It is a fact of life that getting in the Australian harvest is almost entirely reliant on backpackers and those who are not entitled to work during their stay in this country. This is despite the fact that agricultural areas have large numbers of Australians drawing unemployment benefits, who simply refuse to do this type of work. There is a very real chance that if this legislation is forced on growers we may see a big proportion of next years harvest left to rot in the fields.
The giant mining industry is facing a worker shortage because it's mining sites are far removed from population centres. There are numerous industries within the big cities which rely on students attending our universities to clean offices and do menial work that simply does not attract legitimate Australian job seekers. The work force that keeps these industries moving comes mainly from people who do not have a legal right to work in this country. We interfere with that work flow at our peril.
Some will see this requirement to make those seeking work prove that they are either Australian citizens or visitors with a work permit as a back door method of bringing in what was once termed an "Australia Card . " This was rejected by the Australian general public as too intrusive - and verging on the concept of a " Police state ".
Will we see the day when some kid hoping to earn a few dollars with an after school job delivering junk mail - have to front up with a birth certificate to get the job ? How many existing Australians simply have no paperwork to meet that demand ? Have the people who framed this bill had the good sense to really think through all the consequences ?
It seems to be a case of " being careful of what you wish for ! "
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