Abbott and Rudd’s rush to Northern Territory – destructive to Aboriginal culture
Rudd and Abbott charge the north Eureka Street Dean Ashenden | 19 August 2013 Kevin Rudd has now joined Tony Abbott in a charge to the North. The common idea is that a substantial fraction of Australia’s population and economic activity can be pushed up and across the northern half of the continent. The assumption is that northern Australia is ours to do as we like with. In fact, it’s not.
Much of Australia’s Aboriginal population lives in northern Australia, and Aboriginal people make up a far higher proportion of the population there than anywhere else. They own or co-own, in both Western legal terms and in customary law, vast tracts of land, many of which are open to non-Aboriginal people only with Aboriginal permission. In northern Australia, Aboriginal people have constructed a distinctively Aboriginal way of life, as different from the mainstream as it is from ‘traditional’ Aboriginal society.
What the major parties are proposing is not necessarily a bad thing from Aboriginal points of view. What is bad is the assumption about our prerogatives. Official Australia has long looked at the north as a tabula rasa awaiting ‘development’, an unmissable opportunity and an infuriating failure. And apparently it still does………
Comment: Nearly forty years ago our family witnessed the process of European take over Aboriginal lands for mining and national parks. This was top end NT – where ‘consultation’ was a token one way talk in condescendingly broken English (‘leaders’ were largely identified by the Europeans as those closest to European culture) and trinkets were offered in the form of land tenure ‘privileges’ and co investments in mining, tourism amongst others along with employment opportunities and western education. I say ‘trinkets’ because most of this was as meaningless as the shiny mirror of eighteenth century. Today, little has changed except perhaps a few more Europeanised Aboriginal people are accepting opportunities on western terms and that makes the statistics look good for those who need them. Definitive statements on health and education policies and employment prospects are announced – ultimate solutions to persistent commitment to Country and cultural bewilderment leading to too many profound personal tragedies. How familiar these ‘new’ solutions are – nothing new, nothing new. The Top End has a very tough climate: towns are airconditioned refuges more often than not, surrounded by comforting gardens of southern or British plants. It is inhospitable to agriculture (we are to be the next ‘food bowl’ – check out the amount of sprays and fertilisers used to grown western foods). And it is only truly understood as an environment and as a living entity in its own right. – Jane .http://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article.aspx?aeid=37087#.UhP0g9Jwo6I
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What exactly IS the Coalition’s “Direct Action” climate policy?
The Coalition’s climate change policy: it’s the public, not polluters, who pay The Guardian, Lisa Caripis 19 Aug 13 “….. Essentially, Direct Action is a scheme that rewards entities that voluntarily reduce their emissions. So, if you’re an emitter you can propose an emissions reduction project to the government − it might be to improve your energy efficiency, store carbon in the soil or plant trees. The government compares your proposal to other project proposals, and picks the ones that will be the cheapest to implement. If it picks yours, you enter into an agreement to cut your emissions and are paid once you’ve delivered the emissions cuts.
You don’t have to be a policy expert to see where major cracks could form in this policy model. First and foremost, if the cash reward is to be the driving incentive, how large would the pool of funds need to be to drive the level of emissions reductions necessary to meet our 5-25% target? A report published last week estimates that, depending on the level of Australia’s 2020 target, it would cost $4-15bn more than the Coalition has currently budgeted. In fact, the report claims that the funding the Coalition has pledged is so inadequate that emissions would rise by 8-10% by 2020.
Under Direct Action it is the public, not polluters who pay. Is that fair? Unlike under a carbon price, there’s no cost, no disincentive, to keep polluting at the same rate. Indeed, Hunt recently suggested that the Coalition no longer even intends to penalise polluters that increase their emissions. So, Direct Action (ie taxpayer) funded projects would need to cut enough emissions to offset the emissions of non-participants.
Predicting and controlling the trajectory of Australia’s emissions under Direct Action would be quite a challenge. Without an annual cap on emissions or price per tonne of emissions as is in place under carbon price models, how would a Coalition government ensure that we are on track to meet our international obligations and reduce emissions to safe levels? What happens if projects fail to deliver the cuts as promised? Can we afford a policy that could leave our health, communities and property exposed to the substantial risks posed by climate change? …. http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/aug/20/coalition-climate-change-direct-action
Australian renewable energy jobs at risk, due to political uncertainty
Climate of uncertainty August 19, 2013 SMH, Ben Cubby, Tom Arup “………The renewables sector, which now employs more people than Australia’s car industry, is nervously awaiting the election result.
”Australia’s significant clean energy potential is being held back by seemingly endless rounds of review and, like the rest of the energy industry, our main need is for policy stability to drive investment in major projects,” said the chief executive of industry group the Clean Energy Council, David Green.
It comes as a survey of businesses found uncertainty about the future of the carbon price has had a negative impact on more than half the responding firms. The survey by consultants AECOM covered 180 leading companies, firms having to pay the carbon price and members of the group Business for a Clean Economy.
It found 65 per cent of businesses supported an emissions trading scheme, while 29 per cent supported a carbon tax. Just 7 per cent of businesses supported the Coalition’s direct action policy.The Business for a Clean Economy group – which was set up to endorse carbon pricing – includes energy giant AGL, furniture retailer IKEA, Westpac and multi-national Unilever.
A spokesman for the group, Andrew Petersen, said: ”While businesses across all sectors are getting on with the job of transitioning to a clean economy, substantial investment is being delayed due to the uncertainty around retention of the carbon price.” : http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/federal-election-2013/climate-of-uncertainty-20130818-2s55k.html#ixzz2cYRJLlFn
Expected effects of climate change on Australia: sea level rise is one
Revealed: 80cm sea rise warning August 20, 2013, SMH, Ben Cubby, Peter Hannam, 20 Aug 13, The world is on track to become up to five degrees hotter, and sea levels could rise more than 80 centimetres this century, according to a leaked draft of a landmark climate change report prepared for the UN.
There is now a 95 per cent likelihood human greenhouse gas emissions are driving changes being observed globally, which in recent weeks have included extraordinary heatwaves in Asia and Alaska.
That degree of certainty has been revised up from 90 per cent in the last report in 2007, 66 per cent in 2001, and just over 50 in 1995. A sea level rise of up to 82 centimetres, which would have serious impacts on coastal cities everywhere, is now ”unequivocal”, Reuters reported.
The final version of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, which will cover the expected effects of climate on Australia in coming decades, is scheduled for release in September.
About 200 countries, including Australia, have pledged to hold temperature rises to two degrees by cutting emissions, though few nations are on track to meet that goal……
The Climate Change Minister, Mark Butler, said the Labor policy was producing results, including a 7 per cent cut in emissions from the National Electricity Market and a 25 per cent increase in renewable energy generation in the past year. ”The Coalition’s climate change policy is an expensive dud,” he said. http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/revealed-80cm-sea-rise-warning-20130819-2s7dt.html#ixzz2cYUs6TeK
Australian Capital Territory’s two new large scale solar energy projects
More Solar Farms For The ACT http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=3896 Two new solar projects for the ACT combined with the 20 MW Royalla Solar Farm will generate enough power to supply 10,000 homes. 20 aug 13,
The two new projects are Zhenfa Solar’s 13-megawatt Mugga Lane Solar Park near the Mugga Lane Resource Management Centre, and Elementus’ 7-megawatt OneSun Capital Solar Farm in Coree.
Large-scale projects are chosen via the ACT’s auction process; which is operated under a tender-like process where companies compete for the right to a feed-in tariff and proposals are evaluated in terms of their overall value-for-money.
“The ACT Solar Auction is delivering large scale renewable energy at an affordable price,” said the Territory’s Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Development, Simon Corbell. Continue reading
Confusion in the Liberal camp over climate policy
Liberal candidate unable to explain Coalition’s climate change policy http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-08-19/liberal-candidate-unable-to-explain-coalition27s-climate-chang/4896078 20 Aug 13,
A Liberal candidate in the northern Adelaide seat of Wakefield has admitted he does not know anything about the Coalition’s climate change policy.
In a debate between Liberal candidate Tom Zorich and Labor member Nick Champion, mediator Peter van Onselen asked Mr Zorich to explain how the Coalition’s Direct Action plan would work.
Mr Zorich told the audience he was not across the issue and did not have an answer.
“I will say to you as the candidate, as a candidate, as a candidate and a businessman I’m not across everything. My opponent has already acknowledged that. I’m sorry Pete, I haven’t got much to tell you about that,” he said.
Mr Zorich’s response was met with jeers from the crowd. Continue reading
Australia’s Major Political Parties fail their Nuclear Test
Major Parties fail their nuclear test, Beyond nuclear, 19 Aug 13, The federal Liberal and Labor parties have scored poorly on a nuclear policy assessment released today by national environment, disarmament and medical groups.Beyond Nuclear Initiative, Friends of the Earth, International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons and Medical Association for Prevention of War have collaborated to produce an election policy scorecard and website (see attached) to help inform voters about party positions on a range of nuclear issues ahead of the September 7 federal election.Issues canvassed included uranium mining and export, support for nuclear weapons and nuclear power and radioactive waste management.The Coalition received one tick and Labor two while Australian Greens policies scored ten out of ten.“The major parties are out of step with many Australians and failing badly when it comes to responsible and evidence based nuclear policies. Many Australians have considered and continuing concerns and opposition that are not being recognised or reflected in policy,” said Dr Jenny Grounds from the Medical Association for Prevention of War.“Against the backdrop of Fukushima, continuing international nuclear insecurity and the need to grow clean and sustainable energy sources the major parties simply fail the nuclear test,” said Gem Romuld from the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons.Beyond Nuclear Initiative coordinator Natalie Wasley said “While the major parties do not openly supports an international radioactive waste dump, they both actively support the controversial plan for a national dump at Muckaty in the NT. The Muckaty plan is inconsistent with industry best practice and Australia’s international treaty obligations and is being challenged in the Federal Court. Radioactive waste lasts longer than any politicians promise and it is time for Canberra to do things differently and better”.Dr Jim Green from Friends of the Earth added, “It is a disgrace and an outrage that the major parties support selling uranium to countries that have not even signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. It is a disgrace and an outrage that both major parties support uranium sales to Russia when they know that safeguards inspections are very nearly non-existent.”Further information and comment:Dr Jenny Grounds 0407 287 684Gem Romuld 0421 955 066Natalie Wasley 0429 900 774Dr Jim Green 0417 318 386
Australian right wing ideas about Climate Change
In Queensland, the state party’s rank and file members voted last year in favour of a motion to ban the teaching of climate science in schools.
Australia’s One Nation under climate science denial, The Guardian, by Graham Readfearn Friday 16 August 2013 Fringe and extremist political groups in Australia are pushing climate science denial soundbites……. One Nation appears to have gone shopping to the Climate Science Denial Mart and come back with the whole deli counter of debunked talking points.
“What’s really behind all the global warming hoopla,” One Nation’s website asks.
“Power. It’s the same old Marxist/Communist/Fascist collectivist shtick, dressed up in new clothes. Global warming is all about a power grab by a wealthy elite and their collectivist sycophants — using the (United Nations) as a cover and tool.”
Elsewhere, One Nation accuses the Bureau of Meteorology and the CSIRO of engaging in the corruption of science. Continue reading
Coalition government would mean $4 billion lost from renewable energy funding
Clean energy faces $4b hit, The Age, 19 Aug 13, About $4 billion in private funding would be sucked from Australia’s solar power and renewable energy industries over the next three years if the Coalition wins government, confidential data obtained from banks and financial analysts shows.
The Coalition’s climate change plan is also about $4 billion short of the funding required to meet its pledge for a 5 per cent cut in greenhouse emissions by 2020, and is instead on track for a 9 per cent increase by then, according to analysis commissioned by the independent think tank The Climate Institute.
Although the Coalition rejects that analysis, major investors are planning for the impact if Opposition Leader Tony Abbott wins power and axes the carbon price and dismantles the clean energy finance system. They expect about $4.1 billion in private funding would be directed away from large-scale renewable power – starving the sector of capital – due to regulatory uncertainty and a lack of solid returns……
The renewables sector, which now employs more people than the car industry, is nervously awaiting the election result.
Clean Energy Council chief executive David Green said: ”Australia’s significant clean energy potential is being held back by seemingly endless rounds of review … our main need is for policy stability to drive investment.”
A major survey of businesses has found uncertainty about the future of the carbon price has had a negative impact on over half the responding firms. The survey by consultants AECOM found 65 per cent of businesses supported an emissions trading scheme, 29 per cent backed a carbon tax and just 7 per cent supported the Coalition’s direct action. http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/federal-election-2013/clean-energy-faces-4b-hit-20130818-2s5b9.html#ixzz2cSGq1933
Nuclear Weapons company gets go-ahead for South Australian uranium mine
Final environmental OK for Four Mile World Nuclear news, 16 August 2013 The start of operation of the Four Mile uranium mine in South Australia has moved a step closer with final environmental approval. However, the project partners have yet to agree on a development plan.
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The state Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has now granted a mining and mineral processing licence for Four Mile. The licence also covers radiation and radioactive waste management plans for the in-situ leach (ISL) mine…..
The Four Mile project is a joint venture between Alliance Resources (25%) and Quasar Resources (75%). The project is managed by Heathgate Resources affiliate Quasar. Both Quasar and Heathgate are subsidiaries of US-based General Atomic Technologies Corp.….
Disputes delay start-up
The start of production from the project has been stymied by legal disputes between Alliance, Quasar and Heathgate. There are on-going Federal Court proceedings by Alliance seeking restitution of its full ownership of the Four Mile deposit due to delays and disagreements.
In May 2012, Alliance said it had agreed to form a strategic alliance with Japanese trading house Itochu Corporation. Under the terms of this, Itochu will have the right to acquire a 14.9% shareholding in Alliance within six months of all litigation being finally determined. Furthermore, within 12 months of that final determination, Itochu will have an option to acquire a further 25.1% shareholding in Alliance.
Four Mile uranium project – Australia’s dirtiest and most dangerous uranium connection
(Christina Macpherson, originally posted on 4 Nov 2012) Leaving aside its nasty little internal squabbles, Australia’s fifth uranium mine Four Mile uranium project in South Australia is without doubt the most striking example of all that is wrong about Australia’s uranium industry. Well, next door, is Beverley mine – equally bad. But they’re practically the same, in that they are both practically owned by USA’s General Atomics. Neal Blue is the chairman of Quasar Resources, which is affiliated with General Atomics, a major United States weapons and nuclear energy corporation. He is CEO of Heathgate Resources. a 100 per cent-owned subsidiary of General Atomics (GA) which owns Beverley uranium mine. He is Chairman of the Board of Directors for General Atomics
General Atomics has a murky history It develops nuclear technologies including arms manufacture. Especially those Predator drones which kill anybody that the Pentagon thinks is “suspicious” in Iraq and Afghanistan. Neal Blue was one of the designers of Predator. At its uranium processing plant on an Indian reservation in Oklahoma, General Atomics for years covered up radioactive water and gas leaks.
General Atomic has spent $thousands’ lobbying and ferrying of USA politicians to Australia, , and Australian federal and state politicians to USA . In 2000 Heathgate applauded police brutality against environmentalists and local Aboriginal people. An online video clip details this brutality. the police action (in a 2000 media release which is no longer available online). After a 10-year legal case, 10 people were awarded a total of $700,000 damages.
General Atomics flew a group from the US Congress to Australia, accompanied by company executives, to persuade the Federal Government to buy the company’s Predator unmanned aircraft
As well as its interest in unmanned spy planes, General Atomics has employed human spies. In 2008 it was caught hiring a former undercover police officer turned private investigator to infiltrate Australian environment groups and report on their actions.
In 2008 General Atomics and Neal Blue were sued for fraudulently hiking uranium prices and manipulating costs. In the settlement One of General Atomics’s customers, Exelon, received $US41 million from the company. It is estimated Mr Blue made $US200 million by breaking the contracts and selling uranium on the spot market
Heathgate Resources have been promoting the view that low-level radiation is beneficial, and funding the Australian visits of people like Dr Doug Dr Boreham prepared to promote those views.
Heathgate is not required to clean up Four Mile uranium mine. and there is no requirement it decontaminate the Beverley site when mining ceases. Christina Macpherson 25 Oct 12,
Go-ahead for disputed uranium joint venture BY: BARRY FITZGERALD From: The Australian October 25, 2012 THE much-delayed Four Mile uranium project in South Australia – a joint venture between ASX-listed Alliance Resources (25 per cent) and US group Heathgate (75 per cent) – is finally being developed.
Liberal and Labor pander to mining industry in plan for tax favours to Northern Territory
Greens leader Christine Milne says Labor’s vision for the north panders to the wishes of the mining lobby.
Gone Troppo: Northern visions just ‘pie in sky’ ABC News, Staff reporters Aug 16, 2013 A respected independent think tank says both major parties are pursuing the worst idea in decades with their plans for tax incentives to encourage investment in northern Australia.
The Australia Institute executive director Richard Denniss says Labor and the Coalition are pursuing bad policy in a bid to win a handful of seats north of the Tropic of Capricorn. “The idea that the national debate should revolve around shifting billions, tens of billions of infrastructure up away from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane to chase a few seats up north is politics gone mad,” he said…..
Dr Denniss says it is worrying that there is bipartisan support for the ideas. “There is bipartisan consensus that people in the southern states should continue to pay taxes at the same rate so that we can build new infrastructure, so that people can pay less tax up there,” he said.
“Sydney and Melbourne are creaking under the weight of rapid population growth, and we want to build infrastructure for imaginary cities.” Continue reading
Victorian farmers part-owners in Wimmera’s new wind farm
hopes Coonooer Bridge will be the first of many other small projects involving groups of farmers.
Coonooer Bridge locals win with wind farm http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/article/2013/08/16/579559_national-news.html 16 Aug 13, THESE new turbines will help the locals, writes CHRIS McLENNAN To call them mountains would be a stretch: the highest peak on the Yawong Hills rises only to 434 metres.
This formerly unremarkable sheep-grazing country is suddenly hot property.
Wind whistles across the Wimmera plains. The inland side of the Great Divide has nothing to block this steady breeze which is forced up and over this low range at Coonooer Bridge between Charlton and St Arnaud.
Scientists have studied this phenomenon for years and find the average wind speeds of more than eight metres a second amount to some of the best renewable energy resources in the world. Far from the Roaring Forties of Australia’s southern coast, where wind farms jostle for space in western Victoria, the search for green energy has found a new home.
The first wind farm to pass Victoria’s myriad planning obstacles for two years has just won approval at Coonooer Bridge. There are only five turbines, but they are the first in Australia to be part-owned by the neighbouring farmers through Windlab. Continue reading
Renewable energy for a positive economic future in New South Wales Coastal Region
“Solar power, sustainable crop waste biomass and energy efficiency are big employers. Pushing the change rapidly lays the basis for a jobs-rich export industry.
“Both the major parties are captured by the fossil fuel lobby.
“The next federal election is make or break for the climate and for jobs in this electorate,”
Energy future: gas or renewable? http://www.camdencourier.com.au/story/1710272/energy-future-gas-or-renewable/?cs=704 Aug. 16, 2013, The Greens are promoting their plan to make NSW’s electricity supply 100 percent renewable, citing the environmental, health and employment benefits for the Lyne electorate. Greens NSW MP John Kaye will be in Taree and Port Macquarie this Saturday 17 August to talk about the party’s plans for a 100% renewable energy future within 15 years.
Despite the propaganda from the coal seam gas industry and the big energy companies, Dr Kaye will be explaining why all fossil fuels and new transmission lines are unnecessary for keeping the lights on and growing the economy.
Dr Kaye, who will be joined by Ian Oxenford who is contesting the seat of Lyne in the upcoming federal election for the Greens, will outline how a transition to 100% clean green energy technologies will benefit the communities on the Mid North Coast. Continue reading
Electricity retailers may be ripping off solar households
Solar Households May Be ‘Ripped Off’ By Electricity Retailers http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=3893 16 Aug 13, For solar households, it really pays to shop around for the best electricity retailer deals.
According to a new report commissioned by the Alternative Technology Association (ATA), there is potential for solar households to be ‘ripped off’ by electricity retailers as solar customers can be treated as second-class citizens.
The report, Retail Offers and Market Transparency for New Solar Customers, states depending on the region; the difference between the best and the worst offer may translate to between $150 to $300 per year.
It’s not just about feed in tariff rates says the ATA – other factors may have a more substantial financial impact on the overall economics of a household solar installation. “There’s been a lot of attention and publicity about feed-in tariffs for solar, but very little about retail consumption tariffs and other aspects of retail deals, including where retailers take away pay-on-time discounts when someone installs solar,” said Damien Moyse; the ATA’s energy projects and policy manager. Continue reading
1 This month
17 October, Free Public Talk on Nuclear Issues in South Australia
David Noonan will speak on public interest concerns over the new Roxby Downs Indenture Act 2026 on BHP copper-uranium mining and ore processing in SA, and on how AUKUS may face SA with a High-Level nuclear waste agenda.
Dr Jim Green will discuss international developments in the field of nuclear power including ‘small modular reactors’ and Generation 4 ‘advanced’ nuclear reactor concepts.
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