Changes to Australia’s Law planned, to further uranium mining
sends a further public message about the likelihood of uranium mining being an increasing part of the mining landscape in Australia.
Changes to Commonwealth environmental approvals for uranium mining Australia, Lexology -July 6 2010 In brief:
- The Federal Government released its response to Deloitte’s 2008 Review of Regulatory Efficiency in Uranium Mining in May 2010.
- The response indicates there may be major changes to the environmental regulation of uranium mining in Australia. These may facilitate the approvals process for uranium mining. Continue reading
Australia’s students take to the streets against the uranium/nuclear industry
7 July 2010, Students take to the street to hold nuclear scumbags accountable.
Today hundreds of students from across Australia will take to the streets of Adelaide on The ‘Nuclear Scumbags Tour’. This will be a creative and informative demonstration by Traditional Owners, students, and community members speaking out against the coercion and exploitation of Aboriginal communities by Government and nuclear industry alike. The irresponsible industry practices combined with the lack of ethical government policy shows complete disregard for the environment, water and indigenous rights. Continue reading
Energy efficiency by far the number 1 low carbon answer
Such were findings of the Energy Efficiency Council (EEC) of Australia
Energy Efficiency: Twice the Impact of Renewables, Nuclear and Clean Coal. Combined. : TreeHugger, by Warren McLaren, Bundanoon, Australia 07. 6.10” The International Energy Agency estimates that energy efficiency will deliver 65 per cent of worldwide carbon cuts in the energy sector by 2020, and 54 per cent by 2030. This means that in 2020 energy efficiency could have almost twice the impact of renewable energy, nuclear power and clean coal combined.” Continue reading
Many mining companies worse off in Gillard’s new tax plan
BHP Billiton pays the South Australian government an embarrassing 3.5 per cent royalty for the uranium it extracts in the state’s north. As a result of the Gillard compromise it has escaped paying a resource rent tax of 40 per cent but regained a huge sovereign risk.
Sovereign risk back on the resources table, Sydney Morning Herald, PETER MARTINJuly 7, 2010 Have many mining companies been made worse off by of the changes made by Julia Gillard?…….. Continue reading
Billionaire corporate miners now running Australia’s ship of state
Like the wealth that comes from iron ore and coal, the answer takes some digging but it appears to be corporate, not union, power that steers the ship of state.
Gillard Caves In To Miners, The Age , DAVID MCKNIGHT, July 6, 2010 Corporate, not union, power can frequently drive politicians’ priorities. The struggle to define the victor and vanquished over the new mining tax will continue until the election, but we are left with a larger question, one once scornfully directed at trade unions: who is running the country? Continue reading
Australian govt urged to follow USA’s solar energy lead
For details of the Zero Carbon Australia 2020 Melbourne Energy Institute launch go to beyondzeroemissions.org
Dim view of solar effort * Olga Galacho Herald Sun * July 05, 2010 ISRAELI electricity company BrightSource has challenged the Federal Government to replicate US President Barack Obama’s offer overnight to guarantee loans to two solar energy projects.
The move comes as the International Energy Agency endorses a Zero Carbon Australia 2020 plan to be launched in Melbourne next week. Continue reading
Aboriginal Summit’s challenge on ownership of “wild country”
The conference resolved that international legal and political challenges are now pending and will be mounted within the coming months..
New Way Summit: Aboriginals In Australia To Retake Lands – Indigenous Peoples Issues and Resources, 05 July 2010 “……The third meeting of the New Way Summit movement, initiated by Michael Anderson, heard that the Mabo judgment on Native Title was legal trickery, because hunting, gathering, walking on land, ceremonies on Country do not constitute a claim to legal title and ownership, whereas erecting fences, buildings and clearing of land does as an act of ‘adverse possession’.
Adverse possession is the means by which the colonizers asserts title to alleged ‘wild country’. Continue reading
Uranium Awareness from Experts, with Aboriginal Interpreters
Uranium awareness tour hits the road 5 July 2010, The Kimberley Uranium Awareness Community Forums kick off this week with meetings in Kununurra, Halls Creek, Billiluna, Fitzroy Crossing, Looma, Mowanjum, Derby and Broome.
The forums aim to inform Kimberley people about the risks of uranium mining and how this activity has affected Indigenous in other parts of Australia. Forum organisers have invited technical experts and Traditional Owners from the Northern Territory and South Australia to speak at the meetings. Continue reading
Australia waits for government action on Climate Change
Ms Gillard may set a national target for energy efficiency, as China has done.
Climate hurdle looms for Gillard, Tradingroom.com.au, By Cathy Alexander July 02 2010, “…… the Gillard government is working overtime on one of the greatest electoral challenges of its time: climate change.A new climate policy will be released in the coming weeks and it could be very new indeed………… Continue reading
Nuclear power is no answer to Climate Change
Time is running out for the expensive, dangerous, dirty, nuclear power industry. The nuclear lobby’s desperate propaganda is that the industry is clean, and is a solution to global warming. That is a lie.
BHP and Olympic Dam uranium mining – beyond the laws
BHP Billiton’s power in Australia seems to grow daily.
BHP , Rio Tinto, Xstrata showed their power by intimidating Julia Gillard with the threat of renewing their $100 million advertising campaign. She had to act fast – hence the new, watered-down Resources Rent Tax.
Exempted from Australia’s planned new Resources Rent Tax, and with BHP people in its policy-making, along with their lackey, Martin Ferguson, BHP adds to its achievements in being beyond both Federal and State laws.
Water: In South Australia, BHP’s Olympic Dam uranium mining gets 37 million litres of water daily completely free of charge
SA Roxby Downs Indenture Act . This legislation allows the mine to operate with wide-ranging exemptions from:
Aboriginal Heritage Protection Act
Environment Protection Act
Natural Resources Act
Freedom of Information Act
Nuclear salesmen to run Australia’s new Resources Rent Tax
BHP Billiton and the uranium lobby are getting ever more powerful in policy-making in Australia.
Julia Gillard’s new Resources Rent Tax will be organsed by two top nuclear salesmen – Don Argus (from BHP BIlliton) and Nuclear Industry Minister Martin Ferguson.
Australia’s top science research body has strong links to BHP, and a chairman, Simon McKeon, who is a climate change doubter.
No Resource Rent Tax for Olympic Dam uranium mine
Done deal for Rann as Olympic Dam emerges unscathed , David Nason : The Australian * July 03, 2010 THE compromise mining tax won’t wring a single extra cent from the country’s biggest proposed mining project in South Australia. BHP Billiton’s $20 billion-plus Olympic Dam expansion in South Australia is exempt from the new tax, Continue reading
BHP, Climate Doubters, involved now in Australia’s CSIRO
A poor climate for debate at CSIRO, The Age, Paddy Manning, July 3, 2010 QUESTIONS are being raised about the closeness of BHP Billiton and the CSIRO under chief executive Megan Clark. A former technology vice president at BHP, Clark was appointed in late 2008 ……. there is concern about the imbalance in research funding at CSIRO, particularly in responses to climate change. Continue reading
Nuclear Lobby’s anti wind power line – Australian Landscape Guardians
The template for the Australian chapter of the landscape guardians is the British Coastal Guardians, an anti-wind power organisation run by climate change sceptics with strong links to the nuclear energy industry.
You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows, The Age, ADAM MORTON, July 3, 2010 “…….Wind farm opponents also paid for advertisements in the weekly Pyrenees Advocate warning of ”Waubra disease”, an illness said to include symptoms of sleep disturbance, nausea, headaches and increased heart rate that could be ”coming to a house, farm or school near you”.
No evidence was given to back the claims, but the advertisements heightened concerns in the local community Continue reading
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