On last night's Q&A Program (ABC TV) which I listened to on the BBC Radio World Service, there was a panel of 'Business leaders' and some discussion of the Carbon Tax, and one of the guests (from South Australia) stated that we (in SA) had reduced our Carbon output per kilowatt of produced energy because we have "25% renewables", referring of course to the massive Wind Turbine Development obsession of recent years.
He listed off the various forms of generation, but carelessly neglected to mention that South Australia has the second highest electricity prices on the planet because of the shrekin' Turbines with their massive subsidies, costly infrastructure, etc. And of course there was no mention of the Fascism of legally unchallengeable pro-Turbine legislation, the yo-yoing production output, the exporting of a large percentage of that energy to the Eastern states and importing of Coal fueled electricity from Victoria, etc.
(You know it's amazing how good you can make something sound if you ignore the majority of the facts-Ed)...well, quite, but I think it's more than a deliberate omission intended to deceive...I think that we're looking at the 'filtered lenses' observation that often accompanies or rather directs decisions made by people focused on profit...(or potentially worse, an ideological gaol-Ed)...whereby peripheral issues (eg, the environment) and collateral damages (eg, consumers) are not so much ignored as never seen in the first instance.
Another statement made a bit later (different person?) was that we 'don't use all of our water and land'...(sorry, what?...there's barely a scrap of ground we don't use, and water is a critically precious commodity that we are only ever one bad drought away from not having at all-Ed)...this was apparently a SANTOS representative...(SANTOS?, the mining company?-Ed)...indeed...(SANTOS thinks we're not using all of our land and water?-Ed)...apparently...(may I?...-Ed)...please...
(In South Australia we are down to 3-4% Remnant Native Vegetation, have lost nearly all of our small mammal species through Habitat Loss and Feral Predation, and Mining Companies, Turbine Companies, etc, have massive concessions that virtually ignore environmental conditions and give them ultimate control over the rights of those who live there, be they Aboriginal peoples or other land holders)...quite...(not finished yet)...sorry...
(And it was less than 18 months ago that The Mighty Murray River and Lower Lakes system were all but rooted, and there were bunds and regulators and weirs and diverters and shrek knows what all...and the threat of a weir at Wellington...and always Adelaide draining the Murray for their wants and needs, despite the massive Desalination Plant that doesn't work properly and is discharging highly polluted, super saline sludge back into the Gulf...)...wow, that's terrible...(not yet)...sorry...
(And when push comes to shrek you...yes you...go on...off you shrek...it'll be every last drop for Adelaide...and when they've drained the Murray, they'll still have the De-sal Plant and every irrigator or community who relies on the Murray will get nought...and there's the daily draining of the Artesian Basin for free for mining at Olympic Dam...and the recent water allocations for Forestry in the South East...and the constant pressure already on the South East Aquifer...and plans for yet more SE drains, drains that will kill more remnant swamp land).
(I don't believe it...we don't use all our land and water...what Mr SANTOS means is that we aren't using all of our land and water for bloody mining-Ed)...done now?...(yeah, for now-Ed)...well thankyou for that very succinct and well argued rant...but we digress...
I note that in today's The Border Watch (Tuesday 12th November2013) there is an article re 'alleged illegal environmental destruction' by Richard Vickery...and it's the above problems that makes behaviours like those displayed by people like Messrs Tom Brinkworth and Richard Vickery so grossly unacceptable, particularly with the clearing of further native vegetation...and puts me in mind of some sort of badge...(or better still, a netball bib-Ed)...yes, perfect, and on those bibs there would be the...
New SELGA Emblem: recently the South East Local Government Association was shopping around for a new emblem, and I thought something that reflected the governance role of SELGA and it's constituent members...I thought 'A flock of malnourished sheep rampant in a field of illegally cleared trees', and in the scrolling underneath Non Dicum Ne Illud Quidem (Do As I Say, Not As I Do)...(classic...a witty reference to SELGA President and Tatiara Mayor Richard Vickery who was convicted in May 2011 of 'ill-treating and neglecting sheep and is currently on charges "relating to claims he illegally cleared native vegetation." (The Border Watch)-Ed).
Thankyou Ed, and quite remarkable that he continues in his dual roles as Mayor and President...and Richard is one of those people about whom everyone I speak to has something to offer and none of it nice...(well you'd know what that feels like-Ed)...indeed, indeed, but I'd be quietly confident in stating that I'm actually still slightly more popular then Richard Vickery...but I digress...
The South Australian Integrated Transport and Land Use Plan has two glaring omissions if you don't count the ludicrously vague blue sky, resident thinker, helicopter view, aspirational statement of future potentialities quantified by Key Performance Indicators that.......what was I saying?...ah, yes, the vague statement about 'possible freight rail' for the South East, which doesn't even mention passenger rail...please see yesterday's post...
Ommision 1) As most people would probably be aware, the Penola Rd/Wireless Rd Intersection is shockingly dangerous, but that only recently City Council withdrew their offer to part-fund traffic lights there because the Rann/Weatherill Labor government failed to respond to that offer...well allegedly anyway...and my comments about the obvious, cheap and perfectly safe solution of a roundabout there apparently remains unheard, and is anyway beyond Council's control...
Ultimately it will come as no shock to anyone that the Penola Rd/Wireless Rd intersection is not mentioned in The Plan...rather than explain it all, I have attached the Limestone Coast Plan Pamphlet below...don't worry about the legend for the map because it's so small it can't be read, possibly if you have a magnifier.
Sorry, but I'll finish here...haven't even had dinner yet...and apologies that this post is nearly all digression, very little Transport Plan, and no Armistice at all...which of course means...(oh no, no you d-Ed)...
Tomorrow: ADTP Part III
(on't, damn yes you did...tomorrow then?-Ed)...super, see you then...(and the cheque?...-Ed)...is with your agent...(magnifique-Ed)...yeah...
I am Nick Fletcher and this is my blog...cheers and laters...
.jpg)
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment