Do you Give A Shit?

New Global World Toilet Day campaign is launched – Do you Give A Shit?

Do you Give A Shit? This is the tagline of the new global World Toilet Day campaign put together by the Water, Supply & Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) and the World Toilet Organization (WTO). It’s slightly controversial. Very straight talking and means serious business.
Observed annually on 19 November, World Toilet Day is one of international of action that aims to break the taboo around the toilets – a topic no one likes to talk about - and draw attention to the existing global sanitation challenge. 
World Toilet Day was created to raise global awareness of the daily for proper dignified sanitation that a staggering 2.5 billion people continue to face.
Originally promoted by the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene sector (WASH) sector who understood far earlier the benefits of proper sanitation, good hygiene and clean drinking water has on the health and well being, educational attainment, wealth not to mention just basic human dignity. Increasingly it is gaining recognition by the international development community as a key issue, but there is still a long way to go.
Designed as an online campaign, World Toilet Day wants to cast its net far and wide to get the attention of not just those working on these issues already, but also decision makers and the public. Through its recently launched website (hyperlink website) it gives those interested in advocating for safer toilets– the perfect opportunity to do so. Through the website you can:
- Share the key campaign messages
- Advocate for better sanitation by hosting an event and register your activities on the interactive World Toilet Day map
- Promote World Toilet Day by using the logo, posters, banners, stickers and brochure
- Tell the world why You Give A Shit!
- Help the word on Facebook and Twitter.
If you Give A Shit, then World Toilet Day invites you to join in, take action and spread the word.

Responses to the Murray Darling Plan

The Federal Government announced this week that the Government will deliver an additional 450GL of water to achieve greater environmental outcomes to the Basin through water recovery projects that minimise the impact on communities. The Government said the additional environmental water will benefit major wetlands across the Basin and the lower lakes in South Australia and help ensure the system never again goes into a period of drought lacking the resilience it needs to survive. (Minister Burke)

Responses to the Government announcement on the Basin Plan (via the Australian Water Association):
   • The Victorian Government said they are bitterly disappointed the Commonwealth Government is not pursuing the 2,750GL Plan, with offsets, that was agreed to by Basin State Ministers and the Commonwealth in July this year. (Victorian Government)
   • Shadow Parliamentary Secretary, Simon Birmingham, has said the Government's reported new approach to recovering water for the Murray-Darling should be cautiously welcomed. (Liberal Party)
   • Independent MP, Tony Windsor, has said the fine detail of the Murray Darling Basin Plan will need close scrutiny in determining the impacts of the PM's latest announcement. (Tony Windsor)
   • Shadow Minister, Barnaby Joyce, said that it is an ambit announcement for an ambit claim from an ambit Government. (Senator Joyce)
   • Greens Senator, Sarah Hanson-Young, said the Basin Plan still starts at 2750GL and won't keep the Basin healthy. (Senator Hanson-Young)
   • The Irrigators' Council sceptically welcomed the announcement of additional funding for infrastructure. (Irrigator’s Council)
   • The ACF welcomed funding for more environmental water but urged the Government to bring forward the timelines for returning water. (Australian Conservation Foundation)
   • The NFF called on the Government to rule out any future water buybacks in the Murray-Darling Basin. (National Farmers Federation)
   • Hawker Britton issued an updated briefing on the Basin Plan. (Hawker Britton)

Murray Darling Basin

Murray Darling Basin

The Qld Government has expressed serious concerns over the announcement by the Federal Government to take an additional 450GL of water to achieve environmental objectives in the Murray-Darling Basin through water recovery projects.

The Federal Government has resolved to provide $1.77 billion over ten years from 2014 to relax key operating constraints and allow an additional 450GL of environmental water to be obtained through projects to ensure there is no social and economic downside for communities.

This announcement represents a stage in the development of the Basin Plan which is on track to be finalised before the end of the year. The Federal Government will invest primarily in on-farm efficiency works that generate water savings for the environment and other projects as agreed by states.

Qld Natural Resources and Mines Minister, Andrew Cripps, said the Federal Government and the Murray Darling Basin Authority must immediately clarify the impacts of this announcement on Qld and the northern part of the Murray–Darling Basin.

The Federal Government is working with the South Australian Government to provide funding to support environmental infrastructure and remedial works and to assist South Australian irrigators to diversify and secure their economic future. Further details of these initiatives will be released as they are finalised.

The Qld Government is not willing to participate in a negotiation process if there will be an increased impact on Qld communities. Mr Cripps said he is seeking clarification that funding for the southern portion of the Basin would not diminish the pool of funds available to assist northern Basin irrigators and communities to cope with reduced water availability.

Mr Crisp expressed frustration that there is still no detail on how that money will be spent or how much will be spent in Qld. Mr Cripps said there is still not sufficient recognition of the different water management issues faced by Qld to those in the southern Basin.

Modelling, released by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority earlier this month, showed that through a combination of relaxing capacity constraints and providing an additional 450GL of water above the 2750GL described in the plan, would deliver better environmental outcomes for the basin.

The extra funding will be secured through a special account and advance appropriation of future funds to ensure its availability through to 2024 by which time the additional water will have been recovered. 

Legislation to establish the special account and advance appropriation is expected to be introduced into Parliament before the end of the year. The funding will be met from within existing resources and from funds set aside in the recent Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook.  The Federal Opposition has not committed to the Basin Plan.

National Sustainability Council Australia

The National Sustainability Council Australia

 

Tony Burke, Minister for the Environment, has announced the establishment of a National Sustainability Council for Australia.

Mr Burke said the council would provide independent advice to the government on sustainability issues and produce public reports against a set of sustainability indicators.

This program will allow for the collection of data guided by a set of sustainability indicators that will measure the Government’s progress while delivering capacity for better planning and decision making.

The National Sustainability Council will report against the sustainability indicators every two years, highlighting key trends and emerging issues for policy and decision makers and communities around Australia.

The definition of "sustainability" appears to have diverged from "ecologically sustainable development"....

The indicators will provide information about our economic, natural, social and human capital. They will cover a broad range of issues including housing supply, broadband internet connections, water consumption, recycling rates, ecosystem protection, educational attainment, feelings of safety, under- and unemployment and mental health.

More information on the National Sustainability Council and the sustainability indicators is at www.environment.gov.au/sustainability/measuring.

 

National Sustainability Council

Chair

Professor John Thwaites, Chair of the Monash Sustainability Institute and ClimateWorks Australia

Members

Mr Rod Glover, public policy and innovation expert, and former Deputy Secretary with the Victorian Department of Premier and Cabinet

Dr Tom Hatton PSM, Group Executive, Energy, CSIRO and Chair of the 2011 State of the Environment Committee

Professor Graeme Hugo AO, Director of the Australian Population and Migration Research Centre and Australian Research Council Professorial Fellow at the University of Adelaide

Mr Mark Joiner, Executive Director Finance, National Australia Bank

Ms Romilly Madew, Chief Executive of the Green Building Council of Australia

Ms Sam Mostyn, company director and corporate sustainability advisor

Professor Sue Richardson AM, Principal Research Fellow, National Institute of Labour Studies, Flinders University

My letter to the Deputy Premier

Deputy Premier, Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning
The Honourable Jeff Seeney

cc: The Premier, The Honourable Rob Cavallucci and the Honourable Andrew Powell

Dear Mr Seeney,

Thank you for welcoming the release of the Abbot Point Cumulative Impact Assessment by North Queensland Bulk Ports.

You say that that proposed port expansion was unlikely to affect the integrity of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.

Have you taken into consideration the accumulative impacts of the combustion of fossil fuels?

The terms of reference of the report are limited to the cumulative impacts of Port operations. 

The Cumulative Environmental Impact Assessment process is clearly wide ranging and involve 15 detailed studies in the following areas:

·       Shipping;

·       Marine Water Quality;

·       Dredge Plume Modelling

·       Operational Noise;

·       Groundwater;

·       Dust;

·       Underwater Noise;

·       Visual Amenity;

·       Lighting;

·       Coastal Hydrodynamics;

·       Species & Habitat Assessment;

·       Wetland Hydrology & Water Quality

·       Climate Change;

·       Fishing;

·       Joint Offsets Strategy

The report identifies mechanisms to reduce and offset greenhouse gas emissions from the port and ensure port design has accounted for possible climate change effects such as sea level rise. 

The report does not consider greenhouse gas and particulate emissions of transport of coal over vast distances using bunker C fuel oil or combustion of thermal coal.

regards,

Rowan Barber

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Deputy Premier, Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning
The Honourable Jeff Seeney

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Report puts lie to green scare tactics

Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney today welcomed the release of the Abbot Point Cumulative Impact Assessment by North Queensland Bulk Ports, which draws a line through an environmental scare campaign run by Labor and the Greens. 

The assessment was a proactive study undertaken for the proponents of future port expansion and looked at the possible impacts of development across the marine and terrestrial environments involving 16 separate environmental studies. 

It found that proposed port expansion was unlikely to affect the integrity of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. 

Mr Seeney said the assessment showed that well-managed development could co-exist with a healthy environment. 

“It illustrates that we can have bulk export ports and they can operate with no threat to the Great Barrier Reef,” Mr Seeney said. 

“This assessment should put an end to the scare campaigns run by extremist groups whose real agenda is to shut the coal ports and the coal industry as a whole. 

“Too often they cry wolf, claiming that any proposed new development will wipe-out entire marine or terrestrial species and threaten the existence of the reef itself. 

“This report puts the lie to those claims. 

“In the case of Abbot Point it says that impacts on the marine environment are manageable, that significant impacts on the terrestrial environment are unlikely and that mitigation and management measures would substantially reduce any potential impacts. 

Mr Seeney said the assessment had been peer reviewed by leading scientists and experts, leaving no room for extremists to distort its findings. 

“It highlights that we can have both economic development while protecting the environment because we will insist on world’s best practices and world’s best standards,” he said. 

[ENDS] 24 October 2012

Media Contact: John Wiseman –             0409 791 281      

Ecosystem Health Report Card on Qld Waterways

Ecosystem Health Report Card on Qld Waterways

Healthy Waterways have released the 2012 report card on the health of South East Queensland waterways. 

The Healthy Waterways partnership is a not-for-profit, non-government organisation which includes experts from the Qld Government, universities and CSIRO. They have been producing report cards for ten years.

The Report Card revealed the overall health grade for Moreton Bay has improved from C- to B-, returning closer to its long term average of a B grade.  Moreton Bay’s partial recovery following the January 2011 flood is encouraging and highlights the resilience of the Bay.

The overall improvements in Moreton Bay resulted from an increase in water clarity and a decrease in algae and nutrients.  Central Bay showed the greatest improvement (D+ to A-) as a result of a large decrease in algae.

The Data and findings of the 2012 report card is available at www.healthywaterways.org .

Newman Nukes

I am not opposed to uranium mining or nuclear energy.

It does seem gross hypocrisy to assure the ACF that one has no plans to approve uranium mining and then announce plans just a few days later.

This morning a Cereal Box caller on 612 Brisbane radio, pointed out that:

• Julia Gillard had been vilified for introducing a carbon tax;
• Anna Bligh was vilified for asset sales.
• Will Campbell Newman be vilified for recommencing Uranium Mining?

Qld to Recommence Uranium Mining

The Qld State Government has announced it will convene a three-member implementation committee to oversee the recommencement of uranium mining in Qld.

The Australian Conservation Foundation says it received a letter from Premier Campbell Newman just days prior to this announcement that stated the Qld Government had no plans to approve uranium mining.

Minister for Natural Resources and Mines Andrew Cripps said with Qld’s known uranium deposits worth an estimated $10 billion, the industry has enormous potential to support economic growth, particularly in regional North Queensland.

Minister Cripps said the State Government would not consider nuclear energy production or nuclear waste disposal plants in Qld as part of the recommencement of uranium mining.

The committee will report to the State Government within three months.

Deputy Premier and Green Scare Tactics

Abbot Point Cumulative Impact Assessment

 

BHP Billiton, North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation (NQBP), Adani and GVK Hancock Coal (the project partners) are jointly conducting a Cumulative Environmental Impact Assessment (CIA) of proposed developments in the Port of Abbot Point area.

The Port of Abbot Point is one of three existing coal ports in Qld and has been identified by the Qld Government as a preferred port to support further development of the coal export industry.

It is seen as critical to economic development in Central and North Qld, as underlined by the Government’s designation of a State Development Area at Abbot Point.

The Cumulative Environmental Impact Assessment process will be wide ranging and involve 15 detailed studies in the following areas:

·       Shipping;

·       Marine Water Quality;

·       Dredge Plume Modelling

·       Operational Noise;

·       Groundwater;

·       Dust;

·       Underwater Noise;

·       Visual Amenity;

·       Lighting;

·       Coastal Hydrodynamics;

·       Species & Habitat Assessment;

·       Wetland Hydrology & Water Quality

·       Climate Change;

·       Fishing;

·       Joint Offsets Strategy

The report identifies mechanisms to reduce and offset greenhouse gas emissions from the port and ensure port design has accounted for possible climate change effects such as sea level rise. 

The report does not consider greenhouse gas and particulate emissions of transport of coal over vast distances using bunker C fuel oil or combustion of thermal coal.

The Deputy Premier: Jeff Seeney reports that the proposed port expansion was unlikely to affect the integrity of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. 

Mr Seeney says the reports illustrates that Queensland can have bulk export ports and they can operate with no threat to the Great Barrier Reef. He said the assessment showed that well-managed development could co-exist with a healthy environment.

The Deputy Premier says: “This assessment should put an end to the scare campaigns run by extremist groups whose real agenda is to shut the coal ports and the coal industry as a whole.” 

“Too often they [environmental groups] cry wolf, claiming that any proposed new development will wipe-out entire marine or terrestrial species and threaten the existence of the reef itself.” 

In the case of Abbot Point Mr Seeney says that the report says that:

·       impacts on the marine environment are manageable,

·       that significant impacts on the terrestrial environment are unlikely and;

·       that mitigation and management measures would substantially reduce any potential impacts. 

Mr Seeney said the assessment had been peer reviewed by leading scientists and experts, leaving no room for extremists to distort its findings.  He says that the report highlights that we can have both economic development while protecting the environment because we will insist on world’s best practices and world’s best standards.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A friend has responded......

Regarding the CIA for Abbot Point in your latest newsletter. As usual with mining funded reports they are interesting for what they do not include compared to what is included. They always say impacts can be managed. There is much the CIA appears to have missed that I have repeatedly asked for in public submissions over the years on project proposals in Abbot Point, such as a study on the impacts of a combined flood and storm surge event. Such events are  not unlikely in this location, a narrow low lying coastal plain, because the 6,000 ha wetlands there receive all the runoff during the Wet Season from a 600 square kilometers area of hills to the south of the catchment. Flooding can be severe and usually happens It has overwhelmed wastewater ponds in the past few years (on the spot witness told us that but the port authorities denied it and patched it up before DERM got there).

A big event would sweep wastewaters out to the Reef waters offshore and into the Caley Valley Abbot Point wetland aggregation which, because it is partly tidal, would also carry contaminants out to Great Barrier Reef Marine waters. Future plans call for much filling of these internationally significant wetlands so eventual flooding can only be higher and more damaging.

The CIA report is open for submissions until Dec 4th. We ask that independent engineers and scientists take a look at them at

http://abbotpointworkinggroup.com.au/

Can you let your readers know about the chance for submissions at the above website?  Thanks.

Premier Wombat

In the city Brisbane on the River Brisbane,

Cammy the Wombat was Lord Mayor and did reign.

He dug lots of tunnels and ran up lots of debt.

He ruled through the drought and through floods that were wet.

But people cleaned up and helped those in need.

And most people were happy.  Quite happy indeed.

They were... until Cammy, the Lord Mayor of them all,

Decided the city he ruled was too small.

"I'm ruler", said Cammy, "of all that I see.

But I don't rule enough.  That's the trouble with me.”

“With a sinking City Hall, I look down Queen Street Mall,

But I cannot control other Councils at all.

This City that I rule is far too, too local.”

“Queensland ought to be mine!" he said to a group that was focal.

"If I could take George Street, how much greater I'd be!

What a Premier! I'd be ruler of all that I see!"

So Cammy, the Wombat, lifted his hand

And Cammy, the Wombat, gave a command.

He ordered young wombats to support his campaign...

And, using these wombats, back on track went his train.

He made each young wombat hand out ‘how-to-vote’

And he learnt all his lines and recited them by rote.

And then Cammy got up and won Ashgrove’s seat.

Never before had there been such a defeat.

"All mine!" Cammy cried.  "Oh, the things I now rule!

I'm Premier of the coal! And this coal seam fossil fuel!

I'm Premier of the schools! And, what's more, beyond that

I'm Premier of the hospitals and a tit for tat!

I'm Cammy the Wombat! Oh, marvelous me!

For I am Premier of all that I see!"

And all through the winter, he sat in George Street on high

Saying over and over, "A great Premier am I!"

Until 'long about June.  Then he heard a faint sigh.

"What's that?" snapped Cammy

20 000 people he had sacked.

And he saw, at the bottom, a developing crack.

Just a part of the public service.  And this plain little clerk

Looked up and she said, "Beg your pardon, Premier.

I may not be one of your mates.  I may not be front line.

But what I do is important, though I don’t farm, build or mine"

"SILENCE!" the Premier Wombat barked back.

"I'm Premier and you're only a clerk that I’ve sacked"

"You stay in your place while I sit here and rule.

I'm Premier of the coal! And this coal seam fossil fuel!

I'm Premier of schools, hospitals and race tracks.

But that isn't all.  I'll do better than that!

My surplus shall be larger!" his tiny voice thundered,

"So sack some more clerks! I want 'bout two hundred!"

"Ministers! More Ministers!" he bellowed and brayed.

And the public servants 'way down the food chain were afraid.

They trembled.  They shook.  But they came.  They obeyed.

From all over Queensland, they came in by dozens.

Whole families of Liberals, with uncles and cousins.

And all of them stepped on the head of the clerks.

One after another, they climbed up the perch.

Then Cammy the Wombat was perched up so high,

He could see the Gold Coast from his office in the sky!

"Hooray!" shouted Cammy.  "Now let’s cut down some trees”!

Let’s dig up more coal and ship it out overseas!

I'm have my four pillars and jobs for my mates.

Let’s increases the mining royalty rates!

I'm Cammy the Wombat! Oh, marvelous me!

For I am Premier of all that I see!"

Then again, from below, in the protests now packed,

Came a groan from that plain little clerk who’d been sacked.

"Your Majesty, please... I don't like to complain,

But out on the streets, we are feeling great pain.

I know, up on top you are seeing great sights,

As ex-Public servants we, too, should have rights.

And now out the front, at the sides and the back!

Stood the family and friends of the Clerk who’d been sacked.

"You hush up your mouth!" howled the Premier Cam.

"You've no right to talk to a short syndrome man.

I rule from four pillars! I ship coal overseas!

There's no one, no, NOTHING, that's higher than me!"

But, while Cammy was shouting, he saw with surprise

In opinion polls, opposition was starting to rise

Up over his bald head, came the deafening sighs.

"What's THAT?" snorted Cammy.  "Say, what IS that there

That dares to be more popular than Cammy the Premier?

I shall not allow it! I'll go higher still!

I'll build my William Street tower higher! I can and I will!

I'll call some more mates.  I'll stack 'em to heaven!

I need 'bout five thousand, six hundred and seven!"

But, as Cammy, the Wombat, lifted his hand

And started to order and give the command,

That plain little clerk as a matter of fact,

The same little clerk who Cammy had sacked,

Decided she'd taken enough.  And she had.

And that plain little clerk got a bit mad.

And that plain little clerk, she was doing it tough.

She voted and her vote was enough!

And Cammy the Wombat, the Premier of four pillars,

Premier of tourism, mines and construction and farm tillers,

The Premier of hospitals, schools and race tracks...

Well, nobody knew which on track it was back.

For Cammy, the Premier, of all of Queensland...

Lost Ashgrove’s seat and all the things he had planned!

And today the great Cammy, that Marvelous he,

Is Premier of the tunnels:  That is all he can see.

And the clerks, of course... all the clerks are now free

As clerks and maybe, all creatures should be.