Budget, Fast-tracking Development, Land Clearing

Budget

 

This week’s budget formalises the merger of key water entities in South-East Queensland and formalises the end of the Queensland Water Commission.

The Qld State Government has shut down most of Queensland’s climate and Environment initiatives arguing that the Federal Government’s carbon pricing scheme is duplicating this action. .

In Environment and Heritage Protection the State Government has cut around $20m in funding including two large solar energy generation projects.  $12m has been diverted into the Everyone’s Environment grants program.

Minister Powell say the Qld Government is refocusing his department’s core purpose to be a strong environmental regulator facilitating appropriate, sustainable development while also being a protector of Queensland’s heritage.

The Qld State Government aims to be fiscally prudent, pro-environment and pro-business believing that that these elements are not mutually exclusive.

Environmental Protection Regulation Amendment Project

On Friday 24 August 2012, the Temporary State Planning Policy 2/12 Planning for Prosperity (TSPP 2/12) came into effect.

This is the new Government’s first State Planning Policy. The TSPP 2/12 has been introduced as the pre-cursor to a single State Planning Policy that will combine 14 existing State Planning Policies into one.

The new policy is, indeed, concise – only 7 pages long - but its reach appears quite long. The policy’s Preamble explains that it must be reflected in relevant State and local government decision making.

The Queensland Government is fast-tracking development for it four pillars:

• agriculture
• tourism
• mining/resource extraction
• Construction.  

The TSPP 2/12 then sets forth broad objectives for each industry.

However, the policies do not apply to a local government's assessment of development applications.

TSPP 2/12 requires referral agencies (but not local government assessment managers) to apply the policy at the decision- making stage of assessment, with the aim of protecting land uses and reducing incompatible uses.

While TSPP 2/12’s policies do not apply to the assessment of a development application or assessment of a master plan (TSPP 2/12, ss 1.3.1 and 1.3.2), conflicts with such planning instruments are to be resolved by giving additional weight to:

·       agricultural uses in areas zoned for agricultural uses

·        urban uses in areas zoned for urban uses

·        tourist development shown to be complementary to an area’s environmental, scenic and cultural values

·       mineral and extractive resources development shown to be complementary to an area’s primary intended land use. (TSPP 2/12 s 2.3).

The policy indicates that the Government will facilitate and removal of some costs to development. The policy aims to 'speed not impede' development, allowing developers to maximise the economic potential of projects.

More specifically, TSPP 2/12 applies to the full range of circumstances set out in the Sustainable Planning Act 2009, including a referral agency’s assessment of a development application (TSPP2/12 s 1.3).

In addition, TSPP 2/12 is to be applied in the making or amending of regional plans or local plans, as well as in designations of land for community infrastructure (ss 1.4, 2.1 – 2.3).

A copy of TSPP 2/12 is available at: the Department of State Development and Infrastructure Planning website.

Vegetation Management

Minister for Natural Resources and Mines Andrew Cripps announced a strategy that will aim to streamline vegetation management across Queensland.

The management of vegetation is currently regulated by several Acts of Parliament, including:

·         Sustainable Planning Act 2009

·         Vegetation Management Act 1999

·         Nature Conservation Act 1992.

Each Act has a different function and any person proposing to clear vegetation may need approvals under one or more legislation depending upon the geographic area, tenure of the land, whether or not the ecosystem is identified as remnant ecosystem, or if the activity involves rare or threatened plants.

Mr Cripps plans to make reforms to the Vegetation Management Act and underlying regulations to allow landholders to:

• Undertake routine management activities such as vegetation thinning, weed control, fodder harvesting and clearing of vegetation encroachment in accordance with self –assessable codes and without the need to regularly apply for permits;

• Receive exemptions for vegetation management activities undertaken to allow for environmental works, and as part of clean-up operations following natural disasters.

In addition, the Department of Natural Resources and Mines will work with local Natural Resource Management and other groups to create practical Area Management Plans (AMPs).

why are we walking for water (& sanitation)

Some friends & acquaintances are attempting to organise a Walk.

They are trying to plan a route to or from a place of political significance or media interest in Brisbane. The folks who enforce the Peaceful Assembly Act 1992 at Brisbane City Council are making this nigh impossible.

They are trying gather friends, high-profile supporters and politicians to join the walk........and they need your help.

The tentative date for the alleged Brisbane Walks For Water is Friday the 23 March, 2012 at noon (12:00 gmt +10).

They shall rendezvous at Reddacliffe Place and march around the CBD if they can get permission to do so.

They don't have public liability insurance. They have not filled out countless forms or got all the necessary approvals. They just want to organise a walk. How hard can it be?

It is a walk for water & sanitation.

Why is the world walking for water and sanitation in March 2012?

Do you even know what the hell sanitation is?

Let's start with some statistics:

• One in eight people in the world do not have access to safe drinking water.
• One in three people don’t have access to a private clean toilet.

Women and children walk on average six kilometres every day to fetch water for their basic needs. They often walk to unprotected water sources, such as rivers or muddy dugouts, and the average weight of water they carry is 20kg. ( UNDP, Human Development Report, 2006)

2.6 billion people still live without a clean and safe toilet ( UNICEF/WHO Joint Monitoring Report, 2010). Instead, they have only a roadside, bucket or plastic bag to use. This is humiliating and also often leads to water contamination and the spreading of diarrhoeal diseases such as dysentery and cholera.

Women and girls are especially affected by poor sanitation access. They risk being sexually assaulted when using latrines in remote locations or walking to fields to defecate.

4,000 children die every day from diarrhoea caused by unclean water and unsafe sanitation ( WHO, Safer Water, Better Health, 2008).

Diarrhoeal diseases are the biggest killer of young children in Africa, killing

more than HIV/AIDS, malaria and measles combined.

This lack of access to clean water and sanitation impacts severely on health, education and income.

It’s time for change. We are not talking about a change of Government.

The World Walks for Water and Sanitation 2012 is a global event taking place around World Water Day, from 17-25 March 2012. Thousands of people across the world will walk together to demand an end to the water and sanitation crisis. The walks will build on the success of the World’s Longest Toilet Queue in 2010 and the World Walks for Water campaign in 2011. Last year, over 350,000 people in more than 75 different countries walked together to demand that politicians keep their promises and step up their efforts to protect the right to sanitation and water for all.

Because of these global actions, governments are beginning to take notice, promises have

been made, and there has been progress both internationally and within countries. This has

encouraged hundreds of organisations and thousands of people to come together again

in 2012 and keep up the pressure!

In April 2012, world leaders will attend the second High-Level Meeting (HLM) of the Sanitation and Water for All partnership in Washington D.C. It is really important that your Development or Finance Minister attends this meeting. You can take the opportunity of your walk to invite them to attend and demand that real progress and firm actions are delivered upon.

Premier Bligh Re-arranges the deck chairs on the "Bounty"

Premier
The Honourable Anna Bligh
26/03/2009

BLIGH REFORMS CONTINUE WITH PUBLIC SERVICE RESTRUCTURE

{in a return to the days of Sir Joh - the Queensland Government is consolidated into a dictatorship. Jobs take precedence of ecological sustainable development. The Smart State reverts to the Coal State}

The Queensland Public Service will undergo its most sweeping and significant reform in almost two decades with the existing 23 stand-alone government departments streamlined into 13.
Following the swearing-in of her new look Cabinet today, Premier Anna Bligh announced plans to dramatically modernise Government and deliver better coordination and better service delivery to Queenslanders.

{by better coordination and service delivery - She means you will get sports stadiums, tunnels and freeways whether you like it or not}

Ms Bligh said the shakeup would see the 13 new departments lead by the government's 18 Ministers grouped under six clusters -
* Policy and Fiscal Coordination (selling coal) ,
* Employment and Economic Development (mining coal),
* Environment and Sustainable Resource Management (filling in holes where the coal was) ,
* Social Development (filling in holes where the coal was) ,
* Law, Justice and Safety (protecting coal miners from activists) ,
* Government Services (moving coal around),

- reflecting the Bligh Government's priorities of employment (coal) , social development (coal) , environment (coal holes) and law and justice (all Queenslanders are equal but some are more equal than others).


Ms Bligh stressed there would be no job cuts under the restructure of 23 stand-alone departments into a streamlined 13, with any efficiency savings redirected to front-line services.
"I made a commitment to Queenslanders that I would change the face (facade) of this Government and deliver better front-line services and to do this, Queensland requires a modern public service structure," Ms Bligh said.

"This is about simplifying Government, reducing bureaucracy and cutting red tape." (fast tracking coal mines, rail for coal mines, solids to liquids and keeping Queenslanders dependant on coal, cars and cows).

"Under the changes, similar or complimentary departments will be grouped together under six clusters encompassing 13 'super departments' to allow better coordination of services (less transparency or democracy).

"For example under the Social Development cluster, the new Communities Department will include Community Services, Housing, Local Government, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Partnerships, Disability Services and Multicultural Affairs and Child Safety and Sport.

"The new Department of Employment and Economic Development will encompass the new employment and economic development responsibilities of the Treasurer along with Natural Resources, Mines and Energy, Trade, Primary Industries, Fisheries and Tourism and Fair Trading.

"Ministerial portfolio responsibilities will remain unchanged and I want to assure all public servants - particularly those on the front-line - that I stand by my commitment to jobs, not job cuts and this reform does not mean jobs will be lost.

Ms Bligh said the changes would be of particular benefit to regional Queensland.
"This will put more regional services under the one roof, making access a lot easier through departmental one-stop-shops."

The new departments are:

* Premier and Cabinet
* Treasury
* Health
* Employment and Economic Development
* Infrastructure and Planning
* Transport and Main Roads
* Environment and Resource Management
* Communities
* Education and Training
* Justice and Attorney-General
* Police
* Community Safety
* Public Works

Ms Bligh said the Machinery of Government changes would take effect immediately.
"I have told my new Ministers I want them to hit the ground running, and I have told my Director-General that I expect the same of these new departments.
"I want to see the efficiency of services at the front-line as quickly as possible," she said.
26 March 2009
Media: 3224 4500
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