wind power – Global Wind Day (15 June) fell in this week. Energy Minister Guy Barnett said it was “a day for discovering wind, its power, and the possibilities it holds to reshape our energy systems, lower our emissions and boost jobs and growth.” He noted that new sites at Granville Harbour and Cattle Hill are just one step away from injecting an additional 260 megawatts of capacity into our system, increasing our wind energy by over 80 per cent, while other locations with significant potential have been identified in the north-east, central highlands and the north-west.
“Developing further wind generation is a key step in the Government’s recently released Draft Tasmanian Renewable Energy Action Plan as well as our Tasmanian Renewable Energy Target (TRET) to double our renewable generation with the globally significant target to generate 200 per cent of our current needs by 2040.” It is also a target to reach 100 per cent self-sufficiency in renewables by 2022.
university fees – the federal government pulled a number on Friday morning by announcing a shuffle in the way funding is allocated to university courses. Effectively the changes will raise the price of humanities-type degrees like arts, commerce and law, while lowering them for things like nursing, IT and agriculture. Education Minister Dan Tehan said the government’s push is to incentivise (sic) students to pursue courses that will make them eligible for the ‘jobs of the future’.
Shadow TAFE, University and Skills Minister, Michelle O’Byrne called on Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein to stand up to his federal counterparts and protect Tasmanian university students from paying higher fees for popular degrees like arts and law. “Universities are already underfunded and increasing fees for selected degrees will significantly limit the options for students, not to mention ruin the dreams of many who simply won’t be able to afford to study their chosen path,” O’Byrne said. “This short-sighted decision has flow-on effects and could result in the closure of some already underfunded academic courses and schools dedicated to increasing skills in the arts. She said she understood the need to attract more students to high-priority sectors, but argued that “if cost is a barrier, then we should be focusing on making university more affordable overall instead of choosing some pathways over others.”
Author Josephine Pennicott said, “I’m also a fifth generation Tasmanian and the first of my family to go to Uni. My Arts degree ensured I wrote books set in Australia that were international bestsellers. The degree helped me think laterally to achieve this.”
Westpac, bank of pedophiles – the corporate media has been publishing stories for weeks about how regulators are being so mean to Westpac over its money-laundering, observers financial journalist Michael West. Westpac’s failure, they say, was due to ‘sloppiness’, even technical errors. “Wrong,” says West. He invites readers to heck the story by Nathan Lynch, head of Thomson Reuters Regulatory Intelligence, showing how Westpac is the bank of choice for pedophiles, how it deliberately allowed child abuse in its pursuit of profits. “This story would not run in the corporate media,” he says. “If the definition of fraud is ‘gaining a financial advantage by deception’, then that is precisely what the media have been doing in their dishonest coverage of Australia’s biggest money-laundering scandal.” He estimates Westpac spends $200 million a year with the very media organisations which are touting its public relations line. “They are talking down the price expectations for a legal settlement while AUSTRAC, the regulator, is in negotiations with the bank.”
discrimination – equality advocates want the Morrison government to ditch its Religious Discrimination Bill following a landmark U.S. court decision expanding LGBTIQ discrimination protections. They claim the proposed Bill would weaken existing protections from demeaning and discriminatory conduct for LGBTIQ and other people, if that conduct is in the name of religion. Just.equal spokesperson, Rodney Croome, said, “The US Supreme Court has sent a clear message to the Morrison government that enacting stronger discrimination protections for LGBTIQ people is the right thing to do, regardless of where you sit on the political spectrum. He said the decision confirms LGBTIQ inclusion and dignity to be a civil right. “It’s time for the Morrison Government to withdraw the Religious Discrimination Bill and instead enact a broad ranging Human Rights Act to protect all rights equally,” he said. The Religious Discrimination Bill has been put on hold during the pandemic, but LGBTIQ advocates fear it will be introduced to Parliament later this year or next year.
A sheep suffers heat stroke aboard a Kuwait bound KLTT ship. Image courtesy Animals Australia.
live sheep exports – Andrew Wilkie unsuccessfully demanded the federal government stop a ship with 56,000 sheep sailing from Fremantle to Kuwait this week. The Al Kuwait left WA after the Federal Court dismissed an objection to the Federal Agriculture Department’s exemption to the northern-hemisphere summer live-export ban. The Clark MHR said the exemption was an unconscionable decision that would inflict terrible cruelty on the 56,000 sheep crammed into the vessel.
“This is the deadliest time of year for live exports which is why the summer sailing ban was put in place,” Wilkie said. “Australians have not forgotten the thousands of sheep that died and the tens of thousands more that suffered terribly on the Awassi Express in 2017. There’s simply no humane way to transport animals, en masse, through hot climates and the sailing ban must be strictly upheld.” Since making orders aimed at reforming the trade, the federal government has authorised three successive exemptions. There were exemptions for the two-tiered ship the Al Shuwaikh in December 2019 and for another two-tiered ship the Maysora in March 2020, as well as the exemption for the Al Kuwait.
“This episode demonstrates that the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment is also incapable of safeguarding animal welfare,” Wilkie said. “What’s needed is for animal welfare decision-making to be taken out of the hands of Ministers and bureaucrats and to be given to an independent and powerful new animal welfare agency.” He also called, again, for the live export industry to be shut down. “It’s systemically cruel, costs Australians jobs and lacks widespread public support. The only way to end the cruelty is to end the trade.”
changing food habits – altered consumer purchasing habits, redefining occupational health and safety and consumer
interest in food safety have been flagged as the major drivers of change across the fresh produce supply chain in the ‘new normal’. The PMA A-NZ State of the Industry Report 2020 has been released to the fresh produce industry, identifying the trends and drivers that will affect the industry in a post-pandemic world. During the COVID-19 lockdown, consumers purchasing habits have changed, shifting away from the convenience trend that had been gaining momentum in the industry.
“Consumers are tending to have one major grocery shop during the week, rather than the 3-4 visits prior to the pandemic,” said Darren Keating, CEO at the Produce Marketing Association Australia-New Zealand. “The general public is cooking at home more, experimenting with new fruits and vegetables, and nothing suggests that trend will stop when restaurants and food service return to normal.” With widespread concerns about public health, food safety has now become a major focus for consumers and the buying public. “Consumers want assurances about the origin and integrity of produce, plus evidence that food production, handling and preparation practises meet acceptable hygiene standards,” Keating said. You can read the report summary (7 pages) here.
Lake Gordon repairs – work will soon begin on fire damage at Clear Hill Road at the eastern end of Lake Gordon, with the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service (PWS) awarding a contract to locally-owned company MSD Constructions. The work, which will start this month, will rehabilitate the area damaged by the 2019 bushfires, including removal of burnt vegetation, fixing hazardous rutting and improving drainage. It is ongoing efforts to repair 117 kilometres of walking tracks and 119 kilometres of roads, bridges and other PWS infrastructure which was significantly damaged during the fires.
“The work, funded through the Fire Recovery Fund, will be completed later this year and it is expected that the area will be accessible in summer for the community and industry,” said Liberal backbencher John Tucker. On completion of the Clear Hill Road works, boat users will be able to access an alternate launch site on Eastern Spur, which was largely unburnt, and provides a gentler gradient for boat launching and retrieval. Contracts for other fire-impacted areas including Mt Anne Track and Lake Judd Track, as well as supply of helicopter services, gravel and treated timber, will be announced over coming months.
Amy Cure in training.
Amy Cure retires – congratulations poured in for the Burnie cyclist after she announced her retirement. For the past 12 years Cure has excelled on the world stage with her career highlights including three-times World Champion, four-times Junior World Champion, Commonwealth Games gold medallist and twice Olympian. In 2017, Cure made history by becoming the first person in track cycling history to win a medal in six different world championship events: the individual and team pursuits, points and scratch races, the omnium and the Madison.
“I’m incredibly nervous, but also so excited for the unknown,” said Cure. “I have settled on this decision for a little while now, and I’m confident I have made the right choice and am excited for the next chapter in my life.” She has effectively turned her back on the Tokyo Olympics, for which she was selected in March. The scheduled 2020 were subsequently postponed to 2021 due to COVID-19. “But after making cycling my priority for the last decade, my relationships with family and friends are my priority now.”
Cure’s interest in cycling was sparked at the age of twelve after a visit to watch the Tasmanian Christmas Carnivals with her family.
While Cure walks away from the team with a third Australian Olympic Team selection secured, she is confident that her squad has the goods for success in Tokyo in 2021. “I really believe they have the girls to give Australia every opportunity of success in Tokyo as they have great depth, talent and coaching. “It’s been a difficult decision as I know Glenn O’Shea will be an exceptional coach. That made it hard in my decision making as I know it’s a huge set back in moving forward. I would much rather allow someone else that has the drive, energy, motivation and potential to be great. I believe they will do just as good, if not better without me there. And there is no doubt in my mind about that.”
“I want to personally thank Amy for her tremendous contribution to the sport of cycling for more than 15 years,” said Cycling Australia Performance Director Simon Jones. “I fully support Amy’s decision to retire, understanding the significance to her and the team. From all the team, we wish you well for the future.” Cycling Australia will nominate a new athlete to the AOC for selection to the Tokyo 2020 Australian Olympic Team in line with its nomination criteria.
