We have now learned there was no public consultation nor community input in the plan to put parking meters on The Strand.
Christ, the over-weaning arrogance of it all. With the Strand parking meter proposal dominating proceedings, Thompson tried a jackboot approach on council, who returned the compliment with a kick to the mayoral maracas. Twice in fact. A couple of councillors show their depth of triteness in a debate that ended with a finger to the public.
And a new bete noire has emerged from the murky depths of the executive cobwebbed catacombs of Walker Street executive dungeon, exposing a usually hidden bureaucratic mindset.
With the mayor effectively neutered no matter what the CCC poking around comes up with, and a controlling power bloc now revealed in Walker street, will Thompson try to sue his colleagues as he has threatened to do? If he does, on what grounds, The ‘Pie can’t see how they ‘done him wrong’.
The Bulletin is again a curate’s egg … good in parts, others bits giving off unpleasant odour of the unprofessional.
It’s on again!! With the data from the recent a recent motoring event, the ratepayers’ most eagerly anticipated annual event kicked off on Monday, as entrants lined up on the grid for the Townsville SuperFibbers 500. But one entrant was disqualified for almost telling the truth.
And we let American cartoonists and photoshoppers tell the story of a tumultuous week when the tables were turned and it was Trump getting an earful.
Lots to get through this week, so just a quick reminder that if you would like to help the Nest’s weekly quest for truth, justice and a decent cup of coffee, the button for donations is at the bottom of the blog.
Meter Mavins: Councillors Say They Know Better Than Us
But that’s the self-anointed verdict of a majority of Townsville councillors. And for different reasons, a view shared by our accidental mayor. In the face of overwhelming opposition from all sectors, – public, business, workers, -a new power bloc of councillors has emerged, one that looks like it will be under the sway of the co-leaders Clrs Greaney and Batkovic.
A quick summary of what you may already have gleaned. You can view the livestream here (it’s ripping stuff) and follow the timings for a fast catch-up.
Thompson had laid out a what he thought was a canny plan to paint himself the people’s champion and force the council to go along with him, by opening the meeting with a dictatorial in-your-face statement about the powers of a ‘mayoral minute’ . He then said: “I move that motion to abandon all projects related to implementation of any new parking locations and meters, cancel any increases proposed for the parking meters currently in service across townsville city and remove the project from the budget entirely. Councillors, I am not seeking a sconder or a debate on this matter, I seek your endorsement of this motion.” No debate or argument, just do as I say.
Now, there can be little doubt that Thompson knew that this would be knocked back but he didn’t care, he’d played to the public gallery (metaphorically), figuring to be the hero of the front bars and BBqs crowd. So he probably was expecting the kick in the cods when the ‘wise after the event’ mayoral motion was comprehensively turfed out 7/4. He was clearly trying to distance himself from any responsibility for any budget discussions that he would’ve been part of before an enforced mental break from work. He raised not a single word of objection in those discussions – we know this because he most certainly would have brayed about it – several times probably – if he had said anything to oppose the measure before the public outcry.
After another separate item agenda was disposed of, Infrastructure and Operations director Matt Richardson took the floor to outline the hitherto unreported details of the paid parking proposals, details that were presumably revealed because of the public outcry and a looming council vote. The main point of interest to the citizenry was Mr Richardson’s happy admission that the council had used PSA Consulting to do studies and report to council with recommendations but that PSA had NOT done any public consultation.
So no one was asked what they thought about meters on The Strand or in Pimlico, , it was just a budget item the budget designers that everyone, including Mr Richardson would be overlooked in light of concentration on rate rises.
The Magpie has the general view that public servants, the so-called backroom boys and gals – or the power behind the throne to some – should remain in the background and let any heat be taken by elected officials at any level of government. But Mr Richardson showed some questionable tendencies of selective interpretations of various scenarios he used as justification for the meters. The ‘Pie understand he has a military background and doesn’t like being challenged, which is as it may be, but he certainly came across as a shiny bum number cruncher and social martinet, moulding his information to suit his desired outcome.
He gave away his highly selective reasoning behind the car parking issue, using several spurious examples that the council could easily counter. Talking about the apparent scourge of boats trailers and camper vans parked on the Strand, he said they could stay there 24/7 for weeks, taking up valuable parking space. He then gave a very selective clever-dick answer when a councillor asked if there was currently anything the council can do to stop that happening. ‘No, as long as vehicle and trailer are registered, it can stay there for as long until they’re ready(sic), If that’s a resident of Maggie Island and they want to go away for a camping or sailing trip, they can leave that – drive there, park, and that is legal parking that we cannot do anything about – er, that’s legal parking how we’ve got it now.’ Now that was definitely selective bullshit, which was confirmed when Liam Mooney suggested that previously, parking inspectors has had move on powers, and asked if they do not have them now. Richardson’s gabbling waffle is worthy was the non-answer award of his whole meeting and typified the highly questionable tone of it all. Check that snippet at 37.40. Because the answer is so obvious it’s embarrassing, Matt … this is the council, mate, and they can make regulations as are needed … like move-on powers. And they could’ve put in hourly limit signs. FFS, man, ease up on the patronisation.
Anyway, it was left to Paul Jacob to offer Richardson some much needed perspective of his duplicity, when he observed ‘I think it’s a bit extreme to say we’ve got a condition where someone will go to Airlie Beach by any other means and leave their car and boat there. I believe that’s a misrepresentation.’ Quite so,, and the politest way to say ‘bullshit’ in a council meeting. The ‘Pie rests his case about Mr Richardson’s flawed reasoning. But keeping watching for his nightmare proposal about how you can pay different amounts and the rules of distance for movement of vehicles to another slot because there will be no meter feeding. Social engineering at its shining dystopian best.
Ultimately, when it came to the vote, and both sides had debated with fair and reasonable presentations, council voted to retain the plan, and meters will be installed for the start of the New Year.
Look, no governing body can rule by referendum, but some issues occasionally need revisiting for open public discussion. This is one of them.
Thompson Plays The ‘Look Back In Anger’ Game
An interesting sidelight to the meeting was Thompson’s continual referencing the sins of the previous administrations, and how he was here to fix things. Councillors remained unmoved and TwoNames comments particularly got up the nose of Suzy Batkovic, who twice questioned why we were talking about the past. The surviving Team Hill councillors were stonily silent, as the mayor returned again and again to his self aggrandising blame game – (true but irrelevant and self-serving). he was in fact saying they were complicit in creating the current mess. Which they were, but that’s a matter for another time, another forum, not the body running our city.
And it was annoying and embarrassing to the mayor appearing to blame the acting CEO for the council’s lack of a quantity surveyor, a surprising revelation but nothing to do with a CEO in gthe chair for less than three months. Thompson rightly deplored the lack of the position, but arguing publicy with your CEO is both inappropriate and cheap publicity seeking.
Polite Message For Brady Ellis
This goof voted for the parking meter scheme, saying ‘We can’t be the fun dad all the time’.
Listen, you impudent, patronising bird brain, you are not my father, and the Townsville ratepayers are not your children in need of some stern discipline, your empty headed twat. Your comment was a bumptious bit of arrogance we could well do without when the grown-ups are talking about serious matters of public amenity. And The Magpie is not alone in this view. Following on the Chamber president’s forthright description of the plan as a ‘slap in the face’, the chamber has also taken to social media with ots new found voice.
One wonders if this is actually all over.
The Townsville Bulletin Bn Has Become The Daily Curate’s Egg.
Some trivia about the origin of ‘curate’s egg’.
From this, the phrase grew to mean that some things were ‘good in parts’, with the overtone that there were mostly bad aspects of the subject. It originated from a cartoon in the British magazine Punch in 1895, in which a nervous young curate (priest) is having breakfast with a bishop. The bishop says ‘I’m afraid you’ve got a bad egg there’ and the curate, not wanting to upset the bishop, replies, ‘Oh no, my Lord! … Parts of it are excellent! ‘
That sums up the current mood at the Daily Astonisher. There’s been some quite good reporting, particularly by Chris Burns, who has worked hard to rehabilitate himself after some major electoral campaign indiscretions. This for instance.
This a well reported, well written piece on the rivettning council meeting during the, which covered all subjects, and not just Thompson’s antics and the Strand parking meter issue. This should become a regular ‘day after’ feature of council meetings. Long overdue, but was never a chance of happening while Mayor Mullet was around. The paper’s pursuit of the egregious Thompson, after some articles here in the Nest got Cas Garvey’s arse into gear, has been generally good, indignant but professional stuff. Certain other matters, like the stalled Reef HQ and even a somewhat lopsided policy on the dumped Hilton Hotel plan, have still put community interest at the forefront. This has also been helped by the editorial lead of big sister the Courier Mail and it’s understandable set against state Labor.
But there are still sloppy stuff, which may not seem worth the mention in this day and age of error-riddled social media (including parts of the Nest from time to time), but lazy mistakes like this imported which must’ve passed at least four sets of eyes before printed in the Weekend Bulletin. one
And the move away from traditional safety nets to accomodate less discerning readers now sees little difference between Twitter and the once hallowed Letters To The Editor, an entry which became a prized clipping in many family albums. Verifications of writers identities, a necessary legal safeguard, is now replaced with this.
And when in lazy hands, even a major news point is missed and gets buried in dictated media releases. We’ve long wanted get an inkling of the cost to ratepayers for the SuperPests annual plundering of our till. Came close this year, but didn’t seem important enough to examine more closely., as you will see in the following dive down the whimsey mine.
On Your Marks, Get Set … FIB!
What a grid line-up for the annual SuperFibbers 500!!
Pole position went to reporter Light-On Smith, who got away to a screaming start, having told race stewards he had to nlighten his load by deciding not to carry any questions which might bog him down.
The track was a tricky one, featuring dead ends, cul de sacs and speed bumps, placed on the track to confuse spectators. There was a very deceptive chicane made up of attendance numbers, which entrants could not negotiate without special rosy coloured glasses.
V8 Supercars Matt Ramsden
But Light-On marred his winning chances when he came close to actually asking a question when by SuperPests Townsville 500 manager Matt ramsden was revealed that his crowd figures were calculated based on ticket sales and attendance data collected at the gates, where the same person could be counted multiple times if they attended on multiple days. But reporter Smith managed to avoid a crash with Mr Ramsden by avoiding asking whether this was a deliberate deception aimed at justifying the ratepayers annual contribution to the event.
Mr Ramsden quickly moved away from that tricky section of the track and shot to the lead with:”
“The NTI Townsville 500 brings numerous benefits to the people of North Queensland and tens of millions of dollars worth of economic benefit,.” It significantly boosts local tourism, with fans travelling from all over to attend, thereby supporting local businesses such as hotels, restaurants, and shops.”
And spectators were astounded when Mr Ramsden then used a DRS rear spoiler for a final power burst with: “The event also fosters community spirit, as residents and visitors come together to celebrate North Queensland’s biggest annual sporting event. Moreover, it provides a platform for local talents and businesses to showcase themselves to a broader audience.” That left Light-On and the rest of the field wallowing in his dust as he took the flag and the trophy. His brief victory speech confirmed he was a worthy winner of the 2024 SuperFibber 500.
But there were other stirring performances from some other entrants.
The Dudley DoNothing’s boss Claudia ‘Ms B-S’ Brumme-Smith
Claudia ‘Ms B-S’ Brumme-Smith, boss of the Townsville Dudley DoNothings (they call themselves Townsville Enterprise for some reason) showed a skilful disregard for both reality and mathematics when she drifted around turn 10 with: Townsville’ Supercars event continues to get better every year, , driving more than $35m into the local economy. “ At this stage, Ms B-S, in her now discontinued model of the Jenny Jalopy, was neck and neck with Light-On in his Bullymobile, and he seemed on the verge of asking her how she reached this figure, but with well-tuned reflexes admired by his colleague, he skilfully thought better of it, believing he could still out-fib the field. He quickly discovered, though, he was completely outfibbed by the seasoned experts in the field.
Coming in a plucky second, Ms B-S confirmed her fondly bestowed nickname with more of the same in her podium waff … sorry, speech. ”
Jacob startexwell enough with : “The ongoing cultural and economic success of this event highlighted the importance of the council’s capacity to partner with world-class events. “I think it’s safe to say the event has ingrained itself in north Queensland culture and continues to provide Townsville with great value for money. But then Jacob was involved in a spectacular crash out when he suddenly started telling apparent truths sprinkled in among his fibs: ” “With an injection of around $35 million to the region, we’re pleased that our direct contribution of $300,000 in cash support, alongside in-kind support for things like event precinct works, venue and facilities support, traffic management and marketing support, pays dividends to the community,” Light-On was still in sulking mode and declined to ask the question: So $300,000 cash, how much is the ‘in kind’ worth? What is the total figure (in round millions) the ratepayers are stiffed for an event attended by about 40,000 people? He unsuccessfully tried to redeem himself by adding: ‘ Townsville City Council also conducted its own monitoring process to inform on the ongoing return on investment represented by the event to assist with consideration of continued future financial support.” And so another question went begging: would that monitoring process be along the same lines and as effective as the public consultation on Strand parking?
A sudden and unexpected fall from grace for Jacob. I mean, really, Paul, a career politician, a man gifted for fibbing and back flipping., caught telling half-truths.,
Absolutely disgraceful.
A Couple Of Questions
Why are these publicly funded organisations, including the Townsville Council, Townsville Enterprise (same thing) and the Port Authority , paying for $5000 full page ads in the Weekend Bulletin telling us very selective truths about what a great town we live in the Bulletin?
This is clearly aimed at attracting people here for work projects in the pipeline (poor choice of metaphor, but let it pass). One supposes it is public money being used to advertise the sponsors more than anything else.
Some things never change around this bloody place.
And then, another question from this in the Weekend Astonisher ads.
Hope they’re not in trouble, it’s one of the best things Townsville has going for it … but since it is a once a year 10-day programme, it cannot justify a special boutique concert hall instead of a more multi-purpose arts infrastructure.
Ah the concert hall v entertainment centre scrap, there;’s something else the Bulletin will have to get it’s teeth into shortly.
The Hardest Job In The World?
Our beloved Bentley popped his head over the parapet during the week, sending in a cry from the heart for his frustrated penmen colleagues covering the insanity of America. After straight out lying, Trump’s most notable characteristic is a total lack of a sense of humour. Can you remember when he said anything amusingly clever? He has killed satire stone dead, because the man simply cannot be satarised, just reported.
ial
The lack of humour was noticeably absent at the Republican convention during the week, where severely deranged cultists formally nominated the Tangerine Terrorist as their Presidential as the Republican nominee to take on the Democratic nominee (TBA). The gaudy hootenanny in Milwaukee was a seamstress’s nightmare, turncoats everywhere,. But even some of them might be having second thoughts after Trump’s 92 minute acceptance speech, the longest for any candidate ever. It was like a lost explorers trying to get back home but just crisscrossing and circling back on obscure pathways. And remaining lost.
If Biden’s woeful debate performance dismayed his party, Trump’s conducted tour of his kaleidoscope mind was conducted in such gathering darkness that even some of the glazed-eyed audience were dazedly wondering WTF. His choice of Veep was a populist hillbilly high achiever and author of grit lit bestseller Hillbilly Elegy, J.D. Vance, whose background and credential are such that it would make all Americans pray that if Trump wins, that he doesn’t die in office. We open this week’s gallery with two of the best from The New Yorker magazine.
And the whole world has the jitters … even the stiff upper lip of the British don’t want to risk going near the place. Some out of mindless fear, others for calculated caution.
Tony Abbott has expressed similar concerns.
The Guardian’s Marina Hyde looked at some of her other fellow countrymen trying to hop onto the Trump tumbril.
Noting that Boris Johnson was in MilWaukee, staking his claim to Trump mateship, our gal came up with one of her best zingers.
“The prize on offer, I read, is the chance to fill the role of “Trump whisperer”, a sort of unofficial backchannel position that I assume is officially located in the presidential backchannel. But the erstwhile PM was not alone … he had a peer group out there in Milwaukee. Liz Truss, Nigel Farage, Russell Brand – it’s almost as if the US election will be fought more edifyingly than the contest to be the most desperate Brit at the RNC. Nothing says “our empire ended several decades ago” like the scramble to get in on the end of theirs.”
Ouch all round.
But there can be no doubt luck is all Trump’s way right now. As reported by The Magpie in comments.
But talk about falling on his feet, heroic fist pump pic, heaps of good publicity, and now, The Magpie can reveal a world scoop … Trump has been booked for a cover of Vogue magazine, promoting a revived fashion statement.
There was an initial problem when the Vogue editor first rang and said they were interested in a fashion shoot. Trump staffer thought they said ‘fascist shoot’ and said ‘You’re too late, we’ve already had one of those’.
……………….
Crumbs, what a week, but you can’t help feeling the best is yet to come. And The ‘Pie will be there. Join in comments, lots of fun. The donation button to help with Nest costs is below. Cheery pip.
I find it deeply uncomfortable how several political leaders endorse councillor candidates who go on to enter council and become pushovers on issues which shouldn’t even be contentious, like paid parking.
One of our state MPs has made a lot of noise complaining about council and paid parking, no doubt to drum up attention ahead of the state election, but also previously endorsed a candidate who became one of the very councillors who voted to become a pushover in the face of basic reasoning.
Then we had Andrew Robinson chatting to Wildy on Thursday arvo justifying the Fulham Rd paid parking by saying that the anxiety of overstaying your time can be easily alleviated by using the app to top up your parking if you’re inside the hospital receiving care. Older locals, or more importantly, those who can’t afford or simply decide to go without smartphones were told they need to get with the times. Andrew Robinson really does miss the human element. A man of the people, or a man of the numbers? Either way, he was probably the most upfront about the need to raise revenue into the election (see the TB article where candidates were asked all these questions such as their views on CBD parking and, for fuck’s sake, where do they store the tomato sauce?) But then, not a peep about whatever spending has been cut back after he promised a good look over budget and council books.
Robinson, isn’t this the bloke who has maintained his role at DTMR while being employed as a councillor? No wonder he hasnhad time to do what he said he would.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/news/townsville-city-councillor-explains-why-he-kept-his-job-in-a-state-department/news-story/7912fe3ca11507f0b5c538de99d8be4c%3famp
While Robinson has proved to be a social goof and out of touch with the electorate, his explanation of remaining in his previous position in an inactive way is reasonable. There is no conflict, and any breach is technical and defensible. Be honest Ducky, you’d do the same thing in his position. So would The ‘Pie (the old bird should be so lucky $$$$).
To be honest Magpie, I wouldn’t. Representing your community is a role that should be taken seriously. By maintaining his previous role, he’s demonstrating that the role of councillor is just a pisstake to him. If he can’t commit to the role he shouldn’t have stood. I believe the community deserves better representation.
Have you read the reasons? It is a paperwork matter only, and Robinson’s time is fully available for his councillor role. Unfortunately.
Perhaps a closer look at some of the others might be instructive, and a look back at the lucrative role Potty Mouth Ryder maintained in the family company is worth a mention, a matter no one but The ‘Pie has commented on. (Financial Manager, I think i.t was.)
Because it’s a Bulletin paywall I can’t read the article, so I can only go with the byline.
I’m fully aware of Ryder, but I doubt she could be a financial manager of anything as she’s dumb as a box of hammers. So it would have been in name/payment only. She was useless also.
Robinson is running out his leave entitlements. There would be hundreds if not thousands of public servants doing exactly the same thing at any one time.
Thank you. I could not get that detail.
It still unfortunate he didn’t just stay with DTMR.
So long as Andrew had maintained his job on paper and not in any way active, he should be fine. It’s shouldn’t be any different from a practicing GP who becomes a politician, but then chooses to hold a non-practicing registration with AHPRA, assuming they aren’t remaining in an active management role or anything like that at a GP practice.
Anti -flog , unless cbd parking meters have changed you can’t just use the app or put in more cash you have to move your car to change zone areas as it won’t allow more than 2 hrs .
Can just see the patients enthusiastically rushing out from specialist appointments they’ve waited 6 weeks for to change parking spaces.
Thank you Anti-Flog for bringing up the matter of deep discomfort. My Sunday morning contemplation had this focus too, after awakening to the Pie’s latest reveals. It’s hard to
take what we are reading about, experiencing and anticipating: the unnecessary deterioration and squandering of an exceptional town, when within our community is so much knowledge about how to look after our place and people in a financially responsible way.
less than 3 mths out from the State election Labor are madly doing polling research on Thuringowa and friends confirm Mundingburra . Townsville ? . With 7 Labor Ministers seats in doubt seems the party is going to cast Les and Aaron off ( sounds like Wulguru and Thuringowa labor branches clean out also ) after the City voted out Labor Council . Crime , fallout Labor Council debt forcing the large rates increase / paid parking the Strand and the sick the final straw even for some of the hardened on Labor supporters .
The power has gone Ellis’ head, he has no idea, what is he, 12?
Less power and more incompetence. He is in it for the profile and nothing else.
What a week indeed.
There’s much to ponder, especially the crowd figures for the V8 Superpests.
Anyone who watched tv coverage of cars following each other around the track surely would have relieved their boredom by engaging in a game of Where’s The Crowd. Even if Mr Ramsden’s figures are divided by 3 (days), the crowd looked more like 5,000 than 40,000. A mate at the pub suggested the fans must have been disguised as blades of grass and empty seats.
Then there’s the Chamber Music Festival. I’ve been around in marketing long enough to know that 2-for-1 ticket offers are also a sign of empty seats, and lots of them. Those who claim that an event which needs to flog off seats at half price is worthy of a purpose built Concert Hall must want to contribute to Townsville’s already impressive list of white elephants.
As for the assassination attempt on Trump, a medical mate claims his pierced ear was more likely caused by a piece of shrapnel. A bullet, he said, would have caused a lot more damage than could be covered by a small piece of bandage. Any medical experts out there care to clarify?
Finally, the lack of consultation on parking meters suggests that the idea might have been another Jenny Hill brain fart.
An observation or three, Doug.
First the flying billboards. The claimed influx of visitors and the economic benefits must be vastly overstated. But the biggest boost to the accommodation and hospitality sector would be the hundreds – possibly thousands – of SuperPest staff across the whole circus. And while money is money and they contribute significantly, it is, as said, vastly overstated. And those TV figures? Gimme a fuckin’ break. Prove they weren’t just plucked out of your dainty rear end,Ms B-S.
The Chamber Music Festival was and is always going to be prey to the global whims of air travel and costs, such is their dependence on an international audience sector for image and justification, which has worked in the past. What Ted Kucher and the other managing the show desperately need is a super star with broad cheeky appeal, and a promise of some light hearted fun along with the program for serious music lovers. And rather than hokey contrast pix of long gowned and dinner suited folks standing on a beach with their instruments (no jokes please), why not so some practical promoting with say a series of unschedule flash mob busking in shopping malls and other suitable venues (outside a Cowboys pre-game?) with some of the brighter foot tapping classics. (Yes, they exist, think Eine Kleine Nachtmusik and some of the upbeat arrangements from say Carmen, or a fun rendition of some pop classics – no not Achy Breaky Heart, anyway it doesn’t qualify!). If it maintains it’s unfortunate snooty local image, the Chamber Music Festival could be facing a bleak future.
On the Trump matter, we don’t know who examined him but while the fist pumping and shouting seemed rehearsed and staged, the ear damage may be real enough but not sure how it could be proved to be a bullet. That a proven physical coward in doubtful health was not in deep shock and able to be so vigorous is an interesting question. However, a good man (the fireman spectator) is dead and a bad man isn’t, so that’s that.
Finally, yes, the budget was being shaped well before Mayor Mullet got her matching orders, which might explain Suzy Batkovic’s unwise testy objection to TwoNames harping on the past. Better expect a bit more of that, Suzy gal, for good or ill. But The ‘Pie wishes you and Clr Greaney good luck while with running the city until a new mayor is elected.
The orange ejit was hit with shrapnel from the teleprompter. I doubt it needed stitches and it wasn’t bad enough to stop him playing golf the next day. The bandage is all about the grift. Despicable.
The salient point is that the shooter missed the bastard.
Pie, If you look that footage of the ‘orange idiot’ just the secret service are taking him of the stage and that image of him raising his fist to “fight fight”. Just before that the is telling the secret service goons to “wait, wait, wait”. Makes you wonder doesn’t it.?
No, it doesn’t. Sometimes the most obvious explanations are correct.
I was so shocked that the Council do not have a surveyor. Why are the council outsourcing this? I believe that this was Thompsons only way to let the community know.
As another commenter pointed out, the supply of napkins in the cafeteria – on the back of which multi-million dollar schemes like Lansdown are pencilled in – must be running low.
No quantity surveyor says it all, it’s time to put this mob into administration, this mess sits on the last admin and now the current mob and their poor decisions, they all need to go.
Way too early for that judgement … the fact that there’s no quantity surveyor, while a concern, is more a matter that should queried with Ralston and other CEOs before him. And the current CEO should move to appoint one immediately, and if he chooses not to, he should explain why. But the question is – is the position of a QS a budget matter, or for that matter, anything to do with councillors? It would be a staff appointment made by the CEO, would it not?
There’s certainly going to be some political polka among councillors, but that will be the case no matter who in there, that’s the nature of the beast.
I have to agree PJ, while yes it is something that should be looked into with regards to Prins, the new temp CEO has had plenty of time to hire one and would have been made aware of it.
I read somewhere that the new shade sales are excess of 1million. Questions have to beg if this was (A) sent to tender, and (B) surveyed to consider all costs.
A QS is essential to all businesses to cost jobs, particularly councils. Joe was told of this in his second week, it was never remedied, there were plenty in the room when he was asked
Ellis is a smart-arsed, two bit, lycra-wearing, self-opinionated fuckwit! The community will deal with him as time goes on, the problem being the damage he will inflict on our community along the way. EARS are a sensitive subject this week and Ellis has confirmed he has NONE when it comes to community concerns/sentiment.
Couldn’t agree more. Division 10 lost out on a genuine guy in Ben Fusco, aligning himself with KAP and Team Jenny was what got him in the end. Though, anyone you talk with preferred Ben, he’s a stand up guy, not rude and obnoxious like the spoilt brat that is Councillor Ellis.
Just saw Kristian Price is looking to steal the Mayor and Councillor Ellis’ thunder and put the Dam use up for motion. Fishing on the dam, is something that should’ve been done earlier, the fact it’s not in the budget, stinks of the operations team removing the funding Joe is all smoke and mirrors, time for smoking Joe to bugger off to the Gold Coast. $150k a quarter, vehicle, phone and extras, what a joke! And worse news, Ray Burton was in the bottom 3, at least he’d have cleaned house, there’s at least 1/2 of the top and middle tier management that needs to be gone.
The Mayor doesn’t have any thunder. Just a bad smell.
Had a bloke come and test my smoke detectors Friday morning. Unprompted he said “Just been talking to a mate that works for council, they’re all sitting around with nothing to do. All their roadworks projects have been cancelled due to the Haughton pipeline cost blowout”. Any TCC people here who can confirm or deny?
Road maintenance comes under Construction & Maintenance and is an operational not a capital budget. Matt Richardson is the GM of C&M.
New roadworks in estates are usually done by developers and then handed over when the estate is completed. Major roads are DTMR, and council gets funding to maintain major roads on behalf of DTMR. Council builds very few new roads.
Haughton is a Capital Project with Capital Project Budget. It should not be dipping into operational budgets until it is commissioned. It sits under Major Projects. Head of Major Projects is Danny Lynch.
TCC do ‘construct’ residential roads (not state funded) … I think ripping up an old road and re-doing it is considered capital not maintenance. Pothole repairs or re-paving, yes that’s maintenance. Thought Danny got the boot a while back?
He did, and he came back.
Yeah, understand there’s a bit of a story there.
Not the case, Ducks.
Construction Operations and Maintenance has crews that work on capital projects, including full road reconstruction, new footpaths, and a range of other tasks. When performing this work, their wages are capitalised. The problem arises when you reduce the amount of capital funding allocated to non-major projects; wages for these employees then come out of the operational budget. They have no work to do but still need to be paid.
Ducks Nuts your information is a bit outdated. Danny Lynch retired quite a while ago. No story. Matt Richardson is not the GM of CMO.
Ah well then Troll, since you know, you should update us all
I found the following article from the CCC quite interesting and will certainly be watching any power plays that may happen in council between the Mayor/Councillors and the CEO and council staff.
https://www.ccc.qld.gov.au/search?search_api_fulltext=Role+clarity+in+council+
Err, mate, that’s not an article, it iz a long list of options. Can you be a bit more specific.
I was mainly looking at the sections Understanding the roles of Mayor and CEO
and Lessons for Councils.
I’ve got a couple of mates who didn’t understand these differences until I sent this article to them and thought the article might be useful to readers of The Magpie.
Nature abhors a vacuum. Townsville is finally experiencing something many other places have lived through in the past. That thing is democracy. Our city has experienced decades and decades of political chicanery in the tradition of Tammany Hall and the Red Ted Theodore era.
Just read the Shepherdson Inquiry Report for some context.
Our community leaders vacated the field years ago to allow the Jenny Hill’s of the world (she wasn’t the first, but possibly the worst) to run our city with absolute control. If you played the game, you got fed. If you didn’t, you left town.
Now that the Red Queen is dead, we have a democratically elected group of people trying to make the best out of a massive shit sandwich. Two names isn’t the only one who got there on a lie. He was just the worst liar of the lot. The team Hill left overs are focused on avoiding responsibility for running the city into insolvency, hence their constant figure pointing at Two Names. Yes he’s a liar fucktard but he didn’t get us into this mess, they did. For the life of me Pie, I cannot understand why you keep defending Batkovic et al, but that is a matter for you. The rest of the councillors are just massively out of their depth.
We have 3.5 more years of this. Let’s not waste any more time on pissing around hoping for someone to replace the crew we have. The next election is in 2028.
What we need during the next three years, is an airing of all the dirty and stupid decisions made by a petty and vindictive woman and the large group of her cronies and blood sucking ticks, so that smarter, more skilled people might step up with some knowledge of what they are walking into to try to fix the city.
This council is the council the city had to have to highlight what happens when good people stop calling bullshit. When business leaders jockey to get on the Mayors’s good side out of self interest and the City’s only newspaper sells its soul for advertising dollars.
Democracy is messy, but it works when bullshit is called out. I’m looking at you Team Hill and Cas Garvey. Brady Ellis and the other idiots will either get their shit in a pile or they will get rolled in 2028.
Let’s be honest, Jenny and her friends fucked us for a decade, there is no more money for the council to spend so how much worse can it get? The state will have to bail us out at some point because you cannot leave a city our size fail. It’s just a matter of when.
A well reasoned comment, but The Magpie does not defend anyone as an overall policy. He has commented favourably on Batkovic among others when they do something of note … fairness forced him to point out that even TwoNames made a strong point about the lack of a quantity surveyor – it was the right comment but a bad look when grandstanding in a council meeting blaming an interim CEO. That turns a strong observation into a cheap shot from a cheap shit. And Thompson’s dangerous downside was on display in his mayoral note display of chest thumping. Calling for the whole thing to be dropped without bolstering his argument with possible financial alternatives.
Batkovic will become more and more of a ballbreaker as things move on, and her more and more strident objections to TwoNames rear view mirror comments shows she is a nervous little Brunhilde right now. The Magpie will call that scenario on its merits when it comes about.
The air was frosty on the premiership box yesterday at the footy, we were right beside Thompson, his partner, the Batkovic and Dan Ryder, With Suzy off to Paris with Basketball Australia, Dan will no doubt be busy, twins and other rumoured activities. I sat on the table beside them, Thompson had several welcomes in Ramm, Dalle Court, Patrick Solicitors etc, didn’t seem to hated to be honest, as a side observation, the tables were pretty supportive of the Mayor showing he’s back. Mind you he was also at the ladies day on the chairman’s table, plenty were happy to see him, and then present the mayors cup, he’s making up for lost time it’d seem. Anyway, I think we have him for the term, CCC are on top of everything, and the premier and minister are backing off quickly.
Fair comment, and don’t think any business people or social butterflies are going to hostile to the figurehead.
Couple of things, though … just what makes you say the CCC are on top of everything, whatever that means, but with the implication that he won’t face any sanction? Might be correct, but how do you know? And politicians have all said they’ll let the CCC do its work without any on-going commentary from them, they’ve all made their views clear and are now doing the right thing and shutting up until the CCC deigns to grace us with a decision.
And listen Steph, and others of a like mind who haven’t been published, The Nest is not a gossip column about people’s personal lives, so your comment has been suitably edited. That area is only touched on if it has some relevance and effect on the general public. Who is slipping who a length is none of the business of The Magpie’s Nest. Or yours.
Thanks for clarification, I did see my post had been edited. FYI, I work with the department of local government, Queensland, and it is known that the mayor won’t face any serious CCC issues, at best he’ll get a naughty boy slap under the new councillor bit, regardless of his history, what he has or hasn’t done, the role doesn’t come with explicit instructions or qualification requirements. If that was the case, people would question more political figures. While I know many here will not be happy, the matter needs to be done and dusted, at least then we can get on with things for the city of Townsville. Remember, everyone is looking at him, so if he messes up in office, that is the problem, but he does deserve an advisor or two, that is part of the reason he’s in now in trouble, and hasn’t a clue.
Didn’t know that the CCC was part of the department of Local Government. I mean, it must be, mustn’t it, if you’re inside information is correct? How else would you know. More than anyone else.
That’s not to say your guess won’t happen … after all, it is Queensland. Where you tipping that the CCC will ignore the clear regs about misleading and lying during political campaigning. (And remember, actual factual lying, as this turkey did, is completely different to making promises you break once elected, because no one can prove you deliberately intended to break your promises when you made them.
Steph, I wonder just how many people from the Department of Local Government (I assume you mean the Department of State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning) sat on the table beside “them” at the footy? Either you have stupidly outed yourself or you are another lying TwoDogs troll making things up to try and paint glitter onto that turd.
NotStandingForMayor, presumably when you say “Steph” is stupid for outing herself you mean you would prefer that commenters remain completely anonymous and conceal not only their identity but their qualifications, experience and true agenda? In which case, please don’t ever use the term transparency again.
Jenny/Steph/Sophie whatever name you want to use today you TwoDogs Troll. I was simply pointing out that this is another in the seemingly never ending sluice of verbal diarrhea pouring out of the Mayoral PR office. It’s not even well done.
NSFM, you identified two versions of “Steph” – 1, a Mayoral Troll and 2, a regular commenter who stupidly outed herself – as if you had a clue. You are convinced (without evidence) that she’s a troll – in which case your response is predictable. But she’s more likely a regular person who just happened to be in the right place at the right time and knew the right people – in which case your response is ignorant and dumb.
Regular people do not inhabit this blog.
Hang on a tick – didn’t that lying POS say that he would eschew the private boxes at the footy and sit with the great unwashed in the cheap seats? Or did the missus insist upon getting on with the posh people and the plates of bugs?
Very disappointing to see TCC and the Chamber of Commerce butting heads publicly. No doubt most of the damage is/has been caused by TCC. It is an important relationship that needs to be mended. I have my doubts that this will occur as long as we have a Council fighting amongst itself. As usual, the ones who reap the downside of this are the ratepayers and supply chains. I wish these fuckers would all grow up.
Whoa up, Mopsy, let’s have a little thinkette about all that.
That butting of heads isn’t a bad thing in that, in The ‘pie’s view, it’s time the Chamber established a more independent and outspoken voice, which is what they’re meant to be, openly but politely disagreeing with council decisions that affect their members. And don’t think it’s a relationship that needs to be mended it needs to be created, a positive dialogue that didn’t exist under Hill’s bullying vindictive jackboot.
And why are you promoting the idea that the councillors are fighting amongst themselves. Disagreeing with each other in healthy debate is what a council is supposed to do … and don’t count Thompson as part of this mythical council in-fighting, he is out for himself and will say what he thinks it takes to be loved and accepted by the public, he was deluded enough to think he could bully the councillors. He has long given up on getting council cooperation for his dictatorial ideas, his campaign boast he would get to come around to his way of thinking is now shown for the egotistical bluster that it was.
Chamber and TCC have t been in the same space for sometime. With TEL on $650k + $1.4M now they are taking on events, and smart precinct on $300k trying to take away the Chamber of Commerce good hard work, is it any wonder there’s a rift. Jenny’s pet advocacy, TEL vs The Chamber, the latter being 140 years old and an institution that exists everywhere, Townsville needs to remove TEL, and get back to basics with the Chamber, advocacy and local business. Leave the events to the council.
The chamber of commerce is important in every town, they were always the peak of advocacy for local businesses, then along came the new slick big business driven models, TEL, Greater Whitsunday Alliance, SPNQ, MITEZ, Advance Cairns etc, these are money grabbers at the highest degree. I’d prefer the Chamber takes on the TCC and calls out all the issues they see, they are a voice for local business, and we all know there’s a very clear difference in private and public businesses, non more than, efficiency & accountability.
Hopefully you have watched, or can watch the replay of tonight’s Ch9 Brisbane news.
Questions raised about certain ALP MP’S including Harpic. They are pictured campaigning in “Purple” rather than the traditional Red. The Health Minister tried to play it down and palm it off as ‘nothing to see here’, but reporter voiceover said it was a “Together Union” payment who under a 3rd party rule, meaning not to the ALP, the union paid for advertising avoiding those pesky rules about election donations.
Mr Harper & Miles are thick as thieves, it won’t be long before the whole lot comes crashing down, unions will be engineered out over 2 terms, then it’ll start again. Revolving door, much like the justice system.
To be fair about Trump he nearly copped a bullet to the face and lived, it wasn’t shrapnel.
Raw audio from the event identifies the first three shots coming from the sloped roof, the next 4 shots are from a different source, listen to it and you’ll hear it. the first three shots have the sound of the bullets crack past Trumps head, then you hear the dull “whoompf” sound from the rifle after each shot. the next 4 shots have a metallic tack,tack,tack,tack sound and echoe (supposedly , no dull whoompf). theres another shot a long pause then the shot of the government sniper.
then you have the odd behaviour of two people in the background a man on the left, a woman on the right who despite the chaos stare silently forward then slink downwards, the woman filming with a camera.
as time goes by no doubt MORE unusual activity will be exposed. something has just popped up looking at someone trying to short trumps truth social website value just before the failed assassination.
whats the outcome? trump will no longer trust the security of the secret service/ others and will certainly start after the prime suspects if and when he makes it to the whitehouse – presumably if he survives after assassination attempt. the lone gunman attempt was predicted a while back, the same people are forecasting a truck bomb attempt / direct poisoning attack. be careful what you wish for, if america goes into a fullscale civil war the “AUKUS” deal will be over – along with the strategic umbrella australia has lived under for decades.
American corporations and Republican businessmen own too much of the country to allow that to happen.
U.S. annual FDI to Australia 2000-2022
In 2022, the U.S. investments made in Australia were valued at approximately 173.65 billion U.S. dollars.5 July 2024
U.S. foreign direct investments in Australia 2022 | Statista
Statista
Guy – FFS – were you not watching? Clearly, the shots came from the grassy knoll.
Fired by Elvis.
Harold Holt was doing the spotting for Elvis.
Clearly you haven’t seen more stuff coming out
Shots 1- 3 : the shooter
Shots 4,5,6,7: second shooter
Shot 8 : third shooter
Shot 9: secret Service agent
The raw audio of the event is confirming three shooters
The second shooter is suspected to have shot from an open window to the right of the rooftop shooter. Footage of the event sees the window OPEN.
The democrats language for years has been amping up the ante to encourage people to try and kill trump.
You really are a blow hard goose, mate. Now Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper have joined Elvis on the grassy knoll.
Why would the democrats say anything of the sort, when Trump himself and his rhetoric made the invitation to take a shot irresistible and inevitable. The Dems had no need to say a single word beyond reasonable political refutation of fascism.
Or do you want to stifle ant criticism of your hero?
Guy, thousands of people there who didn’t see any other shooter. Unless they have been whisked off to the secret CIA base on the moon.
NOBODY give this Guy a gun ffs. And if you do don’t give him bullets.
And now Biden is gone, let the jockeying for Democratic leadership begin….
The Dems weren’t asleep … this is already sweeping the internet.
https://x.com/DavidCornDC/status/1815128796686623021?cn=ZmxleGlibGVfcmVjcw%3D%3D&refsrc=email
Magpie, I think that was produced for the 2020 election campaign. Still speaks the truth.
Aaron , Scott , Les failing to secure improved public transport means majority Townsville workers will miss the $40 + a week public transport savings 5th August . 50 cent one way trip Brisbane / Gold + Sunshine Coast . How does bottle neck traffic from Northern Beaches , Upper Ross , Bowen rd fit Labor Qld net zero target strategy .
It would appear the TCC are copping a shellacking from state and federal. I find it interesting that letters from every man, woman and their dogs have been sent to the department and the minister, and yet, Thompson prevails, this is no coincidence. The longer he’s in the spotlight, the less state pressure. Albos swipe was interesting, the mayor has written to state and federal members for a meeting with no reply, and they slap him away at every opportunity. Yet Jacob, Mooney, Dirou, Greaney, Batkovic can get an audience, seems Labor politics is very much at play.
That’s a bit ingenuous, isn’t it? Thompson can’t get an audience because he’s not Labor? Nothing else could be a factor? Like no oine is keen to do business with a immoral creep like Thompson, maybe?
Labor or not, he’s the person the city elected, so if they don’t come to the table, one of his advisors may see fit to pull down the pants of those in power. The information he’d now have at his disposal could do some real damage, to either side, these parties can throw barbs, but he is elected, they aren’t, any negative input could hurt the state and federal members hopes. I think he’s holding out, he’s not one to be quiet, someone is pulling his strings my bet is a GCCC person, as that’s where he was for some time.
What advisors, he was denied the attempt to have any? Or are you talking about one of his personal cultists? Either what ability would they have to pull down the pants of the vague ‘those in power’? Very confused comment all round.
And BTW, he’s elected but only until the CCC reports back on whether he lied during the campaign and therefore should be dismissed. If not, we’re stuck with him, but the councillors will effectivly be calling the tune. For good or ill.
What ” information he’d now have at his disposal could do some real damage”. Do you mean from the locked box marked “DIRTY SECRETS – DO NOT OPEN” that the Rotten Mullet left in the Mayoral Office? You people really are brain damaged.
Sleepy Joe Biden has pulled the pin. Kamala Harris is being lined up for the Presidential nomination. Trump or Harris – what a fucking shit show. And I thought Townsville had issues!
In a sane country, Larry, Curly or Moe would be able to beat Trump in a landslide. But in the US …..?
I suppose Trump could endear himself to his horde by “grabbing her pussy” instead of a handshake?
I asked my daughter who has just returned to Oz after a year in the USA; what’s you’re opinion of Kamala Harris?
She replied “Well as I’m a member of the diplomatic corps, best answer I can give, she should change the first letter of her name from K to C, and remove the last a; use more hair-dye to cover over the strawberry blond”.
Hmmmm diplomatic? not too sure.
Presumably trained at the Kevin Rudd School of Diplomacy and the Lead Balloon Institute of Sparking Humour. Like father, like daughter.
Magpie, reading the statement from the Chamber of Commerce about public consultation about paid parking on the Strand and elsewhere got me thinking about the Chamber’s attitude to paid parking in the CBD. Can’t remember ever hearing them say they don’t want paid parking ANYWHERE but I think I recall them wanting employees to not park in the main streets in the city to allow shoppers and visitors to find a place. Where does the Chamber of Commerce stand on paid parking in principle? Are they for it (to improve ‘turnover’ and access) or agin it (naked money grubbing)?
Your last sentence doesn’t make sense. Really, it doesn’t, not a jibe. Naked mioney grubbing? By the Chamber? How come?
Can you spell out more clearly what you mean?
Is the Chamber FOR paid parking to improve turnover and access for shoppers and visitors to their businesses OR are they AGAINST paid parking because they see it as naked money grubbing BY THE COUNCIL? I remember Cr Mooney speaking in the TCC meeting about public parking in the streets around the Mater hospital. He mentioned cars blocking driveways amongst other things and basically wanted to use paid parking as a means of regulating parking where the lack of regulation was causing specific, identified problems. Not sure if there are specific, identified problems on the Strand (well, more than anecdotal anyway) or whether it’s simply revenue raising because they can.
Thanks, that is now clear.
The ‘Pie would suggest the Chamber is not in the business of dissing the council for no reason, they quite rightly act solely in the interests of their members, so the first option is undoubtedly the premise they would examine. They may even be able to come up with a third option, whatever that could be.
And yes, the ‘Pie was squawking at the live stream screen when Mooney talked about bloked driveway, the old bird screaming ‘Arm parking inspectors with lead blowers, mate’.
And The ‘Pie who drives almost every day along The Strand has not encountered weekday congestion at any time … busy, sure but no one seems fussed or frustrated. Weekends are different, packed but people know that and can make contingency plans of timing and transport. The campervan and boat trailer issue is blown out of proportion … and anyway, the council can make a ‘move on regulation’ to solve the matter. (Don’t tell Matt Richardson, he’ll have a meltdown.)
And Here’s one The ‘Pie is pondering from a legal point of view. Could staff of CBD businesses (and Palmer Street, too) be illegally required to NOT park in the CBD as a condition of employment, and instead be given free parking from the council for Dean Street parking that is only ever half full? And those that use it now could grab the spaces vacated by workers. The ‘Pie has floated with one before, and no one has reacted in any way. Oh, well, same as the debate worthy subject of the reintroduction of light rail cars for the northern beaches to Ingham, down to Ayr and out to Charlie’s Trousers. Worked before, why not now with modern rolling stock. All too hard, I guess.
I wondered about the CBD because parking there has gone through many phases and evolution. When Flinders Street became a pedestrian mall there were issues and a multi-storey car park was built. Have no idea if that was a ‘business’ success but a big slab of it has been converted to apartments. And the Mall has gone. For any number of reasons. Anyway, I just wondered what the CofC’s official policy was for CBD paid parking. I’m sure they would have made their feelings known to TCC but have no idea what those ‘feelings’ might be.
This from 2021 might help.
The executive of the Chamber decided to take on Council on this issue without bothering to consult members at all. Which is a bad look when you are complaining about lack of consultation. Even as a Chamber member of long standing, trying to speak to someone about this action meets a brick wall. This ill-thought out campaign is more about President Meranda Mears and her pet pitbull CEO Heidi Turner having a crack at Council about her unceremonious departure from Smart Precinct. I would hazard a guess that if business people all across Townsville were consulted for their stance on paid parking the Chamber would be speaking out of the other side of its mouth.
Gawd, bugger me, we now appear to have a rift and some stiletto rib tickling in the fuckin’ Chamber!!! It seems the only place where everyone loves each other is The Magpie’s Nest.
Oh, wait … hmmm, let me think about that ….
It’s clear the Chamber due to not getting their rent roll paid as per previous years by council, are spitting chips. Though, as noted, TEL, the Jenny & Labor elected and run advocacy body gets plenty ($2M) of ratepayer money, rumour has it, TEL cant run on its own finances, so needs the funds to survive, (much like Caz and SPNQ) yet Chambers membership has enabled them to be self sufficient, it must be getting Claudia that here she is asking state and federal for money, when the very organisation she’s employed by can’t go without government top ups. With TEL landing Keith Urban, Scott Stewart’s squeeze, Claudia will be getting all the attention now, typical Labor politics, diverting away from real issues. Paid parking, or charter boat, what charter boat won’t go away Pie.
Christ, have. you done a course in stream-of-consciousness writing?
Anyway, having ploughed through all that, some questions.
1. What is the reference to rent role payments? The Magpie genuinely has not heard any such connection the Chamber, sounds interesting.. How does it work?
2. The TCC contribution to TEL has been around the $750k mark … anything more would come via taxpayers through the state and federal governments.
3. There have been several comments here about Keith Urban, but I haven’t seen anything. Where xdid this originate and what’s the dea
4. The paid p[arking on the Strand issue certainly won’t be going away as long as the Nest is here and there is not proper community consultation.
Staff should be allowed to park in any legal parking space if they’re willing to pay for it. They should have the same rights as everyone else.
Yep, they certainly have the same rights, including being unemployed when their business goes under because customers can’t be bothered looking for a scarce car park.
I’m not suggesting employees could be or have been ‘banned’, in some legal sense, from parking out the front of the business they work at. On the other hand, if you were working at the checkout and needed to go out to put money in the meter every two hours maybe the boss would have a couple of suggestions for you . . . .
Thanks Pie, to clarify
1. Chambers rent is paid by TCC, their space.
2. TEL get $650k year on year, and recently received a bump of $1.4m for event management
3. Keith Urban is coming, heard it from a councillor
4. Paid parking will not go away, and yet in 7 days it will be 100% more expensive, $2 per hour, $10 per day, don’t get me started on cashless machines.
Thanks, Mike. So the TCC no longer pays their rent?
$1.4m for event management? With no conflicts in this role, this should be a council in-house dept.
Everybody’s hearing it, but no one is saying anything officially.m Where vdid this spring from? Also, Urban is just starting 20 or city city tour in the US which ends towards the end of September. So he’s really going to fly home and include Townsville in some sort of tour here? The guy’s a glutton for punishment then.
And the shopping centres are rubbing their hands with glee, delighted with the CBD meter rise.
Rent is paid by chamber to tcc.
A former Chamber board member emailed The ‘Pie the following :
As far as Mike S claims that Council was paying Chambers rent, that is incorrect and Chamber Members can request a copy of Chambers financials at the yearly AGM that clearly shows rent. Townsville Chamber does sublease from space leased by Council and not used ( I think there may be a bit of that around Townsville). Question is how reliable are Mike S’s other comments?
Labor don’t like Chamber of Commerce who have Small Business as members. And Jenny Hill was no different, and for years the Chamber has not supported Council’s decisions and strategies .
So, after all that, what is the position of the CofC on paid parking in the CBD? The picture caption suggests some would like the cost lowered but perhaps implies that they are comfortable with some regulation. None of “Business owner”, “Mike S” or the “ex-board member”, who present as ‘insiders’, has anything to say about the Chamber’s historical or current position.
The Chamber’s historical position. is irrelevant, it is their current position that is important.
Comforting to see that the Jenster continued to use southern consultants for her hatchet jobs. Looking at the website of Brisbane headquartered APS Consulting they don’t do consultation, simply traffic planning. There is a real opportunity for the new Council to tap into local capacity in both traffic planning and consultation if they really care about such things.
Indeed. Be good if they bought what is really local.
A quick check of what hosting the Olympic games cost before we fuck Queensland forever.
The quoted $5,000,000,000.00 for the Brisbane Olympics is a lie https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-02-26/qld-is-it-worth-it-for-brisbane-to-host-2032-olympic-games/13192082
Paris will be the cheapest games in years at $9 billion.
Here is a comparison the cost of the games over the decades – https://www.visualcapitalist.com/visualizing-the-cost-of-hosting-the-olympics/
One of the biggest costs associated with hosting the Olympics is infrastructure, including sports facilities and general infrastructure like housing and transportation. Queensland doesn’t have enough housing, and SEQ is a carpark.
The International Olympic Committee requires cities to have at least 40,000 hotel rooms for spectators and an Olympic Village that can house 15,000 athletes and officials.
Queensland housing stress more intense than any other state: https://www.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/news/2024/06/queensland-housing-stress-more-intense-than-any-other-state-report
The Queensland Olympic hosting is close to a crime against humanity. David Crisafulli first act when elected this October should be to ask Sydney to take it.
The damage to Queensland will be decades of stalled progress.
My god magpie you’ve finally become one of us now !
Don’t be rude!!!
Crisafulli could have bagged the Brisbane Olympics years ago. Instead he appointed himself Opposition Spokesman FOR the Olympics. He will be hoping that Canberra picks up a fair chunk of the cost (after they’ve paid for the North Rail Yards and Lansdown of course).
He appointed himself after the Games had been secured and were a fact. It would’ve been foolish to campaign from the outset on cancelling the Olympics… the majority population of the SE corner do not give a fuck about the damage to the state overall. And looks like he’s stuck with it … and so are we. Cannot see him doing a Dan Andrews on this, practical politics of self=preservation wouild daunt anyone of any political stripe doing so.
But we can dream … Crisafulli cancels the Games and says the money that would have been allocated will now go into a 15 year project to build a four lane Bruce Highway, Brisbane to Cairns, the ultimate vote of faith in the ‘build it and they will come’ mantra. And making more practical new areas for affordable housing for the various towns and cities along the route. It would be an admirable legacy enduring for decades, long, long after the Olympics are gone, forgotten and eventually (maybe 30 years) financially recovered from.
Most cities that host the games go broke. They never recoup their money. It is a national disgrace to hold a sporting event that ends up tanking your economy. Queensland will be worse off for hosting this ridiculous event, an event that should be put to pasture. It’s up there with the UK monarchy – outdated, expensive, and no longer holds economic or social values. Disband the lot.
Politically, you would imagine that Olympics gives the State Government (no matter who sits on Treasury benches) the political cover to focus infrastructure on housing, roads, rail and all the other infrastructure for the SE Corner.
Politics is a numbers game. There are 93 Seats in the Qld Parliament, of which 42 are in the Greater Brisbane statistical area alone. On a rough count, 19 of the 93 are outside of GC, BNE and Sunshine Coast. Each seat holds roughly 35,000 Voters so you can see how it works.
The Olympics are going to be used as an excuse for a massive ramp up of infrastructure spend in that area and we will get the crumbs.
Please don’t take this as a call for a separate State! The only political fix that the regions could possibly hope for is the reinstatement of end of the unicameral Parliament so that a house of review might stand some chance of calling out profligate spending and the end of the endless roundabout of terrible government Ministers not being held to account except by themselves.
If you believe in if you build it they will come, why not a six land Bruce Highway, or eight. That’s an even better show of faith.
One step at a time.
Forget building big build infrastructure Brisbane is massively short on hotel rooms compared to requirements for the Olympics https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/queensland-needs-thousands-more-hotel-rooms-before-2032-games-20240517-p5jei2.html
This will be an impossible task with trade shortages, increasing construction costs, and timeframes to get approvals.
Agree Pie. I’ve got bets running with my pub mates that Qld will bush the Olympics. sooner rather than later. Might cost them a couple of billion but it’s better than the massive $20-30 billion it’ll eventually cost Qld !
Such a big week, and it seems to never slow down, especially at TCC.
I was unfortunately guilty of voting for Brady Ellis and I sincerely apologise to the Townsville community for my part in his position. Initially Brady appeared to have a great sense of reality. But I have been proven very wrong. He is nothing but obnoxious with his Facebook comments featuring his “holier-than-thou” stance and his belittling responses. I have personally come across him at an event where he walks around like he is superior to everyone. Hoping that he pulls his head in and remembers that he was elected by the people. Your fake and condescending attitude has lost you my vote.
I know you seem to like Suzy Batkovic Magpie, but she is nothing but a bully that was obviously learned from her sporting days. Needs to control her temper being she is no longer on the court. My mother is in Annandale and has never had any help from her, so I am very confused what she actually does all day. I did see her walking around a shopping centre once during office hours. Hopefully she was getting some new clothes as her potato sacks are not classified as “business attire”. For someone who is earning $100k plus she needs to present herself better. I am sure there was speculation she is running for a Senator position so happy to see the back of her.
Great job to the councillors and mayor for voting against the parking. I will be attending the parking rally on 3rd Aug from 9am – 11:30am at Gregory Street Amphitheater.
Thank you for keeping us in the loop Magpie. I don’t agree with everything you put out, but happy knowing there is a platform to go to.
The’Pie has never met Suzy B, has no opinion of her personality (although she certainly sounded testy with TwoNames in the last meeting) and has minimal knowledge of her sporting career, finding the dribblers’ game about as entertaining as croquet. As The Magpie said in another reply, his views are usually made on a particular performance on a particular issue.
Even Thompson is occasionally doing half-right things for wholly the wrong reasons (a lame attempt at populism mainly – he really doesn’t give a fuck about Townsville or anything else except himself) but his background makes him wholly unfit for office, and a classic case of a sleaze who will smile you in the back.
I for one am very happy to see him (The Mayor) out and about from his social posts. He seems to care more about the community than Jenny ever did.
Pretty low bar.
Sophie, what exactly do you expect from your local divisional councillor? You had plenty of opportunity to appraise the candidates, you chose this one because of, in your own words, his great sense of reality but now, having seen him in public, you’ve changed your mind. You now think he is a fake. And yet you still want to remind him that he was elected by the people – people just like you. Duh?
Given the failure of your appraisal skills and your regret and actual apology for demonstrating them, what are we to make of your disappointment on behalf of your mother with Cr SuzyB? Do you expect the councillor to attend at your mother’s place in her potato sacks to what? . . . take out the bins or supervise the removal of cars parked across her driveway? Or are you simply mistaken again, in a mayor-like way, having made a rash judgement on a bad hair day? Voters in Division 6 have had a good look at Cr Batkovic and allowed her to be re-elected unopposed. If she is a “bully” it must be towards incompetents and know-alls who try to make life hard for capable councillors. The electorate seems to like her just the way she is.
Sophie clearly wants a set of steak knives with her councillor. And that’s not all folks! Have we got a deal for you!
I would dispute that call, more dislike her, than like her. They respect her past career, but she has no place in government. Her outbursts are pretty bad.
Geez Sophie, what about some of the blokes. For some of them on over $100k they could at least get a non white suit jacket, or in the case of Jacob, get one made in the last 10 years. Thompson could also learn what the top buttons his shirt are for and get a decent pair of shoes
Thompson knows quite well what top buttons are for … to remain undone to prominently display typical con man neck jewellery featuring a crucifix, a typical ncon man’s con.
I find it hilarious, Jacob wears the same jacket, and runner style shoes, is often absent from office, the bloke should retire. Thompson has finally done up his top button, someone has said something to him, but what a shitshow. McCabe was in the chairman’s lounge at the footy, another money grabber, big on self importance.
Pie, have you heard anything around the CEO role, I’d like to know what’s happening, the full time one needs to be in place, let’s hope he cleans ranks, we can afford to lose 300 staff, 1800 is a bit rich, given the output. Sadly, the wages saved will be picked up in the new union contracts.
Mal, may come as a surprise, but councillors are allowed to have home offices and work from home. This has always been the case. Additionally, if they are out and about in the community meeting with ratepayers and attending events, they won’t be in the office.
This is entirely different to Thompson not being in the office because he’s taking selfies at the latest eatery he’s frequenting and trying to get a free coffee.
Coffee? Thought ice cream and fudge were his go.
Steph, then Spohie. Who will you be tomorrow? This is so much fun. So many names and so few braincells to go around. At least you TwoDogs cookers were humorous before he started getting legull advice and made you just as stupid but much less fun.
UMM not sure what you are going on about there. Talk about brain cells. Let me help you out.
Spohie – Sophie**
Legull – Legal**
Snuffie, no shit Sherlock! QED
Don’t be mad, happy to help. Xoxo
If Kamala Harris were to win the election America would be doomed. Then again, if the orange man wins the presidential election circus, America will be at war with itself. What a fucking laughing stock they have become, a sad weakened super power.
The Shovel nails it.
If the orange eejit wins, the world is doomed
That’s putting it mildly.
This good laugh is behind a paywall but the premise is that last month the Fraser Coast Mayor voted against his own budget! What the actual fuck?? And we thought Townsville has issues!
https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/fraser-coast/fraser-coast-mayor-george-seymour-votes-against-council-budget/news-story/3f784df98e7616279681cc3886b6b1c4?amp
Interesting.
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/FMfcgzQVxlKSFjNKQLKLSxXwpnLgrZDx
Ah, so that’s how they got him to go … a Shovel reveal.
Will anyone act against the CFMEU who are are accused of alleged criminal activity inside trade unions, with their donations flowing to the Labor Party, and influence on industry super funds?
What are the chances that any State and Commonwealth authorities will use Proceeds of crime legislation to bring applications in court to both restrain and forfeit property suspected of being the proceeds of a crime????
Proceeds of crime is interesting legislation as no criminal conviction is necessary before such orders can be made.
https://www.afr.com/policy/economy/cfmeu-s-industrial-power-has-corrupted-20240715-p5jtn3
Now that is a very interesting point worth pondering.
Interesting info coming out of the councillor offices. Ann Maree Greaney is looking to diminish the powers of the chairperson (mayor) by changing the rules with the the 6.3.3 mayoral minute, 6.5.2 Chairpersons authority, 6.6.1 Attendance at meetings in person or by teleconference, 6.6.7 attendance by the media, 6.6.8 audio or video recording of a meeting, 6.6.10 petitions. Ann Maree has been working with David, chief legal counsel to take over council and put herself in power, team Jenny hill is changing the rules to suit their agenda now, look for a special meeting next week,
AMG has shown she is trying to get control, she manipulated the team on the council to vote against the mayor, this is something councillors don’t want, but are being forced into.
AMG is looking to give the CEO more powers than the mayor. And remove the ability of the mayor to bring the mayoral minute down…. Dirty politics at play
More to come
The mayoral minute, AMG and Suzy, surprise surprise, after giving the mayor the finger in chamber, are looking to change it so he can’t bring a motion without their approval, the attempt to diminish the mayors authority in the chamber, which the leftist Robinson did with the seal last week. Attendance by teleconference, so they can sit beside advisors in meetings, attendance of media in the room with recording devices, which would go against the epilepsy management in place for the mayor, under stress, and petitions, given the mayor resign one, the change org etc AMG wants councillor control, so the mayor has no say. Had council been allowed to bring the change.org one forward, the council may have had to accept the petition and a different outcome had!
Just heard from a councillor, SPECIAL MEETING next week coming. AMG controlling the narrative of TJH. It’s clear people don’t like Thompson, but changing the rules of meeting by a councillor to suit their own purpose is a sad day.
Anybody else know anything about this mystery meeting? Sounds like Davo been having bourbon for breakfast at this stage.
Magpie there’s a special council meeting listed on the council website for the 26 July. It’s confidential/closed. Says Human Resource Matter.
Davo, aka Twonames, it seems like your fellow Councillors are doing a great job on you. You see, you started this mess when you took office and tried to usurp the Councillors authority. You alone started WW3 and now you don’t like the way that the Councillors are fighting back. Enjoy the ride you moron, the Councillors aren’t going to stop trying to bury you. You started it and by Christ they are going to finish it. Have fun, fuckstick.
Polite inquiry. What is a fuckstick?
Actually, no don’t bother, perhaps we don’t really want to know.
Davo (Troy Thompson), you sound worried about the special meeting. Are you afraid that the councillors are going to pineapple you? Maybe they will try to gag you or find ways to vote for things without your influence? From day 1 you lost their trust and confidence and now you will pay the price. You need to keep watching your back, sunshine, as you started this fight and the councillors aren’t going to remain passive and silent.
That is the most discombobulated word salad we’ve enjoyed for a while, Davo. You have managed to mangle your English so much that any truth in it is obscured byb gurgling.
Seeking a little clarity here, Davo. But the nub of the matter is, you claim that a councillor has claimed (TwoNames, possibly, eh?) that, in effect, Clr Greaney will be seeking to change the Local Government regulations in a teleconference meeting which presumably can’t be streamed to we the great unwashed. Has anyone alerted Brisbane to this possible legal change, I think there would be a few interested parties in both the government and opposition to this development.
Is this meeting on an agenda anywhere? The ‘Pie understand that all council meetings – closed or otherwise – need to be on a publicly available agenda.
Looking forward to it, Thommo — err, sorry, Davo.
But a tiny question, if The ‘Pie may? Just when did it come about that a councillor in a little (relatively) pissant dysfunctional council somewhere in North Queensland get to unilaterally change regulations that successive state governments of all stripes have thrashed out and made law?
This is just fevered ravings unless you can answer that, mate. Best ask your legal advisor.
The panic in your tone is rather endearing.
Love the sentiment, but no, not the mayor, good effort though Pie. This is a play by TJH to first remove Thompson, then Jacob, AMG wants the power, that is clear. Thanks for the comment though.
He appears to be referencing sections of the Code of Meeting Practice. The department provides model meeting procedures which largely deal with managing conflicts etc. Councils across QLD use this as a base but develop their own meeting procedures to cover matters not dealt with in the model code. For those sickos interested, here is the link to the Department of State Developments Model Meeting Code – https://www.statedevelopment.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0013/44302/model-meeting-procedures.pdf
And TCC’s Code – https://www.townsville.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/6010/Code-of-Meeting-Practice-Policy.pdf
Davo, you say: “AMG has shown she is trying to get control, she manipulated the team on the council to vote against the mayor, this is something councillors don’t want, but are being forced into.”
How can councillors be FORCED INTO something they don’t want? A week ago, councillors, including AMG, voted 6-5 to bring on changes to the paid parking regime. They all had a say and most did say something before they voted. Just prior to that they voted 10-1 to reject a so-called Mayoral Minute. So what if on one occasion some councillors team-up but on other occasions they vote independently?
Councillors, perhaps led by AMG, seem to be trying to find a way to deal with a mayor, the chairman, who does not have a good grasp of meeting procedure and is prone to flights of fancy (or complete abandon). Not surprising that they are looking for creative procedural workarounds that don’t break any rules but which create some new guardrails. This can’t be done without at least six councillors on board – in other words, more than just the remnants of Team Hill or the Labor Party or whatever conspiracy you might want to conger up. Best, and not surprisingly, done at a Special Meeting, with one piece of business and no distractions.
Jesus Jenny, your second name Jekyll?
Stop talking sense and intelligently explaining something. You’ll put The Magpie out of business.
Good point. New guardrails, interesting analogy, the mayor should sit pretty, take the $250k, say nothing and let them take on the role, he can argue every motion anytime, it’s live, so everyone hears what is said anyway. It’s a teacup moment, no responsibility, goes to all the events, has fat time, sounds like a good position to be in.
Jenny, just on the TJH and Labor item, Jacob, Dirou, Mooney, Rehbien, Batkovic.& Greaney is 6 ALP/TJH, not including Qld government public servants Robinson & Phillips, the numbers were always there, just wrapped / disguised differently for the voting public.
DD, Jacob, Dirou and Rehbein voted with the Mayor to throw out the paid parking changes so although they might be ALP-aligned they can’t necessarily be relied on to side with Greaney, Batkovic etc. And anyway, why should they? Each has their own aspirations, affiliations and divisional agenda to accommodate. But in trying to manage a difficult chairman, unsupported by state government processes or the CCC, all 10 councillors may occasionally find ways to cooperate. We’ll see when the Special Meeting concludes.
Doi we have any confirmation that this Special Meeting is actually going to happen?
We do now. 26/7/24. Special meeting (closed/confidential) – HR Matter
https://www.townsville.qld.gov.au/about-council/council-meetings/meetings-agendas-and-minutes
If Suzy Batkovic has aspirations of becoming mayor she should distance herself from the other Team Jenny Hill survivors.
Greaney, Mooney and co are still living in the bad old days when they didn’t need a brain because Jenny Hill told them what to do.
Suzy at least has found her voice since Hill departed while the others still think teams and secret meetings are acceptable.
Time to jump ship Suzy and become a genuine independent.
Just guessing here, but given her high profile background, it’s possible she will skip the mayoralty and go for the senate in the near future.
On the other hand she might be quite happy to continue making a good fist of the local, well paid, no travel necessary, home with the school kids most days after work, job she has been comfortably elected to do. And good luck to her.
Then on the other hand, having been a high achiever in sport, the attitude may persist. Onward and ever upward.
Senator Suzy, that’ll do me. She is a basketballer, nothing more, suzys voice is wearing thin with the public, she’s very lucky her seat wasn’t contested. We need this council dissolved immediately.
That would include the mayor, too, would it?
All Pie, All
DD, that’s bullshit. Batkovic won her place fair and square four years ago. Anyone, including you if you have the right address, could have contested Div6 but no one did. Her voice is not ‘wearing thin’ on those who want to hear from individual councillors, especially those who are said to have been hand raisers in the various Hill councils. Are you personally challenged by capable women, or what?
Hey Jen, I’m personally challenged by your continual bullshit posts. Are you really a woman, or a bloke hiding behind a name? Whoever you are, keep puffing that pipe with whatever you’re smoking in it, some of your posts verge on the hysterical and it has to be the drugs, right? No sane person would twist and turn like you do! Lucid to looney and all
ports in between!
(EDited by The Magpie, in line with the blog’s policy that The Nest doesn’t entertain irrelevant and alleged domestic matters unless there is a valid public interest.)
Suzy is on her phone constantly messaging Jenny Hill during meetings being told what to do and say. Unfortunately she has way too much owed to Jenny and she will never be an independent. Herself and Greaney are generally the ones conspiring the secret meetings and late night phone calls. It is known that she was awarded a large sum of money for sporting recognition, that then went to pay for her council Team Jenny Hill campaign, all very clear she was going to be an advocate every step of the way. It appears that she now has a voice because she didn’t ever speak against Hill. . She is going to run for senate and is doing all of this to build her political profile. JC
To all comments on Councillor B….Does anyone know if there are any checks done on the Pecuniary Interests that are submitted by the Councillors. In her case surely after nearly twenty years playing professional sport (any sport) all around the World she would have accumulated more wealth than a house out in the sticks at Douglas. During her playing days a good friend of mine became quite well acquainted with her through his work and he said she quite often spoke of her property portfolio in Newcastle and Sydney. I didn’t see that mentioned anywhere in the Pecuniary Interests Register.
Interesting.
Reading this blog is like a step back in time, people throwing shit at each other, with no substance nor responsibility. It’s had a good run off the back off the new mayor, seems there’s not much else to write about. I remember a time when no one paid negativity a moment in the sun, now that’s all we have, negativity. The councillors are elected, every level of government has people we like and don’t like, fact is, they are there. Rarely, do any get removed, so we need to move on. My thoughts, let’s see what day 365 looks like. Each term brings new rules, new expectations. My only concern is the state of funds at the council, aside from tired assets, they have very little else on the horizon.
That is some of the most densely stupid and Thompsonesque hidden agenda drivel imaginable.
The ‘Pie won’t even give it the credence of dissecting its idiocy, except to say that holding the powerful to account is what journalists do – or should do – and that is not negativity. Quite the opposite, actually.n The new social media landscape has completely bamboozled you, gerbil man.
You deserved that. Anyone daring to think outside TCC will be abused. They can’t conceive there is another world out there. Besides, the blog was developed for navel-gazing.
Special Council Meeting This Friday 26 July at 9.30am:
One agenda item, MORE secret squirrel/closed meeting, item – Human Resource Matter.
This closed meeting shit is getting really really plucking annoying! WTF is going on now? I’m a ratepayer and a voter and very, very plucking pissed off ATM.
If this is decide about a quantity surveyor, why is the meeting closed? The unlamented former TCC legal drone Tony Blight said when the CEO was to be discussed it should be a closed meeting (which it was) because there was a lot quote ‘very, very personal’ information put before councillors. At the very least, our transparent councillors should enlighten us as to why they are closing the meeting.
Otherwise, they themselves will be transparent, because we will be able to see through them – secretive and power hungry.
Is Troy the POS going to do a Biden? With money?
Pie, maybe acting CEO Joe is heading out the door and doesn’t want to be part of this shit show anymore? Maybe twonames has presented his claim for harassment and is demanding money, maybe………
Hey TCC Councillors, how about you stop this infighting and get back to Council basics and build some community confidence. Is that too much to ask???
It’s for the Acting CEO to become permanent.
maybe. Or perhaps for him to call it quits. Not exactly a dream gig.
The only HR matter the council could be addressing would relate to the CEO position. It’s the only position within the LG that they can have a say about. Last I heard the recruitment process had been abandoned as all candidates had withdrawn due to the national coverage related to Birnbrauer. Smoking Joe may be with us for a little longer than planned.
Sounds correct, however, if the hiring of a QS requires some alteration to the budget, could that not involve the councillors? One would think it certainly would.
The CEO can create positions without Council approval. In the event they need to create a position they either repurpose existing vacant positions, take the budget from somewhere else in the operational budget or absorb the cost by not filling other vacant positions. I am not sure what TT is on about regarding the Quantity Surveyor position. Major Projects and the Project Management Office in conjunction with the Engineering and Assets team deal with the costing of projects etc (clearly not very well).
Magpie, why would the hiring of a quantity surveyor, a technocrat amongst dozens in TCC, require some special budgetary consideration?
That’s what The Magpie is asking, but thank you for repeating bit for the slower ones among our readers. So thoughtful.
Pie, They are yet to appoint a full time CEO. Maybe “Closed meeting. HR matters” is to shortlist the applicants for final interviews. Everyone Is getting a little hyped up over this meeting.
Good point. It’s understandable if they are discussing a short list that bit remain private, because it would reveal people who secretly want to bail from their positions elsewhere. But given the total distrust of the Townsville public in not just the mayor but also the councillors at the moment, couldn’t they be smart enough to adopt a policy of including us as far as they can. Starting with this one where the agenda simply ‘Closed meeting to discuss a short list for the CEO position?”
AH-HA, HAVE WE ALL BEEN BARKING UP THE WRONG TREE? COULD THIS BE THE REASON FOR THE SECRET SQUIRREL MEETING?
A trusted source – a council whistleblower – tells The ‘Pie that eight unions have been negotiating an 8% pay rise with the council management.
Since this would definitely be a budget matter that might call for a revision, the councillors would be involved, and it certainly comes under the general heading of that ugly dehumanizing term ‘Human Resources’.
Any of The Nest insiders at the TCC know anything about this?
Plucker HR matters are always closed. This is fair, you wouldn’t want your HR matter discussed openly for the public to hear would you?
Maybe Ducky, but as we’ve heard elsewhere in comments, the CEO’s appointment is the only hiring-firing matter the councillors can be involved in.
But anyway, what sort of HR interviews are allowed to be ask anything nowadays that might be a public embarrassment. No one seems to be embarrassed about anything anymore.
See section on closed meeting Magpie.
https://www.localgovernment.qld.gov.au/for-the-community/community-guide-to-local-government-in-queensland/council-meetings#:~:text=Closed%20meetings&text=A%20meeting%20may%20be%20closed,made%20by%20the%20local%20government
The Magpie possibly incorrectly understood that the only appointment council was involved with was the CEO (where firing the incumbent is shyly called ‘refused to renew his/her contract’). The rest of the time it was run along corporate lines with those decisions being made by the CEO and executive staff (ever mindful of PS regs.) I cannot recall a time ever when the council was involved in a dismissal or disciplinary hearing of an employee, open or closed.
Look, let’s be clear, there are of course times when closed meetings are essential for a variety of reasons, but the outright sneering abuse of the Commercial In Confidence rule – clearly to stifle legitimate examination of Hill’s unstated overall agenda – has made the public leery and distrustful. Plain speaking explanations as far as is allowable would be a good policy to start regaining the trust and dignity of voters, even if the council finds the idea tiresome.
Quite frankly Magpie, our councillors are petty, ill-equipped and tiresome. Our Mayor is a fucking joke. And the organisation is dysfunctional.
They should take a leaf out of other Councils books, who deal with confidential matters, then return to open session and vote to release the report.
Maybe that’s what they will do.
It’s for the CEO, 12 months, $650,000, vehicle, expenses, $1,000 accommodation allowance, time to put this council into administration, another bad decision, Thompsons vote doesn’t matter.
The closed meeting is to discuss the ‘new’ CEO. My information is that Joe McCabe has been selected to be the permanent CEO and it now requires a Councillors vote to ratify it. The Councillors love Joe as he is on their side when it comes to taking a stand against Mayor Twonames. The games have only just begun. It’s going to be a long couple of years ahead.
That’s nonsense, Mystery Bag. Why would the selection of a CEO, which The ‘Pie understands in the past has to be voted on by open council, be secret. And what discussions, private or otherwise, would there be to be had if he has been selected?
You are right, it’s to install Joe McCabe full-time. The question is, if they went to a session to contract MacArthur as recruiter, and ran with Joe who is employed under Peak Services as acting CEO, what’s it cost us to exit? And isn’t there supposed to be resolutions to terminate the CEO recruiter. Sounds very messy.
Added after the common seal motion under councillor Robinson last week, to empower the CEO over the mayor. Is there truth that Ann Maree is now working with legals in changing the code of meeting out, all that is currently the chairpersons role, will be the CEO’s, very strategic, but possibly a breach under the act. Ann Maree didn’t do it to when Hill was in power, sounds like she is gunning for the chair role back. This is becoming a farce.
Some sensible perspective on Trump being nearly taken out by a shooter. My conversations with a retired ADF sniper indicate that the weapon used was a high powered semi automatic unit, complete with scope, purchased across the counter. The round used has a lot of power but a fairly small actual bullet which the ‘high powered’ part is emphasised.
The shooters actual experience is unknown although he was young and a member of the local gun club. Lucky for Trump, not an experienced sniper trained shooter.
The shooter and the target (Trump) were pretty well at an identical elevation. To miss Trumps forehead would have been easy and to wing him (see ear) was pretty damn good. Shooter nerves would have played a big part as did breezes and Trump moving around.
Forget everything you see in sniper movies, the reality is far more harsher and unforgiving.
I shoot every mostly every week. Handguns and Rifle target shooting. I’m a range master. I shoot with mostly retired ADF and others. Trump shooter was at reported 100m to 130m if you believe all the media which differs depending on what you read. Rifle projectile reportedly used was small but not low powered. Off the shelf rifle + off the shelf scope, provided scope is properly sighted in, I would imagine even a novice would be hitting a 10cm target at that distance within an hours tuition of someone who knows what they are doing. Maybe even hitting target on second or third shot, that is not considered much of a distance for rifle target shooting. Obviously I couldn’t comment on the stress and nerves of a live target, totally different situation to a piece of paper. My opinion is that Trump is incredibly lucky to the tune of a Powerball winner.
Must be an echo around here !
ACT Young Libs on their way to MAGA territory
https://x.com/MarkDando4/status/1814813784181252447
Fortunately, the Young Libs have been regarded as a joke even within their own party, but are never told what clotheads they are because the actual party needs them as volunteers at election time. And The ‘Pie imagines the utter attention-seeking crapola of this Canberra branch does not reflect those of other state branches. Canberra is a bubble for everybody of any political stripe.
Some interesting numbers to consider
CEO $650k + car + phone + accom + expenses
Directors (4) $480k + car + phone + expenses
Mayor $240k + phone + car + expenses
GMs (8-10) $200k + car + phone + expenses
Deputy Mayor $180k + carallow + ph + expenses
Councillors (10) $150k + car allow + ph + expenses
Councillors & Mayor get $20-25k car/expenses each.
You could almost justify these salaries if you had a ratepayer base the size of Sydney and you had high performers in these roles. But we are talking about the Ville. And to be honest, many if not most of the people covering these roles, are complete fucktards. It’s outrageous how much money is being doled out to a group of dysfunctional non-performers. And I haven’t even started on the deadwood at TEL.
Mopsy. Sydney City Council is a relatively small council, run by that weird cow, Clover. Their budget is smaller than ours – $833.5M. On the other hand, a better comparison would be Brisbane CC – over $4 BILLION.
More interesting is this:
And in the moonlight state, and not even in the capital, Brisbane, these are the stats for our happy little rorters in Walker Street.
Effective July 2022, the Local Government Remuneration Commission decided to increase the minimum remuneration levels for mayors, deputy mayors and councillors by 2 per cent. Mayor Jenny Hill earns $212,247 annually, while Deputy Mayor Mark Molachino earns $144,328. All remaining councillors earn $127,347 annually.26 Oct 2023
And it’s actually more, with some reviews since then.
And BTW your weird cow Clover Moore has over her time as mayor, donated just under one million dollars of her mayoral salary to other causes.
The truly disgusting bit of all this the matra that’s trotted out in self-interest that you have to match corporate remunerationnto get the brightest and the best … which of course is bullshit of the most malodorous kind. Executive council staff, yes, where you need to attract properly qualified people to be attractive in a competitive market. But this infestation of mayor and councillors are our best and brightest? Then we are deeper in it than we first thought.
Most middle-aged and older tradies, public servants and small business owners I know earn these sort of dollars, although, to be honest, I don’t know anyone who is paid anywhere near $650,000+ pa. None of them would be prepared to endure the sort of shit politicians put up with, particularly for $30-40,000 pa. When you are expected to be on call most days working for your electorate and yet on any day your name might be on the front page of the paper (or the Magpie’s Nest). Oh, and of course, you are expected to have professional business experience, political connections, savvy, empathy etc etc. And be a regular, hard-working guy or gal, beautiful children at the right schools, car re-sprayed with the correct sign writing, clothes to die for, blah blah blah . . . . . No wonder Cr Suzy was re-elected unopposed.
The ‘shit’ councillors (please don’t do the two-way insult of “politician’) have to put up with is because their employers(the ratepayers) are entitled to the same scrutiny to which any publicly funded entity is subject. And because these remunerations are set by a politically sanctioned rort in Queensland by mainly Labor and union guidelines, they are quite rightly under the public eye and open to comment (or ‘shit’ as you characterise it).
People elected to represent community views and community well-being are rightly held to a higher standard. And if you are genuinely community minded, you do not expect the ratepayers to pay you $130k per year for what is a part time job of what i actually limited power. And the people in the private sector with whom you make an obvious comparison – employers and employees – actually have to prove by performance their effectiveness – KPIs in buzz talk. Or else.
To this council it is just a political game, and the mayor a legal con fo a pot of gold.
Poor fella, my city.
Doesn’t matter, she’s still a weird cow.
Do those figures include super, or do we need to add a minimum of 13.5% on top of those already generous pay packets?
Somebody please pay the lazy incompetent Harpic to actually do some work. He is averaging almost 1 Facebook story per day attacking the LNP. Obsessed somewhat, Toilet Cleaner? All you post is anti-LNP, $1,000 electricity rebate and the rego discount. That’s it. Same rotating shit every day. Why don’t you do some real work for our city you fat useless fuck.
Innfuture,please refrain from insulting fats fucks with comparisons.
Administrators are being appointed to clean up the CFMEU, if that is at all possible.
This ABC article suggests to me that administrators need to be appointed to the ethics bereft Labor Party to clean out CFMEU sympathizers .
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-07-24/queensland-parliament-cfmeu-kurt-pauls-fined-fair-work-act/104135762?utm_campaign=abc_news_web&utm_content=link&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_source=abc_news_web
Lots of speculation in this blog regarding the content of Fridays special meeting. My source has told me it’s budget related, in particular the additional costs of the pipeline project and the impact on operational and capex budgets.
Thanks for some added speculation, courtesy of your source.
Why is the meeting closed, then?
It is for Joe McCabe, to become full-time CEO, after his role was temporary appointed as acting CEO with peak services, not sure what happened with Mccarthur recruitment, but that would’ve cost ratepayers a bit.
$650k, $1k rental assist a week, phone, car, expenses, and flight home 3 weekly to GC.
10 councillors vote Yes
1 mayor vote No.
Joes in.
There is often another matter brought to the chamber last minute, so let’s see what else there is.
There is grounds for an administrator to be appointed,, it would save a bundle on councillors, executives. They’d be on their redraw facility now, no money in the bank.
Tell us this, Change Of Heart, (obviously YOU care now) since you purport to have inside info, what do you know about the report from another council insider that the TCC is negotiating with eight unions about a claimed 8% pay rise?
If true, the situation is now that there has to be some acrid animosity between the CEO (who banned the Mayor from the building and has palpable contempt for him) and the Mayor (who voted for dismissing the CEO and has made public accusations of illegal behaviour against him). How, then, could we reasonably anticipate a harmonious, rancour-free and productive management of council business? Shall the councillors simply by-pass the mayor in their dealings with the CEO? Shall the CEO simply ignore the inevitable ill-advised ravings of the Mayor and deal, in a back-channel way, directly with the Councillors. I don’t know if it an Irish blessing or a Chinese curse to live in interesting times, but here we are…
Interesting times, Grumps? The Magpie says amen to that.
Blackout Bowen and Airbus Albo keep driving clean energy and renewables down our throats as they are supposedly concerned about the environment. Yet they send money to the Ukraine which pays for bombs and missiles that blow up and destroy the environment. Hypocritical dickheads.
By rights you don’t need another pipeline , there’s an existing pipeline that does just fine. You only turn on the pipeline to fill the basin front of the dam gates – not to fill the entire reservoir , water evaporation is massive and any water being pumped in would be significantly lost to evaporation. The pipeline is a waste of time, money and effort. Cut all further funding its a money pit we can’t afford.
Consider recycling and controlling population growth for the next 20 years. We don’t need expansion in townsville because there’s few jobs north of Brisbane, agriculture, mineral processing and digging holes can’t justify the massive expansion of populations north of Brisbane. Real jobs growth in Australia is non existent – new jobs are mainly government funded/ government workers which depends on a tax base that’s actually shrinking. Australia destroyed most of its viable businesses decades ago – now we have government jobs and the economy of the damned that goes with it.
Who’s turn is it to play ‘Fuck off Guy’?
Guy, back in 2016 when the dam got very low, local water expert Mark Harvey explained why the “existing pipeline”, delivering 130 ML per day, was already stretched to meet the demands of the city, then on Level 3 restrictions:
“Townsville has recently moved to level-three water restrictions. Under the old strategy, level three was triggered once the Ross River Dam dropped to 5% and water would then have been pumped from the Burdekin.
“This, however, relied on being able to pump sufficient water to maintain the water level for a prolonged period,” Harvey said.
Under the new strategy, introduced in August last year, level three kicked in when the dam dropped to 20% earlier this month.
“The new regime significantly lifts the restriction and pumping trigger points due to the uncertainty of being able to stop the descent of the dam level even once the pumps are running,” said Harvey.
Harvey said given weather patterns and evaporation rates, it was extremely important for the city to think of water security in a holistic way.”
It was pretty clear after that experience that if we had another extended drought with an even larger population and higher evaporation rates we could end up long term on draconian Level 4 water restrictions or even run out of water altogether. No city can allow that to happen. The new pipeline doubles or (as Haughton2) nearly trebles the supply capacity from the Burdekin River. Of course it costs a motza but what choice did we have?
Reasonable points but two observations.
The concerning point it’s how that ‘motza’ seems to keep becoming a ‘super motza’ … we all knew it would cost money to waterproof the city, but that amount keeps blowing out in ways that seem way out of proportion. And the idea that ratepayers and not the overall taxpayer base were suddenly hit with an $80m bill is one of the greatest failings of that dick, Dick … we’re paying for his political ego in knocking Federal money for a point scoring exercise.
A few of questions, Jenny:
Do you live in Townsville, or on Maggie Island?
Are you a woman, or a man who masquerades as a woman?
Are you a greenie?
Supplementary: As per Gunja Girl posts, do you smoke a pipe with various substances within?
Thank you, IBP.
Allow The Magpie, who has just consulted The Nest’s rule book, to answer for Jenny.
None of your fuckin’ business.
Jenny’s comments jump around from dopey to reasonable and back again, and each should be approached on the merits of what is written, not the details of who wrote them.
Ibp,
Oh dear, you are so ‘yesterday’.
In this “enlightened” soup bowl of sensitivities it does not matter what Jenny is, or is not, it is what Jenny ‘identifies as.
For me the manufacturing plate reads Morris Oxford. I Identfy as a Daimler Benz.
Mind you, she, he, they, thinge-me-bob, does makes some good points.
Occasionally.
Jenny, the important bit there is that TCC waits until the dam is at 5% before pumping supposedly to save money and the smaller diameter pipe can’t both replace what is taken each day AND refill the dam. If TCC started pumping earlier when the dam is more full the existing pipeline would reverse or greatly slow the rate of the dam emptying. Looking at the stats Townsville uses about 120ML of water on a bad day so the existing pipe is fine for now.
NsfM, the policy of waiting until the dam was down to 5% was the ‘old’ policy. The quote from Mark Harvey said:
“Under the new strategy, introduced in August last year [2015], level three kicked in when the dam dropped to 20% earlier this month.”
That’s for Level 3 restrictions to come into place. The decision about when to start pumping has different criteria. I don’t know what they were back then and they will almost certainly be re-written when Haughton 2 comes online, especially if there is (eventually) a demand from industry at Lansdown quite independent of the amount of water in the RR dam. The amount of evaporation is a very relevant consideration. I don’t think it is intended to pump water to “refill” the dam, rather to keep the level safely above the Level 3 restrictions (or something). BTW, what are the “stats” you are looking at?
How does that stack regarding TCC payments for Burdekin water? Assume that it isn’t free, nothing nowadays except The Magpie’s Nest.
NsfM, you wrote: “Looking at the stats Townsville uses about 120ML of water on a bad day so the existing pipe is fine for now.”
Not sure how you reached this conclusion but want to point out that water demand today in Townsville is not the same as it was in 2016 when the city was forced by circumstance to make some critical decisions. Last few years we’ve mostly had a nice spread of rainfall across the first half of the year, even an occasional shower in August or September and this, combined with other measures like smart meters and low level restrictions left in place, has kept household demand down. If we have another ‘proper’ drought and the place is parched for a couple of years in a row, especially if the Burdekin dam reaches “dangerously” low levels as it did in 2015, attitudes will change quickly. At that time (November 2015) the Bulletin reported that “the [Burdekin] dam currently sits at 51.9 per cent capacity and is reportedly losing water at a rate of more than 1.5 per cent a week.” Short memories.
You mean we actually DID have a water crisis? Well, fuck me.
Grumpy, as we have already experienced with drought in 2016 followed by extreme flood in 2019, we are very likely to have rolling water crises. All predicted of course, no surprises:
https://theconversation.com/landmark-new-research-shows-how-global-warming-is-messing-with-our-rainfall-233432
Not sure if you’re being deliberatly dense, Jenny, but think you will find Grumps was echoing Jenny Hill’s most infamous quote ‘Water crisis, what water crisis, there is no water crisis’? in reply to mayoral opponent Jayne Arlett in the mayoral race, and soon after winning, adopted the policy that there WAS a water crisis.
Jennster, asked and answered by your own comment “The decision about when to start pumping has different criteria. I don’t know what they were back then and they will almost certainly be re-written when Haughton 2 comes online”.
The pumping capacity of the pipeline we have now has nothing to do with Water Restrictions because it follows physics rather than politics. If TCC pumped water earlier when the dam was higher than waiting for the 5% or even 10% crisis level the pipeline would keep the water level up in the dam and not allow the city to reach critical water levels. You were asleep during those school science lessons were’nt you.
NsfM, in a perfect world, Council could spend ratepayer dollars pumping unlimited water so we could all live in a rainforest no matter what the climate. But pumping is expensive, very expensive:
“27 June 2017
The Townsville City Council has allocated $5.5 million for the purchase and pumping of 20,000 Mega litres of water, the equivalent of five months of continual supply.
“While we were only required to pump for around three months this year, we’re making sure we have a plan in place that covers every contingency for our community.
“Pumping water to Townsville comes at a substantial cost, but the savings and efficiencies we are achieving right across council means we are able to absorb those costs without having to pass them on to ratepayers.
With the level of the Ross Dam at just over 21%, the council expects to hit the pumping trigger of 15% possibly by late October [2017].”
Sometimes our bacon gets saved by the arrival of a wet season. Other times not. Leave physics out of it.
We should seriously look at water recycling , its a fraction of the cost. Process the water to world standards , get the approval of appropriate agencies and return the water back to the tap.
Wasn’t there a business case to the effect that a second pipeline wasn’t warranted.?
No Jeff, there was not.
Looks like Ken Deihm is out of the running for TCC CEO. Fraser Coast Coujcil just voted to extend his contract another 2 years for him to reach retirement age.
Lucky Fraser Coast.
And lucky Ken. He dodged a bullet by staying put. Although Fraser Coast Council has some of its own issues such as the Mayor voting against his own budget!
And as a side point, I have contacts in numerous Councils around QLD and ALL of them are talking about Townsville’s shit-show. Some people laugh, some shake their heads. Either way, the selfish fuck Thompson is doing untold damage to our towns reputation. The honourable thing would be for him to just quit and leave us alone.
The words honourable and Thompson are never heard in the same sentence unless it is Phil Thompson OAM.
Even then:
“Speaker of the House Milton Dick has booted six Coalition MPs from parliament for disorderly conduct this question time, three of them in the space of 10 minutes.
North Queensland MP Phillip Thompson was ejected at 2.40pm, South Australian MP Tony Pasin a minute later and Queensland MP Ted O’Brien at 2.50pm.”
Are you saying a coalition MP booted out of Question Time by a Labor speaker is therefore dishonourable? On a par with Troy Thompson? Come on, Jenny, are you?
Apparently, even Jesus had to be disciplined by God from time to time. It’s no biggy.
According to the Book of Superstitious Barbarism.
Tell me exactly how replacing troy thompson will be our magic bullet to solve all our problems ?
The mayor will most likely be another government shill like the other 10 councillors and cheer on more taxes, more parking meters and more debt. I’m seeing another 43 million in loans this year by the budget they’ve released.
Getting rid of troy won’t stop the disaster the councillors have created – democracy , don’t ya just love it? Think about it – if troy walked out tomorrow most likely things will get worse because then there will.be less oversight than now.
You really are a fuckwit sometimes, Guy.
Who, anywhere has even said or suggested that Thompson pissing off would solve any of the many council problems? It would solve the Thompson part of the problem. Are you saying let him stay because it will make no difference?
Well, maybe not in your moral world, buddy, but sure makes a difference to The ‘Pie. Trying to conflate the two different matters … Thompson’s fraudery as a mayor and separate matters involving councillors, past and present … makes, as said, you a babbling idiot.
Give it a fuckin’ rest mate.
100% right. The lot should go to a dissolved council, and a restart, or if it’s true and there are 2000+ CAPEX jobs to do up to 2028, and only 80-100 can afford to be completed a year, council is trading insolvent! Bring on the investigations and administrators.
Knew him and did some work with him some years ago, was a self righteous prick then and doubt he’s changed his spots !
To whom do you refer, Jatz?
Another day and another Harpic anti-Crisafulli post on his Facebook page. For fuck sake Harpic, is that the first thing you think of when you wake each morning – Crisafulli? He has you rattled hasn’t he? You are a desperate fool who knows that you will be voted out in October. I can’t wait. Go and do some useful work you pencil dick.
Harpic is coming close to outsing Mike Capt Snooze Reynolds as the most bombastic, ineffective gas bag to ever representent us.
Harpic’s posts are childish. He is an immature little boy. Doesn’t allow serious questions or even mature debate on his Facebook page. He is just a little child and a sook. How could we possibly have inherited three useless imbeciles like Harpic, Cupcake, and Messagewank? It’s almost impossible to get three such useless people in the one town., or so one would have thought. But there you go.
Boot Camp . How do the together union members feel about their Union fees funding Aaron Harpers purple campaign like a few other Labor MP,s avoiding Labors Red . Just changing chairs on the Titanic .
Hopefully they feel like other union members who see their head offices being padded out with ever more staff, who seem to do diddly squat for those on the front line. Come the change of government and there will be some wholesale clearing out of Brisbane offices.
Double standards – if only the Haughton Pipelines was in South East Queensland, then the State Government would fund and build it.
https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/100910
Help me, Prickster. Who is funding the Haughton pipeline?
Healthcare departures
Staff turnover struggles worsen at Townsville Hospital. Pg22 26/07/2024
Nah, you don’t say- who could have foreseen this?
It’s a thousand times worse than the report shows.
Following up on my earlier comment about Trump’s ear injury:
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/fbi-director-casts-doubt-on-whether-trump-was-struck-by-bullet/ss-BB1qBJqn?ocid=msedgntp&pc=ACTS&cvid=02b14eab0f5141f3bb43c0c854962a5c&ei=85#image=2
Well, he would say that, wouldn’t he?
If he believed it, yes and why not? Surely he’s entitled to have an opinion other than what Trump, a noted liar, wants Americans to believe.
Oh, Dougie – that went straight over your head, didn’t it?
Over his head, but within earshot.
Doug K
The conspiracy theorists had already determined that it was a “Biden White House directed assassination attempt” even before the orange turd had been taken off stage. No amount of evidence to the contrary is going to convince them that the 34 time convicted felon/adjudicated rapist/fraudster didn’t take a bullet for them.
Just gotta lerve them MAGAniacs …. their basic premises is that a man who keeps falling over, gets totally confused on national television and is clearly in some sort of cognitive decline managed to mastermind an assassination plot. MAGA again projecting their own attitude and MO onto the opposition.
Ah – but he may have had theClinton’s help. Remember Epstein and his “suicide”?
If anyone was behind the Epstein ‘suicide’, it was the man had so many frequent flyer points on Lolita Airlines, the former mobster President. Not a theory, the manifests have been out for months.
And for years, Old Joe has been lucky to be able to raise smile, let alone anything else.
What time is Councils special meeting today? Hopefully someone will leak details of the information discussed.
It’s no wonder the Queensland government and agencies are treading carefully around the quagmire of our mayor:
From the Guardian just now: “Queensland’s Crime and Corruption Commission paid $370,000 in legal bills after a precedent-setting legal case by former public trustee Peter Carne.
But it has yet to agree how much to pay the lawyers of former deputy premier Jacquie Trad.
CCC chairperson Bruce Barbour revealed the organisation’s huge legal bill in parliamentary estimates this morning. Barbour said the CCC’s own legal bill totalled nearly a million dollars for defending the Carne case, and $91,000 on the Trad case.
Both Carne and Trad challenged the right of the CCC to release reports which were critical of a public figure but which did not recommend “prosecution proceedings or disciplinary action” or after a public hearing.”
The CCC took the matter all the way to the high court, where Carne ultimately prevailed last September. The judgment also applies to Trad.
Haven’t delved into the Trad outcome but the Carne case is interesting. The outcome seems about right. The key to the judgement to not allow the release of the report is that there were no adverse findings against Carne, the report detailed all the allegations (presumably discounted and proved false) that would unfairly fuel speculation. And since he was judged to have done nothing wrong, what justification could there be (except political point scoring) for its release.
The egregious con man mind in Walker Street can sniff a big taxpayer funded pay day. Perhaps he’s prefer to be paid in BitCoin, of which Thompson is a keen proponent according to posts on his FB page, which have been allowed to remain there. Very unusual for a bloke notoriously touchy about ‘false accusations’ if it is a hack.
Classic MyPlace drivel.
I think you meant ” . . . since he was judged to have done NOTHING wrong,
I did. Amended, thanks.
Troy is the first person I would turn to when seeking financial advice (here insert laughing emoji)
Will this do instead?
Since there has been many people glad to see Jenny leave, I wonder Magpie if a whistle blower has provided the new mayor with some information that he can use as leverage against the government and any enquiry by the so called independent CCC.
Not sure that makes any sense.
Barfly, are you suggesting Thompson is blackmailing the government and the CCC?
No. Not at all Ducky.
He can however make a public disclosure under the The Public Interest Disclosure Act 2010.
Bahaha! What exactly are you suggesting he would be disclosing? The location of ice cream shops? How he doesn’t understand local government legislation despite attending training? That he’s tried to get council to employ his squeeze?
You know that it’s a fake profile right?
Probably, so it seems everything is fake about this grifter.
You do know this is fake. He’s got a fan account 3 fake accounts at last look, regardless, does bitcoin still exist?
It was a Magpie question, not a statement.
Hello tigers, so does anybody know what today’s special meeting was about?
Ya mom
Or benchod
Silly comment
No.
It was adjourned, it was about McCabes contract, but Rehbein, Batkovic weren’t there. Added, Thompson has serious legal options against McCabe, TCC, it would seem Magpie is right, Thompson may be in for a big pay day, or pay off.
About now, The Magpie figures whatever it costs, if only he’ll just please fuck off. If he stays around much longer, he’ll soon find that little bubble of politeness at carefully chosen functions might suddenly turn into some truth telling when he’s out and about.
The special meeting was to do with a ‘human resource’ issue. Maybe it’s to do with the recommendation of a new CEO, maybe an extension of Joe McCabe’s role for 12 months, or maybe something new to do with Troy Thompson. Who knows.
Well, a usually well informed Magpie contact says it was definitely to discuss McCabe’s contract being extended to 12 months. Joe didn’t attend the meeting, which would be expected of a CEO, so part of it was certainly about him. And the source says that what has happend.
From which one can conclude the applications for permanent positions aren’t coming in thick and fast from suitably qualified applicants
Probably just about sums it up.
I heard this morning that the Queen’s hotel sale has fallen over and the Land blocks at Pallarenda on hill are in Mortgagee possession , had anyone else heard this.?
Don’t know about the Queen’s Hotel but yes, Mark Tonge appears to be in strife with Magnetic Views … all the lying in the world by him (speaking in Tonges?) and the real estate folks hasn’t been able to save a development which features the most difficult building sites around. Now need to ask what of Tonge’s blustering about an ninternational hotel and other parts of the Hive development. Looks like we’ve had to suffer another Flash Harry developer from the south.
Two sources have told me that the Hive sale definitely not going to happen.
Who was the young lady on Mr Ryders arm at the strand, Suzys away, Dan will play! Seems old habits are hard to forget. Seems she was very familiar to people in RE area, do friends snuggle, I guess they do.
Not Jenny, you seem to be under the delusion that The Magpie was just flapping his beak when he said he banned personal nudge nudge wink wink snide suggestions of people uninvolved in serious issues. To repeat, such will not be published in The Nest. Families are a no-go area for your below-the-belt attacks , unless they have a direct effect on public interests. You’re either a sad little person or have a personal axe to grind re your target.
Go find a back fence or a front bar to spread your malicious gossip which is none of our – or your – business.