This bloke has more front than Myers, using the bait of up to 1000 jobs at a re-opened Yabulu if the government coughs up big bucks for his own wharf at Townsville Port. But this unscrupulous shyster doesn’t really need any taxpayer money, because he’s hiding a secret … a $4.48BILLION secret he hopes no one will notice. Bad luck, Clive, The ‘Pie is on to you.
BUS-ted! New statistics show Mayor Mullet’s astounding incompetence over wasted years that has set the city back immeasurably.
Now it’s Biffo’s turn – Chris Condon says he is seeking advice to possibly sue the AFP over his treatment regarding raids and the now-dropped charges against him. And a subsequent privacy breach suggests he has some reason to be miffed …
Making a saint out of a dead politician is tilting at an impossible windmill, but even before she’s in the ground, the unseemly hagiography of Senator Kim Kitching is in full swing. But it is all crass nonsense and outright bullshit, nothing more than a Murdoch-led smear campaign – ironically, targeting Labor for alleged treatment of one of its own.
Jenny’s lament: ‘We live is fear of being found out’. At least, that sounds like what she’s saying. But stats released this weekend have found her out anyway, big time.
Harpic squares off against the Bulletin … and leaves a couple of Magpie comments of forthright advice up on his FB page for a few hours before discovering and deleting them … chortle, chortle
And some from the week, one impressively serious message for the Russian people from the Terminator himself, Big Arnie, the others fun, including some fancy footwork that will mesmerise you.
Brief commercial break: Really, it’s more a public service announcement – if you agree That The Magpie’s Nest is a weekly service to the Townsville public, you can show your approval with a donation to help with associated blog costs. The donate button is at the end of the blog.
Now onward.
There’s A Tale To Tell In Them Thar Tailings
The fortunes of war can take are many things to many, from utter devastation, heartbreak and death to making unexpected billion dollar windfalls for those in the right place at the right time.
Enter stage left Fatty Palmer, doing a Gypsy Rose Lee and twirling an enticing leg through the stage curtain to whet the appetite,. In Palmer’s case, the metaphorical leg is the promise of 1000 jobs at a rejuvenated Yabulu nickel plant. But one can never accuse Palmer of altruism despite his goofy political ambitions, and it a pretty simple equation for him … to crank up the mouldering Yabulu nickel refinery again, which has been in a low level holding pattern since the 2016 closure, would certainly take an pretty hefty cash injection. But that’s basically a business ‘so what’? Because nickel, trading at $10,000 per tonne at Yabulu’s closure in 2016, hit $100,000 a tonne on the London Metal Exchange during the week. And savvy financial folks believe it won’t be tanking any time soon, thanks to that nice Mr Putin. But here’s the rub, as old Willy S used to say …. One of the reasons Palmer gave for Yabulu going tits up back then was his stalemate stoush with the Townsville Port over conditions of access for his imports of the raw material from New Caledonia and exports of the processed nickel.
The Townsville Port Authority (TPA) says it is now continuing negotiations on the issue. The problem with all this is that Palmer has shown he cannot be trusted to act responsibly towards the community or the state (or the country for that matter) … the state is in this case in the TPA.
All this raises two theories.
Could this all be an elaborate political ploy in this election year, considering Palmer is fielding his own cackling chook house full of freak-show candidates? Could he be dangling out non-existent goodies in the form of jobs, just to eventually say the Palaszczuk Government has forced him to nix re-opening plans because they wouldn’t give him a suitable port deal? A re-opening he never really intended in the first place, and insisted on unacceptable terms?
But there’s another more intriguing scenario, and given the potential profits involved, the more likely one to have Palmer sweating in his Buzz Lightyear athletic support. No one in all this has said the ‘C’ word … no, not the 2016 ‘C’ word describing Palmer, but the 2022 one … Cobalt. Now someone has said it … the on-the-ball trade mag IQ Industry Queensland has let the cat bout of the bag.
Former QNI general manager, Orestes Triffilio told Industry Queensland in 2018 estimates ‘point to a resource of 56,000 to 70,000 tonnes of cobalt and 216,000 to 270,000 tonnes of nickel in on-site tailings’. At the time, Mr Triffilo estimated nickel and cobalt tailings were worth an estimated $8 billion, with cobalt then trading at $50K per tonne. ..Now cobalt is now trading for $US80,000/t. Even in 2018, Mr Triffilo said the resource was ’way north of being profitable’.
There is now a process to recover it. So it is estimated that $700-$800 million injection of capital would be needed to build a processing plant producing about 20,000 tonnes of nickel and 5000 tonnes of cobalt a year on the existing Yabulu site, he said at the time. You do the maths. If successfully implemented, Mr Tiffilo believed the process would help address the refinery’s environmental legacy, by reducing the amount of tailings and creating a green by-product.
So would you believe it, if Palmer goes ahead with a re-opening and the new processing facility, he’ll have the Greenies on side too!
Amazing how the baser instincts of the money hungry can have unintended beneficial side effects.
But the question remains: can we trust Clive Palmer’s word … and his private motives? Townsville is still gun shy of this bloke and his blusterings.
Chris Condon Says He Is looking At Suing The AFP
The latest police cock-up looks very much like adding insult to injury.
Biffo, as the fight promoting businessman who runs the Townsville showgrounds is known in The Nest, reckons he just might dook it out in court with the feds, unhappy with the treatment and the consequences he has suffered for no apparent reason.
The AFP raided the showgrounds offices in April 2020, but it wasn’t until months later Condon was charged with fraudulently applying for Commonwealth grant funding. This matter went through the legal process and remained listed for hearing on March 3rd this year. Then, two weeks ago, on Wednesday March 2, the charges were suddenly dropped, with no explanation given – except for the obvious unstated reason the Feds had no evidence to back up the charge made more than a year and a half previously from an investigation two years ago.
Inspector Closeu, eat your heart out.
Somewhat understandably, Condon was filthy about all this, furious that ‘my life’s been put on hold for no reason, they run it out, and run it out, and try to send me broke’.
But then, seemingly to inadvertently add insult to injury, Condon received this letter which he sent to The Magpie.
So there has now been a breach of privacy on top of all of what could reasonably been seen as a fishing expedition. Condon added a note:’ They raided eight properties in all this, one being that of my 86-year-old mother in the middle of the Covid pandemic.’
There will be those that will accuse The Magpie of being a cheerleader for Condon, but he is merely keeping score. And that’s important, because if we as society give police this wide ranging powers, you’d kinda think that at nine fruitless tries, they would have had something that would stick. Unless there is some unstated agenda.
So here’s the interesting aspect. When the Feds clumped into the showground offices, a a raid based on information not made public, they were basically looking for documents, but look what they turned up … a .22 calibre Manurhin semiautomatic pistol, two silencers and ammunition. Condon has been duly charged with their possession for not having the required paperwork, charges to which he has pleaded not guilty. A stroke of luck, eh, looking for some financial naughtiness and – gosh – turning up a weapon and ammo? Whoda thort?
We’ll see how this turns on when the matter returns to court, first mention in what will no doubt be a long-drawn out process will be in Magistrate’s Court on April 22 … exactly two years after the initial discovery.
When the grandly named Townsville Bus Hub – actually a few glorified and far from weather-proof bus shelters in Ogden Street – was opened in May 2019, Clr Ann-Maree Greaney wittered inanely ‘this Bus Hub will be a key driver of bringing people into the CBD’. nWell, as it turns out, about the only people this ill-conceived piece of civic irresponsibility brings into the city are the bus drivers.
Today, we learn something that must have been known years ago, numbers like this do not just happen overnight.
The obvious and abject failure this project promised was predicted on more than one occasion in this blog, a poorly researched, cack-handed and politically motivated attempt at social engineering that was from the start a fantasy. But then desperation set in, and Mayor Mullet sweet talked the well-meaning builder Martin Locke into creating the City Arcade, linked directly to the Bus stops, a venture being based on traffic from the Bus Hub doomed to failure. Again, all totally predictable if one was not in the blind thrall of desperate political point scoring. It would seem Mr Locke h]may have done his arse and if he can’t find someone onto which unload the Jenny inspired white elephant …. This was the impossible dream …
… but that was the opening night crowd of free loaders hoeing into the free nibbles and grog. The grim reality is at last count, according the Shari Tagliabue in this weekend’s Astonisher, just one shop occupied.
The mayor’s slapdash, back-of-an-envelope economics, deeply mired in the Labor ethos of wishful thinking, has added disaster on disaster to the CBD, to numerous other projects around the city and is on display with the Lansdown Hub-In-The-Scrub.
But hey, not my fault, says Jenny, it’s the rules that made me do it. This from comments on Thursday. Looking as tired as the CBD, our mayor blamed the Belcarra anti-corruption measures for our stalled progress back towards prosperity.
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Submitted on 2022/03/17 at 12:24 pmFrozen by fear of being caught no doubt. And this from the woman who fought tooth and nail to successfully keep secret the aborted under-the-table deal she did with Guatam Adani and the Wagner family that was to provide $18.5m of Townsville ratepayers money for an airstrip near the Carmichael mine, 400kms from Townsville, – an airstrip we would not own, that we would lease back, and pay the Wagners operating fees. Thank nGod for this woman’s incompetence at even shonky backroom deals, which is why it all went tits up.
Also worth noting that InQueensland, generally a pretty good news site, is part owned by the LGAQ, on which Jenny Hill is a board member … and one of their stated aims is to remove a lot of the Belcarra safeguards against corruption. |
Gosh, being a wise old taking on the burden of shining civic leadership really does wear one down. Don’t worry Jen, you’ll feel better when you retire. So will we.
Is There Industrial trouble Looming For The City Council?
Two interesting comments dropped into The Nest during the week. We will just have to wait to see how it pans out, and if there is going to be a city-wide stink – literally.
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Submitted on 2022/03/17 at 3:53 pm | In reply to The Magpie.Yeah well the cow doesn’t mind giving herself and the rest of the aerobics class in the chamber a payrise every year but wants to tell us workers there’s not much money in the budget for us. How can she be tired with all that money. Just a tip off to you all looks like CFMEU have struck a deal not to take strike action against this pathetic pay offer but I’m hearing the garbos aren’t happy so are very close to walking out. From what I’ve heard CFMEU got what they wanted for there members and said bad luck for the rest. I was told when I started in council that everything is ok until the garbos go out then you know there’s a real problem. I will attempt to find out more. Hill can suffer as far as I’m concerned | ||
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Submitted on 2022/03/17 at 6:32 pmI work at parks and gardens magpie. We all have to vote on the eba around 8th April. Expect a walkout around then. I’m hoping the garbage drivers kick it off and leave the city to stink. You said earlier the ceo and mayor fighting, well she wished for it and she got it. Our service schedule is fucked because she wanted to get rid of people with the knowledge and experience after the tyrell council. We are ready to down everything. | ||
And Here’s a Little Grind From The Magpie’s Informed Rumour Mill
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Submitted on 2022/03/17 at 12:18 pmI’m definitely hearing internally that there is some major friction between stinky Prins and the Mullet. She is pissed that local services are absolute shit and she wants team Prins to deliver some robust outcomes. However old mate Prins is pissed because he reckons he has already delivered robust financially outcomes (supposedly) and kept staff numbers lean. Both are annoyed at the bad publicity they are receiving online on Facebook, blogs and staff whispering to all and sundry about TCC’s problems. Both Mr Stinky and Mullet are pointing the finger of blame at each other and neither of them want to blink in this stare-off. Personally, I see it this way – you have complete dickheads running our City. |
But Hey, Go Easy On Prince Ralston, He’s Been Busy
Rumour his his latest move to streamline the council is to crack down on any tropical casulkaness among his executive. CEO Ralston believes it’s high time Townsville moved with the times, and stayed on the upward curve of international trends. He’s been busy working on new dress rules for his upper level male colleagues, he wants to spruce them up a bit . The ‘Pie has had an exclusive preview of how The Prince intends to to smarten up his executive ranks … of course, a unisex look is a must, so he intends wearing the latest style from New York as an example.
Now To The National Scene, And Our PM’s Tight Grip On Matters
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Submitted on 2022/03/18 at 11:30 amOur future is in safe hands. Should China attack us, Scott Morrison will immediately retaliate … and bomb New Zealand. |
But There’s Some Good News For The Government
an absolute cracker https://t.co/EmavlaGYP2
— Josh Bornstein (@JoshBBornstein) March 18, 2022
Rupert Plays Pope – Orders The Sainthood of A Dead Politician
The Murdoch media has been expected to pull all sorts of stunts as it tries to get Scomo back into the Lodge, but no one was quite expected the sewer depths of using the early death of Labor Senator Kimberley Kitching (she was 52) as a weapon against her fellow party colleagues. And despite the blanket coverage, it is, quite simply, all bullshit. And is slowly being exposed as such. It thinly disguised under a veneer of anti-bullying and fem-on-fem victimisation, but it is nothing more than a partisan smear by a desperate mogul trying to keep his favourite in power.
Among the worst maudlin efforts was this embarrassing Mills and Boon offering from Mrs Beetrooter in the weekend Astonisher.
This piece of overwrought juvenile nonsense started out:
… it didn’t get any better, in fact, stayed on a steep downward trajectory to twaddle until it reached a rock bottom, teeth grinding ending:
As Sam Goldwyn so famously said, there wasn’t a dry seat in the house.
But when a hoked up callous idea is combined with atrocious writing like this, it is simply enraging. But The Magpie was already fed up with the crass subterfuge, and had posted this on Friday. in reply to some timorous questioning of his less than adoring view of the dead senator.
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Submitted on 2022/03/18 at 11:29 pm | In reply to Polythene Pam.Kitching’s taste for brutal political maneuverings in her Victorian Party circles have been well documented and you can easily google them – especially her campaign to get the party’s nod to stand for the senate.
As you probably know, The ‘Pie doesn’t read The Australian – can’t afford it – so have little idea what their line is. But if similar to other News Ltd mastheads, Courier, Advertiser, Tele etc, the twaddle about bullying killing her, and any effort to paint her in a good light – possibly partly deserved – is really more a campaign to paint Wong, Gallagher and Kenneally in a bad light, because of the Murdoch anti-Labor edict across the corporation. As for other politicians from both sides piling in, well, what can none say, except they are, well, politicians. |
And on Saturday, this:
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Submitted on 2022/03/19 at 9:39 am | In reply to Polythene PamAnd the new day brings you a reality check. It appears The Magpie’s summation is shared to varying degrees by others far more perceptive than this old bird. Guy Rundle in Crikey for one…
and Michelle Grattan in The New Daily:
In summation, putting aside as we must in this sort of public discourse that any early death is doubly regrettable, Kimberley Kitching was the primary school bully who got her comeuppance when she moved on to high school and started to play with the big boys and girls. This bullying bullshit is all a construct of the far right’s campaign strategy, and hypocritically based on behaviour they would – and probably do – sanction within their own party. To pinch that great closing line from Chinatown ...‘Come away, Jake, it’s only Canberratown’. |
Harpic Backs Himself Against The Bulletin
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Submitted on 2022/03/15 at 11:41 am | In reply to Mike Douglas.Just to make sure we all get the point, here is Aaron’s foaming attack on the Bulletin, the local paper which has had the temerity to criticise a publicly elected representative for non-performance. Aaron dummy spit attracted two comments from The Magpie, which stayed up for a while before Harpic finally saw them and hit the delete button. I like the last one best.
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Fox News In A Nutshell
He actually said this, and it is a clear indication of how American standards have fallen that he is still alive. Along with a few other notable traitorous idiots.
By contrast, here is an impressive video being secretly spread into Russia by clever means to let the average Russian know the truth about the war against the Ukraine. It is from a familiar face, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and it’s a bit long, but compelling: maybe come back to it when you’ve got 10 minutes later on, if interested.
This guy should run for office. A smart, savvy, and powerful message. https://t.co/IOVpbzIsrn
— David Corn (@DavidCornDC) March 17, 2022
But the American gallery is again dominated by The Ukraine, and the economic affects in the USA.
To end This week, After All The Grimness, Let’s Lighten Up A Bit
For the computer hesitant, here’s something that may help you choose the typeface for your emails.
…..
The ‘Pie has just discovered a super funny and very engaging American comic, going by the name K-von. This a 20 minute or so clip, because The ‘Pie doesn’t know yet how to select bits out of vids. But for one the funniest gags well told, roll through to 1.18, it goes to 2.19, so it’s just a minute. But if you like this bloke’s style, watch the whole thing for some great laughs.
And finally, apropos absolutely nothing but visual enjoyment, try this from a couple of nimble footed chaps, the Gardiner Brothers. The ‘Pie has no idea what it’s about, but he’s a sucker for this sort of syncopation. Enjoy.
…………….
Another week down, and the political landscape is hotting up … and so is the comments section, join in and have your say. That elusive donate button is below (just sayin’, bit of help is needed).
Front page Townsville Bulletin 27th May 2021 “Council Crime plan ” Critical plan to protect the community . Shouldnt the Councillors be focused on Community security , water security ( Haughton stage 2 still short $110 mil State funding required in 2022/23 ) financial security in the Council meeting this week . Instead Council (who cant manage their staff during COVID , cancelling projects ,bring in contractors , $79m budget blow out pipeline ) keep the City maintained are voting to be developers on projects worth hundreds of million $ . Central Coast NSW Council was put into administration over $89 mil debt forcing administrators to raise rates 15 % to pay debt . Team Hill Councillors its up to you .
I think they should bring the administrators into TCC. This will remove the councillors directing short term crap projects instead of the longer term direction/investment. Highlight the lack of focus on core business. Make a couple of execs to walk the plank etcn for incompetence The other advantage is that some of locals can learn the difference between basic affordable services and gold plated expectations. The administrators don’t care out being elected. They just to open the books and clean up the mess
Good analysis, but the fact must be made that there is only one shot-caller on the elected council, some of the other councillors would soon fall into line and become more sensible and productive under enlightened leadership.
Putin is losing the war
Its true that Russian missiles levelled a de facto NATO training facility near Lviv killing hundreds and recently destroyed millions of dollars of NATO weaponry. Then you got 60,000 Ukrainian troops bottled up in the east, no food, no logistics. Hasn’t putin seen our news telling him he is losing ??
Is that you Bob?
Will this happen in QLD ?
Comment on the SA election with apologies to the Australian
The just voted out Premier of SA now finds himself in the same position as the Romans in Monty Python’s life of Brian.
Apart from stabilizing the energy supply, cutting power and water bills, reducing payroll and land tax, slashing the emergency services levy, and seeing Adelaide voted the most liveable city in Australia,
what did Marshall ever do for SA?
Unlikely to happen in Qld. Voters are voting at state levels on federal issues. They have done for some time. IMO Crisafulli is unlikely to win. Not because Anna is running a corrupt government or because the public can see through his pandering on popularist issues; but because Morrison is a dead horse.
Townsville Port Authority (TPA) hasn’t been that for a long time. Now it is port of Downsville Limited (PODL) or something similar.
I thought it was Port of Clownsville, if a Blowen newspaper from a few decades ago is to be believed!
The entitled elite aka Cowboys reps in resplendent clobber waiting to board flight to Townsville must be exempt from wearing masks .. arrogant arseholes .. Not eating .. but just sitting in common area with masks on chins .. struck this before whilst on board .. little better than the schoolboys first thirteen
Correction .to last post . heading to cairns .. many badges on their uniform .. brothers, cowboys, other sponsors .. feeder perhaps .. still same theme .. bad behaviour bad look for all those badged .. they just don’t give a flying .. f
Mr. Pie, while his Liberal mates are getting their asses kicked in the South Australian election, our illustrious Prime Minister is waving a scarf around at a Sharks game in Sydney.
What a man!
Nay…what a leader!
And EXACTLY what is wrong with that Elusive Caterpillar? It’s the weekend, a team Morrison supports and he’s having a little down time. Look forward to your reply.
PS Caterpillar, how’d your placard waving protest go at the TB, re your ‘disgust’ with last week’s story on the girls???
It’s Ok Plucker, he would rather see his mate AnAl wearing his mask with a Wabbitoes insignia printed on it, I bet Private Cupcake will be in the paper next week now that the Cowboys won, and good on them, telling us how he has stopped the crime cycle with a photo and a backdrop of the stadium he built.
Given the shining insincerity of the man, it’s a fair bet he actually hates rugby league … but there’s lots of cameras about for cut away shots.
It’s quite well known that he’s a lifelong rugby union supporter who adopted league as a branding exercise.
Feel free to provide some proof for that claim Steve. I have little time for Scomo but, as far as I know, he has been a longstanding and genuine supporter of the Cronulla Sharks
The ‘Pie will let you two dook it out on that crucial issue, but a thing The ‘Pie realised over the weekend, with the season start of all codes now in full swing … let’s call it CFF Celebrity Fan Fallout.
CFF happens when someone high profile, particularly in politics, declares an allegiance to a sporting team or personality. The ‘Pie realised that his former total indifference to Cronulla had turned to a desire for them to lose … because a person for whom he has no respect is seen to be such an ardent fan. The first time this happened was with the Western Bulldogs AFL team … The ‘Pie’s hexing sentiments was directed at the team because their number one ticket holder was the then PM Julia Gillard, occasionally seen at games in the club colours. At the time, The ‘Pie was no fan of her or the Canberra shenanigans of the era. Similarly, surf lifesavers all suddenly had a brown stain on their Speedos because of Tony Wingnut when PM. Of course it can … and is often intended … to work the other way. Who doesn’t love , or at least admire the down-to-earth Russell Crowe and harbour a smidgin of support for South Sydney when not playing their own team. And of course, no beef against St Kilda and the genuine club grief at the passing of the passionate supporter Shane Warne.
This is a nightmare when it comes to soccer, the most ethnically and viciously divided club scene in Australia, so much so that in a futile attempt to change image, the game’s poohbahs forced clubs to drop words like ‘Croatia’ and ‘Italia’ from their names … all to no avail, the ethnic roots were unshaken and well known. But a pollie like AnAl – who in the NRL a proven genuinely staunch Rabbitohs man – faces a dilemma when it comes to declaring an affinity to any soccer club, which will be expected given his electorate. Back a certain club and get their votes but lose all the others in the remaining clubs. Or refuse to make a choice and be seen as a snowflake, and possibly lose even more votes.
We even have a prime example locally. Although there’s a momentary twinge when the likes of the three stooges or the mayor use the Cowboys to cynically boost their image, nothing beats the reputational damage suffered by the V8 SuperPests than the expensive (for ratepayers) support of Mayor Jenny Hill. If widening the appeal beyond dedicated hardcore rev heads was the aim, it has sure missed the mark if dwindling crowd numbers are anything to go by (and what else is there to go by). Our leadfoot Mayor Mullet has done for the V8 image in Townsville what Krispy Kreme has done for the fight against obesity.
“ ScoMo’s love for the Cronulla Sharks conveniently only came after he won preselection for Cook — an electoral division that, of course, includes Cronulla — and moved to the Shire”
https://junkee.com/scott-morrison-rugby-afl-teams/309077
And, Mr. Pie, I bet the scarf he was waving…so vigorously for the cameras, was made in our apparent arch enemy’s country…CHINA!
What a hypocrite!
Get a life Elusive Caterpillar! Can we assume that you have been through all possessions in your home and disposed of everything that was made China, or has a link to China? I very much doubt it! Whose the hypocrite?? Nonsensical comment is the best description for this one from you!
Me thinks the irony is lost on you, Mr. Plucker.
Why am I not surprised?
Reading your story on Clive Palmer negotiating with the Port, a couple of things occur to me.
If the proposal is just to process the existing tailings, then it is not necessary to import ore. The only requirement is to export 25,000 tons of refined nickel and cobalt metal per year. That is only one small ship per year- in fact you could export that much on a single freight train going South to another port.
I could be wrong, but it sounds like the Townsville Port is pretty irrelevant to this proposal.
No it’s not and you’ve misinterpreted The Magpie’s yarn … rebooting the nickel operation will always be the motivation if it ever happens, The ‘Pie was just making the point that relatively new technology now gives access to considerable riches existing in the tails.
This may have changed now but the original plan was to sell off the tailings to a third party. The tailings would be screened and boxed up to be refined elsewhere.
Another shed was to but put up near the tailings dams to hold the operation.
QNI and this third party couldn’t agree on a price so the scheme was scrapped.
Consultants brought in to assess the tailings found the return rate to be “marginal”
based on prices at the time.
Only mentioning this as I hear people telling fairy stories such as: the tailings are worth “billions” and “hundreds of jobs” are to be had.
Fair information, but are you implying, if you are downgrading the value of the tails, that the estimated tonnages are wrong? This is an important point, not anything to with Scrooge McPalmer but everything to do sith the environment, at peril if a major cyclone hits.
By the way, a friend intimate with the Palmer money making machine made this sobering comment the other day: ” Every day when Palmer wakes up, he is one million dollars richer overnight, all for doing nothing.’
The licence to the technology that can process the QNI tailings is exclusively licenced within 100km of Townsville, so it’s useless to Mr Palmer.
Interesting but don’t quite get what your saying … what does “exclusively licenced within 100km of Townsville’ mean and why does that exclude Fatty from the scene?
The metals refinery in Lansdowne has an agreement with the company that Mr Trifallio works for which gives them exclusive licence within 100km of Townsville for the only known economic process that can handle the tailings. You can debate whether it’s practical to ship these tailings somewhere else and process them there. I don’t think Clive has the nouse to achieve it.
That’s a strange caveat to have on such a narrow focussed speciality process. Sounds like deliberate targeting of Yabulu, which isn’t much comfort to Townsville facing the possibility of a major environmental disaster should the tailings dams be hit in a cyclone – which is highly likely at any time in the season. And no use saying Clive should clean it up himself … any move to force that he would be sure – in true form – to hold up in the courts for years. Unless Pacific Metals or whoever you’re referring to would like to be good citizens for our Jenny and process the tailings for Fatty … at a price, of course.
My comment was based on discussions just before the plant was shut down. The recovery margins were too fine for the parties to come to an agreement but commodity prices may now make it viable.
There was never an option to process the tailings on site.
There was never going to be so many extra jobs, despite the hoo ha at the time.
At one stage, a process plant was to be built on Mill Road, though I understand opposition from locals and environmental concerns (flooding) put a stop to that.
While we sit here in Townsville knocking Palmer, is anybody going to speak up about the threats made by Glencore to lay of 600 workers in their restructuring plan, after they coerced the Queensland State Labor government in giving them $23m to rebrick their furnace, when Palmer at the time of the nickel refinery’s closure had asked for the same assistance.
Just when you think the Mullet can’t get any more hypocritical, she surprises.
On Monday she is fronting the media with AnAl and Ringo, banging on about how the ALP has agreed to fund Lansdowne.
Thompson in response say the government still hasn’t been given any details.
At the Chamber Debate the next day, Ringo admits that he had been provided the Lansdown Master plan.
So The Div 10 Councillor and the Federal Government have not been provided the Masterplan, but the unelected candidate for the ALP has been given it.
What a farce.
Everybody knows I worked at Qld Nickel way before Clive in 94-95. Working on the then in house day crew and shift burner operator in the 330 area roasters as well as doing shut downs , 340 area leaching plant (those big tanks of aqua ammonia) and helping with explosive blasting down the back.
It was a run down rust bucket of a shit hole then , and it’s a run down shithole now.
That place needs to be wiped off the map and be rehabilitated before it’s wiped off the map by bigger cyclones and rehabilitated at public expense. But not before it poisons everything.
People can either use Google satellite or go up to the lookouts to see how close Townsvilles refineries tailings dams are to the bay. We have to stop putting stupid things in stupid places knowing that we are going to have to pay to clean it up like Port Hinchinbrook .
I mean , what’s next , a big development in the cyclone storm surge zone in the conservation park at Palleranda? No wait, that sounds a little silly to market something like that.
The problem with trying to resurrect industrial process is that more often not EVERYTHING was old when it was originally closed. Stuff might not have been installed or maintained properly for its entire life. When I worked at a copper refinery for example I discovered the all holy server/ comms unit was wisely on the same circuit as the kitchen meaning that the brain was teetering on being knocked out if the toaster flaked out. Apart from things like rust and things being seized into place anything electrical / electronic will go kaput a few years after being left dormant. There’s little to no spares.
You’d be better off building a new smaller, functional metal refining unit, it would be easier, faster to build than monolithic plant. If we assume the ukraine conflict will continue we can assume further materiale from Russia and its fellow travellers will no longer be arriving and mineral prices will sky-rocket making a small plant viable.
Australian industry suffers thanks to its incompetent “managers” – they drive billions of dollars of industrial process into the dirt. I worked at one place where the supervisor spent all his time looking at funny emails instead of the VAST array of equipment falling/ fallen into disrepair. Australian industry suffers from zero leadership, zero practical training, zero true safety measures – nothing seems to work properly and anyone that knows anything has left. In this environment you have a concentration of the most noxious elements of humanity with zero esprit de Corp – as a result more things start going wrong because any sane person has gone.
The most glaring blind spot of all Australian industrial management is NO PLAN B – what happens if something goes wrong ? It’s across the board private and public. The lack of understanding and lack of action has already led Australia into a place where things are getting worse. It’s a long story and it just makes people angry.
You’ve been warned.
Have you been asleep for 20 years, Guy?
Hi Pie
Anybody hear about the big Ruckus in Flinders st in the area near city lane on Saturday night , my son was walking home from Cowboy’s game and said cops came from everywhere there was even one desk Jockey cop run out of the station in Stanley St and told my son he hadn’t been out of Station for about 18mths on the beat, my son said to him what’s happening a fight and cop said no it was worse than that and said I can’t tell you but you will read about it in the Bulletin on Monday!
Nothing I can see in the local rag today, or were the reporters still at the football?
Anyone? Was there a riot when Mayor Mullet attempted to do a public rendition of the Dance of the Seven Army Surplus Blankets?
Problem was she wanted to do it in reverse order………now there’s a sight to behold…
https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/future-seq/city-deal-18b-in-south-east-qld-infrastructure-announced-by-pm-premier/news-story/41f79fc96a3b446323095f69dc2197ea%3famp
Premier Palaszczuck has now waved through 1.8b in City Deal projects for SE QLD after holding them up for 3 years insisting they were a bad deal for QLD.
That leaves the 195m in City Deal projects announced by Phil Thompson as the only ones left to be approved! What a farce, Townsville missing out while these muppets still play politics. Give Townsville it’s fair share immediately.
And just think of the prospect of Phil Thompson being the member for Herbert but on the opposition bench.
ALP are the bookies favourite to win, and win with a majority Government – https://www.tab.com.au/sports/betting/Politics/competitions/Australian%20Federal%20Politics
When Labor and Phil win, you’ll find Townsville will disappear from the collective consciousness of Canberra and Brisbane, as will Northern Australia
Youwill find the exact same result if the Libs win.
But The ‘Pie is tentatively forecasting a parliament … certainly a senate, at the mercy of some sort coalition of fancy dress fringe fruitcakes.
A bit late with that prophesy Pie, the fruit cakes are, and have been well ensconced in the plush of the ‘Ville and Brisbane and Canberra and the US and the UK Parliaments. WE the People are no longer represented.
Do we actually still believe that we have a Democracy? We only get a choice of candidates foisted upon us by the weirdo’s freaks and other losers who have greased their way to the executive committees.
Welcome to 1984
We all got lazy.
Achilles, old mate, we the people are well and truly represented by the fruitcakes, weirdos, freaks and other losers about whom you whinge and whine every chance you get.
Are you suggesting that such a gaggle are NOT worth whinging about?
Yes Magpie, I am saying the weirdos and fruitcakes are us. From Ma Kelley to Elusive Butterfly, from me to Achilles, from Ole Tradie to Cantankerous, we couldn’t run a piss-up in a brewery (or laundromat) let alone select from amongst ourselves or our collective offspring, mates or neighbours a half-decent candidate to represent us at any level of politics. With centuries of experience between us we can only demonstrate that we haven’t got a clue. We will elect Ding or Ling and regret it, whining and whingeing about the other fuckwits in the electorate who made it happen. Talk about “losers”.
Then The Magpie is at your service. As you know, the old bird talks with difficulty and mostly not at all, so would make a refreshing change as a candidate. Might romp in on the basis of what he DIDN’T say.
Townsville gets more than its fair share. It just gets pissed away by the likes of Jenny. Besides if you really read the City Deal you would know it doesn’t commit to anything. No committment at any level of government.
How far away can we be from the Townsville Council appointing Mobile Arse-Wiping Flying Squad?
“Too much trouble to wipe your own bum … no probs, the TCC is here to help, just call 286HOLE, and our ‘One ring for a clean ring’ officer will be with you before you have a brown-out.”
This is nothing more than spending ratepayers funds on election campaign ahead of time … the concept is total bullshit, a self-interested ‘feel good’ exercise spread out across many divisions (bet Division 10 got SFA, or did it?).
Check out this load of old cobblers from the council website, a diversionary tactic appealing for people to continue to hold out the hand for public funds for things that have absolutely nothing to do with the Townsville City Council. And would only take a bit of organisation, hardly any money.
https://www.townsville.qld.gov.au/about-townsville/living-in-townsville/being-neighbourly#:~:text=Neighbour%20Day%20is%20Sunday%2027,Connecting%20Communities%20for%2020%20years‘.
Do they think we are a city of morons, which 95% of us are not? Have we now reached the low moral point that we have to be directed by authorities to be a community, to be at the very least tolerant if not friendly neighbours? Do we now need public money and/or goods to bond with others in the street or neighbourhood, something Aussies have always done? It was this traditional and inbred Aussie social melding that, after a rocky first couple of decades after WW11, made us the most successful multi-cultural melting pot in the world. That includes Maltesers, BTW, Mayor.
But now we have a poorly performing council telling us things like this:
You can make a positive difference in our community
• Be kind – think of others, consider your actions, show compassion
• Reach out – call your neighbours and loved ones
• Show support – especially to the elderly, vulnerable and isolated
• Share information – make sure it’s from credible sources
We have to be told this? FFS? Fucking REALLY?!? Oh, but wait, there is even fiucking more. On the TCC site, we get this patronising, list of childish intructions.
Here are some hints on how to be a good neighbour:
Get to know your neighbours
• Introduce yourself to your neighbours
• Invite your neighbour to a barbecue or morning tea
• Make an effort to familiarise yourself with your neighbour’s lifestyle, such as their hours of work or whether they are out of town a lot for work
Help your neighbours
• Try to assist your neighbour/s, especially the elderly, with anything they might struggle with, such as bringing in their bin on rubbish day, or collecting their newspaper for them
• Help your neighbours out with dog walking or collect their mail when they go away
• Keep an eye on your neighbour’s property when they are out of town
Be considerate of your neighbours
• Consider your neighbours when you play loud music, operate power tools or complete renovations on your property
• Be responsible for visitors to your property
• Ensure you adhere to local noise and environmental pollution laws
Be a Responsible Pet Owner
• Consider others when leaving your pet at home for long periods of time
• Ensure your pets are securely locked in your yard when you are not at home
• Register your pets with Council
For more information visit Be a Responsible Pet Owner webpage.
Maintain your home
• Keep your garden tidy and ensure trees on the fence line are kept trimmed away from neighbouring properties
• If you have a pool, keep it clean and ensure fencing meets government guidelines
Participate in your community
• Host a Neighbours’ Party in your street as a way of getting to know your neighbours. Download the Neighbours Party Kit to help you plan your event
• Get together with your neighbours and prepare your street for the disaster season
• Hold a combined garage sale to get rid of excess clutter in your street – why not sign up for the Garage Sale Trail?
Neighbours Party Kit? Keep your garden tidy? Help elderly neighbours put out the wheelie bin or – the most unlikely event of all … fetch the paper for them.?
The bottom line is that those to have to be told to behave like this aren’t going to take one bit of notice, anti-social elements will not be responding to authoritarian edicts from a council, especially a wholly disrespected council mired in political intrigue and rorting hidden agendas. Who can’t even maintain their own obligation of public tidiness?
What a bunch of imbeciles, TCC have become. How fucking embarrassing. For them to spend our money on this crap is totally unacceptable. This is a misuse of ratepayer money. We vote these fucksticks in so that they will provide and budget monies for operational works for parks, some roads, infrastructure, utilities, and business development. That’s where the money should be spent, not on motherhood statements and on a Council to ‘breastfeed us’ with this shite. You complete losers. Mullet, you’ve lost the plot. Seriously. What an utter load of tosh. Not even Elusive Caterpillar or NMD would support this bollocks.
How much was the grant? how many pizza’s were ordered and where from?
And you wonder why we can’t get a decent payrise when this is how council spending is used. This isn’t the only waste that TCC does. But we are told that there’s not much of a money pool after expenses, said our overpaid ceo.
Steve/Stevie of BG! Where are ‘ya? We’re missing you gazing into the dryer and gyrating to the spin cycle of the washing machines. Come along and get ironed out with me and the team! See you soon. Ma
Ma, I’m here. I’ve been busy behind the scenes drumming up support for Labor for the upcoming federal election. Lots of work to be done. I did come down to the laundromat last week and I removed most of the lint from the machine filters too.
Aww no you didn’t Steve/Stevie, full of spin you naughty person! We have CCTV!!
Oh dear, CCTV. In that case, you would have seen me wearing my cheesecloth singlet and leather chaps! I was actually using the heavy duty washing machine to clean my poodles bed blankets. You know how scared I am when it comes to getting dog fur in my own washing machine.
Cheesecloth singlet and leather chaps? That’s a radical change from ther last pic we have you heading off to the laundrette.
Steve , i saw some of your handy work in your daily column Townsville Bulletin trying to accuse Phil Thompson of using $47,000 of tax payers $ on billboards when you would know it would be from declared donations . Interesting you claim Jenny Hill spends 0 on advertising which is possible when you have the benefit of using the Councils marketing team to put your face on most communication and hog TV , radio , print .
Are you sure all the billboards are paid for by donations? The $42,000 was Facebook ads alone.
Steve while you are out campaigning can you ask Ringo the dingo why he won’t publicly declare if he agrees to not change the age of criminality from 10 to 14 years of age, which was what came out of the Labor convention as policy, and tell them to remove that stupid yellow Mediscare corflute opposite the Ross Island pub.
The PM announces a $1.8b government infrastructure splurge for SE Qld including $450m for a Brisbane bus stop and $15m for a Cairns tourism boost. Perhaps our Phil needs to give Scott a call?
So a $195m windfall isn’t enough for you? Oh, diddums, some others get a bigger ice cream than you. You sum up the venal greedy aspect that has pervaded Townsville and its politics for decades. It’s clear you’re trying for a free kick at the coalition, and god knows there’s enough ammo in that locker, so why the fuck would you pick this, which just makes you look small minded and wrong-headedly parochial? Why not instead start beating down on Olympic show jumper Anna Palaszczuk for chasing an Olympic Games whose short term gain will inevitably when massive social loss in the longer term … especially for regional places like Townsville.
AnAl is in trouble in his hometown with top rating breakfast radio show 2GB going for the throat.
AnAl’s not going to like listening to this audio https://www.2gb.com/ben-fordham-calls-out-anthony-albaneses-double-standards-amid-bullying-allegations/
Anthony Albanese’s double standards on bullying are coming home to bit him on the arse.
This one-sided, totally and distastefully orchestrated bullshit is the Murdoch storm troopers in full regalia, their shields of shining hypocrisy glinting in the self-manufactured sun of false virtue signalling. The news mastheads, Sky Mis-News and affiliated radio rating-hungry dumb clucks who will say anything for a ratings point, have all piled on to this tissue-thin misogynistic blindly partisan analysis of Canberra politics. All even before a woman who died of a heart attack and nothing else was in the ground. But there was method in the heinous haste, because the anti-Labor sentiment could be amplified if the attack wasn’t delayed by any decency for the dead, because the false message could be overlayed with emotional scenes of the funeral and mourners. For The ‘Pie, that all came undone when Andrew Landeryou, one of the nastiest backstage political backstabbers in Australian politics, dishonored his late wife (Kimbo, for Christ’s sake!!) by joining in the attack from the funeral pulpit. This neatly neutralised any small attempt to eulogise whatever achievements … and there were some … that Kimberly Kitching managed when alive. This is nothing to do with Albanese or even Labor for that matter, because the Coalition shrinks from too close of a look at their own behaviour, at all costs diverting attention away from women in their ranks and their staff, and over Christian Porter etc. etc.
Ikf this bullying argument have started this Tuesday morning, The Magpie would probably have a different take on the whole matter, but the timing of a desperate Prime Minister and his puppet master Murdoch is simply disgusting.
And just when you thought the cesspit couldn’t get more noisome …
Magpie, the Australian Citizen’s Party virtually wrote your lines for you today:
“Politics is a nasty business, especially inside the major parties, where power trumps principles and factions war over who will wield it.
It is also supremely hypocritical, and the most supreme hypocrisy is Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s shameless politicking over allegations of bullying in the Labor Party, against the late Senator Kimberley Kitching.
Morrison is desperate, staring down the barrel of an emphatic electoral defeat at the hands of Australians who’ve had enough of his nastiness, evidenced in his gleeful mistreatment of desperate refugees and his abuse of Christine Holgate, his slavish subservience to the banks and callous disregard for their victims, and his pathological reluctance to “hold a hose”— to assist communities in crisis.
He is grasping at the Kimberley Kitching allegations to save his own political hide, but hypocrites shouldn’t live in glass houses.
She. Can. Go!
The most public bullying incident in Australian political history was when Morrison publicly monstered Christine Holgate, a non-politician, on the national stage of Parliament’s Question Time.
Ironically, the ammunition he used against Holgate was provided by Kimberley Kitching, who had ambushed her a few hours earlier in Senate Estimates over Cartier watches bought in 2018—two years before the ambush.
The worst part of the ambush was that Kitching and the relevant government ministers knew the watches were associated with something that was undeniably good: the banking deal that Christine Holgate and her team of executives had landed after intense negotiations, in which three of the Big Four banks had agreed to pay an extra $220 million for their customers being able to do their banking at post offices.”
“The most public bullying incident in Australian political history was when Morrison publicly monstered Christine Holgate’???
Are they forgetting ‘Ditch The Witch’, applauded and encouraged by those in power at the time?
2GB are part of a publicly listed company Nine Entertainment ASX code NEC, with no links to the Murdochs? They own newspapers that compete head on with News Ltd – Sydney Morning Herald, The Age etc.
I think this is more about Labor factional in fighting rather than some ScoMo cunning plan.
It was never Scomo’s cunning plan, it was Rupert’s, and as low as it is, has a clever component of getting the sisterhood at each other’s throats. And as for the non-rivalry b you fantasise about, the MS media has that mythical lemming instinct, rushing headlong after a story to be seen to up to date and relevant – refusing to jump into the cess pool mis never an option nowadays.
Peter Costello is chair of Nine though
That’s true, although even indirect interference by the chair in editorial matters is highly unlikely, given the fierce and sometimes courageous independence of the journalists at the Age, SMH and FR. They recently forced the SMH editor to reverse an edict that the NSW rail stoppage was a ‘strike’, when it was clearly a government anti-union shutdown. If Costello stuck his patrician beak into anything except the tea lady, they would go ballistic. Not sure what the tea lady would do.(‘Just ask for two lumps, Mr Costello, you don’t have to show me.’)
Pie , I think you need to get a second opinion on your above statement as all the discussions are coming from Labor itself.
As a regrettably necessary defensive reaction to a beat-up started by the Murdoch anti-Labor brigade. They’ve been somewhat wedged between a bullshit story and knowing that mud sticks, even when it is clearly mud. And don’t mistake The ‘Pie’s protestation as those of a Labor barracker … The ‘Pie is a barracker only for some decency for a dead person. But as an observer, it is fair nro say that the haste of the attack shows that Smirko (and Rupert) believe he is on the skids, and some sort of brake be applied … even if that means throwing a recently deceased body under the sled.
As usual, the devil is in the detail regarding the infrastructure ‘splurge’ that Scotty from Marketing has announced. Most of that money will go towards improving infrastructure for the SE, in preparation for the Olympic Games. Only a couple of crumbs will land elsewhere. Very little of that money will be spent on other Queensland towns. Then there is the additional taxpayer wasted money that Anna will be blowing on an outdated, nonsensical, pointless 2 week event called the Olympics. Its fucking criminal that our money is spent on such folly. An absolute disgrace. How about water and road upgrades for any location between Gympie and Cairns for starters? Of course, we all know that those sorts of projects don’t have shiny baubles or attractive ribbons attached to them. Instead the Government likes to spend big on glossy looking projects (the Mullet knows all about that). With all the billions that the Government has thrown at everything from submarines to preventing reef bleaching, you would think these dumbfucks would spend up on the Bruce Goat track, the lifeline of the North, which gets flooded and is responsible for dozens of deaths annually, along with delayed freight movements and the like. That’s where we need some of this money spent.
Rollmop, in the December Mid year budget review the Coalition announced a cash splurge for marginal seats including (from the Guardian):
Queensland projects to be funded include:
$316.1m for the Coomera to Nerang connector
$243.1m for projects along the Bruce highway corridor
$29.3m for the Bowen Basin service link Walkerston bypass
Chicken feed I s’pose.
Addled, $290m for the northern projects is indeed chicken feed, you are correct, when compared to the other billions gifted to the the SE, AND when compared to the shithouse Bruce Goat track between Gympie and Cairns (excluding your beloved Bowen project). The Highway, quite simply, is third rate, is third world shit. But as for your lauded idol, Mayor Mullet, all she can afford to do is put a tin shed on a hill and have the street sweepers keep her street and Prins street nice and clean.
GBS quotes fits the bill …..
The longer I live, the more convinced am I that this planet is used by other planets as a lunatic asylum.
He knows nothing and thinks he knows everything. That points clearly to a political career.
Anyone who aspires to politics, by that very aspiration disqualifies himself.
From what?
Ideology, delusion, self opinion, pure arrogance; as opposed to ability and competence,
In your opinion I may be “small minded and wrong-headedly parochial” but according to comments by “GST SHAM” on 21/3 the $195m has not been approved. As for not “beating down” on Anna, I’ll leave that to yourself or others, if so inclined.
Some of it has already been allocated, committed and/or spent. just not splashy, big ticket items.
But perhaps The ‘Pie is in error calling you ‘parochial': the fact that you’re an Olympics booster and the clear subsequent state-wide damage it will cause, shows you’re not parochial … just another Labor kneeler.
I can’t believe that I agree with Pat, but Fat boy Palmers Flabbyloo refinery truly is a pile of rusted shit. I cannot see how Migaloo Palmer would be allowed to reactivate the rust bucket to process anything other than dirty water and rust. Ol Migaloo would be drooling over Nickel prices more than he drools over a slice of cheesecake or a big greasy burger. Forget it Fat boy, your rusted shack would require many many millions be spent on renovating the heap of shit before it can be fired up again. It ain’t going to happen any time soon.
Don’t insult us migaloo. We aren’t all fat fuckers, we’re just white.
All this kerfuffle about about Senator Kitching’s death is breath-taking!
Obviously, Mr. Pie, it was Covid-related, just like a multitude of suspect deaths in this country over the past two years!
Highly insensitive, appalling and ridiculous remarks Elusive Caterpillar. You need medical help, seek it. On one hand you regularly write about the TB and are incensed by some of their articles, on the other you make savage remarks like this!
IMO you are either mentally disturbed, or a rabid attention seeker, or both………
Chortle, wheeze … glass houses and all that, Plucker.
Well you’d know all about glass houses old mate Pie!
Why?
Come on Old Bird you’re slipping.
What’s the story on the CEO at a local council, cannot believe Nesters are missing this news?
Not sure what you’re referring to, but there is a comment floating around in here somewhere about The Impaler Adele Young being booted from the Palm Council. But you seem to know what you’re talking about, why are you being a.smartarse and withholding the goodies. Or are you just a miffed Astonisher stenogr … er, reporter?
A
Hell’s Gate? Hell, No, Says Katter.
‘The Government’s Hells Gate funding model will destroy the future and the potential of the of the region.’
Prime Minister ‘led down the garden path by out-of-control bureaucrats’.
KENNEDY MP, Bob Katter is opposed to the proposal of a low-level dam at the Hells Gates site (less than 395m above sea level), with irrigation on unreliable basalt rock country beside the upper Burdekin River, for which the Prime Minister has announced $5.4B in funding.[1]
Mr Katter said the proposal drawn up by Townsville Enterprise (TEL) and SMEC, works against Dr Bradfield’s dream, which has been a long-held ambition of the Australian people, to send the water west via channels to irrigate the rich black soils of inland Queensland.
“The TEL/SMEC irrigation scheme would only irrigate 50 to 60-thousand hectares, whereas building the dam at 395m above sea level would allow 130-thousand hectares of irrigation for industrial purposes like ethanol and algae production, timber, cattle-fattening, petrol and energy production,” Mr Katter said. ‘We will only support Hells Gate if it is built at or above 390m above sea level, as proposed in the revised and long-awaited Bradfield scheme.’
“A dam of that size would allow the water to be sent west via channels to the plains of promise at Pentland, where there is a break in the Great Dividing Range, and further west,” Mr Katter said. And a dam at that height means the water can also be sent to Townsville via a gravity-fed-pipeline, which would create hydroelectricity and provide urban and industrial water for Townsville.
“Under the TEL/SMEC proposal, sending water to Townsville will be very costly and talking about pumped-hydro in North Queensland is a disastrous idea as we do not have the peak load demand.
Mr Katter said he didn’t want to condemn the PM who has been led down the garden path by out-of-control bureaucrats pushing a scheme, in its proposed state, that would do little for North Queensland.
“The Prime Minister thinks he’s pushing a proposal that develops North Queensland when actually it destroys the future and potential of the region. The current proposal would create one-hundred farms. What would that do for Townsville when there are already more than one-thousand farms in Hinchinbrook and the Burdekin?” he said.
“Last year, the Deputy Prime Minister rightly said the water should go west, and he was completely ignored and defied by TEL, SMEC, and the bureaucrats.[3] Bradfield stage one has been turned into a small dam scheme.
Mr Katter said landowners and cattlemen along the Upper Burdekin River would put up one hell of a fight opposing the TEL/SMEC scheme.
“They won’t be taking the water and land off the station owners,” he said.
“They tried that with the Singapore army deal, and they lost. They’ll be in for a fight they’ve never seen.
“The Federal Government should do the right thing and build the dam to 390m above sea level and send the water west, as was always proposed by Dr Bradfield.”
AND … AHEM … about that funding promise.
Scott Morrison: “The $5.4bn commitment to get Hells Gates Dam off the ground is a guarantee the government will build the project along the upper Burdekin River, subject to final stage of the business case, after decades of talk.”
If that doesn’t sound like a get out of jail card after the election, nothing does.
…. an d this:
Federal government to fully fund Hells Gates Dam, pending business case | Townsville Bulletin
Townsville Bulletin
The PM is funding the wrong sort of dam and will be the greatest fuckup since Eric the Thick ordered 3000 Viking helmets with the horns on the wrong side. He needs to listen to Bob Katter. This time Bob is talking good sense.
When is Bob Katter at his most infuriating? WHEN HE’S RIGHT!
Infuriating because when he’s spouted so much flapdoodle on all sorts of issues (‘no gays on NQ’ et al), believing him when he’s right, as in this instance, is unlikely to get the traction it deserves.
And what’s that old saying about people not knowing history’s mistakes are bound to repeat them. A close read of the half-way Burdekin Dam project would be instructive, and this looks EXACTLY the same.
I note with great mirth Mr. Pie, that the Bulletin’s “gun” reporter Caitlan Charles has claimed the Hells Gates project story as her “Exclusive.”
Ms. Charles, whose journalistic skills are even worse than Morrison’s honesty, and the ignorant Editor, should, next time, refer to the Oxford’s definition of “exclusive”…
“an item or story published or broadcast by only one source.”
It’s a wonder they didn’t use their favourite canard ‘Exclusively Revealed’.
Although it may be a little bit interesting to see what the Impaler has been up to this time, probably more out of curiosity rather than importance, her relevance is…….irrelevant. She is just another bully who will never last long in the one place due to being an outright asshole. Her career has slipped from bad to worse, as with each job she takes she she slips further into the shit pool. Her next gig will likely be CEO of her own consultancy because nobody wants to hire the douchebag.
One thing that hasn’t slipped yet is her income, and by now, she’s scammed enough to retire to the Labor back room and do some long distance stabbing (if Nous is any example, that’s what consultancies are for).
Oh deary me, Pastor Scott Morrison’s mentor and close friend, Brian Houston, has resigned from Hillshlong. It appears that Pastor Brian has been placing those healing hands on women other than his wife. Naughty boy. I’m sure Morrison will say a few garbled prayers for poor Brian who will now have to live off of the tens of millions of dollars he extracted from his faithful and deluded flock. Tsk tsk what a terrible day, not.
Praise the Lord!!
Indeed sir. The Lord maketh and then the Lord taketh. It would appear thy Lord is making Hillshlong a safer place of worship for innocent females. Amen.
They may still fear the hand of God touching them, but at least it won’t be the fickle finger of fate, as delivered via their pastor.
Scummo ANNOUNCES a new Dam. Well, what’s wrong with that? It is not like he will actually have to build it.
And it is not the dam that Townsville or Nth Qld needs. Who the hell did Scomo consult?
Phillip Thompson, there is an election coming soon and you have bugger-all time to fix this fuck-up. Best get your skates on!
It did not go unnoticed that the Dudley Do Nothing aka TEL were prominently mentioned.’Nuff said.
Yes Pie, TEL is gearing up to get their grubby hands on some of that $5.4 billion via more studies, environmental and business cases.
Can somebody from TEL or state government or SunWater tell us what is happening with BFD2.
No bullshit please, just a logical explanation.
How many times over how many decades can the same thing be announced and the same funding commitment made before polite society realizes it is the ultimate in recycling? Asking for a (doona wearing) friend.
A great champion publicly and a great champion personally.
She is retiring for the unusual reason THAT SHE WANTS TO. Time is right, she says, and with more than $10m in the kitty, a wise and rational decision for an intelligent and mature 25-year-old with a wonderful life ahead of her.
The fact that she’s one of the few heterosexual females on tour, (not a criticism, just a fact) and she no doubts wants a family was part of the decision.
Good on her, and thanks for the wonderful memories, Ms Barty.
More than $10M in the bank is a sleight understatement as reports indicate winnings of $23M ! Yep, there’s airfares, accomodation etc not to mention coach’s fee but that’s just a prize money figure. Endorsements and sponsorships well and truly surpass that figure and why not ? This woman is not only a champion sportsperson but a a champion human being from all accounts ! Enjoy Ash, you deserve !
Surely Magpie, the completely unsubstantiated “fact” that she’s one of the few heterosexual females on tour is about as relevant as the fact that she has two legs and one head? After all, the non-heterosexual women could equally want to have families.
A totally predictable comment. But the others aren’t number 1, aren’t 25, and most certainly do not have $20m + and a life time of endorsements ahead of them. And besides – and again this just a statement of the obvious – given the gruelling seasons players undertake, the lifestyle is more suited to that lifestyle choice. If they want a family, then that would generally mean two people have to retire.
But that’s the end of this thread, let’s not detract from the Barty Party with fevered huffing and puffing.
PS Pie, I can see it as awaiting approval, but it’s DEFINITELY not me!!!
You really are twerp, Plucka … all comments are scanned by The ‘Pie before they are posted, and cannot be seen until they are, so how can you see a comment before it is published to claim it’s not you?
The two other comments, both from you no matter how much you deny it, were never published and have been deleted – and would’ve been anyway, because, true to your form, they were just abuse with no point.
Wake up, mate. Running close to the wind. This is a site for grown-ups, not little dipsticks in big boys pants.
Pie in all honesty they WERE NOT from me at all. I don’t know what’s going on, but they are NOT me Malcolm!!!
Ok, so we have someone playing silly buggers and trying to disrupt the blog comment threads. So from now on, a reply or original raising of an issue will need to be relevant to the news cycle, reasonably intelligent (not too much, I mean, c’mon!) or just witty (highly unlikely in The ‘Pie’s experience), and not unreasonably abusive, it’ll get published whatever the name. Afraid the price of liberty is eternally suffering dim fuckwittery.
Otherwise, we may have to revert to the blog’s original system, and have commenters receive a code number which must accompany comments, the code being deleted before publication. But hardly seems worth the bother nowadays. The ‘pie is aware there are a handful of commenters who use multiple names already.
P’raps everyone should identify using GBS’s Ghoti as a Kosher ID? Its only about 25 letters.
Thanks, just what The ‘Pie needs for a quiet life … always something fishy about your comments, Heel.
Did someone mention fish???
Speaking of fuckwittery, has anyone else read TEL’s “Unlock The North 2022’ glossy brochure yet? What a load of meaningless shit. Pages of glossy pictures containing fantasies about excellence, development and future proofing. I cannot believe that our rates money pays for all of this claptrap, and pays for the salaries of the imbeciles that run TEL.
Here’s the unasked question … who are the target for this flapdoodle? Where does this nonsense go, what eyes are sought? Are these glossies a desperate attempt at self-justification for the total lack of meaningful KPIs on various projects?
Exactly mate. It’s all ‘glossies’, to quote the Pie. No measurables, no KPI’s, quite simply – no substance. And all of this is supported by TCC. This brochure is a pamphlet filled with motherhood statements and bureaucratic language (wankery). Embarrassing……
It appears to be partisan electioneering.
Don’t disrespect partisans.
Why not? Being a partisan automatically means you are disrespecting partisans on the other side.
The others are terrorist scum, we are partisan freedom fighters.
With that I’m off to the rubberty for a cleaning ale.
Have a glass of the Old White Infuriator Pinot to work you up a bit more.
Such a small headline for such good news.
From The New Daily this morning.
SPACE FORCE: Dutton shares grand plans to go beyond Earth
If he’s got room, The Magpie has a suggested passenger list.
Well, Darth Dutton already looks like E.T so perhaps he is hoping to hitch a ride back into outa space where he belongs?
And Magpie, I’m surprised that you didn’t indulge in a sly joke about ‘Uranus’!!
No surprise, always try to do original nstuff and avoid tired old crap … like the sort that comes out of Uranus.
Grumpy is good-looking, highly intelligent and a marvellous person to be with.
Modest,too.
Could someone make a local version of this… like Bin the Mullet
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/mar/23/sales-of-anti-pm-stickers-surge-after-council-threatens-rubbish-services
Gotta love that weasley, squirming line from the Hornsby Council (Mayor? One Phillip Ruddock!) that: The Hornsby council is not opposed to free speech in any way and that residents were able to display signage on private property, and covering parts of bins could lead to confusion. Council takes its commitment to collect residents’ waste very seriously and wants to avoid any situation where this could be prevented,” the spokesperson said.
The argument is that if there’s a political flyer pasted on bins, garbo’s could become confused and not empty bins.
Suggestion: if you feel that is the case (which it is NOT) introduce stronger IQ and cognitive tests for garbos to recognise wheelie bins.
A RAT IN THE RANKS. Why Albanese is right not to call for a ‘bullying investigation.’
Img src=”https://www.townsvillemagpie.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-24-at-9.28.19-am.png” />
Over the past week, The Magpie has been taken to task by a few folks who took exception to his view that Kimberley Kitching was no victim or angel being put down by a ‘mean girls’ cabal to the point of suffering a bullying death. That’s complete rot and now is shown to be exactly that … more likely to be, as they say in the army, ‘self-inflicted wounds’.
None of these folks touched on the disgusting use of her death and funeral for political smear fodder. The ‘Pie’s view of Kitching, based on her factional in-fighting history in Victoria, has now been vindicated, supporting the view that the late senator died of a heart attack brought on by, if anything non-medical, her own antics in Canberra. If this link doesn’t open, here are some salient points from the whip smart political journo Niki Savva in the SMH/Brisbane Times.
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/federal/the-kitching-saga-is-one-stoush-the-pm-should-have-resisted-20220323-p5a71a.html?utm_content=in_other_news&list_name=E781F65B-4AD0-46C3-AD8C-AB155AB228E0&promote_channel=edmail&utm_campaign=am-bt&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_term=2022-03-24&mbnr=MTI3Njc3NTA&instance=2022-03-24-08-56-AEST&jobid=29373252
As well as being smart and ambitious, Kitching was a tough player who revelled in political intrigue, making enemies as easily as she made friends. She loved the nickname “Mata Hari” bestowed on her by a Labor MP, a mate, who admired her for not toeing the line, who also warned her to be careful she did not cross that line.
He reckons she never complained to him about her treatment, except that she wanted to be restored to Labor’s Senate tactics committee, from which she had been dismissed. “She was tough, she didn’t want people holding her hand,” he said. “She didn’t ask anyone to feel sorry for her.”
Kitching lost the trust of many on her own side. She was suspected of leaking and undermining colleagues, not only by briefing media – so far Chris Uhlmann and Andrew Bolt have publicly revealed Kitching told them she was concerned Wong would be weak on China – but Coalition MPs, former Liberal Party officials and even senior staff in the Prime Minister’s office.
Politicians leak. And they do have friends across the aisle. But the breadth and depth of hers fed the distrust. The crunch came in June last year when then defence minister Linda Reynolds said in Senate estimates she had been forewarned by a Labor senator she would face questioning over the alleged rape of former staffer Brittany Higgins.
In private meetings later, to prove she was not making it up, Reynolds went so far as to produce for Wong, Gallagher and Keneally, video footage from the Senate chamber showing Kitching approaching her months before in early February before prayers. Reynolds told them this was when Kitching first told her the tactics committee had discussed it and planned to weaponise the alleged rape.
Reynolds also showed them subsequent text messages she had received from Kitching effectively confirming their initial conversation.
The matter had not been discussed in tactics, something Reynolds later accepted, so Kitching’s leak was actually not true. This was a sackable offence in anyone’s language. Kitching was dropped from tactics. Fearing ongoing leaks to their opponents or media, it was no wonder they restricted her access and contact with her.
NO IT IS NOT, BULLETIN.
Pivotal means ‘determining, decisive, deciding’. And ‘Gets Go Ahead?’ Like it was going to have angry councillors storming out in protest?
This is simply the obsequious council toadies voting to approve and release to the public a ‘business masterplan’ that the mayor has jack-booted through the process to get the nod from her aerobics class.
It would be real news if they hadn’t approved its release.
Even Mayor Mullet in the article indicates that it is no more than just a kite-flying wish list.
“There is no doubt this is important in terms of seeking funding support. I’m hopeful that the state government, looking at what QPM (Queensland Pacific Metals), for example, can deliver, and then what Edify (Energy) can deliver into the precinct, (the state government) will come on board,” Cr Hill said.
(What, no mention of Magnis Energy? She then seems to make it clear that the unicorn battery factory is a dead duck.))
“We’ve got at least two proponents who have already given us a timetable that they really want to be in the precinct before the end of 2023, so their business cases are obviously stacking up with their investors,” Cr Hill said.
‘Seeking’, ’hopeful’, also ‘nice if the Feds and the state government came on board’? Those sentiments from the mayor herself sink any fanciful idea that this TCC approval of a masterplan is ‘pivotal’.
BTW, this Lansdown outline has been now upped from a one-page glossy brochure to 595 pages … the summary alone is 16 pages. Division 10 Clr Fran O’Callaghan voted against it because she said councillors hadn’t been given time to read such a huge document. Since none of the other councillors agreed with her, one assumes they have all read every word of it. I mean, goodness, they wouldn’t just take Jenny’s word for it, would they?
Like fuck they wouldn’t.
Meanwhile, down in Rocky, the talking has stopped and the work started … (sigh)
TEL will jump on the coattails of the Fed announcement about the dam and they will milk it to death. I can’t wait til Phil Thompson is elected as he will bang a few more nails into Jenny Hills coffin.
Well the mayor can stop worrying about her Lansdowne eco hub and start to worry about her immediate workforce that does the actual job of a council. Today the services union rejected the pay offer from TCC. Waste employees will follow along with parks and gardens. What tho idiot of a mayor and her ceo don’t realise is that we all know there’s money to give us a decent pay rise. And she knows that over the last 5years there hasn’t been a significant rise either. So to the labor defenders coming on here saying we have it good, get fucked!! She’s been symphoning money that was collected from ratepayers to service the city but not handing that money to us to do the job. Oh yes we’ve had rates freeze and kept rates low, how about the more then 15% increase of utilities over 5years that nobody looks at. Great smoke screen hill. We are fighting for a decent rise because nothing has been given to us for what we do for a long time to line hills nest of fuck ups. So when you see us looking for a high figure it’s because we haven’t even kept up with inflation. Where’s the collected money hill ????? Don’t blame Covid because everyone still paid rates and she actually cut services during last 2 years so there’s more money hidden somewhere. Looks like couple unpaid days off soon.
I just did a bit of calculating on my rates since 2017 to compare recent notices. I’m not sure if it’s just my area or if it’s different in other parts of town. Eba says utility changes went up 15%. Mine only went up 10.5% roughly. So either way that’s a big increase while the mayor was telling us that she’s keeping rates low. I did notice my general rates change kept with her advertising of rates freeze but she never said how much utilities would rise. So my question is if utilities went up 10% plus, and the workforce wants a payrise in conjunction, where did the 10% go?? I would expect that every entry on utilities would go to that department e.g. water/waste won’t pay for a road rebuild would it? Something doesn’t add up to me with this. Definitely a hidden rates rise that I never thought about looking at. Anyone else compared there’s to see if it’s just me?
Forget the Ukraine. Worry about the deal that the Solomon Islands has just struck with China, allowing troops, warships and military aircraft to be based there. Guadalcanal is just 1800 Km as the crow (or cruise missile) flies from Lavarack. Tulagi offers the best deep-water harbour in the South Pacific.
As someone who in a previous cloth deployed there I think it if pursued will end in violence and possible fragmentation of the provinces from Guadalcanal putting Australia between a rock & a hard place.
People there are tribal but trust Chinese (rightly or wrongly) even less than us.
Dave, I grew up there from the late 50s to the late 70s. Whenever the locals had a gripe, they would saunter down to Chinatown and loot and burn until kai time. I was there in 2019 and the average Solomon Islander detests the Chinese. However, they are all in for the main chance. Honiara is full of modern buildings, built by the Chinese and suspiciously looking like military barracks – one only a couple of hundred metres from the Australian Embassy. The hotel I stayed in had the PRC flag flying out the front. We are in deep trouble.
Mr. Pie, I cannot believe that this habitual liar is actually our Prime Minister!
The Guardian reports today:
“Morrison said that he now attended a Pentecostal church in his own community, ShireLive, and that “I haven’t been at Hillsong now for about 15 years”.”
“Morrison attended the opening session of the Hillsong annual conference shortly after the May federal election, (in 2019) where Morrison stood on stage (FOR 15 MINUTES) with Houston (Hillsong’s naughty boy) and called for more love and more prayer to embody “the amazing love of God”.”
Sorry Phil…can’t vote for you, mate, because that would be a vote for a lying, abhorrent, religious fanatic.
Put bluntly…a lunatic!
Seems that Cholesterol Clive and Vladimir Putin have things in common. Should one of CC members get elected they will not be representing their electorate but representing old Cholesterol himself.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-24/uap-former-candidate-tim-banfield-likens-party-to-communism/100935240
The Storm In A Tea Cup Du Jour.
Liberal MP Wendy Lovell has been swamped with criticism for saying this during a speech on homelessness.
But is she wrong? Or should we have some public housing on Yarrawonga? Or the more expensive streets in, say, Mt Louisa, or Fairfield Waters? Should developers be obligated by law to include several plots in new developments for social housing? Remember, in this state, it is a social engineering Labor Government that chooses where ‘social housing ‘ is located. Do they weaponise it as a political tactic?
That’s the cat.
And the current opposition is as elitist as they come on this issue, and will argue market forces and property forces trump high end public housing placements.
That’s the dog, and The Magpie has thrown them into the comment cage … go!!.
(Only respectfully stated comments will be posted … rabid dribblers stay away.)
The current Opposition might be “as elitist as they come” on public housing but they also probably have a policy. The question is, what is their policy? D. Crisafulli would have been all over this when he was Minister for Local Government in the Newman government. They must have something.
They certainly must, why not ask them? The ‘Pie can’t do everything for you, citizen journalist.
One word Mr. Pie…Snob!
I was born and bred in Brighton and didn’t give a shit about whether the other children I was playing cricket, or kicking a football with at the local park, went to a public or a high school.
In fact, as the years wore on, I was jealous of the high schoolers cause they had girls at their schools!
Septic comments from the ex-Shepperton newsagent owner…Full Of Shit!
Somewhere in all that in-articulation, dear sir, you may have a point, but it is not what the children think. (The ‘Pie guesses you are a ‘sir’ because of the comment about school girls … unless from an early age, you were kicking with the other foot.
Oh Mr. Pie…your humour is only exceeded by your good looks!
My humour that bad, eh?
The Upper Ross was a good place when we purchased land and built the house. Well out of town, with a village feel about it. Then the bloody State Government inserted, like a pineapple up the rectum, a swag of ‘anti’ social housing. Go for a drive around the area. The grubs make the town dump neat by comparison. Some parts of the Upper Ross are ok, but other parts are the pits!
Good grief. The CEO of TEL has just come out and said that when it comes to UNESCO listing the Great Barrier Reef as “in danger” that then relies in local government bodies to manage impacts at a local level and that “asking a state or federal government to manage a global issue like climate change is not a realistic approach when it comes to the Gear Barrier Reef”. Jesus. She them goes on to talk about how good GBRMPA is, which if I recall is a Federal government body. Worse too, TEL has a workshop coming up called the “Green Energy futures forum”. Why do they care about green energy if they don’t care about climate change?
Frankly, The ‘Pie doubted what your said until he looked it up … and frankly and truthfully, he has not words immediately … this is truly flabbergasting and TEL really needs a reality check, but who is going to give one to them. This twaddle is simply astounding, and this mob should be cut off from public funding by the TCC, and all the regional councils they have gulled into donating tens of the thousands of dollars each year. The Queensland Tourism board should have a close look too, work out some KPIs and then also make a decision.
https://www.townsvilleenterprise.com.au/news-media/news-centre/world-s-best-reef-management-will-not-be-held-by-unesco-listing/
Pie, as you well know, when it comes to TEL there is no nonsense outside the realm of possibility with this lot. Every paid up member of TEL should be asking Ms BS what role she feels Govt should play when it comes to matters related to climate change. Perhaps she shares ScoMo’s view that such matters should be left up to “can do capitalism, not do nothing governments”. Jenny will be pleased. Quite the spot she’s put herself in.
The question that should be asked of ALL TEL members is simple: is this what you signed up for, why you pay your membership fees? And every Townsville ratepayer is entitled to ask the same question, given that they are the unasked enablers of this out and out unaccountable thieves of public money.
TEL is Jenny’s stalking horse, a rorter’s rort.
https://www.news.com.au/finance/work/leaders/anthony-albanese-cops-backlash-after-saying-men-cant-have-babies/news-story/ed3d7c9416a1c4c868d83a9bb63f3f38
He just got my vote!