… and the forced confession to the ASX of a complete business fucktangle in Townsville to raises very real questions about Jenny Hill’s duty of due diligence. And Magnis’s reasons sound like a re-run of a dozen Magpie columns over the past six years.
All round, it hasn’t been a good week for Mayor Mullet, even her former BFF Premier Alphabet gave her a political uppercut that helped further set back her Lansdown dreaming.
And her airstrip whisperer, ‘Gotem’ Adani has been ‘got’ himself, with a major global financial scandal looming to include the Abbot Point Terminal and the Carmichael mine.
And attention Bulletin ditherers: a quick sharp lesson in how a real newspaper handles a big story … the Northern Territory News shows that beneath the funny headlines and silly stories of quiet times, it still knows how to handle a real issue when it arises.
And advice for Albo on how to save an easy $50m plus: ditch the Voice referendum, it is clear it is never gunna fly – the indigenous Yes lobby continues blasting away at its feet. Including an hilarious take on the economic term ‘rent seeking’.
Plus lots of very funny miscellanea from the week to lighten us up a bit.
Big effort on a big blog this week. If you can lend a bit of financial support to defray costs and help towards the work-in-progress on a site upgrade, the donate button as at the bottom of the blog.
So, gum boots on and let’s splash around in this week puddle.
“The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same …”
Smart old froggy Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr was on to a timeless axiom when he said this is 1849, but looking at the current upheavals in Australia, Bentley has a slight twist to it.
seems Australia has always attracted undesirables and crims. But while old mate Benters is being mischievous, there is an underlying point here … the grifting indigenous power elite who hold tenuous sway over 3% of the population seem to want exactly that jokey scenario.
Why I Will Be Voting No To The Voice Unless Things Change
I’m sure I don’t speak just for myself when I say to these sanctimonious hypocrites that I will not be bullied into being denied my dignity and pride in being an Australian. I refused to bow down to the guillotine of guilt and frankly, this nonsense must stop. White Australian society has made many egregious mistakes, but it is that same white society that has battled to right those wrongs, in legislation and fair social attitudes.
But there is no give and take, no reciprocal recognition that restitution, both material and regulatory, has been happening for some decades now – it’s all one way traffic as far as the self-interested, self-entitled indigenous influencers, are concerned. No indication that there are deep cankers in aboriginal society that can no longer be lain at the feet of a white society so willing to seek change and seek fairness. The black power elite bitterly and resentfully refuses to do likewise, and instill a new generation with racist tropes. We are lectured by cut price social philosophers in the most bullying, accusatory tones that if we fail to put a Voice into the Constitution– meaning God only knows what, which will only be decided after the fact – we will irreparably divide our country forever. What twaddle, common sense would say exactly the opposite is true, and that is evidenced with the fractured elements of the indigenous community themselves. Many are insulted by and bitterly opposed the idea supposedly put forward on their behalf. All the tribes of South Australia have manage to bond on this single issue of a Voice and have told the state government in no uncertain terms of their opposition.
And then on Australia Day , we had some half-baked nitwit of a woman ending an totally incomprehensible speech with a shouted ‘THIS IS WAR’. A visit to the Ukraine would be instructive for this ratbag.
Like the rest of the electorate, I have not been told what I am being asked to vote for in the referendum, and that prevarication alone is enough for me … at this time … to be in the No camp. But there is another personal and admittedly judgemental reason to oppose the Voice if it not proposed in an unshakeable and binding fashion …. I simply do not trust the Pearsons, the Mansells, and the Langdons et al of the aboriginal industry’s power elite. Pearson’s honeyed words come across as sheer self-interest. These influencers foment an attitude among some that has culminated in the most absurd proposition imaginable …. that the ordinary Australian citizen pay rent – actual financial rent – to the aboriginal group who claim the area you live in as their land. And you pay it directly to the nominated group in their area, by-passing the government, and there will be no requirement for accountability. Pink pigs all lined up and ready for take-off … or perhaps pink iun. the wrong colour in this instance.
Perhaps my anger at this Voice proposal by people I regard as grifters who prey on their own ethnic group has not made me as coherent as I perhaps should be, so here is an article from The Spectator by a writer with whom I rarely if ever agree …. but he sums up in analytical indignation exactly how I and millions of others no doubt feel.
Two Observations About The Australia Day Bun Fight
First, the Hypocrite Award for Cynical Virtue Signalling must go to the head of Telstra, Vicky Brady.
Ms Brady gets the award on behalf of all those people who worked on Australia Day for companies who said they could take another day in lieu if they were ‘conflicted’ about the Australia/Invasion Day debate.
Ms Brady primly announced she would be in the office on January 26, ‘ … and I will be taking another day off instead’. Quite some moral conviction there, so easy not to discomfit yourself with any sacrifice to trumpet your beliefs.
The ‘Pie thinks we’d believe your sincerity a bit more if, on behalf of the downtrodden indigenous community, you actually worked on the day and DIDN’T take another day off at all. Because logic would say you are actually honouring Australia Day even if you work, because you will take another holiday when it suits you. ‘G’day Vicki, not at work today? ”No, this is my Australia Day holiday.’ ‘ Thought you disagreed with Australia Day?”Oh, I do, but I’m still going to have my day off for it’
The only other observation The Magpie has about this date issue is, yes, let’s call it Invasion Day on the 26th … then the victors can celebrate in the their usual fashion, and those who regard themselves as the vanquished can please themselves, you know, have a little march or something. declare war on. white society. But please, not two separate days, we’ve got enough bloody public holidays as it is.
Front Pages Of The Week
This is how it’s done … good combative journalism (sorry to confuse you, bully folk).
Mayor Mullet’s Protection Racket At The Bulletin Continues.
The paper’s incuriosity and lack of questions continues to be a shield in itself.
When Jenny Hill was batting her eyelids at the courting crook Frank Poullas, the name Magnis was splashed with abandon across the front pages of the Bulletin. All flummery, which the paper refused to go beyond the fanciful hopes and lies of our mayor and her glistening brylcreemed shyster mate. The debacle unfolded here in the Magpie’s Nest over several years, but still nothing of substances, not a single question to Walker Street, about the emerging dodginess of these oily scamsters.
Then, the day after Australia Day – this was surreptitiously released tucked away in the Magnis Quarterly report which is a mandatory requirement of the ASX.
As the alert Nester who spotted this commented:’Thank goodness for ASX disclosure laws.’ Indeed, or we might never have heard about it.
So when this came to light, surely the Townsville Bulletin, which has splashed story after parroted story over several years on the front and early pages of the paper, would express indignant outrage at this back flip?
Well, no … we got this … on page 61 of the Weekend Bulletin.
Although not originated by the Bulletin, even the headline tried to deflect from pull out. The paper made out that Mayor Mullet had come to her senses and nixed the Magnis debacle – ‘torpedoed’ was the word used. Whereas in fact Magnis rorter Frank Poullas had declined an offer to relocate (presumably to the SDA) as our business genius of Walker Street had unilaterally decided, for some reason, to concentrate on hydrogen production at Landsdown. Why the two industries were suddenly incompatible was nor explained or inquired into by our busted-arse paper.
maybe this is just Jenny’s way of ending this tragi-comedy of gullibility by seeming to sound authoritative. One wonders if she can now pull off a similar scenario to disguise the Flinders Street arcade sinkhole for ratepayer funds – still no tenants as of last report … after a couple of years.
Premier Palaszczuk Wasn’t Helping The Mayor’s Mood, Either.
Seems poor old Jenny was sidelined on the announcement of a definite commitment by Palaszczuk to a critical Minerals demonstration facility, and the Astonisher failed to seek comment from her. But it was Anna’s wonderful spin on a massive cost blow-out that got The Magpie’s attention. From comm ents at the time:
The Magpie
January 25, 2023 at 11:01 am (Edit)
Hahahahaha …. Nice try, Anna!!
The establishment of a Critical Minerals Demonstration Facility in Townsville is hardly new news, anything but, it was widely reported as far back as 2021. But today’s announcement is a sort of ‘Emperor Anna’s new clothes’ strategy, seeking that we don’t see the obvious – that this is a dressed up load of hoopla to try as shrug off a massive cost blow-out – from $10million to $75million. Tony Raggatt cautiously tip-toed around this with a single line in his article; “It builds on previous announcements where the government initially estimated the cost of a common-user facility would be at least $10m.”
Anna’s hapless media minders are hoping against hope for a double whammy – hoping the cost blow-out, a sop to the arch-whinger’s of the Minerals Resource Council will go through to the keeper with the public. And at the same time spread the news as wide as possible for hoping the good vibes of a few more jobs will halt the dissatisfaction with her government’s massive malfunction on other issues pissing off the electorate … hospitals, health, crime, critical housing shortages, a fucked Bruce Highway and the the looming Olympic debacle for the regions.
Hope against hope around this town, Anna. And The Magpie notes that you were at pains to avoid any mention of the word Lansdown. Now that omission could be a bit awkward over scones and a Fourex with Mayor Mullet … especially since this new ‘perfect fit’ for Lansdown is going to be built at the Stuart SDA near Sun Metals.
Here’s a question: looking at the way this announcement has been engineered, has the Queensland Government done some unrevealed polling that suggests we locals might be a tad pissed off with Jenny’s Lansdown adventure?
Especially when she can’t even manage the basics of the running the city competently?
Like This For Instance
A couple of week’s ago, some council workmen removed a steel fence from halfway up Leichhardt Street,and then buggered off, not to be seen again. So what, you say? Just that this is what’s there now.
A crumbling roadside with no footpath, and -now – an unimpeded and potentially fatal drop into the car park 10 or 15 metres below. All it needs now for the council to be in deep shit is momentarily distracted driver, hooning rev heads, a brake failure or kids with limited driving skills in stolen cars.
The ‘Pie usually reports these things, but let it slide because he was sure it would be attended to as a matter of urgency, such a dangerous situation surely wouldn’t be left like that? That was two weeks ago … and we’ve had buckets of rain since then.
Well, now Walker Street knows, let’s see what happens.
But At least The Mayor is consistent in one area.
Question Of The Week
Was the name of New Zealand’s new Prime Minister ‘Hopkins’ until the family moved to NZ?
The Astonisher Still Wrestles With Langwich
… but language seems to have in a deadly half nelson.
In this story, the headline talks of the premier’s backflip, but in the very first sentence of the story, we are told the Premier ‘doubled down’ on a previous statement, which means she maintained her previous position. And therefore didn’t ‘backflip’. Maybe they were fooled by the Premier wearing athletic looking joggers. But, hey, The ‘Pie shouldn’t be too harsh, it’s a bloody hard jop to get all them words right.
Back in the day, whoever did this would be on jopkeeper quick smart.
Mind you, the Courier had a moment, too, when it tried to be cute with English.\
Question: how do you become an experienced spinster? The Magpie somehow feels the words ‘experienced’ and ‘spinster’ are a little at odds,
The Kat’s Out Of The Bag … And Into The Public Purse..
| The Magpie c |
Submitted on 2023/01/26 at 1:42 pmAnd look what just dropped on a public holiday, when the parties hoped no one much was looking.The corks must popping in the extended Katter household, they will likely see private benefits of public money counted in the millions. No wonder the Mad Katter lobbied so hard in Canberra for public involvement. This is an investigatable rort on a Joh scale.
In April 2021, the AFR let the Kat out of the bag. The heart of the matter from the story: |
Oh Dear, The Company She Keeps
Pics from the past are often a problem … just ask our premier.
So what will the effect be on the Carmichael Mine? One of the investigator’s targets of the fraud is the Adani company controlling ports. Both the shipping terminal and the Adani Carmichael Mine are being looked at. Business columnist Elizabeth Knight writes in in the SMH ‘There must now be question marks over whether Australian governments did sufficient homework on the Adani empire.’
Wouldn’t be surprised if Anna wasnt soiling her dainties over this.
No Question, We Are Witnessing The Fall Of The American Empire
This one single image – the data is true, not made up – is the most chilling imaginable for a society that claims to be civilised.
And on the economic front, the predicted recession appears to be being held at bay, but the sideshow alley of Republicans deflects and drowns out the solid economic gains that President Biden has managed to make since taking office, all despite Republican attempts to derail vital programs.
It’s like watching a train wreck in slow motion.
In Closing …
The world was all atweet when this photo of an unusual cloud formation was spotted over a Turkish city.
There was no shortage of explanations and suggestions, but The Magpie can honestly say it been years …. long (sigh) long years since he’s seen anything like this.
But maybe God reveals herself to us on occasions, doesn’t she?
Of course, the unimaginative BBC folk just tutted and loftily commented that this was no biggy, merely a rare formation known as a lenticular cloud. Well, it sure ain’t testicular.
And finally, two items The ‘Pie includes simply because it really made him laugh for some reason … very inventive.
………………….
The ‘Pie is still snurffling over that last one as he writes this – but that’s it for a topsy turvey week, and comments have really hotted up across all sorts of subjects, have your say, they run 24/7. And any assistance you can give The Nest with a donation will be greatly appreciated, kinda needed around now.
Any clarity that Albos Townsville announcement $75 mil Hydrogen grants and the States Minerals $70 mil critical minerals demo hub is additional funding or the residue of Phil Thompsons remaining $150 mil from Haughton pipeline the Albanese Government agreed to continue as part of City Deals ? . Premier Palaszczuks ” empty tank ” moment was the live interview where she said ” everyone knows how well Townsvilles economy is going ” . Even Labor loyalists must be worried about the lack of comment or positive feedback on the many posts Aaron and Scott have got on the $ announced . Independent Councillor Fran O’callaghan shut down again in Council meeting this week by Mayor Hill trying to seek more details / transparency .
In your opening you refer to Hay Point Terminal and the Carmichael mine. You probably meant Abbot Point Terminal.
Whoops … thanks, amending now.
So a short seller who makes money when a stock price falls puts out a report that a company it has shorted is a shonky pack of bastards, and the gullible masses all pile in. This is a classic case of dogs fucking each other and anyone who derives any sort of moral position in the situation should give themselves an upper cut.
Don’t quite get you argument, Cankers. Does the manner of outing wrongdoing matter as much as the wrongdoing? BTW, Hindenburg took two years to collate all its information about Adani, it wasn’t a bright idea thought up over the third bottle of Chateau Margaux. And The Magpie has been reporting for more than four years about the sketchy multiple cases against Adani in various Asian countries and India.
And hey, we’re talking about the share market … morals are left at the door.
Exactly my point Pie, anyone who wants to disparage Adani should do so on the long list of credible media reports done on the company over many years, not wait until some other bottom dwelling low life’s release a report exactly timed and designed purely to make them selves money.
Take your point, But your just squirting urine into a southerly buster, mate, sad to say.
Cantankerous, are the “gullible masses” you refer to the media and spectators like us or they shareholders in Adani who believe the rumours put around by fellow shareholders and ‘pile out’?
Cankers is probably just dirty for losing money and didn’t sell when the report was released. Not being gullible and all.
Report is here –
https://hindenburgresearch.com/adani/
Nope didn’t lose a cent, seldom do, just amazed that otherwise intelligent and informed people suddenly decide to pile in behind well known fucking grubs of the world when they expose other grubs of the world.
Not sure your disdain of grubs exposing grubs is much of a moral argument, Cankers … disparaging the motive rather than the outcome is a tad weird.
In today’s Astonisher online edition we’re served up a 12-paragraph media release about $45.7 million in funding for Jenny Hill’s new Landsdown anchor project.
The story, sorry media release, is behind a paywall, but here’s a few pars so you get the drift:
“Townsville is one step closer to becoming a green hydrogen manufacturing and export hub after the German and Australian Governments committed $45.7 million in funding.
The millions are being funneled into the $400 million+ ‘EGH2’ project out at Woodstock, 45km from Townsville.
EGH2 will use solar panels to create green hydrogen before exporting the product via the Port of Townsville.
EGH2 is currently under construction at the Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct.”
Ironically the reporter who claimed a byline for this is one Daneka Hill.
Hope she’s not related to our Mayor because for some reason she forgot to get a comment from Jenny.
We can’t have that, so I’ll take the liberty of making a few comments on her behalf:
“This is wonderful news, coming hot on the heels of the collapse of my previous anchor project, the Magnis Battery Factory, which turned into a packing shed and has now disappeared completely. Happy days – I’ve found an immediate replacement!
“I know readers will be wondering what happened to the $3 million taxpayers donated to Magnis for a pre-feasibility study (don’t ask me what that is, I don’t have a clue). Well, I can assure you it was money well spent. I’ve got the beer coaster it was written on to show anyone who is interested, except that pesky Fran, of course.
“I also know people will be wondering where the water is coming from for this thirsty green hydrogen project and I’m pleased to announce that Townsville ratepayers will be paying for that, along with a host of other things I’ve donated to help get this project to the media release stage.”
What a small price to pay for saving face.
The drip feed last night release of videos of US police beating a black motorist to death, aroused some suspicion of pee-meditated mischief last night.
The initial report was fairly circumspect, then a couple of hours later a video is released which clearly shows the victim but not the aggressors. So assumptions were made that here we go again more violent anti-white race protests, which was exactly what happened, with all the usual placards and reactions.
But then hours later, long after the protests and riots were well under way, the full video is released showing the “offending police” who are all humongous black police officers.
The entire black lives matter movement was been triggered by police brutality and the protests have been about police brutality. The main problem is the culture of violence within the American police force.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/01/28/tyre-nichols-memphis-video/
It was announced days ago that the 5 police directly involved had been sacked and the accompanying pictures showed they were black.
Yes, the argument is more about police than race in this instance.
That’s very interesting; as I said, I watched it [on ABC] Saturday evening News and it definitely, was shown in piecemeal expanding increments.
Tnx NQG
If you don’t play Wordle, this will be meaningless to you … the idea is to guess a five letter word in six attempts. It’s a very clever version of the old ‘Battleships and Cruisers’ game of hit and miss. The ‘Pie plays every day since he started and generally gets the answer between 4 and 6 attempts. So was not a little astonished yesterday when I came up trumps first time.
Pure luck and extremely long odds, but of the 354 games played – averaging 92% – this is the third time this has happened for the old bird.
I wonder what a “trick-cyclist” would make of that????
Money. But in fact, there are strategies involving vowels to start with, and they can usually be covered in the first two tries (drain and mouse). Getting ‘r’ and ‘t’ in early usually helps.There are a few other tricks you learn the longer you play. The ‘Pie’s longest streak of success was 62 on the trot.
My longest streak was 174. The stress built up and it was a great relief when I crashed out. Never had a 1.
The ‘Pie hears you. But he’s learnt that it’s just an amusing pastime on which he allocates only just so much time, and I seem to operate better when it’s stress free in that sense.
And Wordle falls into that damned self-recrimination category like Trivial Pursuit … the why-the-fuck-didn’t-I-do-that-and-make-a-million-bucks syndrome. (Wordle is based on pencil and paper elimination games that have been around for more than 150 years.)
And fun fact for trivia conversation: the inventor of Wordle is a great self-contained mnemonic … Josh Wardle.
Strange choice of first word, only 1 vowel. Perhaps it has a nostalgic meaning for you?
The choice of opening word is always determined by a mental run through of letters, the meaning is always secondary and you’d be surprised at some that will pop up. ‘Thief’ is another regular starter, as is ‘doxie’. But not to be po-faced about your little jest, it would have to be nostalgic: thanks to post-op pharmaceuticals, about the only thing The ‘Pie can raise is a smile. Ironic that nowadays everything else … back, joints, legs … are the only things that get stiff.
Ay! there’s the Dencorub!
It burns!
I found this draft on the Mullet’s desk.
“Dear Malcom,
Re Leichhardt Street fence removal:
Thank you for highlighting the new Townsville City Council DRIVE-IT city campus which will specialise in offroad, hill climb, recovery and emergency first aid. This will join my growing list of huge achievements including City Arcade, the Castle Hill event space, Lansdumb, and water security.
Again, thank you. Without you and my dear friend Councillor Fran O’Callaghan helping to raise Council’s profile I do not know where I’d be.”
So this is where TCC celebrity fees, after telling us how to save water?
https://www.realestate.com.au/news/jamie-durie-buys-paul-bangays-stonefields-in-denver-with-plans-to-turn-it-into-luxury-retreat/?rsf=syn:news:nca:news:spa:strap
Re the Copperstring reference. there are a few ‘ifs and could be’s in there. But apart from the temptation to smell a rat because of the apparent nepotism, is there any concrete evidence of corruption that you know of, and any reason to compare value to existing transmission line assets? I firmly believe the state should own such strategic assets as transmission lines, power facilities etc., but due diligence must be done to ensure value for the tax-payers dollar. By the way, where did Çopperstring come from? I guess Áluminiumstring is a bit of a mouthful.
Not rat smelling, rat sighting in the generally accepted terms of conflict of interest. Why no one challenged Katter (not that The ‘Pie knows of anyway) says everything about the backroom political deals of Canberra and Brisbane. This deal will probably see Robbie Katter sell out and mute any fight for the regions in the Olympic run-up. We’re probably shafted again.
And agree, both energy and water stocks should only ever be in government hands … water should not be a commodity for sale or trading beyond allocations to farmers.
From my reading of this, there is nothing physical owned or built by Copperstring. It is a good idea which has been been spruiked by clever people including the Katters in the hope of selling the dream to some silly people. It now seems that those silly people are the taxpayers of Queensland. It is a huge payday for a team which has not built a square meter of anything.
If you think this is a good investment, there is a bridge for sale in Sydney, some only slightly flood damaged homes around, and there is a bloke selling real Rolex watches for $20 to mates in the pub carpark.
The fact that the Katters have pushed this for years without so much as a peep about the payday for their family is truly aweful.
We still don’t have a clue how much actual cash is proposed to change hands here. There would have been a massive amount of work to get together the land acquisition, surveys etc to back the EIS documents. The project entails:
“approximately 740 km overhead high voltage electricity transmission line from a new substation at Woodstock, south of Townsville to connect with the North West Power System, west of Cloncurry
augmentation of the powerline to Mount Isa and a southern extension from Cloncurry to substations at Selwyn and Woodya, increasing the transmission line for the project to approximately 1000 km six new substations
transmission towers every 500-600 metres
access tracks to the corridor and along its alignment, a minimum of four construction camps, site offices, laydown delivery areas and concrete batching plants
optical fibre network capability”.
Whoever ultimately builds and owns it, this preliminary work had to be done by someone – which turns out to be CuString Pty Ltd. The work would have cost some millions. If that intellectual property is what Queensland taxpayers are buying and the price is ‘reasonable’, I don’t see how there’s even a conflict of interest.
Palm, your standing as a commenter whose arguments at least deserve to be seriously considered (albeit it briefly) is in danger, if it wasn’t before. You teetering on the edge of degenerating into an obvious partisan laughing stock when you peddle such drivel like that … What do you think we are, eight?
It is tedious and sad that we have to walk you through this … slowly … and it will the last time The ‘Pie will reply to similar insults, but here is the thing … an elected member of parliament, representing his constituents, argues stridently and so far partially successfully for public funds for a particular project, all the while never once declaring that his family, and therefore one way or another himself, will financially benefit from any publicly allocated funds he successfully lobbies for.
That is, clear and simple, called conflict of interest, and is against the law, both moral and actual.
Trying to deflect and distract with twaddle about costs and infrastructure that in the end ‘someone’ will have to be responsible for, is not a credible ‘so what?’ argument: that flapdoodle doesn’t fly around here, sport, but it does raise one salient question you can but certainly won’t answer truthfully.
Who is paying you?
Weekend Wanker, you might find that work has been fully funded by the State ($15m to date) and Australian ($10m and counting) so the O’Brien/Katters have already pocketed $25m of our money to prepare something to sell to us. That sounds legit. Maybe there is room beside Bentley for you to get in on that bridge deal?
For the record Barely I’m just fishing for facts and figures. Sometimes private entrepreneurs need to take up the slack when Goverments slacken off. The misinformation and conflict re the future of the power industry is worrying to say the least. And the future of this country and indeed most of western civilisation depends on it.
Engineer, your post was the first I knew about previous state and federal contributions to CUString Pty Ltd. With a bit of a search I found this timeline:
Nov 2022 The Federal government has provided final approval for the construction and operation of Copperstring.
Mar 2021 CuString awarded the Early Contractor Involvement contract for the project to UGL and CPB Contractors. Subject to completion of the ECI contract and achievement of approvals and financing, UGL and CPB Contractors are also the preferred contractors to deliver the EPC contract of the project.
Jan 2021 The Federal Government announced funding support to progress the project to Final Investment Decision. The Queensland Government also announced a financing agreement with Korea Zinc Company Limited.
Oct 2020 The 2020-21 Federal Budget allocated an unspecified portion of funding to the CopperString project.
May 2020 The Queensland Government announced conditional funding to accelerate project as part of government’s COVID-19 economic recovery plan.
Feb 2020 CuString requested Expressions of Interest for the delivery of the CopperString project.
Jul 2019 The Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility announced it was undertaking due diligence for the project. The project proponent applied for a loan from NAIF for up to $1 billion.
Hahaha … just a light hearted observation, Palm, so don’t rip up your nightie, but could you look up the definition of ‘timeline’, please?
Doesn’t seem to match the (Cambridge) dictionary version:
Meaning of timeline in English
timeline
noun [ C ]
UK /ˈtaɪm.laɪn/ US /ˈtaɪm.laɪn/
a line that shows the time and the order in which events have happened
Doesn’t mention going backwards, which is a funny way to make a point.
Exactly what would you class as a conflict of interest PS?
Ducky, my understanding of parliamentarians’ responsibility for disclosure of interests is that ‘family’ means spouse and children but does not mean married siblings or cousins / nephews / uncles or aunts. I would imagine that once that article appeared in the AFR in 2021 there would have been pollies and journos all over the Register of Interests in both Canberra (for Bob) and Brisbane (for Robbie) if there was any perceived lack of transparency. And on that particular score, if there was something dodgy in Robbie Katter’s declaration or lack of it, where is the Leader of the Opposition? Because it looks like Palaszczuk has stolen Crisafulli’s pushbike (Queensland Resources Council), ripped off his lunchbox (common user vanadium processing plant) and eaten his vegemite sandwich (CopperString) all without anyone pipping a squeak.
You keep fucking do it, don’t you, you fucker!!! Hopelessly trying clever language to insult our intelligence. Instead of trying to dodge the issue, as you are clearly paid to do, instead of ‘disclosure’, look up ‘conflict of interest’. They are two very … totally … different things. While you’re there, check out of nephew or uncle donated to the Katter Party campaign. You ‘understand’ nothing and ‘imagine’ too much. The Bulletin’s got a job for you …. oh, wait, maybe you already … oh, no, don’t tell us!!
Magpie, while you splutter in your breakfast about my observations would you take a look at what you wrote (in bold type to apparently make your point more loudly):
“an elected member of parliament, representing his constituents, argues stridently and so far partially successfully for public funds for a particular project, all the while never once declaring that his family, and therefore one way or another himself, will financially benefit from any publicly allocated funds he successfully lobbies for.
That is, clear and simple, called conflict of interest, and is against the law, both moral and actual.”
You specify a member of parliament, his family, that he will (you believe) “financially benefit” and that this is against the law, both moral and actual. Sorry to trouble you like this but exactly which actual (not moral) ‘law’ is being broken and if there is such a law, why hasn’t any jurisdiction in the country laid charges? What I’m saying to you again is the people behind CopperString do not fit the legal parameters of “family” and therefore do not have to be declared to the parliament. End of story.
And The ‘Pie says to you again, you are a biased dullard not interested in the issue just defending an unethical half-smart position. No one has been investigated because monies so far provided have been for studies and the such-like, and presumably have been accounted for – a sale of interests is a different matter, and it is then that things will be looked at more closely, where investigations may lead to charges.
The ‘Pie still cannot decide if you really the dunce your comments suggest, or just a wind-up merchant out for a bit annoying and time-wasting fun. Either way, won’t be replying to (or perhaps even publishing) future biased and clearly incorrect crap from you.
Have a Palm Wednesday, wanker.
What are the top five issues you’d like to see TCC questioned about?
The social media well run dry, eh mate? Let’s turn the tables and ask you a question.
Have you ever gone down on Perry White? Or Craig Herbert?
But, wait, there is a burning question for Mayor Mullet (give her The Magpie’s best).
The question is does she love purple because of the colour’s imperial power connotations? We note that the Purple Doona has just had another outing, it’s got more mileage on the clock than Marco Polo.
The only sweet thing about our mayor is that she insists on walking around looking like a Violet Crumble bar.
And purple is also the colour of some popular children’s television characters such as Tinky Winky (the purple Teletuby) Count Von Count (Sesame Street), Barney (Barney and Friends) Share Bear and Dizzy Devil so maybe she tries to align herself with one or more of these characters.
I will never eat a Violet Crumble again. Ever! Although I suspect Palm Sunday and Elusive Butterfly have eaten the Violent Crumble numerous times.
Being snide is the easy path to take.
I want to give people a genuine opportunity to put their gripes and bugbears out there now that I’m in a position to follow them up.
You can bleat from the sidelines or be part of the solution. The choice is yours.
Oh, petal, dry your eyes, seetie, everything’s going to be OK.
OK, well, since you’ve outed yourself Leighton, The ‘Pie has other questions for you and an actual story idea you might want to follow up. We realise that you don’t share the questioning attitude of this blog, and yes, sometimes to elicit more info, there have been some fairly solid conspiracy theories aired here … The ‘Pie was first with the Adani Airstrip near-debacle, which was so ably followed up by Peter Newey, but OK, before your time … but the Castle Hill cafe which turned into the state’s most expensive shelter shed was in your time, and this blog was on to it from the outset, but the paper questioned absolutely nothing. And no one followed up the defamation payment from the mayor to Clive Palmer (like who paid it?) and the Astonisher has been totally derelict in believing the blandishments of Walker Street regarding the progress of the pipeline and the state of the city’s rolling stock of vehicles. And we know you’d shit yourself doing a real story about the TCC’s involvement with Magnis and with Adani.
Could go on, but instead, try this for a simple idea, the sort you’re COS should be coming up with.
Given the sky-rocketing rents, scarcity of rental stock and growing dislocations in Townsville, a good side-bar story would be a ring around of the many storage unit business around town to get an indication of just how bad things are. Have they starting to run out of rentable spaces because so people are being dislocated? Are people trying to sneak in and live in them, causing owners a different sort of problem? And so on, for a different aspect of a very real problem.
Of course, you could put on your big boy pants and look into why Jenny Hill, with a 9 to 1 majority on council is so spooked by some questions of accountability from Fran O’Callaghan.
Won’t hold my breath on that one, that’s for a real journalist from a real paper.maybe we could get the NT News to pop over and cover it.
Are you censoring me? On what grounds?
What? You send a message at 9.01pm and three minutes later, because it';s not published, you suggest you’re being censored? FFS get over yourself, The ‘Pie was watching the Heat win in the Big Bash (if that’s Ok with you).
And complaining about timelines is more than a bit bloody rich from someone working for a paper whose unwritten slogan in yesterday’s news tomorrow.
Being snide is the easy path to take.
I want to give people a genuine opportunity to put their gripes and bugbears out there now that I’m in a position to follow them up.
You can bleat from the sidelines or be part of the solution.
The choice is yours.
Why are you only now in a position to follow them up? You been appointed COS? (Spare me days!!)
Let’s just say that I’m no longer distracted by other responsibilities.
Oh dear …. oh, well.
Sorry about the multiple posts. I had computer problems and forgot about your lag time to approve.
Thanks for the suggestions.
I’m already underway with one of them.
Won’t even try to guess which one.
Jimmy Olsen, I’d like to know why the media and comms teams at TCC are so fucking useless and reactive rather than proactive.
Open for “consultation” and “suggestions for improvement”. Regardless, have at it folks. https://www.qld.gov.au/about/strongerlaws
Where is Les? Hydrogen announcements etc and no show. Where is them?
Isn’t he the hydrogen champion? Or is that Hot Air Champion?
He probably didn’t check the message bank on his phone and didn’t know it was on……or couldn’t remember the location where the announcement was being made…..or perhaps just decided it was more important to mow his lawn in the middle of the day with that dickie ticker of his….
Magpie, I want to take you up on your approach to the Voice. A sentence from your article seems to encapsulate your view:
“White Australian society has made many egregious mistakes, but it is that same white society that has battled to right those wrongs, in legislation and fair social attitudes.”
This sentence seems to imply that we have done enough, we have tried our best and the field has been levelled and that now is the time for Aboriginal Australia to acknowledge and recognise our effort. In fact you go further, saying that it is beyond time for that acknowledgement because ” . . . .there is no give and take, no reciprocal recognition that restitution, both material and regulatory, has been happening for some decades now – it’s all one way traffic as far as the self-interested, self-entitled indigenous influencers, are concerned.”
Recognition was at the centre of Noel Pearson’s Boyer Lectures some months ago. He talked about the need for ‘mutual recognition’ and noted the great difficulty because Australian Aboriginals are a “much unloved people”, “not popular”, “not personally known” and usually viewed in a “negative and unfriendly” way. Pearson noted that nitpicking about the shortcomings of Aboriginals was like shooting fish in a barrel – “inane but easy, heartless but easy”. It is the opposite of mutual recognition.
There is a 10 minute YouTube from that lecture if you copy/paste this link:
“Racism will diminish in this country when we succeed with recognition” | Boyer Lectures 2022
That sentence implies no such thing, it is on-going – note the use of the word ‘has battled’ which clearly implies an on-going effort. And all that is heard is the refrain ‘more has to be done’, no recognition of what has and is being done.
And like beauty, recognition is in the eye of the beholder: as with all speakers on the subject, both black and otherwise, the requirements and limits to satisfy said recognition always remain amorphous, and therefore subject to expanding demands and definition. In short, the indigenous spokespeople have never said exactly what they want to assuage their perceived victimisation, just used vague terms like ‘respect’ which they can then massage into any number of malleable demands.
Which brings us back to The ‘Pie’s original position statement: until there is a plain language, definitive and hopefully finite question on the ballot paper, no sane and dignified Australian will be bullied by faux guilt into voting Yes.
One saying leads to another: at the moment, the vote question is a pig in a poke ‘trust us’ proposition, which history argues stridently against, leading to the belief of ‘give them an inch, and they’ll want a mile’.
Have seen Pearson’s Boyer Lecture … much of it was the statement of the bleedin’ obvious, and even he, one of the more articulate of the self-interested indigenous power elite, was very careful not to state in plain language just what it is he and his colleagues are after …. which of course is, after the Voice , a ‘treaty’ …. and all the political turmoil that will bring. The rhetoric is going to become more desperate and savage, more self-pitying and self-defeating at the Voice campaign continues, because the aboriginal industry sees it’s big payday going down in flames. The 97% dog is not longer going to be wagged by the hyperactive 3% tail.
It’s a cleverly engineered campaign, years in the design, but in the end, constitutional recognition is the first step in a massive con …. and the average Australian is on to it.
OK Jimmy, you want suggestions for stories to follow up?
Try this: Hundreds, yes hundreds of shows are being forced to bypass Townsville each year because of lack of venues.
The council (ie Jenny Hill) closed the Riverway Stadium after the last (woman made) flood and replaced it with a library (Hint: wouldn’t a flood prone river bank be the last place you’d put a library?).
Council also closed the Old Courthouse Theatre in the CBD for repairs in February 2019 (yes mate, 3 years ago), and it remains closed. Friends in local theatre groups tell me the repairs won’t be completed any time soon.
The Townsville Civic Theatre is booked out around 2 years in advance (Hint: because there is nowhere else to go).
Then there’s the $40 million performing arts venue that Phil Thompson had funds (from the pipeline fiasco) allocated for. What’s happened to it now Labor is in power. Hint: Give Jenny Hill a ring and ask her why she continues to refuse to take the advice of local theatre groups who want the new theatre built next door to the Civic Theatre.
So there you go mate, I’ve practically written the story for you.
Final hint: Ring around the local theatre organisations and get their views on the council’s treatment of local performing arts. If you have trouble finiding their contact details let me know through this blog and I’ll gladly give them to you.
Let’s see how long i can hold my breath.
Townsville Performing Arts Center link (I hope)
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://www.tpac.net.au/&ved=2ahUKEwjrjdi3mu78AhUj8DgGHaJnBwIQFnoECBEQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3mKbFNXaeOH7CuMY3Ovq1C
Add to the woes of local small theatre companies – Pimpac is closing this year. There goes the space for shows that would attract 100 – 200 patrons.
Most of the small local theatre companies are not in any sort of financial position to have a show at the civic theatre – even the Choral Society baulked at the cost of the potential overtime bill and elected not to have a performance on Australia Day.
How come there is an overtime bill for an entertainment venue? Do they expect productions to operate 9 to 5?
I am guessing it is because the staff manning the venue would be paid overtime or at least a penalty rate.
‘Manning the venue’? To what purpose? $800 for tea and coffee?
And please don’t anybody comment on ‘manning’ or the ‘Pie will personhandle you around the head.
Don’t scare poor Leighton. Those suggestions would require investigative journalism. Leighton and his shit rag are only interested in low hanging fruit, easy stories done by lazy incompetent journalists such as himself. I still can’t believe people buy his crap paper, better off googling the news and saving your money. Or, for local matters jump onto this blog.
Jimmy, while you’re chatting to Jenny, ask her for the dollar value of support (including in-kind support such as the waiver of venue fees and the true commercial value of premises leased from TCC eg old School of Arts building, given to various arts and cultural groups in Townsville through the Townsville City Council Grants and Partnerships Program and the Regional Arts Development Program. This financial contribution by TCC to the arts and cultural sector seems to be a figure not disclosed by community arts and cultural groups, probably for political reasons, to the community.
Strange. What ‘political reasons’ would the arts and cultural sector have, to bite the hand it wants to feed it? Or is your comment a deflection from the reality this recalcitrant, bogan and financially illiterate mayor isn’t really interested in any vision for this sector, and continues to throw away ratepayer dollars on things like the V8s … which are fuck all benefit for the city when the costs are calculated .
It will be interesting when/if the government take over CU2, that they will ever get the project started and just bury it. After all, the Olympics are paramount.
Good point about Robbie or daddy not declaring their ‘conflict of interest’. Maybe they thought everyone knew.
Good points.
But whatever they ‘thought’ is irrelevant, they had a duty – in fact, a legal obligation, surely – to declare their interest in a project that has had the begging bowl out for public funds for some years. And for which they (or at least Bob) argued vehemently for.
The Katters are booking themselves a first class ticket to the new Federal ICAC. Tony McGrady hates the Katters and every political party wants them gone, which will be the case once money changes hands. This way the ALP and LNP can prove the ICAC can catch grubby pollies whilst taking out an opponent, it’s risk free for the big parties.
This Voice to Parliament campaign is going to get ugly as time goes on. A committee of prominent people have commenced a ‘No’ campaign. As this gains traction the ‘Yes’ campaign will brand anyone who dares to ask questions or promotes ‘No’ a shameful racist. They will attack the person, not address the issues.
I have pinched a two slogans from the recent past to counter the ‘Yes’ attack.
“It is OK to say No”, and “No means No.”
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-30/prominent-indigenous-campaigners-against-voice-to-parliament/101906920
Consider this. The Voice recommends a policy to government. Government, after due consideration, elects not to adopt the recommended policy. Can you imagine the howls of outraged indignation and accusations of racism against “White Australia “? Whilst any recommendation is not mandatory, it would be a brave parliament that rejected one.
The first ‘precisely’ of a dozen ‘precisely’s.
We’re being conned, pure and simple. By a mob of greedy bastards who prey on their own … as well as the Australian taxpayer.
I see Bob Katter is desperately working to throw up a media dust storm about a second Australia Day and alcohol management. I assume crocs comes around again tomorrow. I wonder if he has anything he wants to divert attention from.
Been watching a programme about our border security and a parallel one from Canada.
It seems that we both have almost identical issues with incoming visitors and incoming residents.
In many of the willful (read lying) declarations the incoming “resident” can not speak hardly if any English. Many have lived in Oz or Canada for many years.
They usually have several suitcases and they are loaded, yes loaded with a grocery shop amount of meat, fruit and veggies. All claim that they did not understand the customs quarantine declaration even tough in most cases its in their own language.
However the parallel ends there as a Canadian carrying any meat fruit or veg whether cooked or raw is fined between $1,300 and $2,200. But the Oz offenders (many of whom are repeat offenders) get hit with a $220.00 fine.
We’ve got a host of bugs on our doorstep including Foot and Mouth only a few tourist KM’s away.
I recall a few weeks ago a nester reporting a similar issue regarding delayed and slack quarantine inspections here, but if that’s the penalty and no criminal record is made, where’s the deterrent.?
Magpie, I recall from a year or two ago, a kind of scepticism about the recording of Covid deaths in Australia and the possibility of massaging or misusing this data for nefarious purposes. Today in The Conversation there is a quite detailed article about this very subject which you might find helpful:
https://theconversation.com/heres-who-decides-cause-of-death-how-death-certificates-work-and-whether-a-person-died-with-or-of-covid-198401
Would have been a handy article a year or two ago. But questioning authority on what had become a politically loaded issue (as well as a national tragedy) was reasonable, especially after incoming Qld CHO John Gerrard baldly stated that anyone who had covid and died would be deemed a covid death … it was a clumsy statement, later clarified, but the ‘Pie’s comment at the time was more satirical than serious – that if someone who was killed in a car accident also had covid, they would then be a covid death (some muggins took it seriously – sigh). And statements like that naturally led to questions about how effective government controls on containing the virus were, and the information needed to make draconian regulations justified.
Remember, Dr Gerrard took over from a woman who had made statements that blatantly favoured financial gain for her husband, and also told us she had banned the annual fly-over of single seater warplanes on Anzac Day because people seeing them might be tempted to go for a drive.
The woman now lives in Queensland’s governor’s house, a classic bit of Palaszczuk pay-off.
Questions have been asked about the absence of Jenny Hill and Les Walker at recent State/Federal media announcements.
My drinking mate Bert, a rusted-on Labor supporter, reckons Jenny and Les have been on the nose with Federal Labor for a couple of years.
Jenny’s intervention in the last Federal election campaign resulted in the LNP’s Phil Thompson romping home and bucking a Labor landslide.
On a State level, in the interests of self-preservation, Jenny then dared to criticise Premier Anna’s lame juvenile crime response. Result: no parachute into a safe Senate seat, no support for her pet Landsdown precinct, and no invites to Anna’s local media chook feeding events.
Poor old Les has simply been banished to the PNG (persona non grata) basket for obvious reasons. Result: no endorsement for the next State election.
How the mighty (and not so mighty) have fallen.
The ‘Pie is hearing whispers that at least two TCC councillors are sniffing around higher office – i.e. state or federal, not higher in council. Names have been nazmed but since The ‘Pie has no evidence that it is true, he won’t name them, it wouldn’t be fair to Cls Rehbein and Greany.
Surely young Liam has done his time in kindy and is ready to move out the big table with the deeper trough as he has only stuffed up a couple of times in his stellar local government career. Daddy must be able to get him some sort of gig although it would be great to see him go up against an operator like Phil OAM.
Makes sense. Rehbein and Greaney probably fancy themselves as an ideal replacement for the hapless Les.
On the subject of ratbag politicians, here’s an excellent example of how to get elected when you’ve got nothing to offer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQLExNOaNy0
Appears Adani’s magpies have come home to roost (see what I did there Pie) after the report by US hedge fund Hindenburg Research tipping the bucket on the Indian mining group accusing them of massive long term fraud.
In the last hour or so, according to an ABC report, Adani are reported to have ‘conceded defeat’ and have plans to call in one of worlds largest accounting firms to evaluate its corporate governance and audit practices. Full details on ABC News website, sorry my cut/paste skills are non existent !
Had a look around but can’t find that story on the ABC …. and c’mon, Crackers, but anyway …. find the story, hovers mouse over it, hit control A then Control C …. create email to send to Nest, hover mouse in body of email, press control V. Hours of fun await you now you know how to do it. (Just think of all those saucy funny pics you will be able to message your friends with, now you know how.)
Thanks Pie, will look at upgrading my admin skillset. The story is on The Loop section of the ABC News section. Story now 6 hrs old. Unfortunately my new admin cut/paste skills won’t be used on those saucy pics as I’m too busy attending choir practice at my local church !
This is a story? No not really, it will certainly be a cut-price contra deal for the work. So subtle.
Oh! so modest……..iconic?…….. and glory?
It’s ok Albo and the Voice will solve this.
https://www.news.com.au/national/crime/alice-springs-nurse-leaves-karl-speechless-detailing-child-sexual-abuse/news-story/45110f8ecc7c5218350d7975f00d9521
Horrible insights into the true gravity of the problem. Maybe virtue signallers need to start volunteering to live for a week in these communities to get some real perspective.
Read this article and wondered if there had been any research undertaken to ascertain if this abuse is also an issue in Townsville Mount Isa and Cairns. Has anyone heard if this is the case.
It is the hidden catastrophe across many communities.
It is the hidden catastrophe across many communities.
For Indigenous children, about 2 in 3 (68%) assaults were perpetrated by a parent or family member source: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/children-youth/australias-children/contents/justice-and-safety/children-exposed-to-family-violence
In his published diaries, Watkin Tench, a British marine officer with the First Fleet recorded the brutal treatment of Aboriginal women by their menfolk. Tench soundly debunks the concept of the noble savage.
In the early 1970s on my first arrival to Townsville, my cousin, a primary school teacher at Palm Island, told me, amongst other things, that venereal disease was not uncommon in the children of Palm Island.
In 1980 I got to spend time with Grahame Walsh, an anthropologist working as an Aboriginal Site Recorder for the Commonwealth Government. He mentioned that Aboriginal female skeletal remains showed more evidence of trauma to the long bones than did male skeletal remains.
Then we had the Intervention and now this evidence from an Alice Springs nurse. This is not new.
Conclusions:
That pre-colonial Aboriginal society was a dangerous place for women and girls and still is to this day in some parts of the country.
That this treatment of women and girls predated European settlement and the cause of this behavior cannot be attributed to European settlement.
That what was common Aboriginal practice in pre European Australian is now called domestic violence, child abuse, and pedophilia.
That it is up to the Aboriginal community to fix this Aboriginal problem.
Well, maybe, but plenty of whites and other races need to fix up that criminal behaviour, too.
Yes Dear ‘Pie. We have our European miscreants, but it is not accepted practice, and there are to this day that a variety of countries that are dangerous places for women and girls, but right now we are focusing on Aboriginal Australia, the resultant juvinal offending, and it’s causes, and the harm to the wider community.
ps
Phillip Thompson OAM, are you listening?
My exact point was that on the issue of DV we shouldn’t just be focussing on indigenous Australia as though its exclusive to aborigines. Focus on indigenous problems by all means, but NEVER argue that specific social sins belong solely to them. We have a bit to do by example as well.
Playing devils advocate, we are going to manufacture artillery ammunition and ship it to The Ukraine.
With current threats (read nukes) from Vlad Ras-Putin would he send a sub to torpedo them in some remote area away from the gaze of satellites?
Ask who is going to manufacture the arty shells. Then ask what politician is closely associated with the manufacturer.
Grumpy, we both know the answer to that question….don’t we???
Achilles, I think I read that Australia will supply the explosive powder to the French who will then manufacture the 155mm artillery shells – at a rate of (I think I recall) 6kg powder per shell. So a thousand shells would need six tonnes of explosive – probably comfortably air freighted as fast as they can make the stuff.
The ‘Pie is bloody sure ‘comfortably’ isn’t the first word that comes to mind were he to be a passenger on that plane. (‘Please fasten your seat belts, we are on final approach, just passing over Lockerbie.’)
You need to lay off the gear.
A,
I think Australia is manufacturing the propellant and shipping it to France. The Frogs are doing the rest.
Which minister can we see next in Townsville to make another announcement?
Maybe the honourable Stirling Hinchliffe.
I am guessing certain developers and members of Townsville Enterprise will be eagerly waiting any funding for Magnetic Island and I suspect their VOICE during the Master Plan consultation process should provide them with a favourable outcome.
The period for public submissions on draft plan for Magnetic Island tourism (it’s a doozy of buzzword bullshit) closed yesterday 30/01/23. Not that it matters, no one is would be listening.
Especially no one at TEL, or at the handsomely over-compensated consultants contracted for their 82 pages of over-written mostly incomprehensible crap. …. they must’ve been paid by the word. But some interesting paragraphs that need interpretation in there, The ‘Pie will be looking at closely for the weekend’s Nest.
I agree with you about the 82 page summary of the consultation so far. It was very broad and lacked detail to actually make a submission about. I found it interesting that at the consultation meeting I went to, the majority of attendees were very vocal about the Townsville City Council’s lack of support for the island. Couldn’t find any information in the document about that. We were told the island needed sewerage and drainage infrastructure upgrades, we were told we needed high end accommodation, we were told we needed a killer tourist attraction.
Why did Magnetic Island even need such a plan? Who actually proposed this? Why did the State Government give a private company $130,00 to draft a Masterplan?
Luckily however there are laws in place for governments and their consultants to act ethically and transparently so I genuinely believe that there is absolutely no risk of this master plan being manipulated to suit the specific needs of a few high profile property owners and developers.
I do however suspect though, that the conversation about the need for this Master Plan has been happening before the Minister for Tourism was seen walking down the Esplanade or Picnic Bay Mall with the hierarchy of Townsville Enterprise back in May 2021.
The biggest red flag is that TEL may well be in charge of this, and there some areas of the report that require explanation …. one in particular. the ‘Pie is taking a closer look for piece in the next Nest.
No doubt that TEL intends to be in charge of it, in concert with the big end of government, business and the Council. And who is that business? Looking at TEL’s website one can’t help but notice the names of the ‘Platinum Sponsors’ – Bravus (aka Adani) and Transbulk Logistics (aka Transcoal Pty Ltd), the latter looking after bulk transport coordination on the Mt Isa to Townsville rail connection – the one that passes by those stranded Galilee Basin coal assets owned by TerraCom (previously Guildford Coal) – which, coincidentally, has an MOU with the Port to export coal out of Townsville. Neat eh? Bulldoze a track through Cleveland Bay to make coal bulk carriers economically viable whilst making sure that mud island Magnetic shuts the fuck up.
Oh dearie me, The ‘Pie detect that our mate Palm Sunday is actually the reincarnation of No More Dredging. Some evidence there in that last line, surely.
Speaking of buzzword bullshit, Transbulk Logistics say this about themselves:
“TransBulk also recognises that rigidity in commercial contracts can limit responsiveness and efficiency. The model facilitates the loosening of this hard line, therefore enabling mutually beneficial fluidity and liquidity.”
Is that mud wrestling or something?
hahaha, what Transbulk obviously does not recognise is the rigidity in the brains of flaks who write this hyperbolic hooha. Just wait until we start parsing some of that Magnetic Island tourism draft report in the blog, boggle will be the word.
And while we’re on the subject of buzz word bafflement, this is worth a reprise from last Sunday’s blog.
The repainting of the Townsville Bulletin signs on the News Ltd press site in Flinders Street West brings back memories of the glory days when the circulation was 42,000 (Sat) and 28,000 average (Mon-Fri). The slogan in those days was THE NORTH’S OWN PAPER , adopted by the management team to fend off a challenge from the paper’s big sister Courier Mail. At the time the Brisbane boys decided to try to steal some our readers by basing journos in North Queensland to provide local content for what was basically a South East Queensland newspaper. The slogan was chosen to make the point that North Queenslanders didn’t need to buy the NQ edition of the Courier Mail because they already had their OWN paper. Supported by major giveaways and competitions like Lucky Ducks, Footy Forecast, and Auction Dollars, the slogan worked a treat, seeing off the Brisbane challenge inside 12 months. It’s great to see the old signs (finally) get a freshen up, but I’m puzzled as to why they didn’t replace the old slogan with the current WE’RE FOR YOU joke. Given the slaphappy style of the current editor, one could be excused for thinking the signwriter was simply told to repaint the signs, without any thought about what was on them. In any case at least it brought back memories of the days when readers wouldn’t miss their dose of local goss in Butts On Monday, stories were actually researched, media releases were questioned rather than printed word for word, editorial always took precedence over advertising, and local politicians weren’t a protected species.
Ah, those were the days!
D.K.,
Two recollections, oops, a question and a recollection, was it Buzz Kennedy that did a national opinion piece once a week, always a sensible read, and the lucky ducks. The Townsville Daily Bulletin staff and everybody else got it wrong when thousands of little rubber ducks, all with a potentially winning number, were dumped into Ross Ck to float across a winning line. Tide and wind saw the all ingloriously pile up on a mud bank in full view of the assembled throng.
Dave, you have a good a memory (unfortunately).
Yes, the ducks didn’t go down the creek as planned, much to my embarrassment. One actually made it to about 3 metres from the finishing line but stopped, motionless, for what seemed to me to be an eternity before heading back the wrong way with the turn of the tide. To add insult to injury, a tourist actually found one of the Bully plastic ducks on the beach at Lizard Island a few months later. The little yellow bastard couldn’t swim 300 metres down Ross Creek, but somehow made it to Lizard Island. Spare a thought for the local lifesaving club who agreed in advance to round up the ducks when the race was over, and spent hours picking them out of the mud at low tide.
I told the story at a marketing conference a year later and got a standing ovation. The lesson to be learned here is: Never work with animals.
I repeat, those WERE the days!
Forgot to mention that the standing ovation was for the duck, not my judgement of Ross Creek tides.
The ‘Pie was there at the time, and the newsroom made a right old rollicking time of the Big Duck Up.
Hill won’t support the performing arts extension on the Civic Theatre site because she struck a deal with the Gleeson Group (Hive developers) many years ago for the concept to include a performance space (chamber music style). The Hive is also the reason the old bowls club next to the old Townsville Enterprise carpark has been allowed to go to ruin
So pleased that my YES vote in the forthcoming referendum will cancel out your racist NO vote, Pie!
That’s democracy … but since you’re here, two questions:
1. Since you are voting yes, can you tell us what you are voting for, how you reached your decision on the available information? Or is it just the ‘vibe’?
2. Why is refusing to vote – either yes or no – when a reasonable open explanation of what one is voting for has not been offered – suddenly racist?
Contributor if it is any consolation you can know that my fact-based NO vote will outweigh your blind ideological YES vote which was cancelled out by the Magpies questioning NO vote. Checkmate.
Sorry, BCE, my partner’s YES vote will cancel out your NO! ????
Sorry, it’s a big NO from me.
The Magpie has said at the outset that he doesn’t know how he will vote because he has not been told the question on which he is being asked to decide. This brought out dribblers in droves, Stephanie of Belligerent Gardens, Sticky Palms and all the rest – one would think old No More Dredging might make a long awaited reappearance, but alas not yet.
And all the while, Albo keeps saying this is not about politics, it is about principle, inadvertently saying that he believes like the rest of us politics is a principle-free zone. But he should listen to his own advice, when he loftily told us: ‘That detail has been out there since July‘. No it has not, the report you’re referring to offers alternative scenarios, which would, by accident or design, make manipulation after the event more achievable. Then he goes on:‘The Voice’s advice doesn’t have to be taken – but it must be heard.’ OK, let’s examine that scenario: The Voice tells the government it wants something, but the government of the day decides they cannot acquiesce to the demands because it would be unfair to a majority of the population, and knock it back. What happens then? Marcia Langton, Michael Mansell, Noel Pearson and that bikies moll who just wants race war, will smile sadly and just say, ‘Oh well, we tried but we see your point.’?
Like fuck they would, it would be disruption arsesole to breakfast time and by any means including appealing to the green gonads of the Supreme Court – it could be chaos.
And Albo offers the one-sided, hypocritical bromide that is going to come back to bite him: ‘You get better results when you listen to people, when you engage with them.‘
Mate, you’d better start taking your own advice and listen to overwhelming majority of Australians – including many among the indigenous – who are totally confused and increasingly suspicious of both you and the power elite of the aboriginal industry. The Magpie is not against the Voice per se, he can’t be, because he doesn’t know what the fuck it is, and no one will tell him. Including why it should be in the constitution ahead of other deserving groups, like the aged population, or nurses.
So the result will be a draw?
Achilles it would be if you decide to vote YES. At present there is one YES and two NOs
I am wracked with guilt, we should respect that the indigenous have laws and punishment that should be permitted. Just like their right to manage their own affairs as they have done for the alleged past 60,000 years.
Just as “The voice” will be like China and Hong Kong was meant to be, one nation two systems. You can see how well that inclusive compromise has worked.
So lets accept that they know best and they can have their own police who can only act on crimes committed by their own people. Thereby spearing, castration et al are enforced. See how fast the less than 100% full bloods decamp, and bottle shops can take down the barbed wire.
Stop calling them “First Nations people” they were as much a cohesive nation as were the 7 “nations” that formed Yugoslavia.
Vision of the Voice: the 380 different nations – read ‘tribes’ – meet and hit a scheme to demonstrate their new found independence …. each nation can decide for themselves whether to adopt daylight saving or not, including in the winter if they choose. ABC Radio goes into meltdown, with announcers required every hour to give the time differential and name of the difference in an hourly roll call of the 380 nations. This process takes about an hour and a half, so the time calls are out of date down towards the end. This difficulty is eventually overcome when the ABC decides on a new policy, where all aboriginal nations are declared to be on ‘dreamtime’.
Four days on from the Magnis announcement that they are definitely not coming to Townsville and not a peep from Mayor Mullet. Is she hiding her embarrassment of being conned by another shyster?
Mayor defends decision after $3bn project pulled
https://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/business/townsville-business/magnis-walks-from-lansdown-precinct-blaming-tccs-decision-to-reallocate-land/news-story/68a295ab5044b9c8f693c6fa22efd94a
NO SHE DID NOT, YOU TOSSER!!
Show us where she ‘defended’ – let alone justified – that arbitrary decision, which by the scant facts you offer, means she had officially reneged on ‘a major business deal’ – your own paper’s description several times – which she herself pursued and promoted. A great look for potential investors, eh?
Let’s run through this – Magnis blames the council’s withdrawal of the land allocated to them as the reason for pulling out of the bullshit project, (which was of course crap, start to finish, and has been known as such for some time, but beside the point). But all she has to say, and you docily accept, is quote: When asked about council’s land reallocation and Magnis’ consequential departure from Lansdown, Cr Hill defended the decision to award the land to a different project.
“All proponents who have been allocated land at the Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct have fulfilled the necessary requirements to date and are proceeding with their projects.”
But ‘all’ would surely include Magnis, because otherwise you would say so, wouldn’t you? Or wouldn’t she say otherwise?
The mayor, via you, has talked herself into a tricky corner here …. if they were actually booted for being delinquent on their Lansdown requirements, why was Magnis offered another TCC site? Why would the council want to continue having dealings with a questionable company?
So where is the ’defence’ you speak of? Not a word from this scrambled noodle mayor as to WHY – which would be a ‘defence’ – the Magnis land was withdrawn and a spurious ‘alternative’ (probably impractical and financially improbable anyway) was offered. A line about ‘The mayor declined to say why she had made the decision to evict Magis’ might have made you piece half a story. But perhaps you were instructed not to say that.
In other words, your story has said nothing about why she has signalled to the world that the TCC and especially this mayor herself, cannot be trusted to deal fairly and above board with any business thinking of setting up here.
And in your boundless incuriosity, you’ve meekly gone along with it.
This is a big story with far-reaching consequences, Leighton, but you just do not get how damaging this kind of empty heading reporting is, do you? You will only come to that realisation when you suddenly start to care about two things … proper journalism … and this city.
The clue is in what was said here: “have fulfilled the necessary requirements to date and are proceeding”.
Magnis wasn’t playing ball so they got booted.
Clue? Fucking CLUE!?!
Newspaper stories aren’t – or shouldn’t be – guessing games, or be based on the reader making an assumption, leave that for the puzzles page. And anyway, unless you made an error, Mayor Mullet started that quote with ‘All proponents.’ Not a mention of when or why Magnis stopped being a proponent. This is a limp wristed attempt by you and the mayor to lessen her embarrassment at her ‘look, no panties’ gullibility and the massive cock-up she has made with Magnis over several lying years. Her media adviser got only one thing right … giving the story to you.
The words ‘Leighton Smith’ and ‘clue’ are clearly mutually exclusive.
Any chance of getting that article out from behind the paywall?
Copy and paste best we can do. Couldn’t be bothered inserting the pointless and deceptive photograph.
Magnis walks from Lansdown Precinct, blaming TCC’s decision to reallocate land
A $3bn dollar project promising to create thousands of jobs for the Townsville region has been pulled, with the company blaming a decision made by council. Read the mayor’s response.
Leighton Smith
Leighton Smith
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@LeightonESmith
2 min read
February 2, 2023 – 11:01AM
Townsville Bulletin
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After copping the blame for a $3 billion battery factory project exiting the city, Townsville City Council has defended its decision to reallocate land set aside for the project.
For several years Magnis Energy Technologies had been working to realise their Imperium3 Townsville (iM3TSV) Lithium-ion battery manufacturing facility, along with a separate battery assembly plant, estimated to generate 2500 construction jobs, 2000 permanent jobs, and thousands of downstream jobs.
Townsville mayor Jenny Hill confirmed in November that the iM3TSV project had been moved at the Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct to free up more space for the $2.1bn Queensland Pacific Metals’ Townsville Energy Chemicals Hub.
In their recent quarterly announcement to the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX), Magnis blamed TCC’s land grab for their decision to take the battery factory elsewhere.
“Townsville Council revoked their original allocation of land in the Lansdown Development, instead offering iM3TSV the opportunity to reapply for an alternate site after it changed its focus for the Lansdown Development, focusing more on hydrogen,” Magnis said.
Member for Mundingburra Les Walker and Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill at the Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct at Woodstock. Picture: Evan Morgan
Member for Mundingburra Les Walker and Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill at the Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct at Woodstock. Picture: Evan Morgan
“At this point in time, Magnis has decided not to pursue an alternate site at the Lansdown development, as there are no sites that meet our requirements. Magnis are instead considering other options for the location of its Australian gigafactory.”
When asked about council’s land reallocation and Magnis’ consequential departure from Lansdown, Cr Hill defended the decision to award the land to a different project.
View of the iM3 Townville Lithium-ion battery plant proposed to be built at the Lansdown Eco-Industrial precinct. Photo: iM3TSV
View of the iM3 Townville Lithium-ion battery plant proposed to be built at the Lansdown Eco-Industrial precinct. Photo: iM3TSV
“Council is happy to speak to any proponent who is interested in establishing a shovel-ready project in Townsville in accordance with the Council’s established public process,” she said.
“All proponents who have been allocated land at the Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct have fulfilled the necessary requirements to date and are proceeding with their projects.”
Magnis completed a feasibility study for the project in August 2020 for the 18GWh manufacturing plant, which would have been developed in three stages, after receiving a $3.1m grant from the Queensland Government.
Doubts revolving around Magnis’ financial ability to deliver the multi-billion dollar project were confirmed by their ASX disclosure, which revealed that its flagship New York battery factory had failed to deliver any sales and they had just over a year’s funding left.
Magnis had also experienced a revolving door of high profile board members and its chairman Frank Poullas had become mired in an investigation by the corporate regulator ASIC last year.
For several weeks the Townsville Bulletin has unsuccessfully sought an update from Magnis on their iM3TSV project and their decision to walk.
Sounds like the perfect preferred airline for Jenny’s future air travel when Bonza starts flights to and from Townsville. The purple doona dress will match the seat colour perfectly and she’ll feel at home with many of her mob.
Purple budgie smugglers and Chekhov on tap as Bonza the ‘bogan airline’ finally takes to the skies
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/feb/01/purple-budgie-smugglers-and-chekhov-on-tap-as-bonza-the-bogan-airline-finally-takes-to-the-skies?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other
What the fuck is Chekhov? Are passengers to be subjected to readings of the Russian classics?
Pie, its well worth the read, the journo author is giving a very tongue in cheek assessment of the maiden flight.
Such as why Chekhov!
Next up, I peruse the in-app literature section, an offering of titles from classic authors including F Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and Chekhov’s The Lady with the Toy Dog. I’m intrigued by the book offering from a “bogan” airline, until I realise all of the titles have lapsed copyright and are in the public domain for free.
THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS, INSULTING AND VERGING ON THE CRIMINAL. TCC CANNOT EVEN CLAIM IGNORANCE OF THE DANGER NOW.
Remember this week from last weekend’s Nest.
Well, well, well, After more than three long dangerous weeks , and four days since the TCC and the public were alerted (here in The Nest), look what appeared just after dawn this morning (Wednesday) along the upper reaches of Leichhardt Street North Ward.
The Townsville City Council, mayor Jenny Hill CEO Prins Ralston, legal officer Tony Bligh(t) and it’s management stand condemned by the own lack of integrity and responsibility. In no way is the council absolved of that responsibility by the gimcrack, cynical and lazy ‘solution’ to a possible fatal accident. A very real possibility that still exists despite some begrudged window-dressing. In fact, it could leave them open to greater culpability.
And Division 3 councillor Ann-Maree Greaney too, if she refuses to stand up for her constituents – or just ordinary Townsville residents – and tell the mayor this just isn’t good enough. And where’s their bargain basement, cut-price legal hack Tony Bligh, even a legal by-the-numbers dunce like him must surely see the massive exposure the council has here?
This type of construction warning fencing is a general warning to pedestrians and cyclists to warn of a danger – usually a pot hole or dodgy footpath – but it offers absolutely no resistance to a couple of tonnes of an out-of-control vehicle. This cynical response after being exposed as negligent in the first instance is insulting towards the safety of the general public. And towards the required duty of elected and PS officers.
And the supervisor of the work crew who showed up out of the darkness to sneak in this hurried piece of window dressing also needs to take responsibility for such a shoddy, unprofessional and one suspects ill-tempered piece of amateur ‘safety’ work.
Of course, the Bulletin will show up, tut-tut and raid their adjective storeroom– but only when and after the worst has happened.
Fuck me, this bloody council, geezus.
Probably done by the same crew who laid the pavers, displayed here several weeks ago.
Has anyone noticed if that debacle has been rectified?
So here is how this now now pans out – TCC is exposed. Once the risk has been identified (which has been done by the Magpie by his exposing the dodgy carpark dangers) the risk now sits squarely at TCC’s feet. Until the situation is corrected if anyone breaks their neck the TCC CEO will be the accountable person. Have fun with that Prince Ralston, keep praying that nobody gets injured because if they do it will be your ass that goes to jail.
In the days of CEO’s Brian Gutherie and Ray Burton, TCC had a comprehensive risk analysis framework that had to be completed prior to any work or project being undertaken or, in some circumstances while projects where being undertaken by council or contractors. A correctly completed risk assessment would have identified the issues here and made certain that appropriate action was taken to mitigate the risks identified.
Whatever happened to these risk assessments or did they become to onerous for TCC staff to complete or identify dodgy jobs which needed additional funding to correctly complete?
There is always the possible reason lurking behind this sort of negligence …. the council is in effect broke. Or at least cannot afford a proper risk assessment and maintenance program.
There is the old saying along the lines that nothing concentrates the mind like knowing you’re going to be hung in the morning. (Apologies to Samuel Johnson).
The truth was seen today on the upper reaches of Leichhardt Street at 12.25 this afternoon.
Here’s how this saga went down. In last weekend’s Nest, it was highlighted that when the TCC removed a derelict steel fence along part of the upper end of Leichhardt Street, they left no replacement barrier. Not even a warning sign.
Then, by massive coincidence, on Wednesday morning, about 7, TCC workers flitted in and had quietly and swiftly erected a flimsy netting fence along the small clifftop.
Ever wanting to be helpful, The Magpie yesterday immediately pointed out the massive exposure to possible court action by the slapdash safety bandaid, because it was proof they knew of the danger but essentially did nothing to stop a runaway vehicle crashing into the car park below. even council’s answer to Rudy Guiliani, Tony Bligh, was apparently alarmed
But early this afternoon (Thursday), here’s what unfolded … around 12.30, three or four council hi-viz blokes strolled up the street, kicked the dust and rubble of the unmade guttering as they chatted about what they had to do.
A few minutes later, up rolled a truck, and a dozen or so empty water barriers were dropped along the street …
They were then wrestled into place by some surprisingly energetic workers …
… then a water truck showed up, and the barriers were filled …
… and voila, in less than 45 minutes, we now have a safety barrier which will stop the most errant vehicle.
It was a barrier that should have been erected four weeks ago, as the old steel fence was removed.
The work crews clearly know what their doing, and do it swiftly and professionally, but the same can’t necessarily be said for their Walker Street overlords.
The Magpie is yet to receive the expected ‘thank you’ email from Tony Bligh for averting. a potential disaster, but it will turn up … The Magpie knows he is always in Tony’s thoughts … constantly, in fact, so The ‘Pie is told.
And since when is 36degrees a ‘heat wave’?
When it is 36 degrees C in Ross River!
That is Ross River, Yukon, Canada
If anyone from the Yes campaign is hoping for votes from the immigrant community they will be very disappointed. My Chinese in laws are all voting no, they describe the aboriginals as lazy freeloaders who already getting most things for nothing, don’t work hard enough, live on handouts and are already given many considerations the rest of the community don’t get.
Cantankerous, generous of you to offer a second hand migrant viewpoint. Here’s a first hand contrary comment published today:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/feb/03/the-no-side-in-the-voice-referendum-has-misread-the-mood-among-migrants?CMP=share_btn_link
A reasonable article, but reading it, as with everything in this issue, one must remember who is doing the writing. This is a confusing mish mash of two or three issues – migrants, colonial and later policies, indigenous people – liberally leavened with selected ‘bad history’ and never once talking about wrongs that have been righted. But as so much of this debate does, it misses the underlying point of what effect a Voice concept will have if it is inserted into the Constitution. And just why do the proponents believe the population doesn ‘t need to know that until after the fact?
Gutless to the core. Allen Tudge responsible for Robodebt but not, in his view, responsible for it being legal. This is a fine example of why politicians are held in low esteem and many good people do not seek a political career.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-01/qld-robodebt-scheme-government-royal-commission-fraud/101910062
Water Cost blowouts . Haughton pipeline stage 1 $150 mil / Stage 2 $185 mil State + $74.7 mil blow out picked up by ratepayers , Today a further $30 mil State channelled to Council of a $60 mil project duplicate between pipeline between Ross river rd , Ross River Dam , Douglas water plant . Isnt there further $ millions in the Council budget and $34 mil need for Lansdown water treatment . All up over half a billion $ . How much blow out due to poor planning and politics .
Cardinalhell Pell, is laying in state, that’s an anagram of what he did in the flesh on the green side of the grass…….lying to the State.
Not quite.
Maybe they are waiting on Lucifer to come and collect him cos the filthy scum certainly ain’t going to heaven if there is one.
Anyone out Woodstock way know if you can drive to the Landsdown site?
I wouldn’t mind taking a drive out there for a sticky beak but wouldn’t have a clue where to go.
TEL and the Mayor are claiming that work has already started at the site, but a mate who works for the council reckons that’s all bulldust. He claims that when they made the big announcement about the new anchor project last week they brought in an excavator for the photo to give the impression something was actually happening out there.
Smoke and mirrors?
Smoke and mirrors from Council? That is a very rude thing to say. In the broadest sense there has been work in the area by Driveit NQ but as far as enabling infrastructure for other projects so things like roads water pipes sewers phone connections there is nothing but cheeping little birds. This is the original bulldust and I am surprised that the Mullet and Thumper even bothered to drive out there for the picture in the paper when they could have done something in a number of plots of Clouncil wasteland closer to Wanker Street.
Why isn’t the Bulletin looking into this?
Because it’s The Bulletin!
Rr, when you get to Woodstock take a right down Jones RD – right down to the Ace Aviation airstrip.
OR after Woodstock turn right down Ghost Gum Rd for a look
OR further on turn right down Bidwilli Rd which circles around the whole area and joins Jones Rd at the airstrip junction.
Interesting country. Cr O’Callaghan country.
RR there is work happening, I went for wander down Jones Rd and Ghost Gum Rd after the Magnis saga to see if anything real is going on and you can see roads being built. Lots happening at DriveIT. With an office in town and roads being built the nickel refinery looks better than other projects we’ve had in the past
Useful comment, and QPM look a likely success story, playing things straight from the outset. But hey, listen Nesters, can we not call it the nickel refinery, please? QPM or QPM mineral processing plant will do the job and avoid confusion with Fatty Palmer’s debacle and dodgy dealing at Yabulu. Thanks.
QPM it is.
They certainly aren’t the usual media tarting shysters we get carpet bagging through the town.
No, they don’t seem to be, do they? Refreshing.
Prickster, one of the unanswered questions about the, um, QPM mineral processing plant, is the disposal of the spent ore. The plan is to import something over one million tonnes per year from New Caledonia containing less than about 2% actual stuff they want to keep. So the remaining 98%, which is said to be ‘dry’ and possibly useful for something else, somewhere else, has yet to be given a destination. They could make a mountain where there is presently less than a molehill so it will be worth keeping an eye on.
Check out ‘QPM layout plan’ to see the latest report from QPM including a map of Lansdown with all the details. Note the big space for spent ore and the big ponds which I guess could store raw water from the Haughton pipeline. QPM’s quarterly report reads so similarly to Magnis’ you’d really have to wonder whether they use the same PR flaks.
Some quick googling shows QPM is a completely different refinery compared to Yabulu.
https://qpmetals.com.au/tech-project/dni-process/
No tailings dam.
It’s my understanding that the solid residue is intended to become engineered fill, i.e. a product rather than waste. Their last quarterly report, from this week states:
“QPM also continued to work on obtaining End of Waste code approval for its residue. QPM is currently progressing well on the test work and reporting to support an End of Waste (EOW) application beneath the Environmental Protection Act 1994 for the residue that is produced by the TECH project.
The approval of an EOW Code allows for a waste stream to be characterised as a “resource” because it has demonstrated an acceptable environmental risk, market demand and appropriate physico-chemical properties. QPM, in collaboration with James Cook University (“JCU”) and EMM Consulting have identified an end use of the residue is for engineered fill. Engagement with a number of industrial proponents in the Townsville region have demonstrated there is sufficient demand for this product. Following completion of test work by JCU, an application for an EOW Code will be lodged with the Department of Environment and Science”
So, Ancient, that ‘engineered fill’ could be used, for instance, to put a cap of a meter or two on the dredge spoil being dumped in the 60 ha reclaim area at the Port expansion project? How handy would that be? Not even Clive Palmer would be that daring.
Palm, you really are firming up as No More Dredging.
The question was about the storage of solid waste on site at Lansdown. If there are customers who want to use it as engineered landfill that is up to them. Not sure how it can be associated with dredging the port though, surely dredging involves taking material out of the port rather than putting it in.
NMD? Hasn’t she gone to France?
Old as the hills, hard to believe you have no idea what that ship is doing out in the Cleveland Bay shipping channel right now. And that you haven’t put two and two together about that great big breakwater that got built out from the edge of the Townsville Port a couple of years ago. The enclosed area is being filled with the dredge spoil being dug up by that dredge ship and transported in barges to the enclosure. It is intended to create new land totalling about 60 hectares (in stage 1) amongst which to create several new berths for ships. And hard standing for something something, hydrogen tanks or a coal loader. I guess ignorance is bliss?
If the QPM plant can’t find interested parties to take a million tonnes of spent ore per year (road base, re-export to some refinery, fill for suburbia?) they may be desperate to get rid of the stuff. Meanwhile the port will want to deeply ‘top dress’ the dried out and compacted spoil upon which to build various structures, as they do. Can you see the marriage?
I was just trying to answer a question with some factual stuff. I dont care about anyones agenda, least of all yours.
Ancient, it makes sense to care about QPM’s agenda.
It seems to me that QPM’s agenda is to profitably generate something useful that will make the world a better place and have a small an environmental footprint as possible.
Where any engineered fill ends up is a function of the demand for it. If the port of townsville indeed has a need for material they will get it from whoever will supply it. If someone else wants it more (note customers in the plural is quoted) then they will supply them instead. If QPM don’t supply the port with fill, the port will get it from somewhere else.
If you have an issue with the port of townsville what use is there in speculating about its upstream supply of materials.
This mornings news has loads of touchy-feely self-congratulatory commentaries regarding the 50% drop in police having to deal with indigenous crime and violence in the NT.
They’ll probably find out that the usual suspects have taken to sniffing a number of easily available hallucinogens, and are zonked out as they pickle their brains.
Short term solutions, long term harm, the underlying cause is still there..
Probably all headed to Queensland, the state where they can do whatever they want without consequences. Come to Townsville where Aaron Harper will protect you.
Achilles, what is the “underlying cause”?
Misunderstanding of each other, imposing religion and not learning from the earlier failures in the Americas both North and South, chopping up Africa by the “superior” countries of Europe and as far back as Alexander’s Greek and the Romans “well intended” advancement of the barbarians.
But primarily it seems the usual beads and blankets, under the carpet mentality.
PS the problem is not the “underlying cause” it is finding a solution with as many proposals as the number of original tribes. All of which are well intended as they are all on the road to hell.
I went to Darwin many moons ago for the Darwin Cup. Can’t remember much of that weekend (they tell me I backed the winner but when I woke up the next afternoon I was broke). I do, however, remember a local telling me they’d solved the indigenous crime problem by driving offenders to a camp in the bush a couple of hundred kilometres away and dumping them there. With no public transport it was almost impossible to get back to Darwin in a hurry so they stayed out there and “got back in touch with country”.
I also know of a NQ town that had a problem with young crims stealing purses off old ladies and hunting in gangs to bash up the public. Eventually the hard working local lads had enough and took matters (and baseball bats) into their own hands. The problem disappeared overnight. Shades of the Bondi Boys.
Who said tough love don’t work.
And which One Nation candidate will you be voting for, or are you just a visiting American Republican.
Sieg Heil
Your Darwin example sounds the Wadeye solution. That’s going real well nowadays they’re getting back in touch with Darwin.
About 20 years ago there was a particularly nasty lettle gang of thugs, baiting and bashing people along BaMford Lane. One night they picked the wrong person who called in backup. Problem offenders never showed up again in that area. A consequence for actions delivered the vigilante way. Not always the best way but sometimes the only way.
Te Magpie will never condone proactive vigilantism that involves physical violence (i.e. ‘go lookin’ for them’) but in this case, if it is true, probably unlawful but effective. The ‘Pie says if it is true, because it sounds like the yarn you hear in the front bar of every pub in Townsville, the Charles Bronson scenario of ‘you picked on the wrong, pal’. These stories are more fantasies to fool the dissatisfied into some sort of clenched fist satisfaction.
Does anyone know when the new Chief Legal Officer starts at TCC? Interviews were held a few weeks ago. Another new boss for Mr Blight.
(GASP!!) You mean Rudy Bligh hasn’t been promoted? Again? Or maybe he has and they’re wondering how to break the news.
Has he EVER been promoted?
And the only reason he hasn’t been sacked is because he knows where all the bodies are.
National Cabinet meeting today, why are there 3 flags? and why is the Australian flag relegated to one side?
Hardly a display of unity, as it implies that there are 3 separate entities. Maybe it’s time that we got a new flag which doesn’t include another countries flag in the corner. Perhaps that could be included as an adjunct to the referendum currently being proposed, two issues for the price of one.
What is the other one, presuming one is the indigenous flag?
The T.I flag https://aiatsis.gov.au/explore/torres-strait-islander-flag
Scroll down a bit and you’ll get the picture. Of course we’re not allowed to be offended or imply some mischief by the organiser.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/breaking-news/no1-priority-anthony-albaneses-medicare-dilemma-ahead-of-national-cabinet/news-story/a11c731dfd9beecce1fb6c0eac1a2234
Yup, got it, thanks.
Wonder how the T Is sit on the voice.
Good question, the TI’s seem to be out on a limb, the only comments from the indigenous all seem to be from the underwhelming, gold pass, gravy train passenger Pat Dodson.
Over the past 30 years, The Magpie has heard anecdotally that the TIs hate being lumped in with the aborigines and that they tend to look down on the mainland indigenous ‘culture’. But The ‘Pie admits never once have any of the numerous TI people he has met in that time ever expressed any such view … one way or the other, it was never a subject. But the clear impression is that those of the Torres Strait Islands don’t seem to have an axe to grind in the same way as the indigenous industry.
When flying the Australian National Flag with state flags and/or other flags (such as the Australian Aboriginal Flag, the Torres Strait Islander Flag, local government flags, house flags, club pennants, corporate and company flags) in a line of flagpoles, the order of the flags should follow the rules of precedence. The Australian National Flag should always be flown on the far left of a person facing the building. With the exception of a flagpole fitted with a gaff, a house flag or club pennant should never be flown above a national flag.
https://www.pmc.gov.au/australian-flags-booklet-part-2-protocols-appropriate-use-and-flying-flag/flying-australian-1
Thanks for that very edifying
I like your style.
A,
I have not seen the photo, but IAW Australian flag etiquette when the Australian National Flag (ANF) is flown in the presence of other flags the ANF takes the precedent position which is to ‘the right ‘. When you are looking at the flags the ANF will be on ‘your left’. The order of precedence is; ANF, State flags, flags of indigenous Australians, and last, house flags.
Now this is where it gets confusing.
When the ANF is flown in Australia in the presence of the flag of a foreign sovereign county the place of precedence becomes ‘the center ‘.
I encourage all to obtain the CoA publication Australian Flags ISBN 0 642 47130 4. I got my copy free from my local Federal MP years ago.
Essential reading, second only to Forensics For Dummies.
Dear ‘Pie,
I also highly recommend Jole Asher’s book Australian Protocoles and Proceedures.
We all want to know where to seat the guest of honour in the dining room, or in the car, or how to correctly address a Duke, or even a Cardinal and the shaking of hands. When to, and when not to, and who initiates the hand shake. Lots of good stuff. For three years in a long distant past this book was most useful to me.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.amazon.com/Australian-Protocol-Procedures-Asher-Joel/dp/0868409464&ved=2ahUKEwiOkMjL4_j8AhWT7zgGHahICt0QFnoECC0QAQ&usg=AOvVaw1gJMoRPSGdTu8MgmW_Hxju
An absolutely useless book! The ‘Pie has met many cardinals, and he bought the book in the hope it would provide the answer to a major question …. but nowhere does it say after a meeting and shaking hands with a cardinal, where or how to wipe your hands.
Thanx Dave, got it, it does beg the question though as to why we need the divisive “racist” other two?
< (Posted from direct email to The Magpie).
Whilst chasing her legacy ( Tony Mooney the Strand ), Mayor Hill has taken her eye off the fundamentals which will cost residents / business dearly . To fund her projects $80 mil Lansdown / $33.8 mil Safe City Investment / $39.5 mil Culture Lifestyle , Wellbeing and the other Woke Council activity, Council had to increase rates + 9 % average the highest in Qld and 20-40% resi landlords.
Our Mayor has taken her eye of housing needs / Crime for the City and nearly $80 mil blow outs on two projects Haughton pipeline stage 2 / Thuringowa library and we will never know what other major projects Council have admitted failing to deliver as the Mayor is trying to shutdown debate independent Councillors .
Council minutes disclose the Mayor hadn’t updated Councillors on Lansdown for months . Magnis is out and can Qld Pacific metals raise the funding ?
Currently up to 6,000 Townsville home owners are borderline on increase interest rates loans / change from fixed to variable.
Living standards have dropped in Townsville Insurance home + car / crime / rates and Council and Aaron , Scott , Les don’t care .
And while Jenny chases her global dream, aaron Harper is considering other big issues.
Be thankful for small mercy ! Aaron, the dill could have waited a day and put up a post with a roll of Sorbent thanking the manufacturer for its product !
https://youtu.be/XwJRgS4XtdY
That looks to healthy for old Harpic. Look at his fat Turkey neck, me thinks he is eating much fatty food on a daily basis. Plus of course he doesn’t exercise as he is too busy sitting in his office doing no work whatsoever.
Headline.
AARON HARPER, STATE MEMBER FOR THURINGOW SNUBS SUBWAY FRANCHISE!
Not sure how Nesters missed this one, but according to local Labor types, Les Walker is “well liked and respected” in his electorate, and there won’t be any internal push to get rid of him before the next election. Bahahahaha the electorate waits with baited breath to get rid of him instead.
Private Cupcake has been told that his absence from his electorate has been noticed and to get his arse back to Townsville more often.
No mention of whether that toxic POS Harpic has his neck on the line.
Why was six afraid of seven?
Cos seven eight nine!
??? Ben, you’ve obviously had your head banged against the headboard too many times.
Probably while “check-mating” a Bishop.
A Chinese intelligence balloon over the US . I call bullshit.
Not to worry, it’ll soon realise there’s fuck all intelligence to discover.
Pie, why are all entries now in italics?
They’re not this end. But some parts of comments are italicised to highlight they are quotes, or bits that need attention.
I just typed a reply and it displayed in the “non italics” font but when it appears on the reply on your page its in italics.
Have any other nesters having the same issue? if not then the problem must be at my end.
Glitch maybe but not much of a problem.
It is possible.
During WWII the Japs sent off a bunch of balloons carrying bombs into the prevailing jet stream which took them to the Nth American mainland. The bombs were released by a timer. A hugely ineffective campaign, but yes the Japs did bomb the USA.
Dave, as I recall it the Japs sent balloons full of anthrax on submarines but they got blown the wrong way and eventually deflated as intended in the middle of the Pacific.
Yep, all the comments are appearing in italics. I don’t mind, it’s kind of sexy.
Adani update.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-04/indian-parliament-adjourned-amid-adani-crisis/101931080
Will the ‘contagion’ reach Mayor Mullets office? Likely not, but it proves that she has a hopeless governance ability as she was desperately trying to get into bed with these shysters, shonks and snake oil salesmen.