And what a cynical waste of $90,000 it is, hiring an (very lucky) ex-copper to some pointless liaison role so she looks like she’s at last trying to the council’s bit towards juvenile crime. But it’s all bullshit that has already backfired. except the money isn’t bullshit.
But the panic of unpopularity has caused one of the silliest and ill-advised TCC media releases imaginable, a masterclass in ‘the emperor’s-new-clothes‘ meets Trumps alternative facts
And if you wondering what may happen if the Voice is successful, look across to America and the latest race based rort over there.
Any chance of a helping hand with Nest finances? It’s that time of year when a few nasty bills land with a thud. The donate button is at the bottom of the blog.
Now, to the week’s doin’s ….
Seems Jenny Hill Is All For Transparency … We Can See Right Through Her
Really, this is so cynical and so insulting … from both the mayor and the Bulletin. But hey, the new bloke to tell you hide your keys and lock your front door will only cost you $90, 000 for the six month contract. It’s is an absolute rort on several levels.
This a brazen bit of electioneering, an incompetent mayor coming late to the realisation that she actually has a contest on her hands for her job, and that the crime issue will play a part in that outcome. And she has reluctantly realised that time and again, she has been totally outmanoeuvred on the crime issue by Phil Thompson.
It is true the council has limited things it can do about crime but trying the smokescreen of wasting money on what The ‘Pie is told is a 6 month consultancy is pure empty window dressing. For the sole purpose of trying to look active on the crime issue. And as usual, the Bulletin is giving her the full treatment as our battling Boaedica with the tell-tale follow-up story in the weekend edition.
But she’s fooled no one. Social media lit up with furious reaction to announcement, with this example coming up with a great payoff line.
Showground boss Chris Condon may be able to make use of that last line.
But there other claims from the mayor that rankle some council insiders. For instance, in Friday’s mayoral boast, she bloviated about the council opering 550 CCTV cameras and some were mystified about where the $90,000 for Mr Plod was coming from. That really got up the nose of a couple of informed commenters to The Nest.
Seems juveniles aren’t the only ones committing crimes around here, but Queenslanders everywhere seem to be caught in a pincer movement between the criminals and the police. Vigilante action is never a good idea, although it is a sure sign of Queenslander frustrations, as demonstrated when a group of Rockhampton residences laid siege to a house where some known ne’er do wells were holed up. In the end, several of the residents were arrested for their actions. Bentley is bemused by the cheek of our premier to the events in Rocky, since her lax laws have been contributing to the frustration that led to the Rocky incident.
Another Disaster Managed By Our Disaster Manager Mayor
Jenny Hill gave us her usual blather blizzard in the lead up to the rugby match at Total Tools Stadium last weekend, telling us what a boost it be to the economy, and – don’t laugh now – that it would help prove Townsville as the event capital in the region. As it turned out, the game at Total Tools Stadium between the Queensland and the NSW was a so sparsely attended affair that a local wit said that there were more people on the field than in the stands … a tad over-stated, but probably only about 7000 or so, no official numbers yet..
But for some reason, the mayor’s media department put out one of the most fabulous media releases ever to come out the Walker Street fable factory. Here’s how it was covered in comments.
- The Magpie
Released at 4.30 this afternoon.
Read this and try to stop that throbbing vein in your temple from bursting.
Whoever wrote this absolute twaddle … no, let’s be blunt, it’s a pack of deliberate bloody lies … should be fired. ‘The community turned out in full force?’ And the Mayor should be front and centre about how much ratepayers money was wasted on this debacle. The ‘Pie has been seeking attendance numbers all afternoon, but Stadium Queensland site is a nightmare… they wanted $2 (refundable!) just to answer a fucking question.
Unbelievable even in this unbelievable fucktangle of a city.
Pictorial proof of the the idiocy of author of the Council’s codswallop release – even ardent Trumpsters would blanche at the dumbfounding claim that the ‘Townsville community turned out in full force’ . But if that and other claims were true, it was lost on Jenny’s publicity machine at the Bulletin. The Qld side getting walloped by the NSW Waratahs got a small report buried on the inside sports pages next to it on the same page, even the NQ Rugby Championships at Hugh Street in Sunday got twice the coverage …
… but let’s zoom out now for further perspective. the Reds/’Tahs match was at the bottom of the page dominated by …. netball??
Other comments:
- Critical
I’m amazed that there’s not a major sewerage mains blockage outside 103 Walker Street. This should be called out for what it it, bullshit and absolute bloody lies.
I know someone who went to the game and he reckons that it was an absolute dismal crowd and no atmosphere. He wouldn’t be surprised if the organisers try to find an alternative venue next year. Says he won’t be going to another game.
- Mike Douglas
Damage control at Council over the Qld reds dismal turnout and clear waste of rate payers $ on food trucks , disruption caused closing the cbd . Clearly comments by various in the Magpie has resulted in the Council press release trying to justify their actions . Things are so woke at T.C.C . there are questions whether one of the Mayors advisors actually lives in Townsville or Queenslsnd but it appears it’s inappropriate to ask where a Council employee lives .
- The Magpie
After that press release, it’s clear they all live in their own heads.
- Ducks Nuts
May 9, 2023 at 11:23 pm (Edit)
Wrong end of the body Magpie
Yes, things get lively in comments sometimes.
But The Bulletin Had Bigger Things To Worry About
Like a quiz on a vital subject.
And then there was this.
Shame that one of Tony Raggatt’s last stories for the Astonisher a warm-over ‘if-maybe-but’ no hard quotes story about Aldi … this series of ‘will they-won’t they’ about Aldi started more than two years, and this doesn’t move the matter forward much.
But hey, must be good if it’s on page 3, eh?
Well, no actually, it was on page 4.
The old saying is so true: if a paper can’t get the little things right, why should we trust them on the important things (like pelicans swallowing dilodos.)
Is This Where All This Is Going … First, The Voice, Next The Treaty, Then This? ….
The word that will have us in turmoil in a year or two’s time will be … reparations. Australia is always a little behind American trends in fashion and social matters, but it all is visited upon us eventually, and you can bet the inner urban Aboriginal Industry elite (and Noel Pearson) are watching and waiting on this one.
The American claims … mainly in California as other such nascent movements wait to see how gullible the woke mob can be … are based mostly on discriminatory laws and historical slavery. But that won’t stand in the way of similar claims here in Australia – the parliamentary scrubber Lidia Thorpe has already claimed such a move publicly, as a consequence of her call for a ‘treaty’.
Whatever the fuck that will entail.
The US Has Even More Pressing Problems At The Moment …
… as this week’s American gallery covers, leading of with our own Cathy Wilcox’s biting observation of the former maniac-in-chief.
Other Stuff
Last week, The ‘Pie couldn’t find the coronation guest who put Our Jenny’s purple doona in the shade, but a reader dug it up.
Ummmm ….
…and w end on one you’ might have to think about (The Magpie took a moment.)
………………
That’s it for another week, but think about having your say in comments, they run 24/7. The donate button is help out with the always present Nest costs is below. Thanks.
12 mths on May 23 rd Mayor Hill , Les , Aaron , Scott congratulated Anthony Albanese on becoming PM and their media posts boasted how having a Labor Federal Government would be better for Townsville . Two Federal Budgets and Townsville has received crumbs . They mis read Albo like they have mis read residents of Townsville .
Mike, I agree it sorta feels like that but there has been a bit of money flowing even if the local (Liberal) member isn’t blowing a trumpet. For example there was $70 million for a Townsville hydrogen hub announced earlier in the year. And still in Townsville city but in the next door electorate of Bob Katter Kennedy there’s millions of Canberra money being spent on Dingo Park Road seemingly in a communication blackout from TCC and the Division 10 councillor. In a couple of weeks the ex-Palm Creek now Townsville Folk Festival will draw thousands down that road to Full Stop station so I guess the word will get out then.
Two small matters: the division 10 councillor is included in the communication blackout from the TCC (read your imagined hotty, Mayor Mullet), as with everything else.
And good to see you talking up the big events like the Palm Creek festival (why change a great name for a politically advantageous one … fuck that.) If it’s to be the Townsville Folk Festival, why not hold it at Total tools stadium … be one of the bigger crowds for the arena outside a Cowboys match.
PS great crowd last night, who were suitably rewarded for sticking with The Boys.
ABC has reported in Canberra that the NRL is unhappy with the raiders playing venue and a new one is needed. To bring it up to current standards. It will revitalise the city on some Facebook posts and public transport would be upgraded along with more businesses making money from game nights because of foot traffic. Where have I heard that story before?? Oh that’s right Hobart recently. You think they would have used the Canberra model here for cowboys games after they built our stadium? How much better off would our CBD be?
For the stupid people and some of the mullet plants, my comment is satirical! But it is based on an actual story. “Sigh”
Same spin in Townsville. How’s that going for us?
I am now of the opinion the NRL needs to contribute much more to these grounds if they want to be so needy.
Also be interesting to see what developers will make a killing off said redevelopment like Lancini did with our stadium.
Interesting tweet.
Already many in this space in Australia, but regulations and red tape have throttled the pre fab or mudula home industry in this country. Most councils won’t allow them and the ones that do have onerous requirements that virtually dissolve most of the cost advantage these have. Most developers covenants virtually ban these types of buildings and it would only be on the outer fringes and rural areas where these would be allowed. Add in the cost of Australian trades and approved products and the horrendous cost of transport to the site and most of the saving is gone. Also insurance companies charge an absolute premium to insure the buildings and many actually won’t touch them. Make no mistake the closed shop of the building and construction industry and a heavily unionised workforce have done a very good job in making prefab construction a dirty word in this country, which is a real shame, it has the ability to provide a great outcome to our housing shortages.
OK, now you’ve done the Negative Nelly side of things, how about you try a Positive Paddy aspect … the advantages, what needs to be done, and you may want to note the many recent statements from various sectors including councils that regs need to be reviewed and red tape minimised without compromising safety and amenity. Any argument that allowing such a cheap end of the market would only be short term as the usual economic cycles inevitably turn doesn’t apply here if the migrant intake of 1.5m new Aussies turn up in the next five years … there’s going to be a housing and accommodation shortage for a long time yet. And that doesn’t bode well for many here already … the newbies come from backgrounds more used to less visions of what comprises an acceptable life.
The reason you should look further vat this is because a search when your comment was first received took only a few minutes to show you are correct, the pre-fab, ‘granny flat’ and mini-home business is booming (apparently). So what’s their secret? How are they so busy – and from the several sites The ‘Pie looked at, holiday homes are only a small part of the industry – if your negative we’re all rooned view is correct.
Maybe our mayor could help. with some answers and attitudes, since she is a well-padded and paid board member of the LGAQ, which has a big interest in the red tape of councils.
Not being negative Pie, just realistic, as someone who has been involved in various aspects of the construction industry I have seen this played out too many times, even a fully developed successful and profitable construction company like Hutchinsons struggle to get their own pre fabricated business to the position they would expect it to be. Local Govt are a big hurdle, along with state and federal restrictions in regards to supply, certifications and approvals. I also find it a disgrace that a wealthy nation wi
Sorry, Computer stalled. I also find it a disgrace that a wealthy nation with a large land mass and relatively small population can’t find a place for people to live, but their are many, who simply don’t want the status quo to change, hence why you are liable for a $32,000 fine if you change your own garden tap and don’t get a licenced plumber to do it, the building and construction industry is the greatest protection racket this country has ever seen.
Outside of politics.
Building regulations are the problem in Australia! A raft of new regulations came into effect on May 1 and there are more changes coming in October. Every change is making it more expensive to build.
Prefab and kit homes have been around for years. Some fantastic ones. A few local companies do them.
Agreed … and think Cankers main pessimism comes from the considerable hurdles of location allowability and red tape one if faced with in buiulding them. The easy answer to that is if its the government that’s building them, then they can change the rules. Or is that too simple?
Mostly Prefab homes are used for remote and areas where it’s difficult to get builders to. Builders dont like travelling and coastal areas have stricter building and amenities builders like.
There was a company here in Townsville some years ago building prefab for export to Pacific Islands.
As a teenage street kid in Melbourne for two years, sometimes sleeping under park bushes, bus shelters and hidden corners of railway stations, The Magpie knows any reasonable shelter to keep the rain and sun off is acceptable. And we’re NOT talking about the over-hyped myth of bludgers, freeloaders and druggies here, the policies of governments over the past decade has created a class of the working poor who have never been in a position to save enough for a home and are now the main victims of the property and rental crisis. And believe it, IT IS A CRISIS.
No worker or their family in Australia deserves to be sleeping in their cars. That’s those with a car, it’s more dire for others. It is a disgrace in one of the richest … and in some ways, most uncaring … country in the world.
Arc Homes were building pre-fab homes next door to the TCC Garbutt Depot. A lot were going to Palm Island. They eventually closed down and that parcel of land is now owned by ERGON.
Ark Homes went into receivership because they over extended themselves and tried to build shopping centres in Fiji. God played an important role in their business but he failed to do risk management and proper business plans for them. They collapsed owing $30M. They did build good kid homes though.
Hey Magpie. Bit sketchy on the details as I’m not that close but those CCTV cameras are monitored 24/7 by some contractors with a hotline to the cops so at least it’s not a completely useless waste of money.
Don’t think you’ll see that The ‘Pie said they were useless waste of money, they definitely are not. It was another commenter who said they weren’t monitored and were ill-maintained. Which may be true, or you may be true. Welcome to comments.
And the issue of the CCTV cameras is not part of the disgraceful waste of $90,000 on a political stunt. No disrespect to you, Mr Drew but sorry mate, whatever you’re going to do ain’t worth $90k to the ratepayers … unless of course, your new mistress sets you some KPI’s that are to be reported publicly to show we got for our dough. (Just a small jest, cos that ain’t never gunna happen with this twicer of a mayor.)
So Shovel you’re saying all 500+ CCTV cameras are now monitored live 24/7 by someone with appropriate training? And council staff no longer play with the orientation of the cameras for amusement? Because that definitely used to happen.
As a person well acquainted with television control rooms, I’m trying to calculate how many pairs of eyes would be needed at any one time to keep a meaningfully monitor of that many screens. Guestimating here, but you’d need a staff of minimum 8 to 12 people per shift and then the multiply by three. Big ask. Does it really happen?
From Councils Management, Operation and Use of Close Circuit Televisions and Recording Devices Policy
“Council’s Recording Device systems primarily will be used to collect information for later use in regulatory and legal proceedings. At most times, recording device systems will not be monitored by council on a “real time” basis, nor will the recordings be generally reviewed”
https://www.townsville.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0027/54891/Management-of-CCTV-Policy.pdf
Unless you have evidence to the contrary Shovel Holder, I take it they aren’t monitored in real time.
So basically then, the mayor’s chest thumping about the council’s CCTV network being part of the TCC contribution to citizen safety is bullshit – it’s about revenue raising for the use of the likes of bargain basement shill Tony Blight.
If you put in a RTI you can get some CCTV footage. And the police can request it through an agreement.
But yes. Jenny is full of shit. Cameras “might”be a deterrent, evidence shows they aren’t, but they will show what happened after the event and you need to apply and pay for footage.
https://www.townsville.qld.gov.au/about-council/corporate-information/right-to-information
In other words, you agree with The ‘Pie’s assessment.
Completely.
Unusual but completely
Don’t worry, Nanna Anna’s into prefab housing, and it’ll probably be coming as Townsville social housing to the allotment or as infill housing next to you soon.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-21/could-prefab-homes-help-solve-the-housing-crisis/101998572
https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/97451
Well, as usual, we should look north not south for guidance.Cairns Council waiving infrastructure fees for social and affordable housing as well as fast tracking applications . As many commenters have previously said Cairns moving ahead as they are building 2-3 times more new residential housing than the ‘ville.
Also, Cairns is a more picturesque location AND has a Council that seems to be proactive, unlike our impotent Council that is led by a narcissistic numpty.
(By email to Nest)
Qld Govt set up a Qbuild modular home production facility Eagle Farm Brisbane and a second one planned for Cairns. It’s to supply much needed housing public servants Police , nurses , school teachers in regional Qld.
Full details of the Cairns Regional Council initiative are here:
https://www.cairns.qld.gov.au/council/news-notices/media-releases/media-releases/investment-incentives
Re the large lady dressed in purple; she is wearing a bow mounted honor or award. Impossible to tell what from that photo. Reasonable to assume she was of service to the community or excelled at something, which is the exact opposite to our purple loving Mullet.
Doubt it was a Jenny Craig Loser of the Week medallion.
We have a Jenny Loser of the Week, and hopefully No More in 2024. (There, did you like that?
)
Just when we had recovered from the expensive and embarrassing rugby flop, Jenny Hill and her preferred developer Marty Locke have come up with a doosy of a way to get some action in Flinders Lane, apart from the drunks and druggos who use it as a public toilet (go down for a squiz sometime, but wear a mask and galoshes).
Yes folks, the investment of ratepayers money in the latest CBD white elephant was tipped to pay off big time by – wait for it – hiring a virtually unknown country music band to whip footy fans into a frenzy in the leadup to last weekend’s Cowboys game.
Forget about all the empty shops, a bit of country music is all that’s needed to make Jenny’s disastrous foray into the local development scene look like a masterstroke.
Guess what – it didn’t work – just like the ridiculous Townsville Eats event didn’t work before the rugby.
To be fair Jenny shouldn’t cop all the blame for these futile attempts to look like a big time promoter. My council spy tells me her Michael Chugg wannabes Ann Maree “Gushing” Greaney and Liam “Scooter” Mooney are the masterminds of these wanton wastes of our money.
Here’s a tip Jenny, and it won’t cost you $90,000 – forget about trying to be a developer, stop wasting our money on entertainment flops, and start fixing our roads and cleaning up our parks.
After all, that’s what councils are supposed to do.
Show them the door in 24.
That little laneway activation was again embarrassing, just like Townsville Eats. We have some wonderfully creative community in Townsville but the problem is the current Council does not listen. The council has several advisory committees (one for Arts and another for Placemaking) whose collective minds would come up with some brilliant results, but on all accounts these forums are entirely a waste of time…. tightly controlled by the oxygen sucking councillors.
Agree with your comment, Irate, but can you – or anybody – tell The ‘Pie what the fuck is a ‘placemaker’ in understandable non-consultant smart arse language?
This is the definition of this wankers wet dream of a buzz word:
Placemaking
Placemaking is a multi-faceted approach to the planning, design and management of public spaces. Placemaking capitalizes on a local community’s assets, inspiration, and potential, with the intention of creating public spaces that improve urban vitality and promote people’s health, happiness, and well-being. Wikipedia
in other words, running a city as it would be run anyway. This is a manufactured totally bullshit term possibly for some worthwhile activity, but how the hell would we know? ‘Placemaker’ as a stand alone term is absolutely meaningless, although possibly applicable to any horse The ‘Pie backs to win.
I think a “placemaker” is just a “social media influencer” who can’t use the internet. They are people like the Little Prick of Jamie Durey in their former lives.
It appears that Tony Raggats final column has been confirmed as correct, and Aldi are going into Willows. Bring on Townsvillites lining up for Aldi’s annual sale on ski gear!
Yeah, the story was an obvious set-up for max publicity, and they trusted Tony to deliver the news in the way he did. Good to know that his final yarn was a goody. The coyness of the parties involved is stock standard practice, to wring every bit of public awareness out of any move.
Townsville is included in the government’s $132m payout to landholders and householders affected by defence use of toxic firefighting foam at a number of bases around Australia.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/government-to-pay-132-million-to-30-000-residents-in-path-of-toxic-foam-20230515-p5d8g0.html?utm_content=STORY&list_name=10093_smh_breakingnews&promote_channel=edmail&utm_campaign=breaking-news-smh&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_term=2023-05-15&mbnr=MTI3Njc3NTA&instance=2023-05-15-12-00-AEST&jobid=29648540
After three years, on the morning class action was due to be heard in a Sydney Court, the present government did what their predecessor’s should’ve done three years ago and agreed to settle. Compensation will be decided on a case by case basis.
PFAS has cost the US Government billions in compensation. For Australia, $132m is merely one drop in a heavy polluted bucket. That money won’t go far and it won’t cover future losses. The PFAS problem covers a broad spectrum from human cancers, damaged waterways, ruined agriculture and cattle land, livestock losses, and airport land that cannot be developed.
By the time the lawyers and the class action funders take their enormous slice of settlement, the 30,000 odd claimants will be lucky to get $5k each. The land will then have to be put on a contaminated site register and be significantly devalued. Was it really worth it?
Interestingly, the judge has said he is yet to rule on how much claimants lawyers can get. That’ll be interesting, because the amount seems way, way too low anyway but maybe Morris Blackburn decided to cut and run with a few mill.
Now, for the maps of contaminated areas for the RAAF/airport areas, you need to go to the last ecological risk assessment reports from 2019 . https://defence.gov.au/environment/pfas/townsville/publications.asp see also this story about the payout in the SMH https://www.smh.com.au/national/i-think-they-ll-be-crying-farmer-decries-132m-deal-over-firefighting-foam-20230515-p5d8j2.html it will be the same for affected lavarack areas if they burn off. But let’s stick with RAAF.
Every year they burn off at the common, airport and Pee-Wee creek. All highly contaminated areas. A cuople of years ago I was at the far end of Bayswater road at Mt Louisa while they were doing this and the whole suburb had choking smoke. Like the dust, burning makes the contamination airborne. There are directions of travel shown in the maps caused by ground water movement and rainfall/flooding. But Areas not affected by this are contaminated by smoke and ash from the burn offs. PFAS accumulates like dioxin in everything. They have been doing this for donkeys years.
What excuses do the firies and EPA have for continuing? What excuses do local media have for not having a read and figuring it out?
And now you know where in Willows Aldi will be setting up shop.
https://retailworldmagazine.com.au/townsvilles-first-aldi-to-open-at-willows-shopping-centre/
And in other news Aldi is also set open at Innaloo.
Maybe with Townsville’s domination of Sht Towns of Australia power rankings, TCC’s finances and their dealings with turds like Harpic they thought Townsville and Innaloo were one and the same.
https://retailworldmagazine.com.au/aldi-to-open-new-store-in-innaloo/
It appears that maintaining and keeping a cemetery is beyond the ability of this council.
I see that TCC is advertising for volunteers to assist in upkeeping the Townsville Cemetery in Belgian Gardens.
I hope that Fran picks up on this shameful act by TCC to demonstrate how poorly TCC respects the cities residents both past and present.
The slogan ” Show Jenny the door 24″ really rings true.
There was a time when low custody prisoners were looking after the cemetery grounds as part of their community service. Can’t this be reinstated?
This is not an area in which The ‘Pie has ever had an interest or knowledge, so question from his ignorance: who originally owned and on sold the grave plots? Surely that entity has an obligation for the upkeep of the communal surrounds?
Council has owned and operated the cemeteries in Townsville for over a century. It is a core council responsibility. Here is the link https://www.townsville.qld.gov.au/facilities-and-recreation/cemeteries
If we can’t keep up with potholes rubbish and weeds in high traffic areas what hope do we have of looking after the dead. But we have plenty of money to paint some more stupid bloody murals in a lane way that only druggies and kiddie crims see.
You clearly don’t read the full story … Gushing Greaney informs us that the new Condon mural will have oodles flocking to see it, yet another version of the rugby releases ‘Townsville will be out in force etc’.
??? Gushing Gerny, Condon mural. Where, in amongst the spray can vandals vandalism, most of whom cannot spell when they spray naughty words on public and private property.
Oh no, did somebody say Belgian Gardens? Where’s little Stevie the laundromat guru??
TCC do a shit job managing our cemeteries. I have no issue with gravestones being the responsibility of the loved ones who are still alive. But often the grass and weeds are out of control, trees aren’t pruned, paths are crumbling. No respect.
You’re not surprised, are you, given the lack of respect this council has for the living?
Cue fanfare… TCC have implemented same day development approvals!!!
Check the details and it’s for shit people don’t actually care about.
“The two application types which can be processed through the Same Day Approval process are:
Secondary Road Frontage Encroachments (up to 3m setback)
Side/Rear Boundary Encroachments (where no residential neighbour e.g., adjoining parkland)
Council is currently investigating further development applications that can be processed through the Same Day Approval process.”
https://www.townsville.qld.gov.au/about-council/news-and-publications/media-releases/2023/may/same-day-approvals-slash-development-application-wait-times
https://www.townsville.qld.gov.au/building-planning-and-projects/planning-and-building-approval/the-application-process/same-day-approvals
Both ratepayers who want this are very happy. The rest can get stuffed. Don’t even try to ask about the process to put a granny flat in. It will take months and you won’t have much change out of $50,000.
Parson the cynicism, but this part of the orchestrated, ratepayer funded re-election campaign of Team Hill. And keep an eye on Frothy Molachino … could it be it gets too hot for her, Mayor Mullet might chuck it in and sail off to Malta before the election … but in the meantime, making sure that Frothy gets a few feel good gigs to ramp up the vibes for the top job.
I won’t hold my breath for any actual improvement. I submitted a work request through the customer service centre before Christmas. Crickets.
I damn well know it hasn’t been resolved. I didn’t even get an acknowledgement.
Cost of living pressures , housing , crime , businesses closing in his electorate and Aaron Harpers big contribution is that he was out months ago on Aldi . Aaron wouldn’t have had anything to do with the deal . Premier has acted and dumped the Health , Housing , Youth justice Ministers . Should be interesting Council / State budgets because the low and middle income are suffering as well as homeless and many others .
While Aaron is covering himself in glory for his personal involvement in getting Aldi, ambulances are stuck trying to exit the ring road onto Riverway Drive because with the “improvements” there is now a red light rather than the old turn left with care. Don’t think any of his former paramedic colleagues give a crap about Aldi when they can’t perform their work.
One thing Harpic has confirmed is no company or anyone else with confidential information will go anywhere near this self serving megaphone.
How does dumping a minister actually make a difference on the ground? It doesn’t. We actually need to see budget and policy changes.
Oh, you short-sighted Chinese delicacy, you. On Thursday, what’s the betting that we get Aaron Harper as new Police Minister? heh heh heh.
But what actually is scary is that D’arth will be the state’s top legal officer, the A-G.
Who better to hide the fuckups than the person responsible for most of them. Darth is a perfect choice for AG.
D’ath was A-G from 2015 – 2020. She was once a federal member. Don’t think this is a demotion.
It’s not reported as such at all, and neither is Fentimans, although it depends on one’s view of portfolio pecking order. The other two movements are reported and seen as demotions, but to use the Courier’s twee phraseology, the portfolio swap is described as ‘shunted’ … presumably meaning sideways.
Interesting chat over the lunch table at work about this. If Fentiman is seen as a popular minister who might challenge Puddleduck what better way to nobble her than hand the Health albatross around her neck with no intention of changing anything. Another idea is that changing things now lets the government keep playing their line of Change takes Time, so give the new people/laws a chance.
“Challenge” Palaszczuk? You must be joking. Unless you mean after Labor loses the October 2024 election (and Jarrod Bleh becomes A-G again). Be careful what you wish for.
Weekend Wanker the thinking is that Puddleduck is so on the nose with everyone including her ALP mates that she is worried about being shivved in the next few months by one of her “mates” that she will do whatever it takes to throw anyone more popular than her under a truck before anyone gets near an election. Politicians have a history of eating their own.
LNPs gonna have to come up with some actual policies and stop the finger pointing if they want to win. And, as we’ve seen, Crisafulli likes a good bit of camera time and some finger pointing but is yet to deliver anything resembling substance. So I think we’re safe from Blehkkie.
I notice another conspiracy theory has turned out to be true – The US Durham report (russia russia).
And the covid / vax conspiracy will be next.
The Durham report was a flop that failed to uncover any conspiracy.
The Durham report was not about discovering a conspiracy it was about how the Russian Collusion Delusion was initiated.
It stated it was initiated by one Alexander Downer our the UK High Commissioner at the time.
But there was Russian collusion! Durham even agrees that Trump should have been investigated but said it should have been on a preliminary basis.
FM
Complete and utter crap. Stop watching the ABC.
Not even the morons at CNN and MSNBC commented on that rubbish. They had a complete meltdown. because Trump was guilty of nothing.
The only two people who were not involved were Trump and Putin.
But of course. Silly old us.
Beddy byes, now, dearie.
Speaking of CCTV . There is one pointing directly at the Bus hub behind Flinders st. Easy pickings coppers if you want to enforce the no smoking zones at bus stops. You’ll be taking it in. You can send trainees as long as they are legally authorised leaving cops to keep going. The rules here https://www.health.qld.gov.au/public-health/topics/atod/tobacco-laws/outdoor
On the ABC News this morning they reported on the Under water statues being placed out near the reef.
They made mention of the rejection by the “people” of Maggie Island opposing the statues and the “Elders” of Palm Island not being able to agree on the proposal.
Which begs the question regarding the proposed “Voice” representation from the indigenous camp, being an un-elected hierarchy who have a controlling influence (veto) over our democratic Parliament’s decisions.
Now now, untwist your flap-door long johns, Heel. The ‘Pie remains implacably in the No camp until reasonable questions are answered, but this is a tad far fetched and possibly a tad skewed. The opposition on Maggie island, last The ‘Pie heard, was about a similar wasteful bullshit proposal just off shore from one of their popular beaches … no idea if this a universal view or a beat-up, but doesn’t have anything to do with the already established reef idiocy, and no indication that it has anything to do with the local indigenous unpronounceables. And the Palm Issue is a matter that concerns creating a similar white inspire pack of lucrative nonsense in inshore waters of Palm. There have been objections not just to the idea, which did not involve any meaningful consulting with Palm Islanders, but also the depiction of some the proposed ‘art works’ (spare me – it’s such cynical tat.)
One supposes we should be thankful for small mercies in one way … The ‘Pie cannot think of a more deserving pile of rubble that should be chucked overboard.
Here is the article in full from the ABC News web, I was quoting from the commentary, as per my original post.
The reference to the claimed opposition from Palm “Elders” is there as is the Maggie knock back.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-05-18/museum-of-underwater-art-great-barrier-reef-ocean-sentinels/102337556
The six or more statues proposed for installation on Maggie Island have now been taken out to the MOUA site at Brewer Reef.
The MOUA promoters, powered by millions of state and federal dollars and in cahoots with TEL, the ferry company and other bigshots, tried like hell to wheedle their way into the Green Zone totally protected Geoffrey Bay (Arcadia) but could not get a permit from GBRMPA. Mainly because the island’s main community groups, who had been consulted directly and through numerous surveys, were adamant that World Heritage-listed green zones were out of bounds, period. Continued string pulling by MOUA resulted in the residents and ratepayers association, the community development association and the nature care association appearing at a stakeholders meeting to inform MOUA that they were unanimous in their objection to installation in any Magnetic Island Green Zone. The whole show ended there and then.
And bloody good on them, too.
The things you learn at an idle attendance at a community group meeting. All that attention on MOUA and Geoffrey Bay revealed that the two derelict Defence Department holiday houses on Bremner Point overlooking that bay (on the track out to the old barge landing) are going to be sold. Apparently, the several acres of land was carved out of Queensland state land and gifted to Defence more than a century ago – the Russians were coming! Now, just like the Catholic Church and its Nelly Bay land, the Feds want to turn its gifted real estate into dollars, regardless of the site’s unique world heritage values. Interesting tussle, particularly as TCC will have development oversight.
Mate, you’ve got to stop this loitering around community group meetings, you might catch something.
What I caught onto was that occasionally, well organised grassroots community groups can grab the ear of politicians and public servants. Those three groups on Maggie have managed to pull millions of dollars into infrastructure over several years seemingly because they each provide a useful forum for debate of various issues. Unlike mainland Townsville, Maggie’s World Heritage status and undisputed tourism attraction bring an extra frisson to each and every development issue.
Re the old Defense houses – hopefully what happens will be similar to what was developed on the point behind Picnic Bay. Unless you are looking hard, you can’t see the houses. (Of course they also cost a motza to build!)
Probably not the first, or last ‘statues’ to be dumped at Brewer Reef !
NQ Gal, looks like it will take more than “hope”, lots more. The ADF is proposing to return much of the parcel to national parks but the remnant portion for sale will be more than one acre – in Noosa that would be a block of flats tastefully smeared up the slope. Imagine what we could do (or choose to not do) here.
When are they going to fix the right arm of the Siren of the Sea at the Strand jetty, it has terrible sunburn and the skin has peeled off, I hope it is still under warranty. Mind you it is a tourist attraction at night and nothing extra has been added to the strand which looked majestic this morning. Sorry, but that piece of scrap metal art does not cut the mustard.
We trained hard—but it seemed that every time we were beginning to form up into teams we were reorganized. I was to learn later in life that we tend to meet any new situation by reorganizing, and what a wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion of progress while actually producing confusion, inefficiency, and demoralization.”
― Petronius Arbiter
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-05-18/palaszczuk-cabinet-reshuffle-yvette-dath-shannon-fentiman-health/102360862
Good, D’Ath back as AG , I thought we were never going to get to chant FWEE BWIAN at her at all. Got to have context see.
D’arth – all that time as Minister for health and personal rorts, and she still hasn’t got her teeth fixed!
How Ignorant of me. the Townsville Bulletin hide all negative posts about the Townsville Hospital on their re shuffle article. 7 posts but only 3 can be seen. I dot know they would do that. Advertising dollars over free speech. and people fought and died for freedom of the press.
Good on Elon Musk and other business people calling out the work from home brigade as the pack of selfish turds they are, giving the finger to every other bastard in the world who actually has to go out and earn a crust each day, they are a disgrace. The Govt should immediately ban all work deductions for people working from home, if companies want them to work from home they can cover the cost and people working from home should be punted to the end of the childcare queue as well, just another rort the taxpayers have to subsidise.
The work from home idea was forced on us by COVID, but if it is to continue, it will surely prove to be anti-social silo-making, with small groups shrinking into themselves more and more. The WFH idea had its uses, and may in the future, but it would seem it’ll cause economic stress across whole sectors of the business community.
If a person can work from home why would you force them to go to the office?
If you’re paying their wage, you have a big say in how you want your staff and your company to run. And from where. Oversight is another issue, in The ‘Pie’s experience, bosses don’t just watch out for slackers, incompetents or dodgers, they also like to spot talent. of course, we’re talking here about the private sector, let’s not dive into the feather bed bouncy castle of the public service.
Please explain what benefits working in an office has over working from home?
I know a few people who work from home and it seems to me they work just as hard if not harder than some bloke in an office who spends most of his day chatting in the coffee room or talking cars and lawn mowing techniques with people in the hallways.
Yet another of your gross oversimplifications. Anyway, won’t try and explain to you about social interactions, team building (don’t you dare mention zoom meeting, they’re a farce) wider community involvement, and all those little daily exchanges that stave off feelings of isolation.
Now please don’t hesitate to tell us about some bloke or bird you apparently know who don’t feel isolated and pleased they don’t have to …. yakatty yakkety, blurb, phhhrrrfft…
Pie, to be honest, I believe it depends on the type of job. And the employer/manager. A good manager will be able to manage their team no matter the location. A bad manager will have issues if they are remote or in the office or even if they all live on site. And blah blah blah… I do know a number of people who work remotely and love it. Project Managers, Photographers, Consultants. These people have become more involved in their communities because they work from home and get social interaction that way. Work should not be the sole source of one’s social interaction.
No one even remotely suggested your last point, but The ‘Pie can see that this will become a tiresome unfounded theoryfest. But thanks for the predicted yakkety yak.
Haha as opposed to the unfounded garbage from people like Musk who want to micromanage and abuse their staff.
Have some founded information:
https://www.pc.gov.au/research/completed/working-from-home&ved=2ahUKEwi97tCQvf7-AhWVQ94KHZNEDwUQFnoECB4QAQ&usg=AOvVaw1GmfnEi-65A33IXAq03fTL
https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/real-estate/our-insights/americans-are-embracing-flexible-work-and-they-want-more-of-it
https://www.forbes.com/sites/bryanrobinson/2022/02/04/3-new-studies-end-debate-over-effectiveness-of-hybrid-and-remote-work/?sh=5e8c433a59b2
Ducky – your’e supposed to he working, not bonking the neighbour.
Equity for starters, there is a real cost to going to work each day, thousands of dollars a year for most people, non deductible expenses getting to the office or workplace because their job demands it. It’s a fucked situation where the person sitting on their arse at home gets a deduction for expenses when the poor bastard traveling to work each day gets fuck all. The customer service person gets to work from home with a laptop and the latest ear phones and special fitting chair but the person in the IT section who has to maintain the system for them to do that has to go into the workplace each day, how the hell does any business find that an acceptable arrangement. Our business has banned WFH if there is an office nearby to work out of, in amongst screams and protests of people leaving etc, none of them did, they all turned up to work, kicking cans and mumbling how we are all a pack of bastards for calling time on their big bludge.
Cranky – consider this a “like” button
Man who sells cars doesn’t want people to stop commuting!
Lots of real estate agents a pro work from office too. Hmmm let me think about that…
So Meaghan Scanlon, as the new Housing Minister, has come out and said that her status as a renter makes her uniquely positioned to understand the challenges for tenants.
I’m not convinced a Minister on $300K+ a year would be facing the same stress factors as other renters but I guess it’s all relative given the median rent in her electorate is apparently $900/week and the median house price is $1.2M. Perhaps she could share how dire it was for her to find a property in Gaven and the challenges she has faced in having her landlord address any issues with the property. Or not.
The sound of deckchairs scraping on the Titanic. Same names, same failures.
And an epic fail from the Bullsheet because this is a “full” list of Ministers but doesn’t include the ever giving Minister for Resources, the Big Dick or several others. A rapid scan of an invention I like to call “the internet” tells me there are 18 Ministers and 8 Assistant Ministers in Queensland.
Hard to know which is the bigger fail – Puddleducks-duckshove or the Bullsheets inability to count.
FULL LIST OF QLD’S MINISTERS AFTER THE RESHUFFLE
SHANNON FENTIMAN
*Minister for Health and Ambulance Services
*Minister for Mental Health
*Minister for Women
MARK BAILEY
*Minister for Transport and Main Roads
*Minister for Digital Services
YVETTE D’ATH
*Attorney-General and Minister for Justice
*Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence
LEEANNE ENOCH
*Minister for Treaty
*Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships
*Minister for Communities
*Minister for the Arts
MEAGHAN SCANLON
*Minister for Housing
DI FARMER
*Minister for Employment and Small Business
*Minister for Training and Skills Development
*Minister for Youth Justice
CRAIG CRAWFORD
*Minister for Child Safety
*Minister for Seniors and Disability Services
LEANNE LINARD
*Minister for the Environment and the Great Barrier Reef
*Minister for Science
*Minister for Multicultural Affairs
Stop reading the crud that is the Townsville Bulletin.
Brisbane Times usually does a better job
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/queensland/queensland-premier-unveils-new-look-cabinet-at-government-house-20230518-p5d9bd.html
And all of them are fuckwits.
It cost $300m to bury the old bag and Charlies celebration cost almost $200m. Half a billion dollars of English folks money pissed down the drain. What a fucking joke…..off with their heads.
https://www.9news.com.au/world/queen-elizabeth-iis-funeral-cost-uk-government-over-300-million/43fa198f-fd5b-4c78-94cf-af99e1cd24b1
Add the 500 Euros I sent the bearer party to have a beer on me.
Our alleged Democratic government is proposing the banning of “Nazi” symbols, primarily the swastika. The swastika has been a symbol of peace and eternity in Buddhism for millennia.
If a few morons want to display their limited intellect or contempt of civilised society, let them, so we know who they are and can ridicule or ignore them at our free will.
Once banning an image because it is offensive, where does it stop? As a parallel when the Nazi;s began burning books, It was commented that it won’t be long before they start burning people.
The symbol is not the issue, totalitarian government is anathema, symbols are just that and nothing more.
Why not ban the hammer and sickle? in Russia’s communist era millions were slaughtered by the proponents of that symbol. Or a range of coloured stars (and stripes), crescent moons and crosses all of which have been a badge for intolerant, bigoted self righteous political or religious morons, both past and unfortunately present.
I’m not too keen on the divisive display of the “Aboriginal” flag, but I respect the right to display it always outweighs anything I may feel by its parallel display adjacent to the Australian national flag.
Absolute baby brained bullshit. Maybe if you were a potential target of Nazis you’d be less sanguine about the issue.
Frankley Anne you missed the point, I was commenting on the idea of banning stuff because it may offend or upset some people. Instead of letting the morons who would parade such nonsense expose themselves to ridicule. It’s called democracy,
It was the notion that a government committee knows whats best for us, and in a condescending manner will advise our elected Government on how they should protect we plebs from some voodoo artifact.
On this issue, no one seems to have mentioned the power of the Jewish lobby. And much of that power derives from the base genocide policies of the Nazis. And there is no such thing as free speech, that is myth. We live in a world of ‘compelled speech’ – things that under law you cannot say or that you must say – and what The ‘Pie terms ‘push speech’ much beloved of the cancen culture … things they want you to think you can’t say, ergo how you think. This last bit of social bullying is very much to the fore in the current Voice campaign.
What’s interesting is that they want to ban the Nazi symbol, yet America has killed more people in its various wars over the past century than what Hitler killed. I’m not in any way supporting the German parasite, but it’s interesting observing what killing is deemed acceptable, and what isn’t.
That gets Stupid Quote of the Week.
Big tick to Maggie and Palm islands for rejecting the ridiculous idea of dumping obscure artwork (if you could call it that) in their pristine waters.
As for the Siren on The Strand, its about as big a tourist attraction as Townsville’s potholed roads, and don’t start me on that piece of Ephemera junk ratepayers forked out $90,000 for last year. From memory Cr “Gushing” Greaney described it as inspirational, or words to that effect.
But back to the so-called underwater art.
Can anyone tell me how much it has cost so far – and how many people have actually made the trip out to the reef in a relatively small dive boat, and through choppy seas, to see it? I just want to work out a cost per person. Bet those figures are commercial-in confidence.
Would also be interesting to find out how long it will be before the “artwork” turns to blobs, covered by coral.
Any mayor or politician who approved this waste of taxpayer/ratepayer money needs help.
Joe Biden didn’t want to go to Hiroshima because the survivors of his mobs’ A Bomb look a lot fitter than he does.
Grab the popcorn . The new Queensland Health Minister already has a five point plan to fix the issues . The new housing Minister will do a better job because she grew up in public housing ( just like Albo ) . Les , Scott , Aaron forced to do mobile offices because their polling is so bad 2-3 seats could fall . As far as Council , mils $ wasted on food trucks , entertainment and spin whilst the City detoriates in presentation / crime .
Blast from the past, Fatty Palmer doing deals with Russ Hinze and Sir Joh. Nothing untoward in this true hey?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wM9I7cfmjbM
Irrelevant, but a fascinating glimpse into the past when Qld had Joh (or the other way round) and Palmer had black hair.