The Electoral Commission of Queensland will be asked if the draconian but necessary new anti-corruption laws have tripped up our mayor, who, let’s face it, has a pretty relaxed attitude towards rules …
Also, one wonders what consultant came up with Mayor Mullet’s brave new world for Palmer Street, and if any ratepayers were asked for their opinion …. anyone trading or living there are now has a nasty tightening of the tummy as our own very stable financial genius sends in the bulldozers to carelessly roll the dice on their future and wellbeing.
A defender of the Townsville Turf Club, which was the subject of some tricky questions in last week’s blog … indignantly speaks out and says …. nothing.
And introducing the Tatty Townsville Facebook ‘page of shame’ now at your disposal. where you can remind the current council and warn the incoming one with pics and comments that you are fed upon with the civic neglect so frustratingly in evidence across the city while big ticket dreams shoulder aside basic community pride RIGHT ACROSS our city.
And Robbie Katter wants everyone to go get … well, fucked. literally.
But first …
Is It Time For The Bleeding Hearts To Go Into Cardiac Arrest?
Townsville for so long boasted of it enviable lifestyle and laid-back friendly ambience. Sad to say, but those days have gone the way of button-up boots and tipping your has to the ladies (and DON’T call them ladies , that classist and elitist, you chauvinist scum). But the general tenor of public incivility across Australia’s social media and indeed in our streets sometimes runs ahead of reluctantly accepted norms. It certainly has in Townsville, with kiddy crims now targeting people instead of just their vehicles.
This week we were treated to infuriating sight of a gang of young aboriginal kids assaulting and robbing a bus driver and try to snatch bags from passengers. Caught on video, this incident went viral and made its way became yet another unwanted advertisement for a Townsville out of control.
Police swiftly made arrests in the hours after the incident, but the community has no faith in whatever penalties the little snots will receive. And they will be back on the streets in n o time, under no parental control, and more emboldened by what they see as a victory over a toothless justice system.
The Magpie doesn’t know what the solution is if we insist we are to wrap these kids in the cotton wool of misplaced sympathy for their poor upbringing. But what The ‘Pie does know is that it is going to take some over-reaction from someone or a vigilante that seriously injures or even kills one of this little urban terrorists to make the government and our council understand that they have to actively solve this crisis through a combination of legislation, real deterrence and appropriate punishment.
And while Bentley takes his usual humorous insight into this issue, …
… he may have just a spark of the solution. It has been The Magpie’s experience that indigenous kids are generally more spooked by dogs than most others. A massive increase in Canine Squad activities may go a long way to making people of Townsville feel safe again.
Uh oh, The ‘Pie fears he has just given the bleeding hearts a heart attack.
Campaign Capers
This TCC election is going to go down as one of the strangest in memory. There are at the moment three nominations for the top job, but all appear to whipping up public apathy.
One, Sam Cox, is frequently MIA, having to continue his travelling day job to support his family despite being in a campaign to run our city; Sam is starting to come out his shell a little, and this week came out swinging about crime in the city, and what he says is Hill’s stifled responses to it because of her Labor ties. Sam has also posted a broad brush campaign plkatform in comments in this blog, and has replied to one or two readers questions. He promises ‘big things’ closer to the election. Sam, old chap, the election is just 63 days away. 9 weeks! If you are depending on advice from that elections are won in the last few days is just plain codswallop. Every single day wasted, mate, and your giving yourself a steeper electoral mountain to climb that the small Everest you started with. And people are already questioning your part-time, cut price campaign and what it says about your commitment to this city. Do let us know when you’re going to start campaigning full time.
Another candidate, Greg Dowling, is sitting by the phone waiting for permission to say something meaningful from his eminence grise sugar daddy – and since that is the blustering arch twister, criminal accomplice, and callous former boss of the nickel refinery Clive Palmer, we won’t want to be hanging by the left one while we wait.
Dowling has self-praised himself as a ‘straight talker’ who says he is no Palmer puppet … and he even manages a straight face while insulting us with that. Those about the only straight things about this deeply cynical campaign of no benefit to the residents of a city so grievously wounded by your benefactor. Good bloody luck, pal.
The third candidate at this stage is of course, Mayor Mullet, Jenny Hill. And she doesn’t have to campaign, she has the massive advantage of incumbency, and back room smarties have clearly advised her to ignore tricky issues, just get an obliging media, particularly the Astonisher, to publish happy yarns about alleged achievements, many which had very little to do with her (stadium, anyone?) That way, she gets miles more coverage than anyone else, because such PR calls are not counted in the official media rules about equally fair coverage. Stuff like this, where Councillor Russ Cook was symbolically shown his place in the affairs of this city. Down the drain. Which his position might be after March.
Or seeking a national role while her city’s basics are neglected.
And there is no one to ask vital questions that need to be asked, ones about which she can only lie – the true financial state of the TCC financials, staff and fleet management, why Jamie Durie got such a wasteful deal that was then gifted to council chum Carey Ramm’s AEC, and the deal between her and Adani over the infamous airstrip deal. That last one is before the courts as Adani challenges the ruling that the council MUST make public the details of that airstrip arrangement, we are unlikely to know the shameful details before the election.
But our current mayor, and her mixed team of sitting councillors and celebrity newbies may find themselves in a very sticky situation, one that taken to its logical length MAY SEE THEM ALL DISQUALIFIED AND FACING FINES.
Magpie Mumbo-Jumbo, Wishful Thinking Or A Very Real Possibility?
You decide.
The new Belcarra-inspired campaign and electoral laws are a welcome anti-corruption initiative, but there may be those taking part in LG elections who have made the mistake of thinking that since they know they are purer than the driven snow, they will just carry on as before. But to do so could be fatal, and Jenny Hill, known for her super-relaxed approach to probity issues (late declaration of gifts and doctoring documents so sloppily that impossible time clashes are recorded, all reported here previously), looks to fallen into the Belcarra poo pond.
The Nest’s old mate Phillip Batty has been keeping a close eye on the campaign, and sent in this report.
I am certain there is much more to find but this should give you the idea why there appears to be something wrong..
Firstly on Team Jenny Hill’s Facebook page, she and her chosen councillors represent themselves as a “Political Party” which they clearly are not.
ECQ easily confirm this non registration, be cause they not have the required 500 paid members. I believe this statement is made to mislead the electorate and therefore it is an an offence.
Now, accepting the Team Jenny Hill are a ‘group’ as distinct from a political party.
Under the Local Government Electoral Act
2011, candidates who wish to form a
group must register with the Electoral
Commission of Queensland (ECQ) before
they begin campaigning as a group.
This remains unaltered under the new laws, so clearly then the Jenny Hill group is in breach of this, as the rules clearly state: Candidates who are not a member of a group or endorsed by a political party are strictly prohibited from engaging in group campaign activities. Non-compliance carries a maximum penalty of 100 penalty units ($13,345 as at 1 July 2019) and is an integrity offence.
And equally clearly, none of the candidates at the time of writing were or are as yet a registered member of a group, another offence. Disclosure of expenditure for a group began 30 days after the previous election and real time disclosure is required, but no disclosures have yet been made.
Again a breach of legislation and penalties apply.
I have spoken to and then emailed my concerns outlined here to the Funding and Disclosure team at the ECQ. Just these alone should be enough to get the ECQ to act but as I said I think a lawyer armed with this and more would be able to prosecute the case far better and quicker.
Phil has promised to advise The Magpie and his readers of any response.
This could get hairy.
But It Seems This Council Is Accustomed To Hairy Situations.
From the TCC website.
Libraries – Townsville City Council
Please be advised that all library branches will be closed on Monday 27 January, 2020 for the Australia Day Pubic Holiday.
And This Will Help How?
Christ, this unbelievable clusterfuck with the stadium just gets worse, it’s like a ripple effect of disruption. This time, she’s going to fuck up Palmer Street and nearby residential (i.e ratepaying) streets.
A trusted source supplied the following which prompts The ‘Pie to ask the Mayor, if this doesn’t work, and proves a debilitating to have effect on business, will you offer compensation for your addled brained interference in free enterprise?
The ‘Pie’s informant writes:
Thought you might be interested in what is happening in Palmer Street.
The council in its wisdom, and for no apparent reason except to disrupt, has decided to turn a perfectly functional Palmer Street into a one-way thoroughfare between Jam Corner and Morehead Street. Millions of dollars are being spent to provide just 11 extra parallel parking spots and widen the footpath on the side where the hotels and most of the restaurants are.
At the same time council is introducing new parking restrictions in all the surrounding streets on Cowboys game days and other events at the stadium.
The new restrictions will apply for one hour before until one hour after a game or event, and limit parking to just 15 minutes. The exception is Palmer Street where you will be able to park for 2 hours.
Local residents can apply for a permit but hundreds of visitors to the pubs and restaurants on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays of game/event days (who currently park in McIllwraith and other surrounding streets) will have to make other arrangements, resulting in loss of trade for the restaurants and pubs, some of which are already struggling to survive.
The same restaurants and pubs will also experience extreme disruption to trade during the 7 weeks it’s going to take to finish the Palmer Street road works.
All this of course is likely to drive diners and drinkers into the CBD (City Lane or the new 2 storey restaurant complex being built across the road near the Bus Hub) – if they can find a park anywhere around there!
Throw in the council’s stadium traffic management debacle and you’ve got the biggest stuff up this city has seen.
It’s like sitting on a low balcony watching an approach tsunami with no high ground available.
Tatty Townsville Facebook Page: A Magpie Service For Those Frustrated With Council neglect Across Our City.
The Magpie has decided to create a Facebook page where people can let the council know their frustration with the neglect and lack of civic pride they are responsible for across Townsville.
Take a look, it’s up and running, and you are invited to send in pix of places you believe have been left to deteriorate around the city. There are several posts up already to give you the idea, and given the well known spiteful vindictive nature of Jenny Hill, you can remain anonymous, the pictures won’t lie. You can include neighbours who are thoughtless grubs, since the council does have powers to order a halt to the worst excesses on private property, but generally only if such private messes are on public view.. This page will run smoothest if comments are kept factually to the subject, and leave the free character readings to The Magpie heh heh heh.
You can find Tatty Townsville at
https://www.facebook.com/Tatty-Townsville-102168167993083/
And send in pics for posting to
email hidden; JavaScript is required
Rooting For Australia
Ladies, a message from Rooting Robbie Katter, son of Bonking Bob Katter and state member for Traeger … Robbie wants you to emulate the old Texas saying and ‘stop yer grinnin’ and drop yer linen’ … he wants re-populate the bush with the somewhat spooky mantra of ‘’One baby for mum, one for dad and one for the bush’. This will no doubt reinvigorate some defunct traditions of the annual B & S balls around the countryside. Putting aside that Rooting Robbie himself has a lot of time ahead taking his weight on his elbows – his first nipper isn’t due until April – that ‘one for the bush’ is downright horror movie territory, hinting of infant sacrifice to the Clan of the Bush Baby.
Nevertheless, The ‘Pie retains his view that Robbie remains the keeper of the Katter Family Marbles.
Stuck In The Starting Gates
Received an indignant replay from someone named Roscoe in response to The ‘Pie’s polite inquiries about suspected jiggery pokery out at the Townsville Turf Club, some of which has got some southern racing pooh-bahs reach for their riding crops.
The Magpie eagerly read the missive to find out where he’d gone wrong, or if in fact he was on the money. No such luck. Turns out Roscoe just wanted to tell us what a good chap he was he is, and what a prick The Magpie is for asking questions about law breaking. Indeed, ‘Roscoe’ used many a fine word to say … absolutely nothing.
| Rossco 1 approved email hidden; JavaScript is required 58.162.235.9 |
Submitted on 2020/01/23 at 10:55 am
We should remember that committee members (including the executive members) in any community organisation, including the Townsville Turf Club are and always have been out and out volunteers. in most cases they own or have owned and operated successful businesses or are professionals who offer their skills pro bono. They are just doing their best as a group of men and women. Most stakeholders in the racing industry are paid but not these members who are instrumental in keeping clubs like the TTC going as well as all those people employed. Pedalling rumour and inuendo and bringing executive members families into it without any evidence of wrong doing serves no purpose other than making committee members everywhere think twice about volunteering hundreds, probably thousands of hours of their life. Time they could spend in their own businesses and with their own families. The reason this committee and every other committee in the history of the TTC do it is because they are passionate for a racing industry to still exist in NQ in 1 month, 1 year and 20 years. Nobody is above the law but how about we investigate and test the allegations privately before introducing them publicly. Surely a persons reputation is still valuable in 2020 and something to protect until there is a good reason to proceed to tread on it? This particular industry is challenging enough without the Magpie sticking his talons in. |
| The Magpie 2,713 approved email hidden; JavaScript is required 124.185.112.43 |
Submitted on 2020/01/23 at 11:41 am | In reply to Rossco.
The ‘Pie notices that you do not address, refute or disprove any of the matters mentioned in the blog. Happy to publish any evidentiary refutation of same. By the way, who are the family you mention, The ‘Pie purposely did not mention the names given to him? And when you’ve finished your self-serving virtue signalling lecture on ethics, care to enlighten us all on the matters of the $10,000 and the unusual $50k+ bank transfer? Many in the local racing community are mystified. |
Our Weekly Visit To Trumpsylvania
Before we whiz off to the States, have a squizz first at Cathy Wilcox’s wonderful assessment of our dilemma here in Australia, which applies equally and in spades in the USA.
The stultifying and demeaning farce of the Tangerine Arsesole’s impeachment trial in the US Senate is plumbing new depths of Republican fascism. So we’d better laugh (bitterly) while we can.
………..
That’s it for the week, sincere thanks for more 200 comments over the week (the count is 300, but The ‘Pie reckons maybe a hundred are his replies, so they hardly count), some top notch stuff in there, have your say. And as The ‘Pie works on plans to freshen up the blog site, a donation to help along the way would be greatly appreciated, the donate button is below.
The CCC has finally delivered their 18 month findings on Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate which found questionable use of $1,000 on selfie sticks for the Mayor +Daughter , $4,500 in luggage, Titans membership and using Mayoral powers to protect his chief of staff . CCC said , Mayor Tates conduct did not meet the threshold for criminal prosecution but his actions could amount to misconduct and referred him to the office of the independent assessor for possible disciplinary action . Got to love this rate / tax payers jobs , 18 mth enquiry then a referral , a Mayor could run a full term . How many other work places would accept $6k in questionable spend and im sure our independent Mayor Mullet would never use her Mayoral status to protect the Impailer or Screaming midget . How much were their payouts again ?.
Mike
To be precise it was $740,085 that SEVEN HUNDRED AND FORTY THOUSAND AND EIGHTY FIVE DOLLARS.
Phillip , any clarity that the deal between Stadiums Qld and T.C.C. means our Council picks up to $3 mil a year in associated costs for the new stadium .
Mike
I am not aware of such a deal but, given that the Cowboys paid $10 million up front (by way of a loan from the NRL) and presumably this has been well and truly spent given that this $10m was part of the original $250m and we all know how that ended up. So the stadium has zero income from Cowboys games for the next 10 years, therefore Stadium Queensland will be paying all the costs without any income, I doubt that.
I am sure if you could get access to the whole stadium deals there would be plenty to ponder.
As a casualty of the midget, i just want to say isn’t it nice that Team Hill all seem to have kept their jobs. Too bad the council staff who did nothing wrong other than being disliked by an angry little midget lost theirs. The damage those ‘representing our community’ did by allowing the FIFO circus into council should play on them for years to come, but im afraid its already been forgotten.
$740,000 of ratepayers funds (yes Jenny it is OUR money you are spending, like a drunken sailor) to get rid of a council CEO simply because the local paper rated her more powerful than the mayor? Sam Cox, are you reading this?????
FF, you have the bull by the wrong horn there.
The Impailer and Jenny are cut from the same ALP “bruvver” cloth and far from showing her out into the cold for being more influential, Adele was given a gentle send-off with a nice fat purse when it became obvious that some of her more squalid decisions might come back and haunt council.
Just as she had with Darwin and other previous ALP rorts, Adele shit in the nest and was quietly moved on – – such is the cost to Jenny and others of accepting back-room, back-door help from the ALP.
Ex-Ballarat and Darwin nest shitter Mike Chiodo will not like that comment.
They are members of the same happy little tribe.
I’m surprised the changes around the CEO role have not featured more prominently in the local election discussions so far.
Well, Al don’t tease, that’s what we’re here for. To what changes do you refer?
Hey there Albert, let’s hit a few night spots soon, I need to get out.
Hey Andy,
Would that be a “blue light” event.
No, naked engineer, my info is rolled gold and comes from a council insider who actually heard the screaming match after the Bully list came out. If the Impaler was simply given a golden handshake she wouldn’t have departed so suddenly. She was out the council door in less than 24 hours.
FF they used to scream at each other all the time. That’s nothing new. Adele would insult the councillors, piss staff off, pit people against each other, obstruct the operations of council, turn up hung over or not at all. Jenny would be a mole, get jealous or paranoid, her control freak would take over, then they’d have a fight that’d sound like it ought to be coming from Dean Park after pension day.
I didn’t say they liked each other, just that they were joined at the hip – Adele was part of the price Hill paid for ALP support and bankroll in the last election. She gets told who to hire and when to left them move on.
A sad little pawn in every sense of the word.
Fr, yes I just have. Most of the public expects such payouts but that does not mean they agree. What are they, you, me or anyone to do if there is no watchdog with bite to monitor such matters. I am
and most of the public are more concerned that the mayor wanted to spend $18.5m on an airport 600 klm away, we don’t own or control. Funny I thought when a big list of business people and city leaders supported it and said so in the TB with their photos. I have told the ones I have since spoken to, that was just bonkers and none could give me a proper reason why it was smart. Ask the 100’s of Council workers Adel with the support of the mayor sacked ( sorry redundancy, sure!) to save $20m and reduce even more city services .., for what? Thats right apparently to create jobs by paying for an airstrip at Adani Mine!
Complaining after the gate was left opened wont help regarding the CEO’s departure. The horse has bolted over the the Hill* with money. $$$$
There is one solution to this cities failings and only one that I am aware of and doing something about. Change mayors!
So,MIA, stop start, part time campaigning, shoestring budget or whatever else you, others on this blog and the Pie might think is what I am doing. I am doing it, with belief and confidence that Townsvillians want change.
BTW if any of you wish to donate to my campaign please feel free I am sure you all know the rules and regs. My campaign manager will be waiting for your calls.
I engage on this blog as a way to reach out to the people of Townsville, same as I do on my Facebook and when I can in the media.
I don’t expect you would know what are all the other parts to the campaign I do which is meeting people face to face, on the phone and answering question emailed daily.
I know the sacrifice my family and I have and do make for this city now and in the past and will never expect any thanks or else I would not do it Fr.
May i suggest ALL on this blog start by getting a pen and paper and start writing a letter to the TB on some of the wisdom that is shared here for the rest of Townsville
If I lose my race I go fishing but you and many others will, well, just lose.
Enjoy the contribution.
Its time for change!
Excuse any poor grammar or blunders it is Hell doing this on a phone.
The silence from Little Pattie and TEL about resources jobs in Qld last week needs to be highlighted. TEL and the other rusted on losers around town keep harping on about resource jobs being Townsvilles future but the numbers say otherwise. Over 1000 jobs available in Qld paying over $100k a year but only 56 of them are in Townsville, we were once the hub of mining employment, not anymore, 300 of them were based in Brisbane, 340 of them in Mackay and coalfields, I guess it’s hard to stand in front of the cameras smiling and talking your prepared spin with those sorts of numbers.
That’s because Anna let them FIFO out of the SE Corner to boost employment down there. Someone needs to call out the lack of exploration in Queensland. When was the last time a major new mine on a newly granted lease opened?
That’s true, and it also highlights the fact that Townsville is no longer a place people choose to live, but reluctantly move to if they have to, go back 10 years and people wanted to live here, now people just want to leave. A mining company will fly you from wherever you choose to live these days, if you have the skills they require, and that in itself is another issue, our skills shortage.
A few thoughts on Australia Day:
Vladimir Putin will be President of Russia until he decides he’s had/got enough.
Xi Jinping will be President of China until he decides he’s had/got enough.
Donald Trump will be President of the USA until 2024 if he can’t work out how to pull off the same trick as Putin and Xi.
Scott Morrison will be the Prime Minister of Australia until (at least) 2028
Deb Frecklington will be the Premier of Qld sometime in 2020
Jenny Hill will be Mayor of Townsville until (at least) 2024 or until she decides she’s had/got enough.
well, they are cheery thoughts – might be time to break my “no rum before lunch” rule on the strength of that.
UNhappy Australia Day to you too.
To be fair, Russia and China have evolved from a Communist structure to something in between, and their leaders have orchestrated nothing less than a Dictatorship. Whilst I can’t see anything like this happening in Australia in my lifetime, it is something we need to take note of and make sure we stand up for our freedom and true democracy. Our Government doesn’t talk much about our Constitution these days, does it?
While I’m on a roll (and sober):
Re Palmer Street
By my calculation, since TCC spent all that QG money tarting up the footpaths, hanging some tatty fairy lights and planting crappy trees in Palmer St year before last to make the place into a “vibrant dining precinct”, we have seen the closure of:
– the Indian cafe under the Quest
– Michele’s
– Seasoned
– Nandos
– Crocodile Grill (?)
As well as seeing the surviving places either scale back their hours or reduce their service.
If that’s the effect of TCC projects, we might be better off with nothing happening.
So if TCC has already spent money on Palmer st why are we going to dig it up. Why not do it at the same time then. Whis money is it now TCC or state government??
You are a wretched unbeliever, you wouldn’t understand, this and similar actions are core to the Cult of the White Elephant.
CD it’s déjà vu all over again. How much has been spent on Mall revamps?
It’s now Palmer Streets turn. (again)
Will your Tatty Townsville Facebook page report the identity of people sending material in? I thought that was the standard?
The ‘Pie is no whiz at these matters, so not sure if direct posting is either possible or would identify the sender (probably would) but if someone wishes to remain anonymous, they can send the pic to email hidden; JavaScript is required And The ‘Pie will post it with any supplied comment.
Great work Pie. Freedom of speech is getting hard to come by and we really need it. Thanks.
Hey Fish, freedom of speech ain’t free, just as common sense ain’t common either!
ALERT WARNING ALERT WARNING ALERT WARNING
For chrissake, somebody hide Mayor Mullet’s white Chairperson jacket, if she sees this she’ll want to go forth and pull some more levers ‘for the greater good.’
Queensland Electoral Commission media release reminds us that nominations for the Townsville City Council elections are still open.
Just noticed driving down Ross River Rd, that from Mundingburra IGA thru to Elizabeth Street, it appears that all of the Palm trees have been removed from the median strips, so this must have happened during the week, I am guessing?
Pix to email hidden; JavaScript is required please.
The palms had to be cut down because they’re building an ‘Ark’ in case it floods again. Mullets idea of course.
You shouldn’t plant trees on median strips because the root system will undermine the road.
Christ remember this date! … The Magpie agrees with Guy. Added to his deep wisdom, trees are also an unnecessary hazard in accidents.
Median plantings are actually a major factor if preventing more serious accidents. Hitting a stationary palm tree at 6okmph is much better for you than hitting an oncoming vehicle at a combined incident speed of 120kmph.
Not replacing them with something will be criminal.
Right
A medium strip should be free of obstructions to run into or hide people/ animals/ on coming traffic.
Roundabouts likewise should be the same so you can see any other traffic approaching.
One of my fantasies is proper reflective paint on the road but it doesn’t exist in Australia. You see true reflective paint in places like Britain where a set of headlights illuminates hundreds of meters of white marking. In Australia when it gets dark / wet the markings virtually disappear.
What you say also goes for ‘median’ strips. Sorry, just a pet hate.
MJ noticed the removal of these golden cane palms yesterday but years of neglect during Mullet’s rein meant that they were in declining health which probably led to their removal. Doubt they’ll be replaced as Mullet’s bureaucrats will say that median strip plantings get in the way of mowing and they’ll probably add something in there some bull***t about WH&S. Wonder if TCC employs staff who are arborists or qualified gardeners anymore or if the open space maintenance of this part of the city is to be outsourced to contractors who are only interested in making a profit by cutting as many corners in their contract and not the appearance of the city.
Surely this lack of basic maintenance means they’ve run out of money.
I can only assume the brain dead dickhead decision to make Palmer St and South Townsville a ghost town on football nights or event days is to try and funnel people back to the Cowboys leagues club and other Jenny Hill supporters in Flinders St.
G’day Pie, are you giving out any Oz Day Awards this year?
Well, George, the only Oz Day Award that The ‘Pie has ever instigated is in a niche specialist field – simply called The Award – and started ten years ago when The Magpie left The Astonisher. The annual gong each year goes to the Townsville Bulletin journalist who manages to write an entire story, on any subject, without once using an adjective. The inaugural trophy is yet to be awarded. Next year. Maybe.
So it seems all those parking spots that Cowboys CEO said that were available on game nights seem to be drying up bit by bit as the Mullet turns it into one almighty clusterfuck.
Pie, have you read council’s quarterly performance report? What an absolute joke! Total garbage and repeats claims to take the credit twice such as securing 5 more years of the V8s in Townsville. It shows how abysmal its performance has been in a section with bar graphs at the back of the report. There are many story leads for you in there old chum.
One example, engage with sports organisations to promote sports tourism opportunities in Townsville 0%.
Another, ensure the hard rubbish collection is effective and appropriate 0%
Another, ensure sustainable development and access to natural areas for recreational use 0%
Another, ensure appropriate development options support investment and research in Townsville 0%
Many, many more examples of repeated failures using council’s own info
Link?
Find it here under the quarterly performance section
https://www.townsville.qld.gov.au/about-council/corporate-information
Thanks.
If commenters who talk about something various subjects hey have discovered could share the link where they found the subject matter (where possible) it would be very time saving and more informative for readers.
Thank You
Your Mother Hen
Just had a gander at the report. What a crock!
This is an exercise is vagaries.
What the fuck does “2020-2024 4.2.01 Monitor the Comprehensive Outreach Program for effectiveness” mean? How do we know it’s effective? How do we know if it’s not? What is it supposed to achieve/deliver? What are the benchmarks?
Similar questions could be asked with these:
2020-2024 4.4.03 Invest in high organisational performance and development to ensure delivery of Community Outcomes
2020-2024 4.1.03 Ensure council services remain effective and efficient in adding value to the community – are you fucking kidding… this is your job as a council not a target to meet.
2020-2024 4.2.02 Ensure the Corporate Plan remains current – this is a legislative requirement
2020-2024 4.1.01 Maintain currency in understanding Ratepayer requirements – fuck me really? Tell us how? Because Ive not seen this in action
And this is only from 1 page of Goal 4.
In my experience if the goals you set are meaningless then you don’t have to achieve anything because you can’t be held accountable.
Spot on, Peking Delicacy. Trying to make a possibly achievable virtue out of doing your basic elected job is the lowest cynical do-nothing strategy of lazy self-interest and arse-covering red tape. It is all gobbledegook aimed at confusing or putting to sleep. We need some plain speaking around this burg.
He may be a dingbat, but he has sometimes an ironic sense of humour .
Serial yakker and vexatious blogger Pat Coleman didn’t miss the chance of a mischievous selfie with the leader of his traditional foe, the Queensland Police Commissioner Kate Carroll today. Not sure if the Commissioner knew with whom she was briefly consorting, but Pat was gallant for once about a bluebag, telling the ‘Pie, ‘But honestly, she WAS nice.’ The Commissioner’s view is not known.
But irony often isn’t humorous, and in this instance, mixed with a nice little dose of hypocrisy.
The thought of any cross dressing, dandified church leader … but especially one of the Catholic Church … having the gall to lecture anyone about ‘the betrayal of future generations’ neatly overlooks the sterling job of betrayal they have committed on several past generations of young parishioners.
Unbelievable. The gall of these wealthy religious animals to lecture anybody over any matter, Including climate change. They are nothing short of being a bunch of money extracting pedophiles or pedophile protectors who should be disrobed, de-flocked and banned or made illegal.
Agreed, they should be told ‘Go unfrock yourself.’
Hmmmm……..
Given the teachings of the church(s) they should be instructing their parishoners to pray really really hard, daily. What, with the power of prayer, climate change would stop, wouldn’t it?
My fantasy world is better than your fantasy world
Ya rekkin you can out-hobgoblin me? Just try it … but must say, nice threads, bit more lace would’ve been good, though, sweetie.
The quarterly operational reports, for all intents and purposes, are the Council
reporting against usually a bunch of pithy weak targets such as ‘investgate opportunities’, etc. It’s all bullshit and spin anyway. But to actually place 0% next to an item is unbelievable!! They always put something, even 5% or 10%. Just goes to show how fucked up the place is for that to slip through.
Good Coast is also having a problem with these tax payer funded do-gooder organisations providing services in parks and other open spaces and creating problems to innocent residents trying to live their lives in peace.
Maybe Mullet has been vindicated when she said that she was going to bring the do-gooder organisations in and ask them a few questions and try to bring them into line. Wonder if that meeting ever happened?
Does anyone know if these do-gooder organisations have any meaningful outcomes to meet and if so where are these outcomes publically published so that taxpayers know what their money is being spent on and the return they are getting on their dollar.
https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-25/homeless-charity-agape-outreach-ramps-up-protest-against-council/11893948
The issue you raise from the Gold Coast deserves debate, but you’ve missed the point or the lesson leant from that coverage regarding Mayor Mullet. The Gold Coast Council and the charity had quiet private meetings trying to resolve the issue before the council put its foot down, and it was the charities themselves that have gone public.
Here, this vainglorious headline seeker tried to big note herself by making an edict without private (and respectful) consultation, mistaking bullying of those who help the needy for strong leadership. And after realising she’d again run of at the gob, no follow through, no outcome that she was willing to announce, which in fact resulted in more than just you asking if any meeting ever took place.
Indeed, if she had any strategic brains at all, she would’ve done what the GCC has done, make a quiet ruling and let the charities bring the story to the media, retorting that she was on the side of ratepaying residents. But no, she had to make an controversial ruling that made her look like a fascist jackbooter, and then slink way from the issue, knowing that our toothless ‘all for you’ paper wouldn’t dare follow up.
As PK so famously said of another ‘she’s a chill looking for a spine to run up.’ Same goes for the local media.
Pie, good points and the other issue I’m told is that the GCCC has a very proactive Community Development Department which knows the city’s community and community organizations and issues and staff quietly work in the background to resolve issues before they become public issues. Apparently this is not the case with TCC anymore. Go back 8 years and TCC had a very proactive Community Development section and staff were known and respected by community organisations as were the programs that were run by that section. TCC still has a Community Development section run by a Coordinator who is not particularly well liked by community organisations that have had dealings with her although some other staff are respected by them.
If TCC Community Development was proactively functioning and had the respect of the community the Mullet’s outburst would probably have been avoided.
The mayor’s outburst could have been avoided by her keeping her self-promoting mouth shut.
I thought TCC’s Community Development Department was renamed to Townsville Residents and RatesPayers Association?
Critical, you must have missed the Astonisher’s report that Mullet had a “productive meeting on the sidelines of State Parliament meeting” in Townsville with the Minister for Housing to discuss the issue. From what I recall the outcome was an agreement for their officials to meet to discuss arrangements to have have a further meeting to discuss if there was anything they needed to discuss.
Sorry WW, Dilbert is way ahead of you.
The brilliant “Utopia” comedy on ABC also devoted an episode about having a meeting to schedule a meeting.
The ‘Pie kept that Dilbert cartoon on file because it so reminded him of his time at GBRMPA, where it is true we once were called to a meeting to decide if we should have a meeting. Since sandwiches were involved in meetings, we all voted yes, we should have a meeting.
Terry Jones would be proud of you WW
‘Pie, just another thought on Palmer Street.
A few months ago I downsized into a very nice Unit in a very nice Apartment complex in Palmer Street at the Metropole end, and my wife and I are finding it a lovely place to live. At the moment it’s quite simple to exit onto Dean Street by turning right through the lights at the Palmer and Dean intersection.
I would love someone to tell me what plans are in place after Palmer Street is made one-way in. Please tell me it’s not expected that we exit via the Macilwraith and Dean intersection – or is it?
Russell, below link might clarify.
https://haveyoursay.townsville.qld.gov.au/palmer-street-renewal-project
It states that Palmer Street will be one way port bound between Plume Street and Morehead Street.
I take it to mean you won’t be able to drive from the Metrople towards Dean street anymore, you’ll need to divert via Morehead street to Mcilwraith street and then either down to Mcilwraith and Dean or back on to Palmer via Plume Street.
Sort of symbolic of this council really, going around in circles.
Thanks Scientician79, but that’s different from what the ‘Pie’s informant has told him (see body of blog in italics) and also different from what my other half heard at a public meeting to allow the council to “discuss” the issue a couple of months ago.
Also makes no sense whatsoever to one-way just that one block, unless of course I’m missing something.
I agree it all seems pretty badly thought out whether its just one block or the entire street.
Yes indeed. And forcing people out through Mcilwraith Street is an accident waiting to happen. Be interesting to see how this all unfolds.
I wonder where the REAL COST of the Colosseum is going to finish up.
Exactly! Add the costs of a set of traffic lights and the huge inconvenience of closed roadways on busy Dean & McIlwraith Streets whilst they are being installed at that intersection. McIlwraith Street presently carries all of the traffic off the Port Access Road – just what it needs, needless traffic off Palmer Street.
Before Mayor Mullet uses the newspaper she edits to claim that council consulted with local stakeholders about the Palmer Street downgrade, fact is they did hold a meeting at which everyone was told what the council would be doing. There was no opportunity to seek changes to the council plan. Sound familiar?
Well well! The mayor holding a press conference todayboutside TCC walker st telling us the rainfall totals. Is this an admission of guilt?? Why does she need to tell us this now? Maybe because what you did last year was wait to long to act on a little thing like open the gates early?? A proper investetgation would save you this press conference and answer our questions. At least its not with the pink dress!
Well, maybe she’s learnt something after all. But would she be so thoughtful if it wasn’t an election year?
Have a look at the Facebook comments. Are you paying for some advertising on the quiet??
To whom is that comment addressed and what are you in about? Whose facebook?
Sorry i assumed wrong that you would be thinking about the tcc Facebook page from my first comment. One of the comments reads your website and tatty Townsville page. My attempt at humor missed. I dont think tcc has anyone vetting the comments. Its been up for 2hrs.
Yes but my Mum always said wide people shouldn’t wear horizontal striped outfits !
Sun Water was the Dam Operator during the 2019 floods.
All referable Dams fall under the DNRME regulations and have Emergency Actions Plans written and approved every year. Link below for some bedtime reading.
https://www.business.qld.gov.au/industries/mining-energy-water/water/industry-infrastructure/dams/emergency-action-plans/map
All EAPs are written so as to preserve Dam Integrity and minimise chance of catastrophic events (ie dam failure). This dictates the staging of water releases irrespective of flooding impacts downstream.
Townsville has no flood mitigation strategy which dictates the release of water when below full surface level or 100% dam capacity.
Why not?
Because its a lose-lose situation.
Hypothetically even if you operated the dam as a purely flood storage reservoir and drain down the level to the top of the concrete crest before every wet season which is the lowest it can go by opening the gates it will be at 30.8% holding 71,787 ML of water at 100% full it holds 233,187 ML of water.
The 2019 floods filled the dam to 249% or 580,415 ML thats 580,415,000,000 litres of water. At that stage the gates were fully open releasing 1.9ML/s or 1,900,000 l/s
Even with the additional 161,400 Ml of storage it would still have been a major flood at around 173%. Assuming the gates are operated in accordance with the EAP.
But achieving this flood mitigation strategy would decimate out water supply. Permanent level 3 and 4 water restrictions would be enforced also 200-300% percent increase in water charges would result as we have to continuously pump water from the Burdekin to top up the dam levels.
No one as Mayor would take that proposal to the rates payers of Townsville it is political suicide.
I can only imagine the pensioners on the news screaming about their rates bill while standing in front of dam spillway as all this water gets released into the Ross for the catastrophic wet season that never happened.
Simple old bird one may be, but just love the way you pose a convenient hypothetical ‘what if …’ and then say can’t be dome for political/practical reasons.
With the clear BOM information available at that time, long before the dam reached anything like the ultimate level, surely with some foresight, the gates could’ve allowed a steady albeit massive outflow which may well have resulted in some flooding, but nothing like that which occurred too late ‘for the greater good’. It is not a good argument that we were done over by red tape … that’s what happened, but it sure as hell is not a good argument.
Yeah all good in hind sight. But who is going to make that decision and put their arse on the line that we should release massive amounts of water early based on uncertain BOM predicts.
If that was the case we should have opened the gates up last week, considering the forecast from the BOM. Burdekin got 380mm in a couple of hours and was flooded. Dam got about 200mm over 7 days and went up 5%.
Also you have to be an RPEQ engineer to instruct the dam operator to open the gates outside of the approve EAP. All RPEQ are personally liable for engineering decisions they make and if they stuff up the could lose everything their jobs, houses, reputation and careers and possible go to jail if someone is injury by their actions.
No one would take that risk, unless the early release process is fully hydraulically model, document approved by TCC and DNRME. The Engineer is fully protect by professional indemnity insurance, because they will get sued just like the poor buggers in Brisbane.
But I guess its the Australian way to blame someone for natural disasters.
Flood was the Mayors fault.
Bushfires are PM fault.
Wonder who is going to get the blame for the next cyclone/storm surge.
Ironing a work shirt (blujurgh) for tomorrow and ruminating on the potential for Mayor Hill to be referred to Belcarra – surely Mr Dowling (with the deepest pockets of them all) should take a punt and just send the information down to see what happens?
If nothing else, he’d get some nuisance value out of it, and at best he might disqualify the Hill Political and Disco Party.
Unfortunately none of this will save me from going back down to the shitfight tomorrow
blujurgh? Or were you ironing just after a vindaloo lunch with Fourex?
just the thought of what the day would bring – and I was right.
I wonder how many copies the Townsville City library has of “Clochemerle” by Gabriel Chevallier, everyone should borrow one as it gives the reader a new perspective on local government as it’s their training guide
Great movie, too. The ‘Pie pissed himself laughing (sorry, that’s an in joke for those not familiar with the story of a French mayor who decided to built a pissoir (public urinal) next to the local church.’
So TCC put information up on their Facebook page about where you can get information about what help is still available if you are still needing assistance after 2019 floods.
As usual, the TCC website information is out of date –
Qld government website is closed
TCC tells us that recovery centres and rental hubclosed in September and October so why the bloody hell leave this information up 2020
I wonder if all of the financial assistance information listed still applicable and so the story goes on.
I’m certain that I saw an Astonisher article within the last week with Health Minister Steven Miles and the three useless stoges looking like the nodding side show alley nodding clowns in the background telling the community that support was available through a special team of people at the Townsville Hospital but no mention of that support on this website. TCC website tells us to contact their Recovery Community Development Officers for assistance. WTF they work 9am-5pm Monday – Friday and I suppose you might get through to them after you manage to get someone to answer your call at Council and then go through their inquisition.
Check out their website
https://www.townsville.qld.gov.au/community-support/community-safety/recovery-information
Got our letter about Cowboy game street closures from the TCC – one hour either side. Cowboys & Broncos game kicks off at 7.05pm on Friday the 13th of March. I feel for the city workers who will need to hotfoot it from work, forgoing their end of week fellowship drinks, so they can get their cars out of the zone. Anyone know when Dean Park car park gets closed so it can be used for its exclusive clientele? I assume that workers will be ‘kicked’ out earlier than one hour, since it will be needed by organisers, supporters, camera crews, footballers, etc who all arrive well before kickoff. Anyone know what TCC is being paid for a public car park to be made unavailable to us and available for exclusive use by some private organisation? No point in trying to dine at Palmer Street on game days … there will be no employees to serve or cook for you, they won’t be able to park anywhere. Poor bloody Palmer St businesses …. for Christ’s sake, Townsville depends on one being able to drive and park reasonably close to one’s destination.
Cajun: Article on the TB’s web site, states the opposite, there’s a pic of 3 hopefuls and a caption “Hopes stadium will revitalise top dining strip” fat chance fellas.
Those three hopefuls wouldn’t touch that property with a barge pole, but they’re hoping to find some sucker who will go broke within six months … this is just another cynical real estate ad gussied up as some sort of news … two of the blokes are just real estate spinners from Colliers and the other manages the hotel in which the potential little goldmine is situated. This isn’t within a country miles of being any sort of news …. News Ltd ethical policy on parade at its shining best.
Pie, don’t forget the other important “news” taking up one probably a third of today’s front page…..an advertisement for Sky News….
Spot the missing person.
Front page
Maybe inside on pages 2 & 3 (usually the prized position for news)
Hmmm, doesn’t seem to be there either, but just in case, let’s have a closer look …
Nope, Sky Management have sent a clear message to regular squeaker Peter Typo Gleeson that he’s a little valued dud (his program is or was one of the most appalling on Sky, and one cannot damn higher than that). So he left the Astonisher in a monumental mess, got booted from the Sunday Mail, was given the consolation prize of a gig on Sky, which is now clearly downgraded, and are now filling the role of the poor man’s Andrew Bolt on Sundays. Sky is learning what we in Townsville sadly learnt years ago …. Pete, you’re an utter dud, give it a rest, become a house dad. Your missus earns enough as a solicitor for super-grub Barry Taylor to keep the household in fine fashion.
Gee your a bit hard there Pie, Gleeso is a heavyweight of the industry, only someone with serious clout could get the bearded Tomlinson on his show every week to give his insightful view of the world, or the mastermind that is Caleb Bond to tell us the real facts of life, whilst still living with his mum and dad, these sorts of people don’t just turn up for anyone.
Good one Tank,
Thanks for the slightly edited comment George – don’t think anyone is the least bit interested in your urinary tract incontinence and the state of your undies.
The new Bully editor – if there is one at the moment – has a migrane headache looming.
As has been mentioned here before, Mayor Mullet has been spending a small fortune of ratepayers money on full colour ads in the front of the paper calling tenders for various projects around town. These tender notices are traditionally printed in black and white in the classifieds section for a fraction of the cost.
Given the paper’s loyalty to big spending advertisers rather than readers, Jenny has enjoyed a charmed run in the paper, which has ignored the $500 million plus city debt, and championed her as a hero during the February floods.
But in today’s edition Greg (Clive who?) Dowling has spent some of Clive’s money on full colour election ads on pages 9 and 11.
At this rate, and armed with the war chest provided by Clive (Who?), he could well replace Jenny as the paper’s most influential advertiser.
The bidding has started. Will be fascinating to see who wins the auction for the paper’s support.
Hopefully not the ratepayers of this city, but …..
WARNING TO ALL PARENTS WHO READ THE TOWNSVILLE BULLETIN.
DO NOT DO THIS. DO NOT UNTHINKINGLY PUT YOUR CHILD AT RISK.
THIS IS SERIOUS CRIMINAL IRRESPONSIBILITY! DO NOT DO THIS, YOU WILL BE PUTTING YOUR CHILD AT SERIOUS RISK.
The Townsville Bulletin goes for the paedophile readership on its Facebook page, with a promise a gallery will appear in the Townsville Bulletin newspaper and on line … with your kid’s name, year and SCHOOL. It’s a wonder they didn’t include a map.
This is much, much more than a laughable WTF. Has these dangerous clowns desperate search for readers switched off every warning sign that trained journalists trigger instantly.
First name, year level and SCHOOL? For god’s sake! This is not just an error of judgement, it is criminal irresponsibility. Love to know what the police who deal with the grubby underbelly of paedophile filth think of this assistance to their depraved urges. And teachers too.
The Magpie’s friends at Townsville News Flash are equally outraged …. as you should be.
THIS IS SERIOUS CRIMINAL IRRESPONSIBILITY! DO NOT DO THIS, YOU WILL BE PUTTING YOUR CHILD AT SERIOUS RISK.
The Townsville Bulletin goes for the paedophile readership on its Facebook page. And then promises
a gallery will appear in the Townsville Bulletin newspaper and on line. FFS.
This is much, much more than a laughable WTF. Has their desperate search for readers switched off every warning sign that trained journalists trigger instantly?
First name, year level and school? For god’s sake! This is not just an error of judgement, it is criminal irresponsibility. Love to know what the police who deal with the grubby underbelly of paedophile filth think of this assistance to their depraved urges.
The good folk over at Townsville News Flash spotted it, too, and are equally outraged.
This is not time for jokes or pussyfooting around: this newspaper must publicly promise not to publish such information, if it continues with this whole idea in the name of sales, it should be sanctioned at the highest level. They clearly do not have the understanding or the awareness of just how wrong this is.
It will take just one incident, and the Bulletin could be out of business … and while that would be no bad thing, not at the price of one or more young lives ruined through its pure ignorance.
WTF??? This is beyond ludicrous, putting kiddies details out in the news. This is like an open invitation to the Pedo’s to come visit a kid. Stupidity at its worst. Any parent that allows their kid to have their picture and details including their school put in a newspaper needs their fucking head read. There are some sick units lurking around the Ville, and the Cops will be shaking their heads at this.
To emphasise this crassness as a true example, Many years ago a mate was unable to collect his 8 year old daughter from school. I had never met his daughter and only knew her name. When I got to her school all of the children were being picked up and just as my mate had told me she has her name on her shirt and schoolbag. Sure enough I spotted her and called her name and she came straight to me. I told her, her dad had asked me to collect her and take her to my home and he would drop by later.
I pointed out to my mate the stupidity of wearing her “ID” as any child will naively (read innocently) come to someone who calls them by name, as proven by the fact that she came tamely to me and got into my car.
Once the reality set in my mate attended the next PTA and got full support for his proposal (nay demand) to cease this asinine “rule” at their schools and to highlight it to the Dpt of Education in Adelaide.
OMG Pie! Trouble is a number of folks won’t connect the dot and do it anyway. Good pickup from you and the other outfit.
As one who works in an agency committed to child protection, I can only say that this is the most dangerously stupid and irresponsible article I have seen in my 45 year professional career. I can absolutely guarantee you that those photos are already on paedophile sites in the dark web – and shall be floating about forever. The appalling aspect of this is that those fucking morons have not taken the post down even after the danger to our children has been identified and pointed out to them. Disgusting!!!!
I raised my concerns in a comment on their FB site…..their response: delete my comment and block me!
The bulletin has a new Facebook, vetting comments.
And this one isn’t going to go away until something is done. It’s not just The ‘Pie, Townsville News Flash have sunk their teeth in, too. Drop the whole, you twerps. Maybe you should watch the TV show you wrote about in your parenting section .
Good to see Gleeson being buried under rocks. The arrogant pontificating worm. Nobody listens to his endless shite and his employer is wasting their money on the clown. The journalism in this town is some of the most biased and ‘bought’ Journalism you will find in a regional town. If it wasn’t for the Magpie we would have no voice at all.
Re: Localised flooding in Townsville
Local media and mayor have made light of flooding last night by saying that it was due to the coincidence of the high tide (which didn’t really coincide with the rain last night anyway) but what inspections have shown today is that most of the inundation was caused by poorly maintained stormwater drains.
Even traditionally tide-affected areas should have had time to drain between the storms and the high tide if the drains were working optimally.
It’s hard to believe that the slopes of Castle Hill in Belgian Gardens were tide affected.
Drains are again choked with grass and weeds, so it’s as though we learned nothing from last year in terms of preparedness.
Agreed. The whole city is a shit fight of weeds, rubbish and debris.
Exceptionally high tides. Must be global warming.
50mm of rain in Aitkenvale this morning and reports are the place was gridlocked with streets flooded property-line to property-line. Again, clogged drains and a year with no maintenance seem to be the problem.
I note the Astonisher is asking people for pictures, so might be worth a look.
For context, 50mm is NOT really a lot of rain when spread over a few hours.
Indeed, 50mms is no big deal in this neck of the woods, welcome though it is. Certainly doesn’t qualify for what Texans call ‘a real turd floater.’
Anyone know if there was a lead spill at the port around Christmas?
Massive spike in readings at the CoastGuard monitor. Check this out:
https://os-data-2.s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/port-townsville/bundle35/december_19___air_quality_dashboard.pdf
Haven’t heard about any spill Stevie. Its probably just the fallout from the black dust the port spreads all over the city and North Ward (including Central State School). But no need to worry, the Port has done all the tests and says its not a problem – and it won’t be until a schoolkid gets sick and is found to be suffering from a disease caused by lead poisoning.
And to think, old mate Peter Honeycombe is building a hotel and new ferry terminal on Ross Creek, directly downwind from the port’s centre of activity. The tourists might have to wear masks until they reach Maggie Island.
Those are serious accusations. Do you have proof?
Down wind from the Port…………
Some years ago I was visiting North Ward, cattle were being loaded for live export
Unbelievable. The overwhelming puterid stench made it difficult to breathe in. Perhaps it was a one off bad day, but it was bad!
Do they still load cattle from the Port?
What would hotel guests tweet about Townsville if it happens again? I was all right Jack, I could just buzz-off back to Kelso, which is what I did.
Do they load cattle? About 200,000 a year. No crimes there however, it’s a legal industry.
The lead dust reading in December was over the trigger level according to the guideline on the port’s dodgy and amateurish-looking report graph. Anyone from the Department of Environment reading?? My bet is a spill.
I have no problem with the live export industry, but on that day throughout Nth Ward the stench was overpowering and memorable.
Did you hear of a yap session today with council and landholders re land change laws?
No. What did you hear?
Has Herr Mullet made the biggest blunder yet by telling the residents of Woodstock that the designated state Development Area at Stuart will not be suitable for six years as the area is flood prone, surely heads must roll for designating it in the first place.
Well, someone’s lying, because the state government has publicly stated that a large chunk of the SDA ‘is ready for industry with no filling necessary.’
Of course, the Bulletin hasn’t challenged the mayor on this little piece of her alleged transparency.
Sam, this is what you should be doing, and doing immediately issues come out. Otherwise, you’ll be seen as a Rip Van Winkle candidate, snoring out ‘Time For Change’.
The Pie is right on the State Development area, and ABC Radio this morning read full statement from Qld Govt stating SDA is ready to go now. ABC has extracts of the comments on line;
“But a spokesman for the Queensland coordinator-general said land was available immediately for development without filling and could accommodate a range of industries.
The spokesman said a further 810 ha of land was acquired in 2018 to meet future demand, but ultimately the department expected Woodstock will be needed for industry as the TSDA fills.”
Well now Mark Molachino now has a trailer with his oversized picture on it with a slogan saying he’s working for the Upper Ross. It too has a TCC logo on it. How can this be legal considering its 60 days out from an election. This along with Les Walker doing the same. When the council goes into caretaker mode will these be allowed?? They are technically not the councillor and it is unfair campaign material that other candidates don’t have access to.
Pic, please, to email hidden; JavaScript is required
In case anyone else is around the trailer is parked next to Aaron Harper’s trailer on corner of riverway drive and hearvey range rd willows. Ill attempt to take a pic next time past.
Yup like a pic of that, but different issue, Harpic bludges off the state, not the council.
If it not on private property then it is illegal, as during the federal election the council cut down all the candidates signs on public areas. The other question is why have the rate payers coughed up for these expensive signs.
… to be told outright lies.
First walker now this useless fool. How are they allowed to use this? I do want to complain now, where do we go to do this magpie? Is it state government or ombudsmen of some kind? This is very unfair and your right a complete lie.
And the real insult is that use your own money to tell blatant lies. Let us pretend this isn’t electioneering, just self-promotion, why (and is it?) allowed anyway. A clear misuse of ratepayer funds. You would need to look at the Local Government Act to check if it an offence (distinct from offensive) and to whom to complain.
Maybe Hee Haw knows.
why is there a large blacked out square beneath the mobile phone number?
Maybe it’s a chalk board so you can write sweet nothings to him.
Sadly, the black square is probably what makes the poxy thing technically legal.
The sign is a community message board (black bit of chalk board) with a frame around it containing details of the sponsor.
The fact that the frame is far larger than the message area – which is blank – is probably immaterial.
There you go OT. There is a phone number on that trailer. Give him a call.
Mr Chiodo apparently ordered all the Federal campaign signs to be removed, is he now going to do the goose and gander thing, or has the council got dispensation?
He’ll do what his political bosses tell him to do. Watch closely.
Although this is nowhere near as bad as the unforgivable school kid identification cock-up but on page 39 of today’s Townsville Bulletin there’s a story about Ash Barty beating Petra Kvitova in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open yesterday afternoon.
As part of the same story, printed on a photo of Barty, is “Today’s Action” including “Women’s Quarter-Finals 1-Ashleigh Barty (AUS) v Petra Kvitova (CZE). There are 3 other matches also listed for today, all of which were played yesterday. What a shambles our once great newspaper has become.
Actually, very harsh, FF, credit where credit is due, that is a step forward on the Bulletin’s usual time delay news slogan, ‘Yesterday’s News Tomorrow’.
Guess we’ll have remember this pic next time the Bulletin delivers a finger wagging homily about not playing in flood waters or dangerous places.
If photographer Evan Morgan actually directed this kid to pose in this manner, he’s lucky nothing untoward happened, otherwise it would’ve been a different news story altogether. And another one down the track when he and the paper were sued for whatever resulted. Or worse if there was a death involved.
This paper just gets dumber and dumber with its mixed signals.
Where, where???
Oh, there …
Dear God.
Send help.
Do you really believe I exist, My child?
no, The ‘Pie believes you are a dyslexic kelpie.
Noticed that baby poo yellow cladding is being put up on the Stadium building yesterday.
Is the cladding combustable?
Its not combustible because its steel im thinking but where the panels are bent it reflects the morning sun right into your eyes as you drive past. Most of it is flat but theres a section on each panel thats rasied and sticks out. My neighbor told me about it friday but i forgot about it until now. I take the bus alot and go the other way.
Like many people will have to in relation to the stadium from now on.
The ‘poo’ you refer to is manufactured in council chambers. It is recycled policy decisions.
Pie, QLD Local Government election signage falls under the responsibility of the QLD Electoral Commission and requirements are in Fact Sheet #6 in link below. Reckon they might get away with these as the signs are being displayed outside the election period which I understand starts on 22 February 2020, but the fact sheet notes that some provisions may apply outside the election period. If someone wants to, it might be worthwhile directly phoning and checking with the QLD Electoral Commission and sending them a picture if they want one.
This link provides a number of Fact Sheets which might be of interest.
https://www.ecq.qld.gov.au/candidates-and-parties/handbooks-and-forms
Good info, crits, but the other questions still remain … this is self-promotion paid for by the rates of many people who disagree with the self-assessment. It serves absolutely no purpose for the electorate, even it the claim were true … which in this case, is highly doubtful.
These signs don’t come cheap and I’m certain that these Councillors would not pay for the signs and I’m told that TCC employ a couple of signwriters but they’d be too scared to say anything because of the ensuing witch hunt and probable sacking. The cost of job like this would probably be easy to hide in The TCC accounts system.
Wonder if the trailers have any stickers still on them to say where they come from or they’re from a hire firm.
naughty boy, crits, left a critical ‘not’ out of your comment, but teecher fixed.
Approved unanimously by TCC
https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2020-01-29/lansdown-industrial-precinct-gets-go-ahead/11904032
So Cr. Mark Molochino said we could lose two unicorn potential investors, Jenny said the TSDA was not big enough and prone to flooding, the Qld. coordinator general said the TSDA was ready to produce the goods. Me thinks that something is rotten in the state of Walker St, and needs a good looking into.
Has anyone done property title searches to see who own the properties surrounding the Woodstock site? They are likely to make money if their properties need to be resumed. Hopefully no conflicts ……..
Make money from this council or state government? You jest.
Uh-oh, it’s the purple doona has made another appearance!
Can we also note that our incredibly overpaid CEO with his untucked shirt at a council function? I’m not that old school but surely he could have been dressed more appropriately??
https://www.facebook.com/624398160906098/posts/3004154519597105?sfns=mo
Now, now, both vids have a nice air of casualness here are positive things for kids just out of high school, and Illich Park re-development, and both are recognised for their importance because they both get the Purple Doona treatment, fast becoming the highest accolade in this town (outside the Astonisher’s most influential list).
Ahh, “traineeships” the practical alternative to providing real jobs and apprenticeships.
With a traineeship, TCC receives funding from other tiers of government, gets shitkickers who receive really no training, looks good for hiring people, then gives them the flick at the end of 6 or 12 months without penalty.
At least with an apprenticeship TCC are required to keep people on until they are qualified.
And if you watched the vid as The ‘Pie did (the things he does for you people) you will note in Jenny’s speech of self-praise the phrase ‘whether they stay with the council or not’.
Now, now, both vids have a nice air of NQ casualness here and are positive things for kids just out of high school, and good news from the Feds for the Illich Park re-development. Both are recognised for their importance because they both get the Purple Doona treatment, as did the latest stadium photo call, The Order of the Purple Doona is fast becoming the highest accolade in this town (outside the Astonisher’s most influential list).
Didn’t the walking talking Purple Doona chip Cr Jacobs about an inappropriate dress standard at TCC functions? And dismissed him from her presence? I wonder how he feels when he sees how the CEO dresses in this photo?
Eye Bleach please,no dress sense from either of them,but I am not surprised……
Normally this is an area The ‘Pie steers clear of, but there is a line and it has been crossed. If you are the mayor (and if you are the CEO for that matter) you have responsibility to the dignity of the office and those who elected you as their representative to consider your appearance at public functions and in the media. Also, although she’s not short of a quid privately, my understanding is that there is some sort of dress allowance available to mayors of either sex.
Jenny Hill gets about looking like a bloody bag lady some of the time, and we are entitled to make comment on that, because Christ knows what effect it has on people meeting her who are seeking confidence in what she is selling in Townsville.
Good old Boganville, that is just pathetic and embarrassing, what hope has this place got.
Pie
Can only comment that they both over dressed for the tropics.
CEO should have shirt out and be in tropical colours. We’re not a southern city.
NAW – I suppose you are one of the yobbos who.protested the ”no thongs after 6:00 PM” rule at the Thuringowa RSL.
Bring back the safari suit. The one with the shorts and long socks.
New turf at the stadium under water apparently. Anyone got pics?
There is a photo doing the rounds of social media supposedly showing the stadium flooded and under water from Ross Creek . I suspect it is a photoshop fake. Indeed several people who say they are tradies working on the site commented to say no flooding occurred and the turf did not go under water.
I’ve been trying to look into this with limited success.
The main photo circulating shows the water in the creek very high and entering the mangroves so potentially it could be across the stadium land as well – which has not been built up very much at all.
Other images showing no flooding and claiming to show the sheen from wet concrete also show the water level under the bridge significantly lower. Also I’m suspect about the turf showing a “wet concrete” sheen.
Unless the photos are physically doctored, something smells.
Stockman, you stole my thunder, I was half way through typing a comment regarding new turf and heavy rain.
I was remembering when I laid new turf in Adelaide many years ago and the level of watering was to be kept at a fairly (surprisingly) low level, as apparently the roots are lazy bastards and have been spoiled previously so they go into panic mode when denied the previous surfeit of water, and send down their roots super fast.
If, as Stockman reports and I had also assumed, the current heavy rainfall will float the grass to the surface and the soil to the ground. i.e. all gone.
Not really anyone’s fault, but it is unwise to try and lay turf in the “Wet” eh?
Well, we can all rest easy knowing that the powers that be have already thought of that and knew there’s no way there would be any rain at this time of the year !
Bit of a punt, but the word is that this is the new iditor of the Bulletin … well, we’ll make that editor for now, no point in pre-judging despite years of experience.
Wonder if he his nickname is “Abba”?
By the way, I misread the first four lines of your post and thought to myself, “Does he already know him?”
Memo to: Mullet, TCC CEO and staff – please read and impliment the professional standards outlinef in the below article immediately.
https://www.tropicnow.com.au/2020/january/29/elite-executive-column-professionalism.html
Signed
Suffering ratepayers of Townsville
More problems at the Civic Theatre, with yesterday’s downpour causing “effluent water” to flow through the basement.
I’m no fan of Jenny, but this is tragic for all concerned.
https://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/news/townsville/mayor-in-crash-motorcyclist-fights-for-life/news-story/dd0afef73e31a136d26f890e5b578644?fbclid=IwAR2uYX3q0GpeScW99kIaU8Z32nWhaTUuoB7-2wxvmPQHp1mNojbEtSoeqVM
Noticed machines working on Southern side of Port Access Road(Prior to this rain event) clearing for a road that will link Sun Metals directly to the Port Access Road and
Enable subdivision of the SDA to commence.
Breaking news – Jenny Hill collides with motorcyclist on Nathan St and motorcyclist dies in hospital.
This blog will not be accepting or publishing any comments on this tragic story. The matter is under police investigation.
Thanks Pie for letting me post this on your blog, I know you would agree, this is the right thing to do right now!
As the Pie knows I have sent a similar request to all media in relation to a Release I sent out last night that involves the mayor to be placed on hold.
Some may have heard me earlier on ABC radio before the accident happened.
OUT OF RESPECT
I have just been informed The Mayor has been involved in a serious motor vehicle accident this morning.
In respect for the Mayor and the deceased motorbike rider involved and
his family, my deepest sympathy for all those involved.
In light of this very serious incident, I will suspend campaigning for a period.
Well said, Sam. he ‘Pie shares your sentiments for the family fo the deceased and for mayor Jenny Hill, who is being treated for shock. A sad morning all round.
Dear Pie,
It seems that Tatty Townsville is having an effect for good, at least in one instance. The huge pothole in the Upper Ross bikeway has been crudely repaired. It has been there for many months, steadily growing. Why repair it now if not for Tatty Townsville and the upcoming election.
That would be a great outcome for the page, and hopefully, other matters will follow.
The power of social media, and extremely important. A couple months ago, my wife walking home at night from work with a few groceries (CBD to city unit) tripped in a pothole crossing the road. She fell over and came home all bruised and scraped up. Actually, she called me from the ground and I came running to get her. We complained about the pothole and it still took an eternity to fix.
Seems Tatty Townsville might be having a bit of an effect … sort of.
remember this ..
Well, shazam!!! Patch repair, Perhaps other contributors should keep an eye on their contribution to see if others are being fixed.
Wow, it now looks like a cyclists dream!!! Hope they don’t come to grief on the wet grass.
I have it on very good authority that your cynical Tatty Townsville page is actually being used positively to identify areas in need of repair/remediation and that are often missed or not reported by TCC maintenance. Unintended consequences for which all those readers not aware of “The Magpie”, (the vast majority of Townvilleans) will be laying credit on a proactive council. Sincere thanks!!
Bullshit. Tatty Townsville on fb is not a promotional tool for The Magpie (why would he need one, he sells nothing and charges nothing). Anyway, if it has a hand in getting things done that TCC should be doing anyway, who cares? Apart from you, obviously.
If that’s the case, they’re going to fuckin’ busy.
OR, I wouldn’t call it cynical at all. But as a comparison, rather than put a photo on Tatty Townsvile, I sent a photo of a dead branch on a gum tree overhanging a bikeway, which I consider to be a fatality waiting to happen to the Councils site on the 14th January. They have replied with a reference number and explanation that an arborist will be sent to inspect the tree. To date nothing has happenened. Maybe putting it on Tatty Townsville may speed it up. In this climate of wet season and cyclone season, that is pretty poor form. TCC. is asking the ratepayer “Are we Cylclone ready?”
I thought the new slogan from TCC was “Disaster Ready”
What used to be Cyclone Sunday is now Disaster Ready Day. All sounds a bit ominous to me.
Are you Diaster Ready? What disaster is that? The one TCC has created?
march 28 this year … if the electorate is stupid enough.
58 days – – the motto is actually “Disaster ALready”.
Razor, love your claim that the damming photos on the Tatty Townsville fb page have been somehow simply overlooked by council maintenance.
One I posted is of the car park near the Soroptimist Park in Rowe’s Bay, where hundreds of kiddies go to play. The car park has more than 70 potholes and was reported to council over a year ago but our councillors are obviously too busy hiring Jamie Durie and working on a stadium transport plan (which should have been done BEFORE the site was chosen) to do anything about it. If it takes shaming on a Facebook page to get basic maintenance done then the council has lost the plot.
hahahahahaha … inevitable.
“Twelve voices were shouting in anger, and they were all alike. No question, now, what had happened to the faces of the pigs. The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.”
― George Orwell, Animal Farm
You mean her daddy registered her name.
She also registered her ‘back up’ name “Climate McClimate Change Face”.
How dare you!
Am I seeing this right? Aspiring Mayor Dowling has a head like a robbers dog!
Your familiarity with the anatomical features of canines possessed of nefarious lawbreakers is admirable, but how about we stick to issues? It’s not a beauty contest, if it was, no bookie would be game to make a market.
Very true, and if anyone cares to YouTube Mr Dowling from his elite NRL days, all I can say is ‘you should have seen the other guys face’.
Magpie,
If it was a beauty competition you would win.
Not a compliment but a statement when viewing the horrible mug shots of the candidates (sorry if it offends you or the candidates)
Any news on who is running against the current TCC elected officials in the ‘burbs? Seems to be silent in the Astonisher.
Seems like you have the only site where they can put their points of view forward.
By the way, applause for Sam C’s post. Well said and agree, subject is best left alone.
Hello Magpie – now that we have seen the colour of the money being spent by Palmer to open up the election (but sadly not his refinery) has anyone checked if the donor company meets the definition of a developer under the prohibited donor scheme
Dunno, but Palmer’s big enough to have his own post code. That’s quite a subdivision he’s developed under his chins.
For all you travellers out there a bit of news, Townsville airports terminal upgrade schedule is 3 years to complete, yep, 3 years of interruptions and temporary services, WTF are these people thinking.
A Townsville local walks into the office of a Townsville Airport executive.
The local says “Sir I would like an airport terminal that looks less than 30 years old and doesn’t embarrass me in front of my relatives.”
The executive replies “Really…. How about we invest $80 million of our company money to upgrade our asset, design something that makes you proud to live in Townsville, and do it in less than 12 months?
The Townsville local says “WOW YOU MUST BE JOKING!”
The executive says “yes, but you started it.”
Only 3 years?? Wow. Perhaps that’s because Herr Gill will be away most of the time on ollie jollies down at the Gold Coast where his Masters at QAL reside? Maybe it will take QAal that long to pay off the project in stages due to the poor airport group not making enough profits from their various airport locations carparks??
It will be outdated by the time it’s finished. On another note, I mentioned on another forum about the Townsville Airports disgustingly dirty seats in the departure lounges. A marketing lady from the Airport contacted me and said she would get them cleaned. Maybe Kevin Gill could put his toilet brush down for 5 minutes and lend a hand?
Honestly, what the fuck is up with the Townsville Bulletin? Seems their new iditor hasn’t arrived from the Sunshine Coast yet, so who knows who writes the iditorials. Whoever wrote today’s trite effort sounds like a junior journo.
But that piece of patronising twaddle included this jarring line:
“Whatever the circumstances surrounding the crash, clearly Cr Hill would have been left shocked by the incident. She does not need to be treated with contempt in this situation.”
Just who is treating Mayor Hill with contempt? Not Sam Cox, who out of respect for the situation has voluntarily called a pause in campaigning. Not the Magpie blog, a known vocal opponent of the mayor politically but who has openly sympathised with the gut wrenching feelings she as a person must be experiencing. And not even those few commenters to the blog (unpublished) who ignored The ‘Pie’s directive that the subject was off limits while its under investigation. Not one of those unpublished comments made any ‘contemptuous’ remarks about the mayor.
So it can only be the Townsville Bulletin, in its official editorial voice, again misjudging what they think is the public mood, and demeaning the dwindling readership of this disgraceful and community-damaging paper.
It’s a fucking disgrace Pie, even their line yesterday speculating what could have happened, there should be no speculation about anything of this nature, you wait for the facts, isn’t there supposed to be an ombudsman or someone scrutinising this stuff.
Bulletin’s motto – fake it til you make it.
The article in today’s paper is disgraceful. The inference being that the poor biker was drug affected at the time of the accident. Those “journalists “ should be ashamed.
While The ‘Pie discouraged comments on Thursday’s accident, that was to avoid exactly the snide inferences made in the paper, but in tonight’s blog we will be looking at what has been less than a stellar week for the Astonisher and indeed for News Ltd generally. Thursday’s accident was just one instance where the Bulletin, after fast accurate initial reporting as the matter unfolded, has again let itself down by juvenile over-reach.
More about the esteemed Judge Salvatore Vasta, the son of the only judge to be removed from office.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-31/proposed-lawsuit-could-test-whether-judge-can-be-sued-for-senten/11910592
Pie fyi interesting comment on p2 of today’s Australian which has a couple of us scratching our heads
Quote: Local Government Association of Queensland Chief Executive Greg Hallam said it would offer its support, including legal services, to Ms Hill.
Actually, that would be appropriate if she was driving in her mayoral capacity, which she clearly was (going to work). Mayors and councillors are insured across a range of incidents that may occur while they are carrying out their duties. (And please, let’s not nitpick about whether driving to work is being on duty – she may well have been working from home before leaving for Walker Street – if that’s where she was going.)
Driving to and from work has been covered by workers compensation coverage for decades.
This is from the Guardian: A Daily Telegraph headline “China kids stay home” has also been criticised for its potential to provoke discrimination against kids with a Chinese background.
Tele editor Ben English apologised on Friday.
“Our headline was in no way intended to single out Chinese people,” English said.
“However, it became obvious from reader letters that many felt the Chinese community had been targeted.
Lhttps://mumbrella.com.au/criticism-over-downright-offensive-and-unacceptable-race-discrimination-news-corp-coronavirus-headlines-615148?utm_source=Adestra&utm_medium=email&utm_term=&utm_content=Criticism%20over%20%E2%80%98downright%20offensive%20and%20unacceptable%20race%20discrimination%E2%80%99%20in%20News%20Corp%20Coronavirus%20h&utm_campaign=Mumbrella%20Daily%20-%2031%2F01%2F20
“Dump Vouchers to be returned, accompanied by an inline booking service or phone number where you can still ring up and get 1, (but 2 for elderly and pensioners), hard waste pick ups a year. This would streamline the trucks around town and please everyone. Owners/occupiers/Real Estate agents/tenants/renters.”
Sounds familiar. Careful, you’ll upset NMD.
If Sam Cox was in a traffic accident how gracious would the Mullet be???
She would have much the same reaction, although the motivation may be different … to be anything else would be a grave political error.
I remember the days when I used to return to Oz from working overseas and we weren’t allowed to even stand up until the cabin crew had walked the length of the plane spaying aerosol cans.
With the spread of this new virus, why don’t they continue this practice, or have they now included disinfectant automatically in the aircon system?
Bloody spell checkers, that should be sPraying not spaying, mind you as in those days there were smoking sections, I’d cheerfully consider spaying those inconsiderate arsehole with complete disregard for other passengers comfort of health.
A no smoking area on a plane is as useless as no peeing area in a swimming pool.
The sprays to kill insects not viruses
Still pissed down at the Courier? Do they not realise what absolute ninnies they are making of themselves with sort of contradictory gumbo.
KANE Alexanderson, the 18-year-old stabbed during a Brisbane City hotel room brawl on Australia Day, has died in hospital. The teenager suffered serious chest wounds following a brawl in a hotel on Australia Day.
Allegedly twice in the headline, but stated as fact twice in the opening lines of the story? ‘Allegedly’ not only casts doubt on the coppers truthfulness, but the treating doctors as well.
And, by the bloody way, muppets, in newspapers, accident and crime victims ‘die’, people only ‘pass away’ in funeral notices. Or that’s the way it used to be taught.
At one time I had a difficult job. Taught that when conducting a notification there were only three words that were to be used. “Dead, died, or killed.” Absolutely no flowery language or euphemisms.
You may think im living under a rock but i would like to apologize for sending in about the accident. I didn’t see every post as i often glance over alot and just see who writes in. I hope my comment wasnt distasteful. Ill try reading alot more carefully as to your request.
Not to worry, The ‘Pie’s concern was to cut off at the pass some of the more robust elements among the readership, whose knowledge of the law and fairness is about the as Judge Sal Vasta … i.e. greatly wanting. The matter is under investigation and the comments that have been allowed in are about the abysmal performance of the paper
So…let’s be realistic and not beat around the proverbial bush. If Cr. Hill, for one reason or another, does not stand for the Townsville Mayoralty…what are we left with?? I shudder to think, given the quality of the only two “candidates” who have put their, and, Clive’s hands up!!
If that should happen, it may embolden some more dynamic candidates to pop their heads up over the parapet.
Seems giving away thousands of free tickets to the Elton John concert isn’t news.
I haven’t read the print edition, but there’s not a mention online of the giveaway.
Surely this ranks as the coverup of the century.