The Townsville Council Is To Vote On A Visitor Tax For Magnetic Island, And It Will Apply To Day Trippers, Too.

That is just one recommendation in a report after a two year study  by the council and a bevy of (sigh) consultants.  There are plenty of tricky questions in this one, and The Magpie is just the bird to ask them. Not only how the money will be collected and spent, but what happened to the barrow load of dosh provided for the study in the first place.

The Mayoral mess has continued throughout the week,  without a shred of enlightenment. It is now clear that whoever you vote for, you’ll have to be giving someone the benefit of the doubt.  It’s hard to believe a single word any of these fuckers say so any attempt at a serious examination of this hack’s handicap is totally redundant.   The ‘Pie will restrict himself to a few observations … including one brief meteorite of lucidity from one candidate.

But just because the mayoral race is winding down (certainly not up) weep not, poll junkies, the Hinchinbrook by-election will have plenty of similar entertainment … it’s started already, with the LNP’s galoot getting the school cap with the propellor.

Townsville hospitality identity carks it, reviews mixed.

Move over, Monty Python … you will not believe the latest bit of fuckwittery from the DMR over the Mt Spec Road repairs to Paluma.  Calling Inspector Clouseau.

Plus our regular report on the American death spiral … but are they about to pull out of the dive? The ‘toonists tell the story.

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They’ve Sure Kept This One Quiet

And if you’re not  interested in island matters,  still read right through, this isn’t just a Magnetic Island story.

It’s all a bit murky at this stage,  and further details will no doubt emerge, but this what we know for sure.

A two year study (read consultants picnic)  led by waste management expert Ann Prince has just been completed last month. The study was funded with a $600,000 grant from the Barrier Reef Association to the Magnetic Island Community Development Association (MICDA), and a Magpie contact says the money went entirely on consultants, a couple of part time jobs and a couple of interim reports.  The final one has now been completed and will go before council. Read the MICDA overview of the project here.

Ms Prince appears to have a solid reputation in her field, The ‘Pie knows nothing about her, but he knows a hell of a lot about the way the TCC works with consultants.  So the contents of the final report will hardly be a surprise to anyone in Walker Street,  since Ms Prince has been in constant meetings on her FIFO consultancy mission over the past couple of years. So one wonders about the old truism that, with consultants, tell them what outcome you want and leave them to it.

The basic premise seems to be  that anyone who visits Maggie creates waste, and that shouldn’t be the burden of Maggie ratepayers or the council.

We’ll learn more about that in the near future, but try this for starters from the report.

And that levy is going to have some councillors some Olympic standard buttock clenching when they find out this isn’t just an island matter concerning tourists, it indirectly involves their rate-paying constituents.

First things first, how would such a tax on day trippers and stay-overs be collected? The ‘Pie hasn’t been able to find any conjecture in the report (he hasn’t seen the whole report yet anyway) but the idea apparently is that it will be added on to ferry fares. The ‘Pie understands Sealink has already been involved in talks, and the seperate car ferry company will also have to be on board.  Sounds simple? Well, collecting the dough … $2 has been mentioned … itself will involve minimal cost, because there will have to be ID checks if you’re a Townsvillian just on a days outing. Then the tax is tabulated, passed back to the council and … wait for it … be handed out to Magnetic Island groups for various ‘environmental, net zero’ purposes!! That means an overview nightmare, typical of TCC bureaucracy and higher, all of whom keep claiming to be cutting down on red tape. And as one informed contact pointed out, the $2 figure could rise if they also include a Tourism Tax  for Infrastructure/Marketing mentioned in the MI Tourist Master Plan. And guess who is involved in that masterplan? Yup Townsville Enterprise, the good old Dudley Do  Nothings.

Currently,  the island sends 1677 tonnes of mixed waste by barge annually to mainland landfill, and the consultants estimate by implementing all sorts of household, business and public reforms,  waste can be reduced by 527 tonnes – equivalent to ’17 barge trips’ – and assist climate action.  But that still leaves over 1100 tonnes to be barged back to the Big Island, with that cost met by the TCC i.e the ratepayers.  The Nest’s correspondent on the island makes a very valid point when asking if it would not be more sensible if this money is to be collected (at $2, it is estimated at $800,000 yearly) was used to fund the barge operation.

And thus lift the burden of an island operation off the entire ratepayer base.

Early days yet, and this scheme is to be further fleshed out publicly, so there are two more questions – while sections of the report have been released in an up-beat favourable way for to Maggie island groups, when will the main report be released to the public?

And there’s one where you Nest readers can help – email mayoral candidates and ask them if they support a visitor tax on travellers to Magnetic Island? Or candidates,  you just get back to The Nest at email hidden; JavaScript is required

The Magpie’s view is that such a levy is not in itself an unreasonable idea, but experience will show that its implementation will pose challenges that may well not make it worthwhile, with much of it frittered away on public servants tasked with overview. and internal ructions within the various island groups.

Until the situation  gets too unwirldy and demands an overhaul … and consultants are called into again.

One Bright Moment In The Mayoral Murk

Ploughing through the deja vu dross of the mayoral campaign this week,  the Magpie was somewhat jolted when he read some words that David Kippin had said.  The old bird almost didn’t read on, because he is continually annoyed with the dreary back-foot tactic of all candidates attacking others in the field, more often than not ignoring issues and going full frontal ad hominem.  But here is a quote that ALL candidates should take to heart.

That last line is what every single Townsville voter has top of mind. It also a signal a return of some dignity, both to the office and the city generally.

Noble sentiments,  but the question remains whether The Kipper can overcome both his poor business track record and his emerging bombast where his confidence is spilling over into boasting – with a hint of bullying.  And remember, being a successful bank manager who by virtue of his position is unquestionably in the driver’s seat,  is the business  equivalent of painting by numbers. Not a position that readily promotes leadership through loyalty and respect.

But let’s have a look at a few other folks tilting for the possum fur.

Joanne Keune, dressed by Steve Price.

It’s kinda mesmerising watching someone seeming to deliberately sabotage their own election campaign, but right now, The ‘Pie’s attention is firmly on Joanne Keune and what she will do next to alienate voters.  Joanne is well intentioned,  and passionately believes in progressive causes, absolutely no doubt about that, but in politics at any level,  being so and saying so  are two vastly different things.  The ‘Pie is surprised at the way she has gone full frontal on certain subjects, some of which have no place in this campaign.  Conviction in causes is all very well but that’s a luxury only available to those who first gain office. And unfortunately, many of her stances on certain matters are clearly opposed by some or all councillors … particularly kiddy crime where silence would’ve been her best option since there is bugger all the council can do in that arena.  And attacking the postal vote process  was also questionable tactics, although she has apparently uncovered some unsettling information from ECQ. The ‘Pie is trying to follow that up.

Her woke notion that bats rights trump human rights probably killed off any hope she had,  it demonstrated a tin ear towards the average denizen especially since those critters are often a health hazard. Doubly strange position to take, since she has been in constant contact the election savvy Jenny Hill, who has also been busy behind the scenes with Greaney. Shame really for such a live wire candidate,  despite some rabid comments here, many were saying good things about her personally to The ‘Pie.

Jo, maybe you should start thinking about a medium term campaign, there’s only two years to go before we do it all over again, take the time to put together a far more coherent and better funded campaign, it seems you came to this one far too late.  Shame, you’ve put in a helluva lot of sweat into it.

Nick Dametto .. “slicker than a trollop’s slot’.

As reported in The Nest yesterday morning.

News flash: FORMER PARTNER IN TOP TOWNSVILLE RESTAURANT DIES.Graham Richardson, at one time co-owner of The Watermark has died in Sydney, aged 76. Along with his high profile in the dining industry, Richardson was also a former Senator, a notorious tax evader,  and a prominent commentator on political affairs in the media. He always found time for family, friends and intimates when he visited Townsville, like deeply respected local businessman Rabieh Krayem and then iditor of The Daily Astonisher, Ben English. He was famous for his saying ‘Whatever it takes’, but always denied that it was a reference to the cost of a meal at The Watermark. And here’s a fun fact. Richo son is named Mathew, which makes him Matt Richardson. But still your beating hearts, it is not the billowing spinnaker we see striding the council halls. No relation.

Can’t Be Too Careful – Those Damn Kiddy Crims Will Pinch Anything

It seems this is the latest policy of the DTMR, with their on again-off again clowning around with repairs to the Mt Spec Range Road to Paluma (damaged in last January’s dampness.) The sequence of false alarm closures of the permit holder-only road centres on the blasting of a particularly large boulder left in a dangerous spot. Twice Paluma residents have been told of four day complete closures to accommodate the blasting, only for both occasions to be called off at the last minute.

As of last Friday, , the Range road was closed off for the weekend, which led to an exodus of Paluma residents who didn’t want to be trapped there in case the TMR plans met with some disaster which closed the road for weeks … meaning no access to doctors, dentists , or food supplies. There is no word yet if the blasting crew remembered the dynamite and matches this time around, unlike the two previous cancellations.

But get this …  there is a report that The ROCK is being guarded for some mysterious reason by a single guard overnight. In normal circumstances, we’d all fall about with a good laugh and a round of ‘yeah, right’s., but, hey we’re dealing with the DTMR circus here. And its supposed to be true.

The very thought is interesting enough of a black clad no-neck with holstered gun keeping vigilant look-out on a CLOSED road at night so no one – and I mean NO ONE, buddy, right! – is going to interfere with our rock. But why?  If they thought someone was going to steal, or tamper with the damn thing,  why guard it, let the buggers do whatever. Maybe the brains trust at the DMR office was suddenly seized with the idea that Macca, Wozza and Jacko planned to sneak down and do their darnedest to  the rock themselves with some left-over gelly from the boys last fishing trip to the dam.

Months ago TMR were asked why not give the  the Laws of Nature & Gravity a nudge to enable the ROCK to join other fallen rocks in the creek bed below by simply heaving it over the side of the road.

Apparently , according to TMR, this very cheap and prompt solution is NOT permitted as “ there might be endangered species below”
eg Scrub Ticks (and cane toads ,which have eaten out most of the native creatures eggs and young,)

One sincerely hopes that the noise& big vibrations from excavators, concrete trucks, heavy machinery , powerful  rock drills and , eventually , the sound of exploding& splitting sacred  ROCK will not cause these ,as yet unidentified ,creatures to suffer hearing loss!

If so, TMR might have to attend the WET TROPICS Headmaster’s office for a dammed good thrashing!!!

This Is More A Matter Of Jail Fail

The ‘Pie intended to leave the Hinchinbrook hootenanny to its own devices until we get the mayoral crap out of the way, but it was suddenly clear that LNP candidate Wayde Chiesa was in sore need of The Magpie’s advice. And who would the old bird not to help when a dumbo is in need of a helpful word.

Wayde, buddy, old mate, you say ‘if you breach bail, you should go to jail – no ifs, no buts, no maybe’.

Hmmm,  but maybe a small  ‘if‘ question  should be asked … what if there is no place for them to be slotted, since successive governments haven’t dared to risk the bad look of being the ones to build more jails. Because their laws proved inadequate. A lot of these offenders are out on bail in the first place because there is nowhere for them to be locked up in any acceptable manner.  No use saying cram ‘em in 20 to a cell,  reality suggests this is completely unacceptable in any sort of society,  not to mention an electoral death knell.  Crime victims saying they couldn’t care less how many are in a cell,  just lock them away, is understandable on an emotional level, but our elected members are supposed to think a little more deeply. So mate, you’d better change your tune swiftly and advise your boss that the real issue is more jails, and that’s what yer gunna campaign on, by gum, oh, my word.

Seems Dametto isn’t the only meathead spawned up Hinchinbrook way.

The mantra ‘adult crime gets adult time,’ is fair enough in itself,  but is one of the most shortsighted policies possible, if you can’t carry it through.  The old rule is never pass laws you can’t enforce. Sometimes, it is the right time to do the politically unpalatable, and this is definitely the time when the public mood is more than ever receptive to allocating funds for more jail beds.

Early book … Molachino looks pretty set, but with the quality of these candidates, who knows.

Seems The Poms Have A Similar Problem

The renowned Matt in the London Telegraph has it covered.

Speaking Of Someone Who Deserve Jail Time

Andrew Mountbatten is now – as one newspaper headline had it – the banned old Duke of York, but it seems he has secured his place in the twisted history of the royal spawn.

Amerika

Just One SNAP Of The Trump Fingers …

… and presto, today, 42 million Americans are going without food and daily essentials courtesy of the Orange Abomination’s (the OA) grave new world.  And that world is looking more ‘third’ than ‘first’. The loopy US statutes  – akin to our blocking of supply – have shut down all US government monetary supply, with the country being thrown into chaos as air traffic controllers for no pay so moonlight on other tiring jobs just to eat,  tens of thousands of government workers are locked out and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has come to a sickening halt. And the root cause is that Trump didn’t get his way with plans to legislate for further breaks for his billionaire pals.  But the dire situation at the lower ends of society – many there because of Trump’s fascist policies – didn’t stop this unspeakable sleaze from throwing a lavish Halloween party at Mar-a-Lago. This was just the start of a bumper week for America’s cartoonists, which also included the stunning Democratic election victories in crucial state polls for top government posts, including the game-changing New York mayoral victory of Zohran Mamdani,. Then there was also the death of one of America’s greatest war criminals, former VP Dick Cheney, who thought up his Weapons of Mass Destruction as a weapon of mass distraction for his boss, George Bush. Only cost a million lives, ho hum.

But there was one absolute standout toon this week, a perfect illustration of a hard truth that the bombastic Mobster president  hasn’t learnt – yet.

And so it goes.

…………….

While next Saturday is the latest to post in your vote, don’t be expecting any definitive outcome too quickly. If the ECQ does grace us with any progress counts, the field is so big and preferential voting optional,  it could take a while. And if it’s a close run affair (doubt it, but …) votes will be received up to November 25th. So we can bitch away to our hearts content fo another week or two, so keep diving into comments.  The link to make a donation to help keep the Nest in financial shape is below.