Saturday, November 28, 2020

Less than pawns in the governments game....

 Recently I received and email with this blazoned in the text:

[quote]

Despite koalas facing extinction, OVER THE PAST 2 WEEKS ENVIRONMENT MINISTER SUSSAN LEY HAS SIGNED OFF ON PROJECTS THAT WILL SEE MORE THAN 150 HECTARES OF PRECIOUS KOALA HABITAT DESTROYED.

[end quote]

What does one expect from this minister? She is ***not*** protecting the environment or any wildlife. Her role, and the reason Morrison put her into that portfolio, is to attempt to make it easier for business and developers to bypass the legislation that is supposed to protect the Australian heritage of environment and wildlife.

This is the ongoing process and purpose of the environment departments of state and federal government.

Attempting to save individual ecosystems, habitat and wildlife by letter writing and protest to the minister is not working. Because everyone who cares about environmental conservation is working on different projects and splitting their effectiveness, allowing ministers and public servants to continue being the method by which to destroy all that is important, irreplaceable and therefore of most value in Australia.

The protest must be against those that allow these things to happen; give their permission for destruction. The concentration of protest must be from all quarters, regardless of the peculiar, unique interest in one species exclusively. The platypus, the koala, the kangaroo and others, if concentrated on singularly, will divide and dilute the protest. If we do not all work together for the one purpose, stopping the minister from willy nilly allowing various projects to proceed with projects that damage some element of the environment. Then that minister has truly achieved their purpose, having divided and conquered the hoopleheads who are in disarray, so they can get on with their destruction.

Sunday, October 18, 2020

Opportunism or Something else................

 The lockdown has eased in Victoria, and the numbers of infected people has already risen back to four from one and before that 2 infections. There will be many more now. Will there be a third lockdown, if that madman Daniel Andrews attempts to keep everyone alive, hale and hearty. That is his excuse for all this disruption. However, it is also to benefit him, in that, he can hide all manner of expense for the rail programs he has put in place, and also keep people away from the areas where the rail, tunnelling work is being carried out.

Daniel Andrews is an opportunist, who is trying to get as much done as possible while people stay away and find it difficult or impossible to physically scrutinise what he is doing. He and his ministers are rubbing their hands together, because they can do whatever they want and without the usual examination that would otherwise be conducted to ensure he doesn't take shortcuts or overspends.

Is this recognised by anyone? Probably not, because people are being distracted by the coronavirus pandemic. Do the people of Victoria understand they are being held in thrall, by what appears to be for their good. They are, but there are wheels within wheels. Do they realise that Michael O'Brien, the opposition leader is hamstrung, but also too weak and without the charisma to have people vote for him?

Admittedly, you would have to be crazy to vote for the Liberals at this point. There are other political parties that present better choices. The greens certainly. The smaller parties should be thrown into the political mix of government of Victoria, Not only so the decision making is more environmentally friendly, but also to slow things down and make the decisions more widely accepted, or if the government presents legislation proposal that are suspect, are suitably amended. We need greater public diversity.

Saturday, June 13, 2020

The law is the only recourse when government doesn't listen to the people

The Federal Court ruling that environmental laws were breached by the Victorian government owned timber company VicForests, logging, and thus destroying sections of the Central Highlands inhabited by the critically endangered Leadbeater's possum. Thus curtailing at least one of iniquitous practices and non compliance of the the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 [EPBC] by the Andrews government, is a great result. Demonstrating that cowboy industries, even if backed by government ownership; are not beyond the reach, or above the law.

This ruling brought about by the legal services of the Environmental Justice Australia work, instigated by the friends of Leadbeater's Possum and the Wilderness Society in Victoria, is so important; that it will be something to celebrate by all thinking people for decades, possibly centuries to come.

VicForests have criminally logged so much forest that they didn't have permission to or even look at over the years. Yet it seemed that state government arm thought they could log anywhere with impunity. That they often overreached their governmental permissions to engage in these iniquitous activity have often been cited, and required they be taken to task.

This from Katy Gallagher on Thursday, 11 June 2020:

[quote]

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Hansard source

Labor won't be supporting this motion. We believe issuing a running commentary—and we acknowledge the Greens have drafted this motion in a way that forces that—on court decisions is not how you protect the environment or ensure certainty in regional employment. It's reckless for the Greens to claim that the decision sets an important legal precedent. Labor support the social, economic and environmental benefits that flow from sustainable management of our native forests and support regional forest agreements. We are committed to ecologically sustainable development within the forestry industry. Furthermore, the EPBC Act is under review, and we shouldn't pre-empt it. Labor support the protection of threatened species, and we know this government isn't doing enough. The motion does nothing to address the key challenges we as a nation need to confront on climate action, protecting our environment and threatened species. For that we need real change, not motions which seek to wedge the Labor Party, which is what the Greens excel at.

[end quote]

Is this to be read that curbing logging of habitat of threatened species will not benefit the environment?

It also appears to ignore that the law is the only way that people, the voters can get the governments attention and actually have them do as the voters want, and to stop government from riding roughshod over the will of the people.

Regional forest agreements are the worst kind of legalised vandalism to our flora and fauna that the government can devise. The current review of the EPBC is actually trying to dilute and reduce or eliminate the checks and balances that protect our flora, fauna and landscape. It only requires reading of the guidelines to see this is why it was instigated in the first place.

VicForest structure should be dismantled, and a new entity created that is more aware of wildlife and flora ensuring these are not just an afterthought; but front and centre of management. We are no longer new in a country and know now it is only ours by right, or ours alone. We must acknowledge and make allowance for many different species that also share this land with us and whom the first nation people respected and cherished and allowed to thrive, in many different ways.

This court decision is so right at every level, and so long has it been required, that one wonders why it took so much time to come about?

There can be no complacency now. Every Australian states wildlife carers, conservationists and environmentalists must now strike while the iron is hot, taking advantage of the population of Australia's knowledge of what is happening in our forests, to our wildlife and landscapes since the fires. Making certain the laissez fair attitude of the extractive industries make the changes that that will ensure our forests, landscapes, wildlife and well being are preserved for many generations to come.

Wednesday, June 10, 2020

A great Joy and a new beginning

The slap on the wrist to, and curtailing of iniquitous practices and non compliance of the Andrews government through the actions of VicForests; is a great result. Demonstrating that cowboy industries, even if backed by government ownership; are not beyond the reach or or above the law.

This ruling brought about by the legal services of the Environmental Justice Australia work, instigated by the friends of Leadbeater's Possum and the Wilderness Society in Victoria, is so important; that it will be something to celebrate by all thinking people for decades, possibly centuries to come.

VicForests have criminally logged so much forest that they didn't have permission to or even look at. Yet it seemed that state government arm thought they could log anywhere with impunity. That they often overreached their governmental permissions to engage in these iniquitous activity have often been cited, and required they be taken to task,

Ideally the whole VicForest structure should be dismantled and a new entity created that is more aware of wildlife and flora and that it should not be just an afterthought; but front and centre of management. We are no longer new in a country that is ours by right, or alone. We must acknowledge and make allowance for many different species that also share this land with us and whom the first nation people respected and cherished and allowed to thrive, in many different ways.

This decision is so right at every level, and so long has it been required, that one wonders why it took so much time to come about?

There can be no complacency now. Every Australian states wildlife carers, conservationists and environmentalists must now strike while the iron is hot, taking advantage of the population of Australia's knowledge of what is happening in our forests, to our wildlife and our landscapes. Making certain the laissez fair attitude of the extractive industries make the changes that that will ensure our forests, landscapes, wildlife and well being are preserved for many generations hence.

Friday, April 24, 2020

Attack on the natural native beauty of Australia....

Melissa Price was the most hopeless federal minister for the environment in Australia. Taking the baton of that position from Josh Frydenberg, who was the most intentionally destructive politician of native Australian wildlife and flora.

Then Sussan Ley was made the minister of environment. She is an environmental vandal in the mould of Frydenberg. She is against all native wildlife and flora as he was, and is attempting to allow every industry that sees wildlife as an impediment to their plans and destruction of the natural balance to further their wealth, to get a free pass to achieve their aims.

Since the Liberal party has been in power in federal politics, Abbot; Turnbull and Morrison, we have seen the natural beauty and attributes of Australia being destroyed. Sacrificed to the greedy god of mammon. It is difficult to see how we can recover from this constant pressure and attack on our native treasures, animal and plant.

The Victorian government still sanctioning the barbaric practice of allowing the shooting of all water birds, even though only some of these can be legally shot. Logging of forests that have survived the fires of 2019/20. There seems to be a state and government instigated effort to drive us down and embed the people of this country, in the horror reputation of being the most bloodthirsty, destructive country in the world.

Thursday, April 23, 2020

Rubbish spoken, but why?

When a tyro politician who has no idea what he is talking about, makes statements which are both incorrect and obviously attempting to instil hatred, especially against a native Australian species of wildlife. We all have become worried. Statements that are contrary to what has been proven again and again to be wrong, obviously have a hidden agenda and by trying to fool the Australian public show a very low integrity of any individual who utters them in private, and something worse when they are spoken in public.

Referring to this: https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/expert-bats-away-call-for-ridiculous-cull-of-yarra-bend-flying-foxes-20200421-p54lvb.html

The enormous value in every action, in every possible way that the Grey Headed Flying foxes perform for Australia, surely can not be in doubt. Nor can the bad press about them “spreading” disease be raised again, proven again and again to be spurious and mendacious, for any reason other than hate. It becomes obvious that anyone who would voice this is trying to make mischief, or has too little to do as a representative for the people in his electorate.

It beggars belief that this sort of thing is not censured more strongly.

Friday, February 21, 2020

The fire 2019 to 2020

An event like the recent fires, demonstrates just how inadequate and slowly reactive the federal and state governments are, though in a Royal Commission they would not like this to come out, so they don't want any blame laid out.

Yet to become better prepared and to make improvements, it must be shown how things was badly done in the recent fires, otherwise there is no relevance, no reference why something suggested, should be implemented in the future. Or not?

Below are questions for the asking, and though there is no trust that the government either state or federal will answer truthfully. These questions, though not exhaustive will give some idea to those agencies, that the public know what is going on. Some of the answers will be known, some be discovered with a reasonable guess. Some find answers, if we just look at the Victorian governments policies and actions. However, it would be nice to get an honest answer.

• Does any tier of government believe that the people of Victoria should be satisfied, because being pleased is impossible, that they were prepared for any fires, much less horrific fires like the ones that caused so much trauma to, and placed so many people on, almost a war footing?

• Do the people of Victoria believe they have placed the right people into government, if they are not happy with how the various tiers of government have performed in this fire event, and now the following floods that have, much as the fires closed so many roads?

• Are there still people who believe that Climate Change is not responsible for these events?

• Why does the government need another Royal Commission into these fires, and stipulate there should be no blame?

• Has the government read submissions and recommendations made by previous Royal Commissions into previous fire events to see if any of these were either taken notice of or acted upon?

Wildlife [mis] management and DELWP questions


• Is the DELWP responsible for wildlife management, and if so, what kind of management?

• Did the DELWP send teams into the fire grounds with a dart marksman, so that native animals could be accessed at close range, and if so why?

• Did the DELWP send teams into the fire ground without at least one experienced wildlife carer/shelter operator who handle wildlife in all manner of conditions and circumstances all the time, if so why?

• Did the DELWP sent shooters into the fire ground, to destroy native animals on the inspection through binoculars, and were these animals checked for pouch young?

• Why did the DELWP not hand over wildlife orphans from the shot or burnt mothers to wildlife carers and/or shelters?

• Were there no orphans or slightly injured native animals found that could be rehabilitated?

• Were all native animals euthanized, killed, if they were burnt even in the smallest amount, and could have been rescued?

• Did the DELWP shooters have any wildlife caring experience or knowledge of wildlife of any kind?

• Did the shooters just shoot wombats summarily and not realise they may have had babies in the burrow?

• Is that why emaciated baby wombats round the 6 to 10 kilogram weight, were found roaming the fire ground, looking for their mothers who had left them in their burrows to find feed, were summarily shot and therefoe didn't get back to feed their babies?

• Is this and other iniquitous activity conducted by DELWP personnel by instruction from the Victorian Minister for the environment or the Victorian Premier?

• Is one of these reasons why the Victorian Minister was never available to be interviewed by one of the media outlets?

• Did the DELWP officers confiscate water point infrastracture from a burnt forest area in Corryong?

• Did the DELWP officers install a gate at a burnt forest at Corryong to prevent a wildlife carer from continuing to put out food and water for native animals until their was food growing again?

• Was this under the instruction of the Minister?

• Why were authorised wildlife carers/shelter operators sidelined, not allowed onto the fire ground when others less qualified, and tradesmen were permitted access those areas?

• Does the DELWP and the Minister not realise that all Australians and people in other countries, world wide, care for about our wildlife?