The Great Barrier Reef

[Whistler]

A few Forum members have made a lot of misleading claims about the health of the reef, complete with bogus URL's and misstatements about the content of some legitimate URL's.

This was in today's Sydney Morning Herald giving a balanced view on the variability of the reef's health, but pointing out the dangers to the reef from climate change. Hopefully, this and other genuine articles on the subject will put an end to the misinformation from climate change deniers.

https://www.smh.com.au/environment/sust ... 5bcyb.html

[noosard]

Nice for some
nearly half a billion in funding

[Whistler]

Nice for some
nearly half a billion in funding

The total spend was spread over many programs including land protection, wildlife and other ecological programs both ocean and land based.

Source: me. The foundation was one of my customers and had bought financial software from the company I was working for to manage the various programs

[Sport]

Nice for some
nearly half a billion in funding

Yep, just gotta mention the GBR & Climate change in the same sentence and you have all this taxpayers money thrown at you. Wouldnt it be nice to live on a near deserted island like Lizard for 30yrs, rent free, no power bills, plenty of free food, boats and sundries supplied and measure a few coral now and then. Then someone mentions, "we dont believe CC is that bad after all".

All hell breaks loose, Drs, Scientists, pollies and probably greenies all scramble to come up with some false or misleading data to show the worse. They are doing this to keep their jobs on the island and keeping the doors open for their mates to come along and have a few swims in the ocean and all at taxpayers expense. Whistles comes along to this forum, jumping up and down, listen to me you heathens he says in an angry tone with a red face,' if you dont follow my draconian advice you will go to hell'.

Gotta laugh at some things me ole mate Whistles comes up with. Keep going boy keep going with your preaching about CC.

[Whistler]

G'day Sport. Relax, Australia is in good hands now.

[noosard]

G'day Sport. Relax, Australia is in good hands now.

Now that is funny

[Whistler]

Yep noos, I said at the time of the election Albo was the real thing. Now a bit over 4 months later his popularity is soaring and he has not put a foot wrong.

Still fairly early in his tenure, but hard to admit anything other than a productive four months

[noosard]

And climate change has been fixed, a totally carbon free society
Albo real is good

[Whistler]

And climate change has been fixed, a totally carbon free society
Albo real is good

Gobsmacked the anybody could make a super dumb post like this. Inaction for decades, but if Albo doesn't wave a magic wand and complete a long term remedy in 4 months, he is to be ridiculed.

Albo has started a process. To paraphrase the Chinese saying 'a journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step.

[tamada]

And climate change has been fixed, a totally carbon free society
Albo real is good

Two of the three projects I'm involved with in Australia have been hit with recent court action. One already in progress is totally buggered as they reckon my client didn't properly consult with the spirits of the 40 million year old Sea Country so their environmental permit has been pulled. The second one, different client, has been on "about ten days delay" for over three weeks now. The third one, a different client again, is in limbo while everyone watches what happens with the first two.

I think like most political parties, they promise the earth and moon on the pre-election hustings but regardless of who wins, some things get kicked into the long grass once they're in power.

[Whistler]

Tam, what courts are hearing these cases, state or federal?

[noosard]

Yep noos, I said at the time of the election Albo was the real thing. Now a bit over 4 months later his popularity is soaring and he has not put a foot wrong.

Still fairly early in his tenure, but hard to admit anything other than a productive four months

Cant put a foot wrong if ya in bed
Seems the whole gov been asleep the last month or so as there is no news at all

[Whistler]

Yep noos, I said at the time of the election Albo was the real thing. Now a bit over 4 months later his popularity is soaring and he has not put a foot wrong.

Still fairly early in his tenure, but hard to admit anything other than a productive four months

Cant put a foot wrong if ya in bed
Seems the whole gov been asleep the last month or so as there is no news at all

Have you heard about the

federal integrity legislation.
The climate bill
The job summit
The aged care reform.package
The domestic violence reforms
The abolition of the cashless debit card
The budget due next Tuesday

Etc. This has been one of the busiest first session of parliament ever

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-n ... government

[jackspratt]

While the government legislates, noosard sleeps.

Wake up, and smell the new flavoured coffee, noos.

[tamada]

Tam, what courts are hearing these cases, state or federal?

1. Federal Court ruling against Santos in early September. Actually, they ruled that NOPSEMA, the government organ that approves offshore EP's didn't talk to the ancients.

https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodi ... 022-09-21/

2. The Supreme Court rejected a second challenge to Woodside from the Conservation Council of WA last February.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-01/ ... /100716924

However, Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) presented a new legal challenge in the Federal Court of Australia on behalf of the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) last June. This latest challenge specifically claims that development on the NWshelf will bleach the GBR.

https://gasoutlook.com/analysis/woodsid ... arborough/

3. So far, no legal challenges to the third project that I know of but the EP application was relatively recent. Since it's nearer shore, it does need to consider some pre-existing environmental restrictions and zoning (we always do). However, with NOPSEMA also getting their knuckles rapped for the Santos EP (above), chances are that one won't see daylight this year.

[Whistler]

Looks like a few of these are very suss. Will look at these tomorrow so I can understand more. I will point out that the legislation these challenges are mounting was under legislation that pre-dated the current government.

Some look ridiculous Tam based on your summaries.

[Whistler]

Case 1. Appears as if standard procedures were not followed by Santos and approval authorities. So they lost.

Case 2. The court dismissed claims and any right to appeal, project goes ahead.

Case 3. Does not seem to be any issues.

All cases initiated under coalition government who had been in power since 2013, 9 years! Hardly a fault of inaction by Labor government elected May 21, 2022.

My personal view is their should be a high bar set for challenges to development projects. Further, the dysfunction Federal/State responsibilities is nuts, like the USA, state rights in 2022 is a total crock. Abolish the states and set up a county system like the UK, Australia does not need three tiers of government and projects such as these are an example. Approval must be granted at both a state and federal level, too complex.

[tamada]

Case 1: You may have to dig around for more detail but I'm not sure if an ouija board is among the tools available to NOPSEMA. I agree with your high bar for challenges.

Case 2: Technically, the project is not going ahead, it's stalled just like Santos volunteered to do while their court challenge was being heard. The team that I will be supervising later this month have been on standby for 5 weeks, waiting for the approval of an EP submitted over 18 months ago and already revised and resubmitted once. We are doing the first phase of the whole, 4-year enchilada. If our bit doesn't get done first, the rest can proceed but it won't be as efficient as they claim.

Case 3: Probably won't be any action until the Case 1 appeal plays out and how many more court challenges Case 2 has to fight.

[noosard]

So you are against native title and rights

[tamada]

So you are against native title and rights

No, not at all. They were here long before the paleface coasted in on a boat. More recently, they get a fair suck of the saveloy on the proceeds and profits and quite rightfully so. Up to them how it is spent too.

But I am struggling with the relevance of mythical stuff that's firmly couched in unverifiable history and fairy tales. My sister bought me the Times Atlas of the World for my coffee table and I haven't found this fabled, development-stopping 'Sea Country' yet.

The ancient animists didn't have to worry about the cost of diesel for their utes either.