Mr Brumby

Andrew Chapman is calling for a Royal Commission into the Victorian (Wonthaggi) Desalination Plant. We publish here his comments and some early discussion. We also publish some correspondence with Tim Holding, the Minister for Water under the Brumby government. There seems to be wide support for a royal commission into the matter, which is perceived widely as corrupt. The matter of desalination plants is a huge one in Australia where such plants, not necessary when we had a population of 17m only a decade ago, have been introduced in nearly every state with the excuse that our growing population requires them. The public have not been adequately consulted on the population growth induced by ill-considered government policy nor on the introduction of these plants themselves. What is for sure is that almost no-one likes these plants and governments are bitterly resented for having forced them on Australians. (More about Wonthaggi Desal plant here.)

Michael Hocking of "Axe the Tax" writes "Brumby’s Labor Government is stealing our homes. If this tax doesn’t affect you yet, you need to ask 'What if they decide to do a similar thing to the homes in my area?'" The growth areas tax is to be imposed on land rezoned from rural to urban by a stroke of the government pen. Rates and charges for water and power as well as land will skyrocket with the rezoning, driving out any decent person attempting to preserve bushland or produce food or live out retirement on a fixed income. Hocking describes how farmers will not be able to afford to sell, because of the tax, but, when they die, their children will have to pay the tax - $95,000 per ha -. In a divorce settlement, the same thing will apply. What next? A tax on the head of each child?

Protectors of Public Lands Victoria Inc have called for the withdrawal of the Major Transport Projects Facilitation Bill 2009. President Brian Walters SC has called it “an affront to democracy as well as to good planning." He says that it will lead to damage to the environment and public assets. It suggests that its proponents are in league with developers instead of upholding the community’s interests.”

Proposed law will exempt the State Government from its own laws and concentrate decision making power into one or two Ministers. A draconian piece of legislation, the Major Transport Projects Facilitation Bill 2009, has been brought into the Parliament . Your help is necessary to have this bill stopped in the upper house. Only the Liberal-National Coalition, by voting with the Greens, can stop this bill in the upper house. Victoria is under almost constant assault from a despotic government, which is seeking more and more power beyond the control of the people. But all is not lost. It is possible to beat them by supporting opposition review in the upper house of the Victorian Parliament. We have done it before.

Threatened species day is 7th September 2009. It might just as well be Australia day because all our native animals are being squeezed out of their habitats. Perhaps the very most endangered is the little Leadbeater's Possum, living only within a tiny area of Victoria.
Decades of logging in native forests, the devastating impacts of the 2009 bushfires and the massive levels of Salvage Logging taking place post-fires are tipping our State Faunal Emblem over the edge towards extinction!
Please Act this Threatened Species Day … 7th September 2009 - more inside.

The Brumby government has, even before the results of the bushfire commission, jumped in and passed draconian legislation with less than one day's notice, which allows unprecedented clearing of bushlands and gardens, on the pretext that it will prevent fires. The removal of vegetation is the primary factor connected with warming of the earth and loss of rainfall. It not only releases huge amounts of carbon gases from the organisms in the soil as they die, but it removes shade, decreases humidity, dries out the earth and affects winds and rainfall, including rainfall inland. This law is ecologically insane and very very stupid. Victorians should be frightened by the ignorance of their government and they should also be suspicious of its motives, since it is virtually a commercial property development corporation in its own right, thus an advocate of moonscaping. Website - http://livingwiththebush.org/dp/

"I was on the front steps of Parliament House when yet another rally was conducted by Victorians who came to the Parliament to complain about the excesses of the Brumby government. The organisations involved in yesterday’s rally were the Coalition of Concerned Councillors, an organisation called Planning Backlash, and another organisation called Watershed Victoria. I was presented with about 3000 letters in relation to issues to do with the desalination plant." (Mr Ryan, Leader of The Nationals, Victoria). See also: Desalination Project Bass Coast - Public Disquiet and Environmental impact statements too late for the environment

Over 200 people gathered for a rousing, energetic pro -democracy rally on the steps of Parliament House in Spring St. Melbourne the first day of sitting for the Victorian parliament,Tuesday Feb 3rd. The rally was led by Victorian Water Forum (Plug The Pipeline, Water Shed Victoria and The Clean Ocean Foundation.)

Sounds good but ... The Victorian State of the Environment Report 2008 says that the future cannot be an extension of the past; Australia’s total material requirements more than twice other OECD countries'; Victoria's population growth major driver of environmental degradation. But, go to the end to see that this Report intends to reduce 'consumers' [what happened to 'citizens'?] rights, space and living standards "while also taking advantage of the huge business opportunities presented" by Victoria "Growing Together".

Brumby's parliament is a circus of Dorothy Dixers and false positives. He shows no remorse for the pain and loss his policies have inflicted on Victoria. Reading his words one is reminded of some little emperor in the last days of Rome.

In 1995, when John Brumby was in opposition, he made a very stirring speech at a forest rally in Melbourne. "... that's what we'll do when we're in government - no more export woodchipping, an industry in the future based on plantations and the proper protection of our high conservation value forests." Unfortunately, it was not true.