It was reported today in the Crimes (what we call the Canberra Times) that the ACT Head of the Planning Directorate will not be renewing her contract due to end this April.
Continue reading Alternative Facts and the ACT Planning Chief
News to hand that the ACT Head of the Planning Directorate will not be renewing her contract due to end this April.
If ever there was a time for Australia to have a leader who speaks for Australia – the time is now. Continue reading Turnbulled
click on the image for the story on The Dirt.
OMG – is this really 2017 – or 1984. Click on image for the story
click on the image for the wise words about dealing with Trump
Click on the image for the Guardian article
click on the image for the story behind these ‘we the people’ posters
click on banner for the Guardian article by George Monbiot Continue reading Climate Change, Trump and language
click on the image for the article
At the meeting in August 2016 on the government’s proposals to redevelop the West Basin of Lake Burley Griffin, the main line taken by the government was that their proposals were based on the Griffin Legacy.
Australia continues to be Turnbulled – and is being led by dud politicians.
click on the image for the story
They have tried before and have failed–but this time they have got their way.
click on the image for the story
The Place in Sydney for all manner of gifts and good buys – recommended.
This is the question (what is going on?) residents around Braddon had hoped to be answered when they attended a developer initiated information session on Thursday evening 8th December.
Continue reading More on the Braddon bowling club development
A very good piece by Jack Waterford about Canberra. Click on the image
Here’s a worrying view on Trump and the efforts to deal with climate change.
Julianne Schultz, Griffith University (This has been reprinted from The Conversation)
Click on the image for a piece about a load of garbage- or what Turnbull is now saying.
Click on the image for an article from Independent Australia.
There’s so much wrong with the democracy experiment at the moment. But is good that a few journalists are seeing the issues that must be dealt with.
There’s one thing about the way the ACT Government goes about planning for Canberra–it will always use any tricky method to justify how it assists the developers.
An article about how this country has been there on the climate before Trump with both Abbott and now Turnbull. Click here.
Clive Hamilton, Charles Sturt University (republished from The Conversation)
( a note from Paul Costigan – Before you read the Clive Hamilton article below from The Conversation– – have a look at the photograph above. It is scary!)
Neoliberalism: the deep story that lies beneath Donald Trump’s triumph–click on image
Kristina Keneally gets it right on her take on this disaster.
We were driving along Limestone Ave when the Ainslie church sign came into view. It is regularly changed and sometimes takes a minute or two to comprehend.
The Curious Story of Malcolm Turnbull, the Incredible Shrinking Man in the Top HatI wrote briefly about this earlier – and as I said before – it’s a book for anyone puzzled by the current loser who is Prime Minister.
click here for more on the book and here’s an article by the author about his dilemma–click here.”
It took about three hours of argument on Friday 28th October for a decision by the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal (ACAT) on whether certain government planning documents should be released to those making objections to the Government’s agreement to the revised Development Application (DA) for the Dickson supermarket.
Continue reading Lawyers, files and money–and those responsible for this mess
All this and more is happening with the blessing of the Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull. The country is being Turnbulled again – or is that ‘still’. There are two good articles that address the issue of this officially sanctioned bullying. This is an international disgrace. Here’s the first – click here; and the second – click here.
click on image for the story in The Guardian
Sadly our political system has been corrupted. As much as we wish we lived in a democratic country–sadly it is not so.
click on the image for a good report on Jon Stanhope’s message to his Labor colleagues. Note the link in the story to the full speech – it is worth reading.
The Curious Story of Malcolm Turnbull, the Incredible Shrinking Man in the Top HatHere’s a book for anyone puzzled by the current loser who is Prime Minister. I am still reading it… click here or on the image. and here’s an article by the author about his dilemma–click here. Review to follow…..
a sad story about how Turnbull and his Murdoch allies are doing their best to Turnbull (stuff up) the country’s advances with renewables. Click on the image above.
A collaboration between the writer George Monbiot and musician Ewan McLennan seeking to use music and word to open up the issue of loneliness and bring people together.
Just when things were getting stupid in most sectors of Australian politics, up pops another idiot. These people vote!
America is exceptional! Because god says so. America has the right to deal with matters anywhere in the world as it wishes – because America is exceptional.
click on image for the piece from The Guardian.
She nailed it. How do we vote for Michelle Obama?
The revelation by the Canberra Times of a land swap between the Land Development Agency and the CFMEU-linked Dickson Tradies Club opens the way for more dodgy deals that will harm the community.
Canberra Community Voters Candidate Mike Hettinger noted, “The land swap itself isn’t necessarily the problem. It’s what it enables the LDA and the Tradies to do in the future that should really concern us.”
How far the USA has travelled – down.
With the debate in Canberra about housing affordability, the ACT Liberals have been using a particular line in their election statements to criticise the current government’s Land Development Agency (LDA) and its handling of land prices.
Image linked from a site by Amy Dickinson – click here
Have a look at the photograph above – taken from the Canberra Times.
There were moments during the ‘meet the candidates’ forum in Lyneham a fortnight ago when it seemed that something was not right with the Chief Minister, Andrew Barr.
Continue reading The Auditor-General, the Chief Minister and pesky chooks
click on image for the piece by Anne Summers
click on the image above for the article from Aeon Magazine
A report that signals the ever increasing problems Australians have with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s (the ABC) inaccurate reporting on issues.
A few comments following our previous post on how the Chief Minister is going into the ACT Elections (15 Oct) with the past catching up to him.
Continue reading ACT Government transparency and accountability 2
An Auditor-General’s report has been released on some questions on the operations of the ACT Government’s Land Development Agency (LDA).
Continue reading ACT Government transparency and accountability
This essay by Don Watson, is totally recommended. If you are wondering what is going on with the USA and what is happening to democracy, then read this. It is not necessarily about Trump, but more about Don Watson’s observations of the American people and how they have ended up in this place – it is logical. This is in fact where the USA is today.
Good to see people at last calling out Trump on his habitual lies. click here.
On Tuesday night there was another debate between the Kurrajong candidates and the electorate – this time staged by the Inner South Canberra Community Council.
Continue reading Inner south residents and Kurrajong candidates
National Trust of Australia (ACT) hosted a public Heritage Election Forum at St John’s church hall in Reid last Thursday night 22 September.
The ACT Election is happening right now. Every forum or debate eventually gets hijacked by the Liberals in the campaign to oppose the tram. Continue reading Trams for Canberra
click on banner for the piece on The Guardian
I share with many others the dilemma of how to vote in the coming ACT elections.
Continue reading My vote before & after the candidates meeting
Scientists: Earth Endangered by New Strain of Fact-Resistant Humans – click on image for story
It was indeed a sad story to see serious journalists and scientists trying to debate with the latest of the Australia’s right wing nut jobs on TV.
It should be known well by now that there is no use in using the usual polite and logical approaches with such people. It just feeds into their well practised weird ways of arguing or debating.
Canberra is usually referred to as being a designed and/or planned city. Continue reading Government Architect – what’s that?
One would like to think that it would be reasonably easy to work out what is happening with milk pricing in Australia.
click on the image for some more wise words from Kristina
From The Guardian UK – a piece about ageism – and how it effects women – and men. click here
Click on the image to read about the worst of Boris
Following weeks (or was that months) of questions over land dealings and major developments, and now audits being announced into departmental processes, the Chief Minister has gone on the front foot and announced an idea to change his government’s methods of consulting on ‘Urban Redevelopment’.
Here’s three articles that demonstrate just how bad the present federal government is when it comes to having a safety net – looking after the country’s disadvantaged peoples.
Keeping a perspective on the movements of the far right in Australia.
click here for the story – by Michael Moore on Trump’s strategy
Another insightful piece from John Menadue – this time about: Privatisation is costing consumers and damaging economic reform. Click here.
The government cuts the funding and now complains! Click here for the reality check – fact check – on why it happened – and who is really to blame. Yep – we have been Turnbulled again!
There has been a recurring conversation of late around how to vote. It was very evident during the Federal elections and has continued here in Canberra as we head towards the 15th October elections for the next ACT Government.
Click on the image above
When about 250 citizens venture out on a cold night to hear about plans for the foreshores of West Basin one would expect that they would be taken seriously.
Following the disappointing actions by the ACT Government to approve what remains a very questionable development application for a major mixed use development on the flagship shopping centre site in Dickson, appeals are being jointly lodged by the landlord of the Woolworths supermarket plus key local community associations.
There’s been a load of positive mainstream press about the wonders of the ACT Government’s major project for the centre of Canberra, The City to Lake Project.
click on the image for the story from Michael West
click on banner for this post on The Arts Museum
I do not have a positive view of the planning regimes here in Canberra. Surprised?
Click on image for the story of the lack of public statues depicting women in the UK.
The question on the minds of residents within the inner north at the moment is how to deal with the latest shenanigans by the ACT Government around decisions for the Dickson Group Centre.
Continue reading ACT Government cancels Dickson consultations
When the ACT Government made its announcement that the DA for the supermarket complex in Dickson had been approved, it set off a curious chain of events.
Continue reading Is planning an issue for the ACT elections?
The Judgement of HistoryHere’s George Monbiot’s piece on the crimes committed by the ‘Coalition of the Willing’ and the UK Chilcot Report. click here
Sometimes the words of local politicians are a thing of wonder. Here’s a very curious story.
What does it take for the ACT Government to have vision for developments in and around my own suburb of Dickson? I’ll get back to the question.
George has offered a positive take on the Brexit vote. He has published his thoughts on seeing the opportunities despite the nastiness of those who championed the exit vote. Click here.
The evidence continues of just how bad this man has been as Prime Minister. Click here or on the image for this sad tale. and
