Marj's Musings 42 The Green Room 44 Fishing Report

Failing to plan is planning to fail.

Better Planning For Our Future

Words Dr Marjorie O’Neill, Member for Coogee Photo Elle Ectrickar

It is now widely recognised that addressing climate change must be the number one issue on our agenda. Unless we do a lot more to care for our environment it will simply be unable to care for us.

In our private lives we make decisions every day that impact the environment and most of us are consciously trying to make good decisions that reduce our waste and environmental footprint. We are also actively working to benefit the environment through initiatives such as planting trees, nurturing bees and going solar.

Yet the sad irony is that the more environmental damage we do, the harder it is to stop it! Consider the items swept into our waterways during the floods and how much harder it is not to turn the air conditioning on as extreme temperatures become more common.

No matter how well intentioned we are, our capacity as individuals to address climate change is limited by the infrastructure around us. It is not possible to get out of our cars and take public transport if our buses are cancelled or walk if our streets are broken or unsafe, nor do electric cars provide an opportunity when they are mainly unavailable and when there are few recharging points.

We need government and public-private partnerships as well as guidance by industry experts and the communities that want to see real action on climate change. We especially need government leadership to establish strong environmental planning rules to improve the quality of the environment and the health and welfare of people. This includes implementing sustainability standards into our planning policies.

We need stronger requirements for energy efficiency, electrification, tree canopy cover, green space, setbacks and so much more. We require stronger environmental standards that require all developments to mitigate and adapt to the risks of climate change. Amending and strengthening our planning laws offers us a crucial opportunity to not only reduce emissions from new buildings, but also provides us with an opportunity to make housing cheaper to run and healthier for people.

In our battle to address climate change we need all stakeholders in our society to be on the same page and working together. This includes planning controls and strong state environmental planning policies that help us get to net zero and prepare for a hotter - and, it seems, wetter - future. In order to do this though we need a government that not only accepts the science of climate change, but one that is willing to prioritise addressing it across all aspects of our society.

Recently in NSW Parliament, during a speech I was giving on our need to address climate change, a member of the NSW Government attempted to silence me as I spoke about the importance of addressing climate change and the role that setting environmental planning standards can play to help us get to net zero and address urban heating. This is not okay, and for all of our sakes, it is well and truly time that policy aimed at addressing climate change receives non-partisan support across the political divide.

The new coalition?

Wentworth’s Epiphany

Words Ian Rose Photo Lynne Joslyn

I share the genuine relief that so many across the country are feeling right now, especially in Wentworth. We are relieved to see the end of manipulative climate denial from government, an end to the lack of action on systemic corruption, and an end to the perpetual denigration of women. It is a relief to see that an end to paternalistic bully boy federal government is in sight.

Greens and Independents are represented in parliament in higher numbers than ever before, with 80 per cent of those being former Liberal held seats.

How did we get here?

Having tried for over a decade to shift the Liberal Party on policy areas that voters cared deeply about, we realised that the answer was to progress without the Liberals. This election moment was their epiphany.

This realisation is a radical change, a frameshift that will not shift back. It is the beginning of a process that will shape future decision making. New horizons are ready to be explored.

The Wentworth electorate voted overwhelmingly for a community-driven independent candidate, Allegra Spender, and enthusiastically for a Greens candidate for the Senate, David Shoebridge.

Policies and sentiments from both these local politicians resonated with voters’ key concerns. We welcome both politicians representing us in the Federal Parliament. All this from a formerly safe Liberal seat.

Public engagement was hugely increased as residents displayed corflute posters in their windows or on their front fences and gates.

Corflute posters on telegraph poles went up when the election was declared and were removed after election day.

Community dialogue surged. Neighbours discussed their political concerns with each other, in greater numbers than in my living memory.

This increased engagement was a nationwide movement which has changed the nation’s political landscape.

Political forums were live zoomed and put on social media for longer perusal, generating more interest and discussion. Community forums were a welcome addition to understanding the issues. The former Liberal member for Wentworth was mostly a no-show at these events.

Political stalls at markets facilitated more dialogue, as did door knocking by candidates and supporters. Through all this, Wentworth residents were curious and open to new ways forward.

On the street, people seemed more at ease to display their political issues of interest, and the old tribal wars were challenged. The Greens were appreciated for their stance on the important issues and Independents for listening to the electorate and standing up to the Liberals.

The effect of Clive Palmer’s preferences in the previous federal election returned the Coalition to power in the supposedly unwinnable election. This time few fell for the mining magnate’s campaign playbook.

The Coalition lost 20 seats, because when in government they delivered no energy policy and lots of free passes to their corporate donors.

The Greens and Independents all believe in the ideals of elected representation, not leadership telling the electorate what to think. Added to that, The Greens do not take corporate donations, and they limit donations from individuals, so they are not beholden to the vested interests of political donors.

The idea of ending big corporate donations (which includes the fossil fuel lobby) to the major parties to finance their election campaigns is now in the public consciousness.

By legislating limits on political donations and on campaign expenditure we will have fairer campaigns with the opportunity of more accurate information. Legislative limits are an obvious way forward for voters wanting to protect their children’s future against a climate catastrophe.

With broad agreement between the new government, Greens and Independents on the crossbench on a strong anti-corruption commission (federal ICAC), and with ever increasing community awareness, we can ensure lasting change for the better.

To eat or to bait? That is the question.

Big Winter Squid Off the Rocks

Words Lewis Kennedy-Hunt Photo Ethan McDonald

When the air is cold and the prevailing westerlies are blowing, I get the urge to chase some big green-eyed Calamari off the stones. Whether it’s a mouth-watering feed you’re after, or just some top quality baits, squidding certainly is a great way to get your fishing fix. Inspired by the ‘eging’ (Japanese for squid fishing) scene in Japan, squidding is a more recent development in Australia’s recreational fishing scene and has gained considerable popularity over the past 10-15 years.

Often mistaken for a particular method of cooking squid, the term ‘calamari’ is actually the name given to the most prevalent species of squid along our east coast. Calamari are fast-growing and short-lived with a lifespan of only around 12 months. The loligo squid (commonly referred to falsely as the arrow squid) is the other main species of squid that is caught, although you are more likely to catch these around deeper areas of the harbour or out to sea.

How to Catch Them

First you’ll need a light setup with a reel around the 2500 size and a rod rated to about 1-3kg spooled with some light braid and leader between 8-20lb. A slightly longer rod and heavier leader is preferable off the rocks. Squid are not caught on traditional lures but instead on specialised squid jigs with barbless spikes as opposed to barbed hooks. Selecting the right ones can be an intimidating process, with a myriad of different brands, colors and sizes on the market. I find that size 2.5-3.5 are the most effective from the rocks. In the harbour, where the squid are generally smaller and the spots are generally shallower, I prefer size 1.2-2.5 jigs. In terms of colour, I like to use more natural colours when the sun is higher and brighter colours when it is lower and into the darkness of night.

Squid love rocky, kelpy environments with relatively clear water, which makes just about any rock ledge along the east coast a feasible spot to catch them. Be warned though, rock fishing is very dangerous and claims a number of lives every year. Having personally witnessed a fellow angler dislocate his shoulder after a rogue wave collected us, I can attest that it is only a matter of time before you end up in the drink. You should always wear a lifejacket and fish well within your limits, particularly if you are not a strong swimmer. If you are fishing in a government declared ‘high risk’ area you are bound by law to wear a lifejacket, and they are now required for all rock fishing in Randwick City.

Getting back to the squid... going by personal experience, there is quite a specific bite window for squid off the stones, negating the need for long, arduous sessions. It’s my theory that the squid will stay deeper in the shadows of the kelp and rocks during the day before coming up into shallower ground to hunt for small baitfish and other prey around dusk and dawn. For this reason I time my trips to coincide with the sunset, giving myself only around 25-30 minutes to cast for them.

After sending a cast out as far as you can, wait for the jig to sink close to the bottom. The time you wait depends on the depth of the area as well as the sink rate of your jig. I use a double flick and pause technique to work the jig all the way back to my feet, making sure not to rush the retrieve to help keep it in the zone. Repeat this until it’s dark and most of the time you’ll get a few.

All in all, squidding is a relatively simple form of fishing. You’ll be into a few in no time if you follow some of these tips, leaving you with just one problem; the age-old dilemma of whether to use them for bait or keep them for a feed. Some of my best fish - namely kings, jewies and snapper - have fallen to squid caught off the rocks the day before. Admittedly, sometimes the allure of fresh salt and pepper squid with a cold beer is too much to resist, but this is a problem I’ll let you deal with when you get out there and catch a few for yourself!