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LOCAL NEWS
Thursday December 3, 2015
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Climate rally raises tough questions HUNDREDS OF Tweed residents
attended a climate rally in Murwillumbah on Saturday, November 28, joining millions of people throughout the world to march on the eve of the Paris Climate Summit.
Eddie Roberts
his concerns were for future generations who will be “dealing with this unnecessary mess from our carbon emissions for a long time to come�. “Floods, droughts, rising sea levels, ocean acidification and population displacements are just a few of the things that concern me,� he said. “Global heating will only be controlled by a number of initiatives all working towards the same end goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. “Two great outcomes from Paris would be a price on carbon and a deal to stop the development of all new coal mines. A price on carbon would send a strong signal to industry to move away from the most polluting of technologies and help shift the economy to cleaner forms of energy.� “With new coal, even if mines are built we won’t be able to burn it without dire consequences for the planet and society. Thermal coal has to stay in the ground.� “The ‘no new coal’ initiative will best be instigated by stopping public money in any future development of mines and associated infrastructure, such as railways and ports. “These developments are too uncertain
and risky for private capital. However our government is all too happy to put our cash on the line for these dodgy deals. “Australia has some of the best renewable energy sources in the world but we are stuck in last century’s technology while report after report show us the way to a safer and fairer future.� Another Murwillumbah resident Richard Deem said very little concern was being voiced for the Pacific Island nations. “Probably my biggest concerns are for groups of humanity who are least able to do anything about the impacts placed upon them by the high carbon / greenhouse gas producing lifestyles of others, who are either ignorant of the effects of their actions or who simply don’t care,� Mr Deem said. “The people of the Pacific Island nations, for example, will have to leave their island homelands because increasing ocean temperatures cause salt water inundation of their land. “I am an aged pensioner and so I understand and worry for those in this group who are less physically capable of surviving the growing temperature extremes we are more regularly experiencing. “Most importantly, I also worry for those
Richard Deem generations as yet unborn who will have to face more serious consequences if we allow climate change to proceed to the stage of irreversible climate disruption. “Other helpless victim groups of course include our animals, wildlife and all other living things.� Mr Deem said he would like to see a strong legally binding system that regulates and penalises the non-compliant emissions behaviour of irresponsible nations from the Paris summit. “I would also like to see positive strategies that encourage a rapid shift from fossil fuel energy sources to clean, renewable energy accompanied by carefully thought out transition schemes that minimise the impacts on those who happen to work in fossil fuel industries,� he said. “I would like to see legal action available to those adversely affected by climate change against those who have mischievously promoted the notion that climate change is not real to serve their own business interests.� GIVE US YOUR THOUGHTS: What are your biggest climate change concerns? Should Australia be taking a lead role in energy innovation? Send your letters to editor@theweekly.net.au
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People voiced their support for stronger climate action from the Federal Government including a curbing of coal-fired energy. Australia is highly vulnerable to the ravages of climate change (crippling droughts, heatwaves, fires, floods and storms), and per-person we are amongst the worlds biggest polluters per capita. The Murwillumbah rally was attended by Tweed Shire Council Mayor Katie Milne and Federal MP for Richmond Justine Elliot. Local groups were invited to set up stalls and there were speakers from local community groups and live music. Greg Reid, a spokesman for Tweed Climate Action Now, said there was no hero coming to the rescue on climate change. “This problem will only get worse until ordinary people take the lead and demand real action,� he said. Independent scientific analysis of current emission policies has warned that global warming will go far beyond the internationally agreed two degree limit. “Greenhouse gases persist a long time in the atmosphere and accumulate heat,� Mr Reid said. “This means it is the choices we make now that will affect us for decades to come.� In Murwillumbah the average number of days over 35 degrees has quadrupled since the 1960s and official estimates project this will double again by 2050 and triple by 2070. Several residents spoke to The Weekly about their concerns for climate change and hopes for the Paris summit. Murwillumbah resident Eddie Roberts said
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You can’t afford Mr Turnbull’s WARNING
15% GST on everything Authorised by Justine Elliot 107 Minjungbal Drive Tweed Heads South
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Liberal / National Party Coalition Leader Malcolm Turnbull has confirmed that he and his government are looking to increase the GST. The GST is a regressive and unfair tax that hits everybody, but hits low and middle income families and pensioners the hardest. Fact: Liberal / National Party Coalition Leader Malcolm Turnbull would rather tax hardworking Australians and pensioners, than tackle multinational tax avoidance. Labor will not support an increase to the GST, because increasing the tax would inflict the heaviest punishment on those least able to afford it. Instead, Labor has a fair and better plan to make multinationals pay their fair share of tax.
Justine Elliot MP Federal Member for Richmond
Email: justine.elliot.mp@aph.gov.au Phone: 1300 720 675 Office: 107 Minjungbal Drive, Tweed Heads South
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Thursday December 3, 2015
BOWLS NOTES On Thursday, 26 November, the ladies of the Cudgen Leagues Bowling Club participated in a very successful Pink Day to raise monies for the Breast Cancer Fund and the Oncology Unit at Tweed Hospital. Over 42 ladies gathered for what was a very enjoyable day of bowls, supplemented by two eightieth birthdays (happy days
with Judy Tuckey
Colleen Wein and Norma Craven) and numerous raffles with donated prizes. President Marie Ellen was delighted to announce, at the end of play, that almost $800 had been raised for this most worthy cause and plans are underfoot to repeat this success next year. Ocean Shores’ Barbara Sprengel has
had a “full on’” year on the greens. Coupled with her numerous wins at Club and District Championships, Barbara then joined forces with Troy Makin, Ocean Shores’ green keeper, to contest the recent State Pairs Championship as well. Whilst winning at Regional level and securing a berth in the State play-offs, this fine pair were unlucky to miss out on a tilt at the State quarter finals after being pipped by one shot in their last tie break game. A valiant effort from Barbara and Troy. However, back on the home greens, Barbara teamed up with Samantha Curtis
SPORTS NEWS
to tackle Margaret Hosie and Glenys Johnston in the Club’s Pairs Championship final. A nail biting encounter evolved as these ladies, obviously all ‘on fire’, matched shots, end for end, in a game that could have gone either way with team Sprengel eventually coming in the winners with a one shot margin Well done, ladies. See you on the greens. Good bowling everyone. (PHOTO below: Cudgen Leagues Ladies “In The Pink”)
Steve Twohill’s comprehensive local cricket round-up ~ P45
Tapped in to the waves
with Terry ‘Tappa’ Teece
IT’S NEXT Week and Yep - It’s ON! Well the year in professional surfing will be wrapping up in the next week or so, with the Billabong Pipeline Masters getting underway this coming Wednesday morning from about 4 am on your computer or Pay TV screens! Pipeline is a place of legends, and the pressure will be on, Mick Fanning leading a pack of hungry Brazilians, followed by 2 Aussies with just a slight chance. Tough to say it, but Owen Wright and Julian Wilson really need everyone to fall over before they can have a hope of a win at Pipe. The Brazilians need Mick Fanning to fall early, then they will all be battling out between themselves. To be honest if it is big then that can make a bit of a difference, as Filipe Toledo is not known for loving giant heavy waves over reef, and his heat score of 0.00 at Teaupoo showed that up exactly. Of all the chasing Brazilians, current World Champion Gabriel Medina looks the most comfortable in the larger waves than all his countrymen, and as he showed at Pipe last year he does have the coconuts to have a crack. If it is small, it plays into the lap of Filipe Toledo, with his pop and spin,
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Brent Dorrington
but in all honesty I do not think he deserves a world title. It was great to see sometimes Kingscliff resident, Wade Carmichael, show him how to carve to victory at the Hawaiian Pro, and that was in small surf. Hey but what about oour own Mighty Mick Fanning? He did under the pump at Pipeline in 2013, in a heat by heat battle with Kelly Slater. Mick is great under pressure, and I reckon most of the World would like to see him win after Jeffreys Bay. I just hope that 2,000 points that disappeared at JBay that should have been split between Julian Wilson and Mick Fanning, is not the difference in a World Title win. That would be a shame. We are forgetting a lot of people that can spoil the World Title party for any of the above. One in particular, Mr Robert Kelly Slater, who has one Pipeline more than any other human, and could easily upset a few of the title front-runners. It’s going to be an absorbing event, exciting, I may have to see if I can borrow one of Kerry
Packer’s defibulrators while I watch this all go down…. PS … Go Mick! Midget Magic at Sunset Well as I write this they are just about to hop into the round of 64 at Sunset. A great performance so far by Coolangatta’s own Magic Midget, Brent Dorrington. Brenno is over there with a red hot quiver of boards shaped by his old man Gary, and is ripping into some of the biggest waves at Sunset Beach, winning both his heats so far. He is surfing against Parko next heat, and that should be pretty awesome to watch. At 5’4” (Hope I’m right!) Brenno makes it look like it is 30 foot faces out there, but he is ripping in and surfing with class style and power. He has gained a lot of respect with his charging in Hawaii over many years, and yes that Mad Huey definitely has a set of coconuts!!! Hopefully next week I can let you know if the “Midget Magic” did happen!
GOT SOME LOCAL SPORT NEWS TO SHARE? – EDITOR@THEWEEKLY.NET.AU
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I’m very proud to work with our community and represent your local concerns in the Federal Parliament. This has seen more than $1.5 billion in federal funding delivered for our region with me as your local MP. This includes; • $7m for the South Tweed GP Superclinic • $5m for the Arkinstall Park Sports Centre • $1.5m for the Murwillumbah Community Centre • $349m for the Sexton Hill Highway upgrade • $1.8m for the Jack Evans Boat Harbour • $1m to build the Margaret Olley Centre • $3.3m for the upgrade of Kennedy Drive
Justine Elliot Member for Richmond
@JElliotMP
(07) 55 234 371
JustineElliotMP
justine.elliot.mp@aph.gov.au
JElliotMP
Authorised by Justine Elliot 107 Minjungbal Drive Tweed Heads South
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