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Wednesday 28 July 2010
Vol. 3 No. 34
Milestone for Dalhousie Springs
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is about to begin an important milestone in a program to control the highly invasive date palm at the Heritage Listed Dalhousie Springs in the State’s far north.
The program aims to restore the ecological integrity of the Dalhousie Homestead Ruins and Kingfisher springs, by controlling the spread of date palms within the Witjira National Park.
DENR staff first started removing the date palms in 2005, and with National Water Initiative funding sourced in partnership with the SA Arid Lands Natural Resources Management Board in 2008, contractors have now been sourced to further support the removal of date palms to ensure increased environmental flows to the area.
The control program reaches a milestone this week, with contractors arriving at the national park to undertake this important stage of the program, which will accelerate the removal of date palms.
Tony Magor, DENR District Ranger Desert Parks, said the program, which is run in partnership with the Irrwanyere Aboriginal Corporation, the South Australian Arid Lands Natural Resources Management Board, and with assistance from the Friends of the Simpson Desert, has already resulted in many native plants and animals recolonising to the area.
"The springs in the National Heritage Listed Dalhousie Springs complex area are very important environmentally, as well as spiritually and culturally to Aboriginal people," Mr Magor said.
"The area has several fish and invertebrate species found nowhere else in the world and are home to a variety of native plants and animals including coolibah trees, rare snails and frogs and unique species of fish such as the Dalhousie hardy-head and Dalhousie goby.
"It has been a long known fact that date palms have a negative effect on this natural ecosystem.
"The date palm decreases environmental flows of the springs by transpiring water, it shades out native undergrowth and releases chemicals that reduce natural vegetation growth on land and in the water. It is a highly invasive tree that spreads easily by dingoes, or even water, birds or humans.
"The removal of date palms will help restore the natural balance of this important ecosystem."
While removing the trees forms a large part of the control plan, certain date palms at the Dalhousie Homestead Ruins area will be preserved to retain their historical significance.
Dalhousie Springs is a cluster of more than 100 natural springs fed by waters from the Great Artesian Basin, one of the largest groups of springs in Australia.
Date palms were planted at Dalhousie in 1899 by Essington Lewis and are proliferate around springs and the spring tails.
Tidbits (Extracts from the DCCP July Agenda and Minutes - cont. from last week)
Works
Department Report For The Month Of June 2010
Report
to Council From Jan van der Merwe, Works Manager:
General
Information
The
flyer that was put up around town for the construction and maintenance
casual
worker position requesting expressions of interest attracted four
applicants.
The names will be kept on record for possible future casual
employment.
Council
should consider a way in which we can accommodate the signage of
the
different businesses. A standard should be set with which all advertisements
should comply.
Environmental
Health Officer Report, 20/07/2010
Report to Council from Keith Simmonds,
Environmental Health Officer:
Inspections:
Food
Premises 6
Accommodation
6
Letters
were written to all owners of premises inspected advising results of
inspection.
The
standard of food premises ranged from good to excellent and the
standard of accommodation was excellent.
RDAFN
Report For The Month Of June 2010
Report
to Council from Troy Tarlo-Yautakas, Economic development Manager:
Heavy
Machinery Tickets – as part of the Opal Mining Code of Practice
we
will be looking at running subsidised ticket training courses for Opal
miners.
It may be possible to extend this subsidised training for non-opal
miners.
Use
Of Old (Current) Airport Terminal
Report
to Council from Trevor McLeod, Chief Executive Officer
As
completion of the new airport terminal approaches, I report to Council that
there
have been a number of approaches made to both the Mayor and
myself
about the intended use of the ‘old’ or current airport terminal once
activities relocate into the new terminal.
Council
is being asked to consider whether it wishes to rent the ‘old’ terminal
to a prospective tenant or tenants or simply leave it
unoccupied.
Motions Passed (From the Minutes)
That
Council advise Mr Con Sinodinos that there will be no reduction in
the
sewerage rate on the property at Lot 817 Hutchison Street, Coober
Pedy.
That
Council advise the Coober Pedy Motor Club that it will not waive
any
outstanding rates, water access fees, legal fees, fines and interest
levied on the property at Lot 1855 Seventeen Mile
Road, Coober Pedy.
That
Council authorises the Mayor and Chief Executive Officer to sign
the
Agreement with M & W Mining for Fitzgerald Dam Quarry Services
and Supply of Sand and Aggregate.
That
Council approves a 2010/2011 Community Donation for the
Coober
Pedy Amateur Race Club Inc for assistance with the 2010
Coober
Pedy Race Weekend in the order of $2,150 being $350 cash for
trophy
sponsorship and $1,800 in-kind support for track and grounds
preparation.
WOOMERA
& DISTRICTS FOOTBALL LEAGUE ROUND
14, 24th July 2010 Roxby Districts 6 goals 12 behinds 48 points defeated Andamooka 5 goals 7
behinds 37 points Best players for Roxby Districts 1st J Orr 2nd S
Crafter King 3rd S Kaminski 4th R Prosser 5th J Anatasopolus Goal scorers for RD J Watson 3 goals R Prosser 2 goals J Rose 1 goal Best players for Andamooka 1st A Schiller 2nd D
Vanzati 3rd T Ripley 4th M Bunnett 5th R Kraack Last
week in the TAFE Coober Pedy Building in Hutchison Street Coober Pedy the
Environment, Resources and Development Court heard an appeal by video
conference. The Judge was in Adelaide. The
“courtroom” was prepared by TAFE staff, complete with a bible for the
Affirmation. The ERD Court was
established by the Environment, Resources and Development Court Act in 1993.
It has jurisdiction given to it by Parliament under a wide range of legislation
dealing with issues of development, heritage, the environment, water resources,
irrigation, mining and native title. The ERD Court is
in the Sir Samuel Way Building
ERD Court “Sits” in Coober Pedy
EDITORIAL
The coming Federal Election is set for an close battle between the two major parties, with the Greens trying to 'cash in ' on voter dissatisfaction with them, and promoting the party as a possibility of holding the balance of power in the Senate. The Greens keep saying they are the party that makes the hard decisions, and the decisions that are 'right', even though those decisions may not be popular.
Of course most people when they think of the Greens think of the environment and how the Greens strive for a clean, sustainable one, with memories for many Australians of the Greens leader Bob Brown as a young man kayaking down a pristine Tasmanian river.
However,
not so well known, and not so well publicised by the party, is the Greens policy
concerning what they call their "Care for People" policy, and in
particular, their "Sexuality and Gender Identity
So, before you give a 'backlash vote' to the Greens, you should be aware that this party, along with Greens worldwide, is also a party which considers that they are 'right' - correct - when it comes to matters of Sexuality and Gender Identity.
Bob Brown said in a National Press Club address recently that the Greens party will consider legislation which cracks down on parties which conduct misleading campaigns.
Well, he ought to take a look in the mirror, because to promote his party as a party which is focussed on the environment is misleading, and hiding a major policy platform which is as way out as you could imagine - as delineated in the following extract from their website:
The
Greens (http://greens.org.au/our-story)
The Greens Policies:
Care for People (Number 2 of 7 Main Policy
Categories):
Sexuality and Gender Identity
SUMMARY:
Marriage for all
Equal right to parent
Identity recognition
Appropriate services
The
LGBTIQ community deserves equal treatment in the law and the community. Sexual
and gender diversity benefits our society.
AUSTRALIAN GREENS POLICY www.greens.org.au/about/policy
Sexuality and Gender Identity
Policy Category: D. Care for People Issued:
June 2008
Principles
The Australian Greens believe that:
1. freedom of sexuality and gender identity are fundamental human rights.
2. acceptance and celebration of diversity are essential for genuine
social justice and equality.
3. people have the right to assume their self-identified sex.
4. discrimination on the basis of sexuality and gender identity is a
significant cause of
psychological distress, mental illness and suicide.
5. the health needs of all Australians should be provided for without
discrimination and with
respect and equity.
Goals
The Australian Greens want:
6. legal and social environments free from harassment, abuse,
vilification, stigmatisation,
discrimination, disadvantage or exploitation on the basis of sexuality or
gender identity.
7. the legalisation of marriage between two consenting adults regardless
of sexuality or gender
identity.
8. de facto relationships to have equal status in law and government
policy regardless of sexuality
and gender identity.
9. access, regardless of sexuality and gender identity, to adoption,
fostering, artificial insemination
and in vitro fertilisation procedures.
10. the education system to provide age-appropriate information about the
diversity of sexuality.
11. access to the full range of medical and health services required by
people with needs related to
their sexuality and gender identity.
Measures
The Australian Greens will:
12. legislate to remove discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,
Transgender or Intersex
(LGBTI) people in federal legislation.
13. require governments and their agencies to consult with LGBTI
communities and representative
groups on the development of policies and programs that affect LGBTI
people.
14. initiate national anti-discrimination public education campaigns.
15. legislate to allow marriage regardless of sexuality or gender
identity.
16. introduce legislation to ensure fair and equal treatment under
Commonwealth law of all
relationships regardless of sexuality and gender identity.
17. support nationally consistent age of consent laws.
18. remove convictions for consensual homosexual acts from legal records.
19. end the inappropriate application of offensive behaviour, indecent
behaviour, 'promotion' and
incitement laws to non-heterosexual acts.
Ecological Sustainability Social Justice
Peace and Non Violence Grassroots Democracy
AUSTRALIAN GREENS POLICY: Sexuality and Gender Identity (cont’d)
www.greens.org.au/about/policies
20. fund services to support and protect LGBTI youth, in particular
suicide prevention, peer
support, coming out, counselling, and housing services and programs.
21. establish intersex as a gender recognised by the legal system.
22. support the provision of accurate information, counselling and
referral for individuals with, and
parents and carers of, infants with intersex conditions.
23. support gender assignment for people born with an intersex condition
being made only when
they are able to express personal sexual identity.
24. support the granting of political asylum on humanitarian grounds to
people persecuted in their
own countries on the basis of their sexuality or gender identity.
REAL ESTATE
2 Corinthians Ch. 4, vs 1 to 3 (Backpackers Bible): "God has been kind enough to trust us with this work. That's why we never give up. We don't do shameful things that must be kept in secret. And we don't try to fool anyone or twist God's message around. God is our witness that we speak only the truth, so others will be sure that we can be trusted. If there is anything hidden about our message, it is hidden only to someone who is lost."
Church Meeting Times:
Catacomb (Anglican) Sunday 9.30am; Catholic Saturday 6.30pm Sunday 10am;
Coober Pedy Revival Fellowship Sunday 10.15 am, 7 pm Wed 7.30 pm; Coober Pedy Brethren
Sunday 10am;
Coober Pedy Christian Home Church Sunday 3pm Ph 0417 814 559 or 0408 890 280; Coober Pedy Community
Church - Assembly of God, Paxton Rd Sunday 10:00 am Wednesday 7:00 pm Friday Prayer Meeting: 7:30pm
