No one ever thought that that 9/11 (01) would ever be surpassed as the biggest internal attack on the United States in history. We were all wrong. We now have 5/11 … 2024. But this time there is no excuse … no one can. claim this attack came out of the clear blue sky. But how did this most unlikely of victories come about? The Magpie argues the main reason is the word that dare not speak its name.
The Astonisher makes a public apology for getting something wrong … but they get that wrong, too. But an unlikely blast from the past sets the paper straight as to how it made a fool of itself the Katter Party’s redneckery with its Castle law..
Latin phrases don’t feature much in our Townsville lifestyle, but anyone thinking of buying in to a proposed north shore development should remember one … caveat emptor.
And one of the loudest flim flam developers of recent times, who fooled the gullible incurious Bulletin multiple times, has apparently scuttled back south, leaving massive questions for the city. But the paper is probably too embarrassed to ask them.
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The Underlying Reason For The Trump Victory Has Been Revealed In Post-Poll Data But No One Is Talking About It
Pivotal moments in human history are mostly not recognised as such until well after the moment, when ramifications become so evident they cannot be ignored. But Donald Trump’s victory … or more accurately the scope of that victory … was instantly recognisable the moment his win was confirmed. The pathetically unimaginative and much parroted cliche ‘game changer’ doesn’t even start to cover the extent of the coming upheaval. The Magpie will not be so arrogant as to bore you with statements of the bleedin obvious and will leave it to those much better informed and better equipped for analysis to detail what lies ahead after next January.
But a thought on how we got here. Reading the early data on voting patterns among the near 70% turn-out – not bad but still surprising in a country that ranks 31st of 34 OECD countries for voter participation – one thing jumps out of the numbers. Younger males – blacks, hispanics and college age students, all traditional strongholds of the Democrats – swung towards Trump in significant enough numbers to affect the outcome. Here are the stats of how everyone voted.
The Magpie’s conclusion: looking at the groups of young men who swung across to the GOP. the unspoken driver of this remarkable and terrifying victory was good old misogyny. While the MAGAwhite trailer park trash of Hilary’s deplorable’s are always expected to harbour such sentiments, it is also particularly prevalent in the black and hispanic cultures. And the abortion debate fed into this underlying belief, with many of the seeing it as a solely female issue. Harris and her team failed on the economy and immigration issues, offering nothing of substance or imagination, but it was misogyny what did her in – aided by a hefty dose of racism from all those not of Indian /Jamaican heritage.
Other more clever views on the election outcome in our regular American gallery shortly.
KA-PUT! Why The Fortunes Of The Kattertonics Slumped In The Last Poll
The Magpie’s old mate and Nest cannon fodder Prince Peter of Lindsay, the former Laird of Herbert, recently made one of his increasingly rare visits to Australia, taking a break from making a nuisance of himself in other countries to get his quota of FB pix for our vicarious pleasure. And during his stop over, he had an massive attack of the fantods when he picked up the local rag.
Now it’s to be remembered that Prince Peter is still a shaker ( given his age, not surprising, but a slow mover nowadays) in LNP circles, and he still takes a keen interest when their fortress is challenged. While ostensibly pissed off with the Bulletin, he main aim was the Deliverance cast of the Qld Katteronics and their Castle Law which they were hoping to foist on a dependent minority government. So his dudgen was high and his flabber completely gasted enough to dash off a furious email to The ‘Pie, which is now shared.
Peter Lindsay
Dear Magpie,
I was quite astonished to see this correction published in the Bulletin recently.
The trouble for the Bulletin is that Barry’s letter had every basis on truth, and I reckon KAP have leaned on the Editor and she fell for it.
Here’s why the Bulletin saying it had done the wrong thing was itself wrong.
Mr Lowe’s letter contained the following statement and two questions: ‘The Katters are hiding the fact that they want substantial changes to Queensland’s gun laws. Do they want most householders to be armed with pistols, rifles and/or shotguns? Do they want Australia to be like the US?’. This statement and questions are reasonable.
Note these extracts from on-line KAP policy:
“Law-abiding firearm owners should not be punished.KAP wants to reverse changes made to the National Firearms Agreement. The Queensland state Labor government under Annastacia Palaszczuk, with help from the LNP, agreed to changes to the National Firearms Agreement which have a significant negative impact on licenced firearms owners.This includes limiting the amount of ammunition that can be purchased and reclassifying lever-action shotguns making them unavailable to most licenced shooters.These changes are based on political bias with no evidence supporting claims of an increase in community safety. KAP will always fight to protect the rights of law-abiding licenced firearms owners. Real time licencing will free up resources to crack down on illegal weapons.The current weapons licencing system requires manual processing of applications for permits to acquire for category A and B weapons. This system is slow and inefficient and creates community safety issues. The time taken to process an application may mean individuals who commit an offence that make them ineligible to hold a licence are not captured.The resources required by the manual system can be better invested into front line services focussed on stopping illegal weapons.KAP wants to introduce a real time licencing system that enables permits to acquire to be processed at the point of sale. This will mean less resources are required to process applications and the police and retailers will have real time data on the eligibility of individuals to hold a licence. Farmers need access to category H firearms.Any owner of a farming operation who has demonstrated responsible firearm ownership by holding a current weapons licence of category A, B or higher has a right to own a category H firearm.KAP wants immediate steps taken to amend the practices of the weapons licencing division of the Queensland Police, to ensure farmers have access to category H firearms.
So the claim that ‘KAP are not advocating to change Queensland’s Weapons Act is incorrect. In fact, it could not be more wrong.
Any reasonable person would consider that the KAP’s proposal to amend existing legislation to ‘...introduce a real time licencing system that enables permits to acquire to be processed at the point of sale’ is a substantial change to existing legislation. And the KAP needs to explain how this proposed licencing system at the point of sale would work. Would a person be able to simply buy a gun if there is no negative assessment? What would the identification process be at the point of sale? Is there any waiting period (cooling off period) before a buyer obtains the gun?
See for yourself. THE FACTS: The KAP IS proposing changes to Queensland Gun Laws.
The KAP’s statement that government interference can only occur ‘when human health and life is in serious and immediate jeopardy’ must be a concern to any reasonable person. How does this broad policy affect Domestic Violence and abuse? What about animal welfare? Under the KAP proposal RSPCA officers could not enter a property to investigate animal cruelty. What are the definitions of ‘serious and immediate jeopardy’? Can police enter a property without proof that ‘human health and life is in serious and immediate jeopardy’?
Peter Lindsay
This KAP big-swinging-dick policy is redneck bedrock mythology writ large. And the bit about being allowed to carry weapons willy nilly in vehicles is a recipe for disaster … road rage turns murderous and car thieves can get a handy bonus.
Such twaddle … as usual, KAP take a reasonable issue in need of examination an d takes it to extreme limits, turning it into something that would create mayhem. And their ‘without legal penalty’ provision if an intruder is shot dead is a de facto introduction of the death penalty to Queensland.
These are not serious people.
You Have To Ask?
Where do we start?
The very fact that these turkeys actually have to ask such a question confirms that turfing out such an uncomprehending rabble was the only way to go.
Our Current Council Is a Lot Of Things, But There’s One Thing They Are Not
Let’s stop the skewed view that our council is dysfunctional, it has proven that it is anything but, getting on with constructive meetings without any interference of our deranged mayor. From comments in the thread about the council meeting.
But approvals put to council are always going to be thorny issues, when in fact the problem lies with Brisbane and its LG legislation, which should be altered to protect the ratepayer more. But at the moment, it is what it is, and If a developer goes through all the expensive hoops to meet a projects requirements, the councillors everywhere in Queensland have a gun to their head … back ratepayers and their amenity, or comply with the rules as laid out … lose votes or lose the council a shitload of money in the Appeals Court (where a loss is loaded against the council).
But there’s one project which has just been put into the assessment process which The Magpie hopes the TCC staff and the councillors are a little more alert to than the Bulletin’s Light On Smith. Straight Clearly not a question in cooee and written off the media release, but including a stock standard non-committal few words from the council.
Now first up. let The ‘Pie make it clear that he is in no suggesting that the company, Lincoln Place, has any questionable business background, or is proposing anything untoward with the Northern Beaches Lifestyle estate.
So what questions should be the council and the paper be looking at? Well a confirmation from Lincoln Place – which operates 23 ‘land lease communities’ across Australia, that they weren’t among the several similar organisations that were the subject of an ABC investigation just two weeks ago.
In the investigation, the ABC reporter uncovered what they called ‘cunningly designed ripoffs’ and ‘ethically bankrupt practices that preyed on the elderly. And they concluded that even when operators remained within the law, they practised a form of ‘corporate elder abuse’. While tenants are strictly controlled in what they can do with their own properties, many are apparently happy enough,: the core problem seems to be that tenants build their own houses (with their own money) but never own the land on which it is built … the lots are leased from the project owners, who therefore a have stringent whip hand over all village matters, many of which verge on intrusion into privacy. Inevitably, owners who wish to move elsewhere … or family of deceased residents who wish to sell the house … are at the mercy of the project owners, and massive losses of life savings or inheritance have been reported. The paperwork has already been criticised as unnecessarily complex and confusing, and it is suspected it is deliberately so.
If Lincoln Place is part of an industry that attracts this sort of attention and operate albeit legally in this way, questions should be asked. Not by the council, they just have to box tick the state LG regulations. But surely a newspaper can;t just print this load of self-serving pap without a warning, such as the one The ‘Pie has just written.
It just doesn’t occur to these goofs – reporter and editor – to ask any questions at all, a complete professional failure on all levels. Are they just being lazy, or has the advertising manager vetoed any negative view that might upset a major advertiser of the near future?
At least now, councillors might do what the Bulletin failed to do, and ask some pertinent questions.
Maybe The Astonisher Might Like To Follow The Fortunes Of One Of Its Favourite Subjects
“Developer” (cough cough)Mark Tonge
Come on Leighton Smith, you were great buddies with this fella, he was your boy for a yarn once. Like the one which featured the above photographs of the Magnetic Views estate at Pallarenda, which you told us was going great guns and would have many local millionaires kicking, biting and scratching to buy plots of steep rock. Seems the great guns have been silenced a year or more down the track, there doesn’t appear to a single house there, just a couple of breeze block walls of an unfinished show home. Now there might be some activity up the snaked bend roadway, but The ‘Pie wasn’t able to check …
… the estate gates are firmly closed and locked, even, presumably, to salvering millionaires waving fistfuls of fifties.
But hang on, Mr Tonge, your buddy, had dibs on the Hive development, too, and was going to have a multinational chain build a 20 storey hotel there. Have you checked your diary Leighton, to find out where your mate is at with this? Word is if you want tko ask him in person, you might have to fly down to the Gold Coast. The ‘Pie is told Mr Tonge has departed back to whence he came.
Since you promoted him so heavily, mate, don’t you think that you owe it to a town that has been beset by development shonks who have let us down so often, to tell us what’s happening with The Hive now? And the fate of your former BFF?
If It Sounds Catchy, So What If It’s Stupid?
News Corpse is determined to persist with calling David Crisafulli a loser.
Not sure how many times they have to be told, but Goliath was the LOSER. But no surprise they are unacquainted with the book in which this story first appeared.
Little WonderThey Sometimes Bite Us.
Hell For Us, Heaven For Satanists
There’s not much left to do but laugh. And plenty are already doing that. including our mates at the Shovel.
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Congratulations newly elected Mundingburra MP Janelle Poole assistant Minister Community safety , defence strategy , veterans , North Queensland . Busy week for Townsville with Premier Crisafulli and his wife Tegan attending Colliers Townsville Melbourne Cup function spending a lot of time listening to 300 business / investors in the room . Post event Premier announced his 2nd office would be located in Townsville . Unaware Premier met or spoke with Council and word is only one Councillor attended the Colliers event . I would have thought Council being $574.6 mil in debt they would need the support of investors ? . Your right Pie , until legislation is changed Councillors need to focus their approvals on local Government planning and environment code . If planning approval was based on Councillors personally preferences local planning would be a dogs breakfast . Aged care legislation is a Federal Government matter . There has been some land sold with Council building planning approval in place including childcare centre in the cbd .
Disagree with your analysis of why the vote went the way it did. I think pure economics had more to do with it. Your analysis suggests Biden would have won because he wouldn’t have suffered the misogynistic vote or the racist vote which I think you would agree would not have happened. Most commentators think Harris narrowed the gap.
What you’re quite reasonably suggesting is a matter of degree, but the data suggests that The ‘Pie’s theory holds water.
And if Biden hadn’t suddenly declined into gagaland, he would’ve made a strong and perhaps winning argument about all the positive moves he made that Trump will now inherit and boast as his own doing. besides, Biden had his best would’ve pitted a man of decency against the exact opposite. Kamala seemed a bit of flaky in her personal presentation, and was certainly no great orator.
Most analysis agrees with Magpie.
Although cost of living impacted the vote, the primary influence was misogyny. Trump would not have won against a man.
Note the rapid rise of the catch phrase “Your body, my choice”
As The ‘Pie has discovered in his nights back in Via Vomitorium, ‘your body, my choice’ isn’t always a winning gambit.
At least one prominent main stream media magazine isn’t cowed by Trump’s threats against the media. A contender for Cover of the Century.
What much of the world believes America so desperately needs now is a Claus von Stauffenberg … only a more competent one than the original.
It seems inevitable to The ‘Pie that Donald Trump will not see out his four years … not suggesting, just surmising.
Because he will be assassinated? Wouldn’t surprise me. RFK too. Maybe add Tulsi to the list. They all seem to be a fairly big threat to the establishment and it’s corruption.
Indeed they are a great threat to the establishment and its corruption … problem is, they want to supplant it with theirn own version. Which is arguably much worse.
Good analysis here on the “Bro Vote” essentially, straight white men felt left out.
https://youtu.be/sjwYQ4kIgEw?feature=shared
I look forward to more News Corpse documentaries where the title and subtitle have contradictory subjects.
I suspect a lot of rednecks would be disappointed to start watching TRUMP: The Kamala Harris Story without checking the fine print.
The Magpie is right, the council is not dysfunctional. At least not since the government adviser arrived to sort out the councilors. Dare we hope that the days of council teams are over.
Perhaps formal teams might be over for the time being, but informal alliances of self-interest will merge and morph and encourage corridor horse trading over various issues … that’s what’s called politics, and as much as we’d love to say there should be no politics in local government, it can';t be wished away, that is the way of human nature.
And The ‘Pie doesn’t understand your comment about the councillors being ‘sorted out’ by Nanny McPhee. Perhaps behind the scenes, our fraudulent mayor was read the riot act about extortion/blackmail and threats to his council colleagues. But OK , you said it, so what needed to be sorted out among the councillors, which you apparently believe has happened?
Working in multiple councils over my career I’d say TCC executive are working relatively well with the obvious exception of the foam flecked TwoStains Mayor. More discussion is held in the open, more dissent is allowed, fewer meetings and decisions are made in closed meetings. As some of the deadwood management goes and the shadow of Hill recedes there is the makings of a half decent operation.
Might have been the Joe Rogan effect. Millions of young American men listen to him and Trump went on there. He offered Kamala a spot as well a she refused. It might have helped.
Have you ever listened to Rogan? It would’ve been worse if she had accepted the offer. He is biased sleaze personified.
Yes I have but I’m not a fan. No doubt he bagged the f*ck out of her for not coming on. But his interview saw 20 milliopn views in 20 hours and a large number of them would have the feeling she was a coward who didn’t want to talk to them. Being an incumbent politiocian sucks right npw as Stephen Miles can attest to. I don’t think it was her sex though, in the words of Bill Hayden, a drover’s dog could have one that election.
Yeah, Rogan gamed her.
Pie, whilst Over 50s Communities, which come under Caravan Park Legislation, may seem unsavoury and restrictive, they are nonetheless very popular and becoming more so. They offer security without having the very large exit fees that come with Retirement Villages. I recently visited friends on the Sunshine Coast who bought into one and could not be happier.
On another note, when my wife and I visited Mumbai in 2013 we were taken on a guided tour of Dharavi Slum where small industry flourishes and considerable economic benefit flows – despite its cramped and unhygienic environment. We were advised by our guide that the definition of a slum is an area where residents own their houses but not their land!
Yes, as The ‘Pie pointed out, most residents are satisfied and happy with their lifestyle and the problems only arise when anyone wants to move out. It is axiomatic that if you have build a home on someone else’s land, you are at their mercy when it comes to chnage. That is what the complaints … and it looks like a subsequent inquiry …. is all about.
And class-ridden India is hardly a country on which to base a lease/build model on here … know you weren’t saying that, but just sayin’
Lifestyle villages and retirement villages are very poor investments and in my opinion highly unethical. Residents are guaranteed to lose money. In the case of retirement villages, where else (other than a retirent village) could you buy a 2-3 bed refurbished home for $350-450k and expect to lose 30% and upward on sell back? Takes months or even a year or two to sell. The over 55 lifestyle villages are even worse. To start with, nobody aged 55-65 is buying into these places its bullshit marketing. Aside from a few caravan and RV parks currently taking advantage of a poor housing availability, Townsville does not have a dedicated “Seniors Lifestyle Village” yet. We only have retirement villages. There is a difference but suspect the difference would be fudged to prospective buyers. Lifestyle village operators also reward referrers with handsome finders fees as well, so we could expect many local agents and brokers getting in on the action. ABC Four Corners have yet again stepped up to sound the alarm as they did with residential care. The Four Corners report on residential aged care was arguably the most influential example of responsible journalism and conduit for change in decades. We should sit up and take notice. These companies are just awful. The whole idea is to corral older people into these compounds tell them they’ll be safe because everyone else there is old, throw in a community pool and hall and rely on mother nature to run her course. These developers, in spite of their shitty business model know that the picking is ripe in the regional centres. A huge ageing community, who are nervous of high crime and shortage of affordable housing and rental options. They will flock like turtles to buy in, will be given limited time to review the contracts and ts & cs and hidden costs they will be told on inquiry, will be essentially just legislative loopholes. “We can charge this because theres nothing in the legislation to say we cant…look it up”. They promise safety and security all the while perpetuating what could be described as a huge financial abuse on retirees to the tune of hundreds of thousands for individual residents. I hope council consider the ethics around these villages and their financial models very carefully before approving.
The ABC investigation, which has prompted threatened federal action, was on 7.30, not 4 Corners.
And again, the councillors will find themselves in exactly the same position as with the child care centre last week. If the applicant meets ll the required criteria (and most likely to if Brazier Motti have done the spadework), councillors would again have the choice of knocking the project back and face huge legal fees in the Planning Court, or waving it through to avoid costs to ratepayers. It is unlikely council would vote on the grounds of morals or ethics, that is hardly their remit and offers an even bigger money sink hole. The Magpie for one would not like any of these councillors making moral decisions on his behalf.
And do ‘turtles flock’? Was this written by AI?
A bale of turtles or a dole of turtles.
I suppose a flock of Nesters would correctly be a Thicket?
… and a group of people offering short term love in return for money would be a Firm of Solicitors.
AI usually has a more coherent flow.
As our Jenny will attest. However, the giveaway is the smug, slightly patronising tone that Hal usually adopts.
A quick way to text is to copy paste the text into say chatgpt and ask it if this was written by AI. In this case the answer is no because: it’s emotive and opinionated with colloquial phrases, rhetorical questions, and critical phrases that feel conversational and personal.
AI tends to be more balanced and structured.
You can see turtles flock at Riverway with a few bits of bread. chucked in the river. And in June 2017 4 Corners did a similar story about retirement villages. Shocking as it was, it didn’t make much impact apparently.
Jenny – people have short memories, which is why house prices at Idalia, Oonoonba and the golf course are going absolutely gang busters at the moment. Flood, what flood.
Jenny,
You are a very naughty girl, and for all your infinite knowledge in great and alarming depth I thought that you would know that NOTHING IN THE AUSTRALIAN BUSH SHOULD BE FED BREAD!!
And that includes flocks of Ross River turtles.
Further white bread should not be fed to anyone. Wholemeal grain bread, ok.
Cautionary video link below.
https://youtu.be/HU6vL6aWVrA?si=X7mODTLrW5QiOBKZ
The main problem with these establishments is that vague piece of legislation, The Retirement Villages Act 1999. The legislation reads more like a suggestion guide than a piece of law.
The words, shall, will and must are rarely seen, in lieu of can, should an may. As such the operators can ride roughshod over the the occupants. Mind you, some operators are worse than others.
He’s back!
COUNCILLORS OFFICE:
In recent times I’ve been asked a lot about if TCC councillors should be based in their own divisions, much like our state members are. In principle, it’s a great idea, an office that people can go to within each of their divisions to raise matters.
The reality is it comes at a cost to run an office, and then there’s the support required. I’m sure there are assets in each division that may have the ability to house a councillor, but there’s much more needed.
Councillors often get emails, phone calls and have site visits to attend to. This is frontline, if it’s not through customer service, most inquiries are then sent to the department that looks after that area, I.e grounds maintenance for sports fields. All correspondence must be receipted in, and responded too, and at times escalated.
My preference is a mobile van, much like the police beat ones, a set of weekly dates and a location, this gives our community a fixed time, and the councillor the ability to prepare. Most importantly, it gives our community the ability to talk face to face with our divisional councillors about their concerns directly, and a chance to get to know their councillor.
I try to spend more than 50% of my time out of the concrete jungle at walker street, and love being amongst our wonderful community, I’d love to know your thoughts!
This is somehow an issue? A desperate attempt at some sort of relevance.
And this is a deeply troubled person whose cognitive ability is seriously impaired, the disjointed string of thought farts is alarming.
FFS as he says there are assets in each division where councillors can meet their constituents without any need for a van. Here’s some of them:
https://townsville.bookable.net.au/search?venueTypeId=13&showMoreSearch=false&showMoreAttribute=false
It’s a silly embellishment from a bloke who feels the walls closing in. He has taken a perfectly sensible Fran idea that councillors made themselves available at an established place (shopping centres, Bunnings, Sweethearts Sex Shop) at a advertised time for two hours every fortnight. But he has to over compolicated things to try for some relevance.
Mark Molachino did this on a regular basis.
Yes, he did Grumps, but four times a week at Sweethearts Sex Shop was considered an overkill !
Tend to agree, the councillors should be based in their divisions, not at walker street.
As a ratepayer, I think this is bullshit.
Residents are quite capable of picking up a phone, sending an email and using a SSS, or complaining of Facebook. Most ratepayers work so what’s the point of having your councillor lolling about in a public space while you’re at work and can’t get to them anyway.
Additionally, if you as a ratepayer want to get shit done via your councillor, they need access to council executives and resources to ask questions, submit requests and access reports and recommendations and disciplinematters with other councillors. Where better than council chambers which already has all these things available.
But yes, they need to show their faces in their divisions on a regular basis and be available to the community and actually have a clue about relevant issues. However, they should be based in chambers.
I’d rather they are out and about, as you clearly stated, they have phones, and laptops, they can get just as much done within their community as they can in chambers. Sorry, they need to be accountable in person to those who voted them in.
Nev, you really are a Neville. Have you ever considered, no matter whether they get it right or wrong when they consider an issue to vote on, just how much reading they are required to do? And inquiry about points that are not clear? That’s ALL councillors EVERYWHERE, not just in Townsville. And interacting with staff is an important part of getting things done.You’ve got it back to front .. someone has a problem, they bring it to their councillors by whatever way they can … and talking in person will always require written back-up, not just on a random street chat by memory.
You suggested Magpie that todays council could start the task of marching Townsville into a more respectable position, even if Malfeasance in the past was proven.
I am not sure how that could happen if any of the current councillors and high ranking TCC officials participated in any unlawful decisions in the past that either constitute Malfeasance or more importantly MISFEASANCE IN PUBLIC OFFICE.
I am aware that the new mayor has received some information and evidence from a rate payer alleging the above. However he has taken the option not to investigate the matter, or have the decency to contact or reply to the person involved. I am aware that the information he received clearly outlined where the council had knowingly breached its obligations under the Local Government Act. The I am also aware the rate payer concerned has received a letter from the TCC admitting that previous advice was wrong but without an apology which is extraordinary given the implications.
I believe the Dept of Local Government, the Dept of resources, their Ministers, the former Premier and the QPS have conspired to cover up this matter. This is confirmed by their refusal to supply the rate payer mentioned above, with all the information (which is in the public interest) in relation to the matter under the RTI ACT. This includes refusing to provide the information to the OFFICE of the INFORMATION COMMISSIONER.
Given the serious allegations and the Mayors statements since coming to office concerning transparency and fairness , it appears he is selective when it comes to the Local Government Act and it’s principles .
The ‘Pie is certain he not the only one who hasn’t as clue what the fuck you’re on about.
That is not to say that your fibbing o anything, it’s just that your entire comment is talking in riddles as you dodge around avoiding names and defining issues. All of which is as useful as a chocolate teapot.
You brought up the subject of Malfeasance Magpie. I know of an example.
If this irritates you I don’t think you will cope if I provide names of the people who are implicated in the matter.
And it stands to reason nobody knows what the fuck I am on about because you are the only one who has read my comment. In any case I doubt any member of the public would expect me to be able to outline the the full details and explain the full legal argument on here.
You’re fun.
The only way to read old-mates message might be to drink an awful lot, then smoke some stuff, then try again. What a bag full of weasels. The moment they write “I am aware that the new mayor” and follow up with a lot of capital letters and random exclamation marks you know that it is from the cooker “mother ship” beamed direct into their eye sockets.
Tell the ratepayer concerned (it’s you, isn’t it?) to go public with their allegations.
I can confirm the matter is heading to the Supreme Court where the case will be judged on facts and not opinions.
No you can’t confirm any such thing. You obviously haven’t got a clue how the judiciary works.
Ooohh how exciting, vagaries and ambiguities.
That capitalisation suggests a disordered thought process – very much sounds like a SovShit.
Can I have some croutons with that word salad?
Smiley Miles can’t be serious? What the actual fuck..He must be taking the piss and looking for an ollie jolly to FNQ! Anyone with half a brain could see through his desperate manoeuvre to gain votes as he gave people a few hundred bucks for electricity and 50 cent train fares. The 3 useless Townsville representatives need no explanation and the election result in Townsville showed what locals thought of the Miles government and the 3 stooges. Piss off Steven, and take your lapdog Dick with you.
And yet people voted for an Adult Crime, Adult Time policy where the application wasn’t properly thought through and hasn’t yet been modelled.
I believe the slogan was “If you don’t know, vote no” and yet…
DN, At the state election we couldn’t vote yes or no. But we could vote for our candidate in order of preference and your labor mates we well down the list. So that’s how they got turfed out.
PR,
That Smiley Miles came to Townsville to engage with the locals to learn why he got the arse tells me that not only he and the Useless Three were not listening for years before the election, (“Your all a bunch of LNP rent-a-crowd. “) they are not listening now, with no need to come here.
This tells me that Smiley Miles is best qualified for leader of the opposition, and in that role long may he reign.
Unless we kark-it prematurely we will all have to face the day we stop driving. Have a read of the attached article, and file under Unbelievable.
I am in favour of a theory and practical driving test to regain a license after disqualification and for the “more mature driver” perhaps at 75 and 80.
The elderly driver is wait for it 97.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11-11/elderly-driver-failed-test-wants-licence-back/104571656
All this reminds me of a comment from a teenage girl some time back,
“When I die I want to go peacefully in my sleep like Grandma, not yelling and screaming like the others in Grandma’s car.”
Great read about the Katter Party Magpie , they have to be the biggest freeloaders that State and Federal Parliament have ever seen. Nick Dametto has grandstanded about the Cardwell Boat Ramp for 7 years and has achieved nothing. So many Facebook , Social media and TV stories you could put together a mini series about it. Every couple of months Nick tells the people of Cardwell he has secured this or that but like usual nothing.
The big winner is Nick licking the trough clean whilst achieving absolutely nothing for Hinchinbrook Shire
And yet Dametto polled over 46% of the vote, nearly double his nearest rival. You can’t say the electorate knew nothing about him.
????
You know the Bullshitten has “jumped the shark” when the online breaking news headlines include the funeral notices and the court list. What a yawn. Someone should check if the editor peacefully passed away at her desk.
Funeral notices and the court list are actually relevant local news.
They are NOT news they are community service announcement … occasionally one item in other area may become a news story, but generally, no, they are not considered news.
The Court List is a highly political and sensitive matter. Extremely delicate issues and a strict pecking order. I have witnessed more than one tantrum.
That only makes it a list, not news. Only the outcomes are news.
So Twonames is back posting Councillor content on his Facebook page. At least he is now avoiding emotional ‘they are out to get me’ type posts. Either way, he is still a fuckstick. I pity his fellow servants, I mean Councillors.
I’m actually glad he is back, gives me something to read, because the time he was out (2 weeks) was not entertaining at all, and Magpie almost had nothing to talk about, at least now he can carry on with his online regurgitation of past events. I do like the fact Mr Trump has won in a landslide though, and all he has to secure is the house and its all one way, finally!
‘Finally’ is exactly the right word.
The Mayor has posted a ‘lest we forget’ post on his Facebook page. Totally hypocritical from the man who spun lies about his own military background. Fucking grub.
It’s also a six-month-old photo, same one he posted on Anzac Day.
He’s ducking the military crowds..
If you were him, wouldn’t you?
I heard on the ABC radio he was with his family as there is someone pretty crook, his mother I think, family should always be first. I know he has been to the Oasis, as I saw him there twice last month, and at a few private veterans’ events, as well he is in constant correspondence with the military over projects, so I don’t believe he is avoiding it. I won’t be knocking a bloke for choosing his mum first.
You are a confabulating fuckwit.
He never showed up to any of the remberance day event but posted like he attended.
He had another engagement, have still seen him out and about a lot, so he’s definitely not hiding. He was at the Mater yesterday morning. Saw him there.
Pathetic.
So all those politicians that posted photos of poppy fields went out to take that photo on the day? No. It is just a photo of relevance. Some Councillors didn’t even acknowledge the day. Don’t hear you complaining about them. Looks like you just want to pick on Mr Mayor at any opportunity.
You’re damn right we want to pick on the nightmayor at any opportunity. That’s what decent normal people with pride in their city do when it is threatened with irreparable damage by a conman criminal fraudster and serial liar, and his fucking feeble minded enablers like you, you lickspittle jellybacked moron. (Phew, that feels better.)
I bet Troy is hoping we’ve all been concussed and forget that he’s used the same image from his Anzac Day post because he did not go to a Remembrance Day service. I was told Food Trucks gave the speech at Strand and I witnessed the parking inspector I mean Robinson give his at Riverway
It is hard to imagine that even someone of the degenerate level of Thompson’s disrespect would be stupid enough to show his face at RD ceremonies. He surely didn’t anywhere, did he?
As we know Pie, there in fact lies the problem. If TwoNames can’t attend what is significant events in this City as Mayor, then he needs to do the honourable thing (not that he has any) and go.
Exactly. Unlikely to be welcomed by the government is Brisbane, either, as he wasn’t by the previous administration.
But Scooby, mate, get used to it, they’re all wrong and he is right.
You realise that the mayors page will often reuse photos of relevance for a post. That does not mean he is at that specific location at the time. I think there is one of him holding a folder that has been used multiple times. Really not a big deal. When people post images of a Remembrance Day poppy doesn’t mean that they picked that poppy for the photo.
You breally are desperate, aren';t you, dearie? Go have a cuppa, a Bex and a good – long – lie down.
The folder that contains his extensive military records?
Shaun Micallef on his underestimation of Trump:
“After all, he was a well-known quantity now: a fulminating blowhard with neither dignity nor shame; a cry-baby idiot who knew nothing worthwhile about anything, least of all his limitations; a pompous, inarticulate, opportunistic, grifting windbag; a liar, a cheat, a moral and, on a number of occasions, actual bankrupt; a felon several times over; a fire-and-Fred Flintstone carnival-barking Florida real estate salesman playing to, it turns out, not so much the lowest but the largest common denominators of aspiration and greed.”
Miles and the Dick in Townsville, probably to apologise to the local Union heavyweights for Labor’s massive hiding. Miles and his Dick best be on their way, they aren’t wanted around FNQ. Fuck off wankers.
Why do you call her food truck Greaney?
Keep up TC!
There are so many reasons some which are obvious but her claim to fame is supporting the community food trucks debarcle.
TC,
When was the last time you were up Castle Hill to see the spot where no-one would rebuild a cafe/restaurant where one from the 1970s tried and failed. Regardless the Mullet and the local councillor, Greaney would not be deterred.
By the way TC, you have not been here long have you? Not your fault.
In stead of a hill top cafe/restaurant The Mullet and Greaney champion Food Trucks!
On the right hand side of the road, just before the top of Castle Hill you will see a postage stamp sized piece of land with a couple of shelter sheds.
Purpose, to accommodate food trucks to meet the needs of the 5 to 10 people per hour that visit castle hill, bugger all of whom want a feed.
Now here is the exciting part. Councillor Greaney’s pet project only cost the ratepayers, of a city millions of dollars in debt, ,,,,,wait ,,,,,,,for ,,,,,,,it
$3,000,000.00
AND, GUESS WHAT,
A food truck has never, ever set up shop on this spot.
AND guess what boys and girls, this genius of a Councillor, forever known as Food Trucks Greaney is angling to become mayor.
Do yourself a favor. Drive up Castle Hill, look at Food Trucks 3 million dollar flop, the size of my back yard, and consider what good could have been done by someone with half a brain and a moral compass.
I hope that answers your question.
Mad Jack, when you work yourself into a frenzy your memory gets patchy and parts get lost altogether. On 5 February 2021, TCC issued a media release extolling the virtues of a revised plan for the site of the old Panorama House. Towards the end of the tedious story, which was a whole lot of blah blah from Jenny Hill about food trucks instead of a permanent ‘cafe’, the funding arrangement was revealed:
“Federal Member for Herbert Phillip Thompson said he was looking forward to seeing how the space would be used.
“While it may not be what was originally envisioned for the area, this will allow multiple different businesses to use the site simultaneously and provide a more wide-ranging offering,” he said.
“Our Building Better Regions Fund was created to drive economic growth and build stronger regional communities and this project ticks both of those boxes.
“BBRF funding has also helped council deliver other projects to activate Castle Hill.
“In total, $3.93 million was budgeted, with the Australian Government and Council contributing $1.965 million each to create the event space as well as to install permanent light infrastructure for the highly popular HALO event, and construct a new boardwalk-style pedestrian staircase on Walker Street connecting the hill with the CBD.
“These initiatives help us capitalise on of one of our city’s most recognisable assets, making Townsville an even better place to live for locals and providing other attractions to draw tourists to the region.”
Thanks Jenny. Are you still feeding bread to the Ross River turtles?
Mad Jack, I pass by Riverway regularly on my e-scooter and see heaps of kids feeding anything they can get their hands on including pizza, BBQ sausage and fish and chips to the turtles who just can’t get enough and line up for more. I ask the Lord to forgive them for they know not what they do. What would you do?
What would I do?
As a regular at Riverway my usual approach is to approach the miscreants, drawing myself up to my 6ft, 3 3/4 inch stature and in my rich baritone voice suggest,
“Don’t give them that crap! It’s junk food that will make them sick.”
It makes bugger all difference as ignorance and stupidity cannot be corrected on one chance encounter.
Electric scooter you say, too posh to push?
Electric scooter,? I take it you are not a swimmer.
Actually, I am a swimmer and since Cr Suzy Batkovic personally overspent all those ratepayer millions creatively restoring the flood-damaged Riverway pool and gardens (and library and cafe) I’ve become a sort of irregular there. Can’t see the turtles from the pool though.
The imagination runs wild thinking of you in a cossie, Jenny. There will be those who have fantasies of you doing a poolside Dance of the Seven Veils, but The ‘Pie reckons more your go would be the Dance of the Seven Army Surplus Blankets.
Magpie, I thought about thinking of you in veils or less but decided to challenge the ‘Nest with this instead:
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2024/nov/12/steph-wilson-wins-taylor-wessing-photography-prize-with-striking-portrait?CMP=share_btn_url
I see the inverted commas. Who/what are you quoting. Attribution, my dear, attribution.
Google it you ignoramus. As if you care. As Shaun Micallef said on my behalf, “In real life, though, I shouldn’t be as snotty as that. Nor should I be condescending about their simple, home-spun and uneducated ways. They can’t help being ignorant, and who am I to say they are and whose fault it is they can’t see it. Same with willful stupidity. I need to get my head out of the clouds (or very likely, my arse), get down off my nose-bleedingly high horse, and fall down the steps of my ivory tower so I can rub shoulders with the great unwashed and largely unvaccinated hoi polloi (I’ve probably been wrong about Ivermectin too).”
Why am I not surprised you ride an e-scooter?
I don’t ride, I ‘progress’, thank you.
Not around here you don’t, always the same old same old Jenny … but we luv ya, kiddo.
I came in late and have the same question.
“community food trucks debarcle”? The castle hill one, from mad jack?
The Castle Hill food truck embarrassment isn’t Greaney’s only expensive failure.
Other white elephants she has overseen as Division 3 councilor include, but are not limited to, Flinders Lane, the Flinders Street East boardwalk, North Australian Festival of Arts, Townsville Eats, and Palmer Street alfresco dining precinct. If she was in private business,she would have been bankrupt years ago.
Io, if you were an expert witness in facts reporting you would bring the profession into disrepute. Greaney might have hankered for a spot with the big kids in the Castle Hill shelter story but she was outgunned by Council Infrastructure Services committee chairperson Cr Kurt Rehbein who was quoted, after the mayor and the federal member had delivered their memorable contributions, saying, “the various projects were unlocking Castle Hill’s full potential.” A-MG didn’t get a look in.
Jenny (Elusive Butterfly), love your gentle stirring about Phil Thompson. Can’t help yourself can you? Food Trucks Greaney is leftovers from the Hill era. She doesn’t rank above zero on the quality councillor scale. But I’m sure you have coffee with her, up at Castle Hill, regularly.
Io, you are dead right about Greaney being a leftover from the Hill regime, although you need to admit that she was comfortably re-elected at the same time Hill was turfed. I was more concerned about your apparent desire to paint the minor councillor into a picture already occupied by politicians way above her station, including, as it happens, the even more popularly re-elected member for Herbert, Phil Thompson. He’s a champion of funding for Townsville projects as we saw from his re-direction of the Haughton2 money back in August 2020.
Mayor Hill, quoted in another TCC release at that time, said TaskforceNQ, of which Mr Thompson was a member, had already identified jobs-generating, shovel-ready projects that could be funded by the Australian Government. These included the development of the Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct into a turn-key site ready for use by private enterprise, an upgrade to the Cleveland Bay Purification Plant and a number of health and social programs. As it happens, the two leaders got together a number of times over the heads of lowly councillors and funded projects which we now, churlishly, deem to be lemons – and suddenly it wasn’t their idea at all.
Jenny , more to the Castle Hill storey . 2020 Council conducted a pilot program allowing a food truck to trade there . The new space will accomodate more food trucks said Council . Taskforce NQ shovel ready projects delivered the Hilton which Councillors voted not to approve ..Is Council still funding NQROC Tville , Palm , Burdekin , Hinchinbrook , Charters Towers group ? . Riverway flood recovery $ diverted to other more important projects then Riverway library relocation and repairs blew out by $5 mil . I note our Mayor posted all the grants Mayor Hill gave away vs himself on his fb .
Jenny, what you need representing Townsville is not the Labor acolytes and brainless Mayor that we have, but someone who is caring and passionate, physically fit, regularly bike rides up castle hill, has a handle on local realestate prices and understands law. Give me a call if you are interested. Cheers
Lame Stephen, I/we just need you to nominate. The electorate will choose.
TaskforceNQ, Thompson was never a member. Back on the pipe you go.
Jenny is Food Trucks?
I’d like to see townsville common re opened to traffic and add another location for people to visit for low cost. You used to be able to drive across to a carpark next to the hill near Shelly Beach – it wouldn’t cost 3 million dollars. It’s the townsville/ Australian way to keep locking places away from the public.
It’s time to vote for the Independents. Get rid of the mainstream shit politicians and take back our country. Enough of this woke bullshit and climate farce that our pollies are obsessing over. Let the taxpayer tell the UN, IMF, and world bank to get fucked and stay out of our business. It’s time to take back our country.
Brilliant …. why hasn’t anyone else thought of this?
MAGA – Make Antarctica Great Again
Penguins for Trump
If Trump has his way, ironically, he’ll be the man who Makes Antarctica Green Again … before becoming just rocks.
Thinking of the Trump assassination attempt perhaps it should be Make Accurate Guns Again.
But now we have the problem the couch fancier who will succeed him … and as strange as it may sound, Vance would be worse. Wonder if Israel is interested in a tender to supply the US Government with pagers.
They just don’t get it! If Council wants community input into an important document like the Council Corporate Plan, then Councillors and senior Council bureaucrats need to get off their fat arses and set up a number of community consultations across the city where people live. Ever thought of holding community consultations at venues such as Willows Shopping Centre, Rupertswood Community Centre, Townsville Shopping Centre, Fairfield Waters Shopping Centre, Burdel, Rollingstone, Cungulla, Magnetic Island and so on. Two community consultations at 103 Walker Street in a somewhat controlled environment just doesn’t cut it. Ask yourselves, is someone from Woodstock, Mutanee or Cungulla going to drive into the city for this farce, are you listening Brody Phillips.
Are the Councillors too gutless to go out to the community and hear what people actually think.
The other question that I ask myself is how much influence does Council bureaucracy have on developing the Corporate Plan so that it meets their views through their rose coloured glasses.
https://www.townsville.qld.gov.au/about-council/news-and-publications/media-releases/2024/november/residents-to-help-shape-city
Well, for a start, this document is complete and meaningless drivel, clearly inspired by our scheming mayor and his MyPlace cultists. (Where the fuck do you think the non-issue of fluoride has come from?)
How can we believe the mayor when he says he wants to know what we think about moving the city forward, when we have told him that the first step MUST BE him stepping down. If he doesn’t listen to that overwhelming call, why should anyone believe his too-clever-by-half call to involve us all in giving ideas to ‘include in the Corporate Plan’.
This is insidious stuff, with Thompson using council communications to write what is essentially an attempt at personal boosterism, to try and get people to approve of him … it is campaigning, pure and simple, why else would anyone give a silly roll call of suburbs across the city when anyone governed by the TCC knows who their council is. And the basic idea and format itself is simply a recipe for mayhem and ultimate sullen disappointment,it is simply unworkable as a meaningful exercise, a dumb effort to insert all sorts of unworkable ignorant issues into a public discussion and agenda, so Thompson can champion the unachievable and when it is knocked back, give a sympathetic shrug and simper ‘Well, I tried, I’m for you, I’m your champion’.
This corporate plan you speak of, has nothing to do with Thompson, just take a good look at the details, it has come from the ops team, the media team use his name as he is the head. My bet is he won’t attend any of the sessions, as he had nothing to do with it, if the councillors are out in numbers, it’ll show who’s in charge for sure.
Disagree, Mike. It reads like nit was written by TwoNames himself, and it is completely pointless twaddle. Does anyone really believe thatsomeone will pop up with an idea that hasn’t been canvassed before and has never happened? Members of the public often get obsessed with an idea thatb at its core, seems a good idea but on closer examination,m poses sometimes insurmountable problems. Thisb idea is a fiction Thompson has jumped onto and turned into an exercise he hopes will enhanced his likeability. And good luck with that, mate, you’re still a crooked chisller.
G’day Pie
I tend to disagree, this has none of Thompson usual footprints, and is very much an operational refresh I’m told. All he is doing these days is attend schools, and events when his time permits, he is still seen out a lot more than others, I’ll at least give him that much, for now.
I saw the pipeline info this morning in the Bulletin, very vague still, but I’d like to know exactly how much is going into the project from ratepayers. Regardless, it should’ve been close to completion already!
Mike, it pains me to point out that people who use the phrase ‘I am told’ come under immediate suspicion of making things up (same as ‘word on the street’). But The Magpie is satisfied with his experience in parsing language to tell you that you are dead set wrong – it is exactly the sort of childish and patronising guff that TwoNames would put his name to. And that you are are one of his cultists if not actually the man himself.
This is an exercise in industrial democracy.
Critical, not sure if you read the media release you linked us to but this is a sentence from it:
“We have two large community drop-in sessions available for people to come down and chat to our Councillors, a number of smaller more localised sessions throughout the suburbs, or people can simply jump online and complete our Have Your Say Survey.”
Some people have already been invited to “smaller more localised sessions” in their division by a TCC mail out. For example I’m told there’s one at Horseshoe Bay later in the month.
And if you seriously think these ‘tut tut, that’s terrible’ sessions will achieve anything, I’ve got a tin of tartan paint for you. They are a good idea for contact, but the benefit is all for the councillors just for showing up.
Magpie, I was simply reporting something I came across in the local media. One thing that might be of interest is the entire question of paid parking – whether in the CBD, Palmer St, The Strand or in the vicinity of the Mater in Pimlico. If there’s actual public opinion out there (yet to be demonstrated objectively) maybe it will be publicly analysed, reported and acted on. You could pursue your passion for a light rail network. You never know, Troy might be a closet fat controller.
The Magpie has never advocated a light rail network i.e.,trams, in part because we simply do not have the population for it. What has confused you is The ‘Pie’s quite reasonable call for the reintroduction of modern ‘rail cars’ which used run very successfully between the ‘ville and Ingham, and south ton Ayr. It is feasible and affordable (these things never actually pay for themselves, but the benefits are a easing of traffic congestion, which is already evident in the Northern beaches. The rails are there all that is needed is suitable placed ground-level station stops and of course the rolling stock.
Jenny, I’m in the Mundingburra/Rosslea area and no letter box information drops here and I haven’t heard of anyone receiving an invitation. If invitations are being sent out, what criteria is being used to select the location of the consultations and how are the invitees being selected. Smaller localised consultations certainly don’t allow all community members to have a say within their local community.
I’m now wondering how various community interest groupssuch as sporting clubs, arts and cultural groups the health sector environment groups, the Chamber of Commerce and so on are being consulted.
My point is that any community consultations should be held in local communities and widely advertised so that the consultations are accessible and so that anyone can easily attend.
As for online surveys, Townsville City Council surveys are known to be designed to elicit the answers that Council wants to hear and not what the community really thinks.
Other people are concerned that these surveys are information harvesting on people completing the surveys.
My fault Critical. In fact I read about the Horseshoe Bay thing in the Magnetic Community News online which seems to be a mouthpiece for Maggie Island though the MIRRA group.
Nice to see you keep up with the news on the island. TCC use the MCN to notify the local residents of meetings etc.
As for MIRRA they are the only community group that holds public open meetings and the meetings are well attended.
There are other community groups on the island but it’s difficult to know what they really stand for MICDA seem more interested in getting grants to save the reef than being a true community and development association.
MINCA is just against everything and TMI is struggling to work out what they are?
MIRRA does not rely on grants and is highly respected here on the island.
But Jen girl you already know that because you know everything, shame your consultancy business is not going well.
Funny how you forget your own stuff, IV. In a Magnetic Community News reporting on the September 2022 MIRRA AGM, the record shows:
“This was followed by the general meeting which began with a report on the meeting with the Museum of Underwater Art. All Island organisations had agreed and voted against the installation being put in Geoffrey or Alma Bays, leaving the options of Nelly Bay or John Brewer Reef. A letter from MOUA said that now this had happened GBRMPA would have to start public consultation all over again unless all organisations agreed to forgo this. The meeting did not approve that course of action with one attendee saying that the sculptures looked great in the museum and should stay there.”
So MIRRA voted to oppose the MOUA installation, joining the campaign by other Maggie Island organisations (ie. MICDA, MINCA, the Traditional Owners, Arcadia Coastcare) who had already voiced their disapproval in writing or via their own public websites.
There was another titbit. “The meeting was asked what had happened to the offer by Cr Greaney of $250 to defray MIRRA’s operating costs and the executive committee said it wasn’t worth the bureaucratic bother.” Now there’s a backhander!
Community consultation sessions are worthless wastes of time dominated by unemployed busybodies.
I’ve been walking up the various tracks on the hill for a couple of years now, but never actually had a look at the unused shelter sheds. No water, no power, no toilet and no spectacular ocean views. Why would anyone stop when the amenities are 200m further up the road?
W.M.,
A fair question. The answer is to ponder where $3,000,000.00 went.
The original Panorama House got smashed in Cyclone Althea, Christmas 1971. I don’t think the restaurant business survived but the building was used for a while after it had been repaired. It was always pretty bare and featureless up there.
https://stories.townsville.qld.gov.au/nodes/view/15595
My grandmother was going to social events at Panorama house well in the 1970’s and a friend was married there in 2005. Yasi was the final straw – parts of the roof lifted and it was flooded with rain water. It was boarded up and finally demolished.
I recall going there for a ball in ~2001-2002. I think that it was one of the last functions held there.
I can remember a work Xmas party up at Panorama House in the late 70’s/early 80’s.
A courtesy bus picked us up at Queens Gardens and drove us up and then back later in the evening. There wasn’t a lot of room for parking up there.
I can’t remember when it got demolished.
Cann you remember if you got demolished?
ABC News 5 March 2012
“The Townsville City Council is calling for public submissions on how to redevelop the site of the old Panorama House.
The Castle Hill landmark was finally demolished on the weekend after the council late last year declared the former function venue beyond repair.
Councillor Vern Veitch says the site could be used in a variety of ways.
“I’d like to hear from the general public but I think there’s some options that have already been floated like having a large viewing area, maybe somewhere where people could have an outdoor function such as a wedding ceremony,” he said.
“Some people have mentioned the possibility of somewhere for a cold drink, a kiosk type of thing, although that’s probably more appropriate back on the other side of the road.”
Cr Veitch says the area was difficult to clear, with a lot of work going into stabilising the ground.
“It required specialist handling, particularly for the asbestos,” he said.
“It also required seven hundred tonne of fill to be bought in to stabilise the area after we’d finished so that we’ve got an area that won’t erode and run down the face of Castle Hill.”
And there you are, although it took some time, the council finally caved in to the clamouring and agreed to a couple of shelter sheds and a bit of lawn. Such an obvious and popular solution, one wonders why it took so long.
Anybody who says this is a criminal waste of Townsville’s potential are just whingers and if they don’t like, they can piss off back to wherever they came from. Oh, what’s tha, they’re from here?
Well, fuckem, anyway.
One supposes they’ll get upset when the council calls tenders and announces a contest for more artistic works for the face of Castle Hill, which will be curated by the local elders of the Kikakanalong tribe. But this is expected to be opposed by one councillor and two TCC bureaucrats, who want a light show arrangements will will screen advertisements throughout the night on the face of the hill, bringing in much needed revenue for the executive drinks cabinet.
‘If we don’t do this, it will just remain a useless rock face,’ said the councilor with a merry twinkle in his famously humorous eye.
Magpie, wonder where the 700 tonne of dirt came from? Was it swapped for 700 tonnes of asbestos polluted soil removed from the site (to some playground in the ‘burbs?). Anyway, Phil Thompson got the last laugh by referring to it as an ‘event space’.
Agree, it’s a big waste of money, and other than the odd event, it’ll do very little.
Yes ‘pie, the Pallarenda snake, Mr Tonge has slithered his way back to the GC and gone to ground after administrators sounded the sirens. Nice little mess he’s left although a few property owners walked after seeing his true colours.
But worry not; he’s still trying to sink his fangs into the local property market. Same coloured white shoes, just with him name on someone’s business card this time.
Care to expand a bit on that last matter?
But maybe you won’t need to, no doubt ace investigative reporter LightOn Smith will do A story on the new business entity which has great plans to build an international superyacht marina … on Ross River Dam. Hope he doesn’t forget to tell us how many jobs this will create.
Light-on Smith won’t do any investigative journalism as he is not a journalist. At least we now know why he would never report on anything negative that Hill did, Light-on’s bride is a Labor hack. Transparency and unbiased factual reporting is not part of his modus operandi.
Known Labor stooges at the Bulletin;
Garvey, Burns, Smith, Bates & Wilson!
By the way, how does the Bulletins very own Wilson get a guernsey on the Smart Precinct NQ board? Sponsored by TCC. You can’t tell me there’s no conflict there. Ellis, Wilson, and team, is it a wonder marketeeer Cass can’t get the mayor to attend.
Crikey, Troy, you got out of the wrong side of the bed this morning, mate.
Just saw Asperger Musk on TV he’s been appointed to a new and very original government dept, wherein efficiency is to be instilled into the US Gov. bureaucracy.
I have worked “under” a couple of whirlwinds like him, they never let up, they are a perpetual pain, BUT they get quality results.
Interesting times coming up in Washington.
Musk is in the Trump mould, wealthy by luck with a propensity to lose his dough through boastful/intemperate action (like renaming Twitter X). His regard for truth, facts and integrity also match Trump’s. his is arguably one of the worst appointments imaginable … oh, weight (wait), we’ve got the new Boss Hog in charge of exigration. (The ‘Pie’s word, feel free.)
The Brits were into exigration.
First to the Americas, then when they lost that, to the Great South Land, starting in 1788.
More recently last century, exigrating orphaned children (and some were not orphaned) to the “care” of religious orders in Australia. Movie Oranges and Sunshine deals with the shameful episode. David Hill, ex ABC chairman, as a child born out of wedlock was exigrated to Australia.
To add to the HO LEE FUCKERY going on in Trumpistan, this from US media:
The decision by US President-elect Donald Trump to nominate a Fox News host as his secretary of defence has sent the public scrambling to learn more. Pete Hegseth’s nomination is certain to generate controversy after he previously expressed disdain for the so-called “woke” policies of Pentagon leaders, including its top military officer.
Pete Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel’s Fox & Friends Weekend and has been a contributor with the network since 2014. He developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show.
Hegseth was an infantry captain in the Army National Guard and served overseas in Afghanistan, Iraq and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. He was the former head of Concerned Veterans for America, a group backed by conservative billionaires Charles and David Koch, and unsuccessfully ran for the Senate in Minnesota in 2012.
What could possibly go wrong?
Musk and Trump are well suited to each other. Both are narcissistic with the tendency to self promote themselves at any and every opportunity. Musk, with Asperger’s, and Trump being a sociopath, will make for entertaining viewing over the next few years. I can imagine both of them each having a key to the nuclear weapons. Exciting times.
And to think we scoffed at Dr Strangelove.
One of the finest movies made on many levels. I have the DVD downstairs.
Um, DVD.
Your basement has two levels?
I didn’t say I admired them, my primary comment was that the US “Public/Civil” Service will now have to perform like the rest of we/they plebs.
Mr. President, I’m not saying we wouldn’t get our hair mussed. But I do say no more than ten to twenty million killed, tops. Uh, depending on the breaks.”
Speaking of drinks cabinets…does the members only ‘fridge for after meeting tipples still exist?