… and it may be the Frankie and Jenny love story of a sort, but no sex involved that we know of. The heat is being piled on Magnis Energy boss Frank Poullas, our mayor’s BFF, and he is being given the big side-eye by financial regulators for suspect share manipulation. So should we be looking at Jenny Hill’s involvement with her BFF Big Frankie? The Magpie lets you decide.
The TCC comes up with an hilarious ‘and take that any way you want to’ slogan for its latest waste of ratepayer funds on a pointless bit of self-promoting virtue signalling.
Is the Lansdown Eco Precinct the destination for another pipeline, one not for water? Based on an unexplained statement during the week, The ‘Pie asks the questions.
And on the move again … TEL’s plush new offices at an el swisho CBD address (pardon the oxymoron) are getting a swanky fit-out, but who’s paying? The ‘Pie thinks it must be us muggins getting mugged again.
TRIGGER WARNING: Dick pics are in the news, so The ‘Pie thought he show you his personal favourite dick pic … not for the faint hearted or those eating breakfast.
The usual collection of Bulletin entertainments for your pleasure … the whole paper is becoming one big puzzle and comics page.
And as though one wasn’t enough … our mayor has a double … a true doppelganger (not a joke, fair dinkum).
Plus our regular US gallery, all that and more here in this week’s Nest.
Now for your weekly ‘help wanted’ ad – as in ‘help wanted’ for the blog. A biggy landed in The Nest this week – the annual bill for the web hosting. To use a Trumpism, it is a majorly big slug, and a helping hand meeting it would be greatly appreciated. You can chuck a few bob towards this on-going effort to keep the bastards honest by using the donate button at the bottom of the blog. Thanks.
Now onward.
Perhaps They Should Charge Him With Assault By Battery
Hate to again say told you so, but … told you so, and have been telling you so for four or five years. now.
And that was just the start of a major running series over several days in The Australian and other finance pages.
“Long simmering tensions among Magnis Energy directors have spilt into public view after the company’s audit and risk committee chairman abruptly quit the high-profile hi-tech batteries player.
Richard Petty had only joined the board in March, and the company gave no reason for his resignation. Dr Petty had been listed for re-election at the Magnis annual general meeting next week.
The Magnis board in October engaged a crisis consultant to address growing media and governance issues relating to the board, according to two sources briefed on the appointment. That consultant began several days after Magnis was forced to respond to an ASX question about whether a company claiming to be a significant customer had sufficient resources to have entered the $334m agreement. He exited the company on Tuesday, unable to resolve the internal issues.”
Central to regulators concerns is something The Magpie has been highlighting for more than two years … the tactic of ‘pump and dump’ … it is the phrase used around stock market action for unethical if not outright illegal inflating the share price with over-enthusiastic ‘you beaut’ announcements to get a lift in stock value, then dumping shares at the higher price for a juicy profit.
An interesting if small point for The Magpie was when Poullas understandably went to ground when all this broke, and when a reporter rang his home, the woman who answered told the reporter ‘The Australian is scum’ and hung up. To journalists everywhere, such a response is a sure sign that someone knows they have been caught out.
But the focus for Townsville in this saga should centre on the mayor’s office.
Jenny Hill of course has no hand in any Magnis share manipulation, beyond continually simpering nice, empty things about the company. (And anyone who buys anything on this mayor’s recommendation deserves whatever they get.) Predictably, Mayor Mullet primly told the Astonisher’s quavering inquiry that it wasn’t appropriate for her to comment while an investigation was underway.
But any investigation would not preclude her from revealing how much due diligence the council undertook when this whole idea of giving Magnis a parcel of land gratis suddenly materialised. It would also not prevent her from disclosing who approached who, and just how this whole shambles came about in the first place. It was about the same time the completely unexpected Lansdown project was revealed. Magnis were suddenly the anchor tenant, with all sorts of rainbows coming out of its – and Jenny’s – corporate/council arse.
Like our part-time, half million dollar man, TCC CEO Prins Ralson, Poullas knows a gullible mug when he sees one, and he went in like a barracuda. Trip to the state’s to meet some fellow slickers? No probs. Soothing statements to keep the enthusiasm up? Sure. Promise of a ‘stage 1’ re-packing’ shed to parcel up American produced batteries, of course, sure thing. Meanwhile, the Magnis board’s member turnstile has been spinning like a whirling dervish, and shares have been seemingly been ‘pumped and dumped’ in a coordinated rhythm.
Which all devolves down into this custard stroke: did the mayor have any inkling that her unicorn battery factory was slowly trotting off into the sunset, taking a chunk of state and council money with it, and if so, why did she not consider a transparent statement to ratepayers about it? And if she didn’t know – which would be a stretch, since she has someone monitor this blog on a weekly basis – is she a fit person to hold office over this city’s finances and progress? Are we into CCC territory yet?
In his inimitable way, our man Bentley has been bothered by the same questions.
And her insistence on this issue may lead to other confusion, too.
They Said It … The Townsville Council Spinners Get One Thing Right
The mayor’s latest idiotic waffle in a media release on Friday gave us the startling news:
19 November 2021
Townsville City Council is standing against domestic and family violence this White Ribbon Day.
Well, as they used to say down at the Sovereign Hotel, honk me, I’ll be buttered on both sides, whodda thort!
This is nothing more than empty, tedious and perhaps hypocritical virtue signalling by a mayor and her elbow-hanging CEO, who preside over a workplace riddled with bullying and intimidation – a culture instituted by this pair with the Nous Report, arbitrarily sacking a third of the staff and hanging the threat of similar treatment over those remaining. With various political imports filling key staff roles, those threats exist to this day. Violence takes many forms, and the volume of stories out of the Walker Street workplace are too numerous to be dismissed as mere hearsay, sour grapes or malicious gossip.
Unwittingly, the backroom sloganeers thought up a simplistic slogan to go with this malarkey, and they have actually nailed the message – but perhaps in an unintended way.
No sane or decent person is for domestic or workplace violence, but the notion that shaming the emotionally stunted perpetrators will cause introspection is as daft as it is possibly dangerous, maybe more likely to increase the stresses and instability that informs this sort of behaviour.
But above all, this is not the business of the council. If you have to tell us that you’re against this sort of violence, you seem to think some of us have doubts on your stand, especially your own workplace performance. Using council money and time to buff up your lopsided haloes is unforgivable.
The media release also raises an interesting question when we read:
Today (19 November) marks Council’s first White Ribbon Day since achieving White Ribbon Australia workplace accreditation.
One would love to know how an organisation which instituted the Nous Report and imported drunken bar flys like political affiliated Adele Young to terrorise the entire office, managed to wangle this ‘accreditation’. Who did the White Ribbon people ask or talk to?
One guesses just the mayor and whoever was CEO at the time.
A Question In Passing
One has to sift through a lot of verbiage and puff to guess what is virtue signalling and what is believable fact. But The ‘Pie accepts that Queensland Pacific Metals is a positive company with some smart plans for its proposed clean green metals plant at Lansdown. It seems genuine, although they appear to still be chasing money, and seem to be working optimistically through the processes.
QPM’s Stephen Grocott
But there is a curious question raised in that line about the use of coal mine gas. Further on in the article, QPM managing director Stephen Grocott tells us ’The company has an MOU with Transition Energy Corporation and North Queensland Gas Pipeline to work together on a gas field supply chain to the TECH (Townsville Energy Chemicals Hub) project.’
No greater details are given about this interesting factor, but here’s the question: if the NQ Gas Pipeline crowd are involved (which is a good thing) does this mean a pipeline from the Bowen Basin? That would be an eye-watering cost and argues against Mr Grocott’s prediction that building the plant will start next year with output beginning in 2023. Or does this involve a large fleet of road tankers, which would rather dent the stated ambitions of reducing carbon emissions?
Watching this one with interest. But there is another reason for optimism in this project.
Howdy Neighbour!
As it happens, Queensland Pacific Metals is fitting out sumptuous new offices in a prestigious CBD address, taking one of the two retail tenancies on the street frontage of the luxurious T1 apartment skyscraper on Sturt street, opposite City Lane and (currently) the Post office. Taking such a prestigious address at no doubt a premium rental is a vote of faith by QPS in their Townsville operation , something Magnis Energy never even considered.
But, gosh, how lucky are the owners of these properties. Both were vacant for more than 12 months, but now QPS will have brand new neighbours … the space next door is being fitted out for … wait for it … ta da … Townsville Enterprise Ltd.
Yes, yet another new home for the Dudley Do Nothings, the latest stop in the long journey from the flood damaged Wishing Well House on the Strand (amusingly called the misnomer of the decade, Enterprise House), to two lots of different digs in Flinders Street to, now, a plush new home. Boss Claudia Brumme-Smith (Ms BS, as we know her) is already choosing the wallpaper and dried flower arrangements. When she gets a minute, she polish up the contents of the awards display cabinet. Ummm, make that 10 seconds.
This does of course raise two interesting questions: How much is the rent? And who is paying it? Premises like this attract a premium ask, and it is a tad mystifying that Ms Brumme-Smith feels such a desirable address is worth the outlay for a crowd that depends on charity and the endless patience of ratepayers to even exist. But put aside the ratepayers’ generous $750k annual stipend, how do the fee paying mug … sorry, members … of TEL feel about their subs going towards a most expensive fit-out in a most expensive address?
BS by name and … you know the rest.
Maybe The Bulletin Can’t Move Mountains, But Islands? Easy Peasey.
The Magpie
November 16, 2021 at 10:51 am (Edit)
Can someone buy the Astonisher a sat-nav. The paper has shown it’s disconnect from the basic knowledge of this city they are all for. Take this for instance.
History cannot deny that mention of ‘island’ in this manner clearly indicates Magnetic Island – Palm is always called Palm, only Maggie is ever referred to as the ‘island’. Geez, must’ve been a lot bikes on the ferry, eh?
Well, no … when we read …
… but not a single mention of Magnetic Island.
So these knuckle-draggers gathered at the Ross ISLAND Hotel, just down from the stadium, and across the road from the V8 track – – named for a vanished island of yore in the middle of the Ross Creek. And as if we didn’t have the blue bags stretched enough with kiddy crims, a posse of them had to be deployed for hours to keep an eye on these retards.
So someone somewhere in the bowels of the News Ltd machine squeezed out a headline consisting of what bowels squeeze out … a load of shit.
Incidentally, Ross Island actually existed aeons ago and served at various times as a munitions store during WW11, and the town’s rubbish dump … bullets and garbage – seems a fitting venue for this gathering.
- Russell
November 16, 2021 at 7:19 pm (Edit)
Jenny has a nice smile up in the top corner though, don’t you think?
- The Magpie
November 16, 2021 at 7:28 pm (Edit)
When you go to the pic inside the paper and read the caption …
… you get an idea that she was enjoying a little prank on young Liam, telling him ‘I’m your granny, bubby, what do you think of that’? Liam’s WTF face has the answer. At least, one hopes it was a prank.
Makes A Change – Aaron Harpic in Cold Water
Things move quickly sometimes.
This comment and pic from a Bulletin story appeared early in the week …
And no sooner said than done by someone quick off the mark.
Our American Gallery
Joe Biden’s popularity rating is going down faster that a mistress given a new mink. It is now almost level with Trump’s highest approval rating. And Ted Cruz, who savaged Big Bird for being a government stooge, has a new target. two of the many targets from an imploding country.
And Now That Dick Pic The ‘Pie Promised/Threatened You With
It’s a bit wrinkled … in fact it looks like a pickled walnut, but it’s the old bird’s favourite dick pic.
Doppelganger – Yikes, Not Another One – Our Mayor Has A Double
Now, look, yes, The Magpie has a lot to say about Jenny Hill, but here’s something actually odd, interesting and true.
Watching a Netflix show the other night … a Swedish crime drama ‘Before We Die’ … The ‘Pie was struck by the similarity of the lead actress Marie Richardson to our very own Jenny Hill. The look-alike wasn’t obvious until later in the series season, but The ‘Pie was gobsmacked. Decide for yourself … the second pic could be Jenny in council keeping Fran O’Callaghan in order.
‘I’ve warned you twice about interrupting, Clr O’Callaghan!’
Clearly the same hairdresser as well.
And We Leave You With This exchange From Comments
The Magpie
November 14, 2021 at 9:00 am (Edit)
What … wait? The ‘Pie might be a bit thick but he thinks that should be …. ummm … thick?
- cobalos
November 14, 2021 at 9:58 am (Edit)
Doh!
- Toni Braggart
November 14, 2021 at 10:11 am (Edit)
Youse people just weight won day the The Astonisher will get thinks write.
- The Magpie
November 14, 2021 at 12:49 pm (Edit)
Don’t cunt on it.
….
All done for another week. And just to explain, Th ‘Pie includes various comments from the week forntwo reasons (and one is NOT laziness … I wish). The readership during the week is nowhere near the number who read the blog itself on the weekend, so a lot of good stuff will have been missed. And comments are sometimes included to demonstrate the fun that can be had by joining in. All free , BUT … the Donate button is below.
Pie; your use of the “R” word describing The Rebel MC Members is highly offensive.
I did think you were better than that, obviously I was mistaken.
First, perhaps you should clear up the ambiguity of your comment … are you taking offence of the bikies, or taking offence on behalf of the mentally challenged? Not joking, it really is not clear.
Whatever. The use of the word is per the dictionary definition
retard
verb | riˈtärd | [with object]
delay or hold back in terms of progress, development, or accomplishment:
noun | ˈrēˌtärd | informal, offensive
a mentally handicapped person (often used as a general term of abuse).
Arbitrarily and independently ‘removing’ words from language is in itself an offensive action (The Magpie makes an exception of ‘holocaust’ because of the enormity of its genesis), and if one chooses to describe a certain group as ‘retards’ – the shortened version of ‘mentally retarded’ – as a deliberate insult, that is valid in The ‘Pie’s books. What would be offensive, bullying and despicable would be calling anyone falling in the range of mental deficiencies a retard – something The Magpie never has or will do. But you’re not my word police, stop stealing our language, just because it’s misused and twisted by some.
You find yourself in a conflicted position – if The ‘Pie had used the twee politically correct term ‘developmentally delayed’ or the medical accurate ‘intellectually disabled’, you could be equally offended because those are acceptable terms for those who are professionally deemed to be such. ‘Mentally retarded’ was once an official definition, but someone decided it was somehow offensive, but it is difficult to see why when you look at the dictionary definition.
And while we’re in this neck of the woods, what The ‘Pie finds mightily offensive is the coy use of letters instead of real words – the ‘n’ word, the ‘f’ word, the ‘c’ word and now in your case the ‘r’ word (just saying writing such a normal word scares the pants off you apparently). It is an illogical prissiness of another age, because if you give the initial letter, you are inviting others to fill in the rest, so if anything, magnifying and giving unwarranted power to words that would otherwise become so commonplace, they would lose all their special shock privileges. And note, the world Jewish community hasn’t resorted to saying ‘the h word’ … they want the evil to be out there, exposed.
Remember Salman Rushdie’s dictum: No one has the right to NOT be offended.
Magpie, do not try to justify your poor and distasteful use of a word to describe the Rebels
By objecting to your use of the word to describe a group of people in a derogatory term it is not calling for it to be removed .
In trying to justify that you have used the word correctly you have asserted that all Rebels Members are retarded, clearly an incorrect definition. You are in no way qualified to make that diagnosis due to not having assessed all Rebel Members, but more importantly you lack the required intelligence to be charged with the responsibility of making such diagnosis.
Again, your description of Rebels Members as retards is offensive even you and your low level of decency should recognise and accept that.
Whatever. Still have no idea who on whose behalf you are being offended, and given your muddled reasoning, don’t really care. But The ‘Pie suspects you will read this reply when you come in from the garage after polishing the Harley.
Bulletin on Saturday has three vehicle events causing deaths.
Can anyone explain why one is murder and not the other two drivers do not have similar charges
1. Page 04 Man charged with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death
2. Page 06 Man charged with two counts of manslaughter with a vehicle
3. Page 05 Man charged with murder with a vehicle
A charge of murder rather than manslaughter is based on intent. if you intent (i.e mean) to kill someone, that is murder. Otherwise, it’s manslaughter.
What a disgraceful service delivery failure across so many sectors in the City the past few years . 40 % increase in domestic violence , 300 % increase in robberies , 170 % increase in the waiting list for public housing , problems accessing doctors and code yellows from Townsville University Hospital . At Council level drinking water in the city smelly and clouded and the Mayor already redflagging water restrictions and the City looks like a dump all under the 3 State MP,s , Mayor , Councillors . Labors Herbert Candidate John Ring playing the party game attending a press conference with Labors Cairns Senator (who is so insignificant she has to name call Phil Thompson ) to get some attention announcing childcare increases from a party not in Government and an election that hasnt been called . John , i think Townsville has more issues than trying to catch votes .
Driving back to Townsville I can’t remember if it’s before or after Ingham there’s a big billboard out in the middle of nowhere declaring TCC says NO to domestic violence (same black and white graphics seen on the truck). What a waste of ratepayers $$$$ but isn’t Paradise Outdoor Advertising littered with Labor mates?? Particularly Dolan Hayes mates?
The Hill/Magnis charade has all the hallmarks of a dodgy back alley deal. Why the CCC hasn’t taken note of this, or the Adani airstrip mischief, is beyond me. Whenever a Council sites ‘commercial in confidence’ my eyebrows of distrust are raised. Councils are meant to act with transparency as they use our ratepayer money. TCC is a disgrace when it comes to transparency. That inevitably raises so many doubts about their honesty and integrity. J.Hill is one of the worst examples of a public serpent that I have ever seen at local level. Then followed by the likes of Messageblank at state level and Morrison at federal level. All lying, badly behaved, charlatans who peddle bullshit and mistrust with every utterance from their mouths.
That photo of that TCC so called promotion of white ribbon day leads me to the following observation. It seems Stacy and Prins are joined at the hip literally and physically by that photo. Whenever I see him in public she is not too far away.
It appears as if TCC is becoming increasingly internally focused rather than putting the community first. This may be a minor thing but this media release is all about some very obscure gong rather than surveying the community about how they view the council is going about delivering for the community. Stop patting yourselves on the back and start searching for honest feedback to help you all focus on what matters and do a better job for all of us.
https://www.townsville.qld.gov.au/about-council/news-and-publications/media-releases/2021/november/innovative-tracking-project-receives-commendation
The ‘Pie read that when it was released, and realised it didn’t say a single substantive thing.
Pie re comment on QPM using coal seam gas, the existing line from Moranbah to Yabulu and the Copper Refinery would run very close to Lansdowne. I don’t know what capacity it would have, but now Yabulu Nickel Refinery is shut there would be some capacity.
Didn’t know that, which means at worst, a maintenance and ‘still viable’ check would be the only requirement.
And there’s an interesting point for Fatty Palmer to womble over … by closing Yabulu, the no-longer required gas was not stored and presumably simply burnt off into the atmosphere.
Polluter Palmer should fit neatly on protest placards.
‘Pie, the CSM gas line was installed to feed the Yabulu Power Station adjacent the refinery. From memory I think its capacity is about 100MW. Now sitting idle but (I think) available as required at peak times. The gas supply is shut off at the source of supply so no need to flare anything off.
An offtake connection at Lansdown would be quite simple to arrange but will be VERY expensive.
fair comment, but you misunderstand The ‘Pie’s comment … the gas is not in the pipeline, but is still produced as a by product, and unless it is stored somehow, it has to be flared off. Or is The ‘Pie’s admittedly meagre knowledge of these things missing something?
I think the gas (methane) comes from tapping coal seams rather than being a “by product”. This not very recent piece from GeoScience Australia:
‘Coal Seam Gas (CSG) is a naturally occurring methane gas found in most coal seams and is similar to conventional natural gas. In Australia the commercial production of CSG commenced in 1996 in the Bowen Basin, Queensland. Since then production has increased rapidly, particularly during the first decade of the 21st century. CSG has now become an integral part of the gas industry in eastern Australia, particularly in Queensland.
Information about reserves of CSG has grown significantly, particularly in the Bowen and Surat basins in Queensland. In New South Wales reserves have been proven in the Sydney, Gunnedah, Clarence-Moreton and Gloucester basins. Exploration has been undertaken or is planned to be undertaken in other coal basins including the Galilee, Arckaringa, Perth and Pedirka basins.
A major driver for the growth in CSG was a decision in 2000 by the Queensland Government that required 13% of all power supplied to the state electricity grid to be generated by gas by 2005. That requirement has been increased to 15% by 2010 and 18% by 2020.”
I thought that line was torn up and now somewhere in Tasmania?
Oops. GAS line. What a silly bunt.
The story in today’s Courier Snail has to take the cake. Amanda Sue Stubbs aged 54 , she is the leading spin doctor for the giggling Queensland deputy premier dr. Steven Miles, she recorded a reading of .3 six times over the limit at the scene of her car crash. Acting magistrate Rowan Silva, did not record a conviction, even though she was fined and lost her licence for 12 months, the reason being that she would not get a visa to go on her ski trip to the US. Something is very rotten in the state of Labor Annaland.
Of all the damning stories that emanate from this totally corrupt Labor government, this one must be the one that is the final straw. Labor folks canb get away with anything if they follow a few simple rules … the main one is ‘do not give any appearance of elitism above the ordinary person, it looks like the dreaded class system’. Truly a bunch of hypocrites.
And that bloody magistrate need s a public please explain, but guess what? Magistrates aren’t allowed to do that. Wouldn’t be surprised if sh pops up as a judge or even a Labor candidate in a safe seat.
Bring on The Kid.
It doesn’t take much of a sleuth to figure out how the “acting” magistrate got his gig. Google his name followed by the word Labor and you get a link to a speech in Parliament where the Labor member for Barron River is thanking his bestie. What a surprise, it’s old mate the magistrate. He took a sabbatical from Cairns Practice and wound up acting as a Magistrate down south. Labor jobs for the boys in action.
Just ask any NQ lawyer what they think of him.
Gr,
I can think of a couple of drink driving defense lawyers who’d be very happy to appear before this bloke.
Magpie, you say “Bring on The Kid.” I second that! So what should/would be The Kid’s position on the CityDeal funding for Lansdown? Should the QLD LNP support a possible nickel refinery co-located with a possible battery factory right next to gas and water supply pipelines or should they bag the whole thing?
Ask him.
From my once regular visits to the USA, I can’t record ever seeing drink driving as a reason for refusal other than culpable homicide.
The current on-line preliminary application doesn’t mention it all.
Achilles, does the preliminary visit/visa application ask a question something like: Have you ever been convicted of an offence?
It’s a bit ambiguous as after asking that question it goes on to define which offenses are relevant to the question.
Just a thought on the ‘new’ pipeline bringing gas to the yet to be built plant. Is there not a pipeline carrying gas to the derelict Queensland Nickel site? Surely a line could be taken from that to the Lansdown precinct or wherever the Queensland Pacific Metals company will set up shop. It’s a short hop from Deeragun to Woodstock compared with a brand new line all the way to C.Q. coal mines.
There a some good guys who know nickel really well the gas pipeline already goes along side Lansdown is the same one that QNI used too so smart move using things that already exist with blokes that know their stuff.
That is interesting. Can you access a map of this? Agree smart move, but still, Mr Grocott’s reference to ‘transport’ leaves the delivery question open. mAlso, why wouldn’t the mayor be trumpeting this as a good reason for Lansdown?
Pie,
https://northqueenslandgaspipeline.com.au/
I believe the power station at Yabulu (not the refinery PS) still uses the gas as well as the power station at Stuart.
Well that was a bit easier than I thought I just googled north queensland gas pipeline map and bingo
https://northqueenslandgaspipeline.com.au/volumes/documents/NQGP-map-Q2-2021.pdf
Looks ideal. As would the SRA near the port.
The Pie raises a good question about why the CCC hasn’t investigated the dealings of our mayor and her group of puppet councillors in the Adani Airport fiasco, and more recently the Landsdown/Magnis Battery Factory hoax.
Recent events suggest there appears to be a lack of separation between the State Labor Government and both the CCC and the law in general.
For example, a mate lodged a complaint with the CCC regarding the outrageous cost of that ratepayer/taxpayer funded tin shed with no walls on the side of Castle Hill, but was told the CCC didn’t investigate those sorts of issues.
Our resident punch drunk pollie, Messageblank Walker is allowed a loss of memory defence regarding his Mad Cow knockout.
A State Government inquiry finds nobody was to blame for the late opening of the Ross Dam flood gates, which caused massive flood damage in suburbs that normally are flood-free.
There are other examples of the Labor Party faithful appearing to get away with things that can’t be mentioned here.
But one which screams “special treatment” is the case of the senior State Government spin doctor who escaped conviction for a high level blood-alcohol (0.302) reading after crashing her car into a ditch in Brisbane in August.
Today’s Sunday Mail reveals she could have been hit with up to 9 months in prison and a $3187 fine, but escaped conviction because it would have hampered plans to take her children on a ski trip to the USA.
Could there be a pattern emerging here?
Ah, but then there’s the Streisand Effect. Now the whole of Queensland knows.
Oltd, this is tosh:
“A State Government inquiry finds nobody was to blame for the late opening of the Ross Dam flood gates, which caused massive flood damage in suburbs that normally are flood-free.”
In the 2019 Townsville flood, every suburb that was flooded had been flooded before, many times. The inquiry found that whatever was done with the floodgates on the dam would NOT have made any significant difference to the level or extent of flooding. It was a 1: 500 year flood event – hardly normal.
Not entirely true, Adds. Some new suburbs had never been flooded before. However, they were built on floodplains, so it would have been inevitable.
Horse shit Addled, the Townsville golf clubhouse had not being flooded before, neither had the unit I own opposite it, nor the property I own in Hermit Park that is 40 years old that had half a metre of water through it, you are an ignorant delusional fuckwit.
My dear scrambled friend – the magnitude of the 2019 even was actually less than that of 1945, and we have the benefit of a major flood mitigation dam now. Had it been operated in a half competent way rather than a politically motivated stuff up we would not have been in the shit so to speak. The TOR for the enquiry were both shonky and restrictive, designed I believe only with the intention of exonerating the guilty.
“Had it been operated in a half competent way rather than a politically motivated stuff up we would not have been in the shit so to speak.”
So you made a submission to the Inquiry did you? Picked it apart did you? Showed how the 248% capacity water could be held back for longer (or shorter) to prevent a flood? Bollocks.
Addled, you do realise, don’t you, that you are arguing with an Engineer who probably has a bit more knowledge of operating water storage facilities than you do. The only reason the dam level got to the level you quote is that water was not allowed to escape earlier, for Political reasons.
Russell, you do realise that you are arguing with an Inquiry which reached conclusions completely at odds with that Engineer – although there’s no evidence either of you have read the Report.
Talk about waste of taxpayers’ money: In August 2020 Council announced $1.5 MILLION dollars was being spent on the installation of a Ross Dam aerator. After installation the generator was extremely noisy and the water tasted foul. November 2021 the aerator is GONE. Do taxpayers’ get a refund?
Very good mpoint. Anybody? How about you, Jenny, or is it commercial in confidence?
“Earlier this year, the Council installed aerators in the Ross River Dam to improve dissolved oxygen concentrations, and it started construction of two $27.5m clarifiers at the Douglas Water Treatment Plant in a bid to stop blue, green algae blooms”. (Townsville Bulletin 18/11/21)
Snowpea’s. How are two clarifiers going to stop algal bloom at RRD.?
Somewhat unrelated, but this is a genuine question purely out of curiosity.
This pic appears in today’s online Bulletin. Let’s put aside this is not the RRD, but is it actually even a dormant RRD spillway? If so, current or archive, have we reached this stage in late 2021?
Where’s Guy, the self appointed Nest water expert?
Shit KK, SHHHH, somnolent canines and all that.
Dunno.
Water in that part of the river is normally non existent unless the gates have been lowered. They can run the cone valves to provide some flow but to fill that river bed you’d need plenty of water. Water does hang around in the concrete section for months though without rain.
Alahazbin, Why are you asking me? It’s a direct quote as clearly shown. They are not my words. I’m the messenger, making a contribution to the current discussion. If you seriously want an answer, direct your question appropriately to either the TB or better, the TCC!
Snowpea’s. So it should have been reported that the clarifiers would treat the algal bloom from RRD.
They don’t, but they will improve the capacity to treat water with higher Total Suspended Solids – will also be highly relevant when (if) water is pumped from the Burdekin (much higher TSS)
Aerator was a fizzer, cost an arm and a leg to run and did exactly zilch for BGA. Likely stirred up the long undisturbed sediments on the bottom though….
I heard an anti vaxxer today sprout off about what will happen if vaccines do become mandatory in workplaces. Stand by for them all to take annual/long service/sick leave at the same time.
Leaders of Townsville one and all take a bow, as Townsville take top spot in the Shit Towns of Australia rankings this week.
Special mention to the deranged teen and his poor cat, you are indeed a product of your environment.
Not just the Shittiest Town this week, but got the Shit City of the Year.
To quote the Website “Congratulations to Townsville on being voted Shit City of the Year for 2021! Voters rewarded the North Queensland craphole for its domination of the Shit Town Power Rankings this year with a landslide victory. Here are the final results:
Townsville, QLD: 44%
Sydney, NSW: 15%
Melbourne, VIC: 13%
Canberra, ACT: 8.5%
Adelaide, SA: 7.5%
Perth, WA: 5.5%
Darwin, NT: 4.5%
Hobart, TAS: 2%
Sad to learn that former District Court Judge and a personal friend, Judge John Baulch died this morning. It is believed he suffered a heart attack.
John, respected and well liked across the whole legal profession, was 74.
Vale.
‘Pump and dump’ sounds like the methodology Prince Ralston uses in his daily Nous business activities – pump any government agency for as much money as he can and then dump it into his very fat wealth portfolios. And here he is, Prince ‘bargearse’ Ralston releasing the poor ratepayer of over $500,000 per year, working part-time and slapping together Band-Aid coverings, lazy corporate documents and thin and hollow business plans. How long has this non-performer now been CEO? Seriously, what has he produced, what financial ‘gem’ has he achievers or procured for Townsville?? Sorry, the noise is deafening except for the cries of ‘SWEET FUCK ALL’ and ‘LETS GO RALSTON’. Please, somebody, anybody, get rid of this useless prick.
Technically the problem is not getting rid of them, its the mechanism that allows them to flourish,
They make CYA a state of normality,
What the hell, TEL?
Two questions about Kevin Gill from the photo below
Firstly how is he still a board director of TEL when in their constitution section 16.15 J I think it clearly states that :
“ The office of a Director immediately becomes vacant if the Director:
Ceases to be a member of the Company.“
So as he no longer works for the Airport he is no longer eligible to be on the board let alone Chairman.
Secondly as you see in the screenshot from the TEL website each photo is captioned with the employer of the director. Kevin Gill’s says “Townsville Enterprise Limited”
That would open up a whole different can of worms according to the constitution.
Anyone care to shed any light?
Wow.
Sadly it probably says more about the other directors who have clearly failed in their duties not to give him the heave ho.
You’d expect it from the Purple Muppet, but the rest are pretty smart and supposedly honest people.
How can TEL advertise that they ‘draw on the expertise from some of the cities top business people’. Are you fucking kidding me? Jenny Shrill has presided over record Council debt and sanctioned the hiring of several complete knobs as TCC CEO – The part-time Prince, the Impaler, Mike Choad’blower to name just a few. And Gill the Dill, his claim to fame is managing the operations of a pissy little airport. Even then all of the financial stuff was done by his Masters down at the Gold Coast airport. All Gill had to do was make sure the shitters were cleaned twice per day and the car park boomgates we’re working. FFS. Clowns.
Yep, mostly pissants and failures, Gill couldn’t even run a monopoly airport, Hill just fails at everything she touches, the lady who runs a Govt owned port, really, these are the leaders, no wonder Townsville continues to flounder and die. Where are the winners, where are the wealth creators who give people confidence to invest, to move out of their $500k house and buy a million dollar house, to open a business. Townsville has just missed another property cycle, the rest of the country has all benefited from rising real estate and the investment opportunity that provides, meanwhile these disgusting losers suck up public money and deliver nothing but a life of shit for the people of this town, they are a disgrace.
Agree generally with your sentiments, although not the phrasing – The ‘Pie would’ve gone in harder – but disagree with one assessment. Ranee Crosby at the Port has the runs on the board with the Port performance, and one reason The ‘Pie thinks she must doing her job properly is that every single story about the port involves KPIs, verifiable facts and, as much is allowed by this government, transparency. Which cannot be said of TCC, TEL and most of the other quangoes hoovering up public funds. On top of that, she has overseen an announced expansion of the Port which is moving ahead as planned – again which is more than be said for either the TCC or the hapless Dudley Do Nothings.
There is also some mysterious animosity towards Ms Crosby and for some reason, her husband/partner whatever. The gist of what The ‘Pie has heard seems to come under the banner of disappointed envy, with a hearty dash of misogyny. As the saying has it, it’s hard to argue with success.
And in case anyone is wondering, The ‘Pie has never met, spoken to, talked with or even been at any meeting or social gathering with Ms Crosby. Or her husband/partner/ whatever.
She seems quite competent and I have never met her either, but it’s hard to find a state owned Govt port that isn’t expanding and making money, it’s not like she has to be one step ahead of the other port in town, we don’t have one, and like others from JCU, TCC, Ergon, etc, they are generally disregarded as business people, because they have never had to operate in a competitive environment, they are public servants, they will never create wealth or prosperity, they get paid to fill a vacancy and do the best they can. So if you look at Townsville that describes so many of the so called leaders of this town, public servants and CEO of Govt owned corporations, franchisees and market takers, builders, lawyers and accountants and financial advisers, not an entrepreneur amongst them.
Ok but basically so what? Assaid, you can’t argue with success … and here we’re talking only about the Port. Plenty of government owned outfits that are badly run bordering useless – some hospitals, some schools, and a whole load of ‘jobs for the boys’ quangos, most with the words Northern Australia in their titles.
Actually the port’s performance over the past 5 years has been on a continual downhill slide.. puff pieced with lots of flashy marketing materials paid for by the taxpayer.
Please back that up with a few facts, please. Talk is cheap, and so are you if you can’t stack that up.
Magpie, since 2002, but especially over the past 8-10 years the Port has spent taxpayer millions assessing and finally acquiring a large block of land at Granitevale for a quarry for its future rock requirements.
“The assessment process to date has identified the selected site as clearly superior with it also meeting the strong preference of POTL for freehold tenure – which was issued prior to quarry material being reserved to the State under the Forestry Act 1959 (Qld).” (Annual report 2013/14).
Millions were then spent from some other QG budget upgrading Riverway Drive so that quarry trucks could deliver rock to the (current) port expansion. But when the port expansion project got underway blow me down if the thousands, if not ultimately millions, of tonnes of rock are actually coming from a commercial quarry at Roseneath.
“Port of Townsville Limited Chief Executive Officer, Ranee Crosby, said more than 600,000 tonnes of core and armour rock will be required over the next 12 months for the construction of the rock wall. (Media release 4/2019)
Which begs the question, why purchase land then not make use of it? And of course don’t look too hard at who was in power, previous owners, wheels within wheels.
Maybe there was a reason. Ask them and get back to us, please.
In my experience a typical response from the Port is, “that was then, this is now”. A few years ago (say 2013) when the Port was justifying the proposed $1billion expansion it set out in some detail in a so-called ‘business case’ several mining, refining and transport/shipping projects that would anchor the newly created hard standing real estate. Specific named mines would be expanded, QNI would be increasing production, a coal mine would be opening and something something fertiliser plant. It all sounded sensational. A few years went by (say 2016) and NONE of the proposals had materialised. Zero. QNI had closed, port traffic (and revenue) had collapsed, tonnage throughput was down about 25-30%. But no worries, state and federal governments still accept those bullshit visions (are they called unicorns?), millions keep being pumped into the port expansion and everyone still gets paid. Oh and then there’s the $100m+ cruise ship terminal – now used for the one thing that seems to have taken off, live cattle exports. They don’t worry about business cases anymore. That was then, this is now. Suck it up.
And somehow this is all the fault of the Port management? They probably invented COVID is one of their empty warehouses, too, eh?
Given the TEL board members its no surprise Townsville has been voted Shit City of the Year.
Ratepayers give this lot $750,000 a year so surely we are entitled to know the details of Kevin Gill’s inclusion on the TEL payroll.
Come on Craig Warhurst, do your job and find out why we’re paying Gill a wage, or if his “employment” is just a sham to allow him to remain chairman.
I heard a good one last night, Scotty from Marketing’s new nickname is ‘the liar from the shire’. How appropriate.
DAMN … The ‘Pie wishes he had said that, The ‘Pie is envious. The old bird has a couple of notable firsts in the nickname area … he checked extensively several years ago, and when at the Bulletin, and he was the first to use KRudd – it was even questioned for propriety by the editor – and more recently, Smirko is his, too). The Kattertonics for Katter followers is probably a first, too, he hasn’t seen that anywhere else, and also, possibly, the Mad Katter Party too, but that is soooo obvious..
Pie, on that premise can I claim, “Spinning Jenny” and “Got’em Adani”?
The first is all yours, but the second is definitely a Magpie original. Well remember wondering if folks would get it about got’em.
So when does the fence sitting each way Albo, or should I say Anal get the splinters out of the rear portions of his anatomy?
Sad to say, despite his opposite number’s best fascist efforts, he remains the Coalition’s best electoral weapon.
Albo doesn’t resonate with voters. Watching two turtles fucking is more entertaining than listening to an Albo speech. His dry tone, combover and the way he sprays lickspittle about is not only detracting, it is nauseating. Let’s face it, all politicians are tools. But Labor could do with a tool that has a little personality. Maybe a cross between Keating and Hawke? Somebody that’s worth listening too. But with Albo quietly and sheepishly saying sweet fuck all about the opposition, they might lose again next year.
Bad comparison there, mate, there is no bigger turn on than a bit of unbridled shell-on-shell action. A whispered ‘Is that your neck sticking out or are you just happy to see me’ to ‘I want to get into your carapace, baby’, and the action is on for the next five hours.
They dumped (in every sense of the word) their best asset, because they were terrified of HER; Julie Bishop.
But her appeal to the electorate was manifest.
Bullseye.
Skeletor
CAITLIN CHARLES … GO TO THE DUNCE’S CORNER AND STUDY THE DICTIONARY. Look up ‘exclusive’.
It is not so much that people at the Bulletin lie, it’s the basic dumbness when their dishonesty is so readily obvious. Being a liar is bad enough, but being a dumb liar is the bigger credibility killer. Have a look at this from today’s Astonisher.
Bulletin
Exclusive, eh? Now, in newspaper terms, that means two things – the writer is the only one with information he/she has imparted, and also that that information is usually the result of professional nous, dogged work and clever instigative digging ahead of anyone else.
So the first thing that jumps out is that this is word for word from a media release … a release that most certainly did NOT go exclusively to the Bulletin. Even putting your name to a story the bulk of which is a simple rewrite says everything about the writer’s honesty and is the sin of laziness personified, but when you whack a spurious exclusive tag on it, that is just plain stupid.
The reliable IQ trade journal just one of several on-line publications that not only had the story, but beat you to posting it.IQ
And this government-run plant will be located where? Surely not out there next to the water and gas pipelines and infrastructure facilities provided by the Federal and State government? No really, not at Lansdown? Cantankerous will be apoplectic!
The location is just one question. Am seeking industry comment and clarification on what this plant will actually do – sounds like puffed up bullshit from Dick the Dick to me.
Industry comment? What’s industry got to do with it? Where’s the free enterprise LNP Opposition on this? Frankly, this sounds even worse than building an airport for Adani. If it’s worth doing at all, why can’t the mining industry build its own ‘critical industry processing plant’?
Addled , are you sure you arnt a Labor plant because you post comments without doing any research . The mining industry is spending $bils already in two new mines near Moranbah , even Twiggy Forest is putting a bil $ into Gladstone and bought the Kennedy Energy Park near Hughenden . $ 1 bil Genex Kidston funded with $600 mil NAIF loan , Fertilizer Plant Charters Towers Naif Funded so the State Government commitment is minimal compared . Have you heard of vertical integration ? State Government pays mining royalties to itself , exports thru a Port it owns , supports Council thru rates and charges , depreciates the asset then Dick sells to a State Government entity at a crazy price .
Mike, it doesn’t take much “research” to find that the QGov intends to “build and own” this vanadium processing facility. It won’t be doing the mining and it won’t be paying and collecting royalties from itself. What it will be doing is:
““The Palaszczuk Government is already supporting major job-creating projects in the battery storage space with the proposed Townsville Energy Chemicals Hub at the Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct,” he said.
“This vanadium processing facility is just adding another string to the bow of the Townsville economy, creating more jobs for locals.”
Pie, And Will the board of this state owned enterprise be stacked with labor mate ala Aurizon.
What do you think, take a guess.
For what it’s worth having a few government owned and run facilities that MAKE money isn’t a bad thing. Something run and owned by the council to make money to keep rates down isn’t a bad thing either. Remember when the gov owned a BANK, an INSURANCE company, a TELECOMMUNICATIONS company ? – all making money that would be put back into the public purse. When the liberals/ Labor sold off these companies they had to introduce GST to try to cover the massive hole in the finances.
The Dick would really live up to his name if it wasn’t built at Stuart where there is already power, water, gas and a direct link to the port (and the Government already owns the land which is zoned for industry).
But Barely, the federal government is committed to provide funding through the CityDeal to Lansdown. Heaps of funding. The federal member is promoting Lansdown and no one in the LNP at local, state or federal level has any objection whatsoever to the council developing the Lansdown site at state and federal expense. Inexplicable eh?
No single political party has an exclusive on stupidity and guiltiness.
Nor when they’ve got the Australian electorate.
Building out at Woodstock is a waste of time, money and effort , its spreading and thinning out infrastructure and logistics rather than honing and making efficient by building in the industrial precinct of the copper refinery, zinc refinery, power station. Use the land already spoiled by industrial pollution rather finding a green field site and poisoning that.
Pie, Would the use of the word ‘exclusive’ be ‘unprecedented’.?
They did that one to death over the last couple of years.
But nothing will get near the record of ‘allege’ and its variants … although ‘iconic’ is giving it a run for its money.
“Hero” is another – especially when it is applied to sport players/teams.
Indeed. Scomo keeps telling us that these are ‘unprecedented’ times.
Albo is far from honorable everyone in the party know the reason or should I say reason behind his split with his ex wife Carmel Tebbutt
The ‘Pie doesn’t, not much interested in going down that road, but what is the relevance? Shorten was fair game because the rape allegations against him were muddied waters ending in nothing (well, much). If Albo had a stoush with his ex-missus, is that our business? Bob Hawke couldn’t keep it in his pants, but that was news because he was PM at the time … you know, PM, the bloke we hold to higher standards. Can someone please let the current incumbent in on that rule.
I nearly choked on my toast this morning, page 13 of the Bulletin, a full page ad from United Australia Party with a huge picture of Craig Kelly headed “OUR NEXT PRIME MINISTER”
What an appropriate page number. Does anyone have a spare desert island? I think I need one.
J.W.
Hmmmm, this could be the inspiration for a new horrific dystopian mini series. It could run for longer than Game of Thrones.
Shame that Frank Thring is no longer with us. I know who he would play.
Think of all the dartboards and parrot cages getting new paper today?
Hi Pie,
I am hoping the Bulletin reporters or editor read the comments section as they obviously read your blog.
While the Mayor blamed us Townsville mushrooms (ratepayers) for not reading the stage 2 water pipeline report and that it is going to cost the mushrooms at least an extra $79M just to build, has any information been provided about what the daily pumping costs are going to be?
Given the existing working pipeline costs at least $36,000 per day in pumping costs, what will the new pipeline with double the capacity cost each day to pump?
Is this information contained in the report and therefore will be my fault for not knowing the daily costs and what that will increase my rates by.
I thought I read that a solar farm was to be built to off set costs, but I could be wrong.
Anyone know what the protest was at this tcc today
By councillors? Empty booze fridge.
WA, according to Thursday’s TBully front page – which reported two separate stories on the one subject:
1. Mayor Jenny Hill has backed the state government’s hard line vaccination mandate despite saying Townsville City Council would not impose their own in a bid to avoid legal trouble.
2. A group of Townsville protesters held a demonstration at council grounds as part of a campaign aimed at the approaching December Covid-safe deadline.
Anyone want to call out the Bulletin for disseminating vaccine misinformation and socially dangerous propaganda? About 20 mildly disturbed anti-social nervous nellies gather at the council forecourt and bingo – they get more publicity for their dangerous message than the Townsville residents and Ratepayers Association has given them in a year. But no, this is reporting both sides of a story ..,. a story that only has one responsible, adult and sane side.
I’m just wondering who the two on the end are saluting……
Probably Peter Newey.
Appears there were many thousands protesting across Australia, not just in Townsville, against COVID-19 lockdowns and vaccine mandates.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-20/covid-anti-lockdown-vaccine-mandate-rallies-melbourne-sydney/100636714
Yup, in terms of population ratios, not even two per cent of the population – a population that is 90% vaccinated which = a majority. So by all means protest, it’s a democratic right, but don’t whinge when the more responsible and overwhelming majority want to be protected from you, and can’t be forced to unwittingly put themselves in your contaminating sphere. (That is rhetorical, not you specifically, Fish Fingers, unless you are a dingbat who wants to take personally.)
Councillor Fran has effectively told Jenny to doing something productive Lansdown or step aside and stop wasting time. There are several other idioms that are more direct too.
Notices of Motion
(i) Councillor Fran O’Callaghan – “That Council investigate the options available to it to divest itself of, by sale or other method acceptable to Council, the Lansdown landholding, excepting the DriveIt portion which is the subject of a long term lease with Council.”
Hi Magpie
My wife and myself have just spent 2 weeks in Brisbane visiting our daughter and when we got home Tuesday the taste of the water was terrible we could even smell it when showering, my wife refused to drink it so we went to Coles to buy water but there wasn’t much left on the shelves so there must be a lot of other people having the same problem? Surely Jenny and this useless council don’t think this is acceptable to us ratepayers.
But they do, mate, they do.
I’ll see what can be done to fix the taste of the water supplied from Douglas. The two settings available are “terrible” or “unbearable”. Any preferences? In an emergency I can hit the “turn the sheets brown and poison the cat” button but I need two keys to do that.
Scomo wants to pass his religious discrimination bill in Parliament. The trade off should be that all these mind virus peddlers pay tax, like every other business.
The ‘Pie is all for this bill, he beli …. wait, what? It doesn’t mean we can discriminate against religion.
Here, hold my beer!!!
Low Blow Of The Week.
Things have got a bit mentally ragged in the political stoush between Qld and the Feds, but this has to rank up there with Mediscare. It doesn’t come much lower … or much more undignified.
Dutton already talking his lawyers about hurt feelings .. watch out, Anna.
Which inevitably brings us to Tweet of the Week … shared by two.
The narcissistic freak Anna Alphabet has been called out for including an ‘in confidence’ clause in the deal with the Wagner chumps regarding the Smellcamp quarantine facility. There are even calls for the CCC to investigate the constant misuse of confidentiality clauses to hide how taxpayer and ratepayer money is being spent! Townsville Council, under the spell of Mayor Mullet, sets the bar when it comes to misusing the ‘confidentiality’ process.
It seems there just hasn’t been anyone in the local community – including the paper that is ‘all for us’ – with any interest in this issue … just so long as it doesn’t affect them, let it roll.
An attitude that clearly gives ther attitudal reason why this place is being some massively held back from business, social and cultural progress.
(On that last one, local arts maven and able administrator Jonathon McBurnie has packed his bags and is now heading up the Rockhampton gallery … was a time when Rocky was never an alternative career wise for Townsville.
I have always said Rocky is a diamond in the (very) rough. I drove through their last week and saw a sign directing me to the Rockhampton Museum of Modern Art. Jonathon will be welcomed and shall feel appreciated in his new home.
Oh, shit. “Their”? I’m so ashamed.
It’s a bit rich that Nanna Anna is accusing the Feds of politicizing covid. Pot meet kettle.
From The Land That’s Lost Its Mind:
The ‘Pie is speechless. No comment is appropriate.
And remember boys and girls, Trump, or a Trump like clone, will, sooner or later, will be in the White House. Troubling to realize democracy is such a fragile thing.
Birds of a feather, Pie.
As far as I’ve seen the three attackers of the kid with the gun were career criminals – one of them convicted with sex with a minor, released that day and got busy in a riot.
So shooting them was ok, eh? Well, a jury certainly thought so.
A 17-year-old, armed with a military grade weapon, and driven across a state border by his own mother (who said she didn’t know he had the weapon) to specifically take part in vigilante action suddenly found he had to use deadly force to defend himself. What’s not to believe?
Will our religious zealot PM Scotty ‘hands on’ Morrison include a clause in the new religious discrimination law which absolves Hillsong and the Pentecostal church from having to abide by normal laws and legislation? We all know that Scotty does whatever he pleases and thumbs his nose at anything that doesn’t pass the pub test. Personally, if we aren’t going to ban religion we should at least tax the fuck out of them. It’s a disgrace how these tax exempted peddlers of the make believe are allowed to operate with impunity while fattening the wallets of so-called pastors, priests, executives and directors in these organisations. Aren’t we lining in the year 2021, and about time religious groups were viewed as what they actually are – money making corporations riddled with child molestors and frauds.
Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result applies to Mayor Hill and her Councillors . Is it four Ceos in 3 yrs , how many executives on $250 k come and go and how much were their payouts ? . 2021 shit city of Australia and Crime capital of Queensland how many years in a row ? . Mayor Hill announced a plan in May that would fix crime , where is it ? .
Mike, Insanity is heredity, you get it from your children.
Seems our Jenny sees Jacqui Lambie as a role model, declaring support for her “fierce” Senate speech on Monday, declaring “it was what true leadership looked like”. (TB p19 25/11/21)
How would she of all people know? She talked the talk but stumbled flat on her face when she tried to walk the walk. Great idea but not for her or her council, too cowardly to face possible legal challenges by anti-social elements in her workforce. Mind you. Given the quality of in house bully-boy legal advice, not really surprised.
Clive Palmer, graced the airwaves this morning, He is an anti-vaccinator, he probably believes weight watchers would like him as a mascot.
He managed to stay on the line for 12 long minutes, without hanging up on ABC Radio National breakfast host Fran Kelly.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/nov/25/factcheck-clive-palmer-uses-12-minute-radio-interview-to-make-false-covid-claims
Most Nesters I expect will be aware of Palmer’s role in the establishment of the LNP in Qld and the subsequent falling out.
To Palmer the Parliament is a play thing.
Money to burn and no moral compass Palmer is a threat to democracy, our own version of Donald Trump. Is there a vaccine against this virus?
The answer is, “Yes, an educated and engaged electorate.”
There in lies the problem.
Given his weight and obvious unhealthy look, I doubt if Palmer has to worry about Covid getting him !
Today’s online edition fo the Townsville Bulletin includes a story about Fran Can moving a motion that Townsville City Council investigate an exit strategy for Jenny Hill’s dodgy Lansdown project.
According to Fran, the potential cost of Landsdown to ratepayers will be “enormous”. No actual figures of course – Jenny has ruled that the detail is “commercial-in-confidence”.
No real surprises in all this, with the usual suspects Frothy Molachino and Gushing Greaney speaking against the motion on behalf of their puppermaster Jenny.
Predictably the motion was lost, so ratepayers can blame the all of the Labor councillors for the cost of Jenny’s folly (how’s that battery factory-come packing shed coming along Jenny?).
But I was very surprised when I discovered readers were not given the opportunity to comment on this fiasco, which is going to cause massive increases in our rates.
Jenny must have signed a new advertising contract.
More on this and other matters from this week’s TCC meeting in the blog …. but let The ‘Pie share you with this summary of one final incident from the streamed meeting when Clr Margie ‘SewerMouth’ Ryder tried putting a muddled but abrasive boot into Clr Fran. And it was an unscripted moment when Mayor jenny hill probably soiled her small clothes, as they used to say. here’s how it went down.
There had been earlier testy exchanges between Ryder and Fran, and Ryder unwisely decided to turn the stoush spiteful at the end of general business. Acting as Jenny’s attack Chihuahua, Ryder wanteds to know why, if Clr O’Callaghan won’t support any grants over $5K, she is going to launch events – apparently, she went to the Seniors lunch and the Elite rodeo launch.
Clr O’Callaghan cripsly replied “I don’t think it’s any of the councillor’s business”. (She had stated earlier during Business Standing Committee report where MR first bought it up that she paid $250 each ticket and attended the rodeo as she always has. Fran had ended that exchange with the pointed barb that in fact she used to sponsor the Black River rodeo through her private business in years gone past (emphasis on private business, not ratepayer funds).
This last retort clearly got under the attack dog’s collar, and Ryder decided to revisit the matter when O’Callaghan questioned whether the Seniors lunch was a grant or a TCC organised event. Ryder obscurely stated it was an organised event but it was listed in the budget that Fran voted against, so Ryder said her constituents are confused about why Fran would attend events that she doesn’t support. (Let’s put aside that her constituents were no doubt surprised to learn that they had even considered the issue, let alone be confused by it, but yeah, OK, sounded tough and responsible (ha!). Fran then patiently,like talking to a child, said that on that rationale, she wouldn’t do anything or go anywhere as she voted against the whole budget and most everything the Council is doing. That’s when old SewerMouth lost it, and showed her style of roughshod but clumsy ruling-by-fiat. She demanded to know why Fran is even sitting on the council if she is going to vote against everything? Fran refused to respond as she felt the comment was out of order.
And The ‘Pie has no doubt an honest reply would also have been ruled out of order, but let The ‘Pie enlighten you, Clr Ryder – the reason shde is on the council is because she was elected, she thinks you are all crooks and she is utilising her right to say so and do something about it!
And learn your history, you gabby mouthed, abrasive ninny … one guesses but can’t tell from the video that Mayor Mullet kept a straight face but was thinking ‘no, Margie, no, don’t go there’. Because we all remember when Jenny Hill was just a mere councillor in the Tyrell council, she – on what she laughingly called principal – voted against every single thing the Townsville First majority put forward.
Watching the video of yesterday’s council meeting you can clearly see Clr Fran is outsmarting Jenny at every move https://www.townsville.qld.gov.au/about-council/council-meetings/meetings-agendas-and-minutes
In fact it looks like Jenny Hill’s own political games are starting to bite her in the arse where the fucking around and delays at Lansdown are giving Fran plenty of opportunities to kick Jenny. If Lansdown was developed Jenny would not have nothing to answer just good new from new jobs in Townsville, but that’s what you get by hitching your wagon to Imperium3.
Can’t wait to watch the next council meeting video with Jenny stumbling and Prins bumbling, the new dynamic duo Fat Man and Girl Blunder
Potty Mouth Ryder was such a nice girl when she was at St Margaret Mary’s. Must have been during her years in Julia Creek local politics and organising the Dirt & Dust festival that she learned how to swear so well.
Including the boat park – which Punch also voted against. I saw both of them swanning around on opening day, busily stealing thunder.
FFS GET A GRIP, BULLETIN …
SHE SAID NO SUCH THING … READ YOUR OWN FUCKING STORY.
Quote: She took a motion to the full council meeting, saying the investigation (on possible ways to divest council interests in Lansdown) was to see what could be done if the development went pear-shaped. Unquote
And another’s one gone….Astonisher editor off to Hobart Mercury….Seems to be the career path.
How many editors in the past 10 years? 4? 5?
Just a transit lounge here. But we are for the North….bulldust
Keith De Lacy died today, one of the good ones that Labor produce once every decade or so, understood business and how to work with it and keep Govt out of the way. Not too popular with the whingeing Townsville crowd at the time who thought Cairns was getting all the funding and Townsville was getting none.
Wrote a great book, “Blood Stains the Wattle’.
Mal, just found out that former owner of Tony Ireland Holden, Noel Gould has passed away, I worked for Noel, Tony ireland and Gordon Lee, Noel was by far the best to work for, he even signed the pay sheet that everyone signed,so everyone knew what his take home pay packet was ( I’m sure it was much more ), in my eyes a good bloke.
In an article titled “On second thoughts, Magnis not worth $10bn after all”, The Oz has detailed that the shonks at Magnis have been forced to retract its claim that it could be worth $10bn, just days after the annual meeting. This was following “consultation with the ASX”.
Yes, more on this in the blog this weekend. These excerpts from the Oz story.
Magnis Energy has been forced to retract its claim that the EV battery player could be worth $10bn – four days after it disclosed the figure at its annual general meeting.
Magnis, which owns a controlling stake in New York-based batteries manufacturer Imperium3, has been under intense regulatory scrutiny after the Australian Securities and Investments Commission began making inquiries about the possible artificial inflation of the company’s share price.
Magnis, with a market value of $523m, told investors on Monday that its Imperium3 business had a “potential value” of $4bn. Charge CCCV, which owns the patents on which the batteries are based and in which Magnis has a 9.7 percent holding, was worth $2bn, and the company’s anode materials business, including a graphite project in Tanzania, had a potential value of $4bn, it said. Magnis claimed this made it worth $10billion.
But in a statement released on Thursday, Magnis said it would retract the figures “and inform investors that they should not rely on that information as the basis for any investment decision”. That view was formed “following consultations with the ASX”.
Fascinating manoeuvring around Magnis which once got gushing reviews from the likes of Macquarie Bank and Citicorp Nominees (currently largest shareholder) and board membership comprising a Nobel prizewinner and well credentialed ex-Liberal politician Warwick Smith. Another ex-Liberal politician, once-Premier of NSW Nick Greiner, coincidentally (maybe) previous bigshot in Citicorp Nominees, was right there on hand as Australia’s Consul-General to New York when things seemed to go pear-shaped for Magnis last week. Further announcements from the Federal government about Lansdown infrastructure can’t be far away.
Ya dreamin Addled, why would the Feds bailout Jenny from this slow moving train wreck.
The libs would be doubled over with laughter at Jenny’s disaster, just more proof Labor stooges are all spin no action. All of the infrastructure needed at Lansdown is the responsibility of Labor governments (State and Local) roads, rail, power, water, sewage, ports, and planning approvals.
Daz, have you been skulking under a rock? The Federal government, led locally by the Member for Herbert Phil Thompson, has already teamed up with the State government to provide $24m under the CityDeal for infrastructure at Lansdown. Not at Stuart or the Port but at Lansdown. There’s more Federal money towards a green hydrogen hub (which might also be at Lansdown) and we await details of whatever suckarse deal is hatched between PM Morrison and Nationals leader Inspector Barnaby over the ‘carbon neutral by 2050′ arrangement. In the meantime, the interests of Magnis Energy as a potential anchor tenant at Lansdown are being carefully cultivated, in the face of ACCC and ASX adversity, by such Liberal luminaries as the recently appointed Consul-General to New York, ex-Premier Nick Greiner. Magnis might be on the nose but the smell is much more widely spread than Walker Street, Townsville.
Steven Miles has already said if the feds give us $12m for Landsdown $9.6m will be clawed back from GST Allocations and only $2.4m is really being committed by the feds which is total BS! As long as it is part of the City Deal model the QLD LABOR Govt will hold it up.
https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/news/townsville/townsville-city-council-to-fund-lansdown-ecoindustrial-precinct-shortfall-if-it-has-to/news-story/69ec8d353c13fc4fe8b184943e6ef374%3famp
Behind a paywall, can’t see it.
Happens.
Anybody else hear that the entire HR department at TCC this week resigned? Sounds like a mess!
Anybody?