Politics is a dirty word

  The political rush to cut out fossil fuels and force us all to buy electric cars is a recipe for disaster. By-products from oil refineries are more vital than diesel and petroleum.   Benzene is a raw material for dyes and synthetic detergents, Benzene and toluene are used in making.polyurethenes and xylenes to produce plastics and synthetic fibers. Butadiene, an elastomer is used in making synthetic rubber. Nylon, teflon polystyrene. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) Global ethylene production was 190 million tonnes and propylene was 120 million tonnes in 2019. About 32-million tonnes of rubbers are produced annually in the United States, and of that amount two thirds are synthetic, total world demand is over70 million tonnes. Without synthetic rubber, electric cars will have no tyres and any ban on plastic production will eliminate many automotive components as well as the majority of office and household items and building products. instead of chasing an illusion about ele...

 We have asked the Prime Minister and the Attorney General for some answers on the referendum over a ‘Voice to Parliament" our request was “There seems to be a general lack of understanding surrounding the benefits of a YES vote in the referendum to add ‘A Voice to Parliament’ to the constitution. Can you please clarify what actions will follow such a change?” We also referred the question to Noel Pearson’s Cape York Institute for Policy and Leadership. It will be interesting to see their responses because we haven't seen anything to explain any direct benefit which will flow from a constitutional change. From everything which has been revealed to date 'the Voice' will just be another bureaucracy designed to exploit taxpayers.

 The element Hafnium, found as a small percentage of the mineral zirconium, is being considered by scientists, military leaders and arms dealers as the next super weapon. One gram of hafnium contains the equivalent energy of 660 pounds (299 kg) of TNT. Because of its high neutron-capture cross section and excellent mechanical properties, hafnium is used for fabricating nuclear-control rods. the US Army, Navy and Defence Threat Reduction Agency are all trying to perfect the weapon, as is the UK’s Atomic Weapons Research Establishment. It seems likely that China and Russia (as well as a few other countries) will also divert funding from their biological weapons programs to develop hafnium weapons of mass destruction. Australian Strategic Materials Ltd is producing a high purity hafnium dioxide from ore mined at Dubbo in New South Wales.The company is part of  Alkane Resources.  chaired by Melbourne business heavyweight Ian Gandel. Production capacity is expected to e...

  Given the way they are working. The newly named Victorian Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) would be better described as DED, Department fot Environmental Degredation.

  Australia’s biggest concrete company is facing huge penalties before it starts sand extraction at Grantville. Victoria’s Environment Protection Authority has cancelled Barro Group’s licence to operate its Sunshine Landfill site at Kealba . Action against the company began in  2022 after many complaints , The EPA said Barro Group failed to meet compliance issues required under its licence. Bass Coast residents are concerned that the company will show equal contempt for its permit conditions at Grantville. Charges issued alleging non-compliance with the General Environment Duty have a maximum penalty of $1.8 million for the company and $360,000 for each director. Barro Group has a sand extraction permit on a site adjoining Bass River in McGrady Road, Grantville. Neighbouring landholders have advised Bass Coast Shire that the company has already breached its permit conditions but the Shire has taken no action.

 There is a fundamental problem with outcomes following decisions made by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. Local councils make decisions on applications, having regard to local community values and expectations but an appeal to VCAT almost inevitably results in the trashing of those values. As a particular example, in the1990’s, Commissioners of Bass Coast Shire refused a sand Extraction application by Barro Group Pty Ltd. Their decision was made after wide community consultation but was overturned following the company’s appeal to VCAT . Now Bass Coast Shire refuses  to revoke the permit even though the company has breached planning conditions and destroyed key fauna habitat. We have asked VCAT to rescind approval for extraction by Barro Group on the site in McGrady Road, Grantville. Despite permit conditions requiring there be no diminution in the quantity or quality of water flowing on the western drainage line of the property. the earthworks they have cond...

 Looks like we can forget about free and fair elections in Victoria, the debacle of the November 26 state election when election results were given after only a small percentage of votes were counted shows the extent of the scam. At least 6 seats are still in doubt. The Victorian Electoral Commission has some serious questions to answer before anyone can trust it again. I lodged a complaint with The Victorian Electoral Commission about the last state election and the misleading of voters by the Sack Dan Andrews Party. The party was apparently set up to ensure enough preferences went to Labor candidates to get the labor government returned. This was part of the response received from the VEC. “ As part of the party registration process, the proposed names of political parties must satisfy the criteria in section 47 of the Electoral Act 2002 (Vic). For example, a proposed name cannot be the same as, or very similar to, the name of another political party. There is no requirement...