Archive for September 1st, 2009
I received an odd little press release from Penny Wong’s office a short time ago, advising me that Ms. Wong, minister for Global Warming (one wonders if “Minister for Hot Air” is apt, in that case) will be in Deniliquin tomorrow to meet with “local groups and stakeholders”. No details about the wheres and whens of it all, and seeing as she is visiting Deni and two other towns tomorrow, you’d think the whens and wheres would be rather important.
So I rang her office and found out that these meetings are all pre-arranged…they then mumbled something about a press briefing and an announcement at the Deni Info Centre at 11:35am. I’ve asked around here and the local paper…nobody knew that this was happening. I am the ONLY radio journalist in town, and if I hadn’t called Penny Wong’s office, I wouldn’t know that there is a press briefing tomorrow. You’d think that they were trying to keep it a secret or something.
2QN is just about to break this story now.
Samuel
September 1st, 2009 at 03:31pm
There’s a curious story in the Herald Sun today about rumours that 3AW may be axing their chief football commentator Rex Hunt in favour of MMM’s Brian Taylor next year.
3AW’s General Manager Shane Healy was quoted as saying “I’d say so” when asked in the station wants to keep Rex Hunt next year, but then went on to say that “[w]e are looking at our ratings and our research, we are always interested to see how our audience is reacting to the team”. Well Shane, let’s do just that…let’s take a look at the ratings for stations covering football.
From survey #5, the ratings across the weekend:
3AW: 17.1%
ABC: 15.2%
MMM: 5.3%
SEN: 3.5%
As if the gap between 3AW and MMM isn’t big enough on its own, the fact that 3AW and MMM get priority choice of games, with the ABC and SEN getting whatever is left over, makes it even more interesting. 3AW and MMM cover the same games most of the time with the ABC and SEN getting the dredges, and yet the ABC almost have triple the ratings of MMM.
Mr. Healy, I know that you say that you’re not looking at replacing Rex, and that the Herald Sun claim the rumour started at MMM, but a quick word of advice for you. If you replace Rex Hunt with Brian Taylor, I will not be listening. In fact, if you replace Rex with just about anyone else, then I will not be listening. Promoting one of your existing commentators is something I can live with…bringing Denis Cometti on full-time I can deal with, but don’t replace your chief caller with somebody who is helping to keep MMM on 5%. If you do, I, and others, will be helping the ratings of your nearest competitor.
Samuel
September 1st, 2009 at 12:06pm
The New South Wales water commissioner announced an increase in water allocations this morning due to “rainfall”, which will he says will allow water restrictions to be relaxed. From the press release:
NSW Water Commissioner, David Harriss, today announced an increase in water allocations for high security water users in both the Murrumbidgee and Murray Valleys.
“Rainfall across the Murray and Murrumbidgee catchments, together with inflows from Snowy Hydro Limited over the past month has enabled these increases,” said Mr Harriss.
Mr Harriss said that the Murrumbidgee high security allocation would increase to 45 per cent of entitlement while improved water availability in the Murray Valley would allow NSW to increase its high security allocation from 8 per cent to 20 per cent of entitlement.
“Under the interstate water sharing arrangements for 2009/10 agreed by the three Governments, NSW has repaid the water advanced by Victoria that allowed all carry-over from last season to be available in 2009/10.”
Any future improvement in water availability for NSW in the Murray Valley will be committed entirely to meet domestic and stock needs in the Wakool system, conveyance requirements in channels systems and to increase allocations for consumptive users.”
Mr Harriss said that the increase in high security allocations in both valleys means that Councils and Town Water Supply Authorities can ease town water restrictions in line with the Murray and Murrumbidgee Water restrictions policy.
Under the policy, water restrictions in the Murrumbidgee Valley can be relaxed to level 3 that allows for a maximum of 8 hours of outside watering per week. In the Murray valley restrictions can be relaxed to Level 3a that allows for a maximum of 4 hours of outside watering per week.
Mr Harriss also reminded all water users in both the Murray and Murrumbidgee Valleys that their Shire water restrictions apply to water taken under basic landholder rights or from bores for private domestic use.
“People who draw water directly from a river or creek or from a bore are subject to the same water restrictions as those applied in the Shire for town water,” he said.
Mr Harriss said that the temporary embargo on trades out of the Murrumbidgee Valley had been lifted and that State Water Corporation was conducting a ballot from 24 August 2009.
Hmmm, it must be a drought…
Samuel
September 1st, 2009 at 10:34am
The Prime Minister isn’t coming to the Deni Ute Muster yet, but his ute is…or to be more precise, the ute which was loaned to him and subsequently caused the ute-gate scandal.
Organisers of the Ute Muster, concerned about the reputation of the Aussie Ute following the ute-gate scandal, invited Mr. Rudd to the muster in June, and are yet to receive a response, however they are thrilled that the now infamous ute and its owner, John Grant from Ipswich Motors, have announced that they will be in attendance.
New South Wales water commissioner David Harriss announced an increase in the high security water allocations in the Murrumbidgee and Murray Valley this morning.
The Murrumbidgee high security allocation has increased to 45 per cent of entitlement, and the Murray Valley high security allocation has increased to 20 per cent of entitlement.
Locals on the Victorian side of the border will no longer need permits to clear vegetation, including trees from within ten metres of their house, and ground fuel within 30 metres of their house, as part of new rules announced yesterday by the Victorian Government, designed to make Victoria more prepared for the upcoming fire season.
Police have expressed their concerns about the ongoing spate of serious assaults in the region, following another serious assault on the weekend.
Former Canberra politician and author of “12 Reason to Reject Fluoridation”, Dennis Stevenson, will be speaking at the Border Inn Hotel in Moama tonight about water fluoridation which he says has proven to be a health risk. The talk starts at 7pm sharp, and everyone is welcome.
With a growing number of tourists visiting the region, a series of workshops will be held later this month to help farmers build a supplumentary income from tourism.
AFL superstars Mark Ricciuto, Nathan Brown, Luke Hodge, Adam Simpson, Brock McLean and Danny Frawley will be in Deniliquin on Tuesday next week from 2pm to 3pm for a footy clinic with local kids.
At the Tocumwal Golf Club last week, in Tuesday’s ladies golf, the A grade winner was Rhonda Constable, B grade winner was Jan Elleray and C Grade went to Win Quick.
In the Men’s Stableford, A Grade went to Col McNamara, Warren Constable took out B Grade and Jack Corken took out C Grade.
On Saturday, 33 pairs played Mixed 4BBB Stableford on a composite course. Sam and Veronica Condy won that on 45 points, on a countback from George Martin and Claire Perston.
On Sunday, for the 3rd year running, Simon Buso and Nathan Matthews won the Men’s 27 hole Foursomes Championship.
And Shirley Crow won the ladies Par competition.
There was shooting action at the Echuca Clay Target Club on Sunday. The Victorian State Ball Trap Final provided 100 targets for shooters to try out their skills.
The Ball Trap is regarded as the toughest discipline of all, and was won by Brett Dunstan who missed only three targets to claim the overall winner’s sash and AA grade 1st trophy.
The 20 target continental double barrel event had the longest shoot off for the day, and eventually David Watts won out with a clean score of 58 from 58.
David also took out the Handicap, another 20 target event, after a 24 target shoot off.
And Echuca member Steve Atkins survived an eleven target shoot off to win the 20 target continental points score event.
September 1st, 2009 at 09:30am
This irritates me every time they do it…which seems to be every time they talk about the area. ACT Police seem to not understand that Ainslie Avenue is the border between Reid and Braddon, and that the Allawah and Currong flats are in Braddon.
ACT Policing is seeking witnesses to a weekend assault and robbery involving multiple offenders and victims that occurred near the Allawah Flats in Reid on Saturday night (29 August).
I’m sick of ACT Policing tarnishing my suburb with the deeds which occur in Braddon. If it happens again, I’m writing to them, and to every editor of a newspaper (or publication which pretends to be a newspaper) in Canberra.
Samuel
September 1st, 2009 at 08:13am
I just received two identical faxes from Malcolm Turnbull’s office, inviting me to a “media engagement” in Tomago at 10:45am. Will they pay for the speeding fines when I get caught doing 260km/h to get there?
View Larger Map
Tomago Aluminium is where the leader of the opposition will be. Do I want to know what awful publicity stunt this is?
By the way, “Media must ensure they wear the following: flat enclosed shoes (no court shoes), long trousers and long sleeves” writes nameless minion on said fax. Make that 280km/h by the time I get changed.
Who’s paying for these excess faxes which have surely been sent to every media organisation in the country. If it’s taxpayers, then it’s an outrage, as this is a regular occurrence. Malcolm…if every other politician (with the exception of the New South Wales Government) can send faxes to only the relevant places, then you can too…in fact, AAP have a service which will do it for you.
Samuel
September 1st, 2009 at 07:14am