Monthly Archives: January 2011

Has paid parental leave affected birth numbers in Cairns?

Posted on January 30, 2011 by Gene Tunny

In December last year, Commonwealth Families Minister Jenny Macklin warned obstetricians not to help women delay births so they are eligible for the new Paid Parental Leave scheme, which came into effect on 1 January. Judging by new statistics from … Continue reading →

Posted in Cairns, Population | Leave a comment

Are there too many prosecutions in Queensland?

Posted on January 29, 2011 by Gene Tunny

There were over 184,000 defendants whose cases were finalised in Queensland courts last financial year, compared with around 169,000 in NSW, as reported in the Australian Bureau of Statistics’s Criminal Courts publication released on Thursday. Given NSW’s population is much … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime | Leave a comment

Levy may help Government avoid debt limit increase

Posted on January 28, 2011 by Gene Tunny

The Gillard Government must have known its flood levy would be hugely unpopular. The only plausible explanation for the levy is that the Government wants to avoid another debate about its debt limit, currently at $200 billion, as per the … Continue reading →

Posted in Floods | Leave a comment

Flood relief arrangements are inequitable

Posted on January 26, 2011 by Gene Tunny

Centrelink offices across Queensland have been busy lately, accepting applications for $1,000 payments for disaster relief following the floods. While most applications for relief will be genuine, it’s hard not to conclude there will be a significant number of rorters or … Continue reading →

Posted in Brisbane, Floods, Ipswich | 2 Comments

Brisbane housing “severely unaffordable”

Posted on January 24, 2011 by Gene Tunny

Average Brisbane house prices are 6.6 times the average household income, meaning Brisbane house prices are broadly comparable to those in London, which are 7.2 times the average household income. In affordable housing markets, such as Nashville in Tennessee, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Housing, Population | Leave a comment

Lord Mayor launches his own flood review

Posted on January 21, 2011 by Gene Tunny

Is Brisbane Lord Mayor Campbell Newman worried about what the Government-commissioned flood inquiry will find regarding City Council policies, particularly around land use planning? Today the Lord Mayor launched his own independent flood review, focusing on the City Council’s handling … Continue reading →

Posted in Brisbane, Floods | Leave a comment

Pointless debating floods levy right now

Posted on January 20, 2011 by Gene Tunny

Unafraid of being accused of rank political opportunism, the Leader of the Opposition Tony Abbott today urged PM Julia Gillard not to impose a “great big new tax” – i.e. the floods levy – to fund the Queensland reconstruction and to … Continue reading →

Posted in Floods | Leave a comment

Can this Summer get any crueller?

Posted on January 20, 2011 by Gene Tunny

It certainly could. The Townsville Bulletin reports: City on alert for tidal flooding and cyclone The “beer ship” to Townsville, replenishing XXXX supplies, may arrive just in time to fortify Townsville residents for potentially challenging times ahead: Beer ship to … Continue reading →

Posted in Floods, Townsville | Leave a comment

Strange aberrations – bigger than a one-in-100 year flood in the Lockyer

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Gene Tunny

Brisbane Lord Mayor Campbell Newman today defended his town plan and remained optimistic about the future of riverfront living in Brisbane, even though Brisbane has now experienced two major floods in the last 37 years: Brisbane mayor insists town planners not … Continue reading →

Posted in Brisbane, Floods | Leave a comment

Queensland’s week of tragedy

Posted on January 15, 2011 by Gene Tunny

In Brisbane’s flood-affected suburbs, such as Toowong and St Lucia, the roadside piles of water-damaged possessions – including fridges, furniture and bedding, all rendered brown and drained of vibrant colours – remind unaffected residents of the heartache wrought on fellow … Continue reading →

Posted in Brisbane, Floods, Ipswich | Leave a comment