Dingo, a name now synonymous with the predatory killer, the wild dog are the voracious, cunning and stealthy wild beast roaming many parts of Australia are now infesting our National Parks in nothing other than plague proportions which is in direct contradiction to what the Authorities are telling us in the main stream media.

This predator [since the cessation of the 1080 poison aerial baiting scheme due to the flawed green accusations that the native Quoll population was being decimated through the ingestion of the poison by eating the baits] has increased not only in numbers, but has essentially driven native fauna now to live on the edges of the National Parks. The migration of animals such as the Kangaroo and Wallaby along with others to bush fringe lines has become a necessity for their survival. This has become even more so since the 2003 disastrous holocaust over the Australian Alps.

The down side of this is, as the cessation of the aerial baiting program (under direction from the NSW Environment Minister Bob Debus) started to have its effect by bringing about an explosion in wild dog numbers, the territory that these animals hunt has expanded out to fringes of rural properties near almost all National Parks of significance. This in turn has taught the wild dog that not only is his native food source moved to these fringe areas, but so too are the domestic stock of the landholders. It is this domestic stock that is now the major food source of the wild dogs, as they are captured prey with fenced paddocks, no where near as athletic as the native fauna species, hence easy prey.

In the short time that SOS has been up and running, it has been swamped with cries of peoples stories of anguish and despair which is obvious from these communications that the real despair is not so much in the massive damage caused to individual families that is by no means trivial, but rather the complete lack of acceptance by the authorities to understand and grasp that which is necessary to address the problem.

SOS is inviting readers to submit their truthful accounts of wild dog stories where such dogs have posed a threat to human life. We are well aware of many such stories and as these accounts are disturbing to say the least, we intend to include an event with each newsletter that goes out if space allows. You may use the form below to submit your story.

The National Parks and Wildlife (NPWS) have made much noise about their success in curtailing this predator, but reality does not support the rhetoric.

In the Northern areas of the Snowy Mountains deals within deals are being done to achieve paper results and if we are to believe the media, landholders should be grateful for the huge success in eradication of the problem. Somewhere within the statistical compilation department the need to leave domestic goats from the figures seemed a good idea. In 2004 the NPWS by way of a regional Officer espoused how stock losses to landholders was now down to about 7 animals lost per year and that stocking rates were now being increased as the threat subsided. Sounds great for those with selective hearing, those with jobs to protect, and the masters of spin. At SOS we are aware that one landholder alone has suffered the loss to wild dogs of some 200 young and new born goats in the last 12 months and some 78 in the year prior to that. This is just one struggling landholder on a list that goes on.

Whilst Bob 1 (Carr) was beating his chest about making more National Parks than ten million years of tectonic plate upheaval could ever have produced, it is obvious that not once did he ever consider any of the ramifications to these actions other than how such Park manufacturing would increase government grants to the likes of the Colong Foundation coffers, a group who childishly attempt to try and differentiate between today's wild dogs and canis dingo of yesteryear, or the desert areas. Subscribers read tomorrows issue of SOS for a story on the Colong organisation.

Now, given that the NPWS admits that it only has one employee for every 27,000 hectares of park [for you old folk this equates to 66,716 acres, or 104 sq miles] and this includes admin staff, their propensity to lock land up into quasi wilderness areas, allow access trails to degradate and gate off the rest, disallow guns, dogs and horses [not that many of them could either ride, shoot, or change a tyre] their ability to successfully tackle this wild dog explosion is limited to the ridiculous indeed.

Their answer is to fund another organisation to do the work for them, namely the RLPB (Rural Lands Protection Board). Now this in itself is interesting as the name implies, note the Rural in this name. Is this an admission by default that the wild dogs are in fact in rural areas where most NPWS staff are almost considered on a par with the wild dog and hence it is perhaps better we don't venture there.

Now the RLPB have better things to do with their time, but funds granted by NPWS for such contracting of work are a nice to have aside from those they normally have to work with. Now add a tad more from the Forestry sector and the windfall is not to be sneezed at, albeit, it is a pittance in real terms.

This is the issue. We all know that because of the Carr Governments desire to satisfy the green vote, NPWS just does not have the resources to manage one tenth of the territory [with their draconian, dictatorial, legislation] that is expected of them. But a $100,000 a year to employ 1.5 tradesmen, like our few remaining dog men, who are covering an area of roughly 500,000 hectares to combat one of the most insidious curses to afflict our Lander holders, and after Politicians and Colonger types, is childish to say the least.

The NSW Environment Minister Bob Debus should without delay have a censure motion brought against him being where the buck stops and the rot starts. $100,000 per year to support a program that for one instance would only be losses suffered by wild dogs to one such farmer previously mentioned if real the value of loss was calculated is nothing short of criminal. When the NSW Government can find $30,000,000, yes $30 million, to buy productive private land (Yanga Station) that they cannot manage, has in real terms serious consequences for the local area's viability. This is nothing short of poor governance and at this point our Federal Government should step in acting as the Federal Government is expected to act and force the NSW Government to reverse such a decision and start acting as a responsible Government for the State. The other choice is to have the Governor dissolve Parliament and call a full house election. No wonder Bob & Co skulked out of the fray before the proverbial *@%$# hit the wind turbines.

This is nothing short of a bloody disgrace and a sad indictment on the quality of our elected servants and unelected bureaucrats. At least the NSW opposition espouses cutting down on civil servants, well we know where they can start and those won't be missed and if the opposition includes themselves and all there party mates. We then can start with a new broom, elect only house wives of ten or more year's experience, and ban party politics, which is nothing short of a legal cabal. At least if the Cosa Nostra was in parliament we would know where we stood.

The Brindabella area of the Snowy alone over the last 4 years has trapped and shot over 300 wild dogs and some 700 odd foxes and foxes are only opportunity eradication in the process of the over worked dogman and his duties. There is such a shortage of these expert hunters that dogmen are sub-contacted into other areas, for dollars of course, to train others how to trap wild dogs in their areas. [This is not because they have more, or less wild dog problems than the Dogman's home territory, it is just that he who screams loudest gets the oil. Ever tried spraying WD40 on a grinding wheel bearing? The squeak stops, but the wheel still falls off.] All because a lack of funding and an intransigence to the problem in question.

Actually that's wrong, because it can only be believed that this lack of funding and thereby the lack of resources is without doubt intentional to drive another stake into the heart of rural landholders that fringe the ever increasing National Parks like the movement of the Dunes in the Sahara desert. It's easier to force the land holders off their land by attrition than it is to solve the problem and the end result of this is more National Parks and Wilderness areas and very soon we will see Governments selling off this acquired land in the form of Parks [ 8+ % of NSW is National Parks, check your atlas and just see how much 8%+ of our State is] as, soon it will be the only infrastructure, if you could call it so, that will be left. The Debus, Carr and Colonger's of our society are the 5th column within our realm and will remain . unless the public wake up now! They will destroy this nation which will be irreparable and by public we mean the city folk more than any other group. Talking about it at the d ining table, or over the bar at the pub, or club, is not good enough, you need to take action if not for yourself then for your children and grandchildren.



When wild dogs get given nicknames by those hunting them like "Bin Laden" or "Resurrection" and Bin Laden is believed to have killed 700 domestic animals in his reign of predatory terror and Resurrection with his pack is believed to have accounted for 4000 domestic animals, we have a dreadful problem.


When wild dogs tracked in a straight line over a three month period covering 70 klm, when wild dogs have been tracked in the snow for 16 klm in one night, when wild dogs have been caught with cockle shells in their stomachs yet they are 80 klm from the nearest source of shells and research shows that those shells will only remain in the dogs for up to 4 days.


When the smart wild dog pack leader takes up to between 3-7 years to be exterminated by the most experienced wild dog men because they are not only cunning, stealthy and intelligent, but able to cover vast areas of terrain that the NPWS and the Colonger's see to it are almost impenetrable with vehicles.


When 100 wild dogs each consume some 800-1200 grams of flesh and giblets per feed and move on for a fresh kill each new feed, this equates to some 30 tonnes of wildlife eaten which in turn equates to some 15,000 wallaby sized fauna each year.


When our Government and NPWS with the consent of the Colongers use petty cash for eradication funds, but find hospital construction size amounts to destroy communities and increase the size of the National Park base;

WE HAVE A SERIOUS PROBLEM of DANGEROUS, INCOMPETENT, IRRESPONSIBLE, GOVERNANCE.

SOS Investigator

So where did we leave off, oh yes! Ms Moran of the Victorian Government advised Mr Gingis that they would support rain enhancement operations if ACM would not identify air pollution as a major cause of rainfall reductions.

Is this indicative of how governments and in this case the Bracks Government, make science fit their political agendas [as opposed to allowing sound science to evolve without political coercion] and hence dupe the trusting public. A public, who elect politicians to serve the publics needs in an honest and transparent manner, not to be dictated to with falsehoods and twisted facts.

According to the physical evidence of the research and the investigation by ACM and by Professor Rosenfeld, they believe that urban and industrial air pollution from Melbourne and the La Trobe Valley is a major cause of increase in fire hazard conditions in the Victorian Alps and the Snowy Mountains due to rainfall and snowfall reductions there.
Their analysis does not take in consideration a significant underestimation of winter snowfall in early half of the 20th century as supported by the BOM Rain Gauge Inspector, Mr Peter Dawson and therefore is likely that the real loss is amounting to 50% 0n average year, making forest unsustainably dry due to evaporation and creating a fire hazard conditions that are impossible to control by conventional fire fighting measures.

From ACM's research it is noted that there has been more than 50% reductions of Inflow into the Perth catchments Dams since construction of Kwinana power station in 1972-1976 and rapid urban, industrial and mining developments and processing along the coast of WA between Bunbury and Perth.

ACM believes that annual loss of snow precipitation due to air pollution in the Snowy Mountains amounts to 1 million mega litre's. Evidence of the magnitude of this loss is obvious by observation of the huge amount of super cool water in clouds that are passing through the area during the winter season without being converted into precipitation.

ACM advised the Commonwealth Government that an increase in rainfall and snowfall will substantially reduce fire hazard conditions and amount of air pollution and will substantially curtail incidents of forest fires resulting in reduction of insurance claims, economic loss and suffering to farmers, urban and rural communities, which they sustain every year. They recommend that the Commonwealth Government reduce fire hazard by the introduction of rain enhancement projects and the promotion of the latest and scientifically advanced atmospheric research in Australia.

ACM suggest that the Commonwealth Government should consider funding cloud physics research programs into the effects of air pollution on rainfall and into the increase in fire hazard conditions throughout the Victorian Alps, Snowy Mountains and the Great Dividing Ranges.

They believe that such projects will greatly assist in combating the economic and environmental issues concerned with dwindling fresh water resources and forest fires.

SOS has taken these and past excerpts from the Submission to the COAG Bushfire Inquiry Concerning The Recent Australian Bushfires so as to give you the readers some insight into a side of this issue that although known is rarely touched by the media and as indicated by Ms Moran [Victorian Department of Natural Resources and Environment] for ACM, not to identify air pollution as a major cause of rainfall reductions, governments do not wish the public to dwell on this proven science fact.

SOS provides the hyperlink below for you the reader to look at the entire submission and study all the data in context and correct order. It is not a large document and we suggest that you download it and print it and/or email it about. Click Here

Knowledge is a powerful tool, but first you have to be allowed to see the data before we can each, individually, come to our own conclusions and hence have the use of the knowledge tool. It is with out doubt a political and bureaucratic belief that we the general public are not educated enough to make valued judgments on what is and what is not for us and by this arrogant belief in superiority, such persons consider themselves both (a) superior and (b) above having to answer to their masters, us the public. It is time to change this thinking by such people and demand from them servitude, not dictatorship.

By

SOS Investigator

by
Padraic Murphy:
August 27, 2005

COULD gentle Victoria be corruption's perfect storm?

Today's revelations in The Weekend Australian confirm what many have long
suspected: elements of the union movement, the Bracks Government and senior
police are involved - either directly or through sheer incompetence - in
corruption.

The state's shady police force, its "naive" police chief, and now the ALP
and the unions all clearly have something to gain from not being put through
the wringer of a royal commission.
In a month when the Melbourne media has huffed about a phony scandal
involving the release of police files - which at worst appears to be a
key-stroke error - it has ignored prescient stories in The Australian about
serious police corruption. Real corruption - that is, people of influence
using their positions for either personal gain, or worse, to unfairly damage
their enemies.
True to form, the Government, which is inextricably linked to this tawdry
corruption, has put on a show of concern and offered leashed watchdogs and
"inquiries", claiming this is real action.It isn't.

And government spin doctors might be wise to ask who in government knows
about Kerry Milte before issuing their customary move-along press releases.

Worse is the Melbourne press. Lethargic broadsheet The Age beats its chest
about an apparently inadvertent file leak as though it is some Watergate
moment, while declining to follow up its own reports on Mr Milte's
connections or fresh allegations raised by The Australian of allegedly
inappropriate links to a prominent federal MP.Not quite the fourth estate.

So if you aren't a media hotshot, a political or union heavy or smart-arse
police or legal type, and feel you have a legitimate complaint against any
of the aforementioned, who do you turn to?

Well - and get hold of a flow-chart if you can - the following: the Office
of Police Integrity, the Ombudsman, the privacy commissioner, the Ethical
Standards Department, a local MP, the new files commissioner, or the police
chief. Some of these are either untested or have concerns hanging over them.
Confused? You should be.

Why not a single corruption body? It might be useful in informing the
community about allegations concerning the grubby nexus of corrupt police,
government and unions and all the others who appear to be protected species
in Victoria.

Mowed down: path cleared through forest
By Wendy Frew Environment Reporter
July 20, 2005

Aggressive land clearing under power lines by Country Energy has shocked environmentalists and prompted an investigation by the State Government.
But the electricity supplier and Forests NSW say there is nothing wrong with the practice.
The Environment Protection Authority yesterday sent officers to the Boyne State Forest, north of Batemans Bay, to investigate allegations of illegal land clearing in a 15-kilometre power line corridor that in some areas appears to have been stripped of all vegetation.

The clearing is reminiscent of work done by TransGrid in 2001 in a corridor passing through three national parks. In that case, one of the worst cases of unauthorised recent land clearing in NSW, TransGrid contractors turned a power line easement into a moonscape.

TransGrid was charged with offences under environmental legislation, fined $130,000 and ordered to revegetate the area.

Country Energy told the Herald the work it undertook between April and last month under 15 kilometres of high-voltage transmission lines through the Boyne forest would prevent the lines coming into contact with trees and starting a bushfire.

However, John Perkins, a forest campaigner for South Coast environment group Friends of Durras, said it appeared cost cutting had taken precedence over environmental protection.
"I am really shocked at the bare earth. That would be a pollution breach. I cannot see any sediment control," he said, after viewing photographs of the clearing taken this month.

"If you have very severe clearing of an easement you don't have to come back so often."

Country Energy said the bare earth was due to the removal of old earth banks and not the result of new clearing.
"To remove the old earth banks, we have to cut back the vegetation and use earthmoving equipment to smooth the ground," said Craig Murray, Country Energy's managing director.

"This has an initial visual impact but the impact is only temporary," he said. "Within a few weeks the grasses and ground cover will regrow. Once that happens the grasses and ground cover will be maintained at a height of around 300 millimetres."

All electricity suppliers are required by law to manage tree growth underneath power lines to prevent bushfires and power blackouts. However, they are prohibited to clear it to bare earth or create an erosion problem.
When the Boyne power line was built in the 1980s it was common for vegetation to be removed entirely, according to Country Energy. Large earth banks were built across the corridor to divert rainwater and reduce erosion.
Forests NSW was aware Country Energy had begun clearing under the power lines at Boyne in April but did not monitor the work.

After being contacted by the Herald about the clearing, it sent an officer to investigate, said a spokesman for Forest NSW, Bill Frew.

By then heavy rains had caused erosion. "We did go out and have a look and when there was rain we found some work was needed to revegetate it," he said.

The earth banks had served their purpose because vegetation had grown back, which would keep erosion in check, but Forests NSW has told Country Energy to reseed the areas.

My Great Grand father, Grand father and Father were all appointed Justice of
the Peace and sworn in by the court for the period of their natural life. As
my forefathers, in 1970 I was also sworn in as a JP being recommended by Sid
Enfield an icon of the labor party. I remember my fathers saying "an
appointment for life to a JP was a very great privilege and is consider an
average citizens knighthood". He further indicated on the family cemetery
plot we were visiting the letters JP after my forefathers and said "that is
a final tribute to have JP on your headstone".

How many of you are JP's that read SOS know that prior to the year 2000 the
NSW Attorney General Bob Debus will remove your knighthood on the 7th
December 2006 with legislation he drafted in May 2002 passed by parliament
and set in force on 8th December 2003? I am aware of this legislation, but a
friend who is a 75 year old JP was devastated when I informed him last week
during conversation.

Appointments prior to 8 December 2003 were made under the Imperial
Application Act 1969. This Act has been amended to remove references to
Justices of the Peace and the NSW Justices of the Peace Act 2002 now applies
with five year periods replacing lifetime appointments.

At no time it would seem has Mr Debus considered the senior members of our
communities holding the appointment of JP that to them was for life.

These are people who were looked up to as an anchor in the towns and
suburbs, who would sit on the local court bench, provided a shoulder to cry
on and acted as a buffer between the people and the law.

The Debus JP extermination was brought about by government not keeping
records of JPs whereabouts along with other pathetic reasons kindling that
ever present urge for a pollie to make the changes that suit them.

So we now have the five year plan of document signatories on a register that
have to grovel on an application to be considered for another term.

Now we have a copy of the JP's handbook you can download in PDF format click
here.

When you have read this and stop seething with rage, why not email Bob, and
ask him can you still be called JP having been appointed for life in the NSW
courts and if not what is he going to do about your average citizens
knighthood.

Now that I will loose my JP status thanks to Bob, who knows maybe the
Federal Government will soon take my service medals that I also received for
life.

Concerned Subscriber

We are awaiting the reply to this matter of concern emailed today to Bob Debus and Dr Tony Fleming. The questions needed to be asked as do the answers need to be published. We will be following this right through and keep you all informed.

The Editor
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*

It has come to SOS attention a matter of the most serious concern, with this concern needing to be brought to the attention of Minister for the Environment, Minister Bob Debus and Dr Tony Fleming, Deputy Director-General, Parks and Wildlife Division, Department of Environment and Conservation.

During the winter weeks, where the high country tracks are blocked off to the public by NPWS locking of gates, there are reports that helicopters have been working the snow swept Brumby runs.

Whilst SOS is led to understand that there is certain information and evidence still to be forth coming re these reports, at this time SOS wishes to ask you Minister Debus and Dr Fleming the following:

(1) Is the NPWS of NSW, or any Contractor, directly or indirectly there associated with the NPWS, shooting and/or poisoning of our heritage wild horses (Brumbys) across the winter closed high country of the Snowy Mountains?

(2) Can the Minster and Dr Fleming please advise what work has been carried out in the winter locked Snowy Mountain high country by helicopter, either by any person, or department under the direct, or indirect control of either the Environment Ministry, or the NPWS of NSW.

(3) Are there personnel being deployed in the Snowy high country to shoot or poison these heritage wild horses from the ground?

(4) Is the NPWS disregarding the agreement of their wild horse management plan for the Alpine wild horses and pre-empting a successful management process result by this plan that could be utilised around the Tantangara and Peppercorn areas, areas that by definition of smoke and mirrors fall outside the Alpine plan?

Our wild horses are descendants of those that valiantly carried our "Diggers" into battle as members of the Light Horse Brigade. They carried not only the riders but the hopes of a fledgling nation and should be respected as are other icons of that revered era of Australia's heritage.

In modern times they were a major contributing factor to the survival of the open snow grass areas of the Snowy Mountain high country and hence the vibrant biodiversity that still enjoys a symbiotic relationship with all life that inhabits such an environment. An environment that was almost untouched in the 2003 holocaust, a holocaust that destroyed almost everything (fauna & flora) below such high country.

Your expeditious reply to our questions is earnestly sought for our readers.

In anticipation

Mal Davies

Editor

Save Our Snowy

Agtrans Pty Ltd, trading as Agtrans Research and Consulting, is a research and consultancy organisation situated in Toowong, (a fringe city suburb) Brisbane and has been operating from this location since starting in 1985.

Without me going into the details of the report Agtrans has done for the Federal Department of Environment, an excellent review was published by Paul Sellars of the Weekly Times this week.

Phil Sellars quotes from the report these costs to the economy:

Weeds 4.1 Billion, Rabbits 113Million, Feral Pigs106.5 M, Wild Dogs 66.3M, Foxes 37.5M, Starlings 10M, Feral Goats 7.7.M, Feral Cats 2m, Cane Toads 2m, Wild Horses 0.5m.

He further quotes that, it is suggested that governments, scientist and farmers are facing an uphill battle in reigning in some of the country's most destructive introduced pests.

We have a copy of this report that list a wonderful lineup of people in the right chairs at the right government positions that were assisting Agtrans with this inquiry.

SOS has taken a different tact choosing to speak with the people who farm and live amongst the problems listed above and will be bringing you that report very soon.

We should also consider looking at government's contribution to further erosion of the national economy as they hunt in packs and are an introduced pest.

With the application now dismissed, the inquiry into the 2003 bushfires resumed yesterday in the ACT Coroners Court to set a timetable for the proceedings.

Mrs Doogan said yesterday she was not going to hear a debate about what issues she could or could not investigate until the evidence was concluded and the jurisdictional question could then be addressed in the final submissions, expected to be put next January or February.

Lex Lasry, QC, senior counsel assisting Mrs Doogan, said the cross-examination of Trevor Roche would continue on October 17. He said counsel assisting the coroner had no plans to recall any witnesses or introduce new witnesses and believed the inquiry had two to three weeks of hearing evidence left. Mr Lasry further stated it was unlikely final submissions would be completed before the end of January or February next year, and the other parties would also have to respond to them.

Mr Roche is a former chief officer of the Country Fire Authority in Victoria who has been contracted to give expert opinion to the inquiry.

When Mrs Doogan asked if October17 was the earliest date the hearing of evidence could re-start, Mr Lasry said October17 was the date that was most suitable for Mr Roche and most of the other parties involved.

The inquiry is expected to then hear from John Nicholson, a fire risk expert who was a deputy chief officer in the CFA. He has been engaged by lawyers for former chief bushfire control officer Peter Lucas-Smith and former Emergency Services Bureau executive director Mike Castle to give a second opinion on the reports prepared for the inquiry by Mr Roche and Phil Cheney and Justin Leonard from the CSIRO.

Steve Whybrow, counsel for Mr Castle, could not confirm yesterday if he would be recalling his client to give further evidence.

We are looking for a cartoonist who can give SOS a lift and become part of the team. So much out there needs to be covered by the humor it generates even though the source considers it "Fair Dinkum Mate" … opps … I said MATE …

If you are interested, email me some of your work, but do not forget that you will be on a salary of 100% just like myself and the investigation team get from this venture, "the pleasure of telling the public what those in power would like to hide"

ACT Chief Minister Jon Stanhope has ruled out pursuing legal action against
the bushfire coroner, saying the issue has dragged on for too long.

The Government had joined an action by nine people seeking to have coroner
Maria Doogan disqualified over perceived bias.

The Supreme Court rejected the action and the Government has since come
under fire from bushfire victims for delaying the coronial inquiry.

Mr Stanhope says new legal advice suggests an appeal would succeed.

He says he will not be going down that path, but has defended the
Government's actions.

"People continue to misunderstand the impact of the coronial inquest and the
consequences on those nine individuals, public servants who on the day, as
far as I'm concerned, did do their best and have every right to protect
their interests as they see them," he said.

So if Mr Stanhope does agree to support the "Canberra Nine" with costs to
lodge an appeal in the supreme court the ACT public will foot the bill as
with the highly paid QC lurking in the shadows will require a heavty wack at
the kitty also.

The ACT Opposition has called on the Government to negotiate an out-of-court
settlement with bushfire victims pursuing damages for injury and loss
suffered in the January, 2003, bushfires. A directions hearing was held in
the ACT Supreme Court on Wednesday before Registrar Jill Circosta to help
set up a preliminary timetable for the civil action. The parties will be in
the court next on November 7.

A total of 62 people are suing the ACT, NSW and Federal governments and ACT
Emergency Services Authority for damages, claiming the governments were
negligent.

Mark Howard, of Goulburn firm Lamond Howard and Associates, which is
representing the 62 plaintiffs, said there was no indication given in the
court on Wednesday on how the governments intended to respond to the
statements of claim.

He was still working on a third statement of claim which could bring the
total number of plaintiffs close to 100.

Chief Minister Jon Stanhope has said previously the Government has three
options: to contest the claims in court, to seek to have them struck out in
court; or to negotiate an out- of-court settlement.

Shadow attorney-general Bill Stefaniak said it should try to reach an
out-of-court compromise not only with the 62 plaintiffs but any bushfire
victim who still felt aggrieved.

Mr Stefaniak said the Government should not "risk wasting millions of
dollars more defending what may be indefensible".

He said the "potentially disastrous" cost of any civil action should be
avoided.

Canberra Times
By Megan Doherty
Friday, 12 August 2005

At Linton on 2nd December 1998, 5 fire fighters perished on the back of a CFA fire truck. A very damning report from a CSIRO bushfire scientist of nearly 40 years was suppressed by the Victorian State Coroner.

Fire trucks have over a tonne of highly combustible fiberglass used for water tanks, heat shielding and crew compartments on the back. When brigade members set a small section of the Licola fire truck on fire with a single sheet of burning toilet paper as a test of the vehicles fire resistance and blockaded the National Park to highlight the dangerous nature of the equipment and environment they had to operate in, they were put on disciplinary CFA charges.

While then Victorian Minister Haermeyer responsible for the CFA was calling the Federal bushfire inquiry a "a political Star Chamber exercise," the CFA who bought the disciplinary charges against the volunteer firefighters, heard the charges and were not bound by the rules of evidence. The convened Kangaroo court was able to conduct the hearing in any manner they reasonably thought fit behind closed doors no need to make the outcome public. The person who conducted the hearing was in fact the CFA Area Manager covering the Linton area at the time of the five fatalities.

We will be bringing you the details of our inquiry into the Victorian CFA who are still maintaining that there is nothing wrong with their fire trucks and the season of bushfires upon us.

It would seem that ACT Coroner Maria Doogan will resume her inquiry into the 2003 ACT bushfires on Wednesday to the relief of those who have lost family to this disaster.

The January 2003 fires that destroyed over 500 homes and claimed four lives in Canberra caused over $300 million damage including more than $50 million from the almost total loss of ACT forests not to mention the damage to the NSW Snowy high country and farmers

Brendan Smyth MLA ACT Opposition Leader and Shadow Health Minister has announced a censure motion against Jon Stanhope Chief Minister of the ACT government over the premature supreme court action taken against coroner Maria Doogan who is conducting the inquiry into the 2003 bushfire to which he was one of the prime engineers of this action that has so far cost the ACT public $1.8 million dollars.

Stalling the inquiry for 11 months with hope that it would have been terminated, Mr Stanhope and his entourage of highly paid QC's have been moved to the backbench to observe what must be a position unacceptable to the chief minister. The outcome he most certainly did not want from the inquiry now looks certain to be revealed.

In some green eyes, Australia was a pariah for refusing, with the United States, to ratify the treaty. We still pledged to meet reasonable self-imposed greenhouse targets but without risking penalty or exposure to
the burgeoning carbon trading market.

Judging by New Zealand's predicament, we were wise not to sign up for Kyoto.Our Kiwi neighbours, once smug about ecological superiority, face a cost blow-out from the treaty exceeding $NZ1 billion ($900 million).

Kyoto has become an election issue in New Zealand, with the Opposition Nationals contemplating pulling out of the agreement. The farcical result is that even though the country produces only 0.2 per cent of the world's greenhouse gases, it is to be punished as if it were a big polluter because it is unlikely to meet its emission targets. The Government has admitted it will exceed its Kyoto target by 36 million tonnes of carbon dioxide between 2008 and 2012.

In their enthusiasm for the project, New Zealand officials miscalculated carbon dioxide inputs and outputs, claiming there would be a net profit in carbon credits from the treaty. They reportedly counted some forests twice and didn't account for increased car use due to a booming economy.

So, instead of profiting by being a global green goodie, it will have to buy carbon credits to meet the shortfall, which will cost as much as $NZ1.2 billion, a report by PricewaterhouseCoopers says. Worse, a consultant's report released by the industry group Business New Zealand last year calculated a future liability of as much as $NZ14 billion under the protocol over the next 20 years.

To cap it all off, the new market in carbon credits has led to threats to the environment, such as a plan to dam the tiny Waitahuna River in the South Island, where water would be pumped uphill into a nearby hydro-electric scheme; there is little energy upside but the plan would still attract carbon credits because it creates "clean" hydro energy.

Story by Miranda Devine Sydney Morning herald

A rumour appears to be circulating that deer hunters had something to do with, or supported, the ban on alpine grazing in the Alpine National Park. Another version is that deer hunters gained from the ban and therefore did not support the mountain cattlemen.

These rumours, and anything else along these lines, are nonsense.

I can say this with some confidence because I am privy to the operations of both the Mountain Cattlemen's Association of victoria and the Australian Deer Association.

You may want to send this around to ensure its wide circulation.

Cheers
Tim Barker
(03)9429 8455
barker@vicnet.net.au

SOS investigators have been working hard to look under the façade of Bureaucratic spin re their Snowy Mountain management methodology. Especially as the bureaucrats are busy trying to stymie public scrutiny of the same.

We saw the NSW Coronial Inquiry into the 2003 fires as a pure farce, the COAG report nothing but status quo, the Victorian in house perusal as the inmates adjudicating over themselves and of course the ACT Inquiry is still news, albeit not yet back in the courts.

It has been heard from almost all with a desire to make this scrutiny go away, "That no one could have foreseen the severity of the holocaust of January 2003."
This statement is never further from the truth and SOS has now uncovered further evidence that not only were the Bureaucrats warned of the impending disaster and consequences that occurred, for some thirty years from experienced land holders and bush families alike, along with their own volunteer fires service personnel on the ground, but they were warned by expert scientific organizations.

One such entity with respected recognition from such eminent organisations such as the UN and NASA, this organisation, their name (which we will make known at a later date) is not one to be disregarded so easily as has been done with the plethora of little people that have vainly attempted to get Bureaucrats to see sense.

Written quotes from this Organisation are reprinted here for SOS subscribers, readers and the community in general.

(1) Our Company has provided scientific advice to the new South Wales and the Victorian Fire, Emergency and Environment Authorities and Minister Bob Debus, Sherryl Garbutt and John Thwaites, but they and Commissioners Phil Koperberg and Bruce Esplin refuse to meet with our Company Representatives and to consider proposed actions. Their neglect could result in the Governments and their Agencies being held liable for damage caused by their neglect.

(2) In June 1999, we notified Ms Rae Moran, Victorian department of Natural resources and Environment of our work and of our scientific findings. We also presented Ms Moran with copies of scientific publications.

(3) In September 1999, our company and Victorian EPA agreed to cooperate and to investigate the correlation between the historical increases in air pollution over Melbourne and the La Trobe Valley and the substantial reduction of rainfall in the Victorian Alps and the Snowy Mountains over the seven decades between 1920 to 1990.

(4) According to physical evidence of the research and the investigation by our Company and by Prof XXXX, we believe that urban and industrial air pollution from Melbourne and the La Trobe Valley is a major cause of increase in fire hazard conditions in the Victorian Alps and the Snowy Mountains due to rainfall and snowfall reductions there.

(5) On the 28th February 2000, Dr Peter McAllister, Manager of Air Quality Studies, Victorian EPA advised that he had been contacted by a representative of the CSIRO, who had demanded an end to scientific cooperation between the Victorian EPA and us. Dr McAllister informed me that the reason for such a demand was to prevent any Government financial support of our research and he further informed me that the CSIRO's representative was concerned that future funding for our research would be taken from the CSIRO's own budget allowance.

(6) However, she informed me that the Victorian Government would support rain enhancement operations if our company would not identify air pollution as a major cause of rainfall reductions.

(7) We believe that the Victorian Government decision was influenced by the advice of Dr Greg Ayers, Chief of the CSIRO Division atmospheric Research and by Dr Mike Manton, Chief of the Bureau of Meteorology Research centre, who all denied any connection between air pollution and rainfall reductions and who, from about May 2000 had attempted to discredit the findings of our company and of Prof XXXX

(8) The Melbourne Water Resources Management Committee, received submissions during 2002 and has decided to ignore all our representations and our comprehensive submission that rainfall over the Melbourne Water catchment and inflow into Melbourne water reservoirs can be increased by at least 30% during an average year of rainfall enhancement and that the fire hazards in Melbourne Water catchments could be prevented.

(9) If natural rainfall and snowfall from the south-western direction, which is the main direction of rain bearing clouds during the winter season, would not have been reduced by 30% to 100%, the bushfires during 2002-2003 fire season would not have burnt 1,100,000 hectares in the Victorian Alps of East Gippsland and in the Snowy Mountains.

(10) The New South Wales (NSW) Rural fire Service and it's Commissioner Mr Phil Koperberg, NSW Parks and Wild Life Service, NSW EPA and their respective Ministers, Bob Debus, and Premier Bob Carr were notified of our Company's and Prof XXXX scientific findings in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003. NSW is in the midst of a severe drought and fire hazard conditions, but Ministers Debus and Knowles and Mr Koperberg are not ready to accept and to act on the best scientific advice available to them to prevent and control bushfires during the 2003-2004 season.

(11) While Australian authorities close their eyes to the problem, its cause and its potential solution, the rest of the world is accepting the reality that human activity inadvertently produces undesirable changes in the weather, especially the suppression of rainfall by air pollution.

SOS will present more of this report in the next issues of our Newsletter. Subscribe Now to get the next issue Click Here

In 1854 two young Scot immigrants were assaulted and one of these was assaulted so badly he died of his injuries.

Witnesses at the Inquiry identified persons as responsible, but a then magistrate (Coroner) who was for what ever reason in bed with the main person responsible saw to it that the Inquiry (Inquest) was interfered with and hence no finding was initially found against those that were responsible.

How easy it is for history to appear to repeat itself in degrees.

150 years later in 2004 A magistrate attempts to find the truth and in so doing, but never intending, notes that evidence may actually find that someone and/or authority just may be accountable, and hence certain actions are taken that are condoned from the highest judicial position in the Territory in an attempt to thwart that which the people dearly seek. The Truth and accountability.

The first event was the death of James Scobie at the hands of the Eureka Hotelier, Bentley and cohorts, and this event perhaps more than any one single event was the cause of the incident known to Australians as the Eureka Stockade. This event was perhaps the first significant attempt at authorative power perverting the course of Justice in this fledgling land.

The second event is the suspending of the Inquiry into Disaster known as, “The 2003 bushfires” by Coroner Maria Doogan. A lady that stood by the ideals that placed her in a position in society as a Magistrate and a Magistrate that was not going to be intimidated to roll over on her integrity. A lady all Canberrans can be proud of. This lady who by the very power that appointed her, was now being persecuted. A persecution that led to the Supreme Court and when the Application that was put before this court seemed weak, for some reason the bench itself decided to ask legal questions outside the parameters of the case to be heard, questions that were not asked in the application. These questions gave another string to the bow of her detractors just when their case seemed to be flagging.

One could applaud the justices for their final decision, but in reality there was no other decision that could have been made, and given that by asking the question of jurisdiction, one could consider the detractors still to some degree, won the day by default. Like James Scobie’s untimely death, this action against Maria Doogan may well bring about the modern day Eureka in respect to Legal –v- Political history in this Country.

The people of this Country are sick and tired of our tax dollars, our democratic system and our allegiance to fair play being used against us immorally, to destroy our societal fabric. Our law is for all and if our money and the power we bestow on our first amongst peers is sought as a means of control over us lesser mortals, then perhaps it is time that we elevate more Maria Doogans meteorically to positions now held by socially inept persons of tenuous positions.

The law is evolutionary and supposed to be so, and Coronial law in the ACT was accepted by all as fine, until suddenly the cloud of accountability in high places loomed over those with a superior air. Suddenly Canberran tax dollars under the control of power was being used in a manner that was never intended, whilst insurance was touted as the public purse pacifier. Both this power and public purse were instruments used to unfairly question the integrity and professionalism of a fine Canberran, “Her Honour Maria Doogan,” and attempt to hide the truth, the facts, the possible lack of duty of care, the possible poor decisions, the possible ineptitude, the possible irresponsible legislation, but more importantly, the reason and hence the inherent responsibility for the “DISASTER” that destroyed lives and hundreds of dwellings in the ACT and indirectly other states in January 2003.

It took 150 years to get a coroner to stand against big power in a search for the truth. How long is it going to take to get Politicians to stand for the rights of the public they are elected to serve as “Servants” and allow the truth to be heard?

By
SOS Field Investigator
~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~~**~*~~

The ACT's Urban Services Minister John Hargreaves has blasted the
FederalTerritories Minister for rejecting a new proposal to increase the
size of the Assembly.

Chief Minister Jon Stanhope wants a select committee to look into a proposal
to increase the size of the assembly from 17 members to 25. The proposal
would need the approval of the Federal Government.Federal Territories
Minister Jim Lloyd says the move is an attempt by Mr Stanhope to grab more
power and undermine the role of the National Capital Authority (NCA)."So is
he now looking to try to even overtake the NCA with more members,"he said.

Mr Hargreaves says Mr Lloyd's comments are typical of someone who does not
ive in Canberra."He is not the lord mayor of the ACT, he is not the king of
the Territory," he said.The select committee will report by the end of the
year.The ACT Opposition and the Greens have raised concerns about the
government move to increase the size of the Assembly. Greens MLA Deb Foskey
says she supports an increase to 21 members instead.

She has questioned Mr Stanhope's push for another committee report. "We fear
that he will set up a committee that will endorse his position," she
said.Shadow Attorney General Bill Stefaniak says an increase in the size of
the Assembly should be based on a formula linked to the Territory's
population. "I think it is important to look at the population of the
Territory, now compared with what the population of the Territory was in
1989," he said.The Opposition has also questioned the timing of Mr
Stanhope's proposal, calling it a smokescreen to divert attention away from
the Government's failed attempt to remove the bushfire coroner Maria Doogan.

Dear Editor

Doing an excellent job, greatly enjoy your newsletter. I used to be a journo
with a lot of the big ones and send out your stuff to my long list of media
contacts. I got this contact list together so I could send out updates of my
PhD findings on bushfires. The latest findings are the Civial Aviation
Safety Authority's regulatory framework is not in place in our bushfire
services. All of our various state and territory bushfire operations have
departments handling the direction and coordination of aircraft, but to date
not one staff member can I find who has the correct qualifications.
According to the Civil Aviation ACt 1988, this is criminal and all sorts of
things should be happening through CASA to get services to comply. The NSW
Rural Fire Service has known since 1999 that it does not comply. Beginning
to sound like a pattern from other dimensions of bushfire management? You
betcha!
The information I have so far says that the following bushfire staff dealing
with aricraft should have qualifications as listed below. I have information
that bushfire staff in NSW lack these qualifications and the same may apply
in other states and territories. I have also heard that air charter services
contracting for bushfires are negligent. Men have been flying as pilots
without licenses and some who have pilots licenses lack low-flying
qualifications which is essential for bushfire work. Here are the other
categories:

1. Radio Operators should have: student pilots licence which will enable
them to get a VHF licence. To get these two, they also need to pass a
fitness test.

2. Air Attack Supervisors: should have a pilots license OR qualifications as
air traffic controllers. This is because they advise the pilot on what to
do. It is a very responsible position as they are responsible fire bombing.

3. Air Observers: should have fitness certificate, VHF license and student
pilots license.

More information should follow.

Regards
(Name withheld)

ABC Saturday, August 6, 2005. 8:00am (AEST)

Bushfire coroner challenge appropriate: Stanhope The ACT Government is
standing by its decision to join the legal action that stalled Canberra's
bushfire inquest. Nine individuals and the ACT Government applied to the
court to disqualify the bushfire coroner, Maria Doogan, because of
perceived bias. The inquest was put on hold for almost a year while the
application was heard.

Today the court ruled the application was lodged prematurely and the
applicants failed to prove grounds for the coroner's dismissal. Chief
Minister Jon Stanhope says he acted on the advice of four Queens Counsel.
"I don't regret the fact we joined the application. I think it was entirely
appropriate, I remain of the view it was appropriate," he said.

But Opposition Leader Brendan Smyth says the decision is a slap in the face
for the Government. "The fact that it has been dismissed with no
conditions, and that the evidence that was presented to the full bench has
just been dismissed says there was no case to answer," Mr Smyth said. Mr
Stanhope says it is unlikely the Government will appeal.

This morning saw the culmination of the most blatant attempt to hide the truth from the public under the guise of bias allegations that the public of the ACT and NSW have had to endure. Not only was this of extreme concern to those in the ACT and the wider area that were adversely affected, both emotionally and tangibly, but also the professional stress applied to a respected member of the ACT judiciary (Her Honour Maria Doogan) has now come to a result.

A 9.50am the doors were opened to court room 4 and the public gallery was very quickly filled with Journalists and interested persons alike. The decreased number of the legal teams was most obvious, Mr Tracey and Mr Burnside being absent.
At 10.05am Justice Crispen entered the Court and in what appeared to be only about 30-40 seconds, rather stony faced, handed down the result and stood, bowed, and left the Court.

A result that has restored the ACT public’s faith in their Judicial system. Yes Coroner Maria Doogan has been exonerated of the charges made against her. The Coroner not only has been exonerated of all the allegations, but the request by the prosecution that should the Coronial Enquiry into the 2003 fires be allowed to proceed, then a new Coroner be appointed to conclude the Enquiry, has also been denied.

This all effectively now paves the way for Coroner Maria Doogan to get on with her excellent work in attempting to come to a satisfactory finding about this terrible 2003 Holocaust.

Should the Plaintiff’s make an application to appeal this decision of the full bench of the ACT Supreme Court after such a resounding loss, could only be construed by the public as indeed an action that is attempting to cover up something that is yet to be found.

Mr Stanhope’s Government has so far footed the bill from the public purse for all parties in this proceeding, either directly, or indirectly via insurance and should the people of the ACT have to foot the bill for a High Court Challenge to Justice Crispen, Bennet and Chief Justice’s decision, then not only would this deprive Hospitals, Police and Education from much needed funds, but would in effect be a declaration that he and his Government have no faith in their highest legal adjudicators in the Territory. Further it would contradict much of what he has espoused about the integrity of the coming (now delivered) decision of the learned Justices.

In respect to the jurisdictional question, it appears that the Justices have identified the Coroners Act, but in reality left the decisions in the hands of Coroner Doogan with a reminder to her that the Act confers limitations in respect to her Enquiry.

The need for this horrendous event to still be accepted by authority as a disaster still seems to be a semantic display by those holding the power and the apparent reason for this reticence to accept formally that it was a disaster can only be that the extra scope such an acceptance would bestow upon the enquiry is unacceptable. Everybody knows that 2003 was a disaster, from Chief Minister Jon Stanhope to the Chief Coroner, to the child in the street, so why is the Coroner held to section 18 (1) of the Act and not section 19 (2)? The section in the act that relates to a disaster.

The public and Coroner Doogan have now 14 days or less in which to wait and see if an appeal is to be lodged against this decision which has elated many people, both in the ACT and wider Australia.

By
SOS Investigator at the Court

The NSW "Two Bob Government" has dropped a shilling with Carr deserting the sinking ship. Comments received here at SOS indicate that the last remaining Bob is not worth a zac so the party is now worth just sixpence. Dr Andrew John REFSHAUGE, Deputy Premier, Treasurer,Minister for State Development, and Minister for Aboriginal Affairs has spat the dummy deciding to join the leaky lifeboat with Bob Carnage.

So with the boss and the bean counter heading for the hills what next of the new premier Morris Iemma will he continue to wage war on the Snowy people or has he vision with the total color spectrum of common sense not just directed to Green.