The Atherton Tablelands & tourism idiots penchant for changing place names

February 21st, 2009

I received an email newsletter from a Cairns (far north Queensland) marketing firm, talking about the ‘Cairns Highlands’. They are referring to what has always been known as the Atherton Tablelands, named after John Atherton who founded the town of Mareeba in 1877, and after whom the town of Atherton is named. The Reef & [...]

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Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB)

February 12th, 2009

The Australian Federal Government keeps an eye on what is being bought up by overseas interests – in particular urban and rural land sales, and investment into Australian-owned businesses – via the Foreign Investment Review Board. The FIRB examines prospective overseas purchases which are above certain percentages in value – considering whether the sale is [...]

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PETA – at it again

February 7th, 2009

PETA are said to want to ban guide dogs for the blind, and they have seized the opportunity to push for a ban on all horse-drawn carriages in Vienna, after a drunken driver caused an accident. I wonder, do PETA members squash flies, let ants and spiders invade their houses, and let ticks, fleas and [...]

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Floods in northern Australia

February 5th, 2009

Everyone has seen footage of Ingham and other flooded areas on the east coast. But just as happened in 1974, flooding in remote areas is being relatively overlooked. Very little of this devastation has appeared in the media and they are receiving next-to-no government assistance. Until John Nelson sent photographs to media organisations in early [...]

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