The Australian has published aggregated Newspoll breakdowns from polling conducted from August 28 to October 12, encompassing the four polls conducted since Pyxis Polling took over. The overall sample is 6378, having been boosted by 2368 in the pre-referendum poll (which recorded 57% for no and 37% for yes, converting to a bang-on-accurate 60.6-39.4 after exclusion of the uncommitted).
Keeping in mind that the previous set of results, from February 1 to April 3, were conducted by a different agency, the results show Labor’s two-party lead up slightly in New South Wales (from 55-45 to 56-44) and South Australia (from 56-44 to 57-43), but down solidly in Victoria (from 58-42 to 54-46) and Western Australia (57-43 to 53-47). The Coalition is credited with a 52-48 lead in Queensland after a 50-50 result last time, and we are given the rare treat of numbers for Tasmania, where Labor leads 57-43. This suggests swings to Labor of about 4.5% in New South Wales, 2% in Queensland, 3% in South Australia and 2.5% in Tasmania, and to the Coalition of 1% in Victoria and 2% in Western Australia.
The age breakdowns do not repeat a Labor blowout last time among the 18-to-34 cohort, which has progressed over the term’s three Newspoll breakdowns from 65-35 to 69-31 to 64-35. A five-point Coalition gain on the primary vote to 26% means they do not again finish behind the Greens, who are up a point to 25%, with Labor down six to 37%. The results among the older cohorts are essentially unchanged.
Further results suggest the opening of a substantial new gender gap, or of distinctive house effects between the two polling outfits. Where last time Labor was credited with a slightly bigger lead among men (55-45) than women (54-46), its advantage is now out to 56-44 among women and in to 51-49 among men. Income breakdowns now conform with the traditional pattern, with a 57-43 Labor lead among households on annual incomes of up to $50,000 progressively receding to 50-50 among those on $150,000 or more. The previous breakdowns had Labor strongest in the two middle-income cohorts.
Cronus says:
Monday, October 23, 2023 at 5:13 am
VW to stop selling fossil-fueled cars in Norway
October 22, 2023
Volkswagen (VW), long one of the major car dealers in Norway, has announced it will stop selling all models fueled by gasoline and diesel after New Year. The German producer and its Norwegian importer point to the massive rise of electric car sales in recent years.
“As a final farewell to fossil cars, the last order for a Volkswagen Golf will be taken towards the end of the year,” said Ulf Tore Hekneby, director of Norway’s importer of Volkswagen cars, Møller Bil. He called sales of electric cars in Norway “a formidable success,” while the market for fossil-fueled cars has all but crashed.”
Yet only weeks ago VW was saying it had to cut back on EV production lines in Europe because buyers didn’t want them. This of course contradicted the facts surrounding very significant increases in EV sales in most European countries.
I can attest to the fact that Oslo’s streets are noticeably incredibly quiet. It’s far easier playing spot the ICE vehicle rather than spot the EV here.
https://www.newsinenglish.no/2023/10/22/vw-stops-selling-fossil-fueled-cars-in-norway/
Thanks WB
Not really sure what to make of these new aggregated polling figures.
Pratt is nothing but a prat…
“If Potus is having his election party at mar Lago I’ll book as many rooms as available,” Mr. Pratt told an associate in a message obtained by federal investigators and reviewed by The New York Times. “Reasons he should,” Mr. Pratt continued, are that “1 it will shore up the Florida electoral college 2 it will be good for business.”
Mr. Trump spent the night of the election at the White House without the company of Mr. Pratt. But their relationship — forged over Mr. Trump’s chaotic four years in office — was indeed beneficial for both men and their businesses, new interviews and documents reviewed by The Times show.
Don’t know who’s worse the small dick Trump for saying this .. or Pratt for being part of it….
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/22/us/politics/anthony-pratt-donald-trump.html?unlocked_article_code=1.4kw.OUPk.wZGQnVC5N04O&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare
From the previous thread:
Diogenes @ #213 Sunday, October 22nd, 2023 – 10:09 pm
Can’t the Democrats vote for a non-nut job Republican then? Like someone Trump doesn’t want? Why did the Dems vote out the last guy?
If the Democrats voted for a Republican that Trump doesn’t give the tick of approval to then there would be a Motion to Vacate put up so fast by one of the members of the Crazy Clown Caucus, his head (I’m assuming it’s a He), would spin. The Democrats realise that.
I keep having visions of Melania Trump being put back after the 2020 election into one of those chambers with live-giving fluids in them that you see in Sci Fi movies, in suspended animation, only to be brought out again if Trump becomes President in 2024. God forbid.
Cronus,
Two things have sounded the death knell for ICE cars.
1. China is going to try and flood the market world-wide with EVs.
2. Toyota are finally on board.
The herd has changed direction.
This article in NYTimes is a cracker… a snippet on how to flatter your way..
At the Mar-a-Lago New Year’s Eve party that year, Mr. Trump was captured on video feting Mr. Pratt, a recording that Mr. Pratt then emailed to Mr. Trump’s agriculture secretary, Sonny Perdue. At the time, Mr. Pratt and Mr. Perdue were also discussing the U.S. food supply, an issue vital to the packaging industry.
The seesaw of good will continued in the spring of 2018, when Mr. Pratt took out a full-page ad in The Wall Street Journal linking Mr. Trump to the creation of manufacturing jobs. (In an interview with The Australian newspaper, Mr. Pratt said he had told Mr. Trump that he was building his “next big operation” in Pennsylvania, which he noted was “a big swing state.”)
When the two men crossed paths at a dinner in Mar-a-Lago soon after the ad appeared, Mr. Trump remarked, “Anthony, great to see you and thanks for the ad!” according to an account in The Australian Financial Review.
Mr. Trump then announced to the dining room, “Ladies and gentlemen, the great Anthony Pratt!”
The room erupted in applause.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/22/us/politics/anthony-pratt-donald-trump.html
And this…
Mr. Pratt also boasts in these private conversations about his relationship with Rudolph W. Giuliani, who is under indictment in Georgia on charges of conspiring with Mr. Trump and others to subvert the 2020 election results.
Mr. Pratt claims on one recording that he paid Mr. Giuliani around $1 million to come to his birthday party as a celebrity guest. The pandemic prevented Mr. Giuliani from attending, but Mr. Pratt says on the recording that “now he rings me once a week.”
“Rudy is someone that I hope will be useful one day,” Mr. Pratt says. A spokesman for Mr. Giuliani did not respond to requests for comment.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/22/us/politics/anthony-pratt-donald-trump.html
‘Bad and dangerous’: Argentina’s Trump on track to become president
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/22/argentina-javier-milei-presidential-election
Good morning Dawn Patrollers.
Now that the Voice is gone, we can get back to not listening, writes Sean Kelly.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/now-that-the-voice-is-gone-we-can-get-back-to-not-listening-20231020-p5edt2.html
Mike Foley tells us that indigenous leaders who supported the Voice to parliament say Australians committed a shameful act that perpetuates colonialism and that the resounding No vote against constitutional recognition shows that meaningful change to the nation’s founding document is impossible.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/declaration-of-war-mundine-rejects-criticism-from-yes-campaign-20231022-p5ee3g.html
George Williams is concerned that Australia’s system of constitutional reform is broken and there is little point in heading back to the polls until this is fixed. He says a fundamental rethink is needed to establish new ways of finding common political ground and generating proposals that win broad community support.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/for-referendums-to-work-voice-failure-must-drive-reform/news-story/f003170158ed7a5f2ca4c0e5698ca39a?amp
Australia’s constitutional history told us the voice referendum was unwinnable. Sadly, that was right, writes Malcolm Turnbull.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/oct/22/australias-constitutional-history-told-us-the-voice-referendum-was-unwinnable-sadly-that-was-right-malcolm-turnbull
Calling for a rethink of Australia’s approach to immigration, Ross Gittins says, “Using immigration to raise our living standards is like trying to go up a down escalator. You have to run just to stop yourself going backwards.”
https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/want-better-population-growth-cut-immigration-20231022-p5ee24.html
With his sustained presence in the media and during election campaigns, we should remember the parochial and harmful influence John Howard has had on Australia’s political and public life, writes Paul Begley.
https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/leaders-with-ticker-john-howards-destructive-legacy,18008
Alan Kohler says that what Indigenous Australians and Gazans both need are industries and jobs.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/opinion/2023/10/23/indigenous-australians-gaza-jobs/
Michael Koziol reports that Lord Mayor Clover Moore will block a proposal to fly the Israeli flag outside Sydney Town Hall and light the building in blue and white, saying it would be divisive, harmful and counter to the city’s values of harmony and inclusion. The Yes case leaders have issued an open letter stating their concerns, It did not include the draft accusations that Indigenous leaders Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, Senator Kerrynne Liddle and Mundine, who opposed the Voice to parliament “were just front people for three right-wing organisations” as well as criticism of media group News Corporation.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/moore-to-block-proposal-to-light-up-sydney-town-hall-in-israeli-colours-20231020-p5edta.html
iPhone and apps are trumping cards for payments – but we should be cautious, explains Clancy Yeates writing about their disruptive potential.
https://www.theage.com.au/business/banking-and-finance/iphone-and-apps-are-trumping-cards-for-payments-but-be-cautious-20231018-p5edcj.html
When Alan Joyce, the former chief executive of Qantas, sold $17 million worth of shares in the airline in June, Marcus Hughes thought it was an optimal time to follow the outgoing CEO’s lead. He shorted the stock, betting the value of Qantas shares would fall. Does this infer that Joyce might have been insider trading?
https://www.afr.com/markets/equity-markets/this-hedge-fund-shorted-qantas-as-joyce-was-selling-20231010-p5eb4r
Jessica Yun reports that Medibank is preparing to trial a four-day working week, dubbing the time off as a “gift”, as the health insurer becomes the latest ASX company to experiment with a scheme being increasingly embraced by employers across the country.
https://www.theage.com.au/business/workplace/it-s-a-privilege-not-an-entitlement-medibank-to-trial-four-day-work-week-20231020-p5eds5.html
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has waved the white flag and agreed his office will process an FOI request for 197 days of his official diary. But along the way there’s been a betrayal of the public and RoboDebt style conduct in the heart of the PM’s own office. Rex Patrick reports.
https://michaelwest.com.au/pm-albaneses-diary-complete-and-total-surrender-after-long-and-expensive-battle/
After three years, all but one of half a dozen exports caught up in $20 billion in trade strikes by the Chinese government have been given an official reprieve, writes Eryk Bagshaw who says that now it’s only lobsters that remain on the list.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/after-ending-the-freeze-with-australia-china-fancies-joining-trade-bloc-20231022-p5ee44.html
Rishi Sunak faces backbench discontent a year into his time in No 10
PM under pressure from Tory right for more tax cuts and from moderates for policies to tackle cost of living crisis
Rowena Mason Whitehall editor
Mon 23 Oct 2023 03.55 AEDT
Last modified on Mon 23 Oct 2023 07.00 AEDT
Rishi Sunak is facing discontent among his backbenchers as he heads into the one-year anniversary of his time in No 10, with Jacob Rees-Mogg calling for the government to wake up from a “torpor”. The prime minister is under pressure from rightwingers for tax cuts and more Conservative policies, while moderates are pushing for more centre-ground plans that deal with the cost of living to stop votes being lost to Labour.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/oct/22/rishi-sunak-faces-backbench-discontent-a-year-into-his-time-in-no-10
There is a path to peace in the Middle East, but neither side is taking it, posits Geoffrey Robertson.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/middle-east/there-is-a-path-to-peace-in-the-middle-east-but-neither-side-is-taking-it-20231022-p5ee2g.html
Former Israeli military, political and intelligence officials have expressed doubts over the leadership of prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as debate rages inside the country about the response to the Hamas attacks on 7 October that killed 1,400 Israelis.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/22/netanyahu-told-to-quit-now-as-ex-leaders-pin-blame-on-dysfunctional-government
I think this story is enough to propose nomination of Anthony Pratt for “Arsehole of the Week”.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/being-rich-is-my-superpower-tapes-reveal-pratt-s-pursuit-of-the-powerful-20231017-p5ecwv.html
Cartoon Corner
Jim Pavlidis
Matt Golding
Matt Davidson
Glen Le Lievre
Badiucao
Peter Broelman
Mark Knight
Spooner
From the US
Who is more vain, Turnbull or Rudd, is always a difficult question to answer.
Malcolm’s turn c/- the Guardian:
“Over the last year or so, I have publicly supported the voice amendment – spoken and written in favour of it, raised and contributed money to the campaign. In 2016 and 2017 I had said that the voice had no prospect of success at a referendum. So I have been trying to prove myself wrong. Sadly I have not.”
Having checked Turnbull’s “A Bigger Picture” in last few days, he was saying that it had no chance at the time. He also said that it was pre-determined by a handful of leaders before the Uluru convention and railroaded through to the exclusion of all other ideas raised.
No New York Trump trial on Monday due to COVID: AG
The Donald Trump fraud trial won’t happen on Monday because there is a “COVID issue,” according to New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office.
While details are unclear about the specific issue, it isn’t targeting the Trump trial specifically, but the entire New York courthouse, where all cases will be paused on Monday.
Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen is scheduled to testify on Tuesday by Alina Habba, so it’s unclear if that will be delayed as a result of the virus exposure. If so, it will mean Cohen will testify on Wednesday.
Trump attacked Cohen for not having the “guts” to face him in court when he postponed his appearance earlier this week
https://www.rawstory.com/trump-fraud-trial-delay/
UK Cartoons:
Is this what some of the 25k a month Pratt pays Keating is for:
Each year, it seems, The Australian Financial Review carries, mostly on its front page, Anthony Pratt and a chorus of super fund executives exulting the benefits of the nation’s pension industry lending to private businesses.
Paul Keating, the former PM who joins the choir, is always on the hunt for a new use or justification for his creation, whether it be nation-building through the industry’s asset manager IFM Investors, or jacking up the contribution rate to 15 per cent (from the current 10 per cent) to fund longevity.
https://www.afr.com/rear-window/big-super-shields-rich-lister-debtors-20220405-p5ab0q
Wise words from Steve Schmidt:
The chaos around us is everywhere, and it is accruing to Donald Trump’s benefit. It is a tragic paradox that the true threat to America is strengthened by the winds that precede catastrophe. Instead of weakening the demagogue, danger and trouble give him more ammunition. Fear is a contagion and people will give up almost anything if they become fearful enough, including their freedom.
https://steveschmidt.substack.com/
This applies equally to Australia.
#weatheronPB
Sneakily cool air,
under a bright barren sky,
cannot mislead me.
Much thanks BK!
Meanwhile in the USA: Kevin McCarthy removed. Scalise, Jordan & McHenry denied.
No Speaker for weeks. Nothing passed. Republicans: ‘Our majority is too slim to get things done!!’
Nancy Pelosi with the same slim majority:
The Inflation Reduction Act, Access to Baby Formula Act, CHIPS and Science Act, Safer Communities Act, PACT Act, Violence Against Women Act, American Rescue Plan, Respect for Marriage Act, The Infrastructure and Jobs Act, the American Rescue Plan.
Dr Doolittle last night
With respect, I think you have slightly misunderstood how the sophomore effect works. What it means is that the swing in a seat with a newly-elected MP is less than it might be against a longstanding ember or new candidates from both parties. Generally this can be assessed by comparing the swing in a particular marginal seat with that across the state in general or, ideally, across all marginal seats in a particularly election (something I don’t have the time to do this morning).
On the list of seats you have provided, I think there was arguably a strong sophomore effect in Lindsay, Gilmore, Hughes, Macquarie, Parramatta and Robertson. And the reverse effect was strongly on display in Lowe where Zammit resigned from the Libs and ran as an independent (probably jumping before he was pushed, but I’m not entirely sure about that). That’s not insignificant.
And it’s possible that, even though the swing against him was higher than the state average, a small manifestation of the sophomore effect kept Gary Nairn alive in Eden-Monaro.
In passing, I will observe that Eden-Monaro is a fascinating seat: because of the expansion of what we might call “greater Canberra” beyond the borders of the ACT, plus the flow of public service retirees to the south coast, the demographics of seat began to turn against the Libs in the 1980s. And yet they somehow managed to keep the seat on the list of marginals for about four decades, winning it in 5 out of 15 elections. However, unless the ALP decided to do something crazy like putting a heavy tax on superannuation pensions and withdrawals, I reckon that it will now continue to evolve into a pretty safe Labor seat.
B.S. Fairman says:
Monday, October 23, 2023 at 7:54 am
Having checked Turnbull’s “A Bigger Picture” in last few days, he was saying that it had no chance at the time. He also said that it was pre-determined by a handful of leaders before the Uluru convention and railroaded through to the exclusion of all other ideas raised.
_______________
I hope you realise that this fig leaf is transparent. It was then, and it is now.
Morning all and thanks for the roundup BK. The story about blocking Sydney Town Hall being swathed in Israeli colours shows that the nation is divided on both the Voice and the Israeli / Palestine conflict.
Like Cronus I don’t know what to make of the quarterly breakdown other than to observe that the trend in the Voice result seems to have been quite separate from the overall 2PP. Sadly this means quite a few Labor or Green voters voted No.
Cronussays:
Monday, October 23, 2023 at 5:20 am
Thanks WB
Not really sure what to make of these new aggregated polling figures.
_____________________
Only a 51-49 lead with men is an interesting stat.
Observations from Adelaide:
– people are unfailingly polite no matter where you go
– the city is exceedingly well planned: it is so easy to get around
– there’s so much space: the roads are wide and it feels like there’s heaps of room wherever you go
– unlike Perth, Adelaide isn’t sprawling so despite the vastness the city feels compact
– I now understand what BK means when he talks of “flatlands” – it is very flat here
– it is very tidy and clean
– there are so many gardens and good use of public space
– there are many trees, almost as good as the City of Sydney in terms of urban forests
C@tmomma @ #4 Monday, October 23rd, 2023 – 5:23 am
The Republicans (Gaetz and co) kicked out the last guy who was from “their team”, and as you say will kick out anyone they don’t like. And to turn it around, why can’t a few Republicans vote for Jeffries? It would neuter Gaetz and co, and only take a handful of the GOP to “be the adults in the room”. The chaos is 100% on the GOP.
Holden Hillbilly
“ Meanwhile in the USA: Kevin McCarthy removed. Scalise, Jordan & McHenry denied.
No Speaker for weeks. Nothing passed. Republicans: ‘Our majority is too slim to get things done!!’
This also means no AUKUS legislation getting passed. Every cloud…
You would love to be a fly on the wall for Albo’s meeting with Biden. There is a lot to discuss. Ukraine, Russia, Gaza, AUKUS, ITAR regulations and tech exports, free-er trade, climate change… what outcomes are Albo and Biden looking for? Is Albo seeking Biden’s approval before any agreements with Xi?
The PM was supposed to address a Joint Sitting of Congress. Can’t do that any more. 🙁
shellbell: “Who is more vain, Turnbull or Rudd, is always a difficult question to answer.”
Turnbull’s vanity is infused with an overweening self-confidence that has come from people assuring him from a very early age that he would grow up to be a great man. Bob Hawke had exactly the same sort of vanity, although, unlike Turnbull, he was in fact a great man.
I would suggest that Rudd’s “vanity” is closer to the sort of swaggering bluster you often get from someone who, deep down inside, is not totally self-confident.
Turnbull was right, by a long margin. Questioning why he come to his conclusion does not change things.
Fess: I agree that the parks and the overall town plan (particulary the city and North Adelaide) are among Adelaide’s greatest features. The bluestone houses are great too.
Some nastier people than me would say that the place is very well “laid out”: (ie, like a corpse in the morgue).
I would, however, take issue with your description of it as not being “sprawling.” Try driving through Elizabeth and Salisbury up to Gawler.
On second thoughts, don’t do that. It will only bring you grief.
Did you go to the City Market? I reckon that’s a fabulous place.
Cronus
Thanks for the report on Norway and the low sound levels in Oslo with lots of EVs.
Norway is a great test case for Australia on the impacts of EVs in large numbers. It has similar levels of car ownership to Australia and they drive a similar amount (13,000km/car/year).
At the end of 2022 they were already up to 20% of all cars on the road being EVs and in Oslo that was over 30%. With most new cars sold being EVs that now goes up about 5% per year.
It turns out there are many benefits. Less noise, cleaner air, less fatal crashes, less money wasted on petrol and maintenance. There are also new jobs in things like battery manufacturing and recycling to replace the lost car mechanic jobs.
The main infrastructure impact is the need to build lots of fast chargers on highways, far more than Australia is building. Grid impacts are smaller than claimed. The economics of power generation is improved (new market).
The real policy genius is that most of Norway’s EV policy measures are self funding. They penalise high emitting vehicles and use the revenue to subsidise EVs. So that vehicle emission policy is urgent and critical…
The area north of North Terrace is one of my favourite non-Sydney CBD spots.
Trump attempts to rewrite history again, surprising no one:
“Despite Trump’s claims, Powell was briefly an official member of Trump’s legal team in 2020, and Trump stayed in contact with her on election-related matters even after she was ousted from his campaign. ”
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/10/22/politics/trump-sidney-powell/index.html
meher:
We drove up to the Clare Valley on Saturday and were in the Barossa yesterday. I marvelled at the fact that on both days the GPS said we were 25-30 mins from the CBD where we are staying yet we were driving through countryside. On Saturday the countryside was countryside with absolutely nothing. Yet half an hour later we were back at the hotel.
In Perth that wouldn’t happen, you’d still be driving through suburbia. That’s what I mean about not sprawling. Granted, Adelaide’s population is less than Perth’s but still. It feels compact and easily navigatable.
Now I’m not saying that Peter Dutton is the prophesied ‘Lion from the North’, but I think the evidence is really beginning to stack up in his favor. He’s from the north of the continent (Queensland), he’s marching south (to Canberra) and he is currently crushing the snake (Woke culture). As these results and the Referendum show he is beginning to turn the tide now, and it does appear the righteous are indeed following him south.
Fess. For what is a small city by global standards, Perth is one of the most remarkably sprawling urban areas on earth. I used to visit Fremantle from Canberra quite regularly and the drive from the airport seemed to take forever.
Auckland gives Perth a run for its money.
I agree that it’s terrific how quickly you can get from the city to the country. Although you can do that (or at least could until quite recently) in Melbourne too if the traffic on the Tullamarine Freeway is light.
You certainly can’t do it in Sydney.
When I do airport runs for family members in the middle of the night it can certainly still be done very quickly in Melbourne but if you catch the morning or evening peak you are dreaming.
ABC TV Four Corners tonight:
A sinkhole, toxic gas and the $2 billion mistake behind Snowy 2.0’s blowout
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-10-23/snowy-hydro-sinkhole-toxic-gas-tunnelling-four-corners/102995568
Confessions
I hope you enjoyed the Clare Valley. Its one of our favourite places. Glad you like Adelaide. Very pleasant place to live IMO.
RE: Observations from Adelaide:
I moved here from Sydney…all good observations.
What I like about Adelaide is that it succeeds because:
– it was designed for success in 1836- for growth, livability, strolling, recreation, even towers etc. You cant retrofit this type of amenity into a city.
– it is growing much slower than other cities so it can keep on top of its infrastructure needs better. So well maintained parks, beaches, ample streets and footpaths, pretty good public transport for its size.
– it does things properly- like Adelaide Oval, The Royal Adelaide and the new 3 billion Women’s and Children’s Hospital.
-without the property stress of other cities (but its coming fast), prices for everything is lower, people are not so fraught and they have more money for recreation and enjoyment.
(During COVID) Adelaide even ranked as the Worlds No1 most livable city for a year. People may scoff, but that is an amazing achievement for a city of 1.5 million.
Pueo – It looks as if the geological studies weren’t done properly – Almost as if it was rushed to begin before an election. That would never happen.
Socrates:
I can see why you enjoy living here. It is a very pleasant place to get around and seemingly lots to do.
Adelaide is a shit hole. They drink water that Melbournians wouldn’t touch with a barge pole.
After the water has passed through Victorian agriculture and industry it is then piped into Adelaide.
Meanwhile. Melbourne’s water is held in trust by vast swathes of national and state forests. Stored thousands of feet above sea level in green demesnes and sparkling pure, untouched by beast or man before it descends into Melbourne.
Every city in Australia has great attributes and not so great attributes.
I just got back from qld and I really enjoyed it.
Of course for everyone home is where the heart is. Wherever that may be….
Yep the water is shit…we concede that….
The tap water wasn’t great in qld either. Quite undrinkable to be fair. Bottled water was a must during our trip.
Victoria says:
Monday, October 23, 2023 at 9:47 am
The tap water wasn’t great in qld either. Quite undrinkable to be fair. Bottled water was a must during our trip.
______
Did you wear your pith helmets?
Confessions @ #24 Monday, October 23rd, 2023 – 8:24 am
Not so flat just 10km from the CBD up GO road. ’twas frosty up here this morning.
Adelaide is now a National Park city. First of its kind in the Sth Hemisphere. And it has made little difference to the tree removal going on.
As for Sydney, yeah, it is a mission to get out of the city. Motorways and ringroads are helping. But when you do get out, you have some of the most impressive national Parks in the world. Wollemi. Dharug. Blue Mtns. Kanangra. Royal. And Broken Bay. Although trains can get you to some of it. To get anywhere that scenic here you pretty much need to head to the Flinders and beyond. Mind blowing country – but a journey.
Murray accounts for 50% of on average of Adelaide drinking water. It can be a lot less in wet years and the desal plant is meant to stop it getting back to the 90% it has occasionally been in drought years.
I’ve pissed in the Murray.
But even in the local catchment, Adelaide still has a lot of onsite wastewater dispersal systems. A lot of money was spent on reticulating these in Sydney’s catchment many years ago. But this sort of government infrastructure is harder to build these days.