Queensland Floods

[Smurf1976]

All the major agricultural countries subsidise their primary producers in some shape or form, often as subsidies or guaranteed minimum prices. The US pay farmers to grow crops and call it "farm income stabilization"... I think they paid something like $20 Billion last year.

Take the cheap subsidised European veges and dubious quality (health wise) Asian seafoods flushing our supermarkets some time ago. People complained about supporting heavily subsidised and or poor quality imports, arguing that the 'retailers' should support local producers more and keep more money in the local economy.

I'm at a loss to understand why we go along with all this "free trade" and "level playing field" nonsense in the first place. It's not as though it's doing anything other than destroy local manufacturing and to some extent agriculture.

When Chinese etc wages, working conditions, environmental laws etc are equal to Austrlalia's, then we'll have a true "level playing field". In the meantime, it's little more than exploitation of cheap labour and lax regulation so as to enhance the profits of the multi-nationals.

If there's one thing history teaches it is that war is common. The odds of Australia being directly involved in conflict at some future point are almost certain, likewise for most other countries. Letting manufacturing and agriculture fall in a heap isn't a wise move when you think about it. Indeed national security was the specific reason why some manufacturing industries were set up in the first place.

In any event, when's the last time you came across an incredibly rich farmer? And when's the last time you saw such a person in a city? Not too many multi-millionaires working dawn to dusk every day trying to make a living on the farm. Anyone who is in such a position is likely merely a land owner who made their money by means other than actual farming.

 

[So_Cynical]

How you mob tie foreign aid with the flood crisis is beyond me.

Considering its the core of the ASF right...im guessing there attitude, mite be politicly motivated.

I'm at a loss to understand why we go along with all this "free trade" and "level playing field" nonsense in the first place. It's not as though it's doing anything other than destroy local manufacturing and to some extent agriculture.

I was once hopeful that the GFC would force the US and Europe to at least pull back a little on the subsidy front..seems i was wrong.

 

[nioka]

I was once hopeful that the GFC would force the US and Europe to at least pull back a little on the subsidy front..seems i was wrong.

There is still the memory in Europe of the food shortages during and after WW2. They know the value of making sure that their local production is a buffer against the same thing happening again.

One of these days we will be faced with the same problem both with food supply and the availability of manufactured goods. We have sold out to the multinationals and one of these days they will demand their pound of flesh. (The first to feel the pinch could be the smug city dwellers.)

A good example for todays times would be the rare earth supply, or rather nonsupply, where China has been allowed to dominate the field. They dominated the field by using cheap labour and allowing massive pollution so that their costs forced the closure of competing companies. Now they are restricting exports and asking businesses using rare earths to relocate to China.

Most Australians would not be aware of the extent that we now rely on food imports from overseas while at the same time Australian producers are forced out of business.

Are we still the "lucky country"?

 

[Julia]

Whiskers, thanks for your comments. Very pertinent.

How are you doing personally? Is your house still above water?

 

[Whiskers]

Whiskers, thanks for your comments. Very pertinent.

How are you doing personally? Is your house still above water?

Yeah, I'm fine. No chance of my house flooding. But it's all damn boggy outside still and getting a bit mouldy inside from the humidity and lack of decent breeze most days.

I couldn't travel very far for a few days because of flooding and the telstra line went down for a couple of days, apparently from a washed out and broken cable somewhere.

The first day I did venture out, a couple of days after the heavy rain stopped I got as far as north Bundaberg and took this photo pretty close to the flood peak, from about 40m from the roundabout along Hinkler Avenue at the North Bundy School towards the new bridge. The bridge was still above water in the distance (as was the old bridge) but the approaches, Hinkler Avenue and the hockey fields to the right, was under about 2m of water here. The water was almost up to the floor of the new IGA on North Bundy, just out of picture to the left, about .5m across the top end of Queen street.

The other photo is of the approaches to the Elliot River on the Goodwood Road (what the locals refer to as the back road south to Childers) as the council starts repairing the wash-out. Some serious money will be needed for road repairs alone in the next few months, not just for the current washouts and pot holes, but if you look at a lot of the roads they are starting to deform from water penetration of the road base. They will continue to break up for weeks and months to come because the damage has become irreversable now. By the time the base dries out to ideal moisture content, the damage will be done by the thumping of heavy traffic.

 

[rcm617]

Interesting to follow this thread. It's had me thinking a bit.

Taking stock of my living circumstances in a 28 storey apartment block on the spine of Sydney I can't help but feel a bit detached from it all in my airconditioned comfort.

I don't have insurance, I'm hoping that being three years old my building has been constructed to withstand earthquakes and floods and tsunamis and with modern engineering and air extractions and smoke alarms in my concrete shell with a two inch thick fire door and balcony I'm not too concerned about fire or wind either.

I pay a lot of money for this and work pretty damn hard to support this lifestyle both in my occupation and secondary occupation aka trading the markets.

I guess I'm what some of these sturdy "pragmatic" country folk would derisively call a city slicker or worse. I saw a few in the Murray Darling on tv when the govt started to reallocate their water rights.

Their behaviour didn't impress me much.

The nation seems to treat the rural sector with this uncommercial reverence as if these hicks sitting on the verandah drinking jim beam watching the grass grow at the mercy of the weather are somehow smarter and more deserving of national support than any other.

And lets not fool ourselves the farming sector is cyclical in terms of production and generational in it's nature. Do farmers finance their activities on a long term cyclical nature or do they feast on their revenues in good times and put their hands out to the government in times of hardship?

I guess I'm wandering off topic a bit and might sound a bit callous as the scale of this disaster unfolds but in all honesty when the rural sector seem to take such pride in their tough commonsense approach to life and look down upon their urbanised counterparts why is it the urban population has to keep bailing them out all the time?

Good to see your living of the fat of the land in you little airconditioned unit. Unfortunately very little is produced by our cities any more, yet we are one of the most urbanised societies in the world. Even mine workers are mainly fly in fly out now, nobody wants to live out in the bush anymore. I shudder to think what this country will live off if we ever find the rest of the world doesnt want our quarry products any more.
Unlike your portrayal of country people as hicks, farming nowadays involves a bit more than watching the grass grow, while swigging booze. And the vast majority when forced off their farm by economic necessity go gracefully. I think a little latitude is called for when they are forced off the land by decisions made in our capital cities. I'm sure we'd hear a bit of protesting from you if you were forced out of your little airconditioned unit to do something useful like go cotton chipping in 40 degree heat .

 

[Calliope]

Considering its the core of the ASF right...im guessing there attitude, mite be politicly motivated.

Just as the views of you and IFocus are politically motivated. The left's contempt for people on the land is a hangover from Stalinist times when the Kulaks (independent peasant farmers) were declared "class enemies" and purged..

 

[Smurf1976]

A good example for todays times would be the rare earth supply, or rather nonsupply, where China has been allowed to dominate the field. They dominated the field by using cheap labour and allowing massive pollution so that their costs forced the closure of competing companies. Now they are restricting exports and asking businesses using rare earths to relocate to China.

And one of those big businesses now at the absolute mercy of China is...

The US Military.

Apparently, there are quite a few people in the US miltary who are somewhat shocked to realise that some of their more advanced weapons systems are now out of production due to reliance on Chinese raw materials, supply of which has been effectively cut off.

Not really a smart move to be dependent on foreign suppliers when it comes to matters of defence. I'm not being anti-American, I'm just not keen on ignoring the blindingly obvious when it comes to trade and the inevitable consequences.

 

[Julia]

Mr Abbott has finally managed to drag himself out of holiday mode and climb into a helicopter to take a look at the floods.

Fantastic effort, Tony, just about a week too late to demonstrate any actual interest.

 

[Calliope]

Mr Abbott has finally managed to drag himself out of holiday mode and climb into a helicopter to take a look at the floods.

Fantastic effort, Tony, just about a week too late to demonstrate any actual interest.

It's about time the Stick-insect made her vice-regal appearance to provide a bit of comic relief.

 

[GumbyLearner]

I hope they compensate victims.

Handing out free bicycle helmets won't help. As Garpal Gumnut has pointed out on numerous occasions.

 

[Lantern]

A little clip on the news this morning brought a smile to my face.

"An area the size of France and Germany combined is now under water"

"There are 22 towns affected!"

Still wouldn''t want to be in their gum boots.

 

[Smurf1976]

Anyone in Hobart who wants to donate to help the Qld flood victims, apparently Hobart City Council is accepting donations at the Taste (final day today). It's not confirmed, but at least one Alderman also wants the Council to match public donations.

Now, a food festival in Hobart isn't going to raise a fortune that's for sure. But if we did this sort of thing right around the country...

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/01/03/3105418.htm

 

[Julia]

It's nice to know that the governments of New Zealand and the USA have offered assistance. The PM has expressed her appreciation but said we are quite able to manage at this stage.

I've really been impressed by the smooth implementation of disaster plans on the part of regional councils. The various Mayors have been on the radio multiple times every day and, despite the obviously long hours they are on deck, they are clearly coping admirably.

Evacuation centres have quickly been set up, including facilities for caring for pets, and all up I reckon the various authorities have done a magnificent job. Logistically it must be a nightmare, but the only loss of life has been due to people just being bloody stupid and flying in the face of the multiple warnings about dabbling about in flood waters.

All up, it's a huge credit to them.

 

[white_crane]

As a Queenslander who been through quite a few floods, there are a few points that I would like to make:


*Living on/near a large watercourse usually means a secure water supply, a necessity for any population.

*Farms are there for the same reason - they need water too. And why else would you put a farm on a flood plain? Because it's bloody fertile that's why!

*Recently, councils have been introducing laws to enforce the construction of dwellings above a 1 in 100 year flood event.

*The climate in Australia is currently in an El Niño pattern - meaning a higher than average chance of above average rainfall.

*It is only the start of the wet season in Northern Australia.

*Much of the areas now in flood have just come out of one of the worst droughts on record.

*Not everyone has access to flood insurance - either because it simply isn't available to them in that area or because the extra premium is too high. Also, the term 'flood' used by some insurance policies doesn't always include flooding caused by a river.

*If you've listened to the reports you would have heard terms such as: 'worst flood in 60 years', 'worst flood on memory', 'worst flood on record' etc. And yes, this is exactly what these floods are for these areas. Can you actually comprehend what this means?



On a personal note, my local area experienced a minor/moderate flood event on Christmas/Boxing Day. No problems with my house, but with a few months left of 'the wet', more flooding is possible.

 

[Calliope]

... the only loss of life has been due to people just being bloody stupid and flying in the face of the multiple warnings about dabbling about in flood waters.

Despite all our efforts to reverse it, the weeding out of the unfit ( in this case, idiots) is a continuing evolutionary process.

 

[derty]

Despite all our efforts to reverse it, the weeding out of the unfit ( in this case, idiots) is a continuing evolutionary process.

Yes, it seems some peoples purpose in life is to serve as an example for others.

 

[Mofra]

I've really been impressed by the smooth implementation of disaster plans on the part of regional councils. The various Mayors have been on the radio multiple times every day and, despite the obviously long hours they are on deck, they are clearly coping admirably.

Evacuation centres have quickly been set up, including facilities for caring for pets, and all up I reckon the various authorities have done a magnificent job. Logistically it must be a nightmare, but the only loss of life has been due to people just being bloody stupid and flying in the face of the multiple warnings about dabbling about in flood waters.

Glad someone has pointed this out - yes they've had time to prepare, but they've effectively put their plans into effect very well and hopefully that bodes well for the long clean-up and the recovery process.


Big thumbs down to the low-life scumbag looters who have ransacked a number of evacuated properties

 

[Knobby22]

Big thumbs down to the low-life scumbag looters who have ransacked a number of evacuated properties

Yes, they should be hit with the full force of the law and then some, and their photos published in the local paper. Talk about low.

Looks like Gillard has given in partly to the pressure and is giving loans of $14,000 per family and $25,000 per small business. Better than donations but I wonder how many will never pay back the loans. I haven't heard a word from Abbott about what he would do, he is usually so forthright.

Of course there is also centrlink and the farmers get disaster recovery money, both of which I approve of.

 

[Whiskers]

I just got an email from my grower organisation advising about the details of assistance for primary producers and small business. If you know anyone needing financial help in particular steer them to the following web sites.

Primary producers and small business http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/4789_19765.htm#Financial_assistance and follow the link or go straight to the fact sheet at http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/documents/Environment/Disaster-Flood-Assistance-DEEDI-Factsheet.pdf

Individual and family assistance details are at http://www.qld.gov.au/floods/