Around the corner from my Brunswick St office, at the RNA showgrounds, work is underway on the Exhibition station upgrade so its ready for Cross River Rail, Brisbanes new subway system. This appears to have necessitated traffic control on Gregory Terrace, the latest of many disruptions associated with the mega project. With all the disruptions, cost blowouts, and the possibility public transport usage wont recover to its pre-COVID trajectoryits now at only 80-90% of pre-pandemic levels according to the Brisbane Timesits legitimate to question whether Cross River Rail was a good investment of public funds. Its looking more likely the critics were right about the project, which could ultimately cost in the order of $10 billion. 

As questionable a project as Cross River Rail is, at least its not as bad as the $100 billion Melbourne suburban rail loop the Victorian Government green-lighted and which is receiving billions in federal funding, despite the state government not submitting a business case to Infrastructure Australia (see Daniel Andrews Suburban Rail Loop proceeds without business case). 

Clearly we can do better in infrastructure decision making across Australia, and one positive step toward that was suggested by Allegra Spender and her fellow Teal MPs last month when they proposed to legislate for compulsory disclosure of estimated costs and benefits of any major project proposed for Infrastructure Australias priority list (see Allegra Spenders tweet below). This seemed eminently sensible to me, so I was aghast it was knocked back by a Government-Opposition team up. Both major parties have a mutual interest in continuing the current system which provides insufficient protections against pork barreling it seems.

A Brisbane-based centre that provides vital equine therapy for people with disabilities has announced they are shutting at the end of July unless they can find a buyer.

HELP Enterprises, who took over the McIntyre horse-riding centre six years ago, say they can no longer afford to run it because of the widening gap between the NDIS fees for service and the escalating operating costs.

The McIntyre Centre was set up by June and Peter McIntyre in 1964 and has been running for almost 60 years. Its now an established part of the community.

Carol Campbells 18-year-old daughter, Eleanor McGeorge, lives with speech-language disorder as part of her autism, and is a client of the centre. Carol and Eleanor are devastated over the announcement.

Image: The McIntyre Centre has been part of Eleanors life since she was five. (photo supplied)

Produced By: Netta Finney

Featured In Story: Carol Campbell Mother of Eleanor McGeorge (McIntyre centre client), and Denver Fresser CEO of HELP Enterprises Ltd

First aired on The Wire, Friday 9 June 2023

The post Brisbane disabled riding centre to close appeared first on Fraser Coast FM 107.5.

Two Torres Strait Islanders are in the midst of a landmark legal case against the Commonwealth in an attempt to ensure the survival of their homelands. They argue the government has a legal obligation to prevent the loss of their communities to climate change, and they are seeking orders for the cutting of greenhouse gas emissions, among other measures.

Never before has the whole Government been sued for damages regarding climate change, and this landmark case has been likened to the Mabo High Court decision. 

Charles Sturt Universitys Frank Bonaccorso interviewed Isabelle Reinecke, Executive Director and Founder of Grata Fund. She claims the Federal Government has an inherent duty to keep all Australians safe from climate harm. The elders claim they are in danger of becoming Australias first climate refugees.

Produced By: Frank Bonaccorso

Featured In Story: Isabelle Reinecke, Executive Director and Founder of Grata Fund

First aired on The Wire, Friday 9 June 2023

The post Federal Court arrives on-country for climate change fight in the Torres Strait appeared first on Fraser Coast FM 107.5.

In Alice Springs, a local elder says the town is coming under ever increasing pressure because there has been a failure to fund services in the surrounding areas. He says hospitals and other services are becoming stretched as a result. 

Arrente Arunda Elder, Graham Smith has set up a series of foot patrols to help preserve law and order. 

But he says a failure to invest in the areas surrounding the town has resulted in First Nations people flooding into the town, in some cases from other nearby states as he told Ngaarda medias Conrad Maclean. 

Produced By: Conrad MacLean

Featured In Story: Arrente Arunda Elder, Graham Smith

First aired on The Wire, Friday 9 June 2023

The post First Nations people are descending on Alice Springs due to rural medical crisis appeared first on Fraser Coast FM 107.5.

With the rise in electric car use, its safe to say our environment is better off right? 

According to new research from Swinburne University, that might not entirely be the case. 

Theyve done the work, by digging into the inner layers of electrical vehicles to see how sustainable their components really are. Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering from Swinburne University, Mehdi Seyedmahmoudian joins RTR FMs Madeleine Lombardi to discuss more.

Produced By: Madeleine Lombardi

Featured In Story: Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering from Swinburne University, Mehdi Seyedmahmoudian

First aired on The Wire, Friday 9 June 2023

The post Are batteries the environmental Achilles heel of electric vehicles? appeared first on Fraser Coast FM 107.5.

The Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, or AIATSIS, has been holding its annual summit this week in Boorloo/Perth. Indigenous people, academics, native title holders and government representatives have gathered to hear presentations on a range of topics, including the Voice to Parliament, Native Title and ethical research.

Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation Culture and Heritage Manager Phil Davies gave a presentation on Tuesday about Indigenous belief systems. He said considering Indigenous belief systems as religions could help in legal battles to protect country and culture.

The summit concludes today, and Negaarda medias Gerard Mazza speaks to Phil Davies.

Produced By: Gerard Mazza

Featured In Story: Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation Culture and Heritage Manager, Phil Davies

First aired on The Wire, Friday 9 June 2023

The post Experts gather for Indigenous Studies Conference in Boorloo appeared first on Fraser Coast FM 107.5.

The post Queensland Labor Delegates Vote Against AUKUS appeared first on Global Research.

From guide dogs to emotional support animals, the use of animals for emotional and physical support has been a popular therapy for decades. However, there is one four-legged friend that specifically helps people to take back the reins when navigating addiction and mental health conditions. 

Equine Assisted Therapy is the practice of using horses as a form of rehabilitation therapy. The early sessions of equine therapy generally focus on building a trust-based relationship with the therapist horse (or horses). Although equine therapies can have valuable benefits across a range of conditions, its particularly beneficial for those who may feel like their issues are trapped in their mind, namely people who experience anxiety, PTSD, or chronic stress.

Speaking with The Wires Aryana Mohmood about the value of equine-assisted therapy is Marian Cartwright, an Equine Assisted Psychotherapist.

Produced By: Aryana Mohmood

Featured In Story: Marian Cartwright, Equine Assisted Psychotherapist.

First aired on The Wire, Monday 5 June 2023

The post Rehabilitation experts share the benefits of Equine Therapy appeared first on Fraser Coast FM 107.5.

New research reveals the majority (86%) of Australian businesses believe that the career prospects of employees are limited if they work from home, but only just over half (56%) of employees are aware of this.

Hybrid arrangements remain the main working model in Australia, yet employees are bracing for the shift back to full time office working, with just over a third (34%) revealing they believe this will take place by 2025.

The Wires Aryana Mohmood spoke with Emma Foster-Mitrovski, the CEO of Unispace Across Australia and New Zealand about these findings: particularly the career prospects of remote workers and the growing disconnection between Australian employees and employers.

Produced By: Aryana Mohmood

Featured In Story: Emma Foster-Mitrovski, the CEO of Unispace Across Australia and New Zealand

First aired on The Wire, Monday 5 June 2023

The post Harsh reality check for remote workers appeared first on Fraser Coast FM 107.5.

The weaponization of the vaccine industry and how our basic rights were dismantled during the global pandemic.

In this episode of the Patrick Henningsen Show on TNT Radio which aired on June 1, 2023, broadcasted LIVE at the Better Way Conference in Bath, UK. Patrick talks with Dr. Meryl Nass who works with Childrens Health Defense, about the challenges facing Western civilization after the realization of how our basic rights were dismantled during the global pandemic crissi. Dr. Nass also talks about the weaponization of the vaccine industry, specifically the horrific effects questionable pharmaceutical products have had on members of the military. All this and more. Listen:

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On Friday 12 May, Bowenville (near Toowoomba) based Cessna 525 CitationJet CJ1+ bizjet VH-JSZ was noted arriving into my local Clermont Aerodrome from Archerfield.

File photo

After taking on fuel, it then departed to Normanton and then Darwin.

(L) Ms ODea, accompanied by Shadow Foreign Secy Michael Ancram, left, and Euro MP Neil Parish, Photo: Richard Austin, Western Morning News (R) Google Map of southern Africa

by Mary W Maxwell, LLB

During this vigil of the Brisbane trial of Russell Pridgeon and Patrick ODea, Ive hardly said much about Patrick.  So I typed ODea, Zimbabwe into a search and what came up was Patricks sister Kathleen ODea. Her marvelous autobiography is called Marshmallow Fishes.  So I ordered it from abebooks.com, and now it is in my hand. Its also in my spirit eegads what a book!

It was published in 2014, so its not about Operation Noetic. Its about joy. Its about being alive. Its about caring for the people in ones nation. Let me ask you offhand how many times have you knocked on the door of 10 Downing Str...

Masked Owl

We spent a couple of weeks visiting four national parks in north-east NSW for three nights each that wed missed in the past. First off was the Cypress Pine Campground in Boonoo Boonoo National Park (below), just across the Queensland border. The park adjoins Queenslands Girraween National Park.

Much better facilities here (generally the case with NSW versus Queensland parks) and nice big camp sites. Platypus was seen frequently in the creek below the camp but the only image was the poor effort below of one swimming past a Little Pied Cormorant.

The Constitution gives some Australians more rights than others. Or in the words of George Orwell borrowed by Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, some Australians are more equal than others. They are called Tasmanians.

Why is that so? Because the founders thought that the smaller colonies would not have a reasonable say in the affairs of the Commonwealth. They could be silenced or squeezed out.

So, the founders provided that each colony on becoming a state in the federation would have a minimum of five members and each would have an equal number of senators, irrespective of the size of their population.

In the first House Tasmania got the five minimum members and has had them ever since even though its population would warrant fewer.

The inequality between the states was part of the federal compact a nation for a continent and a continent for a nation, as it was expressed at the time.

That federal compact, of course, completely left out some of the people who lived on the continent the indigenous population, who were expressly not counted for the purposes of determining how many members of Parliament each state would get.

That was rectified somewhat in 1967 when the Constitution was changed to count them.

But that did not acknowledge that since 1788 Europeans have come to Australia dispossessing Indigenous people of what was their land. That process only stopped in 1993 with the recognition of native title.

And still there is no recognition of the prior occupation and ownership and continuous connection with the land.

With what we know now, it is surely time to bring Indigenous people into our federal compact and go beyond recognition, and to give a voice to Indigenous people, in an equivalent way to which the people of the smaller colonies got an extra constitutionally guaranteed extra voice.

No one says that it unfair that Tasmanians get one senator for every 45,000 people, but in NSW it is one for every 680,000 people. No one says it is unfair that Tasmania gets one MP for every 108,000 people, but in NSW it is only one for every 175,000 people.

And even with that more equal electoral advantage, Tasmanians are behind people in other states on just about every socio-economic measure. Just like Indigenous people. The Voice is the very least we can do. Yes, a truth commission and a treaty would be better. But unless the Voice is approved, they will never happen.

The Tasmanian example is instructive because Tasmania could well be the decisive state. If Queensland and Western Australia vote No and the overall majority is for Yes, the Tasmanian vote will decide: their Yes means Yes wins; their No means No wins.

Tasmanians should reflect on this and reject Duttons specious, narrow, self-serving argument that if Yes wins Indigenous people will be more equal. Just as it has been rec...

On Thursday 11 May, Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Airbus A330-203 / KC-30A Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) A39-001 as "Dragon 62" was noted completing a missed approach at Rockhampton Airport.  It looked to fly down from Townsville to complete the airwork at Rockhampton Airport before then flying down to RAAF Base Amberley.

File photo

On Tuesday 9 May, a nice pair of corporate bizjets were spotted visiting Emerald Airport.

...

<div>On <b><i>Thursday 4 May</i></b>, Link Airways (Corporate Air / Vee H Aviation) Cessna 441 Conquest VH-VEH as "Survey 23", which had landed at Emerald Airport from Goulburn yesterday, flew survey work out of Emerald Airport through the day. </div> <div><br></div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class= "tr-caption-container" style= "margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="text-align: center;"><a href= "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEmZYP2-JxYt662aVHQ20p5PqUu22ZOoUF8tmmwu7yoDEGyquEHUOPqthOKZxdph_cam1RmMcMAQrAHVYlystw8Dn7bVz4Um0HaVLW1DQ2dcxiQDK63OLIFfUcUerWAZ4nBHN7oPPoyH5Nkq_v3wMLPr0BH2Gc_brs8SL81lkgeZA3RAa0m9F1jC69/s3886/52580443962_9f7a04af4a_o.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src= "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEmZYP2-JxYt662aVHQ20p5PqUu22ZOoUF8tmmwu7yoDEGyquEHUOPqthOKZxdph_cam1RmMcMAQrAHVYlystw8Dn7bVz4Um0HaVLW1DQ2dcxiQDK63OLIFfUcUerWAZ4nBHN7oPPoyH5Nkq_v3wMLPr0BH2Gc_brs8SL81lkgeZA3RAa0m9F1jC69/s320/52580443962_9f7a04af4a_o.jpg" width="320"></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">File photo</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <div style="text-align: center;"><br></div> <div><b>UPDATE!</b>  On <b><i>Wednesday 17 May</i></b>, VH-VEH "Survey 23" looked to start operating out of Mackay Airport.</div> <div><br></div> <div><b>UPDATE!</b>  On <b><i>Tuesday 23 May</i></b>, VH-VEH "Survey 23" looked to depart Mackay Airport for Goulbourn at the end of its deployment.</div> <div><br></div> <div>Flight Testing Services Australia (Brisbane) PA-31/A1 Navajo VH-WHE also completed an aerial survey fight out of and back to Emerald Airport - possibly both working for the same company.  VH-WHE originally flew into Mackay Airport from its Redcliffe base in April and it looked to fly into Emerald Airport from Mackay Airport earlier this week.</div> <div><br></div> <div><b>UPDATE!</b>  On <b><i>Sunday 21 May</i></b>, VH-WHE departed Mackay Airport and returned to Redcliffe at the end of its deployment.  VH-WHE ended up operating out of both Charters Towers Aerodrome and Mackay Airport in the days since writing this post.</div> <div><br></div> <div>Meanwhile, also on <b><i>Thursday 4 May</i></b>, Brisbane-based Crockett Aviation Group Beech B200 King Air VH-FAQ visited the Labona Station Airstrip within Adani Australia's (Bravus Mining & Resources) Carmichael Coal Mine site from Archerfield and the Sunshine Coast.

On Wednesday 3 May (Happy Birthday Me!), and on other days this week, Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornets and Boeing EA-18G Growler electronic warfare jets have been noted completing exercises within the Shoalwater Bay Training Area (SWBTA).

Defence image...

...

One bird slowly circling overhead. A really good view with binocs. My second positive I'd of this species in my area in 51 years of birdwatching. But had a few more sightings that I were not sure of.

On Sunday 30 April, Avcair (Avgunn) LearJet 60 bizjet VH-ILJ was noted visiting the region once again, this time arriving into Rockhampton Airport from Brisbane and Cairns.

File photo

On Friday 28 April, Stroud Aviation and Transportation (Boonah) / Navair Flight Operations Cessna 510 Citation Mustang bizjet VH-SHI as "Navair 125" was spotted at Rockhampton Airport after earlier arriving from Archerfield.

On Thursday 4 May, Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Dassault Falcon 7X bizjet A56-003 was spotted on the ground at Rockhampton Airport.  It had earlier arrived from Brisbane as "Envoy 13".

On Monday 15 May, a search for two missing persons brought several fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft to the Fraser Coast region and specifically, at least, Bundaberg Airport.

File photo

The Australian Government is moving in the right direction, but not fast enough, with fiscal policy if it wants to fight inflation. It appears too reliant on the expected cessation of pandemic-related stimulated measures to support its claim that the Budget is contractionary. And arguably it should be running a bigger surplus in 2022-23 and a surplus rather than a deficit in 2023-24, if it wants to make a substantial contribution to the fight against inflation. This is clear from Treasury estimates presented in the 2023-24 Budget, as explained in this article.

In defending his Budget, Treasurer Jim Chalmers observed Our budget is contractionary when inflation is at its highest, as quoted in The Australian. Is it true the Budget is contractionary? Critics have argued the federal government isnt being fiscally responsible because spending is increasing. This is true, but the size of the economy and government revenue are also increasing. What matters is how spending and revenue changes compare with what they would be in a fiscally-neutral scenario. How should we judge the governments fiscal impact or impulse with respect to the economy, or whether its aggregate spending and revenue choices make sense given the state of the economy? 

According to IMF economists Garry Schinasi and Mark Lutz in the 1991 Working Paper Fiscal Impulse:

The IMF measure of the fiscal impulse is the change in the fiscal stance, which is an estimate of the initial amount of expansionary or contractionary pressures placed by the budget on aggregate demand. This measure of fiscal impulse attempts to remove changes in the actual budget balance that are transitory in a cyclical sense.

The fiscal stance can be considered as an estimate of what the budget balance would be if cyclical influences (i.e. the state of the economy relative to its trend) were removed. The fiscal impulse is the change in the fiscal stance, and it tells us whether the government budget will add more or less to aggregate demand in one budget year than in a previous year. 

There is no perfect way of estimating the fiscal stance, and hence the fiscal stimulus, but various organisations such as the IMF and Treasury have tried doing so. While the Treasury doesnt explicitly indicate the fiscal impulse of the budget, it does provide measures that help us determine whether the Government Budget can be considered expansionary or contractionary. The Treasury gives us an indication of the fiscal stance of the Government in the Fiscal Strategy and Budget Outlook chapter of...

On Monday 24 April, Navair Flight Operations Embraer EMB-500 Phenom 100 bizjet VH-LXZ as "Navair 199" visited Mackay Airport from Bankstown and Cessnock.

File photo

<p>On <b><i>Thursday 27 April</i></b>, Poolhurst Aviation Air Charter Services Pilatus PC-24 jet VH-VTF was noted visiting Proserpine (Whitsunday Coast) Airport.</p> <div><br></div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class= "tr-caption-container" style= "margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="text-align: center;"><a href= "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiS8oF21M9dFLAANsqRx-nhxnMqTqkMqDUN2CRAXz8aCDCxNPrM-ADicejgvkVyYup3gSmPPr_RksDfOUL1vF9l09gWvCiEZbBIJ-hKxHq3eiaIajWyUKR1mNyrr6doiszVV_jxmMZHA1MXS1JNL78KqhMFoBL94Y-cfovNrGRPzxgBB4HeFy0H2KRT=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src= "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiS8oF21M9dFLAANsqRx-nhxnMqTqkMqDUN2CRAXz8aCDCxNPrM-ADicejgvkVyYup3gSmPPr_RksDfOUL1vF9l09gWvCiEZbBIJ-hKxHq3eiaIajWyUKR1mNyrr6doiszVV_jxmMZHA1MXS1JNL78KqhMFoBL94Y-cfovNrGRPzxgBB4HeFy0H2KRT=s320" width="320"></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">File photo</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <div><br></div> <div>It looked to fly from its Archerfield base to Warwick and then up to Prosie before continuing to Townsville.  VH-VTF then returned to Warwick and then Archerfield.</div> <div><br></div> <div>Mitchell Water Cessna 525 Citation M2 bizjet VH-WMY was noted flying up from Melbourne (Moorabbin) and Melbourne (Essendon) to Mackay Airport before returning to those places via Roma Airport.</div> <div><br></div> <div>And Avcair (Avgunn) LearJet 60 bizjet VH-ILJ visited Rockhampton Airport from Brisbane.</div> <div><br></div> <div>Meanwhile, also on <b><i>Thursday 27 April</i></b>, Dalydine P/L (Pilatus Australia) Pilatus PC-12/47E VH-PDE was back in the region, flying up to Mackay Airport once again from Archerfield before then heading across to Keeroongooloo.  It then returned to Archerfield.</div> <div><br></div> <div>McNab Aviation Cessna 414A VH-FKH visited Rockhampton Airport from its Toowoomba base via Archerfield.</div> <div><br></div> <div>Brisbane-based Crockett Aviation Group Beech B200 King Air VH-FAQ visited the Labona Station Airstrip within Adani Australia's (Bravus Mining & Resources) Carmichael Coal Mine site from Archerfield and the Sunshine Coast.

On Thursday 27 April, Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Boeing B737-7ES / E-7A Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) aircraft A30-006 was noted completing airwork at Hervey Bay (Fraser Coast) Airport.

File photo

A flock of budgerigars landed beside me when I was observing Other birds in open grassy area with patchs of trees right beside the road that leads to Broadwater camp ground before rangers house. Very rare sighting , not on ebird list.i was very surprised. Must be at its eastern limit in that area 48 birds observed in 2 days.

Wages growth decelerating

Over the past year, the growth in advertised wages has been led by Queensland, with a very solid +5.5 per cent.

However, over recent months the trend has been coming off hard, except in New South Wales, which still managed +1.2 per cent growth in the wages index over the past quarter.

Source: SEEK

The growth between March and April was just +0.2 per cent. 

There's only been modest growth in this index over the past six months. 

<p>On <b><i>Friday 21 April</i></b>, a nice visitor to the 'far-flung' corners of the region (!) in the form of new Textron Aviation (Cessna) 208B Grand Caravan EX N673EX which appears to be heading 'home' following two months of being 'down under' in the South-Pacific region, completing a demonstration tour of most parts of Australia and also New Zealand and some South-Pacific Island nations.</p> <div><br></div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class= "tr-caption-container" style= "margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="text-align: center;"><a href= "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-RcpLHPRmHQa4zredm7CsGlhsyardiCvsFXvMWQvnicESVKL-2mCGNtbWUmzbwSs8RlcF0M8TlOsXVNSAnECudgE3EWPHDCsoNN_J9ewkS00N0YgUKhRt1N7azP4UEsh1SoB8MXGlfnXPRTobUOSMruDScJ6J77sjsb8oxjSPbQ2dm7px0aj_Txmw/s1852/N673EX.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src= "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-RcpLHPRmHQa4zredm7CsGlhsyardiCvsFXvMWQvnicESVKL-2mCGNtbWUmzbwSs8RlcF0M8TlOsXVNSAnECudgE3EWPHDCsoNN_J9ewkS00N0YgUKhRt1N7azP4UEsh1SoB8MXGlfnXPRTobUOSMruDScJ6J77sjsb8oxjSPbQ2dm7px0aj_Txmw/s320/N673EX.jpg" width="320"></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">File photo</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <div style="text-align: center;"><br></div> <div>N673EX flew into Cloncurry Airport from Brisbane before then continuing to Darwin.  It is expected to depart overseas the next day.</div> <div><br></div> <div>N673EX had originally arrived into Australia back in mid-February and has since spent time in most states of Australia, New Zealand and some small South-Pacific Island nations.</div> <div><br></div> <div>Meanwhile, also on <b><i>Friday 21 April</i></b>, the Queensland Police Service (Airwing) Cessna 208 Caravan VH-PSV visited Rockhampton Airport from Cairns and Townsville.</div> <div><br></div> <div>And Skytrans Airlines Dash-8-100 VH-QQB as SKP779 flew up from Brisbane to the Labona Station Airstrip within Adani Australia's (Bravus Mining & Resources) Carmichael Coal Mine site before flying across to Rockhampton Airport and then back to Brisbane.

On Saturday 22 April, the visiting New South Wales based Amateur-built Bearhawk 4 Place Model B VH-TGN finally departed Central Queensland, looking to head back to RAAF Base Richmond where it seemingly is operated by the RAAF Richmond Gliding Club.

Phillip Brown / https://www.flickr.com/

On Wednesday 26 April, sleek new Mike Tango Operations (Toowoomba) Textron Aviation (Beech) B200GT Super King Air 260 VH-8MT was spotted visiting Rockhampton Airport.  It arrived from Toowoomba and Bankstown and then later departed to Bellevue Station on Cape York.

The big economic question for 2023 is how much the Australian economy will slow down in response to interest rate increases, regarding which we should expect more to come. Queenslands economy will benefit from a high-performing mining sector, but theres little doubt well slow down, too.  

The federal budget forecasts GDP growth in 2023-24 of 1.5%, down from 3.25% in 2022-23. Australias population is forecast to grow 1.7% in 2023-24, which implies a slight fall in per capita GDP. Behind the slowdown is a reduction in dwelling construction (-3.5% change) off the recent peak associated with pandemic-related stimulus and a reduction in consumer spending growth to 1.5% in 2023-24, down from 5.75% in 2022-23. If the slowdown is worse than expected, it will be because the Treasury, and the RBA for that matter, have underestimated the impact of rate rises on consumer spending. 

We know retail turnover in real terms is falling as households cut back on purchases of durable goods. This is likely due to a combination of rising prices, interest rate increases, and Australians returning to overseas holidaying. Queensland experienced the largest fall in the March quarter with real retail turnover falling 2.2% compared with a national average decline of 0.6% (Figure 1). 

Arabian Oryx

Following a visit to Ghana (the next six posts on this blog), Bill Watson and I had two days in the United Arab Emirates to break the journey home 23-24 April, 2023. We stayed in the Ibis One Central Hotel in Dubai. On the first day I headed south to Kite Beach and Al Sufouh Beaches to look unsuccessfully for Socrota Cormorant, but had to make do with some interesting sights as an introduction to the UAE.

<p>Congratulations to Jordy Groffen and Roy Farman, each a recipient of the 2023 Ric Nattrass Research Grant! Jordy is a PhD student at James Cook University, and Roy is a PhD student at the University of New South Wales. Here is a summary of their work, in their own words.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="alignleft is-resized"><img alt="" class= "wp-image-1116" height="234" src= "http://www.qldfrogs.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Roy.jpg" width="374"> <figcaption>Roy in his PhD lab at UNSW. Photo courtesy of Roy Farman.</figcaption> </figure> </div> <p>Roys research will aim to use the Quaternary fossil record of Queensland to explore the biogeographic ranges of fossil frogs and compare those ranges to living frog species today. Additionally, he aims to to compare the fossil frog response to climatic change events compared to living frogs.</p> <p>Roy says:</p> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"> <p>I intend on using my taxonomic guide of Australian frog ilia, as well as MicroCT scans and geometric morphometrics to identify fossil frogs from Queensland and then compare the biogeography of extant and fossil frogs from Queensland fossil deposits. My project will benefit frogs in QLD by increasing our understanding of palaeobiogeographical patterns, understanding of skeletal elements among Australian frogs, the evolution of Australian frogs and their relationship between other species, as well as increasing our understanding of the types of frogs present in Queensland during the Tertiary and Quaternary periods.</p> </blockquote> <p>Jordys research will focus on the Nursery frogs (<em>Cophixalus</em> & Austrochaperina), which are terrestrial breeders with direct development eggs are laid in moist leaf-litter and are attended through development by a male frog. As eggs laid on land are predicted to be at risk of desiccation from higher temperatures and lower moisture, predicted from a changing climate.</p> <p>Jordy says:</p> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"> <p>Breeding biology of these species is very poorly known. I will study parental care across <em>Cophixalus</em> species, under varied environmental conditions in the field (low elevation, upland areas, heatwaves, drought), to uncover the details of nest choice and parental care.</p> </blockquote> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="alignright is-resized"><img alt="" class= "wp-image-1117" height="395" src= "http://www.qldfrogs.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Jordy.jpg" width="322"> <figcaption>Jordy out in the field testing equipment. Photo...</figcaption> </figure> </div>

In November 2022, a team of QFS volunteers returned to Kroombit Tops National Park to undertake additional monitoring and surveys for threatened frogs as part of the Kroombit Threatened Frog Project a project funded by a Community Sustainability Action grant awarded to QFS by the Queensland Government.

On this trip, QFS volunteers assisted with the deployment of acoustic recording devices at potential release sites for Kroombit Tinkerfrogs being bred in captivity at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. The release of captive-bred animals into the wild is vital to the long-term survival of this critically endangered species in the wild. Acoustic recorders deployed at Kroombit in November 2022 will be retrieved from the field on the final QFS Kroombit Frogsearch in late February 2023.

Photos of some of the captive-bred animals being reared for release at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.
Photos courtesy of Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary

Data from acoustic recorders deployed at potential release sites will provide important baseline data on the current abundance of Kroombit Tinkefrogs, against which the success of the proposed captive release program can be assessed.

Dr Ed Meyer

Egyptian Plover

Following our visit to Mole National Park in northern Ghana (following post) we headed north, passing many traditional villages, before reaching the town of Daboya on the White Volta River.

A Western Banded Snake-Eagle (below) was seen along the way.

Forbes's Plover

We arrived at Mole Motel in Mole National Park in the northern savanna belt of Ghana late in the afternoon of Day 13 of our tour of the country for a four-night stay. Our rooms overlooked the surrounding savanna and a large waterhole. The first bird I saw from my room was an Abyssinian Ground Hornbill near the waterhole. Our first full day at Mole saw us in the morning along the Brugbani Road in sparse woodland that had not long been burned.

Mole Motel

White-bellied Pangolin

Following our successful encounter with the White-necked Picathartes (following post) our minds turned to another creature well-known from rainforests in the vicinity of Bonkro in central Ghana: the White-bellied Pangolin. Pangolin sits high on the wishlists of many critter lovers. The only mammal to be wholly covered in scales, the survival of several species is in the balance as pangolins are slaughtered in their tens of thousands. Pangolin scales are considered to have considerable value as traditional medicines in east Asia, especially China and Vietnam, but there is no evidence supporting this. Shy and harmless, the pangolin is believed to be the worlds most heavily trafficked mammal. As pangolin populations in Asia disappear, the trade increasingly has shifted to Africa, where the four pangolin species are now absent or rare throughout their ranges.

Before our tour, the group agreed with my suggestion for a $US50 reward for anyone in the villages around Bonkro who found us a pangolin, the stipulation being that we had to be taken to the pangolin and not the other way around. A man with tracking experience came forward and one of our Ashanti guides, Ibrahim Entsie, also had past form in finding pangolins. With these two guys, our group set out at sunset on Day 11 of our trip to find a pangolin. This was not going to be easy. We followed the trackers up and down ridges, along creeks, through regrowth and primary rainforest - often in rough terrain with no paths.

Rufous-sided Broadbill

Four years ago, I began planning a 21-day private tour of Ghana in West Africa in association with Ashanti, a highly regarded tour company based in the Ghanaian city of Cape Coast, to be held in April 2020.Then Covid-19 intervened. The trip finally happened from April 1 to April 21, 2023. We were ably assisted throughout the trip by our excellent guide Victor Owusu, his highly capable assistant guide Ibrahim Entsie, and our formidable driver Christian. A full trip report listing all participants, species lists and the like is to follow a series of blog posts.of which this is the first.  En route to Ghana I spent a couple of days in Singapore, where I indulged the shenanigans of a group of Smooth-coated Otters that have become used to people in Bishan Park.

Smooth-coated Otter in Singapore

Some of us arrived i...

Our group huddled beneath the sandstone rock ledge of a cave deep in the rainforest, hoping to indulge one of natures great ornithological experiences: viewing the pre-dusk arrival of the beautiful White-necked (or Yellow-headed as it was formerly called) Picathartes, also known as Rockfowl. This remarkable bird, its bright yellow head bare of feathers, returns to the cave where it builds mud nests late each afternoon to roost. Its humped back and long legs and neck add to its bizarre appearance. We had walked 30 minutes from the nearby village of Bonkro in central Ghana through the Nyamebe Bepo Forest Reserve to reach the cave. It was Day 10 of our 21-day Ghana tour.

The picathartes cave

Male Bird seen on Devils Break track approx 12pm on 25th April. Scarlet chest and obvious white forehead patch. Many images taken, bird seemed to be comfortable, feeding actively and moving from tree to tree quite quickly. No female sighted. Bird not calling and no playback was used. Was moving around in a 300m stretch along the ridge near path at top of hill. Observed for approx 45min before we moved on. No other birders sighted it that day but I was able to relocate it the following morning at 7:46am in the same place until 11:30am. Location: -27.520342, 152.86121

With ANZAC Day on next Tuesday 25 April, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has released details of planned flypasts during Queensland commemorations - including some Central Queensland locations. 

Our first sighting of a pink eared duck at Dholes Rocks. May have been more around the corner but we only observed this one and it was feeding frantically. Very fast not like other pink ears we have observed.

3 Pink-eared Ducks

<p>Back in the nineties, a history-conscious Queensland Treasury official saved a 1944 chart on Post-war Employment Planning from the rubbish bin during an office cleanout (Figure 1). On his retirement from the public service, that official gave me the chart. Notably, the chart includes Queensland state income estimates for 1939-40. These estimates were prepared by the late great Colin Clark, during his time as an economic adviser to the Queensland Government. </p> <p><strong>Figure 1. Chart on Queensland Government post-war employment planning</strong></p> <figure class="wp-block-image"><img alt="" src= "https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/jSpOoCqs9pVY13F9Vlth14yWF5KHTROmwpCrH5-HrJUDYw8s_oQRliMgy3Idltu0jeTkbQkn60RE0ufIl2n4jABQ1_DS8rADhzskcXJKDPpfqdUFvq0Z0ovnArl7Gux8sfkUH6TwIvaV7IyABOBc_nc"></figure> <p>Zooming in on Clarks gross national (i.e. state) income estimates for Queensland, we see the greater importance of agriculture in the States economy in 1939-40 than today (Figure 2).</p> <p><strong>Figure 2. Close up of Colin Clarks Queensland state income estimates for 1939-40</strong></p> <figure class="wp-block-image"><img alt="" src= "https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/nj5BgYMVns2FXjBW-cfxp0YwtKMf5S7SEEO9FoNPjW2I2XTzus0tyFOd3NqJhisg24RqiqMyCVHoSsRNZ-XQPBHHaxqQbwpQmoDq8k0d2e09B4dpD8oowV0QJccsV_bnTJbD3l_H-0VEbhubQxXu9fA"></figure> <p>In 1939-40, at the outbreak of World War II, agriculture (i.e. agricultural production & pastoral production) accounted for over 20% of the Queensland economy (Table 1). As in other economies, economic development has been associated with greater on-farm efficiency and people moving from the country to cities, generally to higher productivity jobs. The services sector was much smaller than today, as was the government, represented by public works, public administration, and railways in the table. Mining would be lumped in with forestry and fishing in Clarks other primary production category, which accounted for around 10% of the Queensland economy in 1939-40.  </p> <p><strong>Table 1. Composition of Queensland gross state income, 1939-40, Colin Clarks estimates</strong></p> <figure class="wp-block-table"> <table> <tbody> <tr> <td></td> <td>Millions of Pounds</td> <td>% of total</td> <td>% (net of indirect taxes)</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Indirect taxes</td> <td>15.6</td> <td>9.5%</td> <td></td> </tr> <tr> <td>Domestic, professional & personal service

Flitting about late afternoon, catching insects in the grass.

Quite happy to feed in front of us, stayed for 20 minutes. Lots of photos and video. It came so close had to back of the zoom on my camera. New life time bird for us.

Two birds sitting with Maned Ducks in shade of water tanks.

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15 birds hawking over eucalypt open forest and pasture, ca. 11 km S of Boonah, before departing southward about 1800. Not a rare bird in SEQ (yet) but my first for the year.

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Louisiade White-eye

On the return leg of our cruise to Papua New Guinea we stopped for the day on February 3 in the Conflict Islands, a chain of small islands that are part of the Louisiade Archipelego. The Louisiades extend from the south-eastern end of PNG where the Coral Sea meets the Solomon Sea. 

They have several endemic bird species and four of these (plus two future splits) occur in the Conflict Islands. We were moored off Panasesa, the largest of the Conflict group, and transferred by tender boat from the Coral Princess to an island wharf. A path from the jetty crosses the island, passing through rainforest. 

Black-capped Paradise-Kingfisher

During our cruise from Brisbane to Papua New Guinea, we had an overnight port stop in Rabaul in east New Britain. This allowed an opportunity for a morning of rainforest birding on February 1. Ive visited Rabaul previously while working as a journalist and had limited opportunity to bird forest patches far from town. Most birders visit west New Britain and little is known ornithologically of the islands eastern half. I was able to organise a highly recommended tour with the Rabaul-based company Pauvu Tours (contact Tulipa Paivu tpaivu40@gmail.com) or find them on Facebook.

Rachael from Pauvu Tours

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