It's whale watching time on the NSW North Coast

Whale breaching off the Australian east coast

The Sydney Morning Herald 2011

Although the Government of Japan’s sponsored Antarctic whale hunt last season killed an admitted 266 minke whales and one fin whale, the annual migration north to warmer waters is well under way.

Right Wales tend to summer in the Great Australian Bight, while Minke and Fin whales have rather secretive migration paths. So it is the Humpback Whale which is most often sighted between May and November as it travels to and from its northern feeding and breeding grounds.

From Emerald Beach (near Coffs Harbour) right up to Tweed Heads and the NSW-Queensland border, North Coast residents and visitors are sure to sight whales in 2012 as the Humpback migration is expected to be around 17,000 cetaceans strong.

If you are out on the water as a whale passes, remember that the law requires that you do not closely interact with these mammals.

From the NSW Dept. of Environment & Heritage:

Definitions

Approach distance—see figures 1-3 (referred to as 'prescribed distance' in the Regulation): a distance beyond which a vessel or person may not approach a marine mammal. 

Caution zone: a distance of between 100 m and 300 m from a whale and between 50 m and 150 m from a dolphin. In the caution zone, vessels must travel at a constant slow speed and leave a negligible wake.

Negligible wake: wake that does not create waves big enough to make nearby boats move.

Prohibited vessels: these are vessels that can make fast and erratic movements and not much noise underwater, so there is more chance they may collide with a marine mammal. Such vessels include personal motorised watercraft like jet skis, parasail boats, hovercraft, hydrofoils, wing-in-ground effect craft, remotely operated craft or motorised diving aids like underwater scooters.

Vessels: these are watercraft that can be used as transport including motorised or non-motorised boats, surfboards, surf skis and kayaks.

Figure 1: Approach distances for whales

Figure 2: Approach distances for dolphins

How close can vessels and aircraft get to whales and dolphins?

·        
For a vessel, the approach distance is 100 m from a whale or 50 m from a dolphin.

·      When calves are in the pod, the approach distance for a vessel is 300 m from a whale or 150 m from a dolphin.

·       For a prohibited vessel, the approach distance is always 300 m from a whale or dolphin.

·       Helicopters or gyrocopters must not get closer (in height or distance) than 500 m to a whale or dolphin.

·       Other planes must not get closer (in height or distance) than 300 m to a whale or dolphin.

Figure 3: Height restrictions for whales and dolphins

At what speeds can vessels travel around or approach marine mammals?

Vessels must always travel at a safe speed which will enable them to stop in time to avoid distressing or colliding with an animal. This speed cannot be expressed as a maximum number of knots as it will vary according to circumstances and conditions. In the caution zone, the speed must be constant and slow, and leave a negligible wake.

Whales and dolphins rely on sounds underwater to communicate, find food and navigate so vessel operators need to travel at a speed that will minimise the noise around them, and ensure their vessel does not suddenly change its direction.

For details of how to minimise wake from a vessel visit NSW Maritime's website or phone 131 256.

How should a vessel operator approach a whale or dolphin?

First, assess the direction the animals are travelling in then plan a course so your vessel will not cut across their path, or put the vessel directly in front of or behind them. Approach the caution zone at an angle of not less than thirty degrees from their direction of travel at a steady constant speed, being aware of changes in animal behaviour or direction.

Under the Regulation, a vessel operator cannot enter the caution zone if there are more than two other vessels already in it. This may mean waiting for other vessels to leave. If there are two or fewer vessels in the caution zone, continue on course at a constant slow speed and travel alongside the animals, no closer than 100 m away from whales or 50 m from dolphins.

If there is a calf in a group (defined as half the length of the adult of the same species), it is illegal under the Regulation to enter the caution zone.

Be aware of other vessel movements and changes in animal movement or behaviour. Never chase or encircle a whale or dolphin or drive through the middle of a group.

Barry O'Fibba - this is your new best mate. Still want his support?

As he came down there was an unearthly scream as the full weight of the falling bull collapsed his heaving lungs, expelling through the trunk and sending an involuntary shiver through me. On the ground now, on bended knee the ochre coloured wet bull thrashed around with its trunk, paralysed unable to move. I reloaded as the empties flicked over my shoulder & the PH yelled to drill him again. As I approached I moved in quickly, not being sure at all exactly at that time what had happened. As I approached with some caution he lunged as far forward as his trunk & position allowed, trying to grab me. At this I placed two frontal brain shots into the now almost defunct bull and it was all over.
{Robert Borsak, Shooters and Fishers Party, writing about one of the elephants he killed}

Background:

Friday, 1st June 2012 Oi, Barry O'Fibba! Keep those bloody guns out of our national parks, state conservation areas and nature reserves!

Twenty years ago today..............

Mabo v Queensland No. 2 1992 (Cth)
3 June 1992

Editor has a lend of his readers

Northern Star editor David Kirkpatrick is prone to s-t-r-e-t-c-h things a bit, but today's piece is going way too far.

Under the heading 'Striving for balance and accuracy' Fitzpatrick wrote: "If I had a dollar for every time this newspaper was accused of bias I'd be a millionaire by now."

Now, come on David, how long have you been at the Star?

One million times! That's 1,000,000.

Kirkpatrick went on with the male bovine excrement when he added, "... we journalists live by a code of ethics. We have ours printed large on a poster in our tea room. I'd also be a millionaire for the number of times a journo has come to me for advice and I have referred them to that poster for the answer."

Seriously, how does the bloke get anything done at all!? If he's not reading and/or hearing comments about bias he has journos queueing up to seek his valuable advice.

Kirkpatrick has, according to his own count of things, known of or been involved with two million (yes, that's 2,000,000) events associated with either perceptions of bias or providing advice to other journos.

The best part in Kirkpatrick's piece was at the end where he wrote: "It's all about telling a story in the most interesting way we can find. Like song writers and their fans, I'll leave our readers to draw their own conclusions about our stories." Oh, how true!!!

Here's a bit of advice for Kirkpatrick - take your hand off it.

Read the AJA's Code of Ethics here.

After reading the code of ethics, take the next step and read 'How to be a journalist in one easy lesson'.

NSW national park rangers will refuse to co-operate with Premier O'Farrell and his elephant killing political ally

National Park rangers reject recreational hunting in parks

01 June 2012

The NSW Public Service Association, which represents park rangers, has directed its members not to assist with any activity involved with establishing recreational hunting in national parks in NSW

Members will also be asked to withhold information and their expert advice from Minister for the Environment Robyn Parker and other members of the NSW Coalition Government.

General Secretary John Cahill said the good work and safety of NSW National Parks staff would be placed at risk by the State Government's backroom deal for hunting in parks

"Recreational shooting of pest animals in National Parks is an unproven, untested, expensive and unsafe activity, Mr Cahill said today.

"Opening the gate for recreational hunting in 79 national parks and other conservation areas in NSW poses a serious risk to the safety of park rangers, visitors, wildlife and the environment.

"Our park rangers should not have to work in fear for their own safety. Our members have expressed serious concerns about the danger to themselves and the community when shooting is allowed in bushland popular with walkers and picnickers.

"Our member have been working very hard to control and manage feral animals in parks.
Recreational shooting will compromise the professional and scientifically proven feral animal control programs run by national parks staff, placing native plants and animals at risk.

"This move is another shot across the bow of our national parks, with the Shooters and other vested interest groups clamouring for greater access at the expense of the environment and the people who look after them.

"Industrial action like this is not a decision we take lightly but we simply cannot let the State Government's compromise of our National Parks to go ahead," Mr Cahill said.

Members' Industrial Bulletin at PSA Bulletin for OEH Members - Recreational Hunting Bans

Contact Details
John Cahill, General Secretary
Ph: 02 9220 0900
psa@psa.asn.au

Backyard chemistry can be fun

http://youtu.be/hKoB0MHVBvM

Political Quotes of the Week

“The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The member for North Sydney does not have the call. The member for North Sydney, it is not for the opposition or the government to accept a member's vote. We need to clarify this: it is for the parliament to accept a member's vote. The member for North Sydney.” {Hansard on 30^th May 2012}

"PopThirdWorld @popthirdworld                                                  30 May
Abbott fleeing from Craig Thomson in Parliament is disgraceful. Whether or not Thomson has girl germs is for the courts to decide. #auspol"

"Politics wrap: May 30, 2012..

3.21pm: Question Time is finally over.

Now it's time for the recriminations.

Lots of personal explanations this afternoon.

The angry juice is draining slowly from the chamber.

Acting Speaker Anna Burke needs a cup of tea.

Can someone take care of that? And a biscuit.

3.20pm: Later Chris."

"WHOLE families lie slaughtered in Syria, rape and pillage continues in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where 5.5 million have died, the world averting its face since a war began in 1998, millions are suddenly unemployed in Europe, manufacturing jobs are collapsing in Australia … and what has us riveted in our Federal Parliament?

The Leader of the Opposition and his colleagues all but fall over themselves in a risible rush to escape voting in the House of Representatives.

Was there an Australian who could still bear to watch what passes for the national political debate who did not throw up their hands in despair at the televised revelation of this unprecedented spectacle?"  {The Sydney Morning Herald on 31^th May 2012}

Run away Run away!

{Hoyden About Town on 31st May 2012}

Race Call The Abbott Dash

{ABC The Drum 31st May 2012}

Michael Duffy, Journalist, Author - Seer

It may have taken more than a year before Tony Abbott was sent into Opposition by the Australian electorate, but all those years ago, Michael Duffy eeriely called it like it is.

Pessimism may be the ruin of us all: [2 Metro Edition] Duffy, Michael The Daily Telegraph, 24 Mar 2001, p17:

The poem is of course a gentle satire on rural pessimism, but Abbott's point is that in the past the rest of the country took this with a grain of salt (except when things were genuinely bad), whereas now Roonism is taken by the media at face value and is spreading to the cities. This is occurring in defiance of the reality that things are much better today for most Australians than they were 10 years ago.

The process is being driven, he argues by "a strange alliance between the economically vulnerable and the commentariat, which would like nothing better than the destruction of the Howard Government". The political motivation behind this theory is clear enough, and we can be sure that Abbott will become a leading Roonist himself should be find himself in opposition later this year.  [my red bolding]

Myall Creek Massacre Commemoration 10 June 2012

Myall Creek Massacre. NRS 19437 [SZ1053]

View more documents from State Records NSW

In memory of the Wirrayaraay people who were murdered on the slopes of this ridge in an unprovoked but premeditated act in the late afternoon of 10 June, 1838.
Erected on 10 June 2000 by a group of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians in an act of reconciliation, and in acknowledgement of the truth of our shared history. [Memorial plaque at Myall Creek]

Friends of Myall Creek:

The annual memorial commemoration ceremony is for those who died in the Myall Creek massacre. This public commemoration is held at Myall Creek, the site of the massacre, west of Inverell on the Bingara-Delungra Road, commencing at 9.30 a.m. This year the meeting will be held on the Sunday, not Saturday, of the June long weekend.

9.30 Arrival and morning tea
9.45 Short AGM, with a focus on concept plans for the new educational/cultural centre
10.30 Start of ceremony
From 12.00  Lunch (can be purchased)
Brief contributions by invited guests

For further information or interviews please contact Ivan Roberts at (02) 6257 4600 or iroberts@iinet.net.au ; Sue Blacklock (02) 6723 3279, Lyall Munro (02) 6752 5792, Graeme Cordiner (02) 9817 0288

Oi, Barry O'Fibba! Keep those bloody guns out of our national parks, state conservation areas and nature reserves!

Fair dinkum – why is it that everyone who gains control of New South Wales turns into a power hungry, greedy nong of the first water?

O’Farrell, Stoner & Co. are all set to open our national parks, state conservation areas and nature reserves to recreational shooters.

Giving open slather to those very same eejits who upset the working dogs, scare the sheep, put holes in the water tank and don’t understand what line of sight is so there is a crazy crack in the kitchen window right where the wife was washing up at the time {and yes, all those things did happen}.

And now Premier O’Fibba backs out of an election promise and intends to let them loose amid both protected wildlife and tourists who are the life blood of many NSW North Coast towns and villages.

To make matters worse – he’s put Environment Minister Robyn Parker in charge. The minister who turns a blind eye on local illegal logging and antimony contamination of a major river.
Yes siree, these shooters are going to be well policed aren’t they?
And Mr. Gulaptis, I noticed your vote to stall debate on this big blunder.

Here’s what most people polled by Granny Herald think of that idea, Bazza.

So if you live on the NSW North Coast don’t go anywhere near at least 6 local areas marked out for shooters, including Yabbra, Richmond Range, Nightcap, Dorrigo, Gibraltar, Barrington Tops national parks, state conservation areas and nature reserves.

It won’t be bloody safe. Even if do you try using one of those useless North Coast Nats MPs as a body shield.

This is the man who heads the political party in the NSW Upper House that O'Fibba and his cronies are pandering to:

"The Shooters and Fishers are currently led by Robert Borsak, a self-styled “big game” hunter who, among other things, has paid the Zimbabwean dictator Robert Mugabe thousands of dollars to shoot elephants in the wild, particularly those with mature ivory tusks. They are protected species elsewhere."

There's a good chance this elephant in the photo was a young female.