Lots of news since our last newsletter. Drought dominates the national news and in local news we include this year's People and Pets Day and in 2008 World Youth Day coming to Randwick. A fascinating four day visit (see the travel-blogs on my website) to the Murray Darling Basin, a new Office of Water Resources, 17,000 new constituents for Wentworth, and many other items. I have also added to the downloads section a fascinating presentation by Professor Ian Acworth on Sydney's groundwater resources and in particular the Botany Aquifer as well as some new materials on the drought (the folder is Drought) , and in a folder titled Inland Sea an article discussing the climatic consequences of flooding Lake Eyre (it's not a good idea).
The drought is getting worse; the worst since records began. It is clear that in southern Australia we are experiencing a very troubling climate change. Our weather is getting hotter and drier and this means less rainfall and runoff. Paradoxically, northern Australia which already gets most of our water is getting wetter! I discuss this climate change and the prospects for northern development in several recent speeches including the speech to the ANU last week mentioned below. A number of Government agencies including ABARE, the Bureau of Meteorology and the Murray Darling Basin Commission have produced very valuable briefings on the drought in the past few weeks and I have collected them in my downloads section in the drought folder. Worth a look.
Yesterday the National Water Commission (NWC) released its report card on the progress of the States in implementing the National Water Initiative (NWI). It was a mediocre result, mostly Cs and Ds, and predictably was received by the States as an unnecessary dig from the Commonwealth. As I pointed out in the media, the NWI is an agreement the States entered into with the Commonwealth. They agreed to set up the NWC to monitor compliance and its report card, which was compiled by the NWC with the assistance and input from many expert agencies, is part of the deal. If you give a commitment you have to expect to be held accountable for it. Read more about the report card here. New speeches New Media Interviews New Blogs The Answers to our water challenge - opinion article and graphs in The Australian People and Pets Day World's largest youth event, World Youth Day at Randwick 2008 New Areas of Wentworth Wentworth's unemployment halved New Office of Water Resources Business Council of Australia report on water Murray Darling Basin Ministerial Council meets Wentworth's amazingly clever students New Green Projects in Wentworth Federal Justice Minister Chris Ellison's visit Ebenezer Church
New Blogs
The Hume Dam, the Barmah red gum forests and the MDBC Ministerial Council Menindee Lakes Chowilla Floodplain Growing Olives (and intercepting salt) at Mildura
New Speeches
Water scarcity and its Global Consequences - Speech at the Australian National University
Announcement of Randwick Racecourse as site for World Youth Day Mass
Speech to the Queensland Rural Press Club
Speech at Commerce Queensland Annual Dinner Speech in Parliament on Hannan Family and Wentworth Courier
New Media Interviews
The new Office of Water Resources was very topical and we have included a number of interview transcripts on my website.
For my interview with ABC TV 7:30 report click here ; 2CM Charles Woolley Across Australia click here Radio 3AW Melbourne click here Radio National AM program here 6PR Radio Perth here And Alan Jones interviewed me the day after the announcement. More here Deborah Snow interviewed me in this article in the Sydney Morning Herald.
The Business Council of Australia released a substantial report on water this month: "Australia's man-made scarcity and how to fix it". It echoes many of my sentiments particularly on urban water. Tim Webster filling in for John Laws interviewed me on its findings . The transcript is here
People and Pets Day
It's hard to believe a year has passed since the last People and Pets Day but once again Woollahra Council should be congratulated for a fantastic event.
People and Pets Day held at Lyne Park Rose Bay September 17 raised money for the Leukemia Foundation and other charities and brought scores of Wentworth animals and their proud owners together. This year's highlights included the dog-e-data dash, information about Pet Talk Radio and stalls with great information about the best care for our friendly, furry loved ones.
The day marked a year since the Turnbull family canines - Jojo, Mellie and Rusty started their own dog blogs to provide tips on caring for pets, a local dog guide to Wentworth, and tales of doggy adventures.
To see pictures of the day click here To read Rusty's comments on the day see his dog blog here
World Youth Day 2008 - Randwick Racecourse chosen for final mass
World Youth Day is the Catholic Church's world youth congress and it will be held in Sydney in July 2008. The final Mass is expected to attract up to 500,000 pilgrims of whom 100,000 are likely to be international visitors. The Mass will be held at Randwick Racecourse and Centennial Park. Read our media release here and my oped for the Wentworth Courier here.
New Areas of Wentworth
Following the Australian Electoral Commission's electorate redistribution the suburbs of Elizabeth Bay, Potts Point, Kings Cross, Centennial Park, South Paddington, Woolloomooloo and most of Darlinghurst have become part of Wentworth. Wentworth has lost some of north Randwick. The new boundaries are on the AEC website here I look forward to working with the new Wentworth areas which Lucy and I know very well. Our first home in Sydney was in Brougham Street Woolloomooloo and both of us have lived in Elizabeth Bay and Darlinghurst. And of course Lucy represented these new areas when she was Lord mayor of Sydney. So welcome to my new constituents and a fond farewell to those Wentworth is losing.
Wentworth's unemployment halved
Wentworth's unemployment has been halved since the Coalition came to power in 1996. New data released by the Federal Parliamentary Library shows Wentworth now boasts the seventh lowest unemployment rate in Australia. We now have 2.7 per cent unemployment, a historic low. This compares to 5.3 per cent under Labor in 1996. The Coalition has created an economic climate which supports the enterprise of our area and committed local businesses. It continues to secure real benefits for hard-working Wentwortth residents and their families.Another new study by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations "Small Area Labour Markets Australia, June Quarter 2006”, presents unemployment estimates for Statistical Local Areas, the smallest available geographical units on a state/territory, metropolitan/non-metropolitan basis.
It shows Woollahra has an exceptionally low number of people out of work. Woollahra has 1.9 per cent unemployment, down from 2.1 per cent last year. This makes it the third lowest unemployment area in metropolitan NSW and one of the lowest unemployment areas in Australia.
In 1995 when the ALP was in power, Woollahra had an unemployment rate of 6.7 per cent and Waverley’s unemployment rate was 11.3 per cent.
For my media release on these studies click here and to download the DEWR report click here
New Office of Water Resources
The PM announced the new Office of Water Resources which is going to be a specialist water group within the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. It will co-ordinate policy advice across Commonwealth agencies and will report to myself and the Prime Minister.
This is a great move. The new head Dr James Horne, was very involved in drafting the National Water Initiative so he knows both water and his way around the Canberra bureaucracy. The Office will oversee the implementation of important policy such as the National Water Initiative and the Living Murray Initiative and also help me address urban water issues. It will have the expertise to press forward with the development of water trading and rural water issues as well as evaluating major transformative water infrastructure proposals for Australia.
For my media release on the new office see here
Murray Darling Basin Ministerial Council meeting
The MDBC Ministerial Council met on 29 September in Sydney and we considered the implications of the worsening drought. We also heard from the Community Advisory Council who urged Ministers to buy water on market for the purpose of meeting the 500GL target of the Living Murray Initiative. The communique of the meeting is here. The MDBC's update on the drought is here and I strongly recommend it. As I said in this op ed in the Australian, the growing impact of climate change on our water resources is very severe. The MDBC Council meeting is also covered in my blog here.
Business Council of Australia report on water
The BCA have produced a very valuable report on water which supports further private sector participation in the water industry and endorses the Government's policy aimed to ensure the NWI objective of water trading is achieved. The report is here.
Wentworth's prized students
Wentworth has excellent schools that nurture the talent of all the children and young adults in our community. I had the honour of awarding prizes to several of the area's best and brightest this month, in two separate ceremonies.
I presented Year 8 Moriah College student Katherine Tobias with a 2006 Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Award at a special assembly held at her school. The awards supported by the Department of Education, Science and Training constitute Australia's biggest poetry writing competition. Katherine beat more than 200 students across Australia to win her prize of runner up in the junior secondary section. The judges applauded Katherine's poem "Backyard" about the ocean, for its rhythm and lyricism. My media release is here and photos are here.
As mentioned in my last newsletter 10 students from Wentworth have been awarded the Australian Students Prize for Excellence certificates in national recognition of their outstanding academic achievement in 2005. As well as the certificate the students each received a prize of $2000. I held a certificate presentation ceremony in my electorate office this month for the students. For pictures of winners Aristea Mellos, Tricia Khong, David Glanz, Joey Lawrence and Vanessa Wakely see here. My media release is here
New Green projects in Wentworth
A new Green Corps project aimed at protecting and restoring vegetation in Centennial Park has been approved by the Federal Government. Green Corps - Young Australians for the Environment - is an Australian Government youth development and environmental training programme for young people aged between 17-20 years. The programme provides young people with the opportunity to volunteer their time and effort to conserve, protect and restore Australia's natural environment and cultural heritage.
The Centennial Parklands Pond Restoration, Revegetation and Native Nursery Construction Project will commence on November 6. Seventeen to twenty year olds in Wentworth are encouraged to look into the benefits of joining Green Corps for a six-month placement. Green Corps offers improved career and employment prospects through accredited training, work experience and personal development opportunities. For more information go to http://www.greencorps.gov.au/
Last month I also visited the K Building development site in Double Bay. The high quality design and cutting edge environmental initiatives this building proposal employs set a strong local environmental example. The building proposal states it will aim to meet all water needs on site from rainwater via a ground floor rain water tank and meet all sewage treatment needs on site The photos of my visit are here
Finally I spoke at Paddington Town Hall this month on Water Efficient Design and my home for the Greenhome Design and Renovations Expo organised by the ACF. Lucy and Daisy were delighted to think I had a whole new audience to bore about my five rainwater tanks, but they seemed to be quite receptive. There is a lot of interest in sustainable design nowadays and while most of us are limited by the constraints of our homes and offices where retrofitting is often very difficult, greater awareness will mean that new and renovated buildings can take better care of our environment and in particular maximise water and energy efficiency.
Federal Justice Minister Chris Ellison's visit The media has reported on rising amphetamine and drug use in the community with new concerns about drugs at school formals and a report that bus, truck and taxi drivers are among the biggest amphetamine users. The Federal Government tackles the scourge of drugs wherever it can.
Last month I met with Federal Justice and Customs Minister Chris Ellison at Pulse Pharmacy in Bondi Junction to discuss ongoing efforts in the fight against Amphetamine Type Substances (ATS). One important strategy involves preventing criminal's access to pseudoephedrine - a chemical used in the production of ATS, also legitimately used in common cold and flu medications. As much as 90 per cent of pseudoephedrine used in clandestine laboratories to manafucture amphetamines is sourced from community pharmacies.
Eastern Suburbs police say it is not uncommon for ‘runners’ - people who go from pharmacy to pharmacy posing as genuine customers - to frequent Wentworth chemists purchasing large quantities of cold and flu medications. For many young people, acting as a 'psuedo runner' is the first step to a life of criminality and drug dependency.
I praise Pulse Pharmacy Bondi Junction’s pharmacist David Kleindyk for having staff trained to question customers on usage of cold and flu tablets as well as symptoms. It is an excellent example of pharmacies taking responsible measures to protect the community. My press release is here and photos are here Ebenezer Church
Recently I went up to Ebenezer on the Hawkesbury River to see the restoration work at the Ebenezer Chapel which my forebears had helped build 200 years ago. Lucy and I had contributed to the restoration. The minister Grant Bilby was there as were some of his congregation who gave us tea and very excellent scones. For photos see here
Yours sincerely,
Malcolm Turnbull MP Member for Wentworth