The community process to engage farmers on proposals to take up to 15% of their water right down the Murray-Darling Basin to improve environmental flows (see last News Weekly) has been a failure. Even farmers who attended some of these consultations have come away unaware of the intention to cut their water allocations by up…
Disastrous drought has most farmers in survival mode, totally focused on surviving until the next rains. But if farmers don’t soon become organised and active, they will be under longer-term threat from the erosion of water rights under plans being drafted by the Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Council. Pat Byrne reports. The Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Council…
China has embarked on a major expansion of roads, electrification and dam construction. Pat Byrne reports. China is undertaking massive infrastructure building which dwarfs the US Marshall Plan that rebuilt Europe after World War II. The huge investment drive stems from several pressures. Mao Tse-tung built China as a centralised, command economy. Provinces developed their…
This is an edited version of a speech given to National Civic Council supporters in North Queensland by National Vice President Pat Byrne. For over 2000 years, Christianity civilised Europe and the Western world to create what became the most dynamic culture in history. The laws, beliefs, and social and political institutions focused on protecting,…