"There is a crisis in Australian farming and grazing fraternity. Bank foreclosures are increasing at a rapid rate. Land valuations, lending criteria, misrepresentation from business advisors, increasing cost of production, low commodity prices, over regulation, animal rights activists all these, and many more reasons are causing a tidal wave to crash down on the rural and regional centres across the Nation…" Cate, Mt Morris, Charleville.
Update June 5, 2014
Some relevant history: Cate speaking to ABC radio May 20, 2014, about how carbon farming is a "good business strategy" at http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-05-20/mount-morris-cate-stuart/5465060 . But the banks, for good reason, thought otherwise. I don't know how a grazier can lament the increasing cost of production, and then expect a subsidy for carbon farming. Clearly Cate was after a handout, she was, and apparently still is, hoping for a financial benefit at the altar of anthropogenic global warming.
Cate...that piece was initially directed toward the "community" around this area...but as you so rightly say..it is a reflection of the country as a whole....You may have seen this community appear on the national stage a couple of weeks ago as a tragic news-story....we now have the dubious distinction......well..just Google "Sedan" and you will see....There has to be a "change of direction" for this area, it has been almost abandoned by all three tiers of government for years...it has become so marginal that a kind of "Brisbane Line" has been drawn to cut off the northern section of the constituency!
On the positive side...as I posted early in this thread, the district does produce all the raw crop material for a sustainable community...it is just a matter of marketting and consumers buying. There are those still keen as mustard to work and grow, but there is that damn "wall of denial" by some in authority too afraid to push some risk projects along.....the cry of "Where's the money comming from" being most vocal...well...I have been building houses and extensions for a bloody long time and I've never met a client yet who didn't "borrow to invest" in their house and home.....sometimes they would lament on the cost of things and I would always answer that ; "money spent on bricks and mortar is the best, most solid investment a family can make....because it serves two purposes..it houses and homes the family and it (generally) increases in value over the years."...and it is exactly the same (imho) for a community.
Jaycee thanks for that read.
As i read it, I kept coming back to the word "community" and indeed was pleased to see it written so many times.
For many individuals, this does take on a multitude of different faces.
Mt Morris Station, has most certainly, always throughout the history of this station, been focused on "community". http://mountmorrisstation.wordpress.com/
After several years research, I am still learning so much about its history.
"We no longer have the luxury of shirking our responsibilities. There is no more “fat” to burn in the community." These two sentances, that you have written sum up rural Australia, but more importantly all Australia.
Now it is upon the individuals to come together, a tad like "herding cats" one could imagine!
I really don't care who individuals (general comment) vote for as an aside, I prefer to believe that well intentioned people, have a countries best interest at heart and canvassing of ones ideas that challenge the way an individual thinks can be quite "healthy" by and large.
The art of looking at a situation from boths sides of an equation, has imho, been lost in a fog of "smoke and mirrors", truly sad.
For no other reason, Cate, than a bit of moral support on a sensitive issue.....after all, even though I "lean" to the left, we are all in the same boat!
The Principle of the Third Day.
There are critics of democracy who would complain that the problem WITH democracy is that too many people have access to it. The biggest disappointment must be that it allows the most bigoted and ignorant an equal platform with the most erudite and informed. Such are the principles of equality...: given the amount of study and research that goes into becoming vitally informed on any complex subject, and the apparent dearth of interest others take in their world around themselves, having an equal say in outcomes demonstrates that some have been allocated, or have claimed, “more equal” time and space than others!
We are all aware of the three tiers of government ie. ; Federal-State-Local. I would push for recognition of three tiers of Local Govt’ ie. : Civic Authority-Civic Administration-Civic Service Delivery. I now propose we encourage the “Community” to step-up to the crease and accept it’s own three tiers of Community participation. While these three “principles” are not on the same “civic-delivery field” as the above, it is no less important than such...in fact, I would go so far as to claim community input and attitude is vital FOR the delivery of the other govt’ services...........I call these tiers; The “principles of the three days of the community”...those days being ; a) The day of personal recreation , b) The day of rest and / or spiritual restoration and c) The principle of the third day being ; community responsibility.
The Principle of The Third Day is the necessity of each and everyone in a community, ANY community, to step-up at the end of their personal "weekend" and accept that there are things that need to be done so that the community can function and progress in a fair and constructive manner. We all have notions and ideas. We all would like our voice to be heard on these ideas. There are responsibilities that have to be confronted and dealt with. When one shirks a duty, their load is shifted to another. This would be unfair, this cannot be.
This principle of responsibility should not be seen a some sort of overbearing demand of “school-marmish” compliance, nor a “mutual-obligation” subservience....but rather it be the mature, experienced and calculated action of responsible adults. The modern community cannot afford to slip back into a patriarchal, elitist dominated clique that calls the shots and corrupts the intent of a community. The subtle bullying of some who perceive themselves to have "authority", must be pushed aside and the right of every citizen to make their voice, however subtle, however meek or shy be heard. So it is necessary for each individual, who can relish the opportunity of equal say, equal vote to make the effort of applying their civic right to themselves to think through proposed government policy, environmental necessity and community social needs and act in a responsible manner to their fellow citizen and the community. We no longer have the luxury of shirking our responsibilities. There is no more “fat” to burn in the community.
The Principle of the Third Day could be seen as a yard-stick by which to measure the honest intent of a socially aware and community minded people to elevate the station of their social environment to one most suited to a gentler community, an understanding community, a most civilised community.
Fair dinkum - fancy that! I did not know that. Rick was a man with many talents to be sure..some popular, and some not. Motor bike and long hair too!
Cate; We (late wife) campaigned for Rick Farley in his final bid for the Australian Democrats
Interesting debating on the thread, until a bit of diversion happened.
Always appreciate Bill's comments (yes Bill, even the 1964 reference! lol)
Ian, great "stuff" as usual to read.
In fact even the moso I found interesting as well, I even took a few minutes to have a look at any information I could find on it...terrible plant though when it (under the right conditions) gets away a bit like Leucena I should imagine - oh, and there are some grants available for it as well, reward for productivity - just as an aside.
I found that information on it very interesting indeed, thanks for sharing it.
"Me, I would prefer to be out of a job than compromised.
Two paths diverged in the woods… I took the one less travelled… it made all the difference."
To have a luxury, a choice like that, how I wish, but nevertheless, in the end there is no compromise (there never was), as those who do not pay landowners - primary producers, accounts, get to have their moral and ethical say over rights on our land - and, show disrespect for those whom support them. I.E have provided food and clothing (hope you all enjoyed your dinner tonight) for generations for Australian's and people around the world. Hero's anyone or just hard working people?
The attacks and "heated debate" will continue on if not here, in other places. Meanwhile, the displacement of families on the land is continuing at an alarming rate.
The judicial system is quite a farce so I have learned, to speak / write from ones heart the truth with the only goal of sharing information is turned into a joke and judgmental attitudes - well, it reinforces how much I love my dog...oh, hang on, I will have to shoot my dog, as I am under threat of being homeless again....along with many, many others.
So while the scientific debates continue, I guess the rest have to rely on the good old UN for humanitarian rights hey? Hmmm now we all know how that will end.
There was so much on this thread I would like to have time to address, however time is elusive now.
Stewardship point for example that "Thumbnail" raised - yes, Rick Farley (Deceased) and I discussed this at length on and off for 2 1/2 years while working together on the BBSB Assessments - Bob Carr though, decided it was easier to legislate and the "land grab" for national parks continued.
Tonight, news of another landowner, and his wife have hit breaking point. The husband cow towing to recievers like a frightened child after enduring mental trauma inconceiveable to many, including myself just to try and protect his family, with his wife wishing to fight on.
Poor bugger, fancy being "compromised like that" what is he thinking...
Anyone interested in climate debate post Pinker et al should be aware of some basic physics as discussed here - particularly this
"BTW, do you, guys, know what is the deep physical nature of a radiation flux?"
http://tallbloke.wordpress.com/2013/04/10/pinker-et-al-do-satellites-detect-trends-in-surface-solar-radiation/
The role of clouds in temperature was established by Pinker et al back when Monckton was accused of misrepresenting her paper and her gender:
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/308/5723/850.abstract