Meanwhile in NSW

 

Guts to ban cruelty to animals no more greyhound racing .
The three biggest infrastructure projects in Australia .
1 New international airport .
2 the west link project .
3 metro rail . An underground tube system .
Also as Sydney has more cruise ships than it can handle with its two terminals it is building a huge one in Newcastle .
Where is the money coming from privatisation of government businesses .

Re the opening post - Murdoch alert!

whats wrong with Victoria

 

The latest report comparing the economic performance of Australia's states and territories shows New South Wales still has the strongest performing economy, pulling further ahead of Victoria.

Key pointsNSW economy strongest, ahead of VICACT improves from sixth to equal third with NTGrowth from housing development at four-year high in ACTWA fastest growing, but slowing down with end of mining boom

 

The CommSec State of the States report compared the performance of all the state and territory economies over the final quarter of 2015.

While the two most populous states are strongest, CommSec's chief economist Craig James said the ACT economy was gaining ground.

"There is a fair gap between New South Wales and Victoria and the other states and territories," he observed.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-01-27/commsec-state-of-the-states-puts-nsw-economy-1/7115154

Meanwhile Victoria throws thousands out of work in Australia's poorest region . The Latrobe  valley by pandering to the Greens and closing down its cheapest source of energy .
Meanwhile NSW is approving new coal mines of Gina Reinhardt

NSW ends solar subsidy
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/the-hills/nsw-solar-bonus-scheme-ends-solar-power-rebates-in-2017-but-solar-panel-subsidy-stays-in-other-policies/news-story/09fc9f22427db8c43d71a6ea2d7e04b6

Whist NSW powers ahead , the biggest problem in Victoria seems to be Students sticking their bums opt of car windows .

Previously rejected Anglo American coal project wins NSW govt backing 

19TH SEPTEMBER 2016 

BY: MARIAAN WEBB 
CREAMER MEDIA SENIOR RESEARCHER AND DEPUTY EDITOR ONLINE

 

JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – The previously rejected Anglo American Drayton South coal project has received backing from the New South Wales Department of Planning and Environment, angering horse breeders in the Hunter Valley, who are opposed to the opencut mine expansion.

The Planning Department has recommended that the independent Planning Assessment Commission (PAC), which previously rejected the expansion, approve the project.

 

The PAC has blocked the project three times, with its latest rejection in November 2015 on the basis that mining and horse-breeding activities were not compatible in closeproximity. As a result, Anglo American has announced the closure of its existing Drayton operation by the end of September this year.

However, a Planning Department spokesperson said in a statement on Monday that its latest assessment had found that coal mining and thoroughbred stud industries had operated as neighbours for decades and that they could continue to do so. 

“Based on independent reports, new evidence, and considering the proposed mine now complies with the PAC’s original minimum setback by remaining behind two natural ridgelines on the site, the department has concluded that, with appropriate management and mitigation measures, the two industries can continue to operate in proximity,” the spokesperson said.

Glorious Victoria has finally gone to the dogs. Forget Mike Baird’s lockout laws, Victoria has decided that mooning, a fundamental human right, is to be outlawed. I finally understand how Mark Latham and racist breakfast TV hosts feel every day, because this PC gone mad has well and truly grinded my gears. First they ban a bit of harmless mooning, next thing you know you’ve got Sharia Law.

 

The Act will also outlaw the singing of “an obscene song or ballad.” While I’ll be very happy to never hear my mother singing Paul Kelly’s ‘How To Make Gravy’ ever again at Christmas, I shudder to think of confused and terrified Victorians hearing the Angels’ ‘Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again’ and not knowing how to respond.

http://www.sbs.com.au/comedy/article/2016/09/26/mooning-outlawed-nanny-state-has-gone-too-far

THIS IS WHY SA HAS THE HIGHEST ELECTRICITY PRICE IN THE WORLD

 

Most of Australia’s energy is generated centrally and relies heavily on traditional energy sources, known sometimes as fossil fuels. 

In fact, around 86 percent of our electricity is generated from these fuels types, with 73 percent from coal and 13 percent from natural gas.1 Around the world it’s much the same, with fossil fuels being used for electricity, heating and powering vehicles.

The world relies heavily on coal fired electricity generation because it’s often the cheapest form of generation. It’s also reliable and abundant. That’s what makes it difficult for renewable options, such as wind and solar, to compete in purely financial term

Renewable energy sources make up the remaining 14 percent of Australia’s electricity mix.2

Hydropower, which began contributing to Australia’s generation in the 1950s, is the largest source of renewable electricity, contributing 60 percent of all renewable generation and 7 percent of total electricity.

Wind, bioenergy and rooftop solar make up the other seven percent.

Wind and solar power are known as intermittent energy sources, because they rely on natural sources and can’t be relied on for consistent baseload power.

Wind and solar could contribute more to the electricity mix if their energy could be stored for times when the sun isn’t shining and wind isn’t blowing, but storage technologies are still a while off being a viable commercial solution.

Where does SA power come from 

The state is powered by a mix of wind, solar and gas.

In May, Alinta's Northern power station at Port Augusta closed, which means coal has been cut out of the electricity equation.

At the time, Australian Energy Council chief executive Matthew Warren said the power station's closure meant the state would have less back-up energy available on days of peak demand.

He also said the state would have a greater reliance on renewable energy and on the interconnector from Victoria for base-load power.

"The reality for South Australians is that we're in uncharted waters," he said in May.

"There's an increased level of risk that we really haven't seen before anywhere in the world, so it doesn't mean we'll have more blackouts, hopefully if we're smart we can sort out solutions so power supply can be the same as usual, but it's an increased risk."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-09-28/sa-power-outage-explainer/7886090

 

Labor couldn't run a piss up in a brewery

The Australian
Michael Owen
15 July 2016

Wind power is driving base-load electricity providers out of the market, SA Liberals say.

The traditional manufacturing state of South Australia, with the worst jobless rate in the country, is paying the highest ­prices in the national electricity market.

South Australia’s lack of access to low-cost coal, an exposure to higher wholesale gas prices and an absence of competition in conventional power generation was to blame, analysts said.

The state’s Liberal opposition has pointed the finger at the Labor’s government’s “overzealous rush into wind power” that it said was driving base-load electricity providers out of the market, pointing to the closure this year of the coal-fired Port Augusta power stations.

Soaring electricity prices in South Australia have seen up to 10 major manufacturers, including BHP Billiton, Arrium and Nyrstar, approach Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis to warn of production shutdowns unless the government intervened.

As a result, an extra 239 megawatts of power will come on line from today after private energy supplier Engie agreed to fire up a previously mothballed generator at Pelican Point, near Port Adelaide.

Spot power prices for South Australia have risen to more than seven times that of the Victorian price and almost eight that in NSW during the past week.

Mr Koutsantonis said yesterday the energy crisis had arisen because of a shortage of electricity being supplied to the state through an interconnector with Victoria, compounded by a planned outage at the Heywood Interconnector for upgrade work, higher gas prices and wild storms.

https://stopthesethings.com/2016/07/18/panic-hits-south-australia-wind-power-debacle-sends-power-prices-through-the-roof/