The Oil Drum: Australia/New Zealand | The Bullroarer

The Bullroarer - Tuesday 6th May 2008

Posted by Phil Hart on May 5, 2008 - 6:39pm in The Oil Drum: Australia/New Zealand
Topic: Miscellaneous

The Age: Greenpeace rejects 'clean coal'

CLEAN coal technology has been labelled a "scam" by Greenpeace, which says it cannot possibly be ready in time to prevent dangerous climate change. The Greenpeace report False Hope said that Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology would not be ready on a commercial scale until 2030 at the earliest. "If CCS is ever able to deliver at all, it will be too little, too late," the report concluded.

Sydney Morning Herald: Burying coal fumes a 'smokescreen'

Contrast The Age & SMH coverage with this from The Australian:

The Australian: Greenies deny the reality

ENVIRONMENTAL fundamentalists such as Greenpeace attacking low-carbon technology as pie in the sky are missing the basic point that much of the science is already in place.

The Age: A better connected city

IF MELBOURNE 2030 provided a road map for the city's transport future, then five years into the journey we already appear to be lost. The trouble is that the map no longer matches the landscape.

ABC: Rescue package for rail grain transport

The New South Wales Government says an agreement has been reached to secure the future of rail grain transport in rural NSW. For the past couple of months, farmers across the state have faced an uncertainty over whether the next harvest would reach the export market after Pacific National's decision to stop transporting grain.

What will the Victorian Government do with it's grain harvest?

The Australian: Rates, petrol hurting services sector

HIGH interest rates and the soaring cost of fuel caused the Australian services industry to contract in April, a survey says.

Scoop NZ: City transport Plan built on fantasy, not fact

The just released draft transport Plan for Wellington City is based on fantasy, not fact says Wellington City Councillor and Greens' spokesperson Iona Pannett.

The draft Ngauranga to Airport Corridor Plan has been released ahead of deliberation this week by Wellington City Council and Greater Wellington Regional Council. The Plan can be found on the City Council's website (link below).

"The Plan ignores Wellingtonians' huge support for more public transport, their opposition to new tunnels and Wellington City's commitment to carbon neutrality," said Cr Pannett. "Instead, it includes a commitment to two new tunnels in the long term, a flyover by the Basin Reserve in the short term and it dismisses the possibility of reducing greenhouse gas emissions through better public transport.

Stuff.co.nz: Tunnels on hold as transport plans cut

A $96 million transport plan for central Wellington puts controversial new tunnels on the backburner, and does little to curb severe congestion or emissions.

However, the plan's authors say the projects - including a $33million Basin Reserve flyover - are required to prevent total gridlock within 10 years.

ABC: Conservation group want Budget changes to fuel subsidy

The Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) wants mining and transport companies excluded from getting fuel subsidies in next week's Federal Budget. The ACF estimates mining companies like BHP Billiton are benefiting by up to $138 million a year in subsidised fuel through the fuel tax credits scheme.

Stuff.co.nz: Transport giants look to switch freight to rail

Transport operators are hopeful of shifting more freight from road to rail after the Government's $665 million deal to buy Toll NZ's rail and ferry business.

NZ Herald: Petrol price probe to await Australian studies

More work is needed before petrol companies will face any tougher probes into how they set prices, Commerce Minister Lianne Dalziel said.

Speaking after a meeting with the Automobile Association yesterday, Ms Dalziel said she had asked officials to report on whether a price warning system requiring oil companies to tell consumers their petrol prices a day in advance could work in New Zealand.

Scopical: Iemma 'flying blind' over energy privatisation anger

Unions and party delegates are furious at New South Wales Premier Morris Iemma's decision to defy their vote on energy privatisation.

The party at the weekend held it's policy conference and debate in Sydney, with officials and unions voting down the Premier's plans to privatise areas of the energy sector by 7 to 1.