Herald Sun - Melbourne's public transport cistern in crisis

YOU have to wonder if public transport has to be renamed Voter Transport before the Brumby Government recognises it transports the public -- that's people.

Connex's own document reported in yesterday's Herald Sun recognises poor infrastructure puts lives on the line.

But so are personal dignity and hygiene.

In considering closing stations, Connex is ignoring one area most commuters already have written off as symptomatic of a dysfunctional system (or cistern) -- station toilets.

People and Planet - Australians 'in denial over rising population'

The United Nation's Population Fund is concerned that population growth in Asia averages 1.1 per cent a year. Australia, as a First World country, should have a much lower growth rate. It does not. By the end of the Howard era, our annual population growth had risen to a stunning 1.5 per cent: almost off the First World scale and high even for Third World countries. (Indonesia's, by contrast, was then 1.3 per cent, but has recently come down, with much effort, to 1.2 per cent.)

Under the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, our rate has increased. According to Bureau of Statistics figures, it is now 1.7 per cent. Both natural increase and net migration continue to rise. At this rate, one which many are determined to maintain or increase, our population will reach 42 million by 2051. By the end of the century, it will pass 100 million.

This is far above any credible estimate of the population Australia could hope to feed.

The Age - Govt rejects call to use nuclear power

Australia would not resort to nuclear power to tackle climate change, despite a report urging the government to consider it, federal Energy Minister Martin Ferguson said.

The Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering - representing engineers and scientists - released the report on climate change on Friday which calls the government to spend $6 billion on researching ways to slash the carbon emissions from electricity generation.

The academy's report says no single technology will solve climate change, and takes a look at everything from nuclear power to clean coal and renewable energy.

The Daily Reckoning AU - A Worst-Case Commodity Scenario

This is not an exercise in fear mongering, by the way. For most of this week, we've been focussed on a scenario where an increase in the global money supply causes widespread consumer price inflation and at least some inflation in commodity prices. But we need to take a closer look at another possibility today-a staggering earnings depression in resource stocks.

The Age - Transport cash goes on leaks

DESPITE scores of train cancellations this week, the Transport Department is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars that could be poured into running a better system on investigating embarrassing leaks.

Department secretary Jim Betts has authorised an investigation into who leaked highly confidential tender documents to Opposition transport spokesman Terry Mulder.

Details from the leaked documents — annual business plans from Connex and Yarra Trams that form part of the multibillion-dollar re-tendering of Melbourne's privatised tram and train systems — have appeared in The Age and Herald Sun.

The Government last year refused freedom of information requests from The Age and the Opposition to release copies of the business plans. The Transport Department's FoI officer, Sally Kong, said releasing the documents would be "contrary to the public interest as the information is deliberative in nature".

Scoop.co.nz - Public transport responding to travel demand

Press Release: Environment Canterbury

Public transport responding to travel demand in 2009.

Providing people with an affordable, convenient and safe public passenger transport system will be a key policy objective for Environment Canterbury in 2009.

The Regional Environment Report, released earlier this month, identified the council's successes in land transport but also highlighted a number of challenges.

Robert Woods, Programme Manager Transport, said that while public transport patronage is increasing, motor vehicles remain the main mode of travel throughout the region. In addition, increased congestion in urban areas and declining levels of walking and cycling as a proportion of all travel are also of significant concern.

TV NZ - How hard times help women in politics

Queensland University of Technology PhD researcher Mary Crawford, who was Labor's federal member for Forde from 1987 to 1996, said the world's climate and financial crises came at an advantageous time for Bligh.

"Research suggests that while women politicians don't pursue a different style, voters perceive their interests are different - that they are more likely to be concerned with the daily concerns of people, like jobs, food prices, education and so on," Crawford said.

ABC - Natural gas industry calls for its own energy use target

BRENDAN TREMBATH: The main companies which distribute natural gas around the country are calling on the Federal Government to set a target for natural gas use to help Australia burn less coal. Queensland already has such a target.

Natural gas burns more cleanly than coal but the Greens say natural gas is no better in the long run