Agmates

Agmates Editor Steve Truman writes:

The Rudd Governments plans to meet its commitments under the recently ratified Kyoto protocol have been dealt a potentially lethal financial blow.

The Federal and ultimately the High Court of Australia is now to rule on whether the Commonwealth can use the 80 million tonnes of Carbon Credits accumulated from land clearing bans.

It had been the previous coalition governments intention and by default the Rudd governments plan to meet it’s commitments to limit the nation’s Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2008-2012 to the Kyoto Target of an 8% increase above the levels achieved in 1990, by using these accumulated credits without paying farmers for them.

The Federal Court in Sydney in December last year agreed that farmers have an arguable case against the Commonwealth over ownership of the 80 million Tonnes of carbon created from land clearing bans.

The credits will single handedly enabled the Commonwealth to meet its Kyoto commitments. The value of those credits has been estimated by leading authorities at $10.8 billion dollars.

The legal right of the Commonwealth to use those credits is now in question and is to be decided by the courts.

Peter King, Barrister for the New South Wales farmer Peter Spencer who is challenging the Commonwealth on ownership of the carbon in the trees said in a statement “This is the first occasion in Australian legal History that it has been found there was an ‘arguable case’ against the Commonwealth by farming interests that the Kyoto Protocol may give rise to property rights”

Now the court has given Mr Spencer the Green light to file a “notice of motion” which is an injunction to stop the Commonwealth from entering into any carbon trading scheme, until the case is decided.

Mr Spencer (pictured) with the support of action group Commonwealth Property Protection Association has long maintained that the Federal & State Governments have worked hand in hand through the Native Vegetation Clearing restrictions to create huge carbon sinks on farmers properties.

Until now the Government had planned to use the carbon credits created by those “sinks” to offset its Greenhouse Gas Emissions and meet it Kyoto commitments at no cost to itself. Thats now in doubt.

Justin Sherrard and Alan Tate in a report to the Australian Emissions Trading Forum in December 2006 entitled “Australia’s Farmers Miss Out on $billions” stated:

“Through reducing land clearing Australia’s farmers are carrying virtually the entire load of reducing the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions to meet the Kyoto target. Yet their efforts, worth billions of dollars, have not been recognized nor financially rewarded.”

Their report, assesses the extent and value of rural sector emission reductions being achieved and how these could benefit the hard pressed farming community.

“If farmers had not achieved these dramatic emissions reductions, to meet its target the Government would be obliged to fund alternative activities to reduce emissions, or to pay other countries or companies to reduce emissions on Australia’s behalf………. The value of emissions reductions achieved by farmers by restricting land clearing is $10.8 billion, according to our assessment.”

Mr Spencer backed by hundreds of farmers in New South Wales and Queensland where the emissions reductions achieved are largely the result of the tough land clearing laws imposed in those two States, wants compensation for farmers lost property rights and the carbon credits.

The application for the injunction is set down for hearing on the 2nd of April. However Mr Spencer’s barrister Peter King has just requested that it be moved forward on the basis of fresh evidence that has just come to hand that further supports his clients case.

Federal Climate Change Minister Penny Wong (pictured) is declining to comment as the case is before the court.

Agmates Editor Steve Truman writes:

State and Federal Labor Government’s have abandoned farmers devastated by the central QLD floods. Premier Anna Bligh was in Emerald and Charleville during the floods for the photo opportunities and media coverage but when it comes to the offering any real assistance to those hardest hit she has “left them to rot”.

National Party member for Charters Towers Shane Knuth is angry and frustrated. All of his efforts to bring the issue to the State & Federal governments attention have been ignored. Agmates calls to the Preimers depart about this issue were never return. AgForce has also been lobbying State and Federally for these farmers without success.

Member for Charters Towers Shane Knuth (on right) with Hog and Melanie Jones and Julie Dillion standing in front of the Belyando bridge which was submerged by the river for the first time since it was built.

Mr Knuth told Agmates - “I’ve made several approaches to the government on behalf of the affected farmers on the Belyando with no response. There are cattle out there dropping like flies from three day sickness. The Sandflies are eating flood stranded cattle and those poor people that live there alive.

Given the severity of this event and the huge infrastructure losses in the Belyando/ Emerald districts the Government is simply being tight fisted and mean spirited, offering a lousy $150,000 in assistance packages.” Mr Knuth said.

“In Cyclone Larry, some producers accessed a combination of low interest loans and grants of up to $500,000 to assist in the rebuilding of their business. People here have suffered millions of dollars in losses and the government, just because these people are isolated and out of the media spotlight throw $150,000 at them like you’d throw a dog a bone.”

“It’s a disgrace, the Premier is prepared to let good honest farming families go to the wall, while she sits in the air conditioning in George Street preparing to spend $500,000 of tax payers money to keep the media from exposing her parties mismanagement and neglect.” a furious Mr Knuth told Agmates.

A loans manager of one of the rural lending banks who asked not to be named told Agmates that they have a number of clients in the worst hit arrears. He told us that there was no way these people would be able to meet their upcoming interest payments and if they did not get immediate low interest long term assistance from the government, the consequences would be dire for them.

Mr Knuth suggested Agmates speak to the Luke family at Bygana to get an idea of just how badly affected some farmers where. I contacted Dan and Leanne Luke and asked them if they would share their situation with the Agmates.

The Luke’s property Bygana is 23,500 acres on the Belyando River and 32 days after the flooding 50% of the property is still under water. Government authorities have classed the property as “out of flood”. This rating means that the Luke’s can still assess a government helicopter to check on stranded cattle but they have to pay the fuel costs.

Photo of Dan Luke walking through flood waters with his dogs to check on stranded cattle

Below is a map of Bygana emailed to us by the Luke’s showing the the areas still underwater. Of the 23,500 acres they have only approx 5,000 acres that is unaffected. Flood water initially covered 18,500 acres. A month after the floods 12,000 acres is still covered in water up to 1 metre deep in places.

Whilst being flood bound Dan and Leanne have had plenty of time to access their losses. “We did a tally over a couple of days and we stopped after we got to $3 million in losses” Dan said. “it was getting a bit depressing so we gave it away”.

Those losses include about approx 400 head of adult cattle, nearly all of their machinery, dams, fencing, 30kms of newly laid poly pipe, the road out of Bygana .

What has been a bitter pill to swallow is the huge areas of improved Buffel grass that has been killed. The Luke have progressively improved their country over the years planting it to Buffel grass. “As the water is finally soaking back off our country we are seeing that we have lost our pasture. Buffel can’t cope with being submersed for days and we estimate we have lost nearly 7,000 acres without whats still under the water.”

This photo shows some of the 1,000’s of acres of dead buffel grass.

Dan admitted that the $150,000 low interest loan on offer would probably cover the cost of repairing the dams, but not much else. He and Leanne were grateful for the support local member Shane Knuth had given. “He’s written a few letters and tried but we are not getting our hopes up. We are pretty isolated here, no one really knows whats happened.”

The photo’s above and below show how the water has made the country a dank rotting mess. When the water goes after a month all thats left is dead grass and with a green slime on the ground.

“Dan said, that they were no worse off than a number of other families in the area. We’d welcome Premier Anna Bligh or any other Labor politician to come and have a look for themselves. We’d be happy to show them around, but they’d have to come by light plane or Chooper, there’s no road left”.

Below is the Bygana house. This photo was taken on the 16th of February and shows the flood water starting to rise again after further heavy rains the night before further up the river.

Cattle that survived the flood water are dying from three day sickness. “We are doing our best to save them but it’s really difficult. The Sandfly and mosquito’s are in plague proportions. They spread the disease from beast to beast and with the water everywhere is really difficult to get to them. The photo below is of 2 head that died at this gateway.”

We spend a lot of our time dragging dead timber in heaps and setting fire to them. The cattle stand around in the smoke which gives them some relief from the none stop bitting insects.

“We have approximately 12,000 acres of Bygana just like this, waterlogged and rotting.” The next 3 photo’s give you an idea of just what it looks like from the air.

This is a photo of a machinery shed that is about 50 metres from the house. It was taken after the peak of the flood.

Finally, there are some on Bygana that don’t think it’s all bad news.

Have your say - Leave a message of support for the Luke’s and other farmers struggling to cope with huge losses, or have your say about the Queensland Governments leaving the Belyando / Emerald flood ravaged farmers to fend for themselves.

Agmates editor Steve Truman writes:

First They Stopped Land clearing Now They Want to Outlaw Improved Pastures!

The QLD State government is under pressure from a radical group of southern “green intellectuals” to declare tropical pastures including Gamba Grass, Leucaena and Buffel Grass noxious weeds in this state.

Agmates has confirmed this with AgForce Cattle Policy Director Oscar Pearce and two other leading tropical pasture experts. Mr Pearce told Agmates ” The QLD government is under pressure from a small but determine group of “green” lobbyist who have a long running campaign to have Gamba Grass banned.”

Mr Pearce said “It was only through AgForce’s previous work that species such as Gamba have not been declared as weeds under national listings. However now they are using “the Salami method”. It’s a tactic they have used very successfully in the past, to pressure the state government into taking action.

“They break the campaign into smaller pieces, firstly working to get Gamba declared then they’ll will move onto Leucaena and Buffel grass which are both on their agenda.”

Cattle grazing on well managed Gamba grass in north Queensland.

Agmates has seen material on this groups web site stating that Bullef Grass, Leuceana and Gamba grass are all “monospecific stands that outcompete native grasses (and trees in the case of Leucaena) that significantly raise the fire regime of an area to the point of removing competing trees and shrubs. These features make them excellent pasture grasses and serious environmental weeds.“

Photo of Gamba Grass being burnt. When left unmanaged Gamba fires burn at 7 times the ferocity of native grass fires.

John Rains and Ross Newman of Southedge Seeds at Mareeba are 2 of Northern Australia’s leading authorities on improved tropical pastures. When I spoke to John Rains and asked him to comment he told Agmates : “I am pleased at last there is, although at the 11th hour, an attempt to get ‘arse in gear‘ to stand up to these ‘Weed Warriors‘. The whole future of the northern grazing industry is at stake.

There is an almost clandestine group set up nationally to draw up guidelines and criteria as to the weed status of all introduced plants including cropping plants. Biosecurity Australia has based it’s approach on the recommendations of this organization’s Invasive Species Committee which is based in Adelaide. This outfit has an internal ‘navel gazing’ email loop.

Ross and I have been fighting the recommendations of this radical green group for some time. When I finally was able to uncover the group behind this push to have important pasture plants such Buffel, Sirato, Glycine, Parra grass, Setaria, Gamba and Leucaena declared noxious weeds I contacted them. When I did all hell broke loose, I was even threatened by one of the members.”

“Ross and I are are in total agreement with Oscar Pearce that declaring Gamba a weed in QLD is just the ‘thin edge of the wedge’ and that they are hell bent on having all Northern introduced pasture plants banned.” Mr Rains said.

A stand of well managed Irrigated Leucaena at Emerald Central QLD.

So here’s what we can do about it?

Oscar Pearce told Agmates - “The only way we can counteract these green lobby groups is to present the government with a practical solution that effectively manages the environmental concerns about the unchecked spread of Gamba. A code of practice (CoP) , on how to manage the pasture correctly, is the the key.

It is unrealistic to try and eradicate Gamba. Instead, setting parameters for pasture management in a CoP should assure government that potential environmental impacts are being properly managed by Queensland producers.”

AgForce is lobbying the minister for Natural Resources & Water, Craig Wallace and Biosecurity Queensland, but desperately needs more information about the use of Gamba in grazing operations.

“We are asking if the Agmates community could help with our submission” Mr Pearce said.

1st thing we as a community can do:

Those who have Gamba Grass on their property:

We need anybody who has Gamba grass on their property to complete the AgForce Gamba “e-survey” on line. The survey will give us the information we need to make a firm argument to Mr Wallace.

Mr Pearce as given Agmates his personal commitment that the information collected in the form will be used exclusively for the purpose of the submission and will not be used for any other purpose. To do so would be a breach of the privacy act.

So if you have Gamba Grass on you property CLICK HERE to complete the AgForce survey.

2nd thing We as a community Can Do:

Tell The minister What You Think;

If you think this issue is important tell Natural Resources & Water Minister & Minister assisting the Premier in North QLD Townsville’s Craig Wallace your view and opinion on this issues. Agmates will email each comment to Minister Wallace and ask him to reply on line for all the Agmates to read.

To have your say Click on comment underneath the photo of the stand of Buffel. This is too important to be shy.

Third Thing We Can Do:

If you feel strongly about saving Queensland Graziers right to use any and all commercially significant productive pastures in their farming operation, forward this article onto everybody you know and ask them to Complete the Survey if they have Gamba Grass or if not leave a comment on Agmates for the Minister.

Buffel grass under threat from radical green groups.

Agmates Editor Steve Truman writes:

Below are more incredible photos of the flooding in Central QLD. After we ran Linda Hewitt’s pictorial history of the flood at their property Agmates has had reader’s sending in a lot of photos of the floods. Below is just a sample of some of them.

Clermont private agent Malcolm Flohr of Australian Livestock sent us these aerial photo’s of some the worst area’s of flooding in and around the Belyando river catchment.

The properties that these photos are taken of are 150 - 200kms (as the Crow Fly’s) from Colin and Linda Hewitt’s Fork Lagoon station. That will give you an idea of the massive sea of water across central Queensland.

This first one is of Albro Station which is on the eastern side of the Belyando River about 100kms due west of Clermont. Albro joins neighboring properties, Laglan to the North, Beresford and Springvale to the east and Degulla and Lestree Downs to the West (across the river.)

Across the river to the west of Albro is Degulla station. Degulla’s neighbors are Lestree Downs to the north, Laglan & Lennox to the west, Forrester & Riverview to the south and Mirrabilla & Albro to the east.

In the Photo below you can see Degulla homestead and other buildings in the water on the top right hand side.

Frankfield Station Homestead complex which is about 70kms North West of Clermont, swamped by flood water.

Foxes Creek - 6 mile cattle yards. If you look closely you can just see the tops of the high steel yards sticking out of the flood water. Where are the cattle?

Isla Plains station which is about 90 kms South west of Clermont, 45 kms North, north east of Alpha and about 100kms west of Linda & Colin Hewitts property Fork Lagoon. (all distances as the crow fly’s). The Belyando River runs right through the middle of Isla Plains.

Now for some photos of another open cut coal mine just out of Capella. These were sent to me by my brother Justin and his wife Tracey. They came from their friend Donna who lives at Capella.

These are the photos of the submersed drag line that all of you in Australia have all seen on the news.

I am told that these drag lines are $100 million dollar machines. There is another one in there under the water somewhere. You might ask why the mine did not get them out. These machines are so big that they walk at 1/4 of a mile per hour. So what hope did they have?

These photos are of the same open cut coal mine Donna tells us that at this stage all of the mine staff have been laid off and no one knows when, if ever it will reopen again.

As water filled one enormous pit it rushed over a dirt wall into another.

The speed and volume of water was just unbelievable.

A truck that was stranded by flood waters on the road between Capella and Emerald.

The highway between Capella & Emerald. The water just lifted the bitumen up and carried it off the road in great sheets.

The destruction these enormous floods have caused to mining, agriculture and infrastructure will cost hundreds of millions of dollars and it may take many years to recover from.

In their comments on the Hewitts flood story at Fork Lagoon, David Connolly & Stephen Lill reminded us that Dorothy McKellar’s Classic poem “My Country” cuts close to the heart of the matter.

I love a sunburnt country,
A land of sweeping plains,
Of rugged mountain ranges,
Of drought and flooding rains,
I love her far horizons,
I love her jewel-sea,
Her beauty and her terror,
The wide brown land for me.

Agmates Editor Steve Truman writes:

Linda Hewitt in her article Central QLD Flood Devastation in Pictures touched on the devastation the flooding has caused in central Queensland not only to the rural but also the mining industries.

Malcolm Flohr principal of private Agent Australian Livestock in Clermont has sent Agmates these photos of a dramatic mine “rescue” at a flooded open cut coal mine just outside of Middlemount.

Flying over the flooded mine.

These huge open cut pits are full to the top.

You can just see the tops of the huge mine machinery poking out of the water. Notice the Excavator in the top left of the picture.

Tops of huge mine hall dump trucks, these are the ones that a Toyota 4 wheel drive comes about half way up the wheel.

Believe it or not there is a man in that machine who has started it and is trying to haul the machine out using the bucket to drag it toward the edge of the pit.

The following is a series of photos of this incredible feat of bravery.

I’d reckon about now our intrepid hero was wondering if this was such a good idea.

And right now he’s given it everything it’s got. I mean who would know what was under the water, these pits go down 100’s of metres.

That was close and a testament to the power of these machines, to be able to haul itself back from that.

Finally our hero in the “Budgie Smugglers” has saved the day. This photo really gives you an idea of just how big this machine is and just how great the financial loss the mining industry in central QLD has suffered.

If anybody know’s who this guy is we’d love to hear from him.

Agmates Editor Steve Truman writes:

It’s official - The National’s are to form a new conservative party in Queensland.

The QLD National’s executive in a meeting in Brisbane late last week, unanimously backed a series of motions to Merge the National & Liberals into a new party.

Agmates can reveal that a working group will be announced this week to work through the issues including membership, finances and a draft constitution.

State President, millionaire trucking magnate and Dalby Cotton grower Bruce McIver said, “We will be preparing the path for a vote of members by late March or early April.”

The QLD Nationals move is in response to a survey conducted amongst QLD National’s members which found a whopping 96% supported the establishment of a single conservative party in Queensland.

Mr McIver said, “People recognize that we can’t keep doing the same things we’ve always done in conservative politics in Queensland and expect to win government.”

The decision by the State executive to merge with other “like minded” conservative parties comes just 3 weeks after Nationals State MP’s ambushed Leader Jeff Seeney in a Party room coup that reinstated Southern Downs MP Lawrence Springborg as the Party and Coalition Leader.

Photo of Lawrence Springborg and Party deputy Fiona Simpson on the Sunshine Coast at the Start of the recent whirlwind “Conversation with Queensland” tour.

In his previous time as the Leader of the party and the QLD Coalition Lawrence Springborg had campaigned for the merger as the only way forwarded for conservative politics in QLD. His last attempt which had gathered wide ranging support until it was brutally killed off by then Liberal Prime Minister John Howard, when his reaction to the proposal was “over my dead body”.

In a statement to Agmates Mr Springborg said……

“In the sixteen months or so that I was on the backbench, I had time to do a lot of thinking and reflecting.

I’ve taken a good inward look at my personal passion for my home State - Queensland, and what I believe is the true purpose of my life has made me realize that I couldn’t just sit back and watch as the Coalition consistently shot itself in the foot.

While I am 100% supportive of a single conservative force in Queensland, I feel equally strongly that this must be driven not by a handful of politicians in George St, but by the people of Queensland.

I’ve embarked on a “conversation with Queensland” asking Queenslanders what they want, what concerns them most, what “shape” they would like a credible alternative Government to be.”

In other developments:

The Federal Nationals present at the meeting backed the proposal. Mr McIver said, “Not one person at the executive meeting spoke against the proposal.”

The Queensland Liberal party has given the merger it’s “in principal” endorsement but will wait until after the March 15th Local Government elections to make a final decision.

The Nationals will be holding a series of meetings with “like-minded conservative” groups and party’s around Queensland this week with a view to them joining the Nationals and Liberals in the new conservative party.

It is believed that the historic first conference of the new conservative party will be held as early as May.

Central Queensland Grazier Linda Hewitt writes:

This is the pictorial story of the disaster of the Central Queensland floods from our property “Fork Lagoon” which is approx 34kms west of Emerald. Fortunately we are one of the lucky ones, we got our stock moved to higher ground just in time.

These floods will prove disastrous for the Emerald and central Queensland economy. The losses suffered by the farming and mining industry which the Emerald township’s economy has been thriving on, will severely hurt the towns economy. This will take years to recover from.

A Brahman cow hanging on for dear life. She epitomizes the many many thousands of cattle washed away in the Belyando River Area. At least she made it. Many, many did not.

Click here to see all these photos in full screen size. They are very impressive in full size.

“Fork Lagoon” house is 3/4 surrounded - in trees at the centre left of the photo below. The water rushed out of the hills behind us and took out the road leading into the house, the dam wall and the fences etc. We received 6 inches (150mm) in about 5 hours, and another 4 inches (100mm) in the next few hours. All up we got 18.75 inches (470mm) for the 3 days. We’d already had one week of wet weather - drizzle - before this so the country was very wet already.

The supposed dam in front of the house. You can see on the right where the dam wall ends, there should be a dam wall going across the front of the “island” which we had purposely left in the middle of our house dam. We have retained water at the old water level, and the dam is beautifully clean now. Always a positive to every negative.

Colin Hewitt & son Jack inspecting damage in Jacks chopper about 11am. Water had peaked during the night, so these photo’s do not show the highest levels.

Flying west of our house, Kettle Creek, running past our house, going through “Fork Lagoon” towards Emerald over the low range about 34kms away.

The 6 Charolais bulls we though had been swept away. By now you can see some of the water has receded. These boys would have had a terrifying night.

Fork Lagoon house on left.

One of the 5 dam banks burst. Water came so quickly it just went straight over the top. The dams never had a chance with the huge tide of water that hit.

Another dam bank gone. Water has taken the entire front wall. Note the top of the fence lines are just visable out of the water at top left of the photo below. This photo was taken many hours after the waters peaked.

This Grain Feeder had 2-3 Tonnes of feed in it. It got picked up and floated over 2 fences, without breaking a wire in them. It finished up on its head. It has to be deep, strong flowing water to do that.

One of our neighbors Machinery Shed.

Crops near Emerald. This is a high walled Irrigation Ring Tank surrounded by prime cropping land. Ring Tanks are filled by pumping into them not by catching run-off. Hence the blue coloured water (rain water) in the tank and the brown sea of flood water outside the tank. Wasn’t far from going straight over the top of it - amazing.

Mick & Jack doing hay drops to stranded cattle.

Flooding around the town of Emerald.

The country just outside of Emerald was an “inland sea”. The dot you can see in the middle is a Brahman Cow that had managed to hang on to a small spot of high ground.

Some people had driven cars out on the high ground on main roads outside of their farms, meaning to walk out to the cars if it got too bad. But the water came so quick and so high that the cars themselves got drowned. Even those that were well prepared got caught out!!!!

Agmates Editor Steve Truman writes:

In what is great news for Rural and Regional Queenslander’s, Minister for Tourism, Regional Development and Industry and member for Cairns, Desley Boyle (pictured) announced today, guaranteed better and cheaper regional air services for Queensland.

The Bligh Labor Government under it’s Regional Transport Initiative - qconnect - will deliver major service improvements and fare reductions across the State from April 1st Ms Boyle announced in Cairns today.

“The government will invest $4.8 million dollars every year (for the next 5 years) to ensure that fares are kept at affordable levels on all routes and to guarantee services are viable in areas of low demand,” Ms Boyle said. “These new contracts confirm the governments commitment to affordable regular air services to country and regional Queensland for at least the next 5 years.”

This is Government policy that really impacts positively on the lives of people in Rural and Regional Queensland and we here at Agmates congratulate the Bligh Labor government on it’s implementation.

QLD State Opposition MP’s welcomed the announcement. Member for Gregory Vaughan Johnson (pictured) based in Longreach and a regular user of the Longreach to Brisbane service said ” For Longreach, Barcaldine and Blackall I welcome the increased seat capacity and on the Longreach-Brisbane sector I welcome the direct Q400 flights, 3 times a week that reduce flight time to just 2 hours.

Highlites of qconnect regional air service routes from April 1st;

Western 1 - Brisbane to Oakey, St George, Cunnamulla and Thargominda - MacAir is introducing the new 34 seat SAAB 340’s (pictured below) on the routes it has across the State. (replaces 19 seat Metros). As part of the contract MacAir has offered to fund introduction of airconditioners & water coolers to all these air ports. Airports firstly have obtain certification to carry the new SAAB 340B’s that boast full standing head room, overhead lockers, onboard toilet, cabin staff and in-flight meals.

Western 2 - Brisbane to Charleville, Quilpie, Windorah, Birdsville, Bedourie, Boulia & Mt Isa. MacAir with the 34 seat SAAB’s which replace the 19 seat Metros. MacAir will fly 2 aircraft, one based in Mt Isa and the other in Brisbane with passengers transiting in Windorah. This will increase on-time performance and customer satisfaction. Pictured below is the interior of the new MacAir SAAB 340B’s interior with full standing head room, overhead lockers and onboard toilet.

Central 1. Brisbane to Roma, Charleville: QantasLink with mostly 50 seat Dash 8 planes (increase of capacity by 40%). Significant fare reductions, introduction of residents-only fare cutting the lowest price fare Charleville to Brisbane by $34 to $135 and Roma to Brisbane by $30 to just $89. Services to Roma increase from 10-13 return a week including twice daily Monday to Friday and Sunday’s. Increased direct flights Charleville to Roma (ie not via Roma) reducing flight times by 25 minutes.

Central 2. Brisbane to Barcaldine / Blackall and Longreach. QantasLink with 72 seat Bombardier Q400 (pictured below) and 50 seat Dash 8’s. Three direct flights each week cut flight times by 20%. Barcaldine / Blackall retain 3 services per week each with Roma service extended to Barcaldine twice a week. New resident-only lowest fare cuts Longreach to Brisbane by $30 to $149, and from Barcaldine and Blackall to Brisbane to $139.

Northern 1. Townsville to Winton and Longreach. MacAir with 34 set SAAB 340, replacing 19 seat Metros once Winton airport is certified to take the plane. Max fare levels to Townsville reduced by $30 for Longreach and $10 for Winton passengers. MacAir to aircondition airports and install water coolers.

Northern 2. Townsville to Hughenden, Richmond, Julia Creek and Mt Isa. MacAir with the 34 seat SAAB 340B’s, replacing the 19 seat Metros once all airports are certified.

Northern 3. Townsville to Cloncurry and Mt Isa. MacAir with 50 seat ATR-42. Fares unchanged. Airconditioners and water coolers to be installed in Airports by MacAir.

Gulf. Cairns to Normanton, Gununa, Burketown, Doomadgee and Mt Isa. MacAir 34 Seta SAAB 340B’s.Maximum fares slashed. eg Mornington Island to Cairns slashed $70, Doomadgee to Mt Isa $60. Airconditioning and water coolers in Airports.

Cairns to Horn Island. QantasLink with larger & faster 72 seat Bombardier Q400 turboprop aircraft, cutting travel time by 25 minutes and increasing capacity by 40%. Three additional services to Cairns per week via Weipa. Resident-only fares cut lowest price fare from Horn Island to Cairns by $76 or 43% to just $99.

Cairns to Weipa. QantasLink with the larger & faster 72 seat Bombardier Q400 turboprop, cutting travel times by 15 minutes. 16 services a week with a 59% increased capacity and triple daily service Monday / Wednesday / Friday and double on Tuesday / Thursday / Sunday. New resident-only fare cuts lowest price fare from Weipa to Cairns by $60 to just $89.

Shadow Minister for Transport Tim Nicholls also welcomed the news saying “the $4.8 million a year investment was important in guaranteeing Queenslander’s had access to affordable, reliable transport, no matter what part of the State they lived in.”

He went onto say “While the new services are a real improvement the Government needs to step up to the plate and move to make sure all airports on these routes are certified to take the new SAABs by the 1st of April, when the new contract begins.

Agmates Editor Steve Truman writes

Queensland Nationals Senator Barnaby Joyce has put the power brokers of the National and Liberal parties on notice.

In an exclusive interview with Agmates today Senator Joyce (pictured below in a cotton field at St George) announced that if merger talks between the two parties are blocked by self interest groups in either party he will fully support a break away Conservative Party made up of National and like minded Liberal MP’s both state and federal who support the move for the reinvention and reinvigoration of Conservative politics in Australia.

Senator Joyce said, “I will be closely watching the outcome of Nationals and Liberals meetings over the weekend”. Speer head and champion of the merger push, new Queensland Nationals Leader Lawrence Springborg is meeting in Sydney on Friday with the Nationals federal executive including every State Party Leader and President. Mr Springborg with the full support of QLD State Liberal Leader Mark McArdle is pushing for the formation of an “eminent persons group” made up of Senior Liberals and Nationals charged with bringing the merger of the two parties into reality.

In the lead up to those meeting Senator Joyce today put the “blowtorch” to the National & Liberal executive declaring: “If at anytime it becomes obvious that the process is being “undermined or stonewalled” by forces within the Liberal or National party I’ll be calling on Like minded Nationals and Liberals to join me in the formation of “new” Conservative party.”

Speaking to Agmates from St George today Senator Joyce said, “I’m not prepared to sit back and watch the house burn down around me. My greatest fear is that this review will be like the numerous ones that have preceeded it. In those reviews people wrote submissions, had their say and everyone felt good about it. But at the end of the day nothing changed. I’m not prepared to let that happen again.”

Senator Joyce went on to explain “The Nationals have lost there way because they failed in the last term of government to differentiate themselves. Whatever was Liberal party policy was National Party policy by default. Every time I took a stand on behalf of the people I represent as a Senator for Queensland and that stand was contrary to “party” policy I was publicly and privately castigated (by the party)- thats just not good enough.”

“With a new conservative party you’d have the capacity for a strong regional emphasis, as well as a strong small-business emphasis, as well as a conservative, family-based emphasis, and thats what my constitutes are telling me they want ” he said.

“We can’t change anything from opposition, we have to get back to government, but not the way it was. We have real issues that people want addressed, such as repealing the draconian State Native Vegetation laws, securing peoples property rights and abandoning the “Free Trade” at all costs policy that was pursued by the previous Liberal controlled conservative government.”

Senator Joyce went on to say, “Unless there is the formation of a new United Conservative Party the National Party will wither and die on the vine. The facts are as aging sitting members have retired in the past those seats have either gone Liberal or to Independents. We are heading to a crisis time Federally with Senior QLD National MP’s like Paul Neville, Bruce Scott and Warren Truss all into their 60’s.” Senator Joyce said.

Nationals State MP and Shadow minister for Police & Corrective Services Vaughan Johnson expressed the sentiments of QLD National MP’s when he told Agmates today “Lawrence Springborg has my 100% support in his campaign to merg the Nationals and Liberal parties. Lawrence’s return to the leadership has breathed new life, energy and vision into conservative politics.”

When Agmates asked Mr Johnson (pictured below at an anti-council amalgamation rally) if he would support Senator Joyce’s call to form a new party of Nationals and like minded Liberals if merger talks failed he said “absolutely, what Lawrence has begun has completely renewed our enthusiasm, what we were doing before Lawrence’s re-election didn’t work, going back to that is not an option”

As one of the QLD Nationals most senior front bencher’s Mr Johnson went onto say “I’ve been the State MP for Gregory for a long time and I’ve seen a dramatic change in the people in my electorate over the past decade. It’s a vast, isolated country out here”, said Mr Johnson speaking by phone from his Longreach office.

“Up until a few years ago people only knew what was happening via the ABC radio news or week old newspapers. Access to the internet and TV has changed all that. People in the bush today are well informed and as a result a whole lot more interested in what we as politicians are doing to represent them. As a result they expect to be listened too, because they know a whole lot more about whats going on. It’s now up to us as members of parliament and political parties to respond to that.” Mr Johnson said.

Agmates Editor Steve Truman writes:

Agmates story “Seeney - Dead Man Walking” published on the 21st of December was chillingly correct. Our sources within the National party told us ” Jeff Seeney heads off on 4 weeks holiday on Monday the 24th, he is either expected to step down as leader or face a leadership challenge on his return to work on Monday the 21st of January.”

No other media source, not even Brisbane’s Courier Mail had this information. The story broke in the mainstream media on the 18th of January, a full month after you read it on Agmates. “No Brag, just fact” (words made popular by the fastest gunslinger in the west, Will Sonnett, played by actor Walter Brennan, for those of you old enough to remember the show)

Our sources told us “…. the new leader will come from one of 3 MPs.” Those 3 MP’s were former leader Lawrence Springborg (not expected to get up), Deputy Leader Fiona Simpson and impressive first termer, Member for Gympie David Gibson. Deputy Leader Fiona Simpson was considered the likely new leader.

So what happened.

Untill last Friday (18/01/08) Jeff Seeney considered his position as leader to be safe. Thought he still didn’t realize it at the time, that all changed when he was contacted by his deputy Fiona Simpson to be informed that he had lost her support as party leader.

Still unaware of what was happening within the party Jeff Seeney called a National Party Room meeting for his first day back at work, the following Monday (21st) to throw open the leadership position, confident that he had the numbers.

That Seeney went into the meeting confident that he had the numbers, when he in fact he did not is typical of his 16 months leadership. Mr Seeney is a confrontationist who ruled the party by force of his personality. His downfall as it has been many times during his stint as leader is that he is not a good listener, does not suffer anybody who disagrees with him and is not noted for his attention to detail.

If Mr Seeney had been listening to his fellow MP’s he would have known that the formation of one non-labor conservative party in Queensland had become paramount in the majority of his fellow MP’s minds and the whole leadership equation had changed.

In the two weeks leading up to the leadership spill Agmates can reveal that at least 10 of the 16 QLD National MP’s (excluding Mr Seeney) had decided that the uniting of the conservative political parties in Queensland was essential. With the real possibility of Premier Anna Bligh calling an election later in 2009 to gain her own mandate to govern, the issue for these 10 MP’s moved from being an interesting idea to a matter of the gravest urgency.

Recent polling had revealed that if Premier Anna Bligh did go to the polls, her Labor party would increase it’s majority and take seats off both the Nationals and the Liberals in Queensland. Armed with that information, the MP’s minds then turned to who was the best person to handle the difficult and delicate task of forming one moderate conservative party in Queensland. The obvious choice was Lawrence Springborg.

Seeney right up to the 11th hour misread the intention of his colleagues. He was certain going into the vote that he had the backing of 11 of 16 of his fellow MP’s, but he lost the secret ballot convincingly. Bewildered by the result he told the awaiting media “I will forever despise” those who have undermined me, referring to those MP’s who had assured him of their support prior to the meeting, but had then secretly voted against him.

He went on to say ” There were some people in there today, even people who raised issues in the media ( a clear reference to the Agmates article of 21/12/07 and our un named National Party sources) while I’ve been on holidays, who didn’t have the courage to stand up and raise issues in the party room. That sort of cowardice is in complete contradicition to my character”.

What Seeney did not know and cannot not comprehend was that his supporters had moved to a higher level of thinking. Now believing that the formation of a unified conservative party in Queensland was the only way forward, they had adjudged that Seeney with his overbearing and confrontational style of leadership was not the man they needed to lead the Nationals into “unity” with the Liberals and other conservative parties.

There was no need for any of his supporters who secretly turned on him, to raise the issue in the party room. They’d made up their minds before they ever got to the meeting and to declare their hand in the party room prior to the vote would be to create an enemy for life. What Mr Seeney considers one of his strength’s is in fact a weakness no Party leader can indulge. But I guess you can’t take out, what nature put in, they are not know as “the fighting Seeney’s” for nothing.

By popular demand it’s, So long Jeff “the gunfighter”, welcome Lawrence the “unifier”.