World Water Day Challenge

	Water, sanitation and hygiene education are the building blocks for development.
	Without safe, clean water and adequate sanitation around 6,000 children die every day. With these basic rights, diseases are drastically reduced, more children attend school and adults have time to earn a living.
	Take action now! Sign the form on the right andt take the Challenge and show your support for safe drinking water on Water World Water Day.

WHAT'S INVOLVED?

The World Water Day Challenge

Get your family, friends, school or work place involved

The average Australian person uses 285 litres of water a day. In the developing world the average usage is 10 litres.

WaterAid’s Water Challenge asks Australians to show their support for this basic right by limiting their water usage for a day to closely match a family’s usage in Africa or Asia. By doing the challenge you are showing support for our work for increased funding for safe water and water sanitation programs around the world. We’ll also keep you up to date about how else you can be involved in our international campaigns throughout the year.

TAKE THE STEPS

	Pledge your support using the form
	Get your friends involved by sending an email.
	Show your support on World Water Day

Cut back transfer stations

Council told eight too many

Written by SALLY EVANS. - Wangaratta Chronicle 16 Feb 09

A RATIONALISATION of transfer stations in the Rural City of Wangaratta has been proposed

by the region’s leading waste management group.

NevRwaste, as part of its new regional waste management plan, has suggested that closure of some transfer stations may allow resources to improve services at others.

It has concluded that council operates eight transfer stations, one in Wangaratta and seven in rural locations, which is a higher level of service than neighboring municipalities.

Council, however, has expressed concerns about what impact this may have on users of the facilities.

A report tabled at its January council meeting said the stations are located at longstanding local facilities at closed landfills, and are within 10km of many areas of the municipality.

"In most rural areas, there are roads that can not be accessed for kerbside garbage collection," the report reads.

"Transfer stations service these ratepayers and allow for disposal of large, often recyclable, items.

"In past reviews, council has chosen to retain the sites but limit opening times."

NevRwaste has also suggested the rationalisation of the Wangaratta and Benalla landfills.

"A study is planned to determine the most cost effective manner in which to fill both Wangaratta and Benalla landfills," the draft waste management plan reads.

"If the results of this study indicate that these sites could be efficiently managed in a collaborative manner, then the sequence of filling may be altered."

NevRwaste is expected to develop the final plan next month following feedback from the public and councils, and will be presented to the rural city again in April for final adoption.

Greg's View of Todays News - 02/13/2009

• Ex-detective arrested over Hodson murders | theage.com.au

  Former drug squad detective Paul Dale was this morning arrested for the murders of police informer Terence Hodson and his wife Christine.
  
  Police from taskforce Petra arrested Dale at his Wangaratta service station around 9.30 am.

• Vandergulik gets nine years jail for killing husband - The Border Mail

  THE VICTORIAN woman who killed her husband two days after they married has been jailed for nine years. Patrick Plumbe, 60, was killed one day after making his new wife Margaret Vandergulik the sole beneficiary of his $1 million superannuation fund.

• Australia fires spark calls for climate action

  "Without a massive turnaround in policies, aside from the tragic loss of life and property, we will be asking firefighters to put themselves at an unacceptable risk," United Firefighters Union of Australia said in an open letter.

  • The firefighters union has now joined Green politicians and environmental activists in arguing that the deadly infernos are a climate change wake-up call to Australia.
    • The record heat on the day of the fires was a new event that can only be put down to Climate Change. In these circumstances, volunteer fire fighters mut not be asked to risk their lives.
      
      Even if the government recognises the Climate Change impact, there is nothing that can stop the explosions of buildings that occurred through fuel loads reaching their flash point. - post by gnaylor
    
    

• Canberra urged to increase pension age to 67 | The Courier-Mail

  In its submission to the Harmer pension review, the international investment and financial consultancy firm Mercer added its voice to calls for a gradual increase in Australia's pension age, starting in 2025.

  • Mr Knox said older Australians who remained in the workforce would be healthier and better off financially, while the cost burden on taxpayers of paying pensions for an ageing population would be reduced.

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Whoever owns the fuel (guardian.co.uk)

Eco Village tourism for Lake William Hovell

Sourse: Wangaratta Chronicle - 13.10.08

G-MW have dam accommodation plan, but credit crunch a set back

Written by JEFF ZEUSCHNER.

COMMERCIAL accommodation remains on the cards for Lake William Hovell.

But the current global financial crisis may delay any immediate plans.

Goulburn-Murray Water has confirmed it has identified a preferred developer for an eco-tourism type accommodation development which will be a first at the picturesque storage in the King Valley.

However, G-MW manager for strategic and stakeholder affairs, Garry Smith, said the current credit crunch may make it difficult for the developer to attract an investor in that type of recreational and leisure market at present.

"We had a great deal of interest when we approached the open market for ideas for a commercial accommodation development in keeping with the lake’s tranquil, bushland environment," he said.

"We know there is a good opportunity, but we’re just waiting to see what happens in the market.

"We won’t be putting the matter on ice though."

He said going back to the market for further expressions of interest was a future possibility.

It is understood the commercial accommodation being pursued is of an ‘eco-lodge’ style, which would blend in with the thick alpine forest and make use of the passive recreation, such as fishing and bushwalking.

G-MW had previously said that a caravan park or lakeside resort was not considered a desirable alternative.

The authority said it is always looking at ways it can work with local communities and authorities, and that any specific private development proposal for the dam would be subject to consultation with the Rural City of Wangaratta and the wider community.

Rural city economic development manager, Graham Nickless, said council had had contact from a party who had submitted an expression of interest to G-MW.

A lack of commercial accommodation in the King Valley had been identified in a 2002 masterplan undertaken for council.

Mr Nickless said accommodation could take advantage of the picturesque valley, with its many wineries, burgeoning gourmet produce, wonderful bushland and trout fishing.

ALGA urges Government to 'reconsider' cuts to environment program

ALGA President Cr Paul Bell will fly to Canberra today to make urgent representations to the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts, Peter Garrett, and the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Tony Burke, about the Government's decision to slash funding to the Local Government Natural Resource Management Facilitator Network.

Under the decision announced on Friday in a joint media release by the Ministers, funding for the Network has been discontinued as part of the Federal Government's new arrangements for natural resource management - the 'Caring for our Country' program.

Cr Bell said the decision was shortsighted and made without adequate consultation with the Australian Local Government Association and its members.

"Local Government is the closest sphere of government to the community," he said. "It plays a key role in environmental and natural resource management throughout Australia. This role is particularly critical now, given the challenges we all face in terms of climate change and management of our precious water resources."

"I call on the Rudd Government to reconsider its decision."

"Today I will personally deliver letters to Ministers Garrett and Burke urging them to reinstate Federal Government funding of the Local Government Natural Resource Management Facilitator Network."

Cr Bell said the Network had been operating effectively for almost five years and, through its strong leadership and focus on locally-based programs, played a major role in the remediation and stewardship of the environment.

"The message has always been to 'think globally, act locally' and I am concerned that in this case, we are overlooking the extraordinary achievements of Australian communities in conserving our environment, and the work that still needs to be done."

Cr Bell said the Network has made substantial contributions to local and regional natural resource management throughout the country.