WHO IS BUDDY WILSON ?

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I've had several emails in relation to the issues ongoing at Greenbank which mostly seem to revolve around the divisional councillor, the Greenbank community centre management committee and now a new group trying to move into the area.

The issues;

The councillor being a member of the GCC management committee
The removal of a long term community group from the GCC
The use and relocation of a telephone line
The inconsistencies in the accounts at the GCC AGM.
The closing of GCC meetings to the public
The compulsory blue card requirement, with no children's program
The cancelling of memberships over blue card requirement
The matter of who resides in the care takers residence at GCC

It seems that when issues arose between the Divisional Councillor, Hagnal Ban, and a community group situated in the Greenbank Community Center's Kurrong Romm on a permanent basis with the rent subsidised by that Councillor, the first thing that Ban did was to stop paying the $50 a week rent without telling the group it had been cut. After a period of perhaps two months the GCC committee issued a notice to the group asking for rent to be paid up to date and after some checking to find it had indeed not been paid by the councillor, it was paid by a means that resulted in a permanent rec cord of the payment and the receiving of that money. Nevertheless later at the GCC AGM it was declared that the money had not been paid and this information was given to journalists to discredit the group in all probability.

The payment of the overdue rent was never acknowledged by the GCC committee and an order was issued by it to remove the group from the GCC . After a time, the dispute escalated to the point where the group was locked out by council (Beaudesert) Questions were asked at the time about the councillors involvement as a committee member of the GCC management Committee, and the Councillor gave assertions to the public and Logan Council that she was never a member of the committee, despite it being recorded on minutes that she had offered apologies at committee meetings and had attended committee meetings which are not open for the public. It has also been public knowledge that the previous council Beaudesert Shire put a councillor on every community group including the GCC management Committee and it is in council documents that she was put there and in the GCC constitution that a councillor would have automatic membership on that committee.

During the time these disputes were on going the GCC was undergoing some upgrades including the construction of a new caretakers residence, bollards around driving areas to keep cars away from pedestrian areas, and some other things. As soon as the group was locked out it seems their telephone connection, which I'm told cost the group about $3500, was connected to the new caretakers residence by someone other than Telstra apparently and without consent from the group, and that group paid the bill for a time while it was used by others. I believe that theft of a phone line is a serious offence, but I'm not seeing any action from either Council or other authorities.

I wonder at how the connection between the councillor, Hagnal Ban, and the committee in this matter is not obvious to a Council who have inherited the situation, but it seems they are nonetheless turning a blind eye to it.

The AGM of the GCC management committee was a shambles by all accounts and the president was just going to chair it until a member of the public insisted that all committee deliver reports and then stand down while a neutral chair hosts the re election of a new committee. The Councillor, ban was there but refused to chair, and it was Greg Birkbeck who quickly jumped to the position of chair after a whispering session with the councillor apparently. The old committee had the numbers and was re-elected without a problem, and those people who came on the night to join up as members to be elected to that committee were prevented from voting. I personally believe that was set up by some people who had declared that they were going to join up and help get a new committee going, but didn't do so until the AGM even though I'm told they were informed that if they did so they would not be permitted to vote. Those people are integrated with that committee very well now I'm told.

The GCC management committee have made it compulsory for members to have a blue card (for working with children) even though they don't offer any programs at all, no child care and are a hall hire committee in essence, they have also signed off on the applications for members saying that they do, and the members have signed off saying they are working or volunteering to work with children under the GCC management committee as i understand it.

Any members who wouldn't provide their personal details on the form for the management committee, rightfully, on the basis that it is wrong to make this a requirement for membership, have been sent letters terminating their membership.

Since that time it has been revealed to me that it is a requirement for members t attend 4 meetings per Annam to maintain membership, and of course vote at future AGM's and that committee has also changed the constitution to say that they only have to open meetings to the public on two occasions other than the AGM, so no one but them are ever going to be the committee.

At the last AGM questions were asked as to who was residing in the caretakers residence, since it was supposed to be advertised to the public that a job as caretaker was available, but it was clear that someone was already occupying the building, I was told that the secretary was seen parked there and her car was there overnight on a regular basis. At that AGM it was publicly announced by the secretary that a temporary caretaker named BUDDY WILSON was in fact the occupant of the building until a permanent care taker could be found.

Apparently there was 1 applicant interviewed for the job and was rejected, I am also told that someone named Greg Birkbeck interviewed the applicant, although not a member of the committee or an officer with Logan Council, I don't know if Birkbeck is qualified to interview applicants for a caretakers job anyway, but if there was only one why were they rejected? will this information be made public. The rumour is that the persons residing in the caretakers residence are related to members of the committee.

So I wonder who was Buddy Wilson, how was he removed from the residence and why if the position was not yet filled, and where is he now and for that matter where did he come from because other than the claim of his existence by the GCC management committee member, no one else has ever seen or heard of him.

If you know Buddy Wilson, please email me so I can resolve the issue.
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Draft SEQRP ; Make your comments count, time extension.

This is a press release and the sceptic in me says that they haven't received the minute percentage of submissions as yet to effectively call this consultation so they are extending the deadline for closing, but basically it allows you all to have your say on one of the most manipulative, prejudicial, biased, misinformed, and polarising documents the government has released.

In real terms the SEQ RP is about stopping mums and dads using that big block they planned and worked for years to own, often doing without to do so, from being subdivided to either fund retirement or provide land for their offspring. The SEQ RP calls this fragmented development and prefers the kind delivered by the major developers like Lend Lease, so it has given them in many cases development rights in the middle of rural areas whilst preventing anyone else from having the same right.

The big hit comes when it seems that councils get the workload to make it all happen, and guess what, that means that those mums and dads don't get the right to develop their parcel of land but they get to fund the planning for the big developer, fund the structure planning for that developer and fund the planning for infrastructure to service that development for the big developer and fund quite a bit of the physical infrastructure to that development, in other words you cant have your rights even though you have paid your own way, but you will now pay again so the developer can make huge profits, . . . . . . .and of course that developer may just make a tax deduct able, large donation to a political parties campaign fund.

Minister for Infrastructure and Planning
The Honourable Stirling Hinchliffe

Tuesday, March 31, 2009
EXTRA TIME FOR SEQ REGIONAL PLAN SUBMISSIONS

South East Queenslanders have an extra month to provide feedback on the draft SEQ Regional Plan 2009 – 2031.

Minister for Infrastructure and Planning Stirling Hinchliffe today announced the public consultation period has been extended to 1 May instead of closing of this Friday.
“Some Councils and interest groups have asked for an extension, I’m keen to make sure everyone gets the chance to have their say,” said Mr Hinchliffe.
“This is a plan to protect the things that make South East Queensland such a great place to live for future generations, like our wonderful outdoors environment.
“It places more than 84 per cent of the region off limits to urban development.
“I encourage everyone to have a look at the draft so they can provide any feedback.
“It’s a plan for smart growth, to manage our expanding population and tackle the issues of today like housing affordability, congestion and climate change.
“I’m proud to say we’ve managed to avoid any significant changes to our existing urban footprint, which provides a clear boundary to stop sprawl and protect our natural environment, whilst providing enough land for predicted population growth.
“The focus of the growth will remain the Western Corridor, where the population will expand twice as fast as Brisbane and the coastal areas each year on average.”
Mr Hinchliffe said although submissions usually covered several issues, key themes had already emerged.
“By Monday morning my department had received more than 1000 submissions from individuals, commercial and community organisations, local governments and state agencies,” Mr Hinchliffe said.
“They range from several form letters to detailed council submissions, from input from wildlife organisations and conservation groups to the caravan industry.
“The natural environment is featuring strongly so far with feedback around koala issues, biodiversity, air, noise and coastal management.
“The department is already processing submissions and I have asked them to work closely with key stakeholders over coming weeks so we can finalise the plan by mid-year.”

KEY FACTS

- safeguards more than 84 per cent of the region’s 22, 890 sq km from urban development
- strict controls remain in place for housing outside urban footprint
undeveloped areas, infill areas and rural residential lots can cater for 735,500 more houses and units
- protects natural landscape and rural production areas from housing and rural subdivision
- promotes more growth in the Western Corridor to take pressure off coastal communities
- halts urban sprawl by locating new communities and jobs along public transport corridors to limit car use
- consolidates rural growth to keep green breaks between cities and communities
- ecofriendly tourism development allowed outside the urban footprint increased to include “medium-scale” projects, but not on ecologically significant or good quality agricultural lands
- new sustainable housing designs and new building standards


The draft South East Queensland Regional Plan can be viewed at: www.dip.qld.gov.au or at Council chambers.

Submissions can be mailed to:
Draft SEQ Regional Plan Submission
Department of Infrastructure and Planning
Reply Paid 15009, City East Qld 4002;
via fax: (07) 3235 4071
by email: seqreview@dip.qld.gov.au
(only if they include the full name and email address, or other address, of the submitter)
or lodged in person at the Department of Infrastructure and Planning, 63 George St, Brisbane.

Media 1 - voters 0

Watching the elections in Queensland has been less than inspiring, in fact I'd say there would be more controversy in a mono political system in a communist country.

I haven't seen a more arrogant person win an election since Beattie and I have to say she is just as the news media describe historical in this victory but in a different way.

In days long gone and when the people of France were starving a certain member of the royalty cried " let them eat cake" . . . . . The french revolted and killed as many of the upper class as they could.

Here in Australia, when we were running out of water, Blight said "let them drink their own shit" . . . . . . and the people rewarded her with another term to continue her dictatorial arrogance, ratifying again the forced amalgamations, accepting that they will pay more tax to service her $10 million a day interest bill on the Labor slush fund and accept the addition of a known toxin to our drinking water supply.

I have never seen such a dirty campaign, and one where the media was so biased, in my opinion clearly supporting the Labor government in Advertising, comment, publishing of press releases, and even continuing to advertise during the traditional media blackout before an election.

The very few opposition adds that I did see were sandwiched between Labor adds which featured the opposition leader with negative insinuations and with plain untruths about his policy and pure lies about what he will do if elected.

Then there was the strangest one of all; the amount of time Labor gave to advertising the opposition in a negative light and making claims that people will lose jobs if they vote against the government.

I would say that Queensland is in for a long three years of suffering under Labor and that even though Bligh promised Jobs, her federal counterpart Rudd has already said Labor will cut jobs, and even more that Bligh was claiming the opposition would cut, get ready for pain people.

I am about to succeed from Australia I think, I don't know if i can afford to continue to fly arrogant Bligh and her ministers around the world on holidays while we drink shit and toxins and eat tainted Chinese food because the regional plan is stealing all our farm land for housing and industry built by those companies it seems who funded this re election.

Peter Garrett, it gets worse.

I've always had the opinion that Garrett was caught up in his political infatuation early in his life, quite possibly before Uni, and was staunchly anti conservative.
He used this to his best advantage as front man for Midnight Oil where his politically incorrect (for the time) lyrics complimented the Bands cutting edge, unique sound and put them into a niche withing the pop music genre where they had almost no competition as an anti government / pro humanity act.
There are of course those who sentimentally believe that Garrett is what he sings, I don't subscribe to that theory at all, despite him having served as president of the Australian Conservation Foundation from 1989 to 1993 and 1998 to 2004, in addition he also joined the International Board of Greenpeace in 1993 for a two-year term and served as adviser and patron to various cultural and community organisations including Jubilee Debt Relief, and was a founding member of the Surfrider Foundation.
My personal opinion is that due to his high profile, he was sought out for those roles to raise the profile among younger people and help with fund raising.

Anyway, read this and make your own opinion, is Garrett just a puppet a token, a Labor yes man?

Former musician and Arts minister Peter Garrett has shut down an elite Melbourne classical music school.

The former singer with political rock band Midnight Oil has decided to defund the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) and start a new institution within the University of Melbourne.

Unlike other institutions, ANAM does not offer degrees or formal classes - it comprises mainly of one-on-one tuition and opportunities to perform.

The body is seen as a good bridge between learning institutions and the professional musical circuit.

The federal opposition has questioned the motives behind the decision, pointing to the cosy relationship between the Vice Chancellor of Melbourne University Glyn Davis and the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

Davis helped Rudd run the recent 2020 Summit in Canberra.

Garrett has not announced how many students the new school will take or where it will be located.

Hillary Clinton, past it, or just the wrong person for the job?

The foreign policy of the US has ramifications accros the world and as far as being a peacekeeper the US has an important role but has the appointment of the Ex President's wife, a blatant crony job, tainted the impartiality with which the world expects issues to be tackled.

Hillary Clinton has already said that she is 100% behind the ongoing destruction of Palestine by Isreal and has fixed ideas about foreign policy on many other subjects and personally, I think someone new and a little less biassed or more impartial would have been better for the job, actually I think Mrs Clinton has no place in this new administration after all the US has been in the clutches of clintons and bushes for 20 years, isn't that enough?

Read on;

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has urged China to keep buying US debt as she wrapped up her first overseas trip, during which she agreed to work closely with Beijing on the financial crisis.

Ms Clinton made the plea shortly before leaving China, the final stop on a four-nation Asian tour that also took her to Japan, Indonesia and South Korea, where she worked the crowds to try to restore America's standing abroad.

In Beijing, she called on authorities in Beijing to continue buying US Treasury bonds, saying it would help jumpstart the flagging US economy and stimulate imports of Chinese goods.

"By continuing to support American Treasury instruments the Chinese are recognising our interconnection. We are truly going to rise or fall together,'' Ms Clinton said at the US embassy here.

Ms Clinton had sought to focus on economic and environmental issues in Beijing, saying Washington's concerns about the human rights situation in China should not be a distraction from those vital matters.

Beijing's human rights record emerged nonetheless as an issue, as dissidents on Saturday reported being harassed or intimidated by Chinese authorities in a bid to stop them speaking out or meeting Ms Clinton while she was here.

"Plainclothes police blocked me from leaving my home. They were afraid I would try to meet with Hillary Clinton or others in her delegation,'' democracy campaigner Jiang Qisheng said.

Ms Clinton and Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi largely agreed to disagree on human rights as they pledged future joint action on the economy and climate change.

The goodwill, also on display in her talks with President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao, could raise hope for a new era of cooperation between the two largest greenhouse gas emitters and two of the world's top three economies.

What a difference a day makes, as Qld plunges lower into recession than any other state.

As the treasurer tells his tale of woe and lays the blame at global factors out of his control, the question is being asked, how long has the problem been going on and why didn't the state government do something earlier.

We are going $1.66 billion into deficit by the forecast, and could be deeper and worse our states credit rating has dropped, the only state to do so, to AA+ from AAA which means we will pay a higher rate of interest on government borrowings and we were paying $10 million a day in interest before all this.

You'd have to say that the treasury has not kept the government informed of the situation or they have simply turned a blind eye to it hoping it wouldn't impact until after the elections.

With labor heavy weights jumping ship and taking life time incomes with them, it will be years before this state will be in the black again and one could only expect the incoming government to be stuck with the job of trying to sort out a mess.

Once Australia's boom state, riding a wave of property and mining investment, Queensland has an economy grinding to a halt. Treasury officials issued a dire warning yesterday for the next financial year, when they fear the budget deficit will double to $3.2billion.

The latest forecasts, which take into account the Rudd Government's $42 billion stimulus package and recent interest rate cuts, predict a further 60,000 people will be laid off in 2009-10, when economic growth will slump to 1per cent, putting Queensland on the brink of a recession.

With the property market stagnant and weakening global demand for coal, the $809 million surplus forecast for this financial year had become $54 million by December and was revised yesterday to a $1.573 billion deficit.

In the past two months, Treasury officials have revised down revenue collections by $500 million in transfer duty, $427 million in royalties and $334 million in GST, and for the first time will have to top up the supposedly fully funded government superannuation scheme.

The treasurer has come up with a solution though, he plans to either cut services, or raise taxes.

Brilliant!

Israel, no longer the promissed land.

Since the creation, by force, of the "State of Israel" aparently located there by an interpretation from an interpretation of some scripture, the Palestinians have been vocal and in world news for their opposition of that State.

Originally through the "Palestinian Liberation Organisation" (PLO) they gained nothing but world condemnation for the "terrorist tactics used to get attention to their plight and with the main western powers in control were told that the decision was made, and that they had to get over it.

The PLO is gone for all intents and purposes, but not the memories of just how brutal it was for those within the new declared State who opposed its construction and there were rumours of defiant people being dragged from their homes and imprisoned where city's were to be built and those homes were to be bulldozed and it is also alledged that people remained resolute in some homes and were bulldozed within them as all Palestinian things were removed and destroyed and leveled.

The memory, real or concocted of those events drives the older Palestinians on and the aggression of retaliation against any outspoken opposition or even stone throwing at soldiers effectively occupying areas of Palestine keeps the fighting going; many times Israel military have talked about the total obliteration of Palestine as the only solution to ongoing conflict.

Israel controls the media for the region and constantly destroys any new Television station built in Palestine because they really don't want local Palestinians seeing how their bretheren are faring under the war machine of Israel. The media reports show Palestinians living in the state of Israel as Happy, and living a good life, but in my travels there years ago it seemed to me that Israel has created a "slave caste" where Palestinians can live there, they cannot run for office, the cannot own companies or be directors, they cannot go to Palestine unless they stay there permenently, they cannot hold a passport, and they cannot own property (although they can hold title to their home as long as they remain in it, if they leave it; it then becomes property of the state). You can see that these people do not live in equality with the Jewish Israelies but at least they are safe from Israelie gunships , tanks, and indescriminent sharpshooter attacks. Israel is careful not to let this information out to the media and uses Jewish control of world money and media to cover any negative reports.

The majority of reports from media makes claims that whomever died at the hands of Israelie military strikes were Hamas militants, I suppose the dead can't defent themselves and it is easier to believe that the story is true or you'd have to believe that the Israelies are trying to do to the Palestinians exactly what Hitler did to them, tried to wipe them out.

Make no mistake, the UN have proclaimed Israel outside its jurisdiction by remaining in Gaza and other occupied territories, which Israel simply took over by military force, claiming it was growing too fast and that it needed to expand and that there was nothing of value there for the inhabitants anyway, even though the once again dozed everything to allow settlements to be built, when they eventually did pull out (only really the settlers) they left nothing preferring to bulldoze rather than leave accomidation for any returning displaced Palestinains.

To be honest I don't rate that a Jewish state ever existed within the arabic lands, there may have been large enclaves of Jews there but in biblical times the people were still tribal to a certain extent, rather than being unified countrywide, I also don't rate the idea that the Jewish area would have been all the best land, the most arrible and the bets water and that the rest of the local people were happy to live in the remainder ; desert.

I reckon the aggression could be stopped by Israel, it is they who came there and they could make the peace, they are a rich nation who are directly supported by the US and could use money to solve the divide between the two countries, it would cost the same to build roads, housing and dig wells for neighbouring Palestine as to war with them, wouldn't it.

But that would not keep the myth of oppression of the jews alive, world sympathy would wane and they may just have to exist on their own, and lets face it they are all about money, they are very rich and they war against a country where the people have absolutely nothing to fight with and nothing to loose.

No Poo Water for Politicians

Thanks to a Friend who gave this to me, I missed this and i reckon it wasn't too hard to do, apparently it was a tiny piece on page 75 of the weekend paper.

It was titled "Perks for pollies"

Amid all the talk of tightening and tough times ahead, state politicians granted themselves a package of extra perks.

Meal budgets and clothing allowances were raised, ministers' partners were given membership of the Quantas Club's Chairmans Lounge and ministers were allocated $30 a month in bottled water for their chauffeur-driven limousines.

Some of the states mayors didn't miss out either - the maximum remuneration levels were raised by 5 per cent just nine months after most were awarded huge increases with the creation of new super councils.

I would have to say that if they want us to drink fluoridated, recycled sewage they should at least put out a pretence of doing it as well, right ?

Merry Christmas.

With the looming ogre of unemployment already affecting people at Christmas, and set to see the rate double if the recession cannot be halted, it seems the grinch is alive and well and quite visible to all, in the guise of the local council Mayor.

While they claim an independent tribunal determines salary and conditions, the councillors in Logan seem to have asked, not individually, but as a collective for a pay rise because they work so hard, well it's quite possible that some councillors were unaware of even the request for more money going to that independent tribunal, but the request was rejected.

It is always great though when a so called independent body makes a decision, which forces the battler out there to either have to accept reduced services or pay more, but it would seem that is exactly what has occurred, since our Mayor 9and quite a few others) will be getting a substantial increase.

At least she will have a very merry christmas.

QUEENSLAND'S mayors have won themselves yet another remuneration increase after complaining they are both overworked and underpaid.

However, despite the extra cash, they have been told to spend less time dealing with ratepayers and more time focusing on "strategic plans".

From January 1, 29 mayors will have their maximum remuneration level increased by 5 per cent - only months after they were awarded pay increases of up to 20 per cent to reflect the extra work involved with amalgamation. CPI currently is running at 3 per cent.

In awarding the latest increases, the Local Government Remuneration Tribunal acknowledged complaints from ratepayers that councillors were already "grossly overpaid", with too many taking on the role because of the high salaries on offer.

The pay rise comes as the state's private sector struggles to keep staff in jobs ahead of the looming recession and thousands of public servants face the axe as the Rudd Government cuts spending.

Logan City councillors, who are among the highest paid, asked to be in a higher category rating with an 11.5 per cent pay rise. The application was rejected.

It will be hard to get the christmas dinner down if you're one of those facing downsizing in the new year or even worried about the downturn affecting your job, but rest easily , our hard working Mayor is now getting more.

Merry Christmas and happy New Year

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Palm Island Tragedy - the next chapter.

Up to this point we have seen all the twists and turns of an action movie with the plot well and truly revealed early but the twists are now beginning to take effect.

From early articles in Queensland newspapers it would seem fair comment that there was a level of dissatisfaction in the palm island community with some of the police stationed there which resulted in community outrage when one of those officers was at the centre of one of the most widely publicised Aboriginal Deaths in Custody to date.

The tragic and senseless death of a drunk and allegedly aggressive Mulrunji Doomadgee in custody at the Palm Island watch house at the hands of/ in the care of a senior-sergeant on duty who has made admissions about events of that night and it seems, changed the story more than once is the climatic event which appears to have got the ball rolling and started this saga.

Relatives weren't told, and it's alleged that Doomadgee was either not checked or that he was checked but had not moved at all from the position he was left in by the senior-sergeant and was found to be deceased when eventually someone actually went into the cell to find out why he hadn't moved.

Mulrunji Doomadgee died from injuries which included Four broken ribs, ruptured liver and a ruptured portal vein, which the senior-sergeant alleges occurred accidentally when he fell onto Mr. Doomadgee during a scuffle while putting him into the cell.

Mulrunji Doomadgee was dragged by the senior-sergeant and dumped either unconscious or already deceased, but nevertheless unmoving and in fact never again moved from where he was put by that senior-sergeant.

All hell broke loose when family and friends found out that Mr. Doomadgee was deceased and the well reported riots were the result of community grieving, discontent and anger over the circumstances surrounding the death, many believing the police person involved was culpable.

The coroner confirmed what the media and the community of Plam Island thought to be true, that the death of an Aboriginal in custody had occurred and that it had been a result of a blow or blows inflicted by the officer handling him on the night he died.

After political intervention, the senior-sergeant was tried in court and acquitted, found not guilty of causing the death after it seems retracting his earlier story of how the events took place.

It was no surprise that the police retaliated against the rioters from Palm Island, and they swept in in numbers and arrested several of the most vocal people, one of which has already been tried and sentenced to six years imprisonment. This is the thin end of the wedge, expect more to be charged and taken to court and summarily to jail. We have already seen the officers from Palm Island awarded medals for heroism and for valor in performing their duty during the riots as the rioters are carted off in prison vans.

But wait there's more.

The latest is that the senior-sergeant has taken action to have the original coroners version of the cause of death overturned and have a new ruling of "accidental" replace it.

I almost believe that it will happen, without ceremony, I see nothing salvageable that is good from the police or the courts and they appear to me to be trying to reduce all responsibility for any and all actions from the time this saga began.
I doubt there will be opportunity for community to respond and if the previous press comments are any guide there will be a lack of police on the streets for a while because they will all be writing in letters of support for one of their own in a callous display of arrogance and disregard for the life of someone in their care.

Assuming the death was a result of an accident, which will in all probability soon be the truth, then how do these heroes explain;
1) Dragging and propping up an unmoving body.
2) Not checking that person despite the allegation that he was belligerent and aggressive before the "accident" and still hasn't moved since.
3) the changing stories from all involved.

I'm not taking sides here, nor am I making accusations, but I am stating facts and asking questions, read this from the Courier Mail:

A JUDGE has ordered a new inquest into the death in custody of Palm Islander Mulrunji Doomadgee after an appeal by the policeman at the centre of the case.

Lawyers for Senior-Sergeant Chris Hurley, who was last year found not guilty of manslaughter after a high-profile trial, had gone to the District Court to appealed the adverse findings of an acting coroner on the 2004 death.

In a bid to clear his name, Senior-Sergeant Hurley launched the unprecedented attack on a coronial ruling that found he had killed Mulrunji by punching him three times.

Judge Bob Pack, in a ruling handed down today, said the possibility of “accidental death’’ could not be excluded.

“I order the State Coroner to direct another Coroner to re-open the inquest to reexamine the finding,’’ Judge Pack wrote in his findings.

“I conclude the Coroner’s findings are against the weight of the evidence.

“The Coroner found Hurley did not have physical contact with Mulrunji in a relevant way and thereby concluded the death must have been caused by punching from Hurley.

“I indicate that after taking into account the medical evidence, because there is evidence supporting the proposition Hurley fell on Mulrunji, and there are reasons why he said he did not fall on him, that despite what Hurley said, the hypothesis of an accidental death cannot reasonably be excluded.’’

The appeal comes after an aborted coronial inquest and a subsequent two-year inquest, a finding by the Director of Public Prosecutions of insufficient evidence, an independent review by Sir Laurence Street suggesting the manslaughter trial go ahead, and a manslaughter trial in the Supreme Court where a jury found Hurley not guilty.


The Gold Coast-based policeman admitted during his manslaughter trial to killing Mulrunji in a ``complicated fall'' but denied a deliberate knee drop.


In September 2006, deputy coroner Clements found that Snr-Sgt Hurley struck Mulrunji and caused his fatal injuries on November 19, 2004, at the police station on Palm Island, off Townsville.


Riots erupted on the island seven days later after an autopsy found Mulrunji suffered four broken ribs, a ruptured liver and a ruptured portal vein in a watchhouse scuffle.

Queensland Government endorces fire sales of repossessed homes, in a backhanded way.

Sometimes we hear stories of where people have had a series of bad events occur and have got behind with their repayments, and usually instead of going to their lender and trying to sort out something, they put in in the too hard basket and pay it when they can which doesn't impress the lender very much.

Don't forget that to supply you with the money you borrowed for your property, that lender probably also borrowed that money and like you they also need to pay it back.

However, we also hear stories about properties that have been repossessed going to auction and barely getting the amount owed, leaving the borrower with out the equity they were due, and in some cases we also hear that someone associated with the lender may have been the buyer, true or not.

This Government has just legitimised the practice of fire sales of repo properties because if caught it will attract a $20,000 fine, which to the skeptic means that at auction the buyer will pay what is owed plus the amount of the fine, I can't see any lender hanging around waiting for 6 to 12 months to get the real value of a repo, can you ?

The Bligh Government will fast-track new legislation this week to protect struggling Queensland home-owners from mortgagee fire sales.

Under the new laws, financial institutions that intentionally sell repossessed properties at below the market value - leaving home owners with little or no equity - could face fines of up to $20,000.

Premier Anna Bligh said mortgage stress was becoming an increasing reality for Queensland families and she was committed to delivering this protection before Christmas.

"More and more Queenslanders are doing it really tough," Ms Bligh said.

"The current financial climate is squeezing household budgets to the limit, many to a point where they cannot pay their mortgage.

"The latest data from Fitch Ratings shows an increase in mortgage stress across Australia, with Helensvale on the Gold Coast the most mortgage stressed suburb in the country.

"Applications made to Queensland courts for repossession of real estate has increased dramatically in recent months, jumping from 374 from March-June to 606 in the last four months - and while it's not possible to say what the circumstances were in each of these cases, the figures are sobering.

"The only thing worse than the prospect of losing your home is the concern that your financial institution could sell your property quickly and at below market value just to cover outstanding debts - leaving you with nothing.

"Swift action is needed and my Government will deliver the protection these vulnerable Queenslanders need by Christmas," she said.

Attorney-General Kerry Shine said the Property Law Act 1974 would be amended to extend the obligation to sell at market value to situations where properties are sold under a power of attorney or by receivers.

"Mortgagees in Queensland who exercise a power to sell property are currently required to comply with section 85 of the Act that requires they 'take reasonable care to ensure that the property is sold at market value," Mr Shine said.

"These new laws will extend this protection and introduce tough, new requirements under this section, including:

1. a requirement to adequately advertise the sale; and

2. obtaining reliable evidence of the property's value; and

3. maintaining the property, including making any reasonable repairs; and

4. selling the property by auction, unless it is appropriate to sell it in another way.

"Any mortgagee or receiver that fails to follow these requirements will face fines of up to $20,000.

"These steps are designed to ensure mortgagees don't seek a quick and easy solution when a repossession occurs and rush through with a sale under market value.

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Rent bidding, now outlawed.

We all know that before he was a councillor, Sean Black was a small potatoe in the realty game and it seems he was involved in the practice of lining up potential tennants to see who was prepared to pay the most to get a roof over their kids heads, otherwise known as rent bidding.

The practice puts people in a position of feeling powerless and hopeless and almost forces them to participate or walk away and continue looking and in some cases, due to circumstances or whatever they will bid well past what they can afford to secure accomidation, it is the most un-Australian and some would say unconscionable way to serve the rental community.

It seems also that it is a tactic used by realtors who have no idea of the real market and no clue as to what a property should be rented out for , fairly.

Of course these pariahs usually say things like , my owners are so happy that I'm getting the most money for them, or I've never had a complaint, nut rest assured people with houses where tennants are retained in this fashion have more vacancy days than owners where their property is rented at a fair price.

THE practice of rent bidding will be banned in Queensland from next year after new legislation was passed by State Parliament.

The new laws were to respond to the changing private rental market, Housing Minister Robert Schwarten said.

"There's been skyrocketing rents, the growth in off-campus student accommodation and rental accommodation for seniors, and the emergence of rent bidding or auctions, which I consider to be a most un-Australian and unfair practice," Mr Schwarten said.

"Queensland's tenancy laws needed to keep abreast of these changes."

Rent bidding occurs when the price of a rental property is negotiated, rather than fixed.

Mr Schwarten said the new laws included a number of measures designed to enhance protection of tenants but also balanced the interests of landlords.

Under the new laws rent increases can only be imposed six-monthly, rent bidding is outlawed and the notice period to terminate a tenancy at the end of a fixed term without grounds has increased from two weeks to two months.

The rights of lessors have been enhanced with the inclusion of new grounds of entry to rental properties to check on repairs and whether significant breaches have been remedied.

University on-campus accommodation providers will be required to lodge bonds with the Residential Tenancies Authority.