Tough fire season warning

Queensland firefighters face a “challenging” bushfire season amid forecasts of worse-than-usual conditions, but the government says they will do all they can to reduce the risk.

Fire crews were last night fighting 10 bushfires across the state, including one burning at the rear of houses in Brisbane's northwest and seven around the Townsville area.

Two aircraft water bombed the slow-moving bushfire in the Brisbane suburb of Keperra, after the blaze started about 2.30pm, but authorities said there was no immediate threat to properties.

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Efforts to control the blazes came as the Bureau of Meteorology warned the Bligh Government of a higher fire risk this season due to vegetation growth caused by the big wet over summer.

Emergency Services Minister Neil Roberts said authorities would continue to carry out controlled burns to reduce the risk as much as possible.

“This year's bushfire season presents particular challenges for our fire authority,” he said.

“Extensive flooding and sustained rainfall across the state earlier this year has contributed to a substantial build-up of grass and vegetation.

“This grass and vegetation is now starting to dry out and, combined with increasing temperatures, provides the ingredients for a higher than normal bushfire risk.”

Mr Roberts said a number of large vegetation fires had broken out across the state in recent months, but were extinguished with minimal damage to property.

He said the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service worked with councils and other state government agencies to minimise the bushfire risk.

More than 350 planned burns had been carried out so far this year covering 400,000 hectares, he said.

Authorities would look at further backburning but this would depend on weather conditions.

“However I am confident that the QFRS is working hard to minimise the risk of vegetation fires in communities across the state,” Mr Roberts said.

The fire risk warning came as part of a seasonal weather briefing to Ms Bligh and her cabinet colleagues yesterday.

The bureau told cabinet Queensland could experience above average rainfall and cyclones this wet season, along with a higher number of severe thunderstorms in southeast Queensland.

The briefing comes in the wake of the last brutal storm season, which delivered flooding to large parts of the state over summer and brought the devastating Cyclone Yasi to north Queensland in February.

Ms Bligh said the state would be prepared for a heavy tropical wet season.

“We do have a more positive outlook this year than we had at this time last year,” she said.

Bureau Queensland senior official Bruce Gunn told reporters an average of three to four cyclones formed over the Coral Sea each storm season, and a "little more than that" was expected to form this time.

They would not all necessarily reach the coast.

Mr Gunn stressed it was an early seasonal forecast and predictions would become more accurate closer to the season.

However, Mr Gunn said it was clear from forecasts at a similar time last year that Queensland would face an "exceptional" storm season.

Ms Bligh, who has previously faced claims the government did not do enough to prepare after the bureau's warning in October, said the advice had been taken seriously.

The flood inquiry's first report, released last month, recommended the government lower the Wivenhoe Dam by 25 per cent of its normal full supply level if forecasters predicted a similar or worst wet season than 2010/11.

Ms Bligh said she did not see a need to pre-emptively lower Wivenhoe Dam's capacity this year, but the government would continue to monitor the situation.

She committed to implement all of the flood inquiry's state government-related recommendations.

Source : http://www.smh.com.au/

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Spring has sprung with new zoo babies

Spring has sprung quite literally at Taronga Zoo.

An endangered Francois langur monkey, seven koala joeys and a glossy black cockatoo chick (the first at Taronga in seven years) have all been born in recent months.

Many of them are taking advantage of the warmer weather to make their first entrance into the world, the zoo said in a statement yesterday.

The birth on August 20 of the male Francois langur monkey, named Tam Dao, is a particularly welcome addition as his species is critically endangered.

Only 1000 Francois langurs - also known as Francois leaf monkeys - are known to exist in the wild, and Taronga is the only zoo in Australasia to care for the Asian species.

Another young male, Kei-co, was born this year.

Meanwhile, Taronga's koalas have been busy this breeding season, giving birth to seven joeys.

Some of the young, which are born the size of a grain of rice, are still tucked up in their mother's pouches.

But a few proud mothers - Maggie, Wanda and Freya - are showing off their infants.

"We've had quite a baby boom in the zoo this year, which is fantastic," Taronga Zoo spokeswoman Danielle McGill said.

"The warmer spring weather means the animals are getting a lot more active, and a few of the young are beginning to poke their heads out of their mother's pouch."

Taronga's wildlife hospital is also busy at this time of year, caring for newborn animals who have been left orphaned.

A seven-month-old red kangaroo joey and a mob of little possums are being raised by carers who mind them 24 hours a day.

Zookeeper Megan is as busy as a new mum, bottle-feeding the female joey every four hours and carrying her around in a little backpack.

Two of the young possums were brought to the hospital after they were found in their dead mother's pouch after she was hit by a car.

They too are cared for 24 hours a day by a dedicated zookeeper, Bobby-Jo, and Swiss has the distinction of sporting the world's tiniest splint after she fractured her wrist.

The zoo has also bred a glossy black cockatoo chick, which is the first of its kind for seven years at the zoo.

The youngster was hatched by first-time mother Gloucester.

"It is fully feathered now and really quite beautiful," Ms McGill said. "Now is a lovely time to get down to the zoo and watch the animals as they get more active in the warmer weather."

Source : http://www.smh.com.au/

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Hurricane Irene barrels towards the US

Major hurricane Irene has intensified into a powerful category three storm as it tears through the Bahamas on its path towards the United States.

The first Atlantic hurricane of the season is packing devastating sustained wind speeds of 195km/h as it roars through the Bahamas, Josh Fisher, senior meteorologist with Weatherzone, said.

Tropical cyclone Yasi, which hit north Queensland this year, brought sustained winds of 205km/h.

Irene is expected to strengthen into a category four during the next 24 to 48 hours as it tracks towards the US. Category four hurricanes produce sustained wind speeds of 210 to 249km/h.

Hurricane Irene will track towards the Carolina coast early this weekend and is expected to remain as a category three or greater storm upon impact.

The Outer Banks of North Carolina are bracing for damaging winds up to 200km/h, torrential rain and flooding storm surges.

Later in the weekend, Irene is expected to clip the north-east US as a category one hurricane.

The last hurricane to make landfall over the north-east was hurricane Bob in 1991, delivering winds up to 170km/h in the Boston area.

New York City may cop a glancing blow with officials preparing for potential winds in excess of 100km/h and dangerous storm surges.

Source : http://www.smh.com.au/

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Are humans to blame for shark attacks?

An apparent increase in shark attacks may well have a human cause, with low-cost air travel but also over-fishing and possibly global warming among the hidden suspects, say experts.

Headlines this week were grabbed by a decision to close beaches in the Seychelles after a shark savaged a British honeymooner before the horrified gaze of his spouse, in the second fatal attack there in 15 days.

In Russia's Pacific coastal region of Primorye, a shark mauled a 16-year-old boy a day after a man lost his forearms defending his wife.

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In the Caribbean, a woman holidaying in Puerto Rico received a 30-centimetre shark bite as she swam in a tourist haunt, the bay of Vieques.

According to the International Shark Attack File (ISAF), compiled at the University of Florida, 79 unprovoked shark assaults occurred around the world last year, six of which were fatal.

This was the highest number in a decade, amounting to an increase of 25 per cent on 2009, when there were 63 attacks with six deaths, and 49 per cent in 2008, which had 53 recorded attacks, four of them fatal.

So far this year, there have been six deaths and seven cases of injuries, according to an unofficial toll compiled by AFP from news reports.

Compared to deaths from smoking, road accidents, lightning strikes or even from other animals, the risk is minute, say experts.

"The attention from shark attacks is completely overblown," said Agathe Lefranc, a scientist with a French group, the Association for the Study and Conservation of Salachians, a category that includes sharks and rays.

Marine biologists say there is little research into the causes of shark attacks but point to several possibilities, all linked to humans themselves.

No.1 is quite simply the growth in mobility, with cheap air travel and package vacations enabling people to swim, snorkel, surf or dive in places that previously had no human presence.

"The growth in shark attack numbers does not necessarily mean that there is an increase in the rate of shark attacks," ISAF said.

"Rather it most likely is reflective of the ever-increasing amount of time spent in the sea by humans, which increases the odds of interaction between the two affected parties."

David Jacoby, a specialist at the Marine Biological Association in Plymouth, south-western England, said shark attacks were events that had local causes and were often poorly investigated, if at all.

One case that stands out occurred in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, where sharks made five attacks in a week in November-December last year, one of which was fatal.

The finger of blame was pointed at a passing livestock transport ship that had dumped sheep carcasses overboard and at operators who illegally fed sharks to thrill the tourists.

Another question - but again, lacking sufficient data to answer it - is the impact on shark behaviour from overfishing and from global warming, which affects ocean temperatures and currents.

"We know that these animals are opportunistic and they go to where food sources are available, and those resources do move, and they are dependent on currents, nutrient-rich patches," Mr Jacoby said.

"It's not just sharks that do this, but all large pelagic predators are drawn to areas where there is high food availability. But whether this is a case of increased human activity is unclear."

A hugely successful fish in evolutionary terms, with a lineage dating back more than 400 million years, the shark is under relentless attack from humans themselves.

A third of open-water shark species, including the great white and the hammerhead, are facing extinction, driven in part by demand in Asia for shark-fin soup, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

Source : http://www.smh.com.au/

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What is organic and exactly what's the range of free range?

Organic, free range, organic free range, green, eco. Confused?

With so much choice in the supermarket aisle and so many ways of describing would-be green products, it can be hard to figure out what you're actually buying.

To make things more complicated, in Australia there is no single standard for organic or free-range products and anyone can use those terms.

While the consumer watchdog can take action over misleading labelling, the industry is not heavily regulated.

Here's a guide on how to spot what's really organic and free range and what it actually means.

What is organic?

Organic foods are grown and produced without the use of synthetic chemicals and fertilisers. Production has a strict focus on environmental sustainability, animal welfare and protecting the habitats of native animals.

Organic animal products all come from free-range animals, that have access to pastures and pesticide-free food for their whole lives. So, in a way, organic, free range, green and eco all overlap.

How to tell what you're buying is organic:

Organic food carries the logos of government-accredited groups that certify products, meaning you can trust what you buy has been produced to strict standards. The Australian Certified Organic "bud" logo is the most recognisable of the logos, is supported by the major supermarkets and can be seen on about 80 per cent of all organic products. Consumer group Choice recommends looking out for the bud logo and other symbols when buying something that is claimed to be organic.

Free-range eggs:

Free-range eggs come from hens that have been housed in a shed and have access to roam in an outdoor area.

But there are several standards in Australia and no legal definition of free range.

Choice recommends looking out for logos from the Free Range Egg and Poultry Australia or the RSPCA, which have clearly defined standards and conduct farm inspections.

Shoppers may also spot the logo for the Egg Corporation, representing the vast majority of egg producers in Australia, which has less specific standards for free range than other groups.

The Egg Corporation Assured standard, based on a government-endorsed code of practice:

- Hens are housed in sheds and have access to the outside area for about eight hours a day.

- Within a shed there are a maximum of 14 birds per square metre.

- Outside there are is a maximum of 1500 birds per hectare.

- If measures such as reducing bird density do not prevent cannibalism, beak trimming is allowed.

Free Range Egg and Poultry Australia standards:

- Hens are housed in sheds and have access to the outside during daylight hours.

- Within a shed there are a maximum of 10 birds per square metre up to 1000 birds.

- Outside there are a maximum of 750 birds per hectare.

- Beak trimming is allowed to prevent feather pecking.

RSPCA standards:

- Hens are housed in sheds and can go outside by choice.

- Within a shed there are a maximum of nine hens per square metre.

- Outside there are a maximum of 1500 hens per hectare.

- Cannibalism should be at first be prevented by removing possible stressors such as lighting or humidity, before beak trimming is considered necessary and is carried out.

Egg Corporation managing director James Kellaway said: "Our view is that without welfare there's no eggs. We know that only birds that are in an environment where their welfare is secured, only those hens will produce eggs. It is in our interest, for a number of reasons, certainly commercially, to look after the welfare of our hens. Good welfare is front and centre of any egg farmer.

FREPA president Meg Parkinson said: "We say what we do and we do what we say. We are concerned about the welfare of the birds and we're concerned about the effect of birds on the environment. That's the basis of what we do and why we do it."

Standards of organic produce under Australian Certified Organic.

Chicken and poultry

- Organic chicken meat comes from birds that have access to pastures for most of the daylight hours.

- Birds have enough feeders and drinkers to allow them to form natural social groups without competing for food and water.

- Birds have weather-proof housing, with enough perches for normal roosting habits.

- Farmers can keep 2500 chickens per hectare to ensure space, 800 turkeys per hectare, 600 geese per hectare and 2500 guinea fowl per hectare.

- Debeaking or the use of poly peepers, which are devices to stop the birds from pecking, is NOT allowed.

Other meat

Organic meat comes from animals that are given access to quality of life and a healthy diet and are not force fed.

- Breed types are raised in specific regions to ensure they have minimal impact on the environment.

- Any necessary modification to an animal - such as dehorning, castration, tail removal and mulesing - is only allowed when the the animal is young to minimise suffering.

- The use of feedlots or any method where animals are densely confined is not permitted, and the use of growth stimulants in feed is not allowed.

- Organic pork comes from pigs that are given ample space and are given access to pastures.

- Tail docking, teeth clipping and permanent nose ringing of pigs is not allowed.

- Animals are separated from non-organic grown animals at the abbatoir and slow killing methods are prohibited.

- Transport and movement of animals is also heavily regulated to minimise stress.

Fish

- Organic fish comes from water sources that have been confirmed to have little or no risk from contaminants such as heavy metals or pesticides.

- Tanks, cages or dams must not pose contamination risks.

- The natural habits and needs of the fish are considered in habitat structure, the density of fish stocking and water quality.

-  Fish are not be exposed to extra stress during farming and slaughter.

Fruit and vegetables

- Organic fruit and vegetables are grown without the use of chemicals and fertilisers.

- Crops are grown to promote soil fertility, including the use of compost and manure.

Alcohol

- Only non-genetically modified yeasts are used, with some winemakers using naturally occurring yeasts from their vineyards.

- Only small amounts of sulphur dioxide, a preservative, are allowed to be used.

- Organic alcohol can only be produced in a certified facility.

What experts say about buying organic and non-organic:

Holly Vyner, general manager of Biological Farmers of Australia: "There are a lot of health issues that have been linked to pesticides in food ... and also in the environment around us. So by buying organic you're supporting producers who are caring for the environment."

Ruth Redfern, a spokeswoman for National Farmer's Federation, which represents both organic and non-organic producers said: "Australian farmers as a whole are committed to looking after their land, their animals, the environment and the people they grow their food and fibres for. All Australian food is subject to very rigorous food safety standards, whether it's organic or not.

But a spokeswoman for Food Standards Australia said consumers could feel confident about food safety. "The Australian Total Diet Study consistently finds levels of chemicals in food as it is eaten - eg cooked filleted fish, peeled cooked potatoes and apples without a core - to be well below safety limits and often."

William Churchill from AusVeg, which represents Australian organic and non-organic growers, said: "These growers who grow on commercial properties actually have a similar view of how they treat their food. They're quite proud in the quality of produce they sell to markets.

"The commercial farmers around the country have a similar emphasis that is in line with what organic growers want, which is quality produce that you can guarantee is good for you."

Choice spokeswoman Ingrid Just said the group was pushing for agreed standards.

"We think there really is an urgent need for similar Australian standard on free-range products, so that consumers are given the confidence that any product labelled as free range actually meets expectation in relation to animal husbandry standards," she said.

 

Source : http://www.smh.com.au/

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Activist denies claim of cash for cruelty

THE animals rights group that exposed the mistreatment of Australian cattle in an Indonesian abattoir has angrily rejected allegations by a Liberal senator that abattoir workers were paid to abuse animals for the cameras.

Senator Chris Back, a veterinarian, made the allegation during an inquiry into the live export trade yesterday while, at the same time, the first shipment of cattle left for Indonesia since the government suspended the trade almost three months ago.

Senator Back claimed that a taxi driver who had driven Animals Australia activist Lyn White to an abattoir in Mabar in Sumatra made the payments.

Citing a ''very reliable source'', Senator Back said he was told a ''white lady and a [white male foreigner] and a driver came to the abattoir''.

''The cameraman and the driver came to him and offered him [the abattoir worker] 150,000 rupiah ($17) to kick the animal in the head repeatedly until they got the film they wanted,'' he said.

He also said one of the workers was later beaten up by angry co-workers and his wife raped.

Ms White said the allegations were offensive and untrue.

''No, there was no payment at all,'' she said. ''It doesn't surprise me that workers would suggest that they were given some sort of inducement, they've obviously faced repercussions for allowing us to have access to abattoirs.''

The Herald visited the Mabar abattoir in July to investigate the rumours swirling around the Australian livestock industry that there had been payment for mistreatment and that an abattoir worker there had been beaten and his wife raped. The claims could not be verified. Abattoir workers and management denied the story entirely and seemed surprised by the allegations, although they declined to speak on the record.

At another slaughterhouse also visited by Animals Australia, in Binjai, two workers confirmed they had been paid 50,000 rupiah each by the Indonesian driver for the animal activists. But the payment was made at the conclusion of the visit to a total of three men so they could buy cigarettes and drinks, and the men said at no time where they instructed to mistreat the animals.

The government also announced yesterday it would provide another $70 million for cattle growers left in the lurch by the suspension. They will be able to access low-interest loans of $300,000 as well as grants of $5500 to pay for financial advice.

After spending more than two months in a holding yard, 3000 head of cattle were loaded on to the Sahiwal Express at Darwin yesterday, headed for Indonesia.

Under new conditions, every animal exported to Indonesia must be capable of being traced throughout the processing chain, ensuring slaughter takes place only in modern facilities with humane methods.

Elders received clearance from the government 10 days ago to resume is exports. Within five days, the cattle will arrive in Sumatra's Panjang Port where they will be transferred to an Elders-operated feedlot in Central Lampung. After three months, the cattle will go to an Elders-operated abattoir in West Java. The facility has a mandatory stun-before-kill policy.

Source : http://www.smh.com.au/

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Out with the cold, in with a tempest: wind and rain to pound coast

SYDNEY has seen the back of cold mornings for the time being, but strong winds are expected to generate large, dangerous waves along the coast today, and showers will drift across the city for the rest of the week.

The weather bureau issued a warning yesterday for damaging coastal winds this morning, gusting to 90km/h from the Illawarrato the Hunter region, due to an intensifying low pressure system in the Tasman Sea.

The State Emergency Service said people should secure loose items around their homes and move vehicles under cover or away from trees.

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Beaches in the Sydney region were tipped to be hit by swells of up to three metres this evening, increasing to more than four metres tomorrow and Friday.

''Surfers, beachgoers and rock fisherman should stay away from exposed coastal locations throughout this entire period,'' said Craig Brokensha, a forecaster with the surf forecasting company Swellnet.

The southerly winds were forecast to deliver scattered showers to Sydney until at least Sunday, with the possibility of heavy falls today and tomorrow.

Suburbs in the west awoke to frosty conditions yesterday , with Campbelltown registering a low of minus 0.1 degrees. But clouds and strong winds will prevent similar cooling for the rest of the week, as minimum temperatures dip to between 9 degrees and 11 degrees in the city, and 4 degrees to 7 degrees in Penrith, according to the bureau.

The swell could provide more problems for the Tweed Shire Council , by further scouring the eroded beach at Kingscliff and threatening a holiday park.

The council resolved yesterday afternoon to spend $255,000 extending a five-metre-high, 100-metre-long sandbag wall by 70 metres to help protect the park, a spokeswoman said.

High tides on Sunday forced the removal of seven beach-front cabins at the park, and $140,000 has already been approved for emergency works, in addition to $3 million to rebuild the beach long-term.

The most eroded areas of beach in front of the surf club and park were likely to sustain more erosion when the swell rises to over three metres tomorrow afternoon, the council's director of community and natural resources, David Oxenham, said.

But there could also be positive side effects after the swell abates. ''It's a southerly swell and it's going to bring more sand along the beach, which will then be repairing and filling in that erosion cell,'' Mr Oxenham said.

Source : http://www.smh.com.au/

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