The answer to cheaper and cleaner energy has been blowing in the wind for years — and finally the federal government has realized, green energy advocates say.
Key points:
$160 million will be spent to connect a wind farm precinct to the grid
The infrastructure is already under construction
Chris Bowen says it will put “downward pressure” on power prices
This week’s announcement that the federal government will foot the bill to connect the Southern Renewable Energy Zone to the national electricity market is historic, according to the Queensland Conservation Council.
“We’re finally seeing some clarity from government on the fact that we are transitioning to renewables,” council director Dave Copeman said.
“For too long, it was a political football. And that just meant there was no certainty for investors.”
Mr Copeman said that “lack of certainty” had hurt Queenslanders in the hip pocket.
“Our power bills have gone up… but this decision says the future of power will be cleaner and cheaper,” he said.
“There’s no fuel price for wind or solar, it doesn’t go up and down when you have international crises.
“It just gets cheaper and cheaper the more you build.”
The Macintyre wind farm precinct, which is one of two projects in the Southern Renewable Energy Zone, is expected to be operational on the Southern Downs in 2024.
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Construction of MacIntyre Wind Precinct kicks off in Queensland.(Supplied: ACCIONA Energy)
Nail in the coffin for fossil fuels?
Not too far from the Southern Renewable Energy Zone is the town of Acland, home to the New Acland Coal Mine.
Owners of the mine are hoping to expand its operation.
But Mr Copeman said the government’s decision to pay to connect renewables to the grid sent a message to the fossil fuel industry.
“If I was someone who was looking to invest in fossil fuels in Australia, I’d say this is not a good time to do so, because the government has made clear our intention is to reduce emissions,” Mr Copeman said.
Queensland Resources Council chief executive Ian Macfarlane rejected claims the decision would have any influence on the future of the mine’s operations.
“There’s really no connection and to use the Prime Minister’s words, we should be mining while ever there is a demand for it,” he said.
Mr Macfarlane said while the sector welcomed bringing more reliable renewables online, there was still a future for coal and gas producers.
“We still have a near and present danger that we will not have the reliability of electricity because even the best wind farms and solar farms only produce for about 40 per cent of the time,” Mr Macfarlane said.
Southern Downs Regional Greater Vic Pennisi said he was just happy no one had complained about the wind turbines.
“When we were doing a solar farm there were plenty of complaints in relation to that,” he said.
Vic Pennisi says his community has welcomed the wind farm.(ABC News: Elly Bradfield)
“And at this point in time I’m not aware of any complaints in relation to the [wind farm] project.”
He said the long-term benefits would have been seen throughout the community.
“There’s the construction and the maintenance phase, but it’s not just that, it’s what you use the power for that will generate another level of economic benefit,” he said.
He said the region’s ideal weather conditions were part of the reason it was being touted as the future energy capital of Australia.
“You need wind and you need sunshine and we’ve got both of them and we’ve got the lowest differential between hot and cold [temperatures] and that would be a factor for it as well,” he said.
HBO Max has been a hot topic of conversation over the last week, as Warner Bros. Discovery has been making several changes to the streaming service in order to make it fit with the new regime’s plans. Planned projects, like batgirl, have been canceled during production, and quite a few underperforming titles have been removed from HBO Max entirely. Subscribers have become weary of HBO Max changes as of late, but Monday did bring some good news for the streamer.
A new press release from Warner Bros. Discovery revealed a new update that was just rolled out on HBO Max, bringing some much-needed changes to the mobile app and desktop experiences. These changes include a Shuffle button that now works on iPad and iPhone, as well as updates SharePlay support.
“We are delighted to introduce the revamped HBO Max mobile and desktop apps,” said Kamyar Keshmiri, SVP, Product Design, Warner Bros. Discovery Streaming. “The changes give our users more of the features they care most about, along with improved navigation and a more immersive canvas for storytelling, helping them click play on their favorite content faster and with less friction.”
Here’s the full list of new HBO Max updates, according to the company’s press release:
Shuffle button functionality expansion to mobile devices. Previously only available on the desktop and CTV experiences, this feature gives users the ability to randomize the first episode that plays for select series on the platform.
SharePlay support for iPhone and iPad users (US only)
Subscribers in the US with an ad-free plan and an iPhone or iPad can now use SharePlay to watch their favorite HBO Max programs in sync with friends and family while on a FaceTime call.
A dedicated home for downloaded content with improved performance and stability
Tablet support for both landscape and portrait orientations
An enhanced screen reader experience with improved navigation elements and functionality
The ability to split screens with other apps on any behavior-supported mobile device
Updated, intuitive navigation
A refined design and visual styling to let content shine
Anne Heche’s family have released a statement following her horror car crash last week, saying she’s “not expected to survive.”
The 53-year-old US actress has been in a coma since the accident in Los Angeles last Friday.
“Unfortunately, due to her accident, Anne suffered a severe anoxic brain injury and remains in a coma in critical condition,” a representative said in a statement on behalf of Heche’s family, obtained by People. “She is not expected to survive.”
Heche’s rep added that the actress was being kept on life support to “determine if her organs are viable”.
“It has long been her choice to donate her organs,” Heche’s rep said.
Heche’s family went on to thank wellwishers for their support over the last few days, before talking about the star’s legacy.
“We want to thank everyone for their kind wishes and prayers for Anne’s recovery and thank the dedicated staff and wonderful nurses that cared for Anne at the Grossman Burn Center at West Hills hospital,” the statement said.
“Anne had a huge heart and touched everyone she met with her generous spirit. More than her extraordinary talent, she saw spreading kindness and joy as her life’s work — especially moving the needle for acceptance of who you love.
“She will be remembered for her courageous honesty and dearly missed for her light.”
It comes after police confirmed earlier today that Heche tested positive for cocaine and possibly fentanyl at the time of her crash.
Los Angeles Police Department sources told TMZ that the actress’ blood test results came up positive for both substances.
However, the law enforcement insiders cautioned that fentanyl may have been administered to Heche at the hospital to help manage her pain after the accident, so they will do more testing to determine whether the fentanyl was in her system at the time of the crash, Page Six reports.
the Six Days Seven Nights actress, who dated Ellen DeGeneres in the ’90s, has been in an “extreme critical condition” at the medical center following the collision in Mar Vista, which also destroyed a house and displaced a woman and her dogs.
“She has a significant pulmonary injury requiring mechanical ventilation and burns that require surgical intervention,” Heche’s rep said earlier this week.
“She is in a coma and has not regained consciousness since shortly after the accident.”
Meanwhile, DeGeneres gave a surprisingly curt response yesterday when asked by a photographer about her former girlfriend.
When asked on Thursday if she’d checked in on Heche since the crash, DeGeneres said simply: “No, have not. We’re not in touch with each other, so I wouldn’t know.”
When asked if she wanted to send Heche any well-wishes, DeGeneres again kept it brief. “Sure… I don’t want anyone to be hurt,” she said.
DeGeneres and Heche were arguably Hollywood’s most visible same-sex couple for the three years they were together, from 1997 to 2000.
Revenge is a dish best served cold … or in a newspaper’s ad page, using your cheating ex’s credit card.
Readers of Mackay and Whitsunday Life in Queensland’s east got a shock when they picked up their Friday edition and saw a full-page ad from a scorned lover called Jenny.
“Dear Steve, I hope you’re happy with her,” the open letter read.
“Now the whole town will know what a filthy cheater you are. From Jenny.
“PS I bought this ad using your credit card.”
Mackay and Whitsunday Life have been inundated with “dozens” of messages since the shocking letter went to print on page four.
“We do not know who Steve is, but apparently he’s been very very bad,” the newspaper said.
“We won’t be revealing any details about Jenny.”
But unfortunately the final piece of Jenny’s revenge seems to have not been pulled off.
“We have not charged the credit card in question,” Mackay and Whitsunday Life said.
But Jenny’s actions were met with praise from her legion of new-found fans.
“Jenny sounds like someone I want to be friends with,” one person said.
“Not all heroines wear capes. Jenny is my new favorite person,” said another.
“Couldn’t love this more if I tried LOL… Good on you Jenny,” proclaimed another amused commenter.
The public were not as kind to Steve however.
“Never trust Steve,” one said.
“I would have charged the card,” another person brutally said.
“Everyone who knows a Steve and Jenny have suddenly sat up and taken notice,” someone joked.
AAn interview with Coalition senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price in the Nine newspapers on Sunday has provided a week’s worth of “exclusive” culture war stories for the Australian newspaper, which has “woke columnist Peter FitzSimons” in his sights.
Peter FitzSimons bombarded Jacinta Nampijinpa Price with a series of late-night text messages making legal threats against the Indigenous senator. https://t.co/kmIZ8HINQO
The description of FitzSimons as “woke” appeared in the lead of a news story, in what appears to be the abandonment in the broadsheet of the separation between news and comment.
Price and FitzSimons are on opposite sides of the debate over a voice to parliament and the latter didn’t so much interview the Indigenous senator as debate her. Price stood her ground, defending Pauline Hanson as someone who “cares deeply for Indigenous Australians” and deriding her voice as “just another bureaucracy”.
FitzSimons: “Honestly, in the silent watch of the night, staring at the cracks in the ceiling, as we all do, do you ever have doubts? Do you never think that, in the seriously prominent and powerful position you have, you are misusing the platform you have and are actually hurting Indigenous causes? Are you absolutely sure that you’re saying and doing the right thing?”
After the Q&A was published Price took to Facebook and complained that FitzSimons was aggressive during the phone interview and had accused her of “giving racists a voice”.
The Australian reported FitzSimons had allegedly raised the possibility of legal action after Price accused him on Facebook of bullying and yelling at her during a phone interview. Price has since deleted her Facebook post but has called for the audio to be released publicly.
I’ve listened to audio of the full interview between Peter FitzSimons and Senator Price. There was no yelling and no shouting from either participant. This was an interesting interview in which the senator’s positions and views were tested. The Australian really needs to move on
On Wednesday, the Sydney Morning Herald editor, Bevan Shields, defended his star columnist and urged the Oz to move on. Which of course it did not. The Australian’s media editor, James Madden, has written five stories about it in four days, and by Friday there was a total of 11 pieces including cartoons and letters.
On Friday, the Nationals leader, David Littleproud, joined in, on Twitter calling on FitzSimons to publish the interview, which has made for a good Friday piece to keep the story going.
FitzSimons did not respond to a request for comment.
Tears of a nation
The importance of Olivia Newton-John to Australians was reflected in the blanket coverage her death received this week, including three hours of tributes on all the breakfast shows, a 20-minute story on Nine’s prime time 6pm news bulletin and remaking the TV schedule to screen Grease on Nine and a miniseries about the star on Seven. Many journalists and public figures shared their memories of ONJ and entertainment veteran Richard Wilkins broke down while talking about her and had to be consoled by Karl Stefanovic.
Karl Stefanovic puts his arm around Richard Wilkins as he breaks down on live television, paying tribute to Olivia Newton-John. Photograph: Channel 9, The Today Show
But replaying the hits of the late 70s and early 80s may have left some younger audiences feeling a little lost.
The SMH/Age quiz on Wednesday had what was purported to be the lyrics of Olivia Newton-John’s 1981 hit Physical, but was in fact a 2020 song by English singer Dua Lipa.
Buttrose strikes back
As ABC chair Ita Buttrose was the host of a glamorous 90th birthday celebration for the broadcaster in Studio 22 on Friday night, attended by the prime minister Anthony Albanese and dozens of ABC personalities past and present including Kerry O’Brien, Maxine McKew, Virginia Trioli , Tony Jones, Sarah Ferguson, Patricia Karvelas, Mark Willacy, Juanita Phillips, Pip Courtney, Jonathan Holmes and Jeremy Fernandez. Albo gave a lively speech about the ABC he loves but it was Ita who took aim at unnamed “commercial enterprises” who “assault” the ABC.
“Some of our critics, however, reckon the ABC doesn’t represent the mainstream. But can you be any more mainstream than reaching an audience of 20 million Australians every week,” she said.
“We will stand firm against such criticisms and will continue to observe the highest standards of editorial quality, delivering distinctive stories that reflect Australians and our way of life, and news free from political and commercial pressure.”
Meanwhile, the shadow communications minister Sarah Henderson, a former ABC journalist, bookended her attendance at the dinner with appearances on Sky After Dark where she told ABC critic-in-chief Chris Kenny that the speeches were “one-sided”, the PM had not acknowledged how much the Coalition had done for the ABC and she had not been invited to speak. Henderson earlier appeared on Kenny’s “Your ABC Exposed” documentary as one of Auntie’s chief critics.
Small win for archives
On Monday, the Australian Library and Information Association and the Australian Society of Archivists wrote an open letter to the ABC Board to express “significant concern” about the ABC’s proposal to abolish 58 positions in its archive division.
“Australians trust the ABC to provide well-researched, evidence-based journalism and high-quality programming,” the groups said. “It is reasonable to expect that the ABC archival collection will be managed according to professional standards for creating, managing and preserving records, standards common to other public institutions responsible for a collection of national significance.”
The librarians will be pleased to hear the ABC has wound back plans slightly after lengthy negotiations with staff and unions.
Weekly Beast has confirmed four jobs will no longer be abolished and plans to make daily current affairs shows 7.30 with Sarah Ferguson and Behind The News with Amelia Moseley do their own research have been scrapped.
Both shows will continue to have access to the research team rather than having to rely on the new “content navigators” to troubleshoot when they can’t access the material themselves.
According to an email from the acting chief digital information officer, Rebecca Matthews, after “consultation and feedback”, four proposed redundant staff will be saved: two researchers; one sound library officer and one reference library officer. However the plans to make 54 roles redundant remain.
“News librarians are being rebranded ‘Content Navigators’, with staff numbers drastically reduced and journalists being told they must do their own research, archiving and cataloguing,” one staffer told Weekly Beast.
“Journalists have neither the time nor skillset to do this. It won’t be done, resulting in the archive being decimated with vital historical material either being deleted or being inaccessible due to the lack of adequate cataloging by trained and dedicated metadata professionals.”
A one-way bet
Age sport reporter Sam McClure, who had his 2020 Quill Award reinstated after the Melbourne Press Club board overturned an earlier decision, has resigned from the newspaper because he can’t read commercials on his other gig as a host of Wide World of Sports on Melbourne radio 3AW.
Although both 3AW and the Age are owned by Nine Entertainment, the two media outlets have very different editorial policies.
Age editor Gay Alcorn said the policy which saw McClure resign was not new.
“News reporters at the Age are not permitted to advertise or promote a business because we must be independent and be seen to be so,” she told the Weekly Beast. “It is central to editorial standards that any perceived conflict of interest is avoided. Sam is a talented sports journalist and we wish him the best in his new hosting role. ”
In June Media Watch accused McClure of compromising himself by doing ads for gambling firm Sportsbet for which deputy editor Michael Bachelard later apologized.
“For a journalist to spruik the business of a company he has also written about is a clear conflict of interest, and unacceptable,” Bachelard told Age subscribers.
Editor’s note: This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
The traveling nurse who is facing murder charges for allegedly plowing through a Los Angeles intersection at 90 mph last week reportedly had a history of acting erratically and threatening suicide after breakups.
Prosecutors said that 37-year-old Nicole Linton had been in 13 wrecks, including one in 2020 that caused bodily injury, before she allegedly sped through a red light on Aug. 4 in the Windsor Hills neighborhood, igniting a fiery wreck and killing six people.
Linton is now facing six counts of murder and five counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence.
Her attorney requested that her arraignment on Monday be continued and said that Linton has “documented profound mental health issues,” according to the Los Angeles Times.
Nicole Linton appears in Los Angeles Superior Court for arraignment on murder charges stemming from a traffic accident. (Frederick M. Brown/Daily Mail.com via AP, Pool)
Linton was previously romantically involved with Germaine Mason, an Olympic medal-winning track and field athlete from Jamaica who died in a motorcycle crash in 2017, the Daily Mail reports.
“Nicole was different after that. She really loved that guy. She said they’d spoken about marriage. I don’t think she’s ever got over that,” a friend told the news outlet.
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Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said Monday that investigators are still looking into the crash, but as of now, there was no evidence of drugs or alcohol in Linton’s system.
The wreck killed 23-year-old Asherey Ryan, who was eight-and-a-half months pregnant and on her way to a prenatal checkup. Ryan’s 11-month-old son and her boyfriend of hers were also killed.
Two other women who have not yet been identified were also killed in the crash.
LOS ANGELES DA GEORGE GASCON ANNOUNCES CHARGES FOR DRIVER IN FIERY CRASH THAT KILLED 6
Linton reportedly worked at strip clubs in New York City before becoming a nurse, with a friend describing her as volatile after breakups.
“When I saw what had happened in LA, the first thing that went through my mind was that she had argued with her boyfriend and was drunk and trying to commit suicide,” a source close to Linton told the Daily Mail.
Linton reportedly worked as a traveling nurse in Texas for years but had most recently been at Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles Medical Center in California.
London Carter, with Southern Missionary Baptist Church, prays over a makeshift memorial across the street from where a fiery multi-car crash left six dead, including a pregnant woman, and injured others in Windsor Hills in Los Angeles. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
She was hospitalized at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center over the weekend and was being held on $2 million bail, but that was increased to $9 million when she was released from the hospital.
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“This is a case that will always be remembered for the senseless loss of so many innocent lives as they simply went about their daily routines,” Gascón said in a statement.
Linton’s attorney declined to comment on Thursday.
Fox News’s Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
Paul Best is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to [email protected] and on Twitter: @KincaidBest.
But during the July trading update, investors learned that credit line would not be available.
Revenue guidance was downgraded by 53 per cent and full-year earnings guidance was slashed by 71 per cent. The company pointed to worsening economic conditions as the reason for reining in operational expenses and prioritizing profitability.
Mr Gilchrist, who held about $US371 million worth of shares at the time of the much-hyped IPO, also revealed he had resigned as chief executive officer and chairman a month before the July trading update. Actor Mark Wahlberg cashed out $US12.2 million in April.
Mr Gilchrist, not to be confused with the cricketer, was paid out $US7 million, while 110 people were laid off from the business.
Following the poor F45 news, Mr Gilchrist put his $14 million house in Freshwater on Sydney’s northern beaches up for auction.
He also runs two rugby union teams based in Los Angeles, California, and Austin, Texas. The teams are named the LA Giltinis, a combination of Mr Gilchrist’s own name and a martini drink he planned to bring to market, and the Austin Gilgronis, a similar portmanteau relating to Negronis.
The four law firms hoping to represent aggrieved investors in the series of class actions are The Portnoy Law Firm, The Schall Law Firm in Los Angeles, and Faruqi & Faruqi and Brager Eagel & Squire in New York City.
The aim is to examine whether F45 may have breached federal securities law.
The most interesting hi-fi (and head-fi) news stories for Week 32, 2022.
German headphone manufacturer sennheiser has announced the fourth version of its Momentum Wireless over-ear Bluetooth headphones. Thanks to a “2×2 beamforming mic array” and better wind noise reduction, the Momentum 4 Wireless promise improved active noise cancellation over the previous version. And taking a leaf from the Bowers & Wilkins headphone book, Sennheiser has angled the (4.2cm) driver inside each earcup towards the ear. However, unlike the B&W PX7 S2, the right Sennheiser earcup offers touch-sensitive control of transparency mode and phone calls (and presumably play/pause). The partnering SmartControl smartphone app offers EQ and a sound personalization feature that will probably put the devil in the details. Perhaps most significant of all, the Momentum 4 Wireless offers a whopping 60-hour playback time from a single charge – double that of the Sony WH-1000XM5 and the aforementioned Bowers – with a ten-minute quick charge netting 6 hours of playback time. These new noise cancellers support aptX Adaptive, aptX, AAC and SBC Bluetooth codecs and go on sale later this month for US$350/€350 (which is a bit cheaper than the version 3 model and the current Sony flagship).
light has announced the T3: a high-end streaming DAC that marries a dual mono circuit – built around a pair of ESS ES9028Pro chips – to a Leedh lossless volume control and puts it inside a sleek and stylish (my words) aluminum chassis which, according to Lumin, is less prone to fingermarks. Your choice of silver or black. D/A conversion supports PCM up to 384kHz and DSD up to DSD512 with single-ended and balanced outputs on offer. USB and BNC digital outputs also show up to handle optional connections to an external DAC. On the Ethernet-fueled streaming front, the T3 will play back local files and Qobuz streams from within Lumin’s UPnP/OpenHome-enabled smartphone app (iOS and Android) but it also supports Roon Ready, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect (with MQA) and Apple AirPlay. The T3 begins shipping in September and will sell for €4990.
High-end Japanese manufacturer luxman is kicking off its centenary celebrations three years early with the announcement of a new integrated amplifier. The L-507Z is the first member of a new “Generation Z Series” and features the V1.0 LIFES feedback engine that presumably aims to minimize distortion. Also on board is a new 88-step electronically-controlled volume attenuator – called the LECUA1000 – that promises greater transparency over a broader range of volume levels. A custom-wound EL-type transformer and its associated power supply help deliver 110wpc into 8 Ohms, 210wpc into 4 Ohms, all with suitably snappy current delivery and a damping factor of 300. These ingredients sum to a total unit weight of over 25kg and an asking price of £8000/€9490. The L507Z begins shipping later this month.
It’s the message that should be conveyed (and clearly is behind closed doors) despite Port Adelaide great Kane Cornes scrutinizing Collingwood for over celebrating its epic seven-point win over Melbourne last Friday night.
Cornes this week said the Pies went “over the top” and called for them to “keep a lid on it” given it’s only Round 21.
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“I haven’t seen stuff like this for a long time — we’ve all loved what they’ve done but they haven’t achieved anything yet,” the dual All-Australian said on Channel 9’s Footy Classified.
“You don’t see Geelong doing this — it’s like a WWE wrestler. Fremantle has qualified for finals, have you seen them doing that? Have you seen Sydney doing that?
“If I was advising them, I’d say ‘keep a lid on it’, narrow your focus and we’ll judge you when you win in September, not in Round 20. We’ll see how it goes on for the finals — I’ve still got some question marks on them.”
It came after probably the game of the season between Collingwood and Melbourne that went right down to the wire in front of a rowdy packed house of over 70,000 fans at the MCG.
With it the Magpies had knocked over the reigning premiers for a second time in 2022, extended their remarkable winning streak to 11 games and moved into second place—of course continuing their stunning rise from last year’s 17th place finish.
Ash Johnson celebrates after the win (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)Source: FOX SPORTS
Factoring in all of the above, wins don’t come much bigger than that.
It set up for the euphoric atmosphere for the black and white post-match. Players, just as they’ve done in several of their previous close wins, immediately huddled in celebration before hugging and high-fiving.
Even coach Craig McRae was sighted on the bench going nuts with players and staff.
The Pies then got around their fans, who were as vocal as you’ll ever hear them throughout the night and jumping for joy on the final siren, embracing with the black and white faithful all around the ground and taking selfies with smiles beaming across their faces.
How could you possibly not live at the moment!?
It was scenes of pure passion and jubilation, and frankly, simple human instinct to react in such a way after yet another epic win — scenes of emotion that make footy what it is. After all, the game isn’t life and death.
You can’t even imagine how players would’ve felt. Going from the feeling of being so hyper focused on the game and questioning, ‘can we do this?’ To then the relief and bliss of, ‘we’ve won our 11th straight, and we’re second.’
And for that one hour after the match they can celebrate and soak up the victory as the pressure valve is momentarily released.
Johnson and McRae embrace (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)Source: FOX SPORTS
“I would like to know what the levels of celebrations actually are. How much are you allowed to celebrate after another win like that?” Dual premiership Kangaroo David King awning foxfooty.com.au.
“The excitement should be shared with the fans, which was how it was done. It wasn’t disrespectful, it wasn’t demeaning in any way.
“They are taking their own on a ride that is so special, why wouldn’t you celebrate like that? Why wouldn’t you embrace what’s happening, as ridiculous as it is.
“And the bottom line is—who cares what people think.”
Footy has changed. Ten years ago there was a vibe in the rooms after wins of players trying to cover up smiles and stay in this overly professional, serious mood and act as if they weren’t happy.
This shift to a more jovial, lighthearted approach was widely said to be key to the Tigers’ resurgence in 2017 (where McRae was an assistant), and the exact same can be said for Collingwood in 2022.
While winning clearly helps, the Magpies simply look like a much happier club — you only need to attend or watch a game or be in the rooms post-match to really feel it — and it’s bizarrely made even Collingwood’s biggest haters warm to it (perhaps some more than others).
McRae’s message all season has been for his troops to stay in the moment week to week and celebrate the good times when they come — and this message has clearly resonated with the group in a breath of fresh air for the competition.
Maynard BUZZING after big hit and win | 00:47
Whenever the Magpies coach after a win has been quizzed about upcoming clashes, his reply has been consistently along the lines of: ‘We’re enjoying this one for now and we’ll worry about that later.’
“He’s really light hearted and has a lot of fun,” Collingwood skipper Scott Pendlebury said of McRae on Triple M over the weekend.
“Even (against Melbourne) before the game he said, ‘make sure we go out and enjoy the occasion. Take a look around, take the crowd in. I want you boys to play with freedom and fun, smile, enjoy this.’
“You just feel so comfortable and confident. You can see it with how we play, we’ve got energy and enjoying ourselves — and that’s all off the back of our coaching group and ‘Fly’ (McRae) driving that message home.”
What may be perceived as over celebrating is this very positive energy Pendlebury speaks of and aura galvanizing the group and driving one of the most unprecedented runs in league history. The players are simply living McRae’s mantra and riding the tidal wave of emotion.
No matter how far they go, Pies fans will always remember this winning streak and McRae’s first season at large as a truly special period.
This idea that clubs can only celebrate after finals (or grand finals) is mad. Does that mean of the 400 plus games that are played across the season, only one match is worthwhile celebrating because it ends in silverware? Or players who don’t play in flags shouldn’t cherish special victories along the way? That’s too shallow.
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The same can be said for scrutiny towards North Melbourne after it recorded its second win for the season against Richmond in Round 18. The club had just seen its coach depart amid a particularly tumultuous stretch of its horror season, and against all odds, knocked off one of the league’s powerhouses. Bloody lap it up.
There’s too many lows in footy to not enjoy the highs, and for Collingwood, last Friday night might well be the peak of its season. The odds are that the Pies probably won’t go all the way (not that you’d confidently bet against them right now!) But what may or may not happen in September shouldn’t matter.
Of course, context is everything and there’s a line. Not every win should prompt such a reaction, although it’s fair to say the Pies have played in an unrivaled amount of games that have probably warranted it in 2022.
But after having no crowds for the best part of the last two years and the club enduring a particularly rocky period over that span including the infamous 2020 trade exodus and departures of long-time president Eddie McGuire and coach Nathan Buckley, the players should be allowed to enjoy their unforeseen bounce back.
Although winning a flag is ultimately every club’s goal, there’s no rule that they can’t have fun along the journey.
Residents of an inland city have been shocked to learn their drinking water has not had fluoride added to it for three-and-half years.
Key points:
Dubbo Regional Council has revealed there has been no fluoride added to the city’s water supply since January 2019
The equipment failed and the council hopes to have the new infrastructure in place by June 2023
A report last week found more than half a million Australians lack access to quality drinking water
Dubbo Regional Council has admitted the western NSW city’s fluoridation equipment failed in January 2019 and has remained offline, with repairs to the “non-compliant” equipment yet to begin.
This has affected more than 44,000 residents.
The council’s new chief executive, Murray Wood, said he had not been informed of the issue and only became aware of it in April after investigating a tip-off from the public.
I have claimed the council’s previous “senior leadership” did not take adequate steps to fix the problem on becoming aware of it years ago.
“An audit in 2019 found the infrastructure needed to be fully replaced,” Mr Wood said.
“Unfortunately from that point it appears there weren’t any actions to allow us to add fluoride back to the drinking water.
“Where the failing has been… and where the responsibility sits [is] with the person in my role to allocate budget and notify the council.
“All we can do is apologize for the lack of action, but know since I was made aware of it in April we’re doing everything we can moving forward.”
Earlier this month poor raw water flowing from the Macquarie-Wambuul River caused a boil-water alert to be issued.(ABC Western Plains: Madeline Austin)
The ABC has attempted to contact the previous chief executive Michael McMahon for comment.
The council has engaged public works and is working to fix the problem by June 2023.
A common rural story
Dubbo is not the only western NSW town to learn it has been living without fluoridated water for years.
Coonabarabran locals say they have been buying bottled water for over a year due to water discolouration and a “bad, chemical taste”.(Supplied)
Coonabarabran and the broader Warrumbungle Shire have struggled for years.
The news comes after a report from the Australian National University last month found more than half a million Australians in at least 400 remote or regional communities lacked access to quality drinking water.
Fluoridation was discontinued in Coonabarabran in December 2015 and the plants in Binnaway and Baradine have been offline since January 2017.
Similarly, due to “problems with design failures”, fluoride dosing systems in Coolah and Mendooran were installed but have never operated.
In March the council confirmed $130,000 had been secured from NSW Health to reinstate the water fluoridation plant in Coolah for the first time since 2015, and “discussions continue on the funding for the other four sites across the shire”.
Warrumbungle Shire Council workers say water leaving its treatment plant is clean, but becomes murky through the town’s pipe system.(ABC News: Kemii Maguire)
Oral health impact
Dubbo dentist Afaq Babi was surprised to learn residents had not had fluoridated water since 2019.
“I always ask patients if they’re on town water or rainwater supplies [to know what treatment to recommend],” Dr Baby said.
Dubbo dentist Afaq Babi (left) says he was shocked to learn Dubbo’s town water supplies have not had fluoride added for so long.(Supplied)
“Having fluoride in the water supply makes the teeth stronger against decay or bacterial attack compared to just enamel.
“I tell patients on water sources without fluoride in the water to substitute it with fluoride tablets or fluoride in toothpaste.”
Drinking water woes
Coonabarabran resident Lynda Brain said locals had not had reliably clean water at their homes for years.
“It goes into the bathtub, into the drinking water, people are using bottled water to bathe their children and wash their clothes in it because of the brown color and smell,” she said.
“It also tastes awful with a very strong chemical taste.”
Lynda Brain says Coonabarabran residents have been experiencing murky water for more than 10 years.(ABC News: Kemii Maguire)
She said the water’s appearance could range from light yellow to deep muddy brown.
One Coonabarabran resident told the ABC she had been buying bottled water since 2009.
Paired with having to run taps for minutes on end to try to flush out the discolored water, she estimated costs over time added up in the thousands.
Leaving an even worse taste in her mouth was the fact council rates had just risen.
“Buying water, paying council rates and being on a carer’s pension is difficult,” she said.
hope for change
Despite the yellow and brown colour, the Warrumbungle Shire Council is assuring the community the water is safe to drink.
It said cast iron water mains, which made up about 25 per cent of Coonabarabran’s pipes, were the apparent culprit for the yellowing tap supply and work to replace the mains was “in full swing”.
Water samples from designated sites in the Warrumbungle LGA are sent to a NSW Health laboratory weekly for analysis.
The Warrumbungle Shire Council is working on upgrading its infrastructure, but Mayor Ambrose Doolan says it will not be a quick fix.(ABC News: Kemii Maguire)
Recent test results show the town’s supply is compliant with the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.
While the council is in the process of replacing 400 to 500 meters of cast iron water mains a year, it is an expensive and lengthy process.
A further $650,000 has been committed in the 2022/23 capital expenditure budget specifically for water infrastructure updates across the shire.
