Australia approves dumping in Great Barrier reef

[downunder]

Originally Posted by Factor

You sure about that? As far as I was aware unlike overseas growers, no subsidies paid, other than flood and similar natural disaster relief.

Correct Factor.

Both svseachange and Barra are well off target and behind the times and quoting info on cane farmers that is 30 years out of date. Also been diving the GBR and Coral Sea since 1970.

I am currently a canefarmer for last 40 years until I can trade my farm in on a catamaran (ASAP if not earlier) to start cruising.

Australia is possibly only sugar industry in world without any subsidies what so ever. There was a relative small tarriff that was removed some time around 30 years ago. We currently export sugar to Korea at 38% tariff which is similar to the assistance the USA industry receives. The new free trade agreement announced this week with Korea means the tariff of 38 % will be gradually reduced over some 15 years hardly a level playing field. Also similar with Japan and China who import sugar from us.

The whole of the Queensland sugar industry with the exception of the Burdekin district uses green cane harvesting and zero tillage in ratoon crops which is a significant and massive change in practise since your experience with the industry in the past drastically reducing the runoff into the GBReef lagoon.

If any of you know the Cairns area will know that the sugar cane fields between Redlynch at the back of Cairns south beyond Edmonton have been replaced by housing and golf courses. If there is any change to the GBR in that area it is by the increases to housing and tourism visits to reef not by cane farms that have significantly reduced in area and use nowdays greatly improved farm practices during the last 30-40 years.

Don't know too many of the 4000 remaining canegrowers that are swanning about in million dollar mansions these days unless they are part time cane farmers working at the coal mines. Many these days have 15 year old 4x4's like mine.

Cheers

[svseachange]

Originally Posted by downunder

Australia is possibly only sugar industry in world without any subsidies what so ever.

Well that is not exactly true. Barra was specific in his criticism of the historic subsidies. I was specific in my criticism of the Burdekin project.

I don't know anything about Cairn's cane farmers. Like most farmers they are probably honest, hardworking fellas. But I do know the Burdekin project would never have happened without massive government support.

Sure it happened 20 years ago, but it is still relevant (to cruising sailors) because of the continuing damage done by that project to the Qld coast. See my above link for details.

[Barra]

Originally Posted by Factor

You sure about that? As far as I was aware unlike overseas growers, no subsidies paid, other than flood and similar natural disaster relief.

yep im sure. not subsidies per say but years of handouts and tax breaks to help cane farmers "transition" due to lower international prices (sound familiar?)

[Barra]

Originally Posted by downunder

Correct Factor.

Both svseachange and Barra are well off target and behind the times and quoting info on cane farmers that is 30 years out of date. Also been diving the GBR and Coral Sea since 1970.

I am currently a canefarmer for last 40 years until I can trade my farm in on a catamaran (ASAP if not earlier) to start cruising.

Australia is possibly only sugar industry in world without any subsidies what so ever. There was a relative small tarriff that was removed some time around 30 years ago. We currently export sugar to Korea at 38% tariff which is similar to the assistance the USA industry receives. The new free trade agreement announced this week with Korea means the tariff of 38 % will be gradually reduced over some 15 years hardly a level playing field. Also similar with Japan and China who import sugar from us.

The whole of the Queensland sugar industry with the exception of the Burdekin district uses green cane harvesting and zero tillage in ratoon crops which is a significant and massive change in practise since your experience with the industry in the past drastically reducing the runoff into the GBReef lagoon.

If any of you know the Cairns area will know that the sugar cane fields between Redlynch at the back of Cairns south beyond Edmonton have been replaced by housing and golf courses. If there is any change to the GBR in that area it is by the increases to housing and tourism visits to reef not by cane farms that have significantly reduced in area and use nowdays greatly improved farm practices during the last 30-40 years.

Don't know too many of the 4000 remaining canegrowers that are swanning about in million dollar mansions these days unless they are part time cane farmers working at the coal mines. Many these days have 15 year old 4x4's like mine.

Cheers

YAWN

maybe the ones left are doing it tougher now but last time i was in FNQ the beachfront mansions were loaded with ex cane growers that had cashed out very handsomely and with taxpayers help

[Factor]

The thing I find most intriguing about this debate is that some of the loudest "NO" voices here own boats that couldn't get into most harbours/ marinas etc with out dredging. But apparently thats all right.

As for you downunder, what would you know

[Barra]

The canegrowers are a very vocal lot and the squeaky wheel gets the oil as we all know. No subsidies? How about the $100million ethanol subsidy? estimated cost $500,000 plus per job - makes the car workers look like beggars....

[Reefmagnet]

Originally Posted by Barra

The canegrowers are a very vocal lot and the squeaky wheel gets the oil as we all know. No subsidies? How about the $100million ethanol subsidy? estimated cost $500,000 plus per job - makes the car workers look like beggars....

Ahem....

Sugar is used in approx 1/7th of ethanol production in Australia. The rest is grain starch and sorghum.

[SoulJah]

Receiving Drought assistance, Flood assistance and more, in this “Land of drought and flooding rains” Sugar industry recipients of government largesse are well organised, highly vocal and are often located in key electoral seats.

More than any other agricultural industry in Australia, sugar production resembles a system of old-style agrarian socialism. Until comparatively recently Individual farm location, size and sugar output were determined on a collective basis by growers and mills, including even the varieties of cane that could be grown.

For nearly 100 years the sugar industry has enjoyed federal and state government assistance in the form of compulsory government acquisition of sugar, single desk (or monopoly) selling arrangements, import embargoes, quotas, tariffs, consumer levies, simple transfers and many other direct and indirect packages.

Just sayin'

[Capt Rottnest]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

Canada's excuse is that when the US sneezes, we catch a cold... Are the resource industries propping up the Australian economy as well?

You could say its killing the rest of the economy. Mining boom has sent the AUD skyrocketing and ruined competitiveness of manufacturing. The entire Auto industry is closing down in 2 years.

[downunder]

Originally Posted by Reefmagnet

Ahem....

Sugar is used in approx 1/7th of ethanol production in Australia. The rest is grain starch and sorghum.

Don't let facts get in the way of an argument.

[svseachange]

66% of Australians disapprove of the new dumping at Abbot Point.

See:
http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollbludg...ort_140218.pdf

[Coops]

That's if you believe manipulated figures that you get from these sources. Statistics are great things, for example, statistics show that 8.33% of the disciples betrayed. Still only one.

Coops.

[Factor]

Originally Posted by svseachange

66% of Australians disapprove of the new dumping at Abbot Point.

See:
http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollbludg...ort_140218.pdf

No one asked me or anyone I know. And lets face it, Crikey.com is hardly an independent scientifically valid source.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by svseachange

66% of Australians disapprove of the new dumping at Abbot Point.

See:
http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollbludg...ort_140218.pdf

Not surprising given the MSM beatup that the topic has received.

[SimonV]

At the end of the day the the dredging will take place. The scare mongers will move on to another perceived issue, exaggerate and misrepresent the facts, hoodwink the gullible folks who consider themselves conservationists. But who rely completely on the very prossess they protest.

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