ENVIRONMENT POLICIES
Land Conservation and Back Burning
We have several issues affecting land, from rising salt, over farming, deforestation, to damaging, but necessary back burning. The following policy hopes to address all these in a positive way. Golden Rule Use a Problem to solve a Problem.
Forestry Management - You Use a Problem To Fix a Problem
So, take the unemployed, they are being paid to do nothing. It is morally wrong that an able-bodied man should be paid to sit around doing nothing all day. It is no good for them and no good for the country.
We will abolish the dole and replace it with a government work programme. You will report to your local council and they will enrol you on to the work programme. You will be employed for a 37.5-hour week and paid $10 per hour. This is slightly more than you get on the dole, but less than the current minimum wage. The point of this is, that you are not meant to stay on the work programmes for ever, they are simply something for you to do whilst you are looking for full time employment. There is no mandatory requirement for you to join the work programme, in fact, you can sit at home. The only difference to now is, that we will not pay you to sit at home doing nothing.
Because we will have an increase in manpower, we will be able to do all those tasks that are just left. Such as removing graffiti, weeding foot paths and roads, picking up litter, cleaning rivers, restoring river banks and eco systems, cleaning beaches and coast lines of all plastic and rubbish, cleaning the seashore of rubbish in the water and clearing undergrowth in the bush.
Currently the practice of back burning is the only method in use to reduce fuel for bush fires. The back burning is thorough, but it kills slow creatures, that cannot out run the flames. The resultant smoke also adds to the air pollution. We are not opposed to back burning and will undertake it where and when necessary. However, as we have an army of workers, we propose that we will use those workers to enter the forests to manually clear the undergrowth of bush fire fuel and to collect all the leaves, bark and brambles and mulch them to create compost. This process of physically removing the undergrowth, will allow creatures to escape, it will cause less damage to the forest and we get the benefit of collecting large quantities of green waste that can be recycled into compost. The main focus of the work programmes will be centred on the bush surrounding towns and villages that are exposed to potential bush fires.
The green wasted collected will be taken to special sites throughout the state, where the waste will be mixed with common household green waste to create large scale compost and soil. The process will take a few years to get going, but as we start creating composted soil, this soil can then be transported to land that we will start rejuvenating. Dead or dying land can be covered with the compost soil and dug in to reform the soil. Then we can plant saplings to hold the soil together and to allow the water table to be lowered or allow the ecosystem to recover. This process will be especially good for those areas of land that have been over farmed and defoliated resulting in the water table rising and bringing salt to the surface. We will remove the salt and the top layer of salty soil, which will be transported to a site to be de-salted and then the process of using the compost soil to rejuvenate the land will be repeated. Over many years we will be able to recover lost farming land and convert it into mini forests. All this would not be possible if we didn’t put the unemployed to work.
Unemployment In Rural Australia
Take the unemployed and employ them on the $10 per hour work programme. These unemployed from each town will work with existing council workers to clear the bush of overgrowth. Traditionally, back burning was used, which literally burnt everything in its path, insects, animals and vegetation. Very effective in reducing wild fires, but devastating for the environment.
So, we will use our army of work programmers to manually clear the bush undergrowth, using brush cutters, mulchers etc. The tools will range from hand held to mechanical machinery. The use of each will be determined by the terrain to be cleared.
The terrain will be cleared manually and all debris will be collected and mulched. The debris will be taken by truck from the cleared site to special mulching / composting centres set up near each town. To this will be added residential garden waste and waste household food products.
The purpose of these centres is to turn green waste into soil, compost and mulch, to be sold to garden centres and to be used to rejuvenate damaged land.
The tools used will spawn a new industry, for Australian designed and made machines to be used in clearing the bush. These will initially be made at our possum works, along with our large fire-fighting tanks. So, the new land clearing industry will spawn a dedicated machinery manufacturing industry and dedicated compost centres, which will in turn create new jobs and full-time employment.
Land Reclaiming
The work programme will then turn its attention to land degraded by rising salt and over farming and tree removal. A task force will remove the crusted salt, which will be taken to be used by industries that use salt in their products, but not food products.
The top one metre of land will be cleared and taken to a desalting centre near the compost centres. The soil removed will still have too much salt, but by a process of washing the soil and collecting the salt. The soil can then be added back to the compost centres new soil. This new soil will be taken to the land clearance site to fill in at least two metres of new healthy soil.
The tree saplings, which are grown by schools and nurseries will then be planted in the new soil. The purposes being that the land will be reforested, the tree roots will flourish in the new soil and will ultimately keep the water table low, thus preventing the land from becoming salt polluted.
The trees grown will be a mixture of natives, for longevity and pine and/or coppice trees, to provide a future supply of wood. When the trees are felled, the natives will still be working to keep the water table low. The old tree stumps will be removed and new trees planted. This will maintain a timber and lumber jack industry.
The undergrowth of these rejuvenated lands will be maintained in the same manner as the bush land.
Farm land that has been degraded by over farming, will be restored in a similar way. The top metre of soil will be removed and sent to the soil centres for reconditioning and new soil will be put in its place. Grasses will be sown along with border trees, to keep the water table level. After one year, the land will be split into quarters, so that the farmer can start using the land for grazing on a rotational basis, always leaving one quarter to rejuvenate.
So, the benefits for rural Australia are.
- No more unemployment as everyone will be able to work on the work programmes.
- Back burning will be reduced to only where required, which will be good for the environment. Reducing the loss of insects, animals and vegetation and habitats.
- The collection of undergrowth waste will result in a new compost centre created at each town, creating new employment and reusable and resaleable products.
- Products will be used to repair damaged land, which will create new forests and new farming land, both of which will help the farming and logging industries.
- New machines will need to be designed and manufactured, which will create jobs and products that can be sold worldwide, creating growth and wealth for the country.
- Our forests will flourish along with thriving animal habitats.
- Bush fire severity will be greatly reduced.
- It will create a general around good feeling, with children doing something practicable to help the environment by growing saplings from seed.
- Salt degraded land will be put back to use again.
- Several problems will be solved by using a problem to solve a problem.
Sewage System
Treated and untreated raw sewage is pumped into the sea. The issue is not so much about human waste, but the cleaning chemicals and medicines that we flush away, all of which has a negative effect on our oceans.
We need to construct a sewage system that pumps the waste to inland treatment plants. The solid waste can be converted into compost and the treated water can be reused or pumped on to the land as part of the irrigation system.
Pests and Invasive Vegetation Eradication
Cane toads are an environmental problem that has got out of control. They are predominantly situated in the north, but spread south annually. Cane toads eat anything and are wiping out our native species.
This job of eradication is ideal for aborigines, as they are situated around the region in community groups, they have tracking and hunting skills and as they will be paid $1 per caught or killed toad, this could be a lucrative earner. The job of catching toads will be open to anyone, who is looking to make extra money.
We prefer capturing the toads, so that they can be taken to collection centres, where they will be identified. If any other bread of toad or frog is caught by accident, then they can be taken back to their environment. The process of eradication will take years, but eventually we will see the end to cane toads in Australia.
There are many invasive plant species thriving and taking over parts of Australia. Under our eradication programme we will work to reduce and then rid Australia of these invasive species.
Australian Water Management
Australia’s water management systems are in need of a complete overhaul. It is accepted that we are a hot dry country and parts of the country suffer from droughts; and yet we do have large reserves of water in the northern states and underground. The problem is how do we get the water from the north to the dry areas of the south. Although there have been many studies undertaken, to assess our water needs and to look at ways of moving it around the country, sadly very little has been done to implement any of the recommendations. Australia needs to address its water issues sooner rather than later. The longer we leave it the longer we will suffer. There are four main areas that we must work on, rivers, canals, pipework and pumping and desalination.
Rivers
To help improve the flow of water and to lessen the effects of flooding, we need to rejuvenate, repair, deepen and widen our rivers. Those rivers that move water south should be the priority.
Canals
To link rivers together or to extend rivers we need to build a network of canals. The canals should be of sufficient width and depth to enable barges to ply their trade, whether for business or pleasure. Water evaporating from the canals will naturally encourage vegetation growth along the banks of the canal, thus creating a mini ecosystem for wildlife.
Pipework and Pumping
Where it is not be practical or cost effective to widen rivers or build canals, then we must use a network of pipes and pumping stations to pump water around the country. The benefits of using pipes are, that they can be built to demand, as and when required. The construction of the pipe network will enable us to direct water to anywhere. In addition, the pipe network can be connected to the desalination network.
Desalination
We need to establish desalination plants strategically placed around the east coast, in order to provide additional fresh water for our domestic needs and to pump through the network to supply water to regions and rivers to maintain the water flow and the demands from consumers.
Recycling and Waste Disposal
Australia should be at the forefront of recycling and waste disposal. We should recycle everything, all house hold waste, with paper, plastic, glass etc being in one bin and all garden waste and food scraps in another. We must end land filling with waste and have everything collected, sorted and recycled. We need to establish local sorting depots, from where the waste will be transported to larger recycling plants strategically placed around the state. We will find a use for everything, even if it means storing waste in purpose-built storage yards.
Long term we would like to construct the world’s largest recycling plant in northern Western Australia, where we can accept the waste of the world, for a fee, to be recycled and thus reducing the pollution of the planet.
Endangered Species, Animal Reserves and Safari Parks
We propose to set up safari parks and nature reserves to provide sanctuary for the worlds endangered species. The parks and reserves can be managed by the aborigines, due to their unique skill sets. The wild life parks will also serve as tourist destinations.
Great Barrier Reef
We need to protect the barrier reef from unnecessary harm or damage; this includes monitoring sea pollution and illegal dumping.
Tree Farms
It is important to plant trees in Australia both for environmental and commercial purposes. Timber is required for construction and manufacturing, so a constant supply of timber is essential. To this end tree plantations will be encouraged both in the private sector and State sector. Tax concessions can be used to assist private plantations and the state can use reclaimed land.
Rural Affairs
Life in the country is markedly different to life in urban and city locations. The rules of city life simply do not and cannot be applied to life in the country. It is important that those living in rural areas have their voices heard and governments must listen and act upon the advice received from the country. Rural economies will be transformed with the implementation of the Government Work Programme and Universal Basic Work policy.
