Air pollution is a silent and invisible killer, directly responsible for the premature deaths of 3000 Australians each year, and afflicting thousands more. Even at levels that are undetectable by smell, noxious gases and particles in the air can impact your health. Air pollution is a direct cause of many common life-threatening illnesses including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary cancer, leukaemia, birth defects and immune system defects, cardiovascular problems, heart disease and stroke, liver and other types of cancer. Currently, communities like mine in Morwell, state governments, and the public health care system are unfairly left to bear the burden of air pollution-related illnesses and environmental problems. Polluters like GDF Suez Energy, the owners of the Hazelwood mine, have shown that they won't clean up their act on their own - we need a strong legal framework in order to enforce our rights to a clean environment free of pollution. Please sign the petition and lend your voice to all individuals and communities who are impacted by air pollution.

For the health of your customers, and I guess it must be important to Bunnings Warehouse, the ban of glyphosate based weedlkillers has to be a wise move. Some have criticized this consensus report from the WHO but truly must not know the meaning of "slow poisoning" or "precaution". So far I can mention that it has been banned from all french gardening centers, Switzerland centers Coop and Migros, German giant retailer Rewe, also the countries of Columbia, Netherlands, Sri Lanka, Costa Rica and more. There also are about 30 000 health professionals in Argentina (one of biggest user of Roundup) calling for the same ban. moreover a team of international scientists based in New Zealand reported that widely available commercial formulations of RoundUp, 2,4-D and dicamba can lead to the development of antibiotic resistance in common disease-causing bacteria. I suppose that this does not come as a surprise and hope that Bunnings Warehouse will also use the precautionary principle and remove all products containing glyphosate from its shelves. You hopefully also know that the use of these weedkillers depletes the soil and washes down in our rivers, causing more environmental damage and also comes back into our drinkable water (an American study also found that 93% of women tested positive to glyphosate in their breast-milk). I include here a list of links to broaden anyone's knowledge on the matter: http://templatelab.com/iarc-monographs-112-02/ http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2015/aug/07/supermarkets-garden-centres-weedkiller-ban-cancer-glyphosate-monsanto http://theantimedia.org/more-european-countries-banning-glyphosate-monsantos-roundup/http://www.truthwiki.org/glyphosate/ http://www.thelibertybeacon.com/2015/05/30/the-end-of-monsanto/ http://www.naturalnews.com/042553_roundup_glyphosate_breast_cancer.html http://sustainablepulse.com http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/883578 http://www.i-sis.org.uk/glyphosateCausesBirthDefects.php http://www.collective-evolution.com/2015/05/30/why-the-netherlands-just-banned-monsantos-glyphosate-based-herbicides/ http://www.gmoevidence.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/IPTG-1-104.pdf http://www.surgicalneurologyint.com/article.asp?issn=2152-7806;year=2015;volume=6;issue=1;spage=45;epage=45;aulast=Samsel http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2045%2815%2970134-8/abstract http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25067936 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3955666/#!po=65.0000 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3958316/#!po=61.1111 http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/11/4/4449 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24434723 http://www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/15/4/1416 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23756170 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0891584913003262 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23000283 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22120950 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22200534 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20012598 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19539684 http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/tx800218n http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17486286 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15929894 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15451553 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12765238 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12148884 http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/tx1001749 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1638308

Function 1: Provision of environmental services Like any ecosystem, verge gardens provide the environmental services commonly associated with plants: Filtration of air, Reduction in the urban heat island effect that raises neighbourhood air temperature in summer, Slowing of rainfall runoff and assisting it infiltrate as soil water rather than be lost to the stormwater drain, thus obtaining a use from it before it returns to the water cycle, Provision of habitat for insects, birds and small reptiles, Carbon sequestration in organically-rich soils. Function 2: Making productive use of urban land Kerbside gardening makes productive use of land in urban areas. It puts to practical use small patches of land that are otherwise neglected or planted to simplified plant communities—such as lawn verges—that are unproductive or that may consume excessive water and fossil fuels in their maintenance. Verge gardens offer Council a solution to reducing their carbon footprint in line with Environmental Policy. Function 3: Boosting biodiversity As mixed edible plantings, verge gardens attract insects and other small animal species that interact through food webs. This is the basis of their biodiversity value. Flowering species attract bees, providing habitat for pollinators in residential areas. Function 4: New ways to engage with public space Taking responsibility for a kerbside garden provides a new means for people to engage with public space. In this sense, shared gardens enhance community engagement with public lands and encourages members of our community to take a more proactive role in public space management.

The small mammal fauna of Australia is being eaten by feral cats and foxes. More than 20 native marsupial species face extinction. The devil was found on the mainland until 600 years ago and Australia's top ecologists believe its return could help protect our native animals.They have called for an experimental re-introduction of zoo bred, disease-free, devils onto the mainland. . Meanwhile the devil is threatened with extinction in Tasmania by a deadly facial tumour disease. We have lost over 80% of the wild Tasmanian Devil population to this disease in just ten years. To lose the devil in Tasmania and more mammal species on the mainland would be morally wrong and a profound loss to all Australians. With one action we could help secure a disease free future for the devil and restore ecological balance to parts of the mainland. Tasmania Environment Minister Groom does not want this trial release even discussed. We believe, however, that we have a moral obligation to ensure that local politics do not stand in the way of fighting species extinction. We must act before it is too late. Please register your support and sign up now.

The Spit is a vitally important community, tourism and environmental asset. It is a space for people to recreate and a break from the built urban density that is Surfers Paradise and Main Beach, leading to an environmentally significant recreational area defined by Marine Stadium, Doug Jennings Park and Federation Walk. It is vitally important to OPPOSE high rise development on The Spit for 10 main reasons: 1. one approval means the floodgates are open - goodbye low rise Mariners Cove, goodbye low rise Sheraton and watch EVERY other development go upwards - think of the money in this upwards land grab for developers and the losses it poses to the amenity of the Spit and Broadwater surrounds; 2. the GC Local Area Plan Map 26.3 (LAP), which is a product of community consultation and GCCC urban design planning, shows 3 storey height limits for the southern Spit area; 3. developer proposals to flout the LAP plan reflect greed alone; enabling high rise development dramatically increases their return upon investment, regardless of the community, local infrastructure and environmental impacts; 4. all developers who purchased southern Spit lands KNEW when they did so that height limits apply; 5. the community has consistently opposed increasing height levels for decades based upon a range of important issues and this is reflected in the outcomes of the Vision 2020 process; 6. height limits reflect the desire to frame the Broadwater appropriately: it is a precious community and environmental resource and surrounding it with high rises (once Southport became a high rise prime development area (PDA)) disregards its significance as well as increases pressures such as density, traffic, environmental and infrastructure footprint and the like; 7. height limits reflect the fact that traffic density in the area is already significant and increasing population in the area is just not practical; in particular, the traffic within Main Beach and to The Spit every weekend illustrates this fact; 8. importantly, the southern Spit accommodation represents a differentiated tourism product for the Gold Coast which MUST be protected. That is, it is high end, exclusive and expensive accommodation zone which caters for those who do not want a high rise experience. Yes, Justin Beiber stayed in Surfers - but U2 and Bruce Springsteen did not - they stayed at Versace and the Sheraton respectively. Why? Because a low rise, on the beach/ Broadwater experience is something to savour even for billionaires - and our tourism entities should be protecting that, not allowing it to be destroyed; 9. developers are free to construct high rises throughout the western side of the Broadwater in the Southport PD area; at present the hospital site remains open for development- Sunland are free to tender to construct their plans there which will of course yield all of the employment benefits they claim for their project; and 10. finally, we all know that one high rise means every developer will push for high rises from one end to the other of The Spit. GCCC propose draft amendments to the Town Plan (2015) which will facilitate high rise development on The Spit - see zone map 27 Southport (http://cityplan.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/pages/plan/viewerpdf.aspx?vid=10117) . We must protect this precious tourism, community and environmental asset from private exploitation - no matter what our political representatives say or do.

 Maryborough Historical Original Town Site is under threat of destruction as the FCRC wish to turn it into a new development site  Small businesses losing trade and closing their doors because of the relocation of the Maryborough Outdoor Markets  The foreshore of Hervey Bay has had its native vegetation removed causing erosion.  Disabled Parking Laws have been overruled by the Mayor instructing his Parking Officers to turn a blind eye to illegal disability parking.  New Road Works on Main street were not carried out in accordance with the provision of Disability parking Bays in accordance with Australian Standards AS2890.6  Road way into the Airport now classified as a council car park which affects the availability of Blue Disability Parking Permit holders rights.  The Mayor wants to close off the Esplanade to motor vehicles forcing tourists and visitors to park in the back streets then walk to the beach.  150 year old Fig Trees that form a canopy over the Esplanade are under threat.  Other vegetation along the Esplanade has been removed and destroyed in order to please the Business owners of apartments, hotels and other eateries to enhance their customer’s views of the bay  No current Shoreline Erosion Management Plan  No Foreshore Master Plan  FCRC has granted $10 Million to a sporting complex until 2017 yet sporting clubs are being bullied /forced to move from current location.  FCRC has neglected the rate payers maintenance needs in local parks and lake areas in order to spend the money on areas frequented by tourists.  FCRC wasting money on already existing parks that don’t need anything done to them whilst other communities require them urgently.  FCRC wasting money by repairing a rock wall three times and still is not constructed properly.  FCRC has closed meetings on the Monday before the Public Meeting on the Wednesday and most decisions have already been made  FCRC will not listen to the residents / rate payers - our protests and objections fall on deaf ears.  FCRC intends to relocate the Pialba Memorial Hall and Pialba Railway station which are a great part of Hervey Bays Heritage. Both Buildings are listed on the Local Heritage and Asbestos Registar  FCRC approves upgrades to roads that have been attended to within twelve month period.  This Council appears to look after the Business sector of town and has plans of turning Hervey Bay into another Gold or Sunshine Coast.  FCRC granted approval to their Business Buddies to make improvement to their eateries built on public owned Council land on the foreshores without any proper consultation with the rate payers, one business owner has now applied to extend his eatery from the beach out through parkland to the Esplanade and convert his business now into three separate identities, begs to ask the question as to what the mayor and his boys club are getting in order to pass this building application.....a free cup of coffee....I think Not...!!  People have moved from Interstate and big cities to escape to a sea change they don’t want what the FCRC are pushing for.  People are selling and moving because of the high Council & Water Rates ,the increasing crime rate and the increasing ongoing high unemployment rates.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AHx3f0gL4A Since I was a kid, I’ve always wanted to visit the Great Barrier Reef and have the opportunity to see a majestic turtle amongst the coral. When I heard we could lose our Reef to climate change, and that there was a plan to build major new coal ports on the Reef to make the problem even worse, I knew I had to act. Growing up, I was taught the value of being ready for the future as one of Commonwealth Bank’s Dollarmites. Me, and thousands of other Dollarmites like me, saved our pocket money for our future. When I learnt the money we’d saved could be used to fund the massive new coal mines threatening our Reef and our right to grow up with a safe climate, I was shocked! The worst part is, according to media reports, the Commonwealth Bank is the most likely bank to fund these developments. That means they’d be using my money - and yours - to fund it. But I don’t want my money invested in this. Who would? That’s why I’m asking Dollarmites, CommBank customers, and the rest of Australia to sign this petition calling on CommBank’s CEO Ian Narev to rule out financing coal ports and mega mines on the Great Barrier Reef. Will you join me? If CommBank won’t do the right thing, I’m closing my account. The Reef is one of the nicest places in Australia, and it’s one of our landmarks too. Why would we want it ruined? Naomi.

Who remembers fishing trips, football games and Sunday sessions at the Grandview Hotel in Cleveland? What legacy do you want to leave your kids? The area behind the Grandview Hotel stretching down to the Stradbroke Island Ferry terminal and down to Star of the Sea Catholic School has been approved for development. This will mean an 800 berth marina and 15 storey high apartment blocks. We enjoy this space because we have fought for it over the years, will you fight for it now for the future generations?

The Wet Tropics has been ranked the second most irreplaceable World Heritage Area in the world by a team of international scientists. Despite its significance, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has classified the Wet Tropics as of ‘significant concern’ due to the threats posed by invasive plants, animals and diseases and climate change. The Wet Tropics World Heritage Area as high visitor rates and provides economic stimulus through tourism in Far North Queensland, an industry that much of the regions economy depends on. Without the work of the Wet Tropics Management Authority, there will be no independent body that can consider the diversity of the people and places that exist in the World Heritage area and how to properly Manage them

We are gravely concerned about the push by Adani and the Queensland Government to open up the Carmichael Mine on our traditional lands. Our traditional lands are an interconnected and living whole; a vital cultural landscape. It is central to us as a People, and to the maintenance of our identity, laws and consequent rights. If the Carmichael mine were to proceed it would tear the heart out of the land. The scale of this mine means it would have devastating impacts on our native title, ancestral lands and waters, our totemic plants and animals, and our environmental and cultural heritage. It would pollute and drain billions of litres of groundwater, and obliterate important springs systems. It would potentially wipe out threatened and endangered species. It would literally leave a huge black hole, monumental in proportions, where there were once our homelands. These effects are irreversible. Our land will be “disappeared”. Nor would the direct impacts be limited to our lands – they would have cascading effects on the neighbouring lands and waters of other Traditional Owners and other landholders in the region. And the mine would cause damage to climate, unleashing a mass of carbon into the atmosphere and propelling dangerous global warming. We could not in all conscience consent to such wholesale destruction. Nor could we allow such a project to contribute to the dire unfolding effects of climate change that pose such great risks to all peoples. We know that many other people who care deeply about conserving natural places, vital water resources, the great fauna and flora of central Queensland, and a health planet share our concerns about this mine. When we say No, we mean No. https://youtu.be/ZB2JC6yKy_E

In mid-2012, Australia and New Zealand together issued a new standard for the installation of solar arrays. This standard mandated the use of a specific piece of equipment called the "rooftop DC isolator" in Australia, and by some interpretations also in New Zealand. They did this despite evidence showing that the practice is unsafe. A study from an international testing laboratory found that DC isolators are not safe in a firefighting situation, as they can’t withstand the high-pressure water used to extinguish a fire. The California State Office of the Fire Marshall frowns upon their use, because they give a false sense of security. And Europe, the most mature solar market, opted never to adopt them, also for safety reasons. More than 70 fires in Australia have been caused by this isolator since 2012 -- that is, since it became mandatory! To put this into perspective, there were only 3 fires related to PV systems in Australia prior to the mandatory requirement to install a rooftop DC isolator. The Australian government has responded with product recalls on DC isolators, at least 5 so far, showing this crisis isn’t just limited to a single manufacturer, but to the device itself. There is no evidence to suggest the device improves the safety of a PV system: all it does is increase costs and the risk to homeowners trying to do the right thing. And that's not to mention the catch-22 for PV installers who are both legally bound to comply and obliged to keep their clients safe. Master Electricians Australia chief executive Malcolm Richards in an interview with the ABC late last year said that he says he knows of about 40 to 50 fires that have been started by the faulty isolators. "We're warning home owners to carefully check the brand of isolator that is connected to your solar panels," he said. "If it carries one of these two (recalled) brands ... undertake the isolation procedure until your electrician can come around and fix that up to eliminate or replace it."

Our Sydney water supply is currently under threat from coal mining that has been allowed under successive state governments in the southern coal fields beneath the Metropolitan water catchments' Special Areas. It is estimated that the Metropolitan catchment (Cataract, Cordeaux, Avon, Nepean and Woronora dam catchments) is losing 3 billion litres of water per year due to mining. If anyone enters these areas without permission they are liable to a $40,000 fine. Yet the Department of Planning has recommended the expansion of existing coal mines to undertake intensive longwall mining under the Cataract Dam catchment. The Metropolitan catchment contributes to 20% of Sydney's drinking water and is the sole supply of water for the Macarthur and Illawarra regions (over half a million people). Mining operations undermining the catchment of Woronora Dam have demonstrated how devastating this practice is with the sandstone creek bed of Waratah Rivulet irreversibly cracked and drained. The state government have also allowed exploratory Coal Seam Gas (CSG) wells in the Special Areas of the Warragamba and Metropolitan water catchments. There are also 95 producing CSG wells located in the Camden Gas Project with some within 200m of residences and on the flood plains of the Nepean River. The Nepean River is a source of agricultural water for the Hawkesbury/Nepean region and drinking water for North Richmond community. It is reckless to allow mining in these areas because of the risk of contamination of the surface water by fracking fluids or produced water from the coal seams. The current federal coalition government is offering incentives for state governments to sell and privatise assets. Sydney Water is a likely target as has been done in South Australia and Victoria. Experience shows privatisation leads to an increase in prices and reduction in maintenance. This is despite former Premier Barry O'Farrell's promise before the state election that a coalition government would not allow ("No ifs, No buts") mining in our water catchments. In an effort to draw these issues to the attention of the public and the candidates in the lead up to the state election on 28 March, 2015 a group of concerned citizens are embarking on a Walk for Water. This is a 160km walk from Cataract Dam to Hyde Park, Sydney between the 21-28 February. You can join us for part of the journey to show your concern for our most precious resource, water. Which is becoming even more precious in an ever expanding Sydney, in a climate that NASA and CSIRO acknowledge is trending hotter and experiencing longer, more severe drought events. You can find out more on Walk for Water at www.walk4water.net