The world is quickly losing its dark skies due to light pollution. Light pollution doubled globally between 1992 and 2012 and at least 50% of the world will have lost their ability to see stars and the night sky by 2050 if the current 3% annual increase in light pollution continues. Bunya Mountains has unique fauna including fire beetles and powerful owls that need dark skies for their survival with Australia's vulnerable nocturnal fauna being at threat of extinction given the impacts of climate change. Bunya Mountains is the primary natural areas tourism destination in Western Queensland. UNESCO recognised Bunya Mountains qualities in 2010 with the world’s largest forest of Gondwana period Bunya Pines & the cultural significance of Bunya Mountains (Bonye Buri) which is an Uluru equivalent 'holy mountain' of First People Australians. https://www.darkskywarrior.com/ https://youtu.be/nkw2MuKVpGY https://www.dalbyherald.com.au/news/residents-fighting-to-preserve-buynas-unique-night/3840047/ https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1563117013724267&id=209825109053471&_rdr https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=StkEz1e_H04 https://www.darksky.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/IDSC-Guidelines-2018.pdf https://m.southburnetttimes.com.au/news/keep-skies-dark-for-our-wildlife-conservationist/3583568/ https://m.youtube.com/watch?list=PLHP9vjfF5XLLAwK52XnhJnsVB7MPK9ApC&v=0FXJUP6_O1w https://m.youtube.com/watch?list=PLHP9vjfF5XLLAwK52XnhJnsVB7MPK9ApC&v=P2JQFyFcbRU&index=5 https://m.youtube.com/watch?list=PLHP9vjfF5XLLAwK52XnhJnsVB7MPK9ApC&index=1&v=dd82jaztFIo https://Youtu.be/_nlFcEj41Xk https://www.dalbyherald.com.au/news/residents-fighting-to-preserve-buynas-unique-night/3840047/ https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/topics/science-environment/2018/08/why-we-need-to-reconnect-with-the-night-sky/ http://artificiallightatnight.weebly.com/uploads/3/7/0/5/37053463/alan_2018_booklet.pdf https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1365-2664.2012.02212.x https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10336-015-1232-3 https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007%2F978-94-007-6220-6 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1600-079X.2007.00473.x http://agris.fao.org/agris-search/search.do?recordID=US8848634 https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1890/1540-9295%282004%29002%5B0191%3AELP%5D2.0.CO%3B2 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10336-015-1196-3 https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/8186062 https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1365-2664.12381 https://www.nature.com/articles/srep01395 These are the Aoraki McKenzie Zealand Dark Sky Reserve reports: http://www.phys.canterbury.ac.nz/amidsr/AMIDSRReport2014-15.pdf http://darksky.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/AorakiMackenzie-IDSR-2017-Annual-Report.pdf Winklmoosalm International Dark Sky Park: https://m.box.com/shared_item/https%3A%2F%2Fdarksky.app.box.com%2Fs%2Fohs01y45x74dtrtmvwngwrk8edxwuh26 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=y56JEg8x16Y https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_9tMAvjc3VA https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=F55wBS2kNNQ https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=juqjhMuHmLA https://www.lightpollutionmap.info/#zoom=5.914582581405009&lat=-3068654&lon=16893537&layers=B0FFFFTFFFT

This would aid those who are on the Very High Needs waitlist for public housing, and may also need ongoing medical treatment at the nearby public Gold Coast University Hospital; also within short reach of two tram stations.

“We as human beings deserve a decent life, but this is being denied to us by governments that deny us justice. We shouldn't have to sell our identity and our land to have opportunities that non-Aboriginal people have.” - Noongar Traditional Owner Uncle Rex Bellotti Snr Noongar land and waters are our lifeblood and form the basis of our culture and identity as a People. To us, land, water and Noongar people are one. Our connection to our ancestors and culture is powerful, it is thousands of generations old and intrinsically interwoven into our land and waters. In 2015, the West Australian government struck a deal with some Noongar people to extinguish Noongar Native Title rights forever, in return for over a billion dollars. The land subject to the South West Native Title Settlement extends over the entire south east corner of WA, over 200,000km2. The South-West Native Title Settlement has been coined by some as the biggest native title deal in Australian history, but we say that it is the biggest native title steal in Australian history. Successful registration of these Indigenous Land Use Agreements (ILUAs) will mean that half of Western Australia’s Aboriginal population will no longer have native title rights and Noongar native title will be extinguished forever. This extinguishment by the West Australian Government would leave our mineral-rich Country vulnerable to mining and fracking. It removes our right to negotiate on any future development. It is our responsibility to protect this connection and to ensure that it is never broken. Surrendering our native title rights will diminish our responsibilities as Traditional Custodians and consequently erode our connection to our ancestors, culture and Country. Noongar Not For Sale is a campaign for land justice, led by respected Noongar Elders and supported by a groundswell of strong and passionate grassroots mob. We are following in the footsteps of our ancestors and fighting to protect and preserve Noongar land, waters and culture for our children, grandchildren and the many generations of Noongars to come. For the past decade, Noongar people have been pushing the boundaries of native title law despite the State and Federal Governments constantly shifting the goalposts. Last year, we won our case in the full bench of the Federal Court in a major win for land justice. The court recognised that not all Native Title Claimants agreed with the settlement, the ILUA’s were invalid and the West Australian Government could not extinguish our Native Title. In response to this win, mining companies and special interest groups lobbied the Federal Government hard and in the end, the Native Title Act was amended retrospectively. Our justice was taken away but we are unshaken. On Monday 19th November we have again launched legal action against the West Australian Government and the South-West Land and Sea Council. We will continue our fight to de-register the 6 ILUAs that form the South-West Native Title Settlement. In the spirit of our early Noongar resistance fighters we assert that we will not surrender our birthrights. We are not for sale.

We need to shift our awareness and understand there are other ways to prevent shark attacks from occurring and killing them is not the answer. It is unethical and will destroy our ocean causing a imbalance in the oceanic ecosystems, leading to serious environmental consequences. No matter how you look at it, sharks have been around for 400 million years. Many sharks are becoming endangered and need our voice. Sharks help keep populations of their prey in check, weeding out the weak and sick animals to keep the overall population healthy. Their disappearance can set off a chain reaction through out the ocean and even impact people on shore. If sharks disappear it would be bad news for us all.

The KPI for a claim for any type of Pension is 6 weeks. Because of lack of staff and a huge back-log this has now blown out to as much as 12 weeks and sometimes longer. This is even before you know if your claim will be accepted or not. Some people have the resources to cover this long wait, but many don't, which is why they are claiming in the first place. It is better for a person to be cared for in their own home, by a loved one rather than be a burden in either the hospital or aged care system. Adding financial stress to a Carers burden can definitely lead to a depressed mental outlook. Please sign the petition now asking the Federal Minister to Increase Staff in Centrelink so they can address all wait time issues.

There are children and families in detention on Nauru by order of the Australian government. Some have been in captivity for years, and some children were even born on the island. Detention is a fancy word for prison. Except there was no court, no trial, no judge, no jury. It is not a Liberal or Labor issue. Both parties have been responsible for this. The world’s humanitarian organisations have condemned Australia’s action and yet it continues. These people have escaped from all kinds of appalling situations. Don’t be misled by claims that freeing these people will lead to more boat arrivals. That is a separate issue which our border controllers need to manage without making political pawns of the people seriously suffering on Nauru. Children are being psychologically and physically harmed.

The APS submission (https://www.psychology.org.au/About-Us/What-we-do/advocacy/Submissions/Professional-Practice/2018/APS-Submission-to-the-MBS-Review-Better-Access?) recommends that over two thirds of registered psychologists (many of whom hold higher degrees, specialised training and significant experience in their field) but have not applied for “endorsement” would only be able to provide services to the estimate 10% of clients presenting with mild to moderate disorders. The complicated model states that psychologists may be given an opportunity to “demonstrate equivalent competence” to be able to treat what is, for many, their existing client base. Recognition would almost certainly come at a significant cost. The APS has yet to explain just how this recognition would occur, leaving experienced practitioners at a loss as to how they can protect their livelihood and deliver crucial services to clients. All registered psychologists are currently permitted to practice across all areas of psychology and mental health and can diagnose, assess and treat clients, regardless of whether they are endorsed or not. Ethical guidelines require psychologists to only provide services within their limits of personal competence. Endorsed psychologists primarily operate in urban areas, while the majority of psychologists operating in rural areas are non-endorsed. Data from the Psychology Board of Australia’s ‘Area of practice endorsement data tables: January 2014’, shows that only 23 endorsed psychologists work in remote communities across Australia; 212 in outer regional; while 7 969 work in metropolitan/capital cities. Our rural areas have some of the highest rates of suicide in Australia. If accepted, the APS recommendations will leave rural and regional Australians without access to vital mental health care services. The consequences to Australians in desperate need of mental health care will be disastrous. If accepted, the APS model will result in higher session fees, with clients unable to claim any Medicare rebate unless their preferred practitioner is “endorsed”. Market forces would likely push up out-of-pocket fees to see endorsed psychologists and waiting lists would blow out. By losing a major funding stream, many non-endorsed psychologists would be forced to close their practices, leaving vulnerable clients without access to vital and affordable health services. Many endorsed psychologists do not bulk bill, meaning only those in higher socioeconomic groups would be able to afford treatment for the most debilitating of conditions. There is no evidence to support that better health outcomes are achieved by “endorsed” psychologists. In fact, a significant amount of “endorsed” psychologists achieved this status through historical paid membership to special interest “Colleges”, and not through demonstrated experience or completing a masters/doctorate degree. Some psychologists were granted up to six endorsements via this process. The Australian Clinical Psychology Association stated that ‘More than half of those clinical psychologists currently endorsed by the Psychology Board of Australia do not have qualifications in clinical psychology...’ (source: https://industry.gov.au/Office-of-the-Chief-Economist/SkilledOccupationList/Documents/2015Submissions/ACPA.pdf). Therefore, many endorsed psychologists hold the same level of training and qualifications as non-endorsed psychologists. The APS position is a crushing blow to over two thirds of registered psychologists, many of whom will be unable to continue treating the majority of their clients if the proposal is accepted by the Government. It is clear the APS is not acting in the best interests of its members (who currently pay $640 for annual membership) or their clients, by advocating that the majority of psychologists lose access to the MBS. In fact, if the APS proposal is accepted, 66% of the psychologist board members who are “endorsed”, may personally benefit with increased client referrals, while 64% of registered psychologists will have very limited access to Medicare referrals. Questions must be asked about the ability of the APS Board to represent all psychologists equally, and whether the board members are at risk of breaching their fiduciary duties to the APS with a proposal which effectively destroys the livelihoods of the majority of registered practitioners, for the benefit of a few, including themselves. For over ten years now, clinical psychologist’s services have attracted a $39 higher rebate than non-clinical psychologists. Despite this higher rebate, fewer clinical psychologists fully bulk-bill their clients. Based on the current Medicare arrangements, the proposed changes will represent a significant increase to Medicare, as the cost of providing the same services already being provided by registered psychologists would increase by 47%. A notable research project commissioned by the Australian Government (Pirkis et al, 2011) demonstrated clearly that psychologists treating mental illness across both tiers of Medicare Better Access produced equivalently strong treatment outcomes (as measured by the K-10 and DASS pre-post treatment) for mild, moderate and severe cases of mental illness. This research demonstrates clearly that there is no difference in treatment outcomes when comparing clinical psychologists treating under tier one of Medicare Better Access with the treatment outcomes of all other registered psychologists treating under tier two of Medicare Better Access (Pirkis et al, 2011a). Reference: Pirkis, Ftanou, Williamson, Machlin, Spittal & Bassilios (2011a). Australia's Better Access initiative: An evaluation. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 45:726–739

It's important that we let the council know we care about Mt Panorama, the way it is used matters to the people of Bathurst and all the thousands of race goers and visitors that come here every year. It belongs to all people, not just one sporting club, which could easily be located somewhere else.

As psychologists, our livelihoods and the welfare of our clients depends on the Australian public's access to affordable psychological services. Currently, our clients receive a rebate of $84.80, while clinical psychologists attract a rebate of $124.50 for providing the same 50-minute session. Many non-clinical psychologists can’t maintain their practices due to this lower rebate and due to financial pressure, have to pass on some out-of-pocket costs to their clients. There are 29 213 registered psychologists in Australia with only 8298 of these holding endorsement as clinical psychologists (28%) (Psychology Board of Australia, 31 March 2018). The APS is split into a number of colleges representing each endorsed area of practice. We are concerned as the submission by the APS College of Counselling Psychology, advocates to maintain the current unfair and unfounded two-tier rebate system with their own members placed on their higher tier alongside their clinical colleagues. This means the majority of Australians will still need to pay substantial gap fees to see their psychologists. Polls conducted in our Facebook group suggest that more non-clinical psychologists could fully bulk-bill their clients if their rebate was the same as their clinical colleagues. Of the 9 Director/Psychologist positions on the APS Board, 6 (66%) hold endorsement as clinical psychologists, while less than 30% of psychologists hold clinical endorsement. The representativeness of the APS Board has been rightfully questioned due to these figures. The Australian Clinical Psychology Association (ACPA) has recommended to the MBS review to ‘cash’ the majority of psychologists out of Medicare and therefore prevent our clients from receiving any Medicare rebate for our services. How could 8298 clinical psychologists (who geographically congregate around the capital cities) service the Australian population? To add further insult, we discover that the author of the ACPA submission recommending the removal of rebates for non-clinical psychologists and their clients (https://acpa.org.au/submission-to-medicare-review/) is granted a place on the Medicare review committee. With submissions like these being made to the MBS review, non-clinical psychologists need representation and advocacy from the APS as their peak body. ACPA have spread false information and written multiple submissions to government departments and Medicare, denigrating all non-clinical psychologists. Unfortunately, the APS has not spoken out or reprimanded those who have denigrated the reputations of around 70% of their membership base. Many clinical psychologists hold the same level of training and qualifications as ‘generalist’ or ‘registered’ psychologists. In fact, a large portion of ‘generalist‘ psychologists hold postgraduate qualifications such as masters, PhDs or specific training in particular techniques such as EMDR. It is reported by the Australian Clinical Psychology Association (ACPA) that ‘more than half of those clinical psychologists currently endorsed by the Psychology Board of Australia do not have qualifications in clinical psychology…’ (source: https://docplayer.net/7212127-Skilled-occupation-list-sol-2015-16.html). Psychologists cannot be considered better trained or skilled by virtue of holding the title ‘clinical psychologist’. The quality, skills and knowledge of a psychologist cannot be deemed by endorsement status alone. All registered psychologists can diagnose, assess and treat clients, regardless of whether they are clinically endorsed or not. We also have nine areas of endorsement in Australia (health, forensic, counselling, educational/developmental etc.), however only clinically endorsed psychologists' services receive the higher rebate. Furthermore, there is no evidence to suggest that any type of psychologist is better or more effective than any other type of psychologist. A notable research project commissioned by the Australian Government (Pirkis et al, 2011) demonstrated clearly that psychologists treating mental illness across both tiers of Medicare Better Access produced equivalently strong treatment outcomes (as measured by the K-10 and DASS pre-post treatment) for mild, moderate and severe cases of mental illness. This research demonstrates clearly that there is no difference in treatment outcomes when comparing clinical psychologists treating under tier one of Medicare Better Access with the treatment outcomes of all other registered psychologists treating under tier two of Medicare Better Access (Pirkis et al, 2011). Pirkis, Ftanou, Williamson, Machlin, Spittal & Bassilios (2011). Australia's Better Access initiative: An evaluation. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 45:726–739 Consumers of psychology services should be able to receive the same rebate to see whichever psychologist best meets their needs and geographical location.

Scheme would drought proof most of western QLD & North west NSW. Below are links to all the information I could find about The Bradfield Scheme, a proposed Australian water diversion scheme, To make Western QLD and Northern West NSW Drought free for ever. https://www.queenslandcountrylife.com.au/story/3295673/beat-the-drought-build-bradfield/ http://www.fnq.cc/bradfield_scheme_a.html

The Lads Society are at Unit 9/158 Chesterville Road, Cheltenham near the Waves leisure centre and their commercial warehouse is leased on their behalf by Mr Thomas Sewell through Nixon Industries. The Lad’s Society is a clubhouse, training facility, recruitment centre and safe space for neo-nazis and others on the far-right. The Lad’s Society poses itself as ‘...an organisation consisting of young, Australian men, committed to restoring the elements of our nation, starting at the individual, and community levels’, and offers a gym, a place to drink and meet people. Concerningly, because of the way they’ve structured themselves as a kind of ‘men’s club’ with a nationalist bent, insecure and otherwise unaligned young men in the neighbourhood could be at particular risk of being radicalised toward Nazi politics in this space. As well, these men operating out of Cheltenham is an immediate danger to the multicultural neighbourhood, due to their violent histories and politics, and the fact they gather on Fridays from 5PM, drink, lift weights and fight each other until late in the evening. To say these men are nazis is not an exaggeration. One of the founders of The Lad’s Society is Blair Cottrell, who has been documented suggesting pictures of Hitler should be hung in every classroom, and Mein Kampf should be handed out to every student every year (evidence of his ideas are readily available by google search). He has also been convicted and served time for stalking and burning down an ex-partner’s house. He is the founder of United Patriots Front, a group he was the chairman of that involved other found members of The Lad’s Society, including Thomas Sewell, pictured below with Blair Cottrell celebrating Hitler’s birthday and flashing the ‘white power’ hand gesture. There are also active associations within The Lad’s Society with an explicitly Nazi group called ‘Antipodean Resistance’, who Stuart Von Moger (pictured above) is affiliated with. This group is known to recruit as a resurgence of Germany’s ‘Hitler Youth’. They’ve attacked international students, jews and the LGBTQIA+ community on university campuses and abroad with extremely racist propaganda and can be seen unfurling banners with swastikas on them from overpasses.

The amount of plastic that goes into landfill or directly into the environment, including soils and oceans is catastrophically high. People do not understand that this is an enormous crisis which requires much more leadership in this country. Other countries are way ahead of us and we could learn so much from them!