Bicycles on Sydney's Roads

Below is a short video relating to our post "Sydney's hatred for bikes". We interviewed a couple of people about their opinion of bikes on Sydney's roads.

Sick of the Traffic? Jump on a Gondola

AN armada of small private ferries may soon be criss-crossing Sydney Harbour after the NSW government said it was willing to license more vessels to help serve small communities along the Parramatta River.

Community groups are anxious to see an expansion in the number of small ferries, running directly between harbourside suburbs and the city, saying they could ease traffic in the inner suburbs and unclog the streets around major ferry stops.

The president of the lobby group Ferry Alliance for the Inner West Region, Mike Perry, said without small operators, carrying a maximum of 30 passengers, many commuters would drive to major wharves in crowded suburbs, such as Balmain, Woolwich and Abbotsford, to catch Sydney Ferry vessels.

This will hopefully be a welcome change to Sydney's Traffic congestion, but will people start using more public transport and drive less?

Reserve Bank hikes interest rates

The Reserve Bank has again slugged the nation's borrowers, raising its key interest rate today for the third month running as it moves to keep inflation in check.

The central bank lifted its cash rate by a quarter of a percentage point to 4.5 per cent, its highest level since the end of 2008.

For mortgage holders on variable lending rates, the increase will add about $46 to the average monthly payment for a typical 25-year, $300,000 home loan, if it is passed on in full by the commercial banks.

Excellent decision RBA, I congratulate you for the fortitude you have shown. Time for people to wakeup and start saving instead of spending on borrowed cash and time.

However, while the RBA lifts the rate .25, how much will the out of control banks slug us? They are law unto themselves.

Sydney's Population to Top 6m in 2036

A government report, compiled by the NSW Planning Department, forecasts the city's population will rise to 6 million by 2036, resulting in a 40 per cent gain from 4.3 million in 2006, a government report shows.

The state's overall population will increase by a third, to 9.1 million, according to the report, which is based on data from the 2006 census.

About 40 per cent of the overall rise will be driven by net migration, said the NSW State and Regional Population Projections 2006-2036 report released today.

"These population projections allow all levels of government to know and plan for the challenges facing us over the next 25 years - be it to reverse decline in some rural areas or meet the needs of a booming population in high-growth areas," NSW Minister for Planning Tony Kelly said in a statement.

Federal Treasury recently forecast the nation's overall population to balloon to almost 36 million by 2050, from about 22 million today.

Is this a positive or negative thing for Sydney? While boosting the economy and the state, Sydney will benefit greatly from this large expected population surge. But what will this mean for people living in Sydney? Longer rush hours in traffic, public transport congestion, expansion and construction, etc. Early planning seems a good idea in order to expand Sydney efficiently.

Sydney Man In Court Over False Medical Advice

A 27 year old Cecil Hills, Sydney man will appear at Sydney's Downing Centre local court on June the 11th charged with "...16 counts of publishing a false statement with the intent to obtain money, knowing that the statement was false." Police said today. The man allegedly provided false medical advice and treatments on a varity of illnesses online.

It just goes to show, you can't believe everything you read online. Infact, can you really trust that this story happened? I'm sure you could varify it on wikipedia.

Rats Ate My Homework

Nepalese University students were told that rats had eaten their unmarked exam papers which were being kept at their local police station for security, but were inadvertently placed in a store room infested with rats, a police official said.

"The exams were two and half months ago. We kept the answer papers in a secure room. But a few days ago we discovered that some of them had been eaten by rats," said police inspector Ram Prakash Chaudhary. "We told the university officials about the problem straight away. But they only came to pick up the papers today, after the news came out."

The Rising Nepal newspaper said the papers had been stored in an old building with a leaking water pipe, and accused Tribhuvan - the country's oldest and biggest university - of "utter negligence".

A suprising result for the Students of Tribhuvan who found their exams enjoyed by rats rather than markers. A reminder to Macquarie University too reinforce its exam security and not leave essays for two and half months in a rat infested room.

Unpopular PM Kevin Rudd

PRIME Minister Kevin Rudd's personal approval rating has fallen below 50 per cent for the first time since being elected in November 2007, hitting an all-time low. In light of his backflip over an ETS and a series of policy failures such as home insulation, Mr Rudd's disapproval rating has doubled to 42 per cent.

According to the latest weekly Essential Research (ER) poll, Mr Rudd's approval has fallen from 71 per cent a year ago to 46 per cent. Labor's two-party-preferred lead over the Coalition has also fallen from 59/41 six months ago to 53/47.

It is clear that Rudd is now in a position where everything he promises or proposes is doubted or not trusted. The poorly-handled decision to pause on the battle to introduce an ETS has seriously devalued Rudd’s policy credibility and his standing as prime minister.There is no doubt Rudd's backflips – most the importantly the delay on the emissions trading scheme to 2013 at least - are the reason for his sudden decline in popularity and Labor's corresponding fall.

Rudd's fall from grace will be temporary and it is now that Abbott must act.

Sydney's hatred for bikes

Sydney is one of the developed world's most hostile cities for cycling, according to a US academic who spent a sabbatical year researching ways to boost bike-riding levels in the city.

For decades Dr Pucher, from Rutgers University in New Jersey, has been riding bikes - from the cycling wonderlands of Amsterdam and Copenhagen to the car-choked streets of many US cities. But he was still stunned by his experience here.

''In Texas or in the south-east of the US it's aggressive but there was an incredible level of aggression from Sydney motorists … It's not every motorist but there were enough of them, whether it was resentment, irritability or just aggression, I don't know.''

The extremely negative attitude of Australian motorists towards cyclists has always disappointed me. I must admit that I am guilty of becoming a bit frustrated at a cyclist slowing me down when I am driving, but I am a strong supporter of cycling becoming a more common mode of transport. This is mainly due to the fact that it is cheap, does not produce any greenhouse emissions and is a fantastic way to exercise. I believe that the government needs to build more bike lanes in order to make the roads safer for cyclists and to encourage individuals to use cycling to get to work, the shops or where ever else they may want to go.

Foul mouthed student escapes all charges

A university student's parting shot at a Bondi Junction police officer has reignited debate over what constitutes offensive language.

Science student Henry Grech, 22, had an offensive language charge against him reportedly cleared in Waverley Local Court yesterday after NSW magistrate Robbie Williams decided the word "prick" would not offend a "reasonable person".

The decision has been slammed by the police union and media commentators, who criticised Mr Williams for not defending police officers working at the coalface of the criminal justice system.

I believe that magistrate Robbie William’s clearing of all charges against Mr Grech may not have been the appropriate decision. I don’t believe he should have been given a harsh sentence, but a fine or a short stint of community service may have sent the right message to both Mr Grech and the rest of society. It is important for the magistrates and judges to make it clear that acting inappropriately towards police officers is not on, as this maintains a level of respect for the officers and deters individuals from engaging in such behaviour.

Melbourne Storm salary cap scandal

In one of the biggest scandals in rugby league history, the Storm were stripped of two NRL premierships, three minor premierships and fined a total of $1.6 million after being found guilty of long-term salary cap breaches. The salary cap is ultimately designed to prevent big-spending clubs gaining an unfair advantage in the competition.

NRL chief executive David Gallop announced they would also not be allowed to accrue any premiership points in the 2010 season.

The penalty imposed on the Melbourne storm is quite reasonable and certainly not too harsh. No club or official can be allowed to breach rules that are not only for the benefit of all clubs, but which guarantee the honesty of one of the country's major sporting codes. Anything less is to fail the trust of millions of sports followers.

However, I do think the stripping away of any points that they may win in the remainder of this year is one step to far. What has the club left to play for? Why should supporters or players attend any match for the rest of this year? The NRL has ultimately left nothing for the club to start growing from.

Smoking tax rise

Cigarettes will now cost 25 per cent more after the Federal Government announced an excise increase of approximately $2.16 per pack of 30. The rise will provide the government with an extra $5 billion over four years which, along with existing revenues from tobacco, will be directly invested in better health and hospitals. The higher cost of tobacco is expected to encourage about 87,000 smokers to quit.

Furthermore, in a world first, all cigarettes sold in Australia must be contained in plain packaging by 1 July 2012. A government statement said the move would remove one of the last remaining frontiers for cigarette advertising. At the same time the government intends to spend an extra $27.8 million on more hard-hitting advertisements over four years to persuade even more smokers to quit.

THERE is no question, smoking is bad. The long-term effects on individuals' health are well established, with higher rates of heart disease, stroke, lung and other cancers leading to a shorter life expectancy and an often painful l death. Smoking does little for the health system, either, imposing obvious costs in the direct treatment of those conditions. However, will a price increase really persuade smokers to quit? I think not. Tobacco use is an addiction. A price increase will not deter smoking; it will just bolster the thriving black market for cigarettes.

Also, changing the packets will have absolutely no effect. What's the point, if those horrible pictures (of smoking-related diseases) don't turn people off nothing will.

Approved: coal power station equivalent to 2.9 million cars

The NSW state government has approved a new power station at Lithgow despite an independent report warning it would increase the state’s greenhouse gas emissions by 22.9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide each year, a 15.1 per cent rise in NSW's total emissions.

The Arup report, which was commissioned by the Planning Department, found the emissions would be so significant that national efforts to meet carbon reduction targets would be undermined, and the community would bear the cost.

It also found renewable energy sources, such as solar or biomass, had ''not been adequately explored and have not been analysed in a transparent manner''.

The government has argued that only coal or gas-fired generators could meet the state's growing demand for electricity.

The state government’s approval of such an enormous coal-fired power station is, in my opinion, a very misguided decision. The approval seems to consider only the economic impacts of the type of power station to be built and not other factors such as its environmental impacts. Considering the planet is currently undergoing dramatic global warming, a power station which would increase NSW’s greenhouse emissions by 15.1% is not an appropriate solution to the state’s growing energy needs. Renewable energy sources would be the best method of electricity production as they do not produce any greenhouse emissions. However, if this was not possible, due to the high costs of renewable energy, even a gas-fired power station would be preferable to coal as it would produce less than half the emissions of coal.

PRISON BREAK, IN?

IN Sydney a search is underway for an escapee from Long Bay gaol. Andrew Mazzitelli was last seen in the grounds of Long Bay Gaol at midday yesterday. He was serving a sentence for armed robbery. It is suspected he is hiding in Sydney's innerwest suburbs.

On the opposite side of the globe we know that water drains in the opposite direction, twisters turn in the opposite direction and they spell Gaol the other way, but what I never knew is that people over there break in to prison, not out.

In the Netherlands burglars have broken into a prison in the Dutch town of Hoorn and have stolen inmate's television sets. This prison break-in is the second break-in to the same premises in as many months.

ITS HIS LUCKY DAY

Chris Shaw, a convennience store worker from Missouri in the United States today has won $US258 Million. Shaw only recently started working in the convenience store to support his girlfriend and two chilldren. He stated that he only had $28.96 in his account and didn't know how he was going to pay the bills at home. He said with the winnings he plans to repay a friend a $1000 loan, catch up on the bills, visit a dentist to replace his 2 missing front teeth and take the girlfriend and kids to Disney World.

HMMMM, he could probably do that for $8000. I think this story is proof nice guys don't always finish last. I think it couldn't have gone to a more deserving person. Infact he's such a nice guy I might have to make friends with him, Do you think he has facebook?:)

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