![A recent report slammed every aspect of the APVMA's internal workings. A recent report slammed every aspect of the APVMA's internal workings.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/36FM9qHpEAtS8daVXYFgHBA/a5b7c8c2-e492-455c-9902-ab5afedfda4f.jpg/r0_0_1038_583_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Is Joyce incompetent?
The level of brazen, self-serving pork barrelling by Barnaby Joyce in moving an important federal agency to Armidale is astounding.
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Not only did Mr Joyce blatantly favour his own electorate, he claimed that the move was part of a decentralisation process and brought the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority closer to those it served. There are numerous small cities in rural Australia: why Armidale in particular?
This anti-Canberra move not only caused turmoil, loss of staff, expertise and corporate knowledge, it was found by a Clayton Utz inquiry to have brought the APVMA "too close to industry". One can only wonder if Barnaby Joyce can do anything right.
Dr Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin
Barnaby
If anyone needed convincing that renewables are the way forward to a clean energy future then Barnaby Joyce's opposition should be the clinching argument (Blaming renewables for pricey power is complete rubbish, business says ,17/7). Whilst all credible expert opinion demonstrably shows that renewables are by far the cheapest for of electricity production the New England MP, whose coherency of argument has always been questionable, begs to differ. He seems to think he knows better, and has decided that his opinion carries equal weight with industry and scientific experts. This is the Barnaby Joyce who gleefully predicted that the Sunday roast would cost $100, still haven't got their over a decade later, maybe in 20 years' time inflation will finally make Barnaby's bizarre prediction correct. In the meantime I'll will put my faith with the experts who actually know what they are talking about.
Ross Hudson, Mount Martha, VIC
Barnaby's call to march on parliament
Interesting to see Barnaby's push for people against renewables to march on parliament. A pity he wasn't so passionate about protecting groundwater security, farmland and the environment generally when it comes to gas in the Pilliga and mining and gas projects on the Liverpool plains. But what could induce someone from the Mining, Big Business and Self Interest Party to be so anti the NEREZ (that the coalition put in place!)?
Apparently HIS family property will be affected! So now it's a problem, apparently.
Wayne Collison, Loomberah
An Arts Precinct
I read with interest (NDL July 17,2023) of Council's decision to proceed with a multi million "Country Music and Equine Centre of Excellence". Presumably this is to attract visitors - make Tamworth great - whatever else Council can dream up? Way back in 1988 Bill Gleeson held concerts in his home and we had a group of very enthusiastic people raising funds for a performing arts centre. We have come a long way with Peter Ross now running a very successful Capitol Theatre. But Tamworth has grown enormously. There are plans which were on display and approved combining Art Gallery, Library, Conservatorium and Performing Arts Centre - a beautiful concept and in my opinion a centre of enormous importance to a growing city? What is your problem members of Council - it seems to me that you are incapable of seeing the huge benefits of this type of development to the North West area and to your beautiful city? Please think of the cultural interests and needs of your citizens.
Ruth Blakely, Tamworth
Wastage of taxpayer money
Barnaby Joyce's decision to move the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) to Armidale has proven to be another cluster cock-up. It will probably result in a move back to Canberra. What a massive "told you so"!
The Clayton Utz report found the decision to move the regulator to Armidale resulted in a loss of corporate knowledge, loss of corporate culture and a loss of experience and knowledge of public sector values. In other words a complete failure resulting in the resignations of the the APVMA's chair and CEO.
It was estimated at the time that the cost to the taxpayer of the move to Armidale would be in the vicinity of $25 million. Barnaby must be in the running for the Guinness Book of Records record for "most amount of waste of taxpayers money by a government minister".
Denise McHugh, Hillvue
Cost of renewables
With reference to the article "Blaming renewables for pricey power is 'complete rubbish', business says" (17 July 2023), the issue of intermittent renewables and rising energy prices is anything but obscure. It is more a matter and observation and common sense - not intrigue and guess work.
Firstly, when making international comparisons, countries with the highest penetration of intermittent renewable energy sources per capita such as wind and solar PV coincidently have by far the highest energy prices. Examples include Denmark and Germany. Electricity prices in Demark and Germany are more than triple of those in the USA and six times higher than those of China. Not surprisingly, Denmark generates about 55 per cent from wind energy, Germany about 25 per cent, whereas the USA generates about 9 per cent from wind and China only about 6 per cent.
Unlike conventional sources of electricity production, the output of intermittent renewables can not be controlled and can vary wildly from season to season, day to day and from hour to hour. Essentially countries with renewables end up with two parallel electricity generating systems: one when the wind blows hard and sun shines bright, and another to keep things going at all other times. The grid becomes complex and ends up with numerous back-up solutions such as batteries, hydro, hydrogen, not to mention gas and diesel generators...To make matters even worse, whole new networks of transmission lines become necessary, because getting energy from one region to another at short notice simply can't be done with the current grid setup.
What are the estimated costs of the Australian renewable energy dream? The new transmission lines will apparently cost $12 billion - assuming no blowout in costs. For the rest of it, Net Zero suggests that $1.5 trillion is required to meet the 2030 renewable energy targets. In total that is just under one year of Australia's economic output. If this is achieved in the next seven years, then that means the one seventh of Australia's economic output will have to be dedicated towards this new renewables setup. Good luck trying to find all that investment in the first place, but even if that were possible, then there is no hope of taming inflation or achieving much else as a nation for the foreseeable future. The bad news: wind turbines and solar panels only last about 20 years, so how will this process be repeated in future before destroying Australia economically and clogging up the country with unprecedented waste?
Where do the costs of renewables stop? A quick glance over the renewable energy zone map produced by AEMO suggests that about one third of Eastern Australia will be become renewable energy zones - not to mention the existing projects that already cover vast areas of rural Australia. Where will that leave the countless farmers who may struggle with the noise issues; the decreased output of agricultural land; the cumulative environmental impacts?
I think Barnaby Joyce is giving us a reality check; he is being politically controversial, but sincere. If there is anyone that is serving us "complete rubbish", I feel that is the renewables industry.
George Papadopoulos, Kellys Plains
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