Friday 11 February 2011

ET brought a lemon - Stupid rich people and that Cyclone

Stupid rich people's toys.
Port Hinchinbrook post Cyclone Yasi
Most of my posts about Cyclone Yasi (and the SE Qld flood for that matter) have at some point discussed stupid rich people buying or building houses in stupid places (like foreshore sand dunes).

There is no better example of this apparently universal malaise (so energetically supported by planning authorities) than Port Hinchinbook just south of Cardwell.  If you're interested in stupid rich people getting sucked in by property developers to build in stupid places have a read of Critics predicted damage to Port Hinchinbrook by Matthew Moore and Tom Reilly at the SMH but note, their piece doesn't even begin to touch on the graft and corruption that enabled Williams to develop the Port Hinchinbrook site (think Jo and the White Shoe Brigade).

And if you need an example of how stupid stupid rich people really can be, check out this little report from the Nine News site on Andrew Ettingshausen's plans to return to Port Hinchinbrook.  Of course, no mention that he really doesn't have much choice given that he failed to sell his property in 2009 and that it would have been failing in value ever since (and would now be even more unsaleable).

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

July 2012: Bob Katter and Wayne Swann are in league to do this all over again, at Mission Beach.

Having deduced that "Port Hinchinbrook" is not a "safe harbour", they have agreed that a safe harbour will be created by merely building a rock wall off Mission Beach.

For those unfamiliar with the FNQ coats, "Port Hinchinbrook" has the length and height of Hinchinbrook Island a few miles to windward, and was still not safe; Mission Beach is on a wide-open lee shore - it has no protection at all.

Storm surge (the result of low atmospheric pressure in a cyclone) reached around 6-7 metres in Cardwell and 3 metres in Townsville during Cyclone Yasi.


Wayne Swann has already transferred $5.5 million to the state of Queensland for the purpose, thus preempting the proper decision of the Commonwealth Environment Minister under the EPBC Act.

Not to mention leaving out the local council (Cassowary Coast Regional Council), who read about it in the media.