10 reasons the proposed Road User Tax is bad policy
Here are the 10 main reasons why the planned Road User Tax is flawed and counterproductive for Australia.
Author: Brian Loffler
SA Industry Climate Change Conference
Very much looking forward to this week’s South Australian Industry Climate Change Conference. Last year’s event was very influential in increasing industry ambition on effective climate action, with an emphasis on practical outcomes. It was very well attended and brilliantly organised. Highly recommended.
A new era for New Internationalist in Australia
January 2024 marked the end of a very long and noteworthy era for the New Internationalist magazine in Australia.
In charting how it unfolded, I want to thank those who made such a special contribution to extending the reach of the New Internationalist magazine into so many homes, schools and tertiary classes. The magazine reports on action for global justice. It promotes putting people before profit, climate justice, tax justice, equality, social responsibility and human rights for all.
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The power of the intro… (no not that one)
If you’ve ever played in a band you’ll be familiar with the MD calling “last 8 bars intro”. It’s an easy sure-fire way of getting a song started in the right key and at the right tempo. But it’s also a bit lazy and boring.
A truly great intro can be so much more.
So what are your favourite intros?
I’m going to jump straight to an intro that for me ticks every box: it’s stunningly beautiful; it epitomises the song without giving it all away at the start; it powerfully reappears as an outro; in a handful of bars it deliciously melds the collaboration of arranger, rock artist and orchestra.
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WOMADelaide 2024 – doing my homework!
It must rank among the most pleasurable homework in the world: previewing the performers who are on the bill for WOMADelaide in March 2024. With just over 100 sleeps to go till opening night on 8th March, it’s time!
It’s so easy to get into the swing of it because WOMADelaide have already released a playlist for the 2024 artist lineup on Spotify.
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Fossils folk concert at Victor Harbor
We asked you to save the date – 2pm 10th September 2023 – for our Fossils concert at Newland Uniting in Victor Harbor. Bookings are open now, so please do book to be sure you don’t miss out. There should be tickets available at the door, but remember that our concert last year was so heavily booked that we had to move to a larger venue. So booking now is highly recommended.
You can get your tickets at TryBooking here:
https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1096564
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Music – Society – Planet
A guide to this website
Music
- Gig guide – My upcoming adventures on stage with my friends in folk music and trad jazz are detailed on my Gig Guide.
- WOMADelaide – This is my favourite weekend of the year, and you’ll find some WOMADelaide stories here.
Society
- Inspirational activists – I’ve been lucky enough to meet and interview some extraordinary people, activists who work tirelessly to be on the right side of history: people who know the inequity of the status quo simply isn’t good enough and must be challenged. You’ll find some activist stories here.
Planet
- Saving the planet – It’s a slightly silly phrase – “saving the planet” – because the planet is quite capable of looking after itself. In fact if humans disappeared off the face of the earth, the planet would doubtless do better without us. But what we urgently need to do is to preserve our fragile life-support systems for the sake of future generations. We have a lot of work to do in both climate activism and practical emissions reduction projects. There are some examples of climate action here.
- Urban Ecology Australia – For a couple decades I’ve been a member of Urban Ecology Australia, an organisation that invented a cohesive theory of ecological cities, defined Ecopolis Development Principles, and then set about building a living example of an inner-urban eco-village: Christie Walk. You’ll find posts about my most recent sustainable living adventures here.
Planet Talks at WOMADelaide 2023
WOMADelaide is best known as a glorious long weekend of music and dance from around the world. But Planet Talks also gives some special opportunities for sharing ideas with some of the world’s most inspiring thought leaders and activists who are working on key global environmental and justice issues.
Big ideas to share
For 2023 much of the focus will be on the First Nations Voice to Parliament, the Race to Netzero, Rights for Nature and Crimes Against Nature.
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Don’t miss the special live jazz we have for you
South Coast Jazz Festival – Goolwa
These are huge months for jazz around Adelaide and SA. The South Coast Jazz Festival at Goolwa – which was packed out last year – promises to be even bigger next weekend (14th-16th Oct 2022) as we welcome interstate bands to the Festival for the first time since borders reopened. There will be plenty to choose from, spread across four stages in beautiful Goolwa.
Pippa Wilson
One not to be missed is Melbourne’s Lady of Jazz, vocalist Pippa Wilson. Her velvety voice is a treasure. She’ll be featured at the Festival at 6pm Friday, 1pm & 7pm Saturday and 4pm Sunday.
If you can’t make it to the Festival, Pippa and her Jazz Notes band will be the feature band at the remarkable Southern Jazz Club on Tuesday 11th Oct.
I say “remarkable” Southern Jazz Club because this club meets every Tuesday at the HWY (corner Anzac Hwy & Marion Rd), and continues to thrive with a big enthusiastic crowd each week. Jazz is best enjoyed live, and the Southern Jazz Club does it so well.
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Fossils live – concert to aid Bridgewater Arts Centre
POST-CONCERT UPDATE: Thank you so much to the enthusiastic audience and volunteer supporters who joined us for the concert on July 2nd; it was marvellous to see so many appreciative, smiling faces in the auditorium. Thanks to you all we raised over $2,000 for the Bridgewater Arts Centre; a big boost for the Centre’s program.
Since Fossils formed in 2014, our concerts have now raised $39,000 for welfare, health equity and arts programs. And we’ve had so much fun doing it!
UPDATE: Due to popular demand, Fossils has now moved Saturday’s concert to a larger venue. It will be at the Aldgate Village Well, 54 Strathalbyn Rd, Aldgate SA 5154.
Tickets are still available, so bring your friends:
– TryBooking: trybooking.com/BYVNH
– Moshtix: https://umbrellafestival.com.au/events/multi-aria-award-winner-peter-combe-oam-and-fossils/
It’s been a very tough time for musicians, arts-workers and performance venues during the pandemic, so we’re delighted to help with this fundraiser for the Bridgewater Arts Centre on Saturday evening, July 2nd 2022.
Local venues like the Bridgewater Arts Centre are hugely important for the development of new talent; the next generation of artists and musicians. These Centres have ongoing costs, no matter whether they’re open for business or closed for COVID, so fundraising is vital for their survival.
Buy your concert tickets now at trybooking.com/BYVNH and get ready for a wonderful evening of stirring harmony singing and exquisite acoustic guitars, as we bring you the best of music from Peter, Paul & Mary, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Simon & Garfunkel and The Beatles.
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