National Interest

The National Interest round-up begins in the dangerous Townsville region in North Queensland where, it seems, no one is safe from native fauna.

The Townsville Bulletin reports that wild wallabies are terrorising residents of the Carlyle Gardens retirement village. In the early mornings and late afternoons a 100-strong mob of wallabies runs amok, crashing into cars, scooters and even elderly residents.

Some of the marsupials stand up to a metre high and weigh in at over 30 kilograms - and moving at speed they pose quite a threat to a senior citizen on a walking frame.

Plus: they poo on the patios.

A program to relocate the wild wallabies is underway. But the offenders are resisting capture. And it's understandable that they're reluctant to move. As the North Queensland Wildlife Care president Jim Pollock comments , where else would they get lawns that are green and watered and people planting new plants all the time?

Carlyle Gardens manager Leigh Bradley says it wouldn't be an issue if the wallabies were little and if they sat around minding their own business.

I guess little crocodiles that minded their own business wouldn't be a problem either. But the croc living at the tourist resort of Magnetic Island, off the coast of Townsville, is big - 3.5 metres big.

It was deliberately moved to the Townsville region from Far North Queensland by the Environmental Protection Agency as part of an experiment to study crocodiles homing instincts. Unfortunately, this croc - dubbed Whitey by the locals - seems to have decided that Magnetic Island is home.

According to The Courier-Mail, state Tourism Minister Desley Boyle tried to make the best of a bad job by arguing that crocodiles in urban areas could be a drawcard - an attraction that gives cheap thrills to international visitors.

Well, yes, as long as they don't get too close.

Another danger in Queensland is flying eggs. The Courier-Mail tells us that police on the Gold Coast will be vigilantly patrolling local schools, parks and public places in an effort to reduce incidents of wilful damage and public nuisance during Halloween - especially youth carrying eggs. And you thought Halloween was all about pumpkins!

If you live on the Gold Coast it's probably not the time to ask your son or daughter to whip down to the local shops for some cackleberries so that you can whip up an omelette. Last year police confiscated more than 20 dozen eggs from kids with evil intent. Hopefully they weren't rotten, because the eggs were later donated to a local charity.

And if you live in Tasmania then Hobart's The Mercury suggests your sausages may be suspect. A sanger survey has identified that a staggering 73 per cent of sausages contained species of meat not identified on the label.

So, if you've got a beef with your beef sausage, it could be because it contains chicken, lamb or pork.

Finally, a footnote on last week's edition of the National Interest and our story about proposed changes to the Victorian Local Government Act - changes which would have broadened the definition of conflict of interest.

The changes were criticised as a fundamental attack on grass roots democracy, a law to silence activists by preventing councillors from voting on issues about which they had previously made an objection or submission.

A key supporter of the amendment - Dick Gross, President of the Municipal Association of Victoria - joined me to discuss the legislation... Actually, 'debate' would be a better word since it was a pretty robust conversation.

Anyway, the Victorian Premier John Brumby has now admitted that was ambiguous and the legislation will be re-drafted.

Presenter

Peter Mares

Producer

James Panichi