Blind Corporate Ethics

Let's take a trip to fantasy-land.

Pretend that you live in a South American country ... Brazil for instance, maybe you've got a run-of-the-mill little house in a city - Rio de Janeiro perhaps.

And you work for a fictitious company that sells timber. Let's call it, umm, I dunno ... how about Rio Timber. Yeah, that works.

Anyway, Rio Timber sells vast quantities of timber around the world, in fact, they're so successful at this that they are one of the world leaders in their chosen business. What makes them so great is that they have a vertical integrated business model - that means they invest in the whole process of timber sales.

For instance: they harvest the timber, they mill it, they sell the waste product chippings, they even refine the timber into better products.

Rio Timber is a good company to work for.

They're aware that the world needs their product. God knows, timber is a valuable resource for many things. Houses, furnishings, cricket bats ... matches.

Anyway, Rio Timber was targeted early on in their business for their terrible record of social and environmental sustainability. It wasn't that the workers didn't care - it was just that nobody knew who was accountable.

Eventually the big wigs cottoned on - they were accountable. And in the newly globalised world they were even more accountable. The new media would make sure of that. Corporate governence watchdogs had even jailed perpetrators, which suggested that in the coming decade these decision-makers would be held personally and legally accountable - their present-day decisions would now shadow their entire careers. Such a thing once seemed so implausible, until management began to realise the groundswell of support for global change. The average punter in the street knew the world needed Rio Timber's products - they also knew they wanted them processed in an ethical way. They didn't want rampant growth at all cost.

The company got smart.

They took note of the wide spread habitat destruction, the failed regeneration, the disgruntled employees - and they made a commitment. Those who made harvesting decisions needed better education and they needed to be held accountable for their actions.

It was a new dawn for the timber industry - Rio Timber knew that generations to come would be impacted by their actions. At first their share price dived ... the analysts wanted more product shifted, higher margins - at a lower cost.

The workers, however, wanted a good job. They wanted clean waterways for their children to enjoy. Access to their favourite campsites maintained - they wanted a lifestyle worth preserving. As it turns out, the rest of the world wanted that too.

And Rio Timber provided it.


Sorry, but it's time to wake up guys ... you're in a fantasy.

All Mine - Please Share

An Initial Public Offering (IPO or share float) is proposed for the bauxite explorer Cape Alumina for mid 2008.

Cape Alumina is 40 per cent owned by Brisbane-based Metallica Minerals Ltd and is developing a Weipa bauxite project.

A 100% owned subsidiary of Metallica Minerals Ltd (ASX: MLM)] called Oresome Australia is also conducting an exploration program with Matilda Minerals (ASX: MAL) at the Urquhart Point mineral sand deposit, which is part of Matilda's Cape York Project.

The deposit is located 2km across Albatross Bay.

They also have interest in a few kilometres of beach frontage you might have heard of ... some call it the Western Cape!

Show me the money

Current Aluminium Futures Price (per metric ton) = $2614.750

Let's assume Weipa produces approximately 16 million tonnes of bauxite per annum according to this site. It is increasing as this is a 2006 figure.

Apparently it takes 4 tonnes of bauxite to make 2 tonnes of Alumina which in turn makes 1 tonne of Aluminium. Riveting info isn't it ... but stay with me.

Therefore 16mil tonnes of those red balls produces 4mil tonnes of the shiny alloy stuff.

Total gross: 4,000, 000 x $2614.750 = about 10.5 billion bucks.

That's ten THOUSAND MILLION dollars - less a few quid to run the mine, smelter and refinery, I suppose.

Proving that digging dirt as fast as you can will not only make you filthy ... it'll make you filthy bloody rich.

Intervention Ahead

According to this article in the Courier Mail - Premier Anna Bligh is toying with the idea of recalling police on detachment in airports and overseas ahead of a state-led intervention to Cape York communities.

Aboriginal mayors from the 17 indigenous communities are expected to have a chin-wag with the top-dog politico next month to talk about the introduction of proposed welfare reform on the Cape.

Child sex, violence, drugs, pornography, petrol sniffing and alcohol abuse are rife in some of the more dysfunctional townships.

The Premier wrote to local member for Cook, Jason O'Brien, and ruled out the army or federal police as domestic security in the intervention.

Even so, Bligh has suggested a recall of the 140 Queensland police positions seconded to AFP duties at the Gold Coast, Brisbane and Cairns airports as well as those serving in Timor, the Solomons, and the Northern Territory.

I've got nothing funny to add to this post, especially when you take into account this info on the Sydney Morning Herald site:

Queensland police confirmed they were investigating claims made last month by a six-year-old boy in the Aboriginal community of Kowanyama that he had been the victim of repeated sexual abuse by his nine-year-old cousin and other older boys.

Sure, it's a bloody joke this kind of behaviour - whether it's from white or black communities - but it sure ain't a funny one.

Killer Plant Found in Cape York

There's a Rat Eating Plant up in the Cape according to this ABC news article.

The article suggests that the plant is a newly found species of the pitcher plant and the bugger eats small rats ... a pity it didn't eat a few tourists or a couple of arseholes from around here.

Pitcher plants are the suckers that usually eat flies and other little tasties, here's a pic of a couple:

The new species has been called "Tenax" - possibly because they're so dangerous you need ten axes to kill them ... or possibly not.

Free Beer

Apparently QantasLink has retained the Cairns to Weipa air service, which I guess means that the free beverages will remain. Pheww ...

The flying kangaroo will be visiting (and leaving) town with a larger, faster 72-seat Bombardier Q400 turboprop aircraft. This state of the art jet - correction - propeller plane will supposedly cut travel time by 15mintues. Which means you'll only be an hour and a half late on the days they can't get their shit together.

According to the press crap: Three additional services per week to Cairns and to Horn Island providing 16 return services per week and an increase of 59% capacity with triple daily services on Monday / Wednesday / Friday and double daily services on Tuesday / Thursday / Sunday.

And here's the interesting bit:

Significant fare reductions for all fare types (the Qld Gov is chipping in, so you'll still be paying in some other form).

Including the introduction of a new residents-only fare, cutting the lowest priced fare from Weipa to Cairns by $60 or 40 percent to just $89.

89 bucks ... you bloody ripper. That's cheaper than two cartons of beer in Weipa ... plus they give you a free beer on board.

I guess I should take back every nasty, bitchy complaint I ever made about them.

Nah, stuff em.

Rub a dub pub

The Albatross Hotel is allegedly on the market.

A big name hotelier from Cairns just may be interested in the drinking establishment after going on a buying spree up north.

What's an alcohol licence combined with copious amounts of accommodation and vast freehold land worth in Weipa?

More than a pot of XXXX is our guess. Mind you a pot of amber ale is pretty steep up here.

Pathetic Apathy

I was going to post something about how apathetic people are in Weipa when it comes to their town -- but I really couldn't be arsed.

Let teachers walk to work

Ever tried parking near the school, how safe are our children in the rush.
Will the parking meters I hear about improve things?

Whose land is it?

Expanding the town bounderies out means more state land Rio can develope. So why is it so expensive for non elite Rio people to buy a block?

For Sale: Real Estate ... office

Did he do it?

There's talk around town that Weipa Real Estate may be - or already has - changed hands.

Unreal Estate

Couple of properties on realestate.com.au in the last few weeks.

One set of two units was listed at $620,000 and went under contract for an unknown price.

The next unit is this one:

Realestate still seems like a good investment in Weipa.

I wonder how many people are keen to buy in the new Golf Links Estate looking for a quick buck?

Or do you think that time has been and gone?

Thanks

The rain really did a number on the pot holes this new year, so thanks to the road crew who fixed all the potholes around town.

Thanks also to the kind soul who winched my dual-cab out of one before the road crew fixed them!

Winter Woolies

If there's one thing that sends winter-like chills down resident's spines it has to be shopping in the metropolis of Weipa.

It's brilliant getting the 'everyday low prices' that are on offer, but we wonder if it's a little too much to ask for proper 'fresh food' people?

Sure, we're aware that the nosh comes by a weekly barge pulled by blind dugongs, so it's never going to be 'FRESH' fresh. But do the avocados have to be that crap, or the pineapples that green, yet mushy inside?

Maybe I should complain?

Apparently the Weipa branch of this store is under certain directives ... "make more money" is possibly high on that list.

Swimming Fool

Only another few weeks and the swimming pool (sports complex) will be ready for use.

Well, that's what the plan was wasn't it - February opening? Maybe it was just an unfounded rumour.

Vyces Vice

What the ...?

Rumour is that access to Vyces Crossing will be restricted in the coming months due some large mining company allegedly wanting to mine the area.

Maybe one day the crossing will become the next 6 tunnels.

"Honestly, Minister Garrett, the water just evaporated."

Chock-a-Block

Word around town is that one of the 43 blocks at the Golf Links Estate - that are to be sold via ballot only - has already been reserved!!

The u-beaut Block number 28(?) is allegedly reserved for either Rio Tinto or a Rio Tinto employee. We haven't sought comment from RTA because, well... because we don't seek to clarify any of the rumours on this site.

We just post them willy-nilly with little fore- or after-thought.

Anyone have any info on this? And do you think how the blocks are being sold is fair?

Or do you even care?

Weipa Wonders

Is it only me who thinks it a little strange and completely unacceptable that in Weipa a Pom can confer Australian Citizenship, yes the Rio Tinto Alcan GM. I don't think he ever has done this as we do have Aussie Elvis, who can also handle the task.