onetrack

And for carrying Mother, when you couldn't afford a car.

"If you can dream it, you can do it". Universally attributed as a saying, to Walt Disney - but the experts claim it was an advertising executive working for GE, who wrote it on a GE recruiting brochure.

Wasn't BMW the original 2WD motorcyle/sidecar combination of WW2? Did Ural copy them?

The only thing needed for munitions storage is a large cleared area in a rural location, with substantial earth bunds around the perimeter to deflect any detonated munitions blast. Then they just set out sea containers at spaced intervals to store the munitions. If large missiles are needed to be stored, these may require a concrete and earth hardened bunker. Not much threat to us, but the earthmovers and concrete suppliers will be clinking champagne glasses when they get the construction job.

Good ol' Jimmy Buffet, one of my favorite singers! - "Cheeseburger in Paradise".

They would need to double or triple the size of the audit teams to be able to deal with the amount of "collectibles" of modest value, that regularly change hands. So much of it is done in cash transactions.

Nev, I havn't been in business for many years. This is just my retirement hobby. I get no tax deductions for anything!

I have a yard full of "collectibles". Most others view my "collectibles" as "junk". I just have to convince the ATO when I make a killing selling one of my "collectibles", that it's not taxable! 😄

While the Govt tries to exact small amounts of tax on collectable items hoarded by working class individuals, they let global corporations and billionaires get away with paying bugger-all tax on multi-million dollar profits, because it's "too hard" to stop their innovative and devious loophole-finding tax arrangements.

"The more things change, the more they stay the same". Originally coined by French critic Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr in 1849, as "plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose".

The ABC has a very good and highly relevant article on the current death of democracy, brought about by a common failure to tax billionaires, which leads to autocracy, and therefore excessive concentration of important decision-making power, into a small number of unelected super-rich people. What the article fails to include, is the point that concentration of wealth in just a few peoples hands, leads to a constant cost squeeze on the middle class and working class, who end up bearing the brunt of the taxation payments. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-06-17/democracy-cannot-survive-trillionaires-gabriel-zucman-elon-musk/106798842

From the Shovel (a satirical mag, in case you had to ask) .....

It appears as if quite a number of councils are really badly run, regardless of the State of Australia they're in. Here on the left coast, we've had quite a few councillors suspended, and their council placed under administration. The suspensions usually come about because of council infighting that makes the council dysfunctional. So the W.A. Govt steps in and appoints an Adminstrator for the Council until new elections are held. In some cases, the council is placed into Administration due to essentially becoming bankrupt due to poor financial planning, bad management, and gold-plated local projects. The Coolgardie Shire Council is typical, they went and built a massive mining accommodation camp, then COVID hit, and they ended up with a half-empty camp and a huge debt. I think the Camp cost around $45M, and there was still about $25M owing on it, when the Govt stepped in with a Strict Monitoring Plan, whereby the Council has to show it can regain proper financial and management control of its operations. The Coogardie Council Primary problems included: Financial Distress: The Shire recorded significant multi-million-dollar budget deficits and incurred liabilities exceeding assets, casting doubt on its viability. This resulted in deferred infrastructure projects, ratepayer protests, and community-led overhaul initiatives. Administrative Mismanagement: The Auditor-General’s audit highlighted that the council used restricted funds to cover shortfalls, failed to follow purchasing policies for a $1-million housing project, and paid out $150,000 to settle two unfair dismissal claims. Remote Work Controversy: The audit exposed that a senior employee was permitted to work remotely from the Caribbean island of Montserrat for almost a year, improperly drawing a council salary. Executive Turmoil: Long-serving Chief Executive James Trail was suspended following workplace culture investigations and subsequently left the council. The Chief Financial Officer was also suspended, requiring the Shire to implement an ongoing Financial Recovery Plan. I am very fortunate to live in the City of Stirling, which is well-run, has minimal debt, no "councillor-enhancing" projects, and has only very modest increases in rates, year on year. The City of Stirling rate increases have ranged from 2.95% to 4.9% annually over the last few years, with this year being the biggest at 4.9%. The City had to cope with a major Auditor-Generals upwards revaluation of Gross Rental Values right across the entire City in 2025, and they reduced the "rate-in-the-dollar" charges to reduce any major impact on residents rate bills. They're the biggest Council in W.A., with 254,000 residents, and they have to look after around 105 sq kms of very intensely developed surburbia. I read an article earlier today, where Albury is looking at a 42% increase in rates over the next 2 years! That is unbelievable! Either the residents have been getting dirt-cheap rates for too long, or the council has been too exuberant with its spending. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-06-16/albury-council-looks-to-steeply-increase-rates/106802924

No, I think Brendan has a major anger management problem, and he needs to address that, before he can hold a respectful and courteous discussion without ranting.

Fire levies are based on user pays. Rural property owners are wealthy people, they can afford to pay more for firefighting services, than someone living in a city apartment or house - and the farming properties are the places where the biggest fires develop, and need the biggest number of high-cost equipment. I seem to recall all the fire brigades have received hundreds of millions worth of new trucks and equipment in recent times - all due to whinging by farmers. Someone has to pay for it. I own a bare 2000 sq m industrial block in a country town, yet I still have to pay a very substantial fire levy, despite my fire loss risk being virtually zero. All the firies are running around in brand new 4WD Isuzu trucks and V8 diesel Landcruisers, I wish I could afford all the new equipment they get, on a regular basis.