BUSH FAMILY FUN
QUEENSLAND’S rapidly expanding gas exportation market is blamed for pushing up electricity prices across Australia with experts fearful a gas shortage could lead to widespread blackouts in NSW.
Rising gas prices means Australians now pay a higher wholesale price for the gas we produce than what it is sold for in Japan.
The situation has been slammed as “embarrassing” by leading energy economist Bruce Robertson, who said the “gas cartel” that controls the market were ripping off Australians.
The Australian Energy Regulator’s State of the Market report identifies gas prices as one of the major factors pushing up electricity prices.
The report notes that the exportation of liquefied natural gas ( LNG) has caused “significant disruption” to the domestic market and caused record high prices.
Queensland supplies 70 per cent of gas in eastern Australia, but a whopping 58 per cent is now being exported from Queensland as LNG.
The report says “high gas prices” is hurting gas- powered generation, which has become “vital” to the “security” of the electricity supply as coal- fired generators exit the market. WOMEN who have babies in their 30s can live longer, a new study says.
Researchers compared the life expectancies of older women with the age they were when they gave birth and found that women who had children later were more likely to live for longer than those who gave birth in their teens and 20s.
Fertility experts warn that women should start trying for a child before they are in their 30s, otherwise they risk being unable to conceive because of the decline in the quality and quantity of their eggs.
But the new study, published in the Journal Of Public Health, has thrown fresh light on the issue and says women who conceive later in life are more likely to die later, too.
Its report said “as the age of pregnancy increases, so does the life expectancy of the women at 65”.
In other words, the older women are when giving birth, the longer they live.
The study, by researchers at the University of Coimbra in Portugal, examined data from all European Union nations. THE Quamby Rodeo is fast becoming a quintessential North Queensland outback event with eager punters coming in the hundreds and hundreds to see the red dust fly at the site 44km north of Cloncurry.
Among the 2000 campers were families from nearby stations and towns mixing with rubbernecking backpackers and grey nomads, all with one aim of having a good time and watching ringers compete for the prize and bragging rights.
There was the bull ride, barrel races, the bronc ride, a wild donkey ride with the most popular being the station hand buckjump where competitors had to crack a whip as they tried to stay on their bucking horse.
Committee member Allan Abby was blown away by the number of people camping.
“Every year we cater for a little bit more and every year we seem to run a little short,” he said. “They come out of Mount Isa, they come out of Townsville, they seem to come from everywhere to come out and camp and spend a weekend in the outback and enjoy an old traditional outback rodeo where what you see is what you get.
“They see local lads have a go on stock from nearby properties where anything can and will happen.
“We have always tried to make it a family day where mum and dad can come along with free entertainment for the kids including a jumping castle and mechanical bull and mum and dad can sit back and watch the rodeo,” Mr Abby said.
Ringer Dan Turnbull from Cannodie Station, north east of Cloncurry, came to Quamby to compete in the bronc ride and the station hand buckjump.
Originally from Dorrigo in NSW the friendly 22- year- old was busy adjusting his saddle behind the chutes and had come back to defend his station hand buckjump title he won last year.
“I reckon it’s a good little show, plenty of people come and it’s a good rodeo,” he said.
He was looking forward to catching up with his mates at the bush bar after the rodeo.
“We will go around and have a few beers,” he said with a grin.