34 JUNE 3, 2012 HOME DELIVERY - CALL 1800 198 051 PUB: SDT 3-JUN-2012 08:20 31May12 STREETS 34 CMYK 7 8 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 dmin dmax 34 NEWS Fighting back: A red crab on Christmas Island. Picture: Australian Geographic/Justin Gilligan Crabs nip ahead of crazy killers Sonia Kohlbacher THE famous red crabs of Christmas Island are clawing their way back. For the past 20 years the crab population has been decimated by the yellow crazy ant, which was accidentally introduced to the island in 1915. The crabs, a main attraction for tourists hoping to see their migration, were numbered at 120 million a few years ago. But the ant plague reduced their numbers by half. The ants attack the crabs and spray formic acid, which enters their gills and eyes which evidently kills them. Parks Australia has previously relied on insecticide-based baiting to kill the ants. It is effective, but rangers are limited to the areas they can target because the insecticide is also fatal for the crabs. Tanya Detto, from Parks Australia, says it is now targeting scale insects which provide a food source for the ants. Car-park hogs Council spies on peak beach zones Glenn Cordingley COTTESLOE Mayor Kevin Morgan wants parking fines in the iconic beachside suburb to be steeper depending on when they are issued. ‘‘I think if people are being unfair and hogging car bays for longer than they should during a peak- period on a particularly hot day, forcing other people to walk further rather than catch a train and free shuttle bus, I would have very little sympathy if we were allowed to adjust the level of penalty according to the time of day,’’ he said. ‘‘I am making inquiries into this.’’ Any increase in fines would require changes to the local law. Parking in the Town of Cottesloe is free but in- fringements of $50 to $100 are issued, depending on the zones and time limits. The council this week agreed to saturate its town centre with 195 parking sensors to detect vehicles parked longer than per- mitted. It will spend $76,000 on the under- ground devices, costing about $390 a bay. They prompt rangers to issue fines when time limits expire. The council installed 550 around its seafront in 2008, which coincided with yearly income rising by $300,000. Total parking revenue in 2010-11 was $645,000, compared with $344,000 in 2007-08. The new MeterEye sen- sors provided by Car Park- ing Technologies will be installed in the next finan- cial year. Mr Morgan agreed the technology was a revenue raiser, but argued it saved valuable staff hours. ‘‘They . . . save us sending out three or four rangers to chalk tyres,’’ he said. Council said fine rev- enue was expected to drop to $480,000 this financial year, It said the rises between 2008-10 were largely due to increases in parking fines. Kids’ campaign fails to deliver Phil Hickey WA is short of more than 50 child protection wor- kers, despite the State Government spending $16,000 on a two-month overseas recruitment cam- paign to plug the shortfall. The Sunday Times re- vealed last year the De- partment for Child Protec- tion needed 77 more child protection workers. The Government con- ceded 56 were still needed almost three months after the British recruitment campaign ended. The campaign, Work and Play in WA, was for psychologists and other key staff. Thirty applicants were interviewed from 81 contenders. Child Protection Minis- ter Robyn McSweeney said 17 were successful. Five were due to arrive this week with the rest ‘‘placed and relocated as suitable positions arise’’, she said. Opposition child protec- tion spokeswoman Sue Ellery said: ‘‘I would be con- cerned that the expendi- ture of $16,000 has not even addressed half of the gap that we know exists in child protection workers.’’ See www.dcp.wa.gov.au. 1300 797 847 Go to the travel section for more fantastic deals. Flying Virgin Australia Las Vegas & Los Angeles Return from $ 1937 * * For full terms and conditions please refer to the Flight Centre advertisement. Flight Centre Limited (ABN 25 003 377 188) trading as Flight Centre. Licence No. 9TA 589. pst_3jun_8x2_fc
Sunday Times - 03/06/2012
Oct 26, 2014
Picture story about the Christmas Island Red Crab.
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34 JUNE 3, 2012 HOME DELIVERY - CALL 1800 198 051
PU
B:S
DT
3-JUN
-201208:20
31May12
STR
EETS34
CMYK
78
1020
3040
5060
7080
90dm
indm
ax
34 NEWS
Fighting back: A red crab on Christmas Island.Picture: Australian Geographic/Justin Gilligan
Crabs nip aheadof crazy killers
Sonia Kohlbacher
THE famous red crabs ofChristmas Island areclawing their way back.
For the past 20 years thecrab population has beendecimated by the yellowcrazy ant, which wasaccidentally introduced tothe island in 1915.
The crabs, a mainattraction for touristshoping to see theirmigration, were numberedat 120 million a few yearsago.
But the ant plaguereduced their numbers by
half. The ants attack thecrabs and spray formicacid, which enters theirgills and eyes whichevidently kills them.
Parks Australia haspreviously relied oninsecticide-based baiting tokill the ants.
It is effective, butrangers are limited to theareas they can targetbecause the insecticide isalso fatal for the crabs.
Tanya Detto, from ParksAustralia, says it is nowtargeting scale insectswhich provide a foodsource for the ants.
Car-park hogsCouncil spies on peak beach zones
Glenn Cordingley
COTTESLOE MayorKevin Morgan wantsparking fines in the iconicbeachside suburb to besteeper depending onwhen they are issued.
‘‘I think if people arebeing unfair and hoggingcar bays for longer thanthey should during a peak-period on a particularlyhot day, forcing otherpeople to walk furtherrather than catch a trainand free shuttle bus, Iwould have very little
sympathy if we were allowedto adjust the level ofpenalty according to thetime of day,’’ he said. ‘‘I ammaking inquiries intothis.’’
Any increase in fineswould require changes tothe local law.
Parking in the Town ofCottesloe is free but in-fringements of $50 to $100are issued, depending onthe zones and time limits.
The council this weekagreed to saturate its towncentre with 195 parkingsensors to detect vehicles
parked longer than per-mitted. It will spend$76,000 on the under-ground devices, costingabout $390 a bay.
They prompt rangers toissue fines when timelimits expire.
The council installed550 around its seafront in2008, which coincidedwith yearly income risingby $300,000.
Total parking revenuein 2010-11 was $645,000,compared with $344,000in 2007-08.
The new MeterEye sen-
sors provided by Car Park-ing Technologies will beinstalled in the next finan-cial year.
Mr Morgan agreed thetechnology was a revenueraiser, but argued it savedvaluable staff hours.
‘‘They . . . save us sendingout three or four rangers tochalk tyres,’’ he said.
Council said fine rev-enue was expected to dropto $480,000 this financialyear, It said the risesbetween 2008-10 werelargely due to increases inparking fines.
Kids’ campaignfails to deliver
Phil Hickey
WA is short of more than50 child protection wor-kers, despite the StateGovernment spending$16,000 on a two-monthoverseas recruitment cam-paign to plug the shortfall.
The Sunday Times re-vealed last year the De-partment for Child Protec-tion needed 77 more childprotection workers.
The Government con-ceded 56 were still neededalmost three months afterthe British recruitmentcampaign ended.
The campaign, Workand Play in WA, was for
psychologists and otherkey staff. Thirty applicantswere interviewed from 81contenders.
Child Protection Minis-ter Robyn McSweeney said17 were successful. Fivewere due to arrive thisweek with the rest ‘‘placedand relocated as suitablepositions arise’’, she said.
Opposition child protec-tion spokeswoman Sue Ellerysaid: ‘‘I would be con-cerned that the expendi-ture of $16,000 has noteven addressed half of thegap that we know exists inchild protection workers.’’
See www.dcp.wa.gov.au.
1300 797 847Go to the travel section for more fantastic deals.
Flying Virgin Australia
Las Vegas & Los Angeles
Return
from$1937*
*For full terms and conditions please refer to the Flight Centre advertisement. Flight Centre Limited (ABN 25 003 377 188) trading as Flight Centre. Licence No. 9TA 589. pst_3jun_8x2_fc
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