by Jim O’Toole
Sea Swift, a name synonymous with Far Northern Queensland and Northern Territory Aboriginal communities, is the life line that sustains remote townships along the northern seaboard.
Now owned by the Queensland Investment Corporation, a Queensland Government Company, Sea Swift barges can be seen plying between Cairns and every coastal community to Darwin.
Industry sources said QIC paid an unconfirmed $300 million in 2019 for the freight company which services much of Northern Australia including the Torres Strait, Gulf of Carpentaria and the mining township of Weipa.
QIC Global Real Estate’s (GRE) flagship funds, the QIC Property Fund and QIC Shopping Centre Fund, achieved an annualised since inception return of 8.61% and 7.74%5 respectively for the financial year to 30 June 2020. GRE’s Assets Under Management was circa $17.75 billion (US$12.2 billion) at 30 June 2020.
All community foodstuffs and fuel are carried by Sea Swift but their freight charges have increased by 32 per cent over the past 12 months taking staple food prices beyond the reach of community members.
A food wholesaler told Cairns News prices have gone through the roof giving an example of powdered milk which has increased by 50 per cent in price.
“The fuel levy on Sea Swift freight has risen from 6% to 38.38%,” he said.
“A consignment of bottled water sent to Yam Island cost $317.95 to buy. In this case the consignment consists of 20 cartons of 600ml water, 15 cartons of 1.5ltr water and 4 cartons of 250ml water.
“After adding all the extra charges the water cost $462.07 plus ‘Other Fees’ such as a $15 document levy, a fuel surcharge of $177.34 plus $81.67 extra going to the Torres Strait Regional Council and Ports North for the privilege of these people having clear, clean drinking water.”
The businessman was scathing of the federal and state governments for disadvantaging the majority welfare populations of these tiny communities living ‘on country’ but being starved of decent food.
Fuel supplied by Sea Swift to the Far Northern community of Bamaga retails at $3.10 a litre, making it impossible for road trips to doctors or hospital in Cairns. A carton of mid-strength beer retails for $96.
“I understand the fuel cost is a global problem apparently but surely some relief can come via the federal government offering freight companies a larger percentage deduction in fuel excise as they are not getting anything now according to Sea Swift,” said the distressed businessman.
(Editor: The federal government halved the fuel excise of 44 cents a litre at the pump for motorists in April)
“The Port and Council fees should also be abolished. This is a disgrace and shameful adding further costs to these already struggling families.”
He gave examples of the wholesale cost increases for typical foods bought by families in most communities:
Corned Beef Hamper Was $6.50 Now $8.20 increase of 26%
Tom Piper Braised Steak & Onion Was $3.00 Now $3.60 Increase of 20%
Golden Circle Cordial Was $3.75 Now $5.00 Increase of 34%
Cairns News has contacted the Labor Member for Cook, Cynthia Lui, ironically from Yam Island in the Torres Strait, for comment.
When Whitlam removed the crown seal from parliament he separated Australia (landmass) from the Commonwealth (the people). And since then we haven’t had a lawful government.
Thanks to Dick Yardley for that information.
I went out this morning to get my name crossed off the electoral roll and noticed a Qld government dep’t sign saying “Queensland Government”, not Queensland State Government.Then it struck me that Australia is no longer one nation under under the Commonwealth Constitution but is a land mass divided by corporate jurisdictions no longer Constitutionally subject to Canberra. This then explains the unconstitutional ‘State’ lock downs.
Because ships do not use roads, the fuel tax of 38% should not apply. And all fuel used by vehicles in North Queensland and Arnhem Land do not benefit from road maintenance for construction, so we also should not pay this fraudulent tax.
Sea Swift should understand that as it is gouging the most disadvantaged people in Australia when civil war emerges, as surely it will if governments refuse to listen to the suffering people, then these executives and shareholders can expect to feel their necks on the rough wood of a large block.
I, personally, most piously tsk tsk the very notion of civil war or people’s executions, so do not even bother to presume I am inciting anything. But unlike Seaswift executives, I studied history and write books on history, so I cannot but help learn the lessons of history.
The main lesson is, oppress the people hard enough, and they will turn on you with a vengeance.
pecwwp – I read that weather manipulation has been going on in this country for at least 50 years. Before the bush fires, Victorian people said that there were lots of chem trails seen over those areas in the preceding six months or more and they were probably elsewhere too… accelerants?
Yes I agree – there is some evidence of planes circling off the NSW coast.. D& C vital – also it ruins the crops – all up a big win to the criminals..
Hi There, I used to work on Thursday Island and Groote eylandt, Karumba, gove, and Ayers rock. All these places have had a habit of putting double the price and ayers rock under Rhenn Kelly, now high up in govt in Alice Springs, at the Red Sands resort in 1982 ordered us to charge indigenous 3 times whitey prices…but I refused. Thursday Island, in the hotels in 1980, including the Royal Hotel run by none other than Val Johns, charged 3 times for grog. Oh, I forgot to mention the nephew of Harold Holt’s property, Delmore Downs, in NT, having total control of all indigenous social security cheques through their stores and sales of their art that they got 10 times what they paid the artist for. The indigenous have always been exploited to the max by white greedy companies and corporations. THIS MUST END NOW! Barbara J Gibbs, Dip.Diet& Nut:BA/BSc:Grad.Cert.OSH;TEFL Cert Ganoderma Distributor http://www.online-ganoderma.com/gibbsbj e’mail: positive7yes@gmail.com
Isn’t that why the lower caste got a $250 cashboost – to help with the rising costs of living?
Any idea anyone why diesel (the cheapest of all fuels to produce) is priced far above the rest? Must be a go vermin logic thing.
Those interested in history look up Weimarer Republic (look for any Darkmoon articles that not have disappeared online) and one can grasp that Weimarer Republic has come into effect again but this time global after coitus interuptus through the third Reich.
pcwwp…. Re the weather… yes, very unnatural if you ask me. Almost no sun this summer, and this on the heels of telling people on TV that Vitamin D doesn’t do much.. what a load of rubbish. I do hope people have been taking D3 by the handful during this time. I have been on high dose for 10 years and have not had cold or flu in all this time. It is vital, like Vitamin C it is not made in the body and needs to be supplemented. The sun does provide it but if there is no sun, there is no D.
pcwwp… Well at least Putin is against the NWO… as is China and also some other countries – those that stayed neutral against Russia. That is why they are so hated and vilified by the West..they are causing some big headaches for NWO plans which is good.
Hey Jen – so agree – I started a big garden a year ago and was going well until they engineered 4 months of no sunshine.
“All part of the NWO plan to impoverish people.. that’s what the sanctions against Russia are really about – because they are not hurting Russia at all, just the rest of the world. ” I so agree..
But don’t think Putin is a good guy – like Trump they all do what they are told. I see it as us – men and women against them – psychopathic in-breed reptiles..
pcwwp – Yes, I think you are right… Of course they will blame Russia which could not be further from the truth. All part of the NWO plan to impoverish people.. that’s what the sanctions against Russia are really about – because they are not hurting Russia at all, just the rest of the world.
I think the Aboriginal people will have to go back to more traditional ways of living and sustenance…They can purify their own water instead of buying bottles for a start.. The Elders will remember how to do it all and should be listened to. That stuff listed at the end that has increased in price is rubbish. Go fishing, grow stuff, eat bush food, purify water, hunt.. raise chickens..
In fact, we will all have to go back to basics – grow your own vegies, eat less meat, avoid packaged goods, stop eating junk food – make everything the old fashioned way from scratch instead of adding a packet of something. This is how I grew up, we didn’t have a lot of money but we were very healthy. Mum and dad grew everything and we had chooks and ducks on a suburban block in Sydney. Its quite amazing what you can do with a big shin bone and a heap of vegies in a soup.
We will all be better off for it anyway… the food industry has been poisoning us for years!
Engineered food shortages coming our way..