Nobody home at the health clinic

Just spent a week trying to remind our State polys why the Feds have made a jump on them over the environment (Windsor /Oakeshott legislation) .
The States , unlike when I was was working with them,  no longer have anyone responsible or coordinating environmental advice, and according to one key operative yesterday said "they couldn't manage to do that anymore " .-nice compliment for me for decades of effective coordination but affirms my assertion that the States have instituted their own powerlessness in recent years ( at least Victoria)  . The polys have been stupid enough to allow a whole lot of bodies to throw their bit in, but noone is responsible for drawing it together . The shire are handed the chalice but that doesn't work and they know it  .Members of present Victorian govt , unlike QLD , have yet to wake up to the time bomb they have been sitting on since they took office.
As for decreased funding problems to some sectors - its inevitable because the persons ( new management class) who let pollies rule over them didn't think scientifically carefully or deeply about the science profession they were trashing.
 Landcare, coined its name from Medicare and while it was great to be able to give landholders a sense of ownership of conservation, real farmers  didn't need to be told - they already knew that well . Landcare would be a problem because it was too obvious and looked easier than coercion and prosecution of the ignorant , careless ,lazy and ripoff RE elements etc ( always does ) For the politicians and quickfixers it retains its appeal - it seemed an easier kind ( they like the Devil, carelessly translate ease to efficiency) a sort of  "do what you feel like "version of health care.
My early concerns proved correct in the sense that our coercive influence in  group projects could and did decline .This has left such groups vulnerable to the very valid criticism that they are NOT objective about risks in their own area- the budget cuts to Landcare groups will continue because this is true and too much private benefit /shallow targets  have been funded (Whiteboard affair in Hawke's time  ).
Like doctors, we earth health practitioners can't say our clients can be trusted to be objective about their health or their eco resources . If ecology and environmentalism is to WORK   it must be  about objectivity and sound foundations.For too long now its about fads .
If you look closely you will see that the educational focus of government has declined and both Labor and green policy are NOW very coercive. Their reliance on warm water taxes ( everyone pays )and cost driven pressure points  is in itself unsustainable( how much does a packet of cigaretes have to cost before people stop  smoking ?)  .

 It now costs more to buy water than to treat the wastewater( vic)
Governments  are, like wannabes in media with their committed projects ,  now desperate to find ways to motivate people see ABC websites exploring the latest bandaid .Objective Care ( even coercive care) is the most effective because its sees the hard choices with benefits at the end ( what study and science does ) and it is proactive and preventative to boot .
Much of the fear and desperation amongst the wannabes  is NOT about the state of the environment but an expression of desperation in the state of the mind (esp amongst the powerful) .
These sound foundation professional matters are things are being lost to our collective wisdom on the subject of env, if not to health care. You heard it first on blogger on 9th June 2012 . ask questions/post please.