Myer’s Dubai announcement deserves a closer look (and it’s a shame that no journalists has yet done so, apart from swallowing the company’s spin). Just what are they exporting? As many Crikey tipsters have rightly pointed out, service at Myer is bad and getting worse. Labour is one of the biggest costs, and hacking it bad drives big profits, but also impacts sales. Also, department stores in places like Dubai tend to have luxury brands (LV, Burberry, Chanel etc) and Myer has none of these brands. Also, the notion of taking Australian designers there is ridiculous. When Australia is in winter, Dubai is in summer, which means that Aussie designers will be selling last season’s ranges over there. Or, there will be sending winter merchandise to one of the hottest places on earth. No designer (even big brands) is capable of bringing forward their next season’s collection so they can sell summer ranges in Dubai’s summer.

Road and rail tunnels around Melbourne are not the only headache for the Victorian State Government at the moment. Also on the agenda is the outrage being expressed by traders occupying the city’s strip shopping precincts who face an additional four hours of clearway times if the Government goes ahead with its plans. In a submission to Government 20 of the major strip shopping precincts have estimated that the implementation of the plan will cost them over $100 million a year! They say that Melbourne’s hard-won reputation as the nation’s shopping capital is at risk as are the seats of MPs in marginal electorates! The latter could be bluff but, given their anger at the plans to extend clearway times, it would be unwise to discount the possibility of radical action.

At North Sydney Council last night it was recommended: THAT the Mayor (Genia McCaffrey) requests a meeting with the Minister for Ports and Waterways seeking his intervention to gain NSW Maritime’s agreement for the Cape Don Society to make the wharf safe, securing public access and allowing the MV Cape Don to remain moored at Balls Head.

Meanwhile on the grassy (and quite dry) knoll: I am puzzled by the interest John Brumby has in the Murray Darling water. I believe that the northern boundary of Victoria is the southern high water mark of the Murray River. So NSW is in complete control of ALL the water and Victoria has no say in the its use. I know that to boat or fish in the Murray, I must have a NSW licence.