How many charities are there in Australia?

Sarah Dingle in Why put the charity watchdog to sleep? writes that there may be more than 60,000 charities and not-for profit organisations registered by the ATO in Australia. The problem is no one knows how many are still operating.

Mushroom and noodle stir-fry

Jeremy & Jane Strode's Mushroom stir-fry.

Buttered banana pudding

Dan Lepard's Hot buttered banana pudding.

Pea and ricotta risotto

Neil Perry's Pea, mint and ricotta risotto.

Congee

Frank Camorra's Fish congee.

Fried rice

Karen Martini's Fried rice with chicken, ginger and egg.

Link to recipe for banana, dried apricot and sultana bread

Lynne Mullins' Banana, dried apricot and sultana bread.

Lemon and lime biscuit recipe

Lemon and lime biscuits from the Good Food collection

Lemon curd biscuits

Lemon curd sandwiches from the Good Food collection

Orange and lemon syrup cupcake recipe

Orange and lemon syrup cupcakes from the Good Food collection

Moroccan orange tart recipe

Moroccan orange tart with mascarpone by Neil Perry

Ricotta, orange and cocoa biscuits

Ricotta, orange and cocoa ravioli by Steve Manfredi:

Flourless citrus hazelnut cake recipe

Flourless citrus hazelnut cake by Luke Mangan.

Orange and almond cake

Moist orange and almond cake by Luke Mangan:

Chocolate oranges recipe

Chocolate oranges from the Good Food collection:

A lemon meringue pie recipe

Lemon meringue pie by Jeremy & Jane Strode:

Orange yoghurt cake

Orange yoghurt syrup cake from Caroline Velik:

Why Australia's electricity prices are too high

Jess Hill in Power corrupts How network companies lined their pockets and drove electricity prices through the roof explains how the companies providing the electrical grid are ripping off consumers:

In the past few years, our electricity prices have doubled. While the media has feasted on the likes of pink batts, Peter Slipper and Craig Thomson, the astonishing story behind these price hikes has been all but ignored. And yet, it may be one of the greatest rorts in Australia’s history.

Since 2009, the electricity networks that own and manage our “poles and wires” have quietly spent $45 billion on the most expensive project this country has ever seen. Allowed to run virtually unchecked, they’ve spent vast sums on infrastructure we don’t need, and have charged it all to us, with an additional fee attached. The spending was approved by a federal regulator, and yet the federal government didn’t even note it until it was well underway.

Let’s be clear: this is the single biggest reason power prices have skyrocketed. According to the federal treasury, 51% of your electricity bill goes towards “network charges”. The carbon tax, despite relentless propaganda to the contrary, is small beer, comprising just 9%. The rest of your bill is carved up between those companies that actually generate your electricity (20%) and the retailers who package it up and sell it to you (20%). The Renewable Energy Target is such a small cost impost, the treasury’s analysis doesn’t even include it; the Australian Energy Market Commission says it makes up around 5%.

Thanks to the networks’ infrastructure binge, we now pay some of the highest prices in the developed world. The impact has been felt most keenly in New South Wales and Queensland, where the networks are government owned and network charges have accounted for two thirds of the price increases.

Bolognese and kale recipe

Pete Evans has a Bolognese with kale and paleo parmesan

Some busted food myths

Larissa Dubecki sets the record straight in True or false: 21 great food myths.