Wednesday, February 29, 2012

NSW:Rubbish collection to rise with carbon tax


AAP General News (Australia)
08-01-2011
NSW:Rubbish collection to rise with carbon tax

Acting opposition leader JULIE BISHOP and shadow treasurer JOE HOCKEY are adding waste
disposal to the long list of goods and services they claim will shoot up under the carbon
pricing scheme.

Ms Bishop says the cost of electricity, water supply, sewerage and rubbish collection
will all rise.

AAP RTV mdg/tr/nap

KEYWORD: CLIMATE BISHOP (SYDNEY)

� 2011 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

TAS:Tas govt at risk after no-confidence move


AAP General News (Australia)
04-05-2011
TAS:Tas govt at risk after no-confidence move

By Patrick Caruana

HOBART, April 5 AAP - Tasmanian Premier Lara Giddings says a no-confidence motion against
one of her ministers threatens to bring down the state's minority government.

Opposition Leader Will Hodgman moved a no-confidence motion against Children's Minister
Lin Thorp on Tuesday but the government voted against debating the motion, despite support
from the Greens.

Labor relies upon Greens support in parliament to remain in government.

Ms Thorp has been criticised for leaking sensitive details about the process in which
Paul Mason was dumped as the state's Children's Commissioner.

In a radio interview two weeks ago, Ms Thorp revealed that Mr Mason had ranked fourth
out of five candidates interviewed for the position.

The minister publicly apologised last week but Mr Mason is running as an independent
against her in the upper house seat of Rumney.

Ms Thorp was also criticised over an audit of child protection services released on
Tuesday, which revealed that legislated parental visiting requirements were not met in
more than 70 per cent of cases.

Ms Giddings said the no-confidence motion threatened the future of the government.

"It must be clearly understood that if a no-confidence motion in a minister is carried,
it is effectively a no-confidence motion in this government," she told reporters.

"This very much is a grave test and I certainly accept that this is a difficult time
for the Labor and Greens parties and for the parliament as a whole."

Ms Giddings said she would hold urgent talks with the Greens to avoid the government fracturing.

"I would hope that we can have adequate discussions over the next 24 hours to find
a reasonable way forward," she said.

Greens leader and cabinet minister Nick McKim said he still believed the motion should
be debated in parliament.

"We believe that this would have been consistent with democratic principles," Mr McKim
said in a statement.

"According to our understanding this motion is still live but it will require the Liberals
to choose when, or if, they will seek to debate it once it matures."

Ms Giddings said the Liberals were trying to bring about an early election.

"She (Ms Thorp) does not deserve to have a no-confidence move against her purely for
political gain, and that is what the Liberals are playing at," she said.

Mr Hodgman said the government had abandoned Ms Thorp.

"This is the first time in living memory a premier and her government not defend one
of their own ministers," she said.

"There is a dark cloud hanging over this government. They are unstable, they are unsure
of themselves."

AAP pbc/dep

KEYWORD: THORP

� 2011 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

TAS:Ferry protestors charged with trespass


AAP General News (Australia)
12-15-2010
TAS:Ferry protestors charged with trespass

HOBART, Dec 15 AAP - Six anti-logging projectors who abseiled onto the Spirit of Tasmania
II ferry, under the cover of darkness on Tuesday night, have been charged with trespass.

The ferry was docked at Devonport when members of the `Still Wild Still Threatened'
group abseiled down the side of the ship.

They unfurled a banner that read `Still Woodchipping the', delaying the ferry's departure
from Devonport on Tuesday night.

Police arrested one man and five women, who were charged with trespass upon a vessel
and continuing a common nuisance on Wednesday.

They were all granted police bail to appear in Hobart Magistrates Court on January 31.

`Still Wild Still Threatened' spokeswoman Ula Majewski said the protest aimed to highlight
the need for a full moratorium on logging Tasmania's forests.

The Spirit of Tasmania operates two ships which sail between Melbourne and Devonport,
departing both locations most nights.

AAP pbc/maur/

KEYWORD: FERRY UPDATE

� 2010 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Evening, Aug 7


AAP General News (Australia)
08-07-2010
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Evening, Aug 7
EVENING ROUND-UP: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1630


POLL10 GILLARD (CANBERRA)

Prime Minister JULIA GILLARD says she and her predecessor KEVIN RUDD won't be campaigning
alongside each other ahead of the federal election.

Ms GILLARD says she spoke with Mr RUDD about his involvement in the campaign during
talks in Brisbane today .. their first meeting since Mr RUDD was toppled as prime minister
less than two months ago.

She says to maximise spread they won't be hitting the hustings together .. but she
didn't discuss Mr RUDD's future role in a re-elected Labor government.

Ms GILLARD has dodged a question about whether she apologised to Mr RUDD for deposing him.

She's also defended the carefully media controlled meeting.

Meanwhile .. another former Labor leader appears to have stolen the spotlight from
the PM .. with MARK LATHAM joining the press pack following the PM today.

Mr LATHAM has signed on as a guest reporter for the Nine Network's 60 Minutes.



POLL10 GILLARD (CANBERRA)

Prime Minister JULIA GILLARD has announced fresh policies aimed at senior citizens.

She says pensioners will be able to earn an extra six-thousand-500 dollars a year through
part-time work.

And .. she says .. mature-age workers will also be helped with up to four-thousand
dollars in upgrading their employment skills.

Ms GILLARD has also committed to the creation of an age discrimination commissioner.



POLL10 ABBOTT (CANBERRA)

Opposition Leader TONY ABBOTT says Nauru is ready .. willing and able to reopen its
asylum seeker processing centre .. if asked.

Mr ABBOTT sat down with Nauru's president MARCUS STEPHEN in Brisbane today .. and promises
to reopen the centre if the Liberals win the election.

Mr Abbott says it is crystal clear from the discussions .. that Nauru is ready .. willing
and able to reopen its existing processing centre at short notice.

Mr ABBOTT has also criticised Labor for its internal dramas .. saying the public don't
want drama from their politicians .. but expect good government.



AFL POLICE (MELBOURNE)

Victoria Police say privacy laws would prevent it from sharing sensitive information
about players .. coaches and officials with the AFL .. despite an agreement which says
data can be handed over to the league.

A Memorandum of Understanding between the league and police obtained by AAP under freedom
of information legislation .. states police law enforcement data can be handed over to
the AFL.

The seven-page document says the data can range from text, images, audio and video.

But police say they're bound by privacy laws and the MoU was only established to smooth
the way for any police investigations into AFL identities.



PAKISTAN FLOODS (CANBERRA)

The federal government has pledged another five million dollars to help Pakistan recover
from the worst floods in the country's history.

Massive flooding .. which began in late June .. has devastated the country .. washing
away entire villages and killing at least 16-hundred people.

The country is on red alert .. as fresh floods threaten hundreds of communities in
its farming heartland with 12 million people already affected by the catastrophe.

Authorities are busy evacuating the densely populated southern province of Sindh ..

warning that a major deluge in the fertile basin along the swollen Indus river is expected.

Meanwhile .. rescuers in neighbouring India have resumed the search for survivors after
huge floods caused by freak rains killed at least 100 people in a part of Indian Kashmir
.. famed for high-altitude adventure tourism.



IRAN STONING (LONDON)

A woman sentenced to death by stoning in Iran for adultery is accusing authorities
of lying about the charges against her .. so they can execute her in secret.

The 43-year-old woman has spoken through an intermediary with the Guardian newspaper
in London .. and accused the Iranian government of believing it can do anything it wants
to women.

The case of the mother of two has sparked an international outcry .. with Brazilian
President President LUIZ INACIO LULA DA SILVA last week offering her asylum in his country.



FIRE (SYDNEY)

The body of a five-year-old girl has been found following a house fire in the New South
Wales Hunter region.

Police and fire crews were called to a house at Woodberry near Maitland following reports
the home was on fire at 10 o'clock this morning.

A woman managed to escape the house but her five-year-old granddaughter was trapped inside.

Firefighters worked for well over an hour to extinguish the blaze and once inside crews
located the body of the girl.



SCOUT (CANBERRA)

More than a dozen teenagers have been arrested after a police officer was repeatedly
kicked while on the ground .. after a alcohol-fuelled 16th birthday party got out of control
in suburban Canberra.

Police surged on the dangerously overcrowded party in Gunghalin and it soon became
obvious some partygoers wanted to hurt officers.

At one point a group of up to 30 teenagers from the two-hundred strong crowd charged
police .. forcing officers to defend themselves and their vehicles.



SUPERCARS (PERTH)

The V8 Supercars Championship Series will return to Perth next year thanks to a 10.5
million dollar boost from the West Australian government.

Premier COLIN BARNETT has announced the revival of the event in Perth today.

He says it's great news for motor sports enthusiasts in WA who were disappointed it
had to be cancelled last year.



BRIEFLY IN OTHER NEWS ..



CHINA MINES TOLL (BEIJING)

Rescue workers are rushing to free seven workers trapped in a goldmine in eastern China
.. after an underground fire killed at least 16.



MEXICO BABY (MEXICO CITY)

Authorities in central Mexico say a newborn baby girl who was declared dead but later
revived inside her coffin .. has died.



IN SPORT ..



AFL (MELBOURNE)

Carlton coach BRETT RATTEN coached from the interchange area for the first time in
his career last night to watch his players fight for their AFL season.

It worked as the Blues thrashed Essendon by 76 points.

Bombers coach MATTHEW KNIGHTS says he's unfazed by any criticism that could be headed
his way from angry fans.



LEAGUE COWBOYS (TOWNSVILLE, Qld)

Preliminary scans have cleared North Queensland captain JOHNATHAN THURSTON of a break
in his ankle but ligament damage has most likely ended his NRL season.

The Queensland and Test halfback was injured in last night's 34-26 loss to Brisbane.



SOCCER AL (PERTH)

Perth Glory coach DAVE MITCHELL concedes his team failed to make full use of star recruit
ROBBIE FOWLER in last night's 3-3 A-League draw with North Queensland.



GOLF WGC (AKRON, Ohio)

ADAM SCOTT is three strokes from the lead after the second round at the World Golf
Championship event in Ohio where South African RETIEF GOOSEN leads on seven-under, one
stroke ahead of Americans PHIL MICKELSON and JUSTIN LEONARD.

GEOFF OGILVY is best of the other Australians, five strokes behind.



TENNIS WTA (SAN DIEGO, California)

French Open runner-up SAMANTHA STOSUR has been ousted from the WTA San Diego Open,
losing a quarter-final 6-4 6-3 to Italian fifth seed FLAVIA PENNETTA.

The second-seeded Australian joined Serbian top seed JELENA JANKOVIC and Russian third
seed VERA ZVONAREVA on the scrapheap at the hardcourt tuneup for the US Open later this
month.



ENDS EVENING ROUND-UP


BROADCAST DESK INQUIRIES 24 HOURS: 02 9322 8714


AAP RTV wz

KEYWORD: EVENING ROUND-UP

� 2010 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

FED: Festive season triples Australian alcohol intake


AAP General News (Australia)
12-28-2009
FED: Festive season triples Australian alcohol intake

New research has found Australians drink three times as much during the festive season
as they do during the rest of the year.

Australian charity FebFast says its survey indicates December and January are the periods
of greatest alcohol consumption .. even more than birthdays .. work drinks and traditional
weekend socialising.

It's launched a campaign encouraging people to give up alcohol for the month of February.

The survey's quizzed about one thousand Australians from all states and territories
on their drinking habits.

AAP RTV ad/tm/ajw/

KEYWORD: XMAS GROG (SYDNEY)

2009 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

NSW: Main stories in today's Sydney newspapers = 2


AAP General News (Australia)
08-17-2009
NSW: Main stories in today's Sydney newspapers = 2

THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD

Page 1: Most Australian voters support the federal government reintroducing the legislation
for its emissions trading scheme (ETS) in three months, a Herald/Nielsen poll shows. The
entire team of anaesthetists at St Vincent's Private Hospital is under investigation for
acting as a cartel. A Belgian WWI expert has described as a nightmare the methods used
by an English archeological firm to exhume the bodies of 300 Australians in northern France.

The Taliban has started the election with a bang.

Page 2: The Shooters Party MP Roy Smith is as emphatic as he is resolute, proving so
far unwilling to compromise.

Page 3: The best teachers would be given healthy pay rises and shared between schools
as part of a performance-based system, a government report says.

World: The US oil and natural gas lobby is planning to stage public events to give
the appearance of a groundswell of public opinion against legislation that is vital to
Barack Obama's climate-change strategy, say environmental campaigners.

Finance: Six of Australia's nine main banks have tightened the amount of money they
lend to first home buyers in response to claims that cash handouts are causing a bubble
in prices.

Sport: Fifth place. Sixth win in a row. Ten tries. Biggest win against Cronulla. Taniela
Tuiaki breaking the club record for tries scored in a season. But the most significant
milestone occurred before any of this had even happened.

MORE krc/ao

KEYWORD: MONITOR FRONTERS NSW 2 SYDNEY

2009 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

QLD: LNP leader may still work as dentist


AAP General News (Australia)
04-06-2009
QLD: LNP leader may still work as dentist

By Natalie Gregg

BRISBANE, April 6 AAP - Liberal National Party leader John-Paul Langbroek has flagged
he may continue to work as a dentist if given the go-ahead from the Queensland Integrity
Commissioner.

While Mr Langbroek does not intend to work in his Gold Coast practice, he says he may
need to work in the field for a certain period each year to maintain his registration.

Mr Langbroek is awaiting advice on whether his profession conflicts with his new role.

"I'm not working in my dental practice and I'm not going to work in my dental practice
- the issue of my registration is a separate matter," Mr Langbroek told reporters in Brisbane
on Monday.

"This is obviously an ongoing issue for us as to whether we are going to welcome people
from all aspects of society (into parliament) and that is an important question for us
going forward.

"I am completely committed to this job and doing the best that I can whilst also maintaining
that in the future I want to retain my registration."

Premier Anna Bligh said members of parliament were free to take on a second job but
she didn't think ministers would have enough spare time.

"If he (Langbroek) can meet his responsibilities at the same time as having some development
in his practice, that's entirely a matter for him," she said.

"I think the proof will be in the pudding."

Mr Langbroek is also seeking information from Queensland's dental board.

A board spokeswoman said Queensland dentists are currently not required to fulfil a
minimum number of hours practice to maintain their registration.

But under new approved policy, which is under legislative review, the minimum hours
of practice will increase to 250 hours a year.

AAP ng/pjo/apm

KEYWORD: LNP LANGBROEK

2009 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed:RBA slashes cash rate by 100 basis points to 4.25 per cent


AAP General News (Australia)
12-02-2008
Fed:RBA slashes cash rate by 100 basis points to 4.25 per cent

The Reserve Bank of Australia has slashed the official cash rate by 100 basis points
.. to 4.25 per cent .. following today's monthly board meeting.

AAP RTV cb/kms/af

KEYWORD: RATES RBA (CANBERRA)

2008 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Vic: Ex-Giants boss convicted of child porn


AAP General News (Australia)
04-29-2008
Vic: Ex-Giants boss convicted of child porn

MELBOURNE, April 29 AAP - The former boss of the now disbanded Victoria Giants National
Basketball club will have to register as a sex offender after being convicted of downloading
explicit images of under-age girls.

Rodney Neil Hind, 49, who is in jail for having sex with a girl under 16, was handed
a two-month suspended sentence for 12 months in the County Court after pleading guilty
to downloading child pornography.

Justice Meryl Sexton said today's sentence combined with his previous offence, meant
Hind would become a registerable sex offender and would have to report to police annually
for the rest of his life.

She said Hind, who had pleaded guilty, had shown remorse for his offence and she believed
his chances of rehabilitation were good.

Justice Sexton said he had been active in sport and had been a teacher for 20 years
with no signs of wrongdoing.

She said his second marriage had suffered because of his offences but his wife and
two young children were standing by him.

"Your fall from grace is the community's loss as well as a personal loss," Justice Sexton said.

Police seized Hind's work and home computers in August 2006 with one file holding 25
images of a girl who appeared to be under 16 years of age and two other files with images
of girls who looked to be under 18.

The judge said that without people like Hind accessing this sort of material, the unscrupulous
providers would not be able to exploit under age girls.

She said Hind had not actively sought out underage girls but had "naively" believed
that the images he downloaded were of girls older than 18.

There were no images of pre-pubescent girls but "you did have a preference for petite,
adolescent and young adult females and what were in my view a lot of underage child pornography,"

Justice Sexton said.

AAP jxt/gfr/maur/bwl

KEYWORD: HIND

2008 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Vic: Man dies after being struck by three cars on freeway


AAP General News (Australia)
12-26-2007
Vic: Man dies after being struck by three cars on freeway

The national holiday road toll has jumped again .. now at 15 .. after a 27 year old
man was hit by three cars on the Monash Freeway in Melbourne's east.

The man was driving on the freeway at about 4.40 (AEDT) this morning .. when he ran
into a retaining wall at a construction zone in Mulgrave.

The car then mounted an embankment .. clipped a light pole .. and crossed an on-ramp
.. before crashing into a wall.

The driver then walked onto the freeway where he was hit by a four-wheel drive.

He was then struck again by an oncoming car and a truck.

The first car stopped at the scene but the two others didn't.

The man .. from Balwyn North .. was taken to the Royal Melbourne Hospital where he
died several hours later.

Police would like to speak to the two drivers who didn't stop .. and believe they may
not know they hit the man.

The Monash Freeway is closed to inbound traffic at Police Road as investigations get underway.

The state's Christmas road toll is now five .. while the national toll is now 15.



EDS: AAP's Xmas/New Year road toll figures are for the period 0001 December 21 to 2359
January 4. Some state and territory police forces may use different road toll periods.



AAP RTV ce/gfr/jec/

KEYWORD: TOLL VIC (MELBOURNE)

2007 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: Aust to take more refugees from Middle East: Andrews


AAP General News (Australia)
08-18-2007
Fed: Aust to take more refugees from Middle East: Andrews

CANBERRA, Aug 18 AAP - More than 100 refugees from the Middle East will come to Australia
next year under changes to the refugee and humanitarian program announced today.

The Refugee and Humanitarian Program for 2007 and 2008 will be maintained at 13,000 places.

There will be an increase in the number of Middle East and Asian refugees and a reduced
number of African refugees.

Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews said the increased intake of Iraqis follows an international
conference on Iraq convened by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in April
2007.

"This conference called upon all host countries, including those further afield, to
continue providing protection, humanitarian assistance and hospitality to Iraqis until
such time as conditions have been created to enable voluntary return in safety and dignity,"

Mr Andrews said in a statement.

Mr Andrews said the reduced intake from Africa reflects an improvement in conditions
of some countries and an increase in the number of people returning to their country of
origin.

"The Australian government is committed to responding to humanitarian crises around
the world and delivering comprehensive services that enable new entrants to settle and
become part of our community," Mr Andrews said.

AAP sld/arb/mn

KEYWORD: REFUGEES LEAD

2007 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: Lives of Aboriginal women 14 years longer


AAP General News (Australia)
04-03-2007
Fed: Lives of Aboriginal women 14 years longer

A new report on indigenous health shows Aboriginal women are now living 14 years longer
than those born four decades ago.

A drop in infant mortality .. better access in health care and more community-controlled
organisations .. are seen as the major driving forces behind the improvements.

The Northern Territory study .. published today in the Australian and New Zealand Journal
of Public Health .. analyses changes in life expectancy of indigenous people between 1967
and 2004.

It found that territory men born at the end of the period could expect to live eight
years longer than those born at the beginning.

For women .. this figure stretched to 14 years.

AAP RTV tam/crh/af/

KEYWORD: INDIGENOUS (SYDNEY)

2007 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: Black Hawk widow mourns loveable rogue


AAP General News (Australia)
12-01-2006
Fed: Black Hawk widow mourns loveable rogue

By Dave Donaghy

TOWNSVILLE, Dec 1 AAP - The widow of an army Black Hawk helicopter pilot killed when
his aircraft crashed into the sea off Fiji has described her husband as a "loveable rogue".

Captain Mark Bingley, 35, a member of the Townsville-based 171 Aviation Squadron, died
on Wednesday when his helicopter crashed attempting to land on the ship HMAS Kanimbla.

His wife Melissa Bingley told a news conference in Townsville her husband was "born to fly".

"He was a loveable rogue," Mrs Bingley, who has a baby son, said.

"He was a bit of a softie.

"He took me to the ballet on our first date, he hated me telling that story.

"He was born to fly."

more dd/sc/sp

KEYWORD: HELICOPTER WIDOW (PIX AVAILABLE)

2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.