Body found in shallow SA grave

Human remains have been found in a shallow grave north of Adelaide, police say. Source: AAP

A MURDER investigation is underway after human remains were found buried in a shallow grave on farmland northwest of Adelaide.

The bones and ragged clothing were discovered on Friday at Long Plains, a rural area about 75km northwest of the city, by a landowner clearing land for fence repairs.

Detectives say the remains probably lay in situ for several years before being found and are treating the death as murder.

A forensic anthropologist visited the scene on Saturday and conducted a preliminary examination.

The expert was unable to immediately determine the identity, age, sex and ethnicity of the dead person.

The cause of death is also yet to be established and an autopsy will be carried out on Saturday night.

Dental records and DNA from the bones is due to be checked to try and identify the person.

Detectives are reviewing missing person and previous murder case files.

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Refuge becomes site of celebration in Tas

A FEW weeks ago, dozens flocked to the pub in Dunally, east of Tasmania, to shelter from ferocious bushfires that tore through the region.

On Australia Day people again gathered at the country tavern but this time it was for a concert to raise money for those whose homes and livelihoods had been devastated by the blaze and to give thanks.

Local Mayor Kerry Vincent said despite the horror the bushfires brought with them, the community was coming together in the spirit of solidarity.

"It's just brilliant down there," Mr Vincent told AAP on Saturday.

"Obviously everybody's going through their own bits of trauma but there's a sense of just getting on with it."

"The mood right throughout the whole peninsula is absolutely fantastic."

Busloads of visitors started arriving at noon for the concert, which featured a line-up of local artists.

Organiser Dave Campbell said 2000-5000 people were expected to attend the benefit.

He hatched the idea for the event as he sat in the pub with some "muso" mates riding out the fires.

"We thought we'd stick the hat out," he said.

"It's really a local effort by locals for locals."

Tasmanian premier Lara Giddings was expected to drop by in an unofficial capacity.

She said in a statement Australia Day was a day to acknowledge the past, look optimistically to the future and to recognise the contribution of the volunteers who had been working in bushfire-affected communities.

"Whether it is the volunteer fire fighters who were on the front line, the SES volunteers who helped with the evacuation effort, or those who gave their time to coordinate the donation of essential items and animal feed, we owe them all a debt of gratitude," Ms Giddings said.

"There is no better time to stop and reflect on the contribution our volunteers make to our community."

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Mini-tornado hits Queensland coastal town

SEVERAL mini-tornadoes have hit the Queensland coast as the state is battered by severe weather and flooding caused by the remnants of cyclone Oswald.

A police spokesperson said two people had been seriously injured at Bargara, located east of Bundaberg, while three others were being treated for minor injuries.

Another mini-tornado hit Burnett Heads, a coastal town about 15km northeast of Bundaberg, the spokesperson said.

There are so far no reported injuries at Burnett Heads but infrastructure has been damaged and police are warning residents to stay indoors.

Premier Campbell Newman said on Saturday the first mini-tornado occurred around 1pm Brisbane time.

"Unroofing of various buildings around that town, power lines down and potentially an incident where a tree has gone down on a motor vehicle with, I believe two occupants," Mr Newman told reporters in Brisbane.

"We have declared a disaster in that area."

Police are warning residents to stay inside as they assess the damage.

Bargara resident Judith McNamara, who witnessed the tornado through her kitchen window, said it left a car in her yard with a tree through it.

"All of a sudden ... I looked up and a tree went flying through the air ... and the car went up," she told ABC radio.

Emergency services confirmed the mini-cyclone had cut a "swathe of damage" and officials were waiting for word on the condition of the male and female in the car.

Police Commissioner Ian Stewart said it damaged homes, shops, a bowling club and government buildings.

All roads into the town are closed.

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Aust share market closes 0.5% higher

THE Australian share market closed half a percentage point higher as investors chased higher yielding financial stocks.

At the close on Friday, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was 25.0 points, or 0.52 per cent higher at 4,835.2, while the broader All Ordinaries index was up 25.1 points, or 0.52 per cent, at 4,858.9.

On the ASX 24, the March share price index futures contract was 23 points higher at 4,804, with 22,953 contracts traded.

IG Markets analyst Stan Shamu said investors had been drawn to high yielding financial stocks.

"It's all been about the defensive names, particularly the yield plays in the banking sector," Mr Shamu said.

Commonwealth Bank retested an all time high of $63.70 on Friday before closing at $63.59, up 0.55 per cent for the day.

Westpac closed 1.7 per cent higher at $27.55 and Macquarie was 2.5 per cent higher at $37.99.

NAB gained 0.55 per cent to $27.24 while ANZ firmed 0.3 per cent to $26.07.

"With downward pressure in interest rates everyone continues to chase that yield play."

Data released on Thursday showed that China's manufacturing activity had reached a two-year high.

On Wall Street overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.33 per cent to 13,825.33 points.

On the local market womenswear retailer Specialty Fashion Group had soared 27 cents, or 38.57 per cent, to 97 cents.

The owner of the Katies and Millers chains says it expects its first-half profit to nearly triple due to cost savings and improved sales.

Sleep disorder specialist ResMed gained 30 cents, or seven per cent, at $4.58, after posting a 24 per cent increase in its second quarter net income, ahead of market expectations.

Construction giant Leighton Holdings advanced 92 cents to $20.00 after announcing its subsidiary Thiess had won a $175 million maintenance contract with Sydney Water.

In the resources sector, global miner BHP Billiton was six cents weaker at $37.10, and Rio Tinto shed 23 cents to $66.06.

Atlas Iron nudged up 0.5 per cent to $1.575 after meeting expectations with its second quarter production results.

Penrice Soda shares were flat as chairman David Trebeck launched an angry attack on dissident shareholder London City Equities (LCE) after he survived Australia's first two strikes board spill meeting.

National turnover was 1.9 billion shares worth $6.68 billion, with 541 stocks up, 456 down and 346 unchanged.

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Gladstone isolated by Qld flooding

SEWAGE bubbling up out of grates and flowing into the streets of a central Queensland city does not pose a health risk, the city's mayor says.

Gladstone Mayor Gail Sellers says her region has been inundated with rain from ex-tropical cyclone Oswald, which is bearing south down Queensland's east coast.

Ms Sellers says authorities have been notified about sewage rising up into the streets but residents should not be concerned.

"The reason it's not a problem is it's so diluted," Ms Sellers told AAP.

"We've got so much water here, it's so diluted, it's not a health risk and we're dealing with it."

Ms Sellers said road access to Gladstone had been cut from all directions but she did not expect it to remain that way for long.

But if the Bruce Highway was cut for an extended period, there could be supply problems, she said.

Ms Sellers said the city was still not clear of Oswald's wrath, with more rain and 90km/h winds predicted across the region.

But the mayor was optimistic there would not be much damage, given the city had already dealt with 600mm of rain in the past two days but only experienced minor localised flooding.

"Our staff here at council have been working hard, they've been here all night, so we're over it," she said.

The city's harbour has been closed, the region's national parks are shut and Gladstone's Australia Day celebrations on Saturday have been cancelled.

However, Gladstone Airport has been cleared of water and remains open.

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Gaynor to fight suspension over gay jibe

DISENDORSED Senate nominee Bernard Gaynor plans to fight suspension from Bob Katter's Australian Party and insists its leadership shares his controversial views about gay teachers.

Mr Gaynor was suspended by KAP on Thursday after saying he wouldn't let gay teachers educate his children.

He courted further controversy on Friday by supporting comments made by western Sydney KAP candidate Jamie Cavanough, who said he won't buy halal meat because the proceeds go to Muslims.

In a statement on Friday, Mr Gaynor said he was disappointed to have been suspended from the party "for stating an opinion that the party leadership personally supported".

He added: "The last time I spoke to Bob Katter he commended my moral courage."

Mr Gaynor, an Iraq war veteran, was the KAP's Queensland Senate nominee but his suspension means the candidacy is terminated.

Mr Cavanough issued a sometimes muddled statement apologising for offence caused by his comments about halal meat.

He denied being racist and made the bizarre claim his campaign for the seat of Greenway would not be focused on "social and moral issues".

"I Jamie Cavanough in no capacity accept the fact that I am racist," he said.

"I sincerely apologise if my posts offended anyone.

"... My campaign will not nor will ever be focused on social and moral issues."

KAP national director Aidan McLindon tried to defuse the situation by comparing the choice of halal and non-halal meat to consumer preference of peanut butters.

"Some Australians want crunchy peanut butter, others want smooth peanut butter," he said in a statement.

"Some Australians want halal meat and some want non-halal meat - these are just some of the great freedoms we enjoy in this country."

A third KAP candidate, Tess Corbett, has withdrawn her candidacy after telling Victoria's Hamilton Spectator newspaper she didn't believe gay people should have the same rights as heterosexuals.

Ms Corbett was due to contest the Victorian Liberal-held federal seat of Wannon.

Mr Katter defended his party on Thursday night during an interview with the Ten Network.

"The party will not tolerate people, using our good name, to promote their own personal preoccupations and predilections."

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Katter's party suspends Gaynor

Federal MP Bob Katter's party warned its candidates not to promote their "personal preoccupations". Source: AAP

KATTER'S Australian Party has suspended Queensland senate candidate Bernard Gaynor over homophobic comments made on social networking site Twitter.

Mr Gaynor, a father of five, posted on Wednesday night: "I wouldn't let a gay person teach my children and I am not afraid to say it."

KAP National Director Aidan McLindon on Thursday announced Mr Gaynor's party membership had been suspended.

"The party has made it perfectly clear on a number of occasions to all candidates and officials that KAP does not exist for individuals to air and promote their own personal preoccupations," he said in a statement.

"For this reason and as a result of serious breaches of protocol the party has suspended Mr Gaynor's membership.

"As a result of this decision Mr Gaynor's nomination for senate candidacy becomes invalid.

"As is with all other democratic institutions, the member may exercise his right to show cause.

"The party is determined to continue with its core objectives in restoring our freedoms and building prosperity for all Australians."

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Japan reports record trade deficit

JAPAN has reported a record trade deficit for 2012, a year in which exports were hit by a bitter diplomatic spat with China and plunging demand in Europe.

Official figures from the finance ministry showed Japan's trade shortfall last year totalled Y6.92 trillion ($A74.21 billion), with the deficit in December alone standing at a higher-than-expected Y641.5 billion ($A6.88 billion).

The data marked a second consecutive annual trade deficit for the export-reliant economy.

The gloomy numbers spell more bad news for the world's third-largest economy as it struggles to recover from the 2011 quake-tsunami and the impact of an export-sapping strong yen.

They also underscore the size of the task ahead for the new government of Shinzo Abe, who won last month's election on a pledge to boost the economy with big public spending and by pressuring the central bank for a more aggressive monetary policy.

Last year, exports totalled Y63.7 trillion against imports of Y70.7 trillion, with post-Fukushima energy imports of expensive fossil fuels surging as all but two of Japan's 50 nuclear reactors were closed.

But analysts said the 2012 figures may mark a low point for Japan's trade picture as the global economy stages a recovery.

"The figures will likely be better in 2013 as overseas economies improve," said Masahiko Hashimoto, an economist at Daiwa Institute of Research in Tokyo, adding that the impact of a territorial feud with China would probably fade.

"The European economy may continue to worsen until the middle of the year but China and other Asian economies are likely to lead the global economy."

However, he said the deficit would likely remain for the short term as a weakening yen makes overseas energy imports pricier, Hashimoto said.

Japan ran a 2012 trade surplus with the US, but recorded a deficit of Y139.7 billion with the European Union, its first.

The deficit with Beijing doubled to a record Y3.52 trillion as a feud over a set of islands in the East China Sea spurred a Chinese consumer boycott of Japanese.

On Tuesday, the Bank of Japan, following government pressure, adopted a two per cent inflation target to beat the deflation that has haunted the economy for years and also set out plans for indefinite monetary easing.

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Canberra fires prompt research into blazes

LITTLE was known about freak weather phenomena like fire tornadoes or "violent pyroconvection" when suburbs on Canberra's outskirts were engulfed by bushfires in 2003.

But understanding has improved greatly since those January blazes killed four people and destroyed more than 500 homes and businesses in the nation's capital.

Australian scientists and international researchers have since discovered several rare climate events occurred during that firestorm, and hope their findings will help firefighters save lives.

On Thursday some of the research will be presented at the CSIRO Discovery Centre in the city where the disaster unfolded.

Scientist Rick McRae hopes their discoveries will help "pull apart the true story of what was going on" in January 2003.

"It was a very unusual day," Mr McRae, special risk analyst with the ACT Emergency Services Agency, said of January 18, 2003.

"Back 10 years ago, a lot of this stuff really was poorly known, if known at all."

Mr McRae garnered attention last year when he and other scientists documented the first-ever confirmed case of a "fire tornado" using evidence from the Canberra fires.

Canberra "got the ball rolling" as researchers from across the globe studied the other unusual weather phenomena that occurred during the blazes, he said.

They've now identified several examples of "violent pyroconvection", or events that create dynamics in the atmosphere above a fire that dominate what's going on on the ground.

One was the formation of massive thunderstorms in the smoke cloud known as "pyrocumulonimbus" that can cause rain, hail and lightning.

Another was the discovery of "fire channelling", where a blaze rapidly spreads in two directions at once.

Researchers have since identified this extreme fire pattern as having occurred not only at Canberra but during the 2009 Black Saturday fires in Victoria and blazes this month in Warrumbungle National Park in NSW.

It could even be taking place right now in fires around Harrietville in Victoria, Mr McRae added.

"We've seen the signature of this in a lot of the dangerous fires, both in Australia and the United States and elsewhere," he said.

By understanding how and why a fire takes a dangerous turn, fire crews can maximise their safety as they battle blazes, Mr McRae added.

"With the increase in science and the increase in knowledge about what makes bad fires bad, we're learning a lot more about how to better protect our communities," he said.

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Rio Tinto defends two-tiered redundancies

RESOURCES giant Rio Tinto's decision to give non-union coal miners tens of thousands more in redundancy payouts could have wider industry repercussions if a union's legal challenge succeeds.

Operations at the Blair Athol open-cut mine, near Clermont in central Queensland, finished in November 2012, following a 28-year production run that saw coal shipped to Japan.

But workers on individual contracts were given much more generous payouts than those on collective agreements.

The Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) has filed a claim in the Federal Court's NSW registry, arguing the differing levels of redundancy pay discriminate against union members, and are in breach of the Fair Work Act.

The union's Sydney-based national legal director, Alex Bukarica, said the case could have wider consequences if the CFMEU has a win.

"It will test whether a company can apply its own policy in a discriminatory way," he told AAP on Wednesday.

"If we're successful ... it will have ramifications if other companies are adopting the same practices."

Rio Tinto has argued its redundancy payout system is fair.

The CFMEU says that when 70 full-time production and engineering staff were made redundant last year, non-union employees were given a redundancy payout based on their entire salary, including compulsory overtime and bonuses.

They were also given an extra three months' pay as part of their redundancy.

Conversely, unionised staff were given redundancy payments based on their base salary only.

"They have treated them less favourably because they have chosen to bargain collectively," Mr Bukarica said.

For a retrenched worker on an average $120,000 base salary, that could mean the difference between a union member walking away with $80,000 and an individual contract employee leaving with more than $150,000, he said.

Rio Tinto has defended its practice of having a two-tiered redundancy scheme, arguing union members on collective agreements had benefitted from secure working conditions.

"Employees at Blair Athol Mine were able to choose whether they worked under the collective agreement or on individual arrangements," a company spokesman said in a statement.

"Redundancy payments were made in accordance with the employee's conditions of employment, which Rio Tinto believes was fair."

The Federal Court matter is due to be heard in March.

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McGowan needs MacGyver to beat the Emperor

POLLS suggest WA Labor leader Mark McGowan will need a MacGyver-like miracle to win the West Australian election on March 9.

MacGyver, played by Richard Dean Anderson, will be in Perth for Oz Comic-Con on March 9 - the day of the state election.

And as campaigning by the major parties started in earnest this week, McGowan may need to borrow some of the TV detective's improbable improvisational skills if he is to fashion an unlikely election win out of what seems a hopeless predicament.

The latest Westpoll this week showed the coalition with a huge 59 to 41 two-party-preferred lead over Labor, with Mr McGowan earning a 35 per cent approval rating from those questioned.

That is just two points higher than his predecessor Eric Ripper, who was shunted last January, with former Liberal senator-turned-lobbyist Noel Crichton-Browne labelling him one of the worst leaders in WA Labor history after a poor performance in opinion polls.

And so while grumbles still simmer around Colin Barnett's premiership, and internal polling suggests a much closer race in the state's marginal seats, an alternative government seems impossible to contemplate for the WA electorate.

"The Labor Party have to begin to cut through, but the policies they have put up so far seem to be insipid, inconsequential, irrelevant, trivial - they don't go to the heart of the issues that change people's votes," said Noel Crichton-Browne, former Liberal senator turned influential WA lobbyist.

"Mark McGowan has a very poor standing, which is reflective on the Labor Party.

"What does he stand for? Tell us where he stands on the carbon tax. Tell us where he stands on the resources rent tax. Tell us whether he is going to stand up to the federal Labor government.

"Get away from the notion that he is weak, that he vacillates on issues, he is not committed to anything, that he lacks gravitas, he lacks seriousness, he lacks standing, and he lacks presence.

"He does not look like a leader, or like a premier."

Appearing alongside MacGyver at the March 9 Oz Comic-Con event will be William Shatner, whose most famous role was as the autonomous leader of a diverse but obedient crew far from anywhere in the original Star Trek series.

Of course Mr Barnett is no James T Kirk.

But it is WA's enterprise and booming economy that has enabled him to launch a transformative development of Perth and beyond in the past four years, while also becoming a major political thorn in the side of Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Treasurer Wayne Swan.

Since stunning then-Premier Alan Carpenter in 2008, Barnett's vocal dissent against the supposed federal cash grab out of WA has raised his profile both at home and in the east - a little too far for the comfort of some.

Various controversies along the way, like the claim air-conditioning in Perth was not essential, or naming the city's $2.6 billion riverside development after Queen Elizabeth with no consultation, have led to the tag of 'Emperor Barnett', along with a new $26 million office to complete the image.

According to Mr Crichton-Browne, the premier's monarchical air is both a major strength and an Achilles' heel.

"Colin has some failings - he gives the impression he is uncaring and insensitive, and that he can't tolerate another view," Mr Crichton-Browne said.

"But he is very able, he is very competent, he is across the suite of all portfolios, he is head and shoulders above everyone else in politics in WA."

Without the intervention of MacGyver, a cauliflower crate, some old air conditioning piping and a chainsaw, Mr Barnett appears set to stay there.

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Man in hospital after Sydney cliff plunge

A MAN has plunged more than four-and-a-half metres from a cliff in a national park south of Sydney.

The 28-year-old man from Mosman fell off the cliff in the Royal National Park on Wednesday shortly after 1.30pm (AEDT), Westpac rescue helicopter said in a statement.

A helicopter found him at the southern end of Garie Beach.

He was treated for head and spinal injuries and has been taken to St George Hospital, where he is in a stable condition.

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ASA surprises with Penrice board vote

TROUBLED chemicals manufacturer Penrice Soda has been taken by surprise with a decision by the Australian Shareholders' Association to support both the incumbent and challenging directors at this Friday's board spill meeting.

The Australian Shareholders' Association (ASA) says it will support Penrice's chairman and deputy chairman in their re-election bid but will also support three candidates nominated by dissident shareholder London City Equities (LCE).

Penrice chairman David Trebeck told AAP he was surprised at the ASA's decision and said having all five directors on the company's board would not be workable.

"Heck no," Mr Trebeck said when asked if such an arrangement could work.

"It's exactly the thing that we have been speaking against."

Adelaide-based Penrice will be the first company to face an extraordinary general meeting to vote on a board spill after receiving successive votes against its remuneration report at the past two annual general meetings under the "two strikes" rule.

The company, which announced on January 18 it would cease local production of soda ash in favour of imports and cut 60 jobs, has been subject to a fierce battle between the incumbent board and LCE, which has pushed for board renewal in the face of sustained losses and falling share prices.

The ASA, in a report posted on its website on Monday, said while it had initially opposed a board spill, it now believed the Penrice board should have at least one new member "to introduce the discipline of truly independent thinking".

The ASA monitors said that while three additional board members "might not be workable", all three new candidates - John Harvey, Shay McQuade and Mike Carter - were suitable and no order of priority could be decided.

The monitors said their position may change before the meeting.

In a letter to shareholders ahead of Friday's meeting, Mr Trebeck said the three new candidates "lack public company governance experience and are unlikely to bring any new insights into Penrice".

Penrice shares peaked at $2.10 in 2005 and closed on Tuesday one cent lower at 12 cents.

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Ex-NT chief minister Hendo calls it a day

FORMER Northern Territory chief minister Paul Henderson has announced he is retiring from politics, sparking a by-election in his safe seat.

Mr Henderson, 50, who was chief minister from 2007 until last year, said he had no firm plans about what he would do now that he had retired from politics.

He ruled out speculation that he may seek a role in federal politics.

It was important he could spend more time with his three children, Mr Henderson told reporters.

No date for a by-election to be held in his safe seat of Wanguri has been settled, but it is likely to be March 2 or 9.

"The Territory is a much better and different place today than it was 10 years ago," Mr Henderson told reporters on Tuesday.

He said it was a tough decision to retire from politics, and he defended his comments before the last election when he told voters he would stay in parliament to complete his term, even if the ALP lost power.

"I think in fact it is the norm that a party leader who has lost an election will move on and it is time for renewal," he said.

He said his biggest regret from his time in office was that he couldn't further boost the number of indigenous children attending school.

Political commentator from Charles Darwin University, Ken Parish, said Mr Henderson's announcement was probably timed to coincide with a popularity slump from the ruling Country Liberal Party, maximising the ALP's chances in a by-election.

NT Opposition Leader Delia Lawrie said it was a sad day for the Territory.

"Paul Henderson has been a great contributor and he is leaving an enormous legacy," Ms Lawrie said.

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Aust stocks finish flat

THE Australian share market has closed flat as investors gave a subdued response to the Bank of Japan's plan for a more expansionary two per cent inflation target.

At the close on Tuesday, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was up 1.6 points, or 0.03 per cent, at 4,779.1 points, and the broader All Ordinaries index was 0.7 points, or 0.01 per cent, higher at 4,802.9 points.

On the ASX 24, the March share price index futures contract fell one point to 4,742 points, with 26,684 contracts traded, final calculations show.

The Bank of Japan said it would conduct "open-ended" asset purchases to help end a long period of deflation, and described its inflation goal as a "price stability target".

Still, Bell Direct market analyst Julia Lee said the Australian market had already expected the news, following a meeting of Japan's central bank.

"It's good news for the Japanese economy but the market has priced in the news," she told AAP.

Of the big banks, National Australia Bank shares finished almost one per cent weaker after Spanish giant Santander had denied it was interested in buying its troubled UK banks.

Investors had pushed NAB shares up on Monday after London's Sunday Times reported that Santander was considering making a STG2 billion ($A3.04 billion) offer for the Yorkshire and Clydesdale banks.

But the share price dived after a Santander spokesman denied the report.

NAB shares lost 26 cents, or 0.97 per cent, to finish the session at $26.59.

ANZ also went backwards, shedding three cents, or 0.12 per cent, to finish at $25.66.

But the Commonwealth Bank inched up by 34 cents, or 0.55 per cent, to end at $62.54 while Westpac added one cent, or 0.04 per cent, to touch $26.49.

In resources, Macmahon Holdings initially soared more than 15 per cent after the mining contractor sealed a $1.8 billion deal with Fortescue Metals Group.

The five-year contract is the biggest ever signed by Macmahon in the mining services sector and will see it provide services to help Fortescue expand its Christmas Creek iron ore mine in Western Australia's Pilbara region.

Shares in Macmahon finished up 1.5 cents, or 5.88 per cent, to hit 27 cents while Fortescue shares ended 11 cents higher, or 2.43 per cent, at $4.64.

Meanwhile, household appliances and cleaning products supplier GUD Holdings booked a 21 per cent fall in first half net profit, as its Sunbeam appliances brand struggles against competition.

Its shares finished 15 cents, or 1.79 per cent weaker, at $8.24.

Ms Lee said Australian share market volumes were expected to pick up on Wednesday as the US returned from the Martin Luther King Jr public holiday.

The price of gold in Sydney was $US1,693.83 per fine ounce, up $US3.72 on Monday's closing price of US1,690.11.

National turnover was 1.734 billion shares worth $3.352 billion, with 398 stocks up, 538 down and 368 unchanged.

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New police boats to fight crime in NSW

A NEW fleet of fast response, multi-purpose vessels are about to start fighting crime on NSW's waterways.

The three vessels - to be based at Balmain, Botany Bay and Broken Bay - were unveiled by NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Catherine Burn on Monday.

The boats will allow for faster responses to crime, and each vessel has the ability to deploy as far as Tweed Heads to the north and Eden to the south.

"During busy periods on Sydney Harbour these vessels will enable us to provide a safer and more secure environment for all vessels," Ms Burn said in a statement.

Each of the 9.5m rigid hull inflatable boats has two 250hp four-stroke outboard motors, with a contract speed of 45knots and a range of 200 nautical miles at 25knots.

They are designed to be swift, highly manoeuvrable in high density areas and are fitted with the latest navigation and communication equipment.

"Marine-related crime is very serious and can be dangerous," said NSW Police Minister Michael Gallacher.

"We will continue to support police in their fight against this crime."

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Burning smell on flight prompts evacuation

PASSENGERS aboard a Perth-bound Skywest flight were forced to disembark in a southern town after burning smell was noticed in the cabin.

The flight on the turboprop Fokker 50 took off early on Monday from Esperance and was scheduled to land in Ravensthorpe, then Perth.

Chief executive Jason Bitter said 23 of the 46 passengers planned to disembark at Ravensthorpe but all were evacuated as a precaution.

"There was the smell of something burning - nobody saw any smoke," Mr Bitter told AAP.

He said the matter had been referred to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.

All Perth-bound passengers were bussed back to Esperance and assigned to another flight.

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Sex assault sailor gets suspended sentence

A SAILOR who sexually assaulted and beat up his former girlfriend has avoided jail after a Sydney judge handed down a suspended 22-month sentence.

The 31-year-old man from Brisbane, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting his ex-girlfriend and two counts of causing her actual bodily harm at her home in Sydney on May 4, 2011.

In the District Court in Sydney on Friday, Judge Peter Maiden said he accepted the man was suffering from a mental illness at the time of the assault and was unable to accept the relationship was over.

He noted the man, a chef who served as an able seaman with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), had an "excellent record" in the navy, which included overseas war service.

"It is a very difficult task the members of our navy have," Judge Maiden said.

"It requires them to remain away from their families and loved ones and in particular can impose mental difficulties."

The court heard the man had attempted to kill himself on two previous occasions and that he told his psychiatrist his relationship with the victim was going fine when in fact it was over, the court heard.

"Clearly the (victim) had separated both physically and mentally from the offender who, on the night of this event, had not accepted that decision," Judge Maiden said.

The man had served in Iraq in 2005 and more recently in West Timor, an experience he described as being "a real mess with (his) head".

"Clearly the stresses of West Timor, his relationship failing and his history and sense of isolation gave rise to this offence," the judge said.

Judge Maiden found the man had no prior criminal history, was unlikely to re-offend and had "excellent" prospects of rehabilitation.

He sentenced him to a total term of 22 months for the three offences, which he suspended.

He also suspended a 13-month jail term for one count of perverting the course of justice, which the court heard was in relation to false emails the man sent.

The sailor was to be discharged from the navy pending the outcome of the case.

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Thousands rally against US gun control

Many people attending anti-gun control rallies in the US have openly displayed firearms. Source: AAP

THOUSANDS of gun advocates have gathered peacefully at state capitals around the US to rally against stricter limits on firearms, with demonstrators carrying rifles and pistols in some places while those elsewhere settled for waving hand-scrawled signs or screaming themselves hoarse.

The size of crowds at each location varied - from dozens of people in South Dakota to 2,000 in New York.

Large crowds also turned out in Connecticut, Tennessee and Texas.

Some demonstrators in Phoenix and Salem, Oregon, came with holstered handguns or rifles on their backs.

At the Kentucky Capitol in Frankfort, attendees gave a special round of applause for "the ladies that are packin'."

Activists promoted the "Guns Across America" rallies primarily through social media.

They were being held just after President Barack Obama unveiled a sweeping package of federal gun-control proposals.

The crowd swelled to more than 800 amid balmy temperatures on the steps of the pink-hued Capitol in Austin, where speakers took the microphone under a giant Texas flag with "Independent" stamped across it.

Homemade placards read "An Armed Society is a Polite Society", "The Second Amendment Comes from God". The Second Amendment to the US Constitution guarantees the right to bear arms.

"The thing that so angers me, and I think so angers you, is that this president is using children as a human shield to advance a very liberal agenda that will do nothing to protect them," said state Representative Steve Toth, referencing last month's primary school massacre in Newtown, Connecticut.

Toth, a first-term Republican politician from The Woodlands outside Houston, has introduced legislation banning within Texas any future federal limits on assault weapons or high-capacity magazines, though such a measure would violate the US Constitution.

Rallies at statehouses nationwide were organised by Eric Reed, an airline captain from the Houston area who in November started a group called "More Gun Control (equals) More Crime." Its Facebook page has been "liked" by more than 17,000 people.

Texas law allows concealed handgun licence-holders to carry firearms anywhere, but Reed said rally-goers shouldn't expose their weapons: "I don't want anyone to get arrested."

A man who identified himself only as "Texas Mob Father" carried a camouflaged assault rifle strapped to his back during the Austin rally, but he was believed to be the only one to display a gun. Radio personality Alan LaFrance told the crowd he brought a Glock 19, but he kept it out of sight.

At the New York state Capitol in Albany, about 2,000 people turned out for a chilly rally, where they chanted "We the People", "USA", and "Freedom".

Many carried American flags and "Don't Tread On Me" banners. The event took place four days after Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the nation's toughest assault weapon and magazine restrictions.

Republican Assemblyman Steven McLaughlin said the new law was "abuse of power" by the governor. Some in the crowd carried "Impeach Cuomo" signs. Protester Robert Candea called the restrictions "an outrage against humanity".

In Connecticut, where task forces created by the Legislature and Democratic Governor Dannel Malloy are considering changes to gun laws, police said about 1,000 people showed up on the Capitol grounds.

One demonstrator at the rally in Maine, Joe Getchell of Pittsfield, said every law-abiding citizen has a right to bear arms.

Capitol rallies also took place in Michigan, Montana, Wisconsin, Missouri and North Carolina, among other states.

Back in Texas, Houston resident Robert Thompson attended the rally with his wife and children, ages 12, five and four. Many in the family wore T-shirts reading: "The Second Amendment Protects the First."

"What we are facing now is an assault weapons ban, but if they do this, what will do they do next?" Thompson asked.

William Lawson drove more than four hours from Wichita Falls and held up a sign reading "Modern Musket" over the image of an assault rifle and the words, "An American Tradition since 1776."

"I'm not some wild-eyed person who wants to fight in the streets," Lawson said. "This is a country of laws. But I want to protect our Constitution."

Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson conceded that the Second Amendment sometimes leads to killings, but he told the crowd that the First Amendment can be just as dangerous. Patterson said news coverage of those responsible for mass shootings can spark copy-cat shootings.

"All of us here, together, are right about our liberty," Patterson said. "And we will not back down."

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Original Batmobile sells for $4m

The original Batmobile from the 1960s television series has sold at auction for $US4.2 million. Source: AAP

THE original Batmobile from the 1960s television series has sold at auction for $US4.2 million ($A4 million).

A spokeswoman for the Barrett-Jackson Auction Company in Scottsdale, Arizona says the winning bidder has not been disclosed following Saturday's auction.

The 5.79 metre-long black, bubble-topped car was used in the Batman TV show that starred Adam West as the Caped Crusader.

The car's owner - famed Los Angeles car customiser George Barris - transformed a one-of-a-kind 1955 Lincoln Futura concept car into the sleek crime-fighting machine.

On the show, it boasted lasers and a Batphone and could lay down smoke screens and oil slicks.

Barris' publicist says his client is pleased with the auction result.

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Police save man who drove into Swan River

THREE police officers are being hailed as heroes after pulling to safety a man who deliberately drove his car into Perth's Swan River in a bizarre Sunday morning incident.

The man, who is yet to be identified, was seen driving his white Hyundai sedan along a footpath to the edge of the water at the popular Barrack Street jetty in the heart of the city at around 10.30am WST.

Police said after stopping the vehicle, and placing some personal items including an empty jerry can on the jetty side, the man got back into his car, accelerated hard and ploughed through a temporary fence.

At speed, the car hit rocks at the water's edge, which catapulted the vehicle metres into the water.

Amazingly, witnesses reported then seeing the driver treading water in the river as the car sank, before swimming back under the waves and back into the car.

He was submerged inside the car for some minutes, before police arrived, dived in and rescued the man.

They performed immediate resuscitation on the prone driver, before ambulance officers arrived and continued attempting to revive the man.

He was taken to Royal Perth Hospital in a critical condition.

Inspector Derek Staats from WA police said the incident was highly unusual.

"He accelerated heavily, as witnesses heard screeching of tyres, and drove off," Inspector Staats said.

"They then observed him get out of the car, when it was semi-submerged, and swimming on the surface.

"When the car had sunk, the driver then swum back under water and got back in the vehicle.

"The police officers took immediate action ... they're actions are very admirable."

The incident occurred just yards from the Aquatic Super Series open water swimming event, which is taking place in Perth this weekend.

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