Indonesia truck crash kills 16

A CONTAINER truck has slammed into several vehicles in central Indonesia, leaving 16 dead and injuring several others.

Police spokesman Colonel Martinus Sitompul said the accident occurred on Saturday in Sukabumi, a hilly town in West Java province.

He said the truck driver appeared to have lost control when his brakes failed, and hit a mini-van and dozens of motorcycles near a factory before crossing the road and hitting a number of cars before slamming into several houses.

At least 16 bodies were recovered and more than 10 injured people were taken to a nearby hospital.

Most of the victims are factory workers who were on their way to work by motorcycle.

Safety standards on Indonesian roads are poor and hundreds of people die in accidents every year.

13.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Premier praises Coonabarabaran volunteers

NO lives were lost in the Coonabarabaran fires because emergency workers fought so hard, NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell has said at a community barbecue to thank 300 firefighters and volunteers.

The January fires razed the surrounds of Coonabarabaran in northern NSW, destroying 50,000 hectares of land, 53 homes and 120 buildings.

After a tour of the scorched fields and hills surrounding the town, Mr O'Farrell said on Saturday it was "extraordinary to see how cruel and random fire is, taking certain homes and not others".

"What's remarkable is ... no lives were lost," he told reporters in Coonabarabaran on Saturday.

"It's a tribute to the volunteers."

Mr O'Farrell said it was important to thank emergency service workers, particularly the volunteers.

"As much as we value the paid emergency services, we couldn't do the job that's required, that was necessary at Coonabarabaran, without the support of volunteers."

"We couldn't enjoy the lifestyles we do without their ongoing commitment."

Rural Fire Service commissioner Shane Fitzgibbons said education programs, hazard reduction schemes and community teamwork were the "first and foremost" reasons why no one died.

The local mayor, Peter Shinton, who is also a geologist, said the fire was so significant that locals had been spotting new rock formations previously hidden by dense vegetation.

To help the community recover, the NSW government has donated $25,000 to the local council, in addition to disaster relief funds available from state and federal governments.

People affected by the fire will be able to claim $1,000 assistance packages.

13.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Zed's ACT Senate win could face challenge

SUPPORTERS of ousted sitting Liberal senator Gary Humphries will try to have his preselection loss overturned, accusing a triumphant former ACT opposition leader Zed Seselja of winning a rigged vote.

Many vented their frustration at the result outside the Eastlake Football Club in Kingston, labelling the preselection process "corrupt" and "disgusting".

Mr Seselja's push for the ACT Senate spot has divided the Liberal Party in Canberra, with Humphries supporters complaining they were effectively locked out of Saturday's vote.

The 35-year-old won the ballot by 114 to 84 - but more than 400 Liberal members were ineligible because they hadn't attended a branch meeting in the past six months.

Mr Seselja is alleged to have urged supporters to attend meetings just days before he announced his nomination, while other Liberal members were kept in the dark.

The new senate candidate dismissed talk of the preselection being rigged or unfair, saying, "It is a clear result from the party and I'm humbled by it."

"I think what we've had today is an exercise in democracy," Mr Seselja told reporters outside the football club.

"These processes are difficult, there is no doubt about it. Democracy is sometimes difficult - it can be messy."

Senator Humphries - who had been in the job for 10 years and had the support of opposition leader Tony Abbott - congratulated Mr Seselja on the win.

He said he would abide by the result despite talk of a challenge from his supporters.

"I would obviously dearly have loved to have been there to fight that fight and have been the person who took on Labor and the Greens in September," he said.

"I'm sad after a very long career in politics to have to bow out, but one's time is up sooner or later and obviously today the view of members is my time is up."

Former Canberra Liberals president Gary Kent said a full divisional council of the party would be convened in the next few weeks, triggered by a petition from members angry at the Seselja coup.

That meeting would have the power to overturn what he dubbed Saturday's "unfair and corrupt" preselection.

"I'm a Liberal (and) I'm ashamed of what happened today," Mr Kent told reporters.

"There will be a meeting in the middle of March at which hopefully 640 party members will be able to judge what happened here today.

"It was less than one in three voters. That was deliberate.

"Many people were not told about qualifying meetings."

A spokeswoman for Mr Abbott said he would not be commenting on the ACT preselection.

Federal ACT Labor MP Andrew Leigh said the jobs of thousands of Canberra public servants would be at risk with the election of Mr Seselja.

"Mr Seselja will be the last person to stand between Canberra and the Liberals' band of anti-public service Visigoths," he said in a statement.

Greens senate candidate for the ACT, former GetUp! director Simon Sheikh, invited Mr Seselja to a debate on coalition plans to cut public service jobs.

"One thing is clear - if there is an Abbott government, their intention is to cull public service jobs, and Canberra will be the hardest hit," he said in a statement.

13.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Stilnox causes muscle weakness: expert

STILNOX is a quick-acting drug for insomniacs. It's not a drug that would be ideal for athletes. And definitely not for fun, an expert says.

One of its side-effects is muscle weakness.

"That's not something you would think would be good for sporting people," says Dr Lynn Weekes, the head of Australia's national prescribing service NPS MedicineWise.

People who take sleeping pills for fun "are putting themselves in danger", she told AAP on Friday after James Magnussen and four of his freestyle relay teammates admitted taking the drug in a bonding session before the London Olympics.

People who take Stilnox usually feel the effects within 15 minutes. Its main use is to help a patient with insomnia fall asleep and stay asleep.

It is potentially habit-forming.

"It is not a medicine to play around with," says Dr Weekes.

"I would never recommend that someone takes someone else's prescription medicine. Most Stilnox is bought legally, but it is also sold on the streets."

Stilnox has significant hypnotic effects and some users have reported unexplained sleepwalking, sleep driving, binge eating while asleep, and performing other tasks while sleeping.

Research by NPS MedicineWise has found these events mostly occur the first time the drug is taken or within a few days of the initial dose.

An unusual feature of the drug is that sleeping people under its influence can sometimes carry out complex tasks and participate in question and answer sessions as if they are awake.

People who take the drug can still feel sleepy and hungover the day following a dose.

In Australia, Stilnox packs carry the following alert: "Warning: ... may be associated with unusual and potentially dangerous behaviours whilst apparently asleep. These have included sleep walking, driving motor vehicles and other bizarre behaviours ... You must not drink alcohol ...

13.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Power price hikes unacceptable: Qld govt

QUEENSLAND'S government is determined to make sure families aren't "kicked in the guts" by unacceptably large electricity price hikes in July.

But Treasurer Tim Nicholls refuses to accept the competition regulator's draft findings, which point to the government's freezing of electricity tariffs last year as part of the reason for the hikes.

The Queensland Competition Authority released its draft determination for 2013/14 power prices on Friday.

Households will be hit with a 21.4 per cent rise; small business with a 15.7 per cent increase from July.

Mr Nicholls says the government is determined to soften the blow.

He's suggested the government could ask generators and distribution firms to absorb part of the costs.

"This is far too much of an increase," he told reporters.

"We are determined to make sure families aren't kicked in the guts by this huge increase."

But the treasurer didn't accept the government's partial responsibility.

"We don't agree with everything the Queensland Competition Authority says," Mr Nicholls said.

"We put (the tariff freeze) in place to save Queensland families."

The state government blames the national energy regulator and the federal government for the hikes.

"It is the result of poor decision making over the last two to three years," the treasurer said.

QCA chairman Dr Malcolm Roberts said along with the lifting of the state government's tariff freeze, green schemes like the Commonwealth carbon dioxide price were behind the increases.

"The QCA understands that price increases are never welcome news," Dr Roberts said.

"The QCA has rigorously assessed the information before it to ensure that the price increases ... are necessary to support a sustainable, competitive electricity market."

Dr Roberts claims most customers have already chosen contracts which usually offer lower prices than the regulated tariffs, and suggested others should follow.

"It makes sense for customers who can change from regulated tariffs to test the market," he said.

Friday's announcement is only a draft determination with a final decision due by the end of May.

13.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Qld police reveal bikie link in shooting

QUEENSLAND police have revealed a man who drove to a Brisbane home for help after being shot several times is a member of a notorious outlaw motorcycle gang.

Detectives are still searching for two gunmen involved in separate incidents in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast.

A 24-year-old man has been arrested after allegedly shooting his victim in the mouth during an incident in Brisbane's south on Thursday afternoon.

Deputy Commissioner Ross Barnett said the other two unsolved shootings that followed were a high priority.

"The community can be rest assured that we will aggressively pursue all lines of inquiry," he told reporters on Friday.

Mr Barnett said he understood the community was concerned about the shootings, but their timings gave a false impression that there was a major problem with gun-related violence.

"The fact is, in the last incidents, at this stage there is absolutely no link," he said.

He'd earlier told ABC radio that although gun-related crime rates were falling in Queensland, illegal firearms were still available to people with enough money and the right connections.

The latest incident involved a man driving to a home in Banyo in Brisbane's north after being shot in the hip, arm and shoulder at an unknown location.

Ambulance officers were called to the house just before 3am (AEST) on Friday.

Detectives are yet to interview the man, who remains in hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Police are also hunting for a gunman who shot another man in the leg as he loaded motorbikes onto his ute in the northern Gold Coast suburb of Pimpama on Thursday afternoon.

The 39-year-old was approached by a stranger who demanded his car keys.

When the victim refused, he was shot in the leg and the offender fled into bushland.

The victim is recovering in Gold Coast Hospital.

In the first of the three shootings, a man was shot in the mouth in a south Brisbane street on Thursday afternoon.

The 31-year-old is recovering in hospital after the incident at Upper Mount Gravatt.

A 24-year-old man was charged overnight with attempted murder and unlawful possession of a weapon. He's due to face the Holland Park Magistrates Court on Friday.

A 44-year-old woman is assisting police with their inquiries.

13.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Small lenders take initiative on rates

THREE small mortgage lenders have gone out on their own and cut interest rates on home loan products, putting pressure on bigger financial institutions to follow suit.

Treasurer Wayne Swan said the cuts were a sign that the federal government's banking competition reforms are working.

Financial comparison website RateCity said Holiday Coast Credit Union cut several of its loan products by 20 basis points, BMC Mortgage reduced several loans by 10 basis points, while IMB trimmed one of its loans by five basis points.

"While there have been several rate increases out of cycle, we've never seen lenders drop variable home loan rates while the cash rate remains stable," RateCity spokesperson Michelle Hutchison said in a statement.

Since the government announced its comprehensive package of banking reforms in December 2010 to boost competition, smaller banks have captured an estimated $21 billion in home-lending business from the big banks.

"We've made it easier for consumers to walk down the road and get a better deal if their bank doesn't do the right thing by them," a spokesman for Mr Swan told AAP on Thursday.

Ms Hutchison believes other lenders have room to move. On average they have kept 42 basis points of the Reserve Bank of Australia's (RBA) 175 basis points of official rate cuts since November 2011 from variable home loan borrowers.

"If these three lenders can afford to cut variable rates out of cycle, other lenders - including the major banks - have no excuse to sit on their hands," she said.

RBA governor Glenn Stevens will likely be quizzed on the cost of funds for banks and how that fits in with monetary policy when he faces federal MPs in Canberra on Friday.

In its most recent statements, the central bank has indicated it stands ready to cut the cash rate again if needed given the benign inflation outlook.

New data on the Thursday bucked the trend of subdued pressures, indicating that the average wage jumped five per cent in the year to November for an annual salary of $72,592.

This is well above the RBA's four to 4.5 per cent line in the sand for wages growth, and more than double the inflation rate of 2.2 per cent as of December last year.

However, the composition of this data set tends to make it volatile, which is why the RBA prefers to use the wage price index as one of its main guides to wages growth.

That index, released on Wednesday, showed annual wage growth at a more contained 3.4 per cent.

Still, Thursday's average weekly ordinary time earnings data does provide useful dollar estimates for industry groups.

Miners now earn on average $122,767-a-year, while at the other end of the scale, those working in accommodation and food services drew an average salary of $51,626.

Commonwealth Securities economist Savanth Sebastian said despite sustained growth in real wages, consumers remained conservative.

"However, given that wage growth continues to outpace the rise in economy-wide prices, it is likely that consumer conservatism will thaw over time," he said.

13.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

NT government backflips on fire station

THE Northern Territory government has agreed to keep firefighters based at a rural community, in another act of damage control following a poor showing at a by-election.

Chief Minister Terry Mills called on Thursday for full-time fire officers to remain at the Humpty Doo fire station.

He said he wanted a review of the structure of the NT Police, Fire and Emergency Services instead of the Humpty Doo cuts.

Last year he announced the firefighters would be withdrawn as part of the government's cost-cutting program.

The decision drew an angry reaction from some in Humpty Doo, a rural community about 40km from Darwin, and last weekend Mr Mills met with firefighters at the station .

The backflip was the second in two days, after the government on Wednesday announced a $20 "counter transaction fee" at the Motor Vehicle Registry would be scrapped just months after it was brought in.

Political commentator and former NT Labor MP, Ken Parish, told AAP he thought the move was likely to be damage control after the Country Liberal Party's (CLP) big loss in the Wanguri by-election.

The by-election on February 16 saw a greater than six per cent swing towards the ALP in what was already a safe Labor seat.

Following the result, NT Attorney General John Elferink began counting votes for a possible leadership challenge to Chief Minister Terry Mills.

The challenge did not go ahead, and Mr Elferink offered his resignation following the move.

13.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Victorian PSOs nab 1400 on rail network

DRUNKS are being stopped in their tracks across Melbourne's metro train network, with more than 700 arrested in the past year thanks to protective services officers.

Working with police, the PSOs have helped nab almost 1400 people since their rollout across the network began a year ago, the Victorian government said on Thursday.

They've also aided in the arrest of 500 people on outstanding warrants, figures show.

A total 278 PSOs are in place across 35 stations.

Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Chris O'Neill says he's delighted with the PSO's efforts, and warned drunken passengers they're on notice.

"If you're drunk on public transport, you will be arrested," he said.

The officers are not only helping to crack down on public transport crime, but also making passengers feel safer, Deputy Premier Peter Ryan says.

Three independent surveys show passengers' perceptions of safety on the network, particularly at night, are on the rise, he said.

Shop owners trading near stations also say the PSOs are having an "absolutely profoundly beneficial effect" on ensuring they can operate "without a lot of the riff-raff" getting in their way, Mr Ryan told reporters.

"The travelling public of Victoria has absolutely embraced the work being undertaken by PSOs."

The coalition made a pre-election promise of 940 PSOs across the network by November 2014, which Mr Ryan says is on track.

Graffiti on trains has also plummeted since PSOs arrived, with an average 60 incidents a month in mid-2011 down to 18 this month, Public Transport Victoria figures show.

Some 550 applications for new PSO positions have been received since the launch of a recruitment drive last month, Mr O'Neill said.

13.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Barnes snubbing Working Class Man writer?

TOURING rock veterans Journey are hoping to catch up with their one-time collaborator Jimmy Barnes - but say the Aussie singer is giving them the cold shoulder.

Ahead of their first show at Brisbane Entertainment Centre on February 26, keyboardist Jonathan Cain has revealed that Barnes turned down an offer to support the band and has not answered his emails.

Journey share a long history with Barnes, dating back to when Cain wrote the 1987 Barnes solo hit Working Class Man, which is widely considered an iconic Australian blue collar song, even though it was written by an American.

Members of Journey, including guitarist Neal Schon, also performed on Barnes's No.1 single Too Much Ain't Enough Love.

Despite meeting up recently in San Francisco and writing a song together, 23 years after what Cain described as "difficult partings", the Journey man is still waiting to hear if Barnes will drop into a show.

"Hopefully he'll show up at one of these things," Cain said. "He's been a little distant recently."

Speaking about last year's meeting, Cain said he and Barnes shared a "mutual respect" and found common ground discussing the careers of their daughters, who are both aspiring musicians.

"We got back together and it felt like it did in the old days. We still had the chemistry. I said to him 'Jim, why did it take 23 years to come look me up'?"

Cain says Australian promoter Michael Gudinski is on the case to reunite them in Australia, and acknowledges that Barnes might have changed his email account.

Guitarist Schon, who fielded his interview separately to band mates during a promo day in Sydney, said he also hoped to have a beer with Barnesy.

"I'd love to see him and I'd love him to come down to the show but I don't have his number - maybe I'll ask Jonathan."

Journey are one of the most successful rock bands in US history with album sales of more than 80 million. Their song Don't Stop Believin', which sparked a career revival thanks to the musical Rock Of Ages and its inclusion in the TV show Glee, is the biggest selling song on iTunes.

* Journey tour nationally with Deep Purple from February 24 to March 7.

13.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Health workers urged to wear hi-tech masks

HEALTH workers who consistently wear high-filtration face masks are "much less likely" to get infections than those who don't, says an Australian infectious diseases expert.

"Health workers, particularly those who work in emergency and respiratory departments, are at the front line of risk, and these special masks, or respirators, can protect them," says Professor Raina MacIntyre, one of the authors of research led by University of New South Wales (UNSW) academics.

Health workers in Western countries don't usually use face masks, except in operating theatres. However, the research proves the hi-tech masks significantly reduce the risk of both common colds and bacterial infections.

Prof MacIntyre says health workers need to be "wearing these regularly when they work in high-risk settings or during a pandemic, not just when they think they are at risk".

Most guidelines recommended the use of the masks only in certain instances.

"Hospitals should consider this research for their occupational health and safety guidelines," Prof MacIntyre told AAP on Wednesday.

"Current policies recommend the respirators for targeted use. Continuous use in high-risk settings is the only proven way for these masks to be effective."

The research findings, published in The American Journal of Critical Care Medicine, are particularly significant during times of vaccine shortages and severe flu outbreaks.

"When there are no drugs and vaccines available, sometimes for months at a time, then all you have is masks, says Prof MacIntyre.

The study was conducted in China where face masks are commonplace in all health settings. Almost 1700 doctors and nurses in 19 Beijing hospitals participated.

Those who wore the high-filtration masks consistently were more than twice as likely to be protected from infection, compared with those who wore a standard surgical mask all the time or who only wore the high-filtration mask intermittently.

Prof MacIntyre said: "We need to get our health-care workers used to wearing these masks, so that they are optimally protected in the event of a pandemic or emerging infectious disease."

13.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Consumer spending up in January: index

Consumer spending rose in January, after a disappointing Christmas period. Source: AAP

CONSUMERS opened their wallets again in January, after disappointing retailers by cutting back spending in December.

Consumer spending rose 1.9 per cent, seasonally adjusted, in January, according to the Commonwealth Bank's Business Sales Indicator (BSI), which tracks debt and credit card transactions at CBA's point-of-sale terminals.

CBA said the January figure reversed a 1.3 per cent fall in spending in December.

CommSec chief economist Craig James said the BSI figures showed consumers were still looking for discounts but were spending more than they were six months ago.

"The lift in spending in January coincided with post-Christmas sales, suggesting that consumers are more inclined to spend when goods or services are discounted," he said.

"However, we have seen positive indicators for some time now, with the underlying trend pattern ticking upward for the past five months."

CBA executive general manager, local business banking, Adam Bennett said the latest BSI figures suggested 2013 could be a better year for businesses.

"While Christmas spending did not have the impact many businesses had hoped for, the results of January spending offered some positive news," he said.

"The results show that although spending patterns remain erratic, consumers are still willing to spend and confidence is heading in the right direction."

Service providers recorded the strongest increase in sales, up 3.7 per cent in the month, in trend terms, while transportation was up 2.0 per cent.

Telephone order providers fared worse, with sales down 1.6 per cent in January.

13.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Royal prank cuts Southern Cross profit

The royal prank call by Sydney's 2DayFM cost the radio station's owners $2.8 million in lost profit. Source: AAP

A PRANK call by Sydney's 2DayFM to the hospital caring for the pregnant Duchess of Cambridge cost the radio station's owners $2.8 million in lost profit.

Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) said the scandal had a $2.2 million hit to revenue and added $1.4 million in expenses.

SCA did not give a breakdown of the net profit effect but said there was an 0.4 cent decline to earnings per share due to the "Hot 30 impact".

The figure translated into a $2.8 million hit to first half net profit, which SCA reported as falling 52 per cent to $45.1 million.

2DayFM announcers Michael Christian and Mel Greig were suspended and their Hot 30 program cancelled after they made a prank call in December to London's King Edward VII Hospital posing as the Queen and Prince Charles.

Nurse Jacintha Saldanha, who took the call at the hospital, was later found dead in a suspected suicide.

SCA chief executive Rhys Holleran on Tuesday said the company had "put our processes under the microscope" in response to what he described as an "unforeseen tragedy".

"We are reasonably happy with what we have seen and we have seen some areas where we think we can do better than we previously did," he said.

SCA said any continuing financial effect would be immaterial and that the broadcaster's radio brands remained strong with audiences.

"We have done a lot of research into our own brands and I think with our own audiences and we just wrapped that up recently and they seem to be in pretty good shape," Mr Holleran said.

SCA suspended advertising on 2DayFM in December after a public backlash over the prank call, as major retailers such as Coles and Telstra pulled their advertising from the station.

Mr Christian has since returned to the airwaves, while Ms Greig was expected to return at a later date.

13.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

SPC Ardmona pulls back Coke's profit

Coca-Cola Amatil's annual profit has fallen by 22 per cent as it deals with weak consumer spending. Source: AAP

THE high Australian dollar and price cuts by the major supermarkets have forced a big writedown in the value of Coca-Cola Amatil's (CCA) packaged fruit business.

CCA's net profit fell 22.3 per cent to $459.9 million in calendar 2012 from $591.8 million in 2011.

The result included $146 million in writedowns on the assets and goodwill of the SPC Ardmona (SPCA) packaged fruit business, which has struggled to compete against privately-labelled supermarket goods, cheap imports and the high Australian dollar.

In 2011, CCA booked $110.5 million in restructuring and associated costs for SPCA.

SPC Ardmona's brands include Ardmona, Goulburn Valley, IXL and SPC.

CCA chief financial officer Nessa O'Sullivan said supermarkets Woolworths and Coles had made fruit and vegetable prices a key area of competition.

A 20 per cent cut in fresh fruit prices had resulted in shoppers shifting from packaged to fresh fruit, affecting SPCA.

"We already had the issue of the stronger Australian dollar, but overlaid on top of that, we had increased deflation of fresh fruit," Ms O'Sullivan said during a briefing on Tuesday.

Consequently, CCA had to make writedowns on stock held by SPCA.

"You have to recognise that you will realise a lesser amount if your competing product of fresh fruit is lower priced," she said.

Ms O'Sullivan said CCA had a three-year plan to restructure SPCA, which included cost cuts already delivered or in the pipeline.

She said SPCA would also be releasing new, more profitable snacking products.

"Obviously the outcomes for the business and the overall business model will be dependent upon the success and our ability to grow that higher-margin revenue," she said.

CCA also said it expected to progressively increase its investments in Indonesia by nearly half a billion dollars over the next three to four years.

Group managing director Terry Davis said growth in Indonesia was driven by the increased popularity of Fanta, Coke and Sprite, new products in the fast-growing tea and juice categories, and the roll-out of a cold drink coolers.

CCA was also expanding into the high-volume water category in Indonesia, under the Ades brand.

It would commission its first high-speed water line at its Cibitung plant in Indonesia in June 2013, which would be capable of producing 54,000 bottles an hour.

The company's operations in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea posted earnings growth of 16.8 per cent to $102.9 million for 2012.

Earnings in Australia rose 3.3 per cent to $627.4 million in 2012, while those from New Zealand and Fiji fell 11.8 per cent to $70.1 million.

Mr Davis said Australian revenue and earnings were expected to grow in 2013.

"We do, however, remain concerned by the generally weak consumer spending environment which has persisted for the last two years," he said.

CCA shares were 30 cents higher at $13.93 at 1342 AEDT on Tuesday.

CCA lifted its partly franked final dividend to 32 cents a share, from 30.5 cents.

It will also pay a special dividend of 3.5 cents, taking total dividends for 2012 to 59.5 cents.

13.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

WIN TV cuts in SA slammed by pollies

WIN TV's decision to close two regional news services in South Australia has been slammed by politicians.

Independent SA senator Nick Xenophon says he will move to amend the Broadcasting Services Act to include regional SA so communities can receive news about their local area.

Staff in WIN's South-East and Riverland regions received letters on Monday saying the news broadcasts had ended and their positions were redundant, effective immediately.

Senator Xenophon said he was joining local mayors in expressing disappointment about the loss.

SA Regional Development Minister Gail Gago said it was a blow for communities where people would lose their jobs and leave an enormous gap in regional media.

Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said the closures will hurt rural communities and reduce both the quality and quantity of local news for all South Australians.

"The Greens are passionate about supporting local media, especially in regional Australia, and will continue to work to improve funding and tie it to content production quotas," she said in a statement.

Senator Xenophon said regional South Australia should be protected in the same way that eastern states are required to meet quotas for local content.

He will seek to amend section 43A of the Broadcasting Services Act to include SA, he said in a statement on Tuesday.

The section currently includes a requirement for local content in: northern NSW, southern NSW, regional Victoria, eastern Victoria, western Victoria, regional Queensland and Tasmania

13.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Dismal small businesses need RBA help

SMALL business needs an immediate interest rate cut and assurances from the federal government the sector won't be hit in the May budget, key lobby groups say.

Two new surveys for the December quarter released on Monday show small business in a dismal state, with one showing profitability near the lows seen during the 2008-2009 global financial crisis.

"The sector was under significant pressure over that period, and it is certainly continuing to endure very difficult trading conditions," Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) chief economist Greg Evans told reporters in Canberra.

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) would be justified in making another interest rate cut when its board met in March, he said.

Retailers have backed the ACCI's rate call after a poor Christmas trading period.

"Many would be hard pressed to take home a wage at the end of the day in the current conditions," Australian Retailers Association executive director Russell Zimmerman said in a statement.

The ACCI small business survey showed the conditions index eased to 40.5 points in the December quarter, from 40.7 in the previous three months, and was still well below the 50 mark that separates contraction from expansion.

Similarly, the National Australia Bank's SME survey showed conditions fell two index points to minus seven in the quarter, indicating a majority of respondents reported weakening conditions in the period.

Confidence also fell two points to an index level of minus seven, as pessimists outnumbered optimists.

Opposition small business spokesman Bruce Billson said small business was being taken for granted by the Labor government.

"Not only is a small business paying the price for an unhelpful government, but so is the wider economy," he said in a statement.

The ACCI's Mr Evans doesn't want to see the government shore up its ailing budget position by removing beneficial business tax arrangements.

"We are yet to see any major recovery in respect to the non-mining economy, and an increase in taxes certainly won't help that process and will diminish confidence," he said.

Another concern for business is rising petrol costs, which reduce consumer spending and further depress conditions for retailers.

Commonwealth Securities chief economist Craig James believes the average unleaded fuel price could break $1.50 per litre over the next week or so, as international oil prices rise in a more settled global economic environment.

It would be the highest price since May last year, adding to the average monthly household spend on petrol, which has already risen by $12 since the start of the year to more than $178.

"Petrol is the single biggest purchase for most households, and even those without a car will feel the pain through higher delivery costs, higher transport fares and increases in prices of goods with a high transport component," Mr James said.

The central bank will on Tuesday release the minutes of its February 5 board meeting, at which it left the cash rate at three per cent after several reductions over 2012.

RBA governor Glenn Stevens and his economics team will face their regular six-monthly grilling in front of the powerful House of Representatives economics committee on Friday.

13.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Poor eating 'causes 50 per cent of deaths'

PEOPLE are eating too much of the wrong foods, according to revised dietary guidelines that blame poor nutrition for more than half the deaths in Australia.

The guidelines, released by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) in Canberra on Monday, update those issued in 2003.

They suggest people achieve and maintain a healthy weight, be physically active and choose amounts of nutritious food and drinks to meet their energy needs, said Professor Warwick Anderson, CEO of the council.

He said adolescents should be physically active every day.

According to the guidelines, the number of overweight and obese people has increased significantly since the 1970s. And according to the latest research most Australian adults are overweight.

If current trends continue, 83 per cent of men and 75 per cent women will be overweight or obese by 2025.

Prof Anderson says people should "enjoy a wide variety of nutritious foods".

They should limit their intake of foods containing saturated fat, added salt and added sugars. Alcohol should be consumed in moderation.

"Limit intake of foods high in saturated fat such as many biscuits, cakes, pastries, pies, processed meats, commercial burgers, pizza, fried foods, potato chips and crisps.

"Replace high-fat foods which contain predominantly saturated fats such as butter, cream, cooking margarine, coconut and palm oil with foods which contain predominantly polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats such as oils, spreads, nut butters/pastes and avocado."

However, Prof Anderson warned that low-fat diets were not suitable for children under the age of two.

"Consuming a sensible, balanced diet can help us to achieve optimal health throughout life. But knowing exactly what to eat can be confusing when there is so much conflicting advice out there," he said.

The challenge was how to "get enough of what is good for us without eating too much food that makes us fat."

Prof Anderson said the guidelines did not attempt to "mandate what you should and should not eat."

"We come from a wide range of backgrounds and we eat a wide range of food."

13.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

LG unveils new full-HD smartphone

LG Electronics has unveiled the latest version of its flagship smartphone, boasting a higher resolution screen aimed at gaining a technical edge over bigger rivals like Samsung.

The Optimus G Pro - the newest version of the Optimus G series and the first LG smartphone offering a full high-definition (HD) screen - will hit stores at home on Wednesday, the South Korean firm said.

The new handset is powered by Android software and measures 15.2cm long and 7.6cm wide.

It goes on sale in Japan and North America in the second quarter.

The Optimus G Pro features a 13.97cm display that packs over 2 million pixels, or twice as many as smartphones with ordinary HD screens, offering brighter and clearer images.

Global handset makers like Taiwan's HTC and Sony of Japan have recently rolled out models boasting full HD screens - most commonly used for TVs - to gain an edge in the increasingly competitive smartphone market.

Samsung Electronics, the world's top maker of both smartphones and mobile handsets in general, is also expected to unveil a new full-HD version of its headline Galaxy S model.

"With smartphones getting bigger and bigger, its visual function becomes ever more important," LG said on Monday.

"An ability to offer high-resolution images is paramount."

LG, the world's number two flat-screen TV producer and the fifth biggest phone maker, has struggled for years in the rapidly-growing smartphone market, with its Optimus series lagging far behind Apple's iPhone or the Galaxy S.

But heavy promotion of new models saw LG's smartphone sales in the fourth quarter of 2012 surge 56 per cent from a year ago to a record 8.6 million units.

13.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Abbott dares Gillard to visit WA

FEDERAL Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has dared the prime minister to go west and face the music over the mining tax, as he officially launched the Liberal state election campaign in Perth.

Citing WA Premier Colin Barnett as a personal role model for his potential prime ministership, Mr Abbott ridiculed the state and federal Labor parties for their dysfunctional relationship.

"I do challenge the prime minister - come west, prime minister, come west. Don't be shy of coming to Western Australia," he said.

"Justify the carbon tax. Justify the mining tax. Because the first person it seems you have to persuade is your very own state leader."

State Labor leader Mark McGowan has previously said he does not expect the prime minister to come to WA for the campaign.

Leading an enthusiastic Liberal crowd, Mr Abbott also laid the groundwork for his federal election campaign in the west, saying the country owed the state of WA a debt of gratitude for its contribution to the national's economy.

"In an important sense, West Australians are the best Australians," Mr Abbott said.

Mr Barnett announced a $57 million investment for school nurses and $15 million dollars for the city's Scitech education facility.

13.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Vic legal aid workers may strike

LAWYERS, administration workers and support staff at Victorian Legal Aid could walk off the job after Fair Work Australia approved a ballot for protected industrial action.

Union members have until March 15 to vote on a range of measures that could include anything from distributing campaign material to strikes.

Staff are seeking a pay increase above the current offer of nine per cent over three years.

Meanwhile, Victorian Legal Aid is seeking government approval to put the offer directly to staff in a ballot, in a bid to end the 12-month pay dispute.

"Victoria Legal Aid has been working hard to resolve its enterprise bargaining negotiations as soon as possible while seeking an enterprise agreement that is both fair and affordable," VLA managing director Bevan Warner said in a statement.

Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) Victorian secretary Karen Batt said legal aid workers hadn't had a pay increase since 2009.

"They're coming up to two years since they've actually had a pay rise and they're not proposing to recognise that in the offer," Ms Batt told AAP on Sunday.

She said staff wanted a similar deal to other public service sectors which averaged a rise closer to four per cent.

13.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

CBA profits aren't due to rates: Narev

A RECORD boost to the Commonwealth Bank's bottom line cannot be attributed to the bank's decision to withhold interest rate cuts, chief executive Ian Narev says.

Australia's largest home loan lender last week reported a net profit of $3.66 billion in the six months to December 31, up one per cent on the same period in the previous year.

While the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) cut the cash rate by 125 basis points to three per cent in calendar 2012, Commonwealth Bank of Australia's (CBA) standard variable mortgage rate was cut by just 90 basis points to 6.4 per cent.

Despite the difference, Mr Narev said the bank was highly profitable for several reasons.

"If you dissect the result, the input of margin here overall, I think margin went up 4 basis points, that's a contributor but by no means the big driver of the profit," Mr Narev told ABC's Inside Business on Sunday.

He said there was a difference with institutional markets and with the markets business, which had nothing to do with rate cuts.

"You've got improvement in productivity, that's got nothing to do with rate cuts, you've got a big improvement in the wealth management business, 6.5 billion dollars of funds flowing and that's got nothing to do with the rate cuts, so I certainly wouldn't categorise the performance being driven by rate cuts."

CBA's better than expected profits last week pushed the bank's shares to a record high, and put the bank on track for another record full year profit near $7.6 billion.

Mr Narev said CBA's retail home lending income was up about 15 per cent but deposit income was down 11 per cent so it was important to look at margins on a net basis.

"We've seen a period where deposit competitions remain strong and in fact our retail banking margins are about, I think from memory, 30 or 40 basis points below where they were in 2006, so by no means are we sitting on a real bonanza of retail banking margin at the moment," he said.

Wholesale funding costs were going up because new funding was still more expensive.

13.23 | 0 komentar | Read More