NSW govt to extend home owner grant

Next week's NSW budget will extend eligibility criteria for a first home owner grant. Source: AAP

THE NSW government has freed land for 6600 new homes in Sydney's northwest and will extend the first home owner grant in this month's budget.

Land at Marsden Park North, Richmond and Blacktown has been released or rezoned for housing, Premier Mike Baird announced on Saturday.

The Marsden Park land has space for 4000 new homes and is close to where the North West Rail Link is being built, while the land at Blacktown is on an old golf course.

"In western Sydney, there is a massive housing boom occurring and the unlocking of up to 6600 new housing lots at three sites will boost housing supply and make homes more affordable," Mr Baird said in a statement.

The government claims 100,000 new homes have been built across NSW since the March 2011 election.

Treasurer Andrew Constance also announced that the June 17 state budget will extend eligibility criteria for the first home owner grant by $100,000.

It means first-time buyers who purchase new properties worth up to $750,000 will qualify for the $15,000 payment. The previous threshold was $650,000.

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Girl dies as car rolls in NSW forest

A GIRL died and her four friends were injured as their car rolled over at a forest in NSW's central west.

The group of friends from Wollongong were driving through Lowes Mount State Forest near Oberon just after midnight on Saturday when their four-wheel-drive car left the trail and rolled, police said.

A 15-year-old girl was thrown from the car and died at the scene.

The 24-year-old male driver suffered minor injuries and was taken to Oberon Hospital for mandatory blood tests.

A male passenger, 20, was flown to Orange Hospital with serious head and abdominal injuries.

Two other male passengers, in their 20s, suffered minor injuries.

Acting assistant commissioner Stuart Smith has urged people driving this long weekend to buckle up and slow down.

"One fatality on our roads is always one too many," he said in a statement.

"If you're travelling long distances remember to stop for regular breaks and take care of yourself, so you can remain focused and arrive safely at your destination."

Double-demerit points and extra police officers are in place until midnight on Monday for Operation Stay Alert, which targets speeding, drink-driving, fatigue, seatbelt use and driver distraction.

Six people were killed on the state's roads during the 2013 Queen's birthday long weekend, up from two the previous year.

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New report spells out phone tap powers

Government tapping of people's phones is widespread around the world, a new UK report shows. Source: AAP

GOVERNMENT tapping of people's phones is widespread around the world with Australia among a long list of countries permitting access to phone networks.

But Australia rates better than some, a report compiled by one of the world's largest phone companies says.

The detailed report by UK mobile carrier Vodafone examines legislative frameworks for telecommunications interception in 29 countries where it operates.

It says this is its contribution to the global debate on telecommunications interception.

The report says Australian carriers have legislative obligations to assist law enforcement and national security agencies, including an obligation to disclose information where authorised.

Interception is authorised by warrants issued to law enforcement and security agencies - though it may occur without a warrant in specified urgent circumstances.

Of substantial concern is the revelation in Vodafone's report that in six countries, authorities can bypass all legal requirements such as warrants to directly access an operator's network.

"In those countries, Vodafone will not receive any form of demand for lawful interception access as the relevant agencies and authorities already have permanent access to customer communications via their own direct link," the report said.

Vodafone doesn't specifically say which countries.

But in a detailed appendix compiled by an international law firm, it says Albania, Egypt, Hungary, Ireland, Qatar and Turkey all have provisions allowing authorities to request unfettered access.

In two other countries, India and the UK, legal provisions are unclear.

The report doesn't spell out the extent of telecommunications interception in Australia.

But the 2012-13 annual report, required under the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979, says a total of 3330 interception warrants were issued, more than half to NSW police and the NSW Crime Commission.

Around two-thirds were for drug trafficking and organised crime.

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Sundance appoints African engineering firm

AFRICA iron ore hopeful Sundance Resources says it's a step closer to its goal of building a $US3.5 billion mine, rail and port.

Sundance said it has appointed engineering and construction company Mota-Engil Africa as contractor to build port and rail infrastructure for the Mbalam-Nabeba Iron Ore Project in the Republics of Cameroon and Congo.

Perth-based Sundance recently raised $40 million to begin developing the project.

Sundance added that financing discussions were well advanced with a variety of potential funding partners, export credit agencies, development funds and commercial banks.

The company aims to finalise debt funding requirements by mid-2015 and construction is expected to take 3.5 years once finance is secured.

It comes a week after Sundance secured a 10-year off-take agreement with global commodities trader Noble Group.

Former Leighton Holdings chief executive Wal King was recently appointed deputy chairman of Sundance.

At 1520 AEST Sundance shares were 1.1 cents, or 11 per cent, lower at 8.9 cents.

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Senior SA Liberal to retire within a year

FORMER Liberal leader Iain Evans will quit the South Australian parliament within 12 months, which will spark a by-election.

The opposition treasury spokesman made the announcement on Friday after meeting state Liberal leader Steven Marshall.

He said he would not seek a shadow cabinet position in Mr Marshall's coming reshuffle.

"After 21 years representing the electorate of Davenport and my 46-year involvement in politics, I have made the decision to leave the SA parliament in the next 12 months and seek a new career in the private sector," he said.

Mr Evans, 55, has served as a minister, as SA Liberal leader and as deputy leader.

His announcement comes less than two weeks after former fellow frontbencher Martin Hamilton-Smith defected to become a minister in the minority Labor government.

Ten other MPS are on the Liberal front bench.

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NSW maintains AAA credit rating

CREDIT ratings agency Moody's has reaffirmed NSW's long-term AAA rating.

The agency says the rating reflects the state's diverse economic base, budget flexibility and secure and predictable grants from the Commonwealth.

"To obviously receive this endorsement in terms of the credit rating from Moody's a week or so out from the state budget is incredibly pleasing," NSW Treasurer Andrew Constance said on Friday.

NSW also holds a AAA credit rating with Standards & Poor, although the state is on negative watch.

The NSW budget will be handed down on June 17.

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Vic police investigate baby's injuries

A SIX-WEEK-OLD baby girl has recovered from serious injuries that Victorian police are treating as suspicious.

The six-week-old girl was taken to Sale Hospital with serious injuries on March 6.

The baby has since recovered, but detectives are treating the injuries as non-accidental and suspicious, a police statement on Thursday said.

Detectives from the Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team in Sale have appealed for more information about what happened to her.

Police asked a person who had previously provided information to call back on (03) 5143 5022.

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Two more Nauru opposition MPs banned

TWO more opposition MPs have been suspended from the Nauru parliament amid claims the government is trying to avoid scrutiny of a budget that contains Australian funding for asylum seekers.

The government of President Baron Waqa is expected to hand down its budget on Thursday.

Three opposition MPs were banned from parliament in May amid chaotic scenes that included a police stand-off.

Another two - former president Sprent Dabwido and Squire Jeremiah - were suspended on Thursday for behaving in an "unruly manner".

The pair had opposed the earlier suspensions of Roland Kun, former foreign minister Kieren Keke and Mathew Batsiua.

That trio had been booted from parliament for talking to foreign journalists and criticising the government's decision to expel the country's chief justice, Australian Geoffrey Eames, and the dismissal of its only magistrate, Peter Law, another Australian.

Only three non-government MPs are left in the parliament, facing 11 from the government.

"The whole thing has gone pear-shaped," Mr Kun told AAP from New Zealand.

"We're pleading for the Speaker to save the legislature because the government has already killed the judiciary."

The opposition is unable to seek a Supreme Court ruling because no chief justice has been appointed to replace Mr Eames.

Mr Kun believes the second lot of suspensions is connected to the budget's timing.

"There are numerous holes in the budget but we can't put a finger on them until they actually present the paperwork," he said.

Australia provides a considerable part of the government's budget, which it uses to run an immigration detention centre and resettlement program.

So far Nauru has resettled 41 refugees on a temporary basis until a third country, expected to be Cambodia, agrees to a deal with Australia.

The detention centre accommodates more than 1100 asylum seekers.

Opposition MPs are concerned that funding for healthcare, education, transport and utilities is going backwards.

Mr Kun believes money has been diverted to a fund used to pay cash bonuses to "selected individuals".

If the budget passed on Thursday, parliament might not sit again until 2015, he said.

Comment has been sought from the Nauru government.

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NZ dollar climbs from three-month low

THE New Zealand dollar has climbed from a three-month low as traders recovered lost confidence in the local economy, and lowered their expectations for a downgrade to the Reserve Bank's interest rate track.

The kiwi rose to 84.41 US cents at 5pm in Wellington from 84.15 cents at 8am and 84.13 cents on Wednesday. The trade-weighted index advanced to 78.90 from 78.67 on Wednesday.

The New Zealand dollar arrested its slide this month as traders pared back expectations Reserve Bank governor Graeme Wheeler will lower his forecast track for interest rate hikes this year at next Thursday's monetary policy review.

Traders started anticipating a slower pace of interest rate increases as dairy prices steadily declined this year, and local inflation stayed in check.

Traders are betting Mr Wheeler will hike the official cash rate 80 basis points over the coming 12 months, according to the Overnight Index Swap curve.

"The market is coming to their senses and realised they have overdone how much they think the Reserve Bank will downgrade the interest rate track next week," said Imre Speizer, market strategist at Westpac Banking Corp in Auckland.

"There was a very large gap that opened up between the Reserve Bank's latest forecast from March and where the market has priced it."

Investors will be watching the European Central Bank policy meeting on Thursday in Brussels, where president Mario Draghi is expected to announce new measures to stimulate the European economy.

The kiwi gained to 62.04 euro cents at 5pm from 61.79 cents on Wednesday.

It also increased to 90.90 Australian cents from 90.73 cents and to 86.56 yen from 86.35 yen.

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Vic govt getting legal advice on Shaw

The Victorian government is seeking legal advice regarding rogue independent MP Geoff Shaw. Source: AAP

VICTORIAN Premier Denis Napthine says the coalition is getting constitutional advice about rogue independent Geoff Shaw to avoid any potential legal challenge.

"Geoff Shaw has done the wrong thing," Dr Napthine told reporters.

"He must be made to pay the price."

Labor leader Daniel Andrews will move to have Mr Shaw found in contempt and expelled when parliament resumes on Tuesday.

But Dr Napthine says the government wants to get proper constitutional advice so any decision by the parliament is dealt with correctly.

"We want to make sure it's done absolutely correctly so we don't have a circus running off to the High Court with injunctions."

Dr Napthine says any decision by the parliament needs to be enforceable.

"We will take appropriate action to deal with Geoff Shaw," he said.

"We're getting appropriate constitutional and legal advice to make sure Geoff Shaw is held fully accountable for his actions."

But it was important not to rush into a situation that could ultimately end up in the High Court by Mr Shaw, and him walking away without paying for his wrongful actions.

"Under my leadership we will deal with Mr Shaw," Dr Napthine said.

Dr Napthine said Mr Andrews was causing disruption rather than letting the government get on with the job of governing.

He wanted to rush into things, when calm and collected advice was needed, he said.

"Mr Andrews has spent the last two years being an absolute wrecker," Dr Napthine said.

"His recent comments regarding the constitution shows he is going at this like a bull at a gate."

The coalition-dominated parliamentary privileges committee found Mr Shaw breached the MP code of conduct by misusing his parliamentary car, but a minority report from its Labor members went further and recommended he be found in contempt of parliament.

The Liberal-turned-independent MP holds the balance of power in the Legislative Assembly.

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