Monday, 7 January 2008

Skies to clear but lots of liquid on the move, The Australian, 7 January, 2008.

Skies to clear but lots of liquid on the move - STATES IN THE FLOOD: [1 All-round Country Edition]

Stapleton, John. The Australian [Canberra, A.C.T] 07 Jan 2008: 4.
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In NSW, flood warnings are current for the Richmond, Wilsons, Clarence and Bellingen rivers. In Queensland there are flood warnings for the Logan, Albert, Coomera and Nerang rivers.
Don White of consultancy firm Weatherwatch said there would be a few thunderstorms over northern NSW and southeast Queensland during the early part of this week.
WHILE the skies are set to clear over the coming days, the floods that have swamped southeast Queensland and northern NSW will continue for several days yet as heavy volumes of water work through river systems.
A line of storms swept through the already drenched southeast of Queensland yesterday afternoon, dumping heavy falls on the Sunshine Coast, Brisbane and the waterlogged Gold Coast.
But apart from a few thunderstorms, the sun is expected to reappear for the rest of the week.
Meanwhile, the cause of all the rain and wild seas -- a low pressure system that sat off the Queensland coast for more than a week -- has dissolved.
Green Pigeon, a settlement west of Murwillumbah in northern NSW, received the heaviest falls, 616mm in less than a week -- more than double Adelaide's average annual rainfall.
The floods on the Richmond River, which isolated the NSW town of Coraki yesterday, were expected to peak at 6.9m last night.
In NSW, flood warnings are current for the Richmond, Wilsons, Clarence and Bellingen rivers. In Queensland there are flood warnings for the Logan, Albert, Coomera and Nerang rivers.
Don White of consultancy firm Weatherwatch said there would be a few thunderstorms over northern NSW and southeast Queensland during the early part of this week.
In the far north of the country, a tropical low, the remains of cyclone Helen, crossed the Gulf of Carpentaria. The Bureau of Meteorology said the low posed a threat to coastal communities, including Thursday Island.
There were fears last night it could redevelop into a category one cyclone. Floods are still threatening Katherine in the Northern Territory.
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Saturday, 5 January 2008

Plight of Chinese workers revs up union, Weekend Australian, 5 January, 2008.

Plight of Chinese workers revs up union: [1 All-round Country Edition]

Stapleton, John. Weekend Australian; Canberra, A.C.T. [Canberra, A.C.T] 05 Jan 2008: 2.
Jack Jing, 20, who believed he was owed $9300, said the men were angry. "I thought I would get paid so I kept working," he said. "It was very hard work. I am very angry at the boss. I don't know what I can do now. My friends are supporting me."
"The boss was very, very good at talking, saying, `I will pay you later'," he said. "Later, later. They gave us a cheque and it was cancelled. A lot of us now have financial problems because we worked for so long without pay."
"Everyone is very angry," he said. "How would you feel if you were working and the company didn't pay you before Christmas? What if you want to buy something for your children or your girlfriend? You just sit still and you are crying."

Full Text

FORTY Chinese construction workers are at the heart of a reinvigorated union campaign to win back wages and conditions they say were lost during the Howard years.
The Chinese workers, employed to build a $50 million hotel overlooking the beach at Wollongong, south of Sydney, claim they are owed $216,000 in unpaid wages.
Work on the hotel, to be managed by the Stella Hospitality Group, owner of the luxury Peppers chain, could stop as early as Monday.
The workers, who speak little English, travelled to Sydney to meeet Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union officials yesterday. The officials said the case was an example of the exploitation and abuse of non-English speaking workers that had ballooned during the 11 years of the Howard government.
They said the men had either been underpaid or not paid at all since October and spent a very miserable Christmas and New Year as a result.
Some of the men with children said they were behind in their rent and others had been forced to move in with friends.
CFMEU's NSW state secretary Andrew Ferguson said: "We are finding after 11 years of the Howard government some of the worst employment practices of poor countries replicated in Australia . The construction industry is a dog-eat-dog system and we are often confronted with workers who are notpaid."
Finding anyone to answer questions about the situation proved impossible yesterday.
The workers had been employed by a plastering and interior construction company called Jantom Group. The office telephone number listed on its website had been disconnected.
A director of the hotel's developers Jempac, David Shalala, said they had not hired the men and referred inquiries to the construction company Parkview. Parkview did not respond to requests for information yesterday.
A spokesman for the Stella Hospitality Group said it would manage the property after it was finished and the failure to pay the workers was not its responsibility.
"The Stella Hospitality Group hopes the current situation is resolved amicably and to the satisfaction of all parties," said Christopher Jones, the firm's general manager for marketing.
Jack Jing, 20, who believed he was owed $9300, said the men were angry. "I thought I would get paid so I kept working," he said. "It was very hard work. I am very angry at the boss. I don't know what I can do now. My friends are supporting me."
Chun "Michael" Shan, 41, who much to his own embarrassment organised the Chinese workers for the company, said he was owed for 62 days' work. He has two children and is four weeks behind in his rent.
"The boss was very, very good at talking, saying, `I will pay you later'," he said. "Later, later. They gave us a cheque and it was cancelled. A lot of us now have financial problems because we worked for so long without pay."
Guan "Jimmy" Xue, 18, said he was owed for 30 days' work. He said he just kept working because he did not know what else to do.
"Everyone is very angry," he said. "How would you feel if you were working and the company didn't pay you before Christmas? What if you want to buy something for your children or your girlfriend? You just sit still and you are crying."
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Friday, 4 January 2008

Blokes closing longevity gap, The Australian, 4 January, 2008

Blokes closing longevity gap: [T WA First Edition]

Patricia Karvelas, John Stapleton. The Australian [Canberra, A.C.T] 04 Jan 2008: 4.
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"It's worth celebrating the fact that healthy lifestyle and being health-conscious can reap you rewards in terms of longevity," Australian Medical Association federal president Rosanna Capolingua said.
"There are so many people my age who run and walk around here I'm surprised they're still talking about an obesity epidemic," he said.
"As you get older, you realise you have to be careful," he said. "I don't feel 67; and I used to think if you were 67, you were old. But I don't feel like that."
THEY have beaten their addiction to nicotine, overcome an aversion to fitness and conquered a fear of the doctor's surgery -- and rewards are on the horizon for the average Aussie bloke.
As men finally see the light on the benefits of looking after No1, fewer of them will be seeing an early grave, with new data suggesting the health kick will delay the day of reckoning by almost two years.
As a result, there will be a huge demographic shift for the nation to contend with. Within 40 years, the number of people aged over 65 will have almost tripled from 2.8 million today to about 7.2million in 2047, or from 13 per cent of the population to more than 25per cent. The changes at the top of the longevity ladder will be even more marked, with one in 11 people aged over 85.
The forecast, from a report by the Department of Health and Ageing, was welcomed yesterday as evidence of a revolution in the making, with credit given to men accepting the need to ditch unhealthy habits.
"Australia will be changed forever," Minister for Ageing Justine Elliot said.
"The anti-smoking message has gotten through to the Aussie male and they will be living longer. That is wonderful news for our society -- we will have healthier older people who will be living longer and will be more self-sufficient."
Data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows that smoking rates among men have dropped from more than 70per cent in 1945 to just over 20per cent in 2004.
This is among the lowest in the world and may have contributed to Australia achieving one of the highest average life expectancies of any country.
"It's worth celebrating the fact that healthy lifestyle and being health-conscious can reap you rewards in terms of longevity," Australian Medical Association federal president Rosanna Capolingua said.
But she said other issues were at play in extending men's life expectancy. "The other important thing is that men have not tended to go to doctors for health checks but now they're learning that it's a good thing to do.
"Women have always gone to doctors, but men have tended to shy away from seeing a doctor for a check up or a preventative consultation," she said.
A female baby born in 2001 could expect to live 5.4 years longer than a boy born at the same time, the Department of Health and Ageing report states, but theAustralian obsession with health will see that gap narrow by 2051 to 3.5 years. The report, Older Australia at a Glance, says that by 2051, the population is expected to reach 28million, an increase of 37 per cent from today. Over the same period, the number of people over 55 is expected to increase by 113per cent from five million to about 10.7 million.
The change will be even more marked among people aged 85 or over. At present they represent around 1.4 per cent of the population; by 2051, they will probably account for between 6 per cent and 9 per cent, meaning about one in 11 people will be over 85.
Des Durkin, 67, who walks or swims every day, was yesterday frolicking in the waves at Sydney's Bondi Beach with his grandson, Tom Jaeger, five. Since he survived bowel cancer eight years ago, Mr Durkin has been conscious of his lifestyle, watching his diet and exercising daily.
"There are so many people my age who run and walk around here I'm surprised they're still talking about an obesity epidemic," he said.
"I would love to get a lot of young people out like this -- my grandkids would play all day on the computer if you let them."
He said most of his contemporaries had become very health conscious. He gave up smoking 30 years ago.
"As you get older, you realise you have to be careful," he said. "I don't feel 67; and I used to think if you were 67, you were old. But I don't feel like that."
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New nurses 'only add to burden', The Australian, 4 January, 2008.

New nurses `only add to burden': [6 NSW Country Edition]

Nicola Berkovic, John Stapleton, Additional reporting: Tamara Davis. The Australian; Canberra, A.C.T. [Canberra, A.C.T] 04 Jan 2008: 4.
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"We've taken a number of small steps to address the issues here at Royal North Shore, as well as to improve health services across the state," the Premier said. "These small steps become a quantum leap today, with 1600 nurses graduating from our universities taking up positions at the end of January in our hospitals.
"Evidence given to the Royal North Shore Hospital inquiry showed a desperate need to fill over 100 nurse vacancies at the hospital not with new graduates but with experienced nurses," Ms [Jillian Skinner] said. "These 128 new graduates will only add to the pressure on the existing hospital staff. They need experienced staff to help train them."
"If we don't nurture these new graduates they are not going to stay," she said.
A RECORD number of graduate nurses will not solve NSW's health problems -- it will only place more pressure on the state's already stretched hospital system, according to the nurses association and the Opposition.
Premier Morris Iemma said a record 1618 new registered nurses would enter the public hospital system this month, following thestate Government's $1.8million campaign to attract school-leavers into the profession.
Mr Iemma made the announcement yesterday at Sydney's troubled Royal North Shore Hospital, which will receive 128 of thegraduates.
"We've taken a number of small steps to address the issues here at Royal North Shore, as well as to improve health services across the state," the Premier said. "These small steps become a quantum leap today, with 1600 nurses graduating from our universities taking up positions at the end of January in our hospitals.
Opposition health spokeswoman Jillian Skinner said rather than alleviating staffing pressures, the new registered nurses would place an additional burden on existing staff.
"Evidence given to the Royal North Shore Hospital inquiry showed a desperate need to fill over 100 nurse vacancies at the hospital not with new graduates but with experienced nurses," Ms Skinner said. "These 128 new graduates will only add to the pressure on theexisting hospital staff. They need experienced staff to help train them."
Ms Skinner urged the Government to ensure new graduates had experienced mentors and educators to help them adjust to pressured work on the wards.
NSW Nurses Association acting general secretary Judith Kiejda said it was pleasing to see so many graduates entering theprofession, but she echoed Ms Skinner's concerns.
She said there were already 1300 vacancies across the state for experienced nurses.
"If you have a system carrying 1300 vacancies, that is going to put added pressure on your experienced staff because you need to show these new people how to transit from the university system to the clinical setting," she said.
Ms Kiejda said it was critical new graduates were given appropriate mentoring so they remained in the profession.
"If we don't nurture these new graduates they are not going to stay," she said.
Mr Iemma said he had been advised that every ward at RNSH had a clinical nurse educator.
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Wednesday, 2 January 2008

Drugs smuggled out of jail The Australian 2 January 2008

WEB ONLY 2 JAN 2008. 

John Stapleton
ICE, heroin, scales for measuring out drugs, cash, weapons and mobile phones were all seized by authorities after friends and family tried unsuccessfully to smuggle them into NSW jails over the Christmas holiday period.
Twenty people have been banned from visiting correctional centres in NSW and 11 face potential criminal charges following a crackdown on jail contraband, NSW Justice Minister John Hatzistergos said today. In some cases children were used to help smuggle in the contraband.
``For those who have been caught introducing mobile phones and drugs over the break, they could find a jail cell reserved for them in the future,'' Mr Hatzistergos said. ``Most visitors want to do the right thing when they visit an inmate, but we will continue to target those visitors who seek to break the law.''
Mr Hatzistergos said over 16,000 searches of visitors resulted in more than 900 being banned and almost 300 charged by police during the year.
``Officers also searched 1,500 vehicles and conducted 3,300 property searches,'' Mr Hatzistergos said.
``These figures send a message to visitors that if you seek to introduce contraband into our correctional centres, then you will be caught. Visitors who try to introduce contraband can face up to two years in jail, in addition to other charges relating to the items concerned.
``Recent changes have also tightened the law making it an offence for an inmate to use a mobile phone in jail, in addition to possessing it.''
Mr Hatzistergos said visitors introducing contraband into jails could face lifetime bans from visiting inmates.
``I'd like also to pay tribute to the correctional centre officers and police for their hard work over the holiday period,'' he said.
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Tuesday, 1 January 2008

Nation''s leaders enjoy the view - NEW YEAR'S EVE, The Australian, 1 January, 2008.

Nation's leaders enjoy the view - NEW YEAR'S EVE: [1 All-round Country Edition]

David King, John Stapleton. The Australian [Canberra, A.C.T] 01 Jan 2008: 5.
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After making much of his decision to live in the decidedly less flashy Lodge in Canberra, Mr [Kevin Rudd] and his family have settled into life at Kirribilli for thenext fortnight, inviting their mates around for last night's soiree with premium plonk on tap.
"I hope everyone has a great night and that if they make a new year's resolution they keep it for at least a week," she said. "Have a great 2008."
Other guests included campaign strategist Bruce Hawker and his wife Mary and Mr Rudd's chief of staff David Epstein. Mr Rudd's brother [Greg Withers] came from Brisbane for the function.
IT WAS the party for Kevin Rudd's inner circle.
A New Year's Eve bash for those friends and allies who helped him become Prime Minister in 2007 and who hold the key to his success in 2008.
As hundreds of thousands packed the Sydney harbour foreshore to watch the fireworks, the nation's new sphere of influence arrived at Kirribilli House for drinks, dinner and a stunning view of the display.
After making much of his decision to live in the decidedly less flashy Lodge in Canberra, Mr Rudd and his family have settled into life at Kirribilli for the next fortnight, inviting their mates around for last night's soiree with premium plonk on tap.
Julia Gillard, Acting Prime Minister while Mr Rudd is on holiday, arrived early with her partner Tim Mathieson.
"I hope everyone has a great night and that if they make a new year's resolution they keep it for at least a week," she said. "Have a great 2008."
She was followed by Treasurer Wayne Swan and his family. "I wish everyone a happy new year. It's time to deliver on our election promises and to put in thefoundations for a prosperous Australia. There are a lot of challenges ahead and we will meet them with energy and commitment," he said.
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh, who along with husband Greg Withers was making her first trip to Kirribilli House, is hoping for rain in 2008. "What I want is a wet one," she said.
ALP powerbroker Mark Arbib, considered pivotal in helping Mr Rudd take over the Labor leadership, was a guest, as was former Brisbane lord mayor Jim Soorley.
University of Melbourne Vice-Chancellor Glyn Davis and his wife, RMIT vice chancellor Margaret Gardner, were among the first guests to arrive, around 6pm.
Dr Davis, a former head of the Queensland Department of Premier & Cabinet, has been touted as a possible replacement for Peter Shergold in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.
Other guests included campaign strategist Bruce Hawker and his wife Mary and Mr Rudd's chief of staff David Epstein. Mr Rudd's brother Greg came from Brisbane for the function.
Between 30 and 40 guests were treated to drinks ahead of a sit- down dinner. The party was paid for by the Rudd family.
Cartons of Corona and Cascade beer were taken into the Prime Minister's Sydney residence, as were bottles of Henschke sauvignon blanc and champagne.
After dinner, Mr Rudd and his guests were able to take up the invitation offered by his next-door neighbour, Governor-General Michael Jeffery, to stroll across to the lawns of Admiralty House to watch the fireworks.
This will be the last year Major General Jeffery will see in the new year from a harbourside mansion. The 70-year-old, who has held the office for just over four years, has indicated he will not seek reappointment beyond August.
Liberal leader Brendan Nelson spent the evening at a mate's house in his northern Sydney electorate of Bradfield, enjoying a barbecue with family and friends.
The new Coalition leader hasn't taken leave over the holiday period but has found time to paint the lounge room of his St Ives home -- something he promised his wife Gillian he would do on the day after the federal election, but had to delay when he became Liberal leader.
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Peter Garett and Bondi Beach's National Heritage Listing, The Australian, 2008.

WEB ONLY:
John Stapleton
COMMON courtesy might have dictated that the Federal member, sitting in the front row, would be given the opportunity to say a few words on the announcement of a Federal government initiative in his own electorate.
Particularly when that very same politician had been key to initiating the project in the first place.
But not when the local member is Liberal Party heavyweight Malcolm Turnbull and the other politician concerned is his ideological opposite, Environment Minister Peter Garrett.
Yesterday Garrett was happy to claim the limelight as he announced to assembled luminaries that Bondi Beach had been elevated to the National Heritage List, Australia's highest heritage honour.
But during the formal proceedings there was no mention that it was his Liberal party predecessor who had initiated the nomination less than four months ago. Or that Malcolm Turnbull had spent his entire lifetime closely associated with the beach, from his early years as a member of the Bondi Nippers to his later years as the area's Federal MP.
Nor was any opportunity to say a few words provided to Turnbull, who, sitting in the front row at the function, stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the Labor concentrated gathering. Instead all the talking was done by Garrett and Waverley Labor Mayor Ingrid Strewe.
After the event, Malcolm Turnbull said while he was delighted Bondi Beach had been listed, he was not surprised at the lack of acknowledgement. ``We're in opposition and courtesy is somewhat uncommon,'' he said. ``Governments don't often want to give a lot of airtime to the Opposition.''
Asked about Malcolm Turnbull's contribution and whether he would like to make a tribute, Garrett could not bring himself to utter his predecessor's name. He said the Heritage Council had actually put forward the nomination and he paid tribute to those involved in that. ``The process is a good solid process,'' he said.
Much, evidently, has changed since Turnbull stood at the front of the Icebergs last October and announced the beginning of a public consultation process which he hoped would lead to the heritage listing of ``the most famous beach in the world''.
Back then he declared the beach was integral to our understanding of ourselves, to ``the lifesaving movement, volunteerism, the heroism of men and women battling to save lives in the surf. It's all to be found here together with a relaxed hedonism as well. This is an amazing place, an important cultural place, not simply because of the surf, of lifesaving, of the history but also because of the way it embraces the whole world.''
Back then head of the Heritage Council Tom Harley welcomed Turnbull's nomination of the beach for its vital part in the development of Australia's beach culture and surf life saving movements. Back then he said Bondi Beach was ``at the centre of a lot of our understanding of who we are as a country''.
Yesterday it was Garrett doing all the talking, including reminiscing about the Midnight Oil song Back to Bondi and the romance of kids swimming for the first time, ``interacting with the beach and mighty nature.''
``You can't get more Aussie than Bondi,'' he said. ``This one and a half kilometres of sand and sea is the quintessential Australian beach, a symbol of Australia around the world. Bondi embodies a powerful sense of place and a wonderful way of life. I've had quite a few waves here over the years - it is really special. I don't think it is any over-estimation to say the beach has had a major impact in developing our culture.''
The area now on the National Heritage List includes 65 hectares of land and water, comprising the beach, surf lifesaving clubs, pavilion, parks, promenades, cliffs and ocean waters.
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The Towers of Despair, The Australian, 2008.

John Stapleton
FORGET about the centre of the country, the ``intervention'' in indigenous affairs should start in the centre of the city, according to public housing residents of Waterloo in Sydney, who daily are confronted with drug dealing and public drunkenness.
Elderly residents in the 30-storey public housing blocks known as ``The Towers of Despair'' look down on Waterloo Green at scenes of children and their parents involved in activities every bit as bad as what is happening in Australia's remote communities.
Many of the elderly are afraid to go out for fear of being robbed or assaulted; and finishing their life in a nursing home as a result.
Years of attempts to get the authorities to act have come to naught. ``Because it involves indigenous children, it's a hot potato game and everyone we approached has passed the spud, from the Premier down through the ministers to local agencies,'' community activist Ross Smith said. ``Everyone is afraid to act. This isn't just a case of public drunkenness, the elderly in the area are seriously frightened and distressed.''
A Safety Audit conducted by police found the area was so rundown and crime ridden, with lights not working and amenities in disrepair, that legitimate users were afraid to go near the park.
Acting Superintendent Bradley Monk said police patrols were tasked to Waterloo Green on every shift, often to attend to assaults and alcohol related crime. However making it an alcohol free zone was impossible because it was departmental property. ``It is difficult to tell people they cannot drink in what is effectively their own front yard,'' he said.
Head of local aboriginal training company Tribal Warrior, Shane Phillips, who was born and bred in Waterloo, said the people taking their children along to a day of drinking and drugging at Waterloo Green had little idea what they were doing was wrong. He said addiction was like waking up with a light bulb in your face, you could see little else; and struggling people needed innovative programs rather than their children removed.
``Taking kids creates resentment and anger,'' he said. ``I've been to many corporate functions where people are going on as crazy as the people on Waterloo Green, but they are behind closed doors. We either toss aside the people who are struggling, or we start helping them break the cycle - and breaking cycles is where we all have to go.''
A spokesman for NSW Minister for Community Services Kevin Greene said the government funded a large range of services for children in the Waterloo area. A spokesman for the NSW Department of Housing said an action plan involving child welfare and numerous other agencies had been developed to reduce anti-social behaviour associated with the excessive public drinking on Waterloo Green.
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Wheat Rust, The Australian, 2008.

John Stapleton
AUSTRALIAN researchers are leading the worldwide campaign against a virulent new form of wheat rust which could potentially destroy up to 70 per cent of the world's wheat harvest and can kill a wheat crop virtually overnight. The strain, known as UG99, originated in Uganda and was discovered in 1999. It spread first to Kenya and then Ethiopia, where it caused significant losses, and appeared in Yemen last year.
The discovery of the disease in Iran only became public earlier this week, raising fears of crop failure around the world.
Wheat rust can be spread thousands of miles by wind and is easily transported on clothes or shoes. The spread to Iran means it is now at the door of major wheat producing areas in Pakistan and India. From there it could easily spread to China and other wheat producing areas, including Australia.
Most wheat varieties grown in Asia are not resistant UG99, meaning the food supplies of more than a billion people are at risk. With world wheat stocks at historic lows, there are already fears food prices could rise in Britain. Scientists met in Syria last week to discuss strategies to prevent its spread.
Unlike other forms of wheat rust, a reddish fungus which attacks the stems of the plant, UG99 can lead to 100 percent crop loss.
Fortunately for Australia, the wheat rust epidemics which devastated the industry in the 1880s and led to the establishments of the NSW and Victorian departments of agriculture has ensured a continuing focus by researchers on breeding rust resistant varieties. There were epidemics during the 1940s and 1950s, but the last major stem rust outbreak in Australia was in 1973.
``Australia, indeed the whole world, is taking UG99 very seriously,'' said Colin Wellings from the University of Sydney, one of the world's leading experts on wheat rust. ``Historically Australia has never given up breeding for rust resistance. The dangerous thing about this particular stem rust is that it is able to cause disease on a resistance gene called Sr31, which was originally derived from cereal rye and now widely found amongst many varieties in the Middle East, Central Asia and the sub-Continent.''
Dr Wellings said recent tests of more than 60 Australian commercial wheat varieties in Kenya showed 40 of them were resistant to UG99.
``Australia is in this fortunate position because we have never dropped the ball on breeding wheat for rust resistance,'' he said. ``The Europeans pay little attention to stem rust and the North Americans do not have a coordinated national approach. It is not as if we should be complacent, but by world standards Australian wheats are standouts in the fight against UG99.''
Dr Wellings' partner at the Australian Cereal Rust Control Program at Cobbitty west of Sydney, Professor Robert Park, is leading a worldwide program to monitor the spread of UG99 funded by the Gates Foundation and auspiced by international wheat research centres in Mexico and Syria.
Chief Executive of the Community Research Centre for National Plant Biosecurity Dr Simon McKirdy said Australia's strict quarantine measures for bringing wheat into the country meant the most likely way it could get into the country was on people's clothing, in their hair or on their shoes. ``In terms of bio-security threats to Australia's grain industry this is very high up the list of threats,'' he said. ``We need to remind researchers and farmers that there is a potential for UG99 to enter Australia and to take personal hygiene measures seriously when returning to this country. It is not inevitable it will get here.''
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