Wednesday, 11 February 2009

Bull shark attacks Navy diver in Sydney Harbour The Australian 11 February 2009

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/archive/news/shark-attacks-navy-diver/story-e6frg6o6-1111118817070

Bull shark attacks Navy diver in Sydney Harbour

  • DAVID KING, JOHN STAPLETON
  • THE AUSTRALIAN
  • FEBRUARY 11, 2009 12:00AM
A NAVY diver, attacked by a shark in Sydney Harbour, is undergoing emergency surgery on severe injuries to his hand and thigh.
A NSW ambulance spokesman said the 31-year-old clearance diver was swimming at Wolloomooloo Bay when he was attacked just before 7am (AEDT) on Wednesday, suffering severe injuries to his right hand and thigh.

The attack happened near Garden Island Naval Base, at Wolloomooloo Bay, in Sydney's inner east, according to NSW Water police.

The diver was rushed to nearby St Vincent's Hospital where he is undergoing surgery. A spokesperson described his condition as critical but stable.

A NSW ambulance spokesman said the 31-year-old man was taking part in a defence exercise at Wolloomooloo Bay when he was attacked.

Defence has confirmed the diver was taking part in the Kondari Trial, a test of new technologies to protect ports and ships from terrorist attack, which began on Monday.

A spokesman for the Defence Science and Technology Organisation said the trial had been suspended.

One shark expert has said it was likely to be a bull shark attack.

"If the injuries are severe, it's more likely to be a bull shark," shark expert John West from Taronga Zoo said

"This time of year, there's a number of species of sharks which are in the harbour: wobbegong, Port Jackson, as well as more dangerous types such as the bull shark and the dusky shark.

"Certainly, sharks occur in the harbour all year round.

"The bull sharks are the most dangerous. But I don't know what sort of shark is involved or the circumstances."

He said bull sharks could grow to up to three-and-a-half metres and Dusky Sharks up to two metres.

The last shark attack in Sydney Harbour was at Atol Bay, near Taronga Zoo, and the last fatal shark attack in the harbour occurred in 1963, Mr West said.

Martha Hathaway was killed by a Bull Shark at Middle Harbour in 1963.

A report on the likelihood of shark attacks in Sydney Harbour during the 2000 Olympic Games said the risk was infinitesimally small.

However, the report, by Mr West and Dr John Paxton, research fellow at the Australian Museum, also said: "We recognise that in biology exceptions can occur and that it is never safe to say never".

Additional Reporting: AAP
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Tuesday, 10 February 2009

Divorced From Reality, Dads On The Air, 10 February, 2009.

Divorced From Reality

DateTUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2009 AT 10:30AM
The War on Fathers
With Special Guest:
  • Dr Stephen Baskerville.
We are delighted to have the author of Taken Into Custody: The War Against Fathers, Marriage, and the Family, Dr Stephen Baskerville, on the show once again.
No one has done more to expose the ideological war against fathers by the welfare, family law, domestic violence and child support industries as Dr Baskerville. While those impacted by these industries, many of whom have seen their lives and their children’s lives destroyed, know all too well the disastrous impacts of the current reigning ideologies, separated fathers are traditionally ridiculed. With his academic credibility and forecefulness of personality, Baskerville has been able to articulate the shocking damage being wreaked not just on fathers and their children but on society as a whole.
In Australia, the Labor Party, now in power, created many of the country’s most despised and destructive institutions, including the Family Court and the Child Support Agency. The conservatives did nothing to stop their ever increasing power.
We last interviewed Dr Baskerville in 2007 on the publication of Taken Into Custody. This week we catch up with activities since, including the establishment of his own blog.
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Monday, 9 February 2009

Residents and homes safe after night of terror - VICTORIA ABLAZE, The Australian, 9 February, 2009.






Residents and homes safe after night of terror - VICTORIA ABLAZE

Stapleton, John. The Australian [Canberra, A.C.T] 09 Feb 2009: 7.
Show highlighting
"The firefighters have been amazing," she said. "They have contained it really well."
"All night you could see it burning," Mr North said. "We were worried about our house, running around filling the gutters with water. It was scary."
"Look at the money that has been spent here in the last couple of days," he said. "Something has to change."

NSW
NSW firefighters yesterday brought under control the most serious of the fires burning in the state, at Peats Ridge on the central coast, north of Sydney.
Residents in the area had spent a terrifying night as more than 300ha of bush burned around them, threatening more than half a dozen homes.
Three fixed-wing aircraft made a spectacular sight as they sprayed red fire retardant to establish containment lines yesterday afternoon, before a successful backburning operation.
Five helicopters and an air crane dumped water on the still-smouldering bushland and more than 200 firefighters were also battling the blaze.
Other fires still burning in NSW last night included:
* An uncontained fire that has burned about 400ha in the Deua National Park, 40km southwest of Moruya on the NSW south coast.
* A 140ha fire in Wybong, southwest of Scone in the Hunter Valley.
* A fire in the South East Forest National Park, in the Bega Valley, which has burned about 1900ha of bushland. The owner of one of the endangered properties at Peats Ridge, Christine Tynan, said Saturday night had been terrifying.
"It came close to one of the houses on the property," the mother of three said.
"We were extremely worried it would come up to our house. It was very scary."
She said that when she and her family got home about 3pm, they were given 10 minutes to evacuate their property. But they decided to stay to protect it.
"The firefighters have been amazing," she said. "They have contained it really well."
Ben North, 22, a mechanic who rents a house on the same property, said the fire had started only a few hundred metres away and taken off through the bush.
"All night you could see it burning," Mr North said. "We were worried about our house, running around filling the gutters with water. It was scary."
Police arrested a 31-year-old man and later charged him with arson. He was refused bail and was due to face Gosford Local Court today.
A NSW Fire Service spokesman said a backburning operation in the Brisbane Waters National Park at Peats Ridge had gone according to plan.
The backburning created a spectacular sight as two fires collided, sending clouds of smoke hundreds of metres into the sky. Sheets of flame jumped from tree to tree as helicopters dumped water on to the fire, adding plumes of steam to the smoke.
Local farmer Stephen Peruch, 44, said it had been 30 years since the area had burnt. He said he could distinctly remember the last fire, which occurred when he was a teenager.
He said his father and other local farmers had regularly burned the gully to stop a build-up of fuel, but the local council had forbidden this for the past 30 years and the present fire was one of the results.
"Look at the money that has been spent here in the last couple of days," he said. "Something has to change."
----- NSW UNDER THREAT -----
Firefighters use helicopters to battle blazes
Fires:
PEATS RIDGE
* Fire has destroyed about 300ha of bushland in the Brisbane Waters National Park and on private property, near Gosford, on the central coast. Five aircraft, 30 trucks and 100 firefighters were on the scene and there was no direct threat to property.
MUSWELLBROOK
* More than 140ha has been destroyed at Wybong, southwest of Scone, in the Hunter region. About 50 firefighters were working to contain the fire with the help of waterbombing aircraft. No properties were under threat but one car was destroyed by fire on Saturday. The Rural Fire Service issued a warning to residents about smoke encroaching on local roads.
SINGLETON
* Three separate fires merged into one and have destroyed 1000ha of bushland in the Wollemi National Park, 25km northwest of Putty and 44km south of Denman in NSW Hunter region.
Firefighters and eight aircraft were working to contain the fire, burning in remote terrain.
No properties were under threat but nearby residents were advised to protect themselves from large amounts of smoke emanating from the fire.
BEGA VALLEY
* Bushfire on the far south coast of NSW has torched 1300ha of remote bushland near Bega, in the South East Forest National Park. Fire burning about 7km southeast of Wyndham and 25km west of Pambula. Eleven waterbombing aircraft were assisting more than 100 firefighters battling the blaze.
Residents from Towamba, Wyndham and Burragate advised to remove all flammable materials from their properties.
Credit: John Stapleton
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Saturday, 7 February 2009

Last hot gasp of summer deadly, Weekend Australian, 7 February, 2009.

Last hot gasp of summer deadly

Wilson, Lauren. John Stapleton. Weekend Australian [Canberra, A.C.T] 07 Feb 2009: 5.
Show highlighting
NSW is expected to be one of the hottest places on the planet tomorrow with the mercury in parts of the state forecast to hit 47C. Residents of Sydney's western suburbs can expect 44C.
Authorities say the extreme bushfire conditions could be worse than those that led to the Ash Wednesday bushfires of 1983, which killed 47 people in Victoria and 28 in South Australia. A total fire ban has been declared in NSW, Victoria and in nine of South Australia's 15 fire districts.
DSE incident controller Chris Hardman said: "Saturday's predicted weather conditions are the most vicious we've seen."
IT is predicted to be the final gasp of this summer's horror heatwave, and it will be a scorcher.
Ambulance crews in Victoria will today be on high alert, trains in NSW will slow down in case the heat causes tracks to buckle, and police in South Australia will be monitoring known firebugs.
Firefighters across the three states, and in the ACT, are bracing for a devastating weekend as record high temperatures, gusty winds and parched dry earth combine to produce an unprecedented fire danger.
The good news is the heat is not expected to last, with a cool change forecast to pass through Melbourne late today and hit Sydney by tomorrow night or Monday morning.
Don White, from Weatherwatch, said "the heatwave will have one last hurrah. We are getting a stronger cool change coming through by the end of the weekend."
The relief will not come soon enough for many in southeast Australia who have suffered through a summer of record temperatures driven by a high-pressure system over the Tasman.
NSW is expected to be one of the hottest places on the planet tomorrow with the mercury in parts of the state forecast to hit 47C. Residents of Sydney's western suburbs can expect 44C.
Authorities say the extreme bushfire conditions could be worse than those that led to the Ash Wednesday bushfires of 1983, which killed 47 people in Victoria and 28 in South Australia. A total fire ban has been declared in NSW, Victoria and in nine of South Australia's 15 fire districts.
The NSW Rural Fire Service is already battling more than 20 blazes across the state, including a serious uncontained bushfire in the Bega Valley which could be fanned by wind gusts of up to 70km/h over the weekend.
The Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment yesterday warned a blaze burning in the Bunyip state park, east of Melbourne, was likely to jump containment lines over the weekend and threaten the communities of Labertouche and Tonimbuk.
DSE incident controller Chris Hardman said: "Saturday's predicted weather conditions are the most vicious we've seen."
As the temperature hit 43C in Adelaide yesterday, South Australian fire chief Euan Ferguson warned, "if a fire escapes containment lines, we simply would not be able to control the head fire until the weather conditions change significantly".
For updates and to check the latest forecasts, go to www.theaustralian.com.au
Credit: Lauren Wilson, John Stapleton
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Friday, 6 February 2009

Scrap 'frustrating' FOI regime, The Australian, 6 February, 2009.

Scrap `frustrating' FOI regime

Stapleton, John. The Australian [Canberra, A.C.T] 06 Feb 2009: 2.

Show highlighting

The Australian revealed yesterday that delays in processing FOI applications had ballooned under the Rudd Government, despite election promises to reduce government secrecy. Mr [Bruce Barbour] said the federal Government appeared to have lost its momentum for reform. If his recommendations were adopted, NSW would have the most progressive FOI legislation in Australia and could provide a model for other jurisdictions.
"The current FOI regime is not working well and is frustrating for both users and administrators," Mr Barbour said. "We need a simpler system and a significant cultural change from within government in its attitude to information disclosure."
"As the Ombudsman clearly recognises, it would benefit all Australians if the culture of government changes so that information is released proactively, rather than having to be prised out using unworkable FOI laws."
THE NSW Ombudsman has called for a rewrite of the state's 20-year-old Freedom of Information Act, describing its application by a secretive government as appalling.
Speaking at the release of Opening Up Government, the first major review of the legislation, Ombudsman Bruce Barbour said his office had initiated the report as a result of mounting frustration over the failure to reform the troubled system.
Mr Barbour called for a new Open Government Information Act and the creation of an information commissioner within the Ombudsman's Office. He said the state's FOI legislation was out of date.
"Since the FOI Act commenced in 1989 ... government has changed, community expectations have changed and information has changed," he said. "The FOI Act has failed to keep pace with any of these changes.
"There needs to be a significant cultural change within government. The days of Sir Humphrey and overly secretive government are well and truly over. The public has both a right and a reasonable expectation to be able to easily access information about how its government is operating."
The Australian revealed yesterday that delays in processing FOI applications had ballooned under the Rudd Government, despite election promises to reduce government secrecy. Mr Barbour said the federal Government appeared to have lost its momentum for reform. If his recommendations were adopted, NSW would have the most progressive FOI legislation in Australia and could provide a model for other jurisdictions.
"The current FOI regime is not working well and is frustrating for both users and administrators," Mr Barbour said. "We need a simpler system and a significant cultural change from within government in its attitude to information disclosure."
As part of the review, the NSW Ombudsman investigated the FOI practices of 18 agencies, including the NSW departments of Planning and Corrective Services, auditing their files and interviewing 70 of their staff who dealt with FOI applications.
The Opening Up Government report makes 88 recommendations, including ensuring transparency be considered a core government function and agencies establish publication schemes and disclosure logs to ensure information is readily available.
Right To Know -- a coalition of 12 major media organisations, including News Limited, publisher of The Australian, formed in 2007 to address increasing government secrecy -- released a statement of support.
"For too long the people of NSW have been deprived of certain information about how their Government is working and how their money is being spent, that they have a right to know," the statement read.
"As the Ombudsman clearly recognises, it would benefit all Australians if the culture of government changes so that information is released proactively, rather than having to be prised out using unworkable FOI laws."
Premier Nathan Rees praised the Ombudsman for the provision of a reform road map, saying he would introduce an Open Government Information Act in the next session of parliament.
Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell said NSW had the worst record of any jurisdiction in Australia, with almost 50 per cent of requests either partially or fully denied, adding reforms must be instituted as a matter of urgency.
Credit: John Stapleton
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Thursday, 5 February 2009

Insulation industry hopes trade goes through the roof - RUDD'S $42 BILLION RESCUE, The Australian, 5 February, 2009.



Insulation industry hopes trade goes through the roof - RUDD'S $42 BILLION RESCUE

Stapleton, John. The Australian [Canberra, A.C.T] 05 Feb 2009: 5.

Abstract

Insulation Council of Australia and NZ president Dennis D'Arcy said the industry was delighted with the announcement, with initial estimates it would create about 4000 jobs.
Peter Ruz, national marketing manager for the nation's biggest insulation service, Fletcher Insulation, said the industry had been arguing for years that Australia had the least energy-efficient housing stock in the developed world, with a consequent drain on the national economy.
"Unfortunately the previous government was not particularly receptive to arguments about climate change," Mr Ruz said.

Full Text


THE $450 million home insulation industry is preparing to double in size after the Rudd Government's surprise announcement it will provide funding for work on up to 2.7 million homes.
The initiative will cover the estimated 40 per cent of homes that are not insulated. From July1, home owners will be able to ring a hotline, make a booking and have a trained installer come around to their house.
The Government estimates 2.2 million owner-occupiers may benefit from the Energy Efficient Homes scheme, along with 500,000 renters.
Owners will receive $1600, while landlords will receive $1000. Only previously uninsulated houses and flats will qualify. Most homes can be insulated for less than $2000.
Insulation Council of Australia and NZ president Dennis D'Arcy said the industry was delighted with the announcement, with initial estimates it would create about 4000 jobs.
"There are a lot of small businesses which rely on insulation as an important part of their income," he said.
"The package is going to have a strong impact on their stability and growth. There are installers, deliverers, factory workers -- it has quite a ripple effect."
Peter Ruz, national marketing manager for the nation's biggest insulation service, Fletcher Insulation, said the industry had been arguing for years that Australia had the least energy-efficient housing stock in the developed world, with a consequent drain on the national economy.
"Unfortunately the previous government was not particularly receptive to arguments about climate change," Mr Ruz said.
While all new homes are built with insulation, before Tuesday's announcement fewer than 50,000 old homes a year were being insulated. Mr Ruz said this could increase to half a million homes annually over the next four years.
Fletcher Insulation laid off 20 people at its Melbourne plant before Christmas, but it now hopes to reverse that decision.
Bradford Insulation group marketing manager Ray Thompson said the company's newly commissioned plant in Brisbane would move to 24/7 production following the announcement.
"We will start employing people immediately," Mr Thompson said yesterday.
Smaller insulation companies predicted an almost immediate boost to business. Peter Gerster, owner of Golden Fleece Insulation in Melbourne, said he expected his turnover to double.
In Sydney, Safe and Sound Insulation operations manager Chris Huxtable said home owners were now much more conscious of their carbon footprint. Many owners of old homes would now be encouraged to insulate.
Credit: John Stapleton

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Tuesday, 3 February 2009

Insane Levels of Stress, a headline I most definitely wrote!! Dads On The Air, 3 February, 2009.



Insane Levels of Stress

DateTUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2009 AT 10:30AM
With special guests:
  • “Matthew”
  • “Dave” and
  • “Steve”.
In the wake of an appalling tragedy where a four year old girl was allegedly thrown off a bridge by her father, we talk with three fathers about the stresses in their lives. It surprised no long term observers that shortly afterwards the father was found and then arrested in the environs of Melbourne’s Family Court.
While vigilantes have called for the man’s blood, others have called for compassion and understanding. Disgracefully, some feminist commentators have attempted to use the incident in their ideological campaign against the commonsense notion of shared parenting.
While making no direct comment on the case itself - the father has now been charged with murder - we do look at the insane levels of stress that fathers are put under by our reviled family law system.
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