Kill off the scripted robots: Shorten

ALP leadership contender Bill Shorten has declared that a team of individuals will beat a team of robots, hinting he'll boost free speech for Labor MPs if he becomes opposition leader.

Campaigning at a barbecue with party members in Hobart on a windy Saturday, Mr Shorten was taken to task for the "tightly scripted song sheets" and increasingly "presidential style" of the major political parties.

A Tasmanian man urged Mr Shorten to let shadow ministers and backbenchers speak their mind, even if that contradicts the party line, in order to broaden the party's appeal with the public.

Mr Shorten hinted at a potential shake-up of MPs' media management and communication strategies if he becomes opposition leader.

The party doesn't need robots, Australians want more authenticity, sincerity and optimism, Mr Shorten said.

"A team of individuals will always beat a team of robots, I get that," Mr Shorten said.

"We don't need scripted round-the-world lines, our Labor representatives should know what our general policy is and they should of course have a heart full of Labor values."

He said scripting everyone reduces the party to the "lowest common denominator."

"The truth always beats the nonsense," Mr Shorten said.

Mr Shorten said he was keen to encourage an ideas agenda.

Tasmanian Labor MPs should allowed to pursue a Tasmanian agenda, he said.

During his address Mr Shorten likened the Labor leadership to that of a coaching role.

Asked what three qualities he possessed that would make him a good coach Mr Shorten singled out his refusal to "take no for an answer," ability to "get people working on the same page" and his skills in vision creation.

Fellow leadership hopeful Anthony Albanese was in Hobart overnight wooing rank and file members at a pub event.

He returned to Sydney on Saturday and has no public events scheduled.

His spokesman said he was having a quiet long weekend and hitting the phones to talk to ALP members one-on-one.

The Labor leadership caucus and rank and file ballots will be finalised next week.

A result will be known on Sunday October 13.

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Australia raises piracy case with Russia

FOREIGN Minister Julie Bishop has called on Russia to treat Australian Greenpeace activist Colin Russell, who is facing piracy charges, with fairness.

Ms Bishop has met with Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Bali.

"I registered our concern about the charges and also our desire to ensure that he's afforded full due legal process and consular assistance," she told reporters in Bali's Nusa Dua.

Worldwide protests are being held on Saturday for the so-called "Arctic 30", who were detained in the port city of Murmansk after their ship the Arctic Sunrise was boarded at gunpoint by Russian authorities.

Mr Russell, from Tasmania, could face up to 15 years in prison if Russian authorities persist with the piracy charge.

He was among 30 Greenpeace activists charged with the offence for their roles in a protest against oil drilling in the Arctic Circle last month.

Mr Russell's wife Christine addressed a rally in Hobart on Saturday, calling on the Australian government to support the Dutch government's legal efforts to initiate arbitration in the United Nations to secure the crew members freedom.

"I urge Minister Bishop and Prime Minister Abbott to support Colin, with a letter of guarantee to help secure his release," Mrs Russell told the protest.

His daughter Madeleine said his irrepressible sense of humour would keep his spirits up in the jail cell.

Ms Bishop said she is taking a keen interest in the case, which is shaping up as her first major consular challenge since taking over as foreign minister.

She says Australian officials have met with Mr Russell in recent days and plan to do so again soon.

"I understand he is well, his conditions of detention are adequate," she said.

Asked if she believed the piracy charge was too extreme, Ms Bishop said: "We're seeking advice as to whether this charge is appropriate.

"I do note that (Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin said in one press conference that they were clearly not pirates," she said.

"It's a very serious charge."

At a Melbourne protest, around 100 people chanted "Free the Arctic 30" on the steps of Flinders Street Station.

Others circulated a petition to put more pressure on the federal government to take serious action.

Organiser Julien Vincent said the piracy charge was ridiculous and Greenpeace never expected a protest involving ropes and banners could balloon into such a serious incident.

"They are being detained on a charge that is completely unjustified," he said.

"You can understand why there is such an outpouring of support."

Similar rallies were also held in Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane.

A British-born Australian resident and a New Zealand man who lives in South Australia have also been charged.

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US man sets himself on fire in capital

A man has set himself on fire near the US congress, a fire official says. Source: AAP

A US man has been flown to hospital after setting himself on fire on the National Mall, a fire official says.

Fire crews responded on Friday afternoon to a report of a man on fire.

A witness said she saw a man dump a red canister of petrol on his head and then set himself on fire.

Fire Department spokesman Tim Wilson said the man has life-threatening injuries.

His name and age were not immediately known.

* Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467.

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Valentine wins big at the AWGIE Awards

Playwright Anna Valentine has won three gongs at the AWGIE Awards in Melbourne. Source: AAP

PLAYWRIGHT Alana Valentine, who likes to gives audiences a kick up the arse in a witty way, has swept the Australian Writers' Guild Awards (AWGIEs).

Valentine picked up three gongs, including script of the year, at the awards ceremony on Friday night.

The AWGIEs are judged solely by writers on the basis of the script.

Valentine scooped the Major AWGIE, for Most Outstanding Script of 2013, and took out the community and youth theatre category for her play Grounded.

Set in Newcastle, Grounded is a coming-of-age tale about teenager Farrah, who wants to be a marine pilot.

Valentine began her winning streak by picking up the inaugural $25,000 David Williamson Prize for quality new Australian works for the stage.

"I'm very proud to be part of a guild which actually encourages and celebrates writers who want to look at what's happening in our culture right now, on our watch," Valentine told the audience at Melbourne's Plaza Ballroom.

"I'm really proud of all the writers in the guild who chose to, as cleverly and wittily as they do, give our audiences a kick up the arse and rub their noses in what we think is not working about this country."

In television writing, Robert Connolly picked up the best Telemovie Adaption award for Underground: The Julian Assange Story.

The Underbelly: Badness team - Niki Aken, Peter Gawler, Felicity Packard and Jeffrey Truman - were honoured for writing the stand-out original television mini-series.

Andrew Knight won the best television series AWGIE for the Rake series 2 episode R v. Floyd. The Good News Week writers received their ninth AWGIE for the final season of the comedy/light entertainment series.

The $25,000 Foxtel Fellowship, awarded in recognition of an impressive body of television work, went to Jacquelin Perske for a career including TV dramas The Secret Life of Us and Love My Way.

In the movie arena, Kim Mordaunt won the AWGIE for best original feature film script for The Rocket.

That film, about a 10-year-old boy trying to help his family in Laos' war-torn north, is Australia's selection for the best foreign-language film at next year's Oscars.

The Rocket also took out the audience awards at both the Sydney and Melbourne film festivals.

Best short film script went to husband and wife team, Matthew Moore and Genevieve Hegney, for The Amber Amulet, based on Craig Silvey's novella.

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'Life-loving' Tas terror victim farewelled

LIFE-LOVING, high-achieving Tasmanian Ross Langdon's greatest accomplishment would have been his baby daughter, the terror victim's brother has told his funeral gathering.

Mr Langdon, who with his heavily pregnant partner Elif Yavuz was shot dead by Islamist militants in Kenya, has been farewelled by around 120 family and friends in Hobart.

The 32-year-old was remembered as a wine-loving globe-trotter whose excellence as an architect made a difference to the lives of those he helped in Africa.

But Mr Langdon's brother Craig told those assembled, the child due to the couple this month would have overshadowed it all.

"Rosso's greatest achievement had nothing to do with the world of architecture," Craig Langdon said.

"His greatest achievement was to be the birth of his baby daughter."

The couple had travelled to the Kenyan capital Nairobi from their home in Tanzania to ensure adequate health care for Ms Yavuz, who was eight months pregnant.

Three candles were lit in Hobart and a funeral for Dutch citizen Ms Yavuz and the couple's unborn child in the Netherlands was among memorial services to have been held around the world.

Mr Langdon's sister Amy had been visiting her brother in the Ugandan capital Kampala when the couple met in 2011.

"Ross disappeared from the dance floor and I later found him deep in conversation with a bright, smiling brunette named Elif," she said.

"That was the night that their life journeys collided.

"It's been a joy to observe their love and respect for each other. They were truly great for each other."

Described as "talented, idealistic, passionate", Mr Langdon was famous for his all-nighters at work and play.

Raised in the small Tasman Peninsula village of Nubeena, he'd lived in London, the US and Africa after winning the Sydney University Medal for Architecture when he graduated in 2004.

He had recently designed, without charge, a HIV-AIDS clinic in Uganda and was due to start work on a new museum of African pre-history in Tanzania.

Turkish-born Ms Yavuz, a specialist in malaria, worked for the Clinton Foundation and had been visited by former US president Bill Clinton in August.

The service took a moment to remember the families and friends of the other 69 killed in the Westgate shopping mall attack by terror group al-Shabab two weeks ago.

Another 200 were injured.

Befitting another of Mr Langdon's greatest loves, those gathered were directed to a coffee van set up for the occasion outside the Hobart funeral chapel.

Mr Langdon was buried in a private family service at Kingston in Hobart's southern suburbs.

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Bushranger's pistol stolen from Tas museum

BUSHRANGER Martin Cash has become a victim of crime himself.

A pistol believed to have belonged to Cash has been stolen in a smash-and-grab raid on a Tasmanian museum.

The six-shooter and another pistol dating from the 1860s were stolen early on Friday from Launceston's Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery.

Police say the thieves smashed their way into the museum, setting off an alarm at about 4.30am (AEST).

They then smashed the display cases containing the valuable pieces and made their getaway.

Irish-born Cash was Tasmania's most notorious bushranger, roaming the island in the 1840s after his escape from the penal settlement at Port Arthur.

His sentence to hang was commuted to life imprisonment but he eventually died a free man in Hobart in 1877.

"He's Tasmania's version of Ned Kelly," museum operator Launceston City Council's Robert Dobrzynski told AAP.

Police said the thieves may have been under the misapprehension they could use the weapons, but a knowledge of 19th century gunpowder techniques would be needed to make them work.

Mr Dobrzynski said the pistols were insured, but would not reveal their dollar value in the hope they will be returned.

"Obviously, their historic value is far more significant," he said.

"We're hopeful the people will become aware of the fact that the theft doesn't present any opportunity for them and they return the pieces and we can all move on with our lives."

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$A higher as rate expecations pushed back

THE Australian dollar has hit its highest level in a week as traders scale back their expectations for an interest rate cut before the end of the year.

At 1700 AEST on Friday, the local unit was trading at 94.43 US cents, up from 94.01 cents on Thursday.

RBC Capital markets currency strategist Sue Trinh said the chances of a rate cut by the Reserve Bank before the end of 2013 were weakening.

"The Australian dollar has been resilient in the face of softer stocks, rallying in Asia off its lows and to a new high for the week as expectations of RBA rate cuts get pushed back," Ms Trinh said.

On Tuesday, the Reserve Bank of Australia kept the cash rate unchanged at 2.5 per cent and made little mention of the need for further interest rate cuts in its statement.

The local currency is also rising against a US dollar hit by concerns about the ongoing US budget crisis.

Most parts of the US government are still closed after Congress failed to pass the budget by the end of the American financial year, three days ago.

Agreement is needed to raise the borrowing limit for the US government by October 17.

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Planned Qld coal ports in doubt

PLANS to build two central Queensland coal ports are in doubt due to a downturn in the coal market.

However, proponents of the ports, at Dudgeon Point near Mackay and Port Alma at the mouth of the Fitzroy River near Rockhampton, say the plans will go ahead if the market recovers.

Both projects are still seeking government approvals.

North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation, which is developing Dudgeon Point along with Indian coal giant Adani, says progress is continuing "but at a slower pace".

"The Environmental Impact Statement for the project is currently paused," a statement from the firm said.

"The coal market is down as is the current appetite for investment in infrastructure of this type."

Bulk Ports said they will continue finalising environmental studies as the firm doesn't want to be caught out if the market improves.

The port will have the capacity to export up to 180 million tonnes of coal each year.

Peter MacTaggart of Mitchell Ports, which is developing Port Alma, told News Corp Australia the project won't go ahead until demand increased.

"At the moment our customers are telling us that their priority is cutting costs rather than expanding, and we won't be going ahead until there's the demand for it."

Once completed, up to 22 million tonnes of coal per year would be exported from the port.

Environmental groups are calling on Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt to stop all mega-ports along the Queensland coast.

Of particular concern is the Port Alma project as it would be built on the pristine Fitzroy River Delta, the largest estuarine ecosystem feeding into the reef.

"We're calling on the Australian and Queensland governments to work together and rule out this totally unnecessary development once and for all," WWF spokesperson Richard Leck said.

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Fires lead to $1.4m fix for Perth buses

THE extensive and expensive measures taken to keep Perth bus passengers safe from potential injury in another dangerous fire have been revealed for the first time.

Late last year and early this year, three Mercedes OC500 gas buses, worth around $550,000 each, burst into flames - prompting bus drivers across the city to threaten to walk off the job unless answers were forthcoming.

The potential safety risks to drivers and passengers forced urgent action from the Public Transport Authority (PTA), although it stopped short of taking gas buses off the road because they represented about 40 per cent of the total fleet.

The authority's just-released annual report has revealed that Mercedes, local fire experts and engineers from Australia and overseas had all worked to come up with measures to stop the fires.

And the PTA has confirmed the works in its fleet of 475 Mercedes gas buses have now cost $1.4 million.

These included a significantly upgraded fire suppression system, different engine coolant, changes to coolant hoses, reworked insulation and the ability for drivers to isolate battery and gas controls.

The buses' exhaust system has been redesigned with extra heat shielding, and weekly inspections have also been ordered.

In August, the PTA confirmed it had taken legal action against the manufacturers of its gas bus fleet over the series of fires, with a writ claiming Mercedes failed to meet its design, longevity and safety requirements.

The writ has been lodged, but not yet served, with negotiations between the two ongoing.

"Mercedes Benz and the PTA are continuing to negotiate the terms on which a scope of works can be developed and implemented to carry out any further items identified as requiring rectification," the annual report said.

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Tanker crash firm hit with 126 notices

The company believed to be involved in a tanker crash has been issued more than 100 defect notices. Source: AAP

POLICE warn more lives could be lost if trucking companies continue to flout safety rules as inspectors find more faults with vehicles from the company linked to a fatal Sydney crash.

An investigation has been launched after a fuel tanker went out of control on Mona Vale Road on Tuesday, ploughing into a power pole and four cars before erupting in a fireball.

Two men died in the blaze and six other people were taken to hospital.

NSW Road and Maritime Services (RMS) inspectors are continuing to audit the trucking company linked to the crash.

So far, 126 defect notices have been issued - at least 92 of which include brake faults.

Inspectors found defects such as cracked exhaust pipes, engine leaks and axle failures with the Cootes Transport trucks.

Problems with suspension, wheels and fuel leaks were also reported.

The rising defect count was an "alarming result", NSW Police Assistant Commissioner John Hartley said.

"Given the horrific crash in Mona Vale on Tuesday, we could lose many more lives on the roads due to trucking companies not complying with safety regulations," he said.

Meanwhile, NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell said it was "beyond imagination" that defective trucks would be allowed on the road.

He said safety checks should "go national" to make sure interstate fleets do not have similar defects.

Opposition roads spokesman Ryan Park said current safety reviews weren't good enough, and the government needed to take matters into their own hands.

"We need to make sure that heavy vehicles are inspected by government officials in government-certified shops," he told AAP.

It's understood representatives for Cootes Transport met with the RMS and NSW Police on Thursday afternoon.

In a statement, the company said it takes its safety responsibilities extremely seriously and it would continue to cooperate with the audit.

Investigators are still looking into what caused the tanker to lose control, overturn and then explode.

It's expected the investigation will take weeks, as police wait on blood and urine tests from the driver.

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Wet start to International Fleet Review

Sydney's skies opened as tall ships sailed into Sydney Harbour for the International Fleet Review. Source: AAP

SEVENTEEN tall ships have withstood a wet and windy start to a once-in-a-century "mega weekend" of nautical festivities on Sydney Harbour.

The tall ships made their way into the harbour in heavy rain on Thursday, watched by hundreds of locals, tourists and backpackers lining the foreshore.

International Fleet Review director Nick Bramwell was sure the bad weather wouldn't dampen the spirits of sailors on board the antique boats.

"This is only fresh water, so this is fine," he said.

The tall ships, 18 visiting warships and 19 Royal Australian Navy vessels are taking part in the historic International Fleet Review, which runs until October 11.

The maritime spectacular will feature more than 60 aircraft, 10 military bands, 8000 sailors and a huge fireworks display on Saturday.

Prince Harry is also set to drop by on a whirlwind tour of Australia.

Barbara Campbell, captain of UK tall ship the Lord Nelson, was thrilled to have arrived in Sydney's iconic harbour.

"It felt brilliant, absolutely fantastic," Captain Campbell told reporters.

"We had a few strong gusts as we were approaching the heads, but the interest we've had in the ship has been phenomenal."

NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell said the International Fleet Review would showcase the city to 1.4 million visitors, and that Saturday night's fireworks show would be bigger than New Year's Eve.

NSW Tourism Minister George Souris described the event as "perhaps the mega-weekend of them all".

Extra cops would be on hand to ensure spectators and sailors behaved, NSW Police Superintendent Craig Sheridan said.

Alexis Rigby, who watched the ships enter the harbour with grandmother Janet, just hoped the weather improved.

"I was excited but I'm not too happy about the weather," she said.

The review commemorates the arrival of the Royal Australian Navy fleet in Sydney for the first time in October 1913.

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Search for asylum seekers off Java ends

A search operation for a sunken asylum-seeker boat has been called off by Indonesian authorities. Source: AAP

AUTHORITIES in Indonesia have officially called off a search and rescue operation prompted last week when an asylum-seeker boat sank after attempting to reach Australia, leaving more than 50 people dead or missing.

The operation was brought to a halt on Wednesday evening, less than a week after the boat, which was believed to be carrying 81 passengers, broke apart in heavy seas off the coast of West Java.

A spokesman for the Indonesian search and rescue agency, BASARNAS, on Thursday said authorities had recovered 42 bodies, many of them children, but that another 10 people remained missing and were also believed to have drowned.

Just 28 asylum seekers were found alive after the boat - which was carrying people from Lebanon, Iran and Iraq - broke apart near a beach in the district of Agrabinta in West Java at about 10.30am local time last Friday.

The tragedy - the first known fatal attempted crossing since the Abbott government came to power - led to accusations on the part of asylum seekers that Australian authorities had been slow to respond to calls for help.

Immigration Minister Scott Morrison has rejected claims from survivors that Australian authorities delayed their response to the unfolding tragedy for more than 24 hours.

"Suggestions Australian authorities did not respond to this incident appropriately are absolutely and totally wrong," Mr Morrison said earlier this week.

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Wind, rain unable to slow Vic showgoers

THE Royal Melbourne Show has attracted its highest number of people on a single day, one devoid of the wild weather and gale-force winds that hampered much of the event.

In excess of 80,000 people took advantage of finer weather on Sunday to break the single-day attendance record.

About half of the 12-day event was impacted by wind and rain, which forced organisers to close early one day during the school holiday rush.

But Victorians were undeterred with 504,950 people visiting the state's largest annual community event.

Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria chief Mark O'Sullivan said despite wind and rain impeding some elements of the show, it had continued to draw consistently large crowds with an eight per cent attendance increase on last year's figures.

"These numbers just go to show that the event is alive and well, the event is relevant and more and more people are coming to enjoy the sights and experiences," he said.

Pre-sales of tickets to Victoria's premier agricultural event also increased, up 16 per cent on 2012 with organisers expecting the event to contribute more than $80 million to the Victorian economy.

Around 1500 volunteers were part of the 8000-person workforce tasked with bringing the country to the city.

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Vic bikies appear in court after raids

MEMBERS of the rival Comanchero and Hells Angels bikie gangs will face separate court hearings following a number of drive-by shootings in Melbourne.

Police charged eight men after raids across Melbourne on Tuesday night, during which guns, explosives and cash were seized.

The raids came a day after the Hells Angels Seaford clubhouse in the city's south was sprayed with bullets.

Hells Angels member Dennis Basic, 33, of Frankston, appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Wednesday charged with 13 offences, including making explosives and illegally possessing seven guns.

Deputy Chief Magistrate Jelena Popovic was told the members of the two gangs would require separate dates for their committal mention hearings.

Comanchero members Gemino Aloia, 26, of Glenroy, Bemir Saracevic, 26, of Cranbourne North, Emir Jaha, 27, of Mt Martha, and Mark Balsillie, 29, of Gladstone Park also faced the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

Additional police and security officers were present in the court room and outside the building.

Basic's charges were adjourned until December 20, while the other four men were remanded to appear on the previous day.

None of the five applied for bail.

Police say the Seaford attack was in retaliation for a suspected Hells Angels shoot-up of two businesses owned by a rival Comanchero member.

High-powered military weapons such as AK-47s or M1 carbines were used in both shootings, police say.

Also charged after the raids are Bashkim Gashi, 30, of Dandenong North and Mohammed Khodr, 26, of Balwyn North.

All three are expected to appear in court on Wednesday.

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Giant marsupial fossil found on Vic beach

A FOSSILISED giant wombat-like skeleton as large as a small car has been found on a Victorian beach by a local beachgoer.

It is believed to be the Diprotodon, the largest marsupial ever to have lived, and may be as old as 200,000 years and have weighed up to 1000kg.

Museum Victoria senior paleontologist Erich Fitzgerald said it was an exciting discovery because of its potential to shed new light on the extinct species.

"What we know is that it appears to be the most complete and best preserved discovery of this species in Victoria and one of the more complete found in Australia," Dr Fitzgerald told AAP on Wednesday.

"We may be able to get a lot more information about the animal's appearance and also potentially about its lifestyle from this particular specimen, given how much of it we actually have."

The skeleton was discovered earlier this year on a beach in Mornington Peninsula National Park by a Sorrento local who noticed bones eroding out of a rock.

"It was found by completely by chance. The person did exactly the right thing and contacted Parks Victoria," Dr Fitzgerald said.

The discovery came as a surprise to paleontologists as the area had never revealed any significant fossils.

"The ones that had been found have not been very complete," Dr Fitzgerald said.

"It suggests further exploration may lead to additional discoveries."

The job of removing the specimen from the site is ongoing and it may be months before researchers know for sure how much of it is preserved and intact.

The species was widespread across Australia when the first indigenous people arrived but became extinct about 25,000 years ago.

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Qld senate spots declared

Palmer United Party candidate Glenn Lazarus officially snared one of Queensland's six senate spots. Source: AAP

CLIVE Palmer's party is on track to hold the balance of power in the Senate with star candidate Glenn Lazarus officially snaring one of Queensland's six spots.

The former league prop will join the Palmer United Party's Tasmanian candidate Jacqui Lambie in the upper house, and possibly Zhenya Wang who is on track to win a Senate seat for the party in Western Australia.

The Australian Electoral Commission announced the six Queensland senators on Wednesday.

They include the Liberal National Party's James McGrath, who was the campaign director behind the party's mammoth win at the Queensland election in 2012.

As opposition leader, Campbell Newman was forced to reprimand Mr McGrath for his role in the Labor dirt-files affair.

During the state election campaign Mr Newman was embarrassed by revelations his own party had hired a former ALP staffer to dig dirt on Queensland Labor MPs.

The files contained salacious details about Labor MPs' sexual leanings and habits, among other things.

On Wednesday, Mr Newman praised his former campaign director.

"James did a tremendous job during last year's state election campaign, and I know he will be a terrific advocate for the people of Queensland as a member of the LNP Senate team," he said in a statement.

It wasn't the first time Mr McGrath found himself at the centre of political controversy.

He was previously an adviser to London Lord Mayor Boris Johnson but left over comments that embroiled his then boss in a race row.

The other Queensland senators are Ian MacDonald and Matthew Canavan, from the LNP, and Labor's Chris Ketter and Claire Moore.

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Bikie brawl breaks out at Gold Coast cafe

ANOTHER bikie brawl has erupted on the Gold Coast.

Police say diners, including children, at a Nobby Beach cafe ducked for cover as bikies hurled tables and chairs at each other on Tuesday morning.

The Hells Angels and Finks gangs are believed to have been involved in the fracas.

The fight follows a major brawl outside a Broadbeach restaurant on Friday night involving Bandidos' club members.

Four Bandidos have been arrested for rioting and another 18 have been issued notices to appear in court.

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Chevron signs long term LNG contracts

ENERGY giant Chevron has signed long term agreements to supply liquified natural gas (LNG) to a Japanese company from its $30 billion Wheatstone Project in Western Australia.

Chevron subsidiaries Apache Energy and Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company will supply Tohoku Electric Power Company with 900,000 tonnes of LNG each year for up to 20 years.

The deal means 85 per cent of Chevron's share of LNG from Wheatstone is now committed to customers in Asia on a long term basis, Chevron Australia managing director Roy Krzywosinski said.

The project is a joint venture between Australian subsidiaries of Chevron, which have a 64 per cent stake, Apache Energy, which has 13 per cent, and Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company, which is a seven per cent shareholder.

Shell, Kyushu Electric Power Company and PE Wheatstone also have small shares in the project.

The Wheatstone project consists of two LNG trains with a combined capacity of 8.9 million tonnes per annum, and a domestic gas plant which is located 12 kilometres west of Onslow in Western Australia.

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$317 a day to keep prisoners in WA

New figures reveal it costs $317 a day to keep one prisoner locked up in West Australian jails. Source: AAP

IT costs $317 per day - or more than $115,000 a year - to keep each prisoner locked up in West Australian jails, new figures have revealed.

And it is even more expensive to keep a young offender behind bars.

After a horror year for the state's Department of Corrective Services (DoCS), including a riot at WA's only juvenile detention centre, it has also been revealed that the cost to keep prisoners locked up has shot up in 2012/13.

With WA's prison population topping 5000 for the first time during the period, the daily cost per inmate has risen from $291 in the previous financial year to $317.

And with some juvenile prisoners still being kept in the adult Hakea prison after the Banksia Hill riot in January, the cost to imprison a young offender was $645 a day - or more than $235,000 a year - exceeding the target cost of $558 a day.

It costs more to detain a juvenile offender than an adult one because of staffing requirements.

For every eight young detainees, there must be one guard, but the ratio is much higher for adult prisoners.

The department's annual report revealed there were 11 escapes from WA prisons in the past 12 months, but none of them were the result of malfunction or damage to the physical security of a prison, and all prisoners were returned to custody within 24 hours - two on their own accord.

There are also now 16 dangerous sex offenders in the state being tracked by controversial GPS technology, just months after it was introduced.

New laws came into effect in February to allow GPS tracking of sex offenders classified under the Dangerous Sex Offenders Act.

And the department is considering extending the use of the tracking devices to criminals convicted of arson and serious violence, which would require legislative changes.

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NSW minister accused over jobs for boys

NSW Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian has been accused of awarding work to an alleged mate. Source: AAP

NSW Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian has been accused of giving jobs to the boys and misleading parliament, after nearly $500,000 worth of work was awarded to a former colleague.

Labor MP Luke Foley wants an investigation into the awarding of a government contract to the consultancy firm Conrad Capital last year.

Jack Simos, who worked alongside Ms Berejiklian as a staffer for the then NSW Treasurer Peter Collins, is CEO and managing director of the firm.

In a budget estimates committee meeting last month, Mr Foley said he had quizzed Ms Berejiklian about the "fat contract" but she had denied any involvement, saying everything was handled by her department.

However, Mr Foley said documents reveal Mr Simos's appointment was actually instigated by her office, and before the firm was even registered for GST.

In March last year Owen Johnstone-Donnet, chief of staff from the minister's office, emailed the Department of Premier and Cabinet requesting their help to engage Conrad Capital to "undertake special tasks in relation to transport reform".

He said the two principals of Conrad Capital - Richard McKinnon and Mr Simos - "would report to and be accountable" to him.

"I think it's not only a question of jobs for the boys but also a question of ministerial responsibility to the parliament," Mr Foley told reporters on Tuesday.

In failing to reveal her office's role in the appointment, he said it appeared the minister misled the parliamentary committee.

Mr Simos's firm was initially engaged for three months work at $10,000 per month, which meant it did not have to go out to the market and seek quotes.

A further $290,000 worth of work his firm was then awarded was based on the three-months of previous experience.

All up, Mr Foley said the firm had been awarded $485,000 in payments.

"I'm calling today on Premier (Barry) O'Farrell to investigate this highly irregular contract driven not by the public service but by a minister's own private office," he said.

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Concerns over survey of Palmer's Qld mine

CLIVE Palmer may seek to influence the federal government's assessment of his Queensland coal mine project, the owner of a nearby nature reserve claims.

However, Environment Minister Greg Hunt says he's bound by law to assess the $6.4 billion project, near Alpha in the Galilee Basin, based on environmental requirements.

Paola Cassoni, part owner of Bimblebox Nature Refuge which sits within the footprint of the plan, says Mr Palmer may influence the government as he could hold power in parliament.

"This situation is ludicrous," she said.

"How on earth can we believe that the negative impacts from this mine are being properly considered when the Abbott government has a motive to win favour of Clive Palmer?"

In August, the Queensland's coordinator-general approved the Waratah Coal-China First Galilee Coal Mine project, subject to strict conditions.

The enterprise involves clearing thousands of hectares of vegetation on the refuge that is the habitat of the endangered black-throated finch and at least 220 species of plant.

The conditions include drafting species, weed, bushfire, erosion and water management plans.

Ms Cassoni claims that if the plan is approved the decision will be politically motivated.

In response, Mr Hunt said in a statement that he was bound by law to assess projects on environmental requirements.

"The law is the law," he said.

"All projects and all submissions both for and against any project will be considered equally."

A spokesman for Mr Palmer told AAP the project would be subject to a thorough and strict environmental assessment.

The mega project, which includes six mines and a 468km rail line, must be approved by the federal government before it can go ahead.

15.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Sheep found with ear cut off on SA road

A SHEEP with its rear legs bound and an ear cut off has been found dumped on the side of a road north of Adelaide.

The RSPCA says the animal was found at Gawler West on Sunday night and was taken to a vet for treatment before being moved to an RSPCA facility on Monday morning.

Chief Inspector Simon Richards says a treatment and recovery plan is being developed which will likely include some time in foster care.

"This is one of the more disturbing cruelty cases we've seen in recent months," Mr Richards said.

15.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

New rules for SA pubs and clubs

NEW lock-out laws to cut alcohol-fuelled violence around pubs and clubs in Adelaide will take effect from Tuesday.

The new provisions prevent patrons from entering venues after 3am (CST) and anyone who leaves a pub or club after that time will be prevented from re-entering.

The new provisions allow for greater use of metal detectors and video cameras, provide for an early morning ban on drink promotions such as free drinks, shooters and doubles and restrict the use of glass for serving drinks.

Liquor and Gambling Commissioner Paul White said the new code aimed to curb alcohol-related incidents of abuse and violence through a range of management practices and the prevention of early-morning bar hopping.

There will be a four-week educational period for pubs and clubs, when breaches of the code will be met with warnings, and to allow for staff training, the installation of closed-circuit cameras and the purchase of plastic drink containers.

The changes have been opposed by some venues with a group unsuccessfully taking their case against the measures to the South Australian Supreme Court last week.

Also coming into force in October are new rules over the sale of alcohol in Coober Pedy in SA's mid-north.

Takeaway sales of cask wine will be banned while sales of wine and spirits will be limited to one bottle per person, per day.

Takeaway sales of all alcohol will also be banned to anyone from defined prescribed lands, including the Umoona Community, Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands and other Aboriginal lands in SA, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.

Police say the new regulations have been introduced in a bid to curb alcohol-related violence and anti-social behaviour in the area.

15.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

UK cancer images banned In New Zealand

IMAGES from a ground-breaking television advertising campaign designed to raise awareness of breast cancer have been banned from screens in New Zealand.

The hard-hitting advert, featuring actress and comedienne Elaine C. Smith, was the first in Britain to show real pictures of women's breasts affected by cancer.

The campaign resulted in a 50 per cent rise in the number of women contacting their GP about the disease.

The New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation had wanted to show the images of breasts from the Scottish advert as part of a television campaign there.

But the country's Commercial Approval Bureau (CAB) advised the health campaigners that nipples were not permitted in TV adverts in New Zealand.

As a result, the foundation was forced to use strategically placed pot plants, balloons and cupcakes in its Naked Truth campaign.

Van Henderson, the foundation's chief executive, said they had wanted to use the images from the Scottish adverts so women could know more about the signs of breast cancer.

Henderson said: "Around half of the breast cancers in New Zealand are first detected through a symptom that the woman notices, yet only 5 per cent of women are aware that puckering or dimpling of the skin can be a symptom, and only 2 per cent know an inverted nipple may mean breast cancer."

She added: "We believe the importance of knowing all the signs and symptoms far outweighs the CAB's concern, and we wanted women to know exactly what those signs look like."

The advert, first screened in Scotland last September, showed Smith holding a series of placards with images of breasts affected by cancer.

In the three months between September and November, 21,000 women contacted their GP about breast cancer symptoms - 50 per cent more than the 13,900 who did so in the same period of 2011.

The advert stressed that lumps are not the only sign that someone may be suffering from breast cancer, with women being urged to check for signs such as a change in breast shape or size, an unusual pain in their breast, a change in the skin such as dimpling, puckering or reddening, and any changes to their nipples.

Edinburgh woman Janet Brodie went to her doctor after seeing the advert as she realised she had some of the signs of breast cancer.

Five tumours were found and the 54-year-old is now in recovery after having two operations, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

"That advert saved my life," Brodie said.

She praised the campaign for its "different" approach, saying it was "so straight to the point, you were in no doubt what you were looking for".

15.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Shot Qld police happy to be alive

A Gold Coast police officer shot in the face says he is just happy to be alive. Source: AAP

A GOLD Coast police officer shot in the face by an armed robbery suspect says he is just happy to be alive.

Dog squad officer Sergeant Gary Hamrey walked out of hospital on Sunday morning, two days after he was shot tracking two armed robbery suspects.

With his cheek bandaged, the policeman said he had a clear memory of what had happened.

"I think those memories will stay with me for quite some time," he told reporters.

"I think there's a certain amount of shock, that goes with it," he said.

"It happened quickly, hurt a lot and there was a lot of blood."

Sgt Hamrey said he was eternally grateful to those who came to his aid.

He'd realised he was lucky the bullet had missed other parts of his head.

"I'm pretty happy that I'm still here," he said.

The sergeant said he felt "pretty good" and plans to return to work in about six weeks, although he may need further surgery.

Sgt Hamrey was shot when he tracked down two men armed with a gun and a machete as they hid beside a garden shed after allegedly holding up the Arundel Tavern at Parkwood early on Friday morning.

Despite his injuries, he and a colleague returned fire, striking the alleged bandits in the legs and feet.

The two alleged robbers sustained gunshot wounds to their legs and feet but their injuries weren't life-threatening.

The pair were charged late on Friday with one count each of attempted murder, three of armed robbery and 14 counts of deprivation of liberty.

The 23-year-old and 47-year-old, both from the Gold Coast, appeared before a hospital bedside hearing and have been remanded in custody until November 11.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Morrison rejects claims of boat delay

The Greens want an inquiry into the government's delayed response to the latest asylum seeker boat. Source: AAP

IMMIGRATION Minister Scott Morrison has defended Australia's response to an asylum seeker boat that sank off Indonesia as survivors claim the tragedy could have been prevented.

With Prime Minister Tony Abbott flying to Indonesia on Monday for his first overseas visit, his government is under fire for its handling of the disaster, which left up to 50 people dead or missing.

Indonesian authorities say there is little hope of finding more survivors from the boat that sank off Java on Friday, with searchers being hampered by rough seas on Sunday.

Twenty-one people, including seven children, have so far been confirmed dead while more than 30 remain missing.

One survivor told ABC TV that a GPS location was sent to Australian authorities when multiple distress calls were made on Thursday.

"We called the Australian government for 24 hours. They were telling us 'we're coming, we're coming, we're coming', and they didn't come," he said.

"This is because of the Australian government. I want them to know that," he said of the tragedy.

But a spokesman for Mr Morrison said suggestions Australian authorities were slow to act were "absolutely and totally wrong".

"The government completely rejects allegations of a 26-hour delay in response to this tragic incident by Australian agencies," Mr Morrison's office said in a statement issued on Sunday.

"Australian agencies acted on the information provided on this tragic incident."

Mr Morrison said initial searches failed to find the boat, which was reported to be about 25 nautical miles off the Indonesian coast.

"The Australians who work for our rescue and border protection agencies respond to all such events with great professionalism and a keenly felt sense of duty, as they did on this occasion," the statement said.

"This is a tragic event. The Australian government's thoughts and sympathies are with those affected by this tragedy. The government will continue to provide any assistance required by the Indonesian government."

Australian Greens leader Christine Milne called for an immediate inquiry into the government's involvement in the "heartbreaking" tragedy.

"I would expect that to happen before the next parliament sits," Senator Milne told Sky Agenda on Sunday.

Labor leadership candidate Bill Shorten criticised the Abbott government's approach to asylum seekers, saying "sooner or later they're going to work out that three-word slogans don't solve issues, and don't solve refugees or immigration".

People smuggling is expected to be high on the agenda when Mr Abbott meets with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Jakarta.

Indonesia's foreign minister Marty Natalegawa last week warned any violation of his country's borders could damage neighbourly relations, in a pointed criticism of the coalition's policy to turn back the boats.

Mr Shorten accused the coalition of "bagging" Indonesia in the stand-off over asylum seeker policy.

"One of the key platforms or planks to making sure we've got a safe and sustainable policy is to have a good relationship with Indonesia," he told ABC television.

"I'm not sure that getting out and bagging the Indonesians is really helpful.

"If they can't work out that Indonesia and working co-operatively with Indonesia's important to handling the challenging issues of asylum seekers and refugees, then that's a worry."

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Westpac Rescue Helicopter marks 40 years

The Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter has celebrated 40 years of saving Australian lives. Source: AAP

IT began with a band of daring surfies rescuing swimmers off Sydney's beaches.

Now the Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter celebrates its 40th birthday as a full rescue service that has helped people caught in some of the nation's worst disasters.

Two helicopters flew in formation over Sydney Harbour on Sunday to mark the occasion, four decades after a group of surf lifesavers founded the service in 1973 with a MASH-style single-engine light helicopter, the Bell C47.

Then it was known as the Wales Bank SLSA Helicopter Surf Rescue Service.

Today it has a fleet of 15 helicopters across twelve bases around the country, and has helped rescue Australians involved in the Waterfall train crash, the Milperra bikie massacre and the Thredbo landslide, where the service helicopter was on hand to fly sole survivor Stuart Diver to Canberra Hospital after he was trapped in rubble for almost three days.

But the more things have changed, the more they've stayed the same, according to CEO Stephen Leahy.

"The reason we go out hasn't changed in those 40 years, we were set up to help the people of Sydney and NSW and we're still doing that today," he told AAP.

"The only things that have really changed are the helicopters themselves - what we use now are bigger, better and faster."

Even the bank that helped launch the fledgling service in 1973 with a $25,000 cheque remains the same, despite a name change.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Qld grandmother in carjack ordeal

A BRISBANE grandmother has described the terrifying moment she was carjacked while her baby granddaughter was in the back seat.

The 54-year-old was in a dark car park of an inner city unit complex waiting to pick up her son about 9.30pm (AEST) on Saturday night when the thief struck.

He tapped on the window with what she believes was a pistol.

The woman, who did not want her name published, said she opened the car window thinking it was her son.

"He said, 'get out of the car. This is true, it's a hold-up. Just do as I say and you're going to be OK'," the shaken woman told AAP.

"All I could think of was our little grand-daughter.

"I said, 'please, whatever you do don't take off, I've got my grand-daughter in the back'."

The man in his 20s let her take the seven-month-old from the car and even helped her unclip the baby seat.

He warned her to keep quiet and said the police were after him.

"He said, 'keep it quiet and you'll be fine but if you mutter a word you're going to be in trouble'," the woman said, adding that she'd felt sick with fright.

"He definitely had something which I thought was a little gun, a pistol...I thought oh my god, he's holding me up, I've got to do what he says."

The woman said the man, who was wearing a black beanie and dark clothes, drove off as soon as she had the baby out of the car.

She alerted passersby who came to their aid.

The woman, from Brisbane's east, said the horrible ordeal had made her paranoid about being held up again.

She hopes police find the thief and her son's car, a silver 2002 Nissan Patrol station wagon with registration 168 GWV.

It was last seen on Main Street at Kangaroo Point, in Brisbane's inner south.

Police are investigating and urge anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers.

15.02 | 0 komentar | Read More