Man steals donations from Melbourne church

MELBOURNE police are hoping a man who stole church donations comes clean with a confession.

The man, who was captured on CCTV, stole the cash from two tins at a Seventh-Day Adventist church at Clayton last Sunday.

Detective Senior Constable Mick Van Der Heyden said the church was open to worshippers at the time.

"If anyone saw anything suspicious in or around the church, we would certainly be interested in speaking to them," he said.

"On the other hand, if the person responsible wants to come forward I am happy to hear his confession."

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Girl dead, men injured after plane crash

A YOUNG girl has died and two men have survived a plane crash into a northern NSW river believed to have happened after their aircraft hit power lines.

The pilot, a 50-year-old man who suffered only minor injuries, freed himself from the wreckage and called authorities seeking help for his two passengers following the crash southwest of Casino on Saturday morning, police said.

They were able to save a 39-year-old male passenger who was taken to Lismore Base Hospital by helicopter, where he remains in a serious condition.

A 12-year-old girl died at the scene.

"It's believed the aircraft hit power lines and then crashed into a nearby river," police said.

A crime scene has been established and a report will be prepared for the coroner.

The Australian Transportation Safety Bureau will investigate the cause of the crash.

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Ita to remain at category one strength

The weather bureau has warned Cyclone Ita is unlikely to drop below cyclone strength. Source: AAP

CYCLONE Ita is unlikely to drop below cyclone strength despite making landfall 19 hours ago, the Bureau of Meteorology has warned.

A cyclone warning issued at 5pm (AEST) shows Ita will remain at category one strength and will head out into the Coral Sea near Innisfail in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The bureau predicts Ita will remain at category one strength at least until 5pm (AEST) on Monday on a south-easterly track that runs roughly parallel with the Queensland coast.

Ita roared ashore about 9pm on Friday as a severe category four cyclone, forcing hundreds of people at Cooktown and nearby Hope Vale to take refuge in cyclone shelters.

At 5pm on Saturday, Ita was estimated to be 20km south-southwest of Port Douglas and 45 kilometres west-northwest of Cairns, moving south southeast at 11km/h.

It is likely to move southeast close to or just off the coast for the next 24 hours, with damaging winds with gusts to 120km/h likely between Port Douglas and Cairns for the remainder of Saturday.

A storm tide is expected between Cape Tribulation and Cairns.

Large waves may produce minor flooding along the foreshore.

Heavy rainfall that may cause flash flooding is falling in the coast and ranges between Port Douglas and Ayr, and should extend south to about Yeppoon during Sunday. Isolated 24-hour totals of more than 300mm are likely.

The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) has declared a catastrophe in parts of north Queensland affected by Ita.

ICA chief executive officer Rob Whelan said the ICA has established a recovery taskforce and initiated a disaster hotline to help policyholders unsure of their insurer with general inquiries about claims.

"This is an emerging natural disaster situation and the full extent of the damage may take many weeks to determine. However, the general insurance industry has already geared up to ensure it responds swiftly and appropriately," he said.

The ICA hotline is 1800 734 621.

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Bus-car collision in Myanmar kills 12

A PASSENGER bus has collided with a car and burst into flames along a Myanmar highway, killing 12 passengers and injuring five others.

The Information Ministry says the bus overtook the car Saturday and hit and dragged the vehicle, causing the fuel tank to explode. Six car occupants and six bus passengers died.

The collision happened on the highway linking Yangon, the largest city, with Mandalay, 715 kilometres to the north.

The highway is notorious for many accidents resulting in high number of deaths and injuries. Most are caused by speeding and defective road.

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Qld locals prepare for category five

Queensland Premier Campbell Newman has cut short a trade trip as the state prepares for cyclone Ita. Source: AAP

FAR north Queensland residents are preparing for the worst as category five Cyclone Ita heads their way.

Ita was upgraded to a category five late on Thursday afternoon and is predicted to land north of Cooktown on Friday night, with a strong chance of coinciding with a 7pm high tide.

This will create dangerous storm surges, about 1.5 metres bigger than usual high tides, along a 240km stretch of coast from Port Douglas to Cape Melville, Queensland's Bureau of Meteorology says.

The bureau's senior forecaster Pradeep Singh says heavy rain will also trigger flash floods.

He said while Ita was intense, it's a smaller system and would move slower than category five Cyclone Yasi in 2011 and category four Cyclone Larry in 2006.

It's expected to bring 280km/h winds when it hits the coast, with 9000 people directly in its path.

Cooktown mayor Peter Scott said cyclone shelters were being put up Thursday night as winds of up to 100 km/hr were forecast to hit the town on Friday morning.

"It's coming in faster and bigger than we first thought it was going too," he said while boarding up windows of his family home.

Premier Campbell Newman has pleaded for campers and residents in low lying areas to seek safer shelter.

"There'll be lots of rain, 100mm of torrential rain. That means flooding of creeks and road crossings," he said.

"If it's flooded forget it. Please don't put your life at risk."

Staff and tourists have left Lizard Island, while 50 mine workers have already abandoned the Cape Flattery silica mine township, north of Cooktown.

Some residents north of Port Douglas have already evacuated their homes.

Local Dianne Fursdon says an eerie quiet feeling has enveloped Cooktown.

"It's really strange, everything has gone quiet," she told AAP.

"There's no bird sounds, no geckos and the ants are all crawling onto higher ground."

Ms Fursdon feels confident her home will withstand the storm as she's used five rolls of tape to secure windows.

"Maybe the roof will come off, but what the hell," she said with a smile.

"All I need is my plonk and I'll be fine."

Fourteen-year-old Kathleen Stevens, her aunt and great aunt were buying buckets and jerry cans to fill with water and fuel at the 11th hour.

They've been warned they may have to go without water and power for some time.

The family is hopeful their home can withstand the force of potentially destructive winds.

"But if it gets really bad we're going to head to the cyclone shelter," Kathleen told AAP.

"Or the bathroom because it's sturdy," her aunt Stacey Stevens added.

A cyclone watch has been declared for areas up to 300km inland, including Kalinga, Laura, Palmerville and Chillagoe.

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ASIC rejects corruption allegation

AUSTRALIA'S investment watchdog has hit back at claims of corruption within its ranks.

Australian Securities and Investment Commission chairman Greg Medcraft has rejected, in a Senate hearing, suggestions staff acted inappropriately when authorising the use of online superannuation calculators in 2005.

The accusations stem from lawyer James Wheeldon, who was engaged by ASIC as part of a team tasked with granting permission to superannuation funds to offer customers the online tool to tally their super savings.

Mr Wheeldon claims ASIC failed to comply with its own standards when issuing an exemption that meant fees and charges were not necessarily included in the calculations.

Mr Wheeldon has previously told the senate hearing he reported to a senior lawyer, Grant Jones, who was on secondment to ASIC from the wealth management division of National Australia Bank, MLC.

Mr Wheeldon said Mr Jones acted as a "enthusiastic advocate within ASIC" for the benefit of MLC.

He also told the hearing that head of the team, Mark Adams, was driving an outcome which would see permission granted across the industry for the use of online calculators.

In response on Thursday, Mr Medcraft discredited Mr Wheeldon as a junior lawyer who was employed by ASIC for only nine months.

"ASIC completely rejects Mr Wheeldon's allegations," he said.

There was no special treatment for any parties and if ASIC considered the matter again, the same outcome would be achieved, Mr Medcraft said.

The Senate Economics References Committee's inquiry into the performance of ASIC is due to report back in late May.

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Northern Victoria cops drenching from rain

PARTS of northern and north-eastern Victoria and are watching the skies nervously as heavy rain threatens flooding.

Some parts of the state's north have had up to 80mm of rain - well over the average for April - since Tuesday as a slow-moving low pressure trough crosses the state.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) has renewed severe weather warnings for heavy rain and possible flash flooding in the Mallee, Northern Country and North East forecast regions, a wide area that spans Mildura, Swan Hill, Bendigo, Echuca, Shepparton, Benalla, Wangaratta and Wodonga.

BoM senior forecaster Terry Ryan said Rushworth, near Shepparton, had 50mm of rain to 9am (AEST) on Thursday while Bendigo had 45mm and Benalla 44mm over the same period.

Since 9am, a further 29mm fell near Benalla at Violet Town and falls around 30mm were common across the north of the state.

Mr Ryan said between 30mm and 80mm had fallen across the north, with the heaviest falls in the high country.

Flood watches have been issued for the Goulburn/Broken river catchment and for East Gippsland.

Severe weather warnings for the central district around Melbourne, the Wimmera and North Central districts have been cancelled.

Melbourne has copped its heaviest rainfall since November with 20mm falling over the past two days.

There, the main impact has been on the roads, with cars colliding in the slippery conditions.

There haven't been any serious injuries, Ambulance Victoria said in a tweet on Thursday, but paramedics have been called to 24 collisions across the state in the space of eight hours.

The State Emergency Service handled more than 70 assistance calls on Thursday, mainly for building damage and fallen trees.

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ICAC hears how Tripodi baled up Kelly

Former NSW minister Tony Kelly has admitted a cabinet minute that didn't favour AWH was rewritten. Source: AAP

FORMER minister Joe Tripodi says he took a 10-hour round trip to rural NSW to learn about hay, not straighten out a story with ex-MP Tony Kelly.

Counsel assisting the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), Geoffrey Watson SC, on Thursday accused Mr Tripodi of trying to elude investigators by switching his mobile telephone off for most of the trip to Wellington.

But Mr Tripodi did not realise his sat-nav system was tracking his every turn, Mr Watson said.

"You turned off your telephone that day, deliberately," Mr Watson put to the witness.

"You didn't want anybody to have the facility to track where you were going."

The corruption watchdog has heard allegations Mr Tripodi and Mr Kelly helped create a sham cabinet minute that boosted Australian Water Holdings' (AWH) prospects of securing a lucrative public-private partnership.

The document replaced - and effectively reversed - expert advice prepared by external consultant Brian McGlynn.

The two men agreed they had a hand in altering the original minute: Mr Kelly agreed it was his decision to put up a new "positive" minute, while Mr Tripodi said he provided "working notes" that were incorporated in the paper.

But both men deny penning the final minute or working to further AWH's interests to benefit crooked ex-MP Eddie Obeid, whose family allegedly had a secret stake in the company.

It was revealed on Thursday that Mr Tripodi visited Mr Kelly's Wellington property in central western NSW early last year.

Mr Kelly said his old parliamentary colleague showed up unannounced with a hamburger in one hand and a coffee in the other and the men chatted about what fellow ex-MPs were up to.

Mr Tripodi mentioned that former planning minister Frank Sartor was writing a book "bagging out Labor" and that the notorious cabinet minute alteration would get a mention, Mr Kelly said.

"And then he finished his hamburger and said, okay, good to catch up with you and off he went," Mr Kelly said.

In a bizarre afternoon of evidence, Mr Tripodi claimed he was in the area to scout out a possible hay export scheme for a Chinese friend.

"You know lucerne costs about $12 a bale. It's not even economic to move lucerne (the 100km) from Wellington to Orange, so why would someone be exporting it back to Shanghai?" Mr Watson asked incredulously.

"Did you go down there for the sole purpose of getting stories straight about the cabinet minute?"

"Absolutely not," Mr Tripodi said.

The inquiry heard about extensive telephone contact between Mr Tripodi and former AWH chief executive Nick Di Girolamo.

"Like two young lovers," Mr Watson said. "You were at it all day."

Mr Tripodi denied he did anything wrong by putting Mr Di Girolamo in touch with then-water minister Phil Costa.

"I did that for many, many people on many, many issues," Mr Tripodi said.

"There was a dry cleaner at Wynyard that approached me when I was catching a train, raised some issues, and I went and raised it with a minister."

"We haven't got to that inquiry yet," Mr Watson quipped.

The inquiry continues on Friday with Mr Di Girolamo due to give evidence.

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Impose conditions on Galilee mine: court

A MULTI-BILLION dollar coal mine in Queensland's Galilee Basin should only go-ahead if a number of conditions are met, the state's land court has ruled.

The non-binding recommendations were made to the state government on Tuesday after a bid by six parties to stop the Alpha Mine, part owned by Gina Rinehart.

They argued the mine would contribute to climate change and have "permanent and irreversible" effects on ground water.

Queensland Land Court member Paul Smith recommended the mine be rejected or further conditions imposed.

They include obtaining licences to use ground water, monitoring and compensation for landholders.

It is now up to the state government to decide which, if any, of the recommendations are imposed.

As the ruling outlines options to both reject and grant the mine lease, both the developers and the landholders are crying victory.

Paola Cassoni, whose land adjoins the proposed lease, said the court's decision vindicated the community's "grave concerns".

A report commissioned by lobby group Lock the Gate found that the water table would be reduced by five metres if all the nine mines proposed for the basin are approved.

That's equivalent to 525 years of livestock and domestic water supplies for the area, the report said.

GVK Hancock however is claiming victory and says the recommendations "endorsed" the environmental assessments carried out by the company.

And, Queensland Resources Council boss Michael Roche says the decision to "uphold" the approval means the basin will be finally opened for business.

The project is estimated to generate 4000 full-time positions and contribute about $40 billion in royalties and taxes during its lifetime, he said.

The Australian Greens are calling on the Queensland government to put the climate ahead of Gina Rinehart.

"The court's decision proves that it's high time we change our environmental laws so that this kind of climate destruction cannot be given the green light," Senator Larissa Waters said.

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Evacuation at Sydney food factory

WORKERS have been evacuated from a food processing plant on Sydney's lower north shore after a grain silo threatened to explode.

Emergency services rushed to the factory in Lane Cove on Tuesday night amid reports the temperature inside the silo had risen beyond safe levels.

Staff were evacuated and firefighters pumped carbon dioxide into the silo to try and lower the temperature.

"If the temperature increases over the next few hours we could have some problems," said Fire and Rescue NSW Inspector Ian Krimmer.

"If the temperature remains static or decreases we'll be a lot happier."

Emergency services are expected to remain at the site for most of the evening.

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Unions reap money from senate office rent

TWO unions and a super fund involving a union have reaped more than $430,000 in rent for three Labor senators' electorate offices.

Labor senators Kim Carr, Anne McEwen and Alex Gallacher rented premises respectively from the meat industry union's superannuation fund; United Voice, a childcare, cleaners and health workers union; and the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA).

Over the past three years they paid a total of $435,460 in rent, figures from the Department of Finance show.

Senator Gallacher's lease from the SDA was terminated in July last year but the others are ongoing.

The figures were released in response to a Senate estimates hearing question from Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie about how unions had benefited from federal funds under the former Labor government.

Employment Minister Eric Abetz told AAP on Tuesday such arrangements may technically be within the rules.

"But it is clearly not a good look when Labor senators use taxpayers' money to lease offices that are owned by unions factionally aligned to their own," Senator Abetz said.

"This raises legitimate questions of whether certain deals have been done between Labor MPs and union bosses that involve the use of public money in this way."

Senator Carr told AAP he had legitimately rented his Melbourne office from an industry superannuation fund for two decades.

"It's not true to say I rent it from a union. I rent it from an industry super fund which is the owner of the building," Senator Carr said.

"The fund is 50-50 run by the union and industry."

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MPs of both stripes lobbied over AWH

Former NSW premier Nathan Rees (pic) says Eddie Obeid lobbied him about AWH, an inquiry has heard. Source: AAP

CROOKED ex-MP Eddie Obeid lobbied former NSW premier Nathan Rees about Australian Water Holdings (AWH) on the steps of parliament, the corruption watchdog has heard.

But Mr Rees said his Labor colleague never disclosed any family connection with the controversial company.

The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) is investigating allegations AWH corruptly billed Sydney Water for luxury hotels and limousine rides.

Three former NSW ministers from both sides of politics appeared before the commission on Tuesday to tell how they were lobbied by Mr Obeid, AWH chief Nick Di Girolamo or others connected to AWH.

Mr Rees told the inquiry Mr Obeid approached him during his stretch as NSW water minister between 2007 and 2008.

"I think it happened on the steps of the parliament but I couldn't be certain, and it was along the lines of, 'Nick Di Girolamo has an issue with Sydney Water, can you speak to him or meet with him?'," he said.

Mr Rees said Mr Obeid never mentioned any family connection with AWH.

It has been alleged the Obeids owned a stake in the company and stood to make tens of millions if a proposed government deal got up.

The former premier said he could not remember calling the men behind AWH "a bunch of crooks", as sensationally claimed by former Sydney Water managing director Kerry Schott.

"Not that I recall, but Kerry Schott's memory's probably better than mine," Mr Rees told reporters.

The man who replaced Mr Rees as water minister, Phil Costa, has testified that less than a month after he took the job, Mr Obeid asked him to meet Mr Di Girolamo.

He told the inquiry Mr Obeid spoke to him about AWH and Sydney Water multiple times.

But the encounter that sticks in his mind is a conversation in a parliamentary lift, when Mr Obeid asked him to get rid of Dr Schott.

"For some reason he asked me to 'sack the bitch'," Mr Costa told the inquiry.

"I was a little gobsmacked by it."

But Mr Costa said he had no intention of demoting Dr Schott.

"We were warriors in arms," Mr Costa said.

"She was doing what needed to be done."

The inquiry has previously heard that Dr Schott insisted AWH justify its "ballooning" billings and raised questions about an allegedly doctored cabinet minute that recommended the government enter talks with AWH about a lucrative public-private partnership.

Former Liberal frontbencher Greg Pearce was also in the ICAC witness box on Tuesday, testifying that Liberal Senator Arthur Sinodinos and fundraiser Michael Photios both lobbied him about AWH.

But the final straw came when Mr Di Girolamo went over his head to arrange a meeting with Premier Barry O'Farrell on a day Mr Pearce was trying to get a major bill passed in parliament.

"I was being lobbied on this issue and I didn't appreciate it," he said.

The inquiry continues.

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Milk keeps osteoarthritis at bay for women

A GLASS of milk a day can keep osteoarthritis (OA) at bay, at least for women with the disease affecting their knees, research has shown.

Increasing consumption of fat-free or low-fat milk was found to slow progression of the degenerative condition, which wears away the joints.

Women who drank more than seven 230ml glasses a week had significantly less space between their joints than those who drank none after four years.

Those who drank no milk had an average width space of 0.38 millimetres, compared with 0.26mm for high consumers.

Even drinking up to three glasses a week led to a shrinking of the joint gap to 0.29mm.

However, no association was seen between milk consumption and reduced joint space width in men.

The trend was maintained even after adjusting for disease severity, body mass index (BMI), and diet.

"Milk consumption plays an important role in bone health," said lead scientist Dr Bing Lu, from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, US.

"Our study is the largest study to investigate the impact of dairy intake in the progression of knee OA.

"Our findings indicate that women who frequently drink milk may reduce the progression of OA. Further study of milk intake and delay in OA progression are needed."

Findings from the research are reported in the latest edition of the journal Arthritis Care & Research.

A total of 2148 men and women with knee OA were recruited for the Osteoarthritis Initiative study.

Dietary data was collected and joint space width measured by X-ray to assess OA progression.

In an editorial published in the journal, US experts Dr Shivani Sahni and Robert McLean, from the Hebrew SeniorLife Institute for Ageing Research, which is affiliated with Harvard University, wrote: "With the ageing population and increase in life expectancy, there is an urgent need for effective methods to manage OA.

"The study by Lu et al provides the first evidence that increasing fat-free or low-fat milk consumption may slow the progression of OA among women who are particularly burdened by OA of the knee, which can lead to functional disability."

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Whistleblower got it wrong: Salvo bos s

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<p><span>An inquiry has heard how a resident of a Salvation Army boys home received financial compensation.</span> <span><em>Source:</em> AAP</span></p>
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<p><strong> SALVATION Army commissioner James Condon says he already had a process in train to remove an officer with a sex abuse record before a whistleblower contacted authorities. </strong></p>
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<p>Mr Condon, the territorial commander of the Salvation Army in NSW, Queensland and ACT, told a hearing in Sydney on Monday that his absence due to a meeting in London in early 2013 had probably contributed to a delay in removing Colin Haggar as director of a crisis shelter for women and children.</p>
<p>The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has heard that Mr Haggar confessed to indecently assaulting an eight-year-old girl in 1989, and was dismissed from the Salvos, but was re-admitted in 1993 and subsequently promoted.</p>
<p>Additional allegations were made against him in 2013.</p>
<p>Captain Michelle White said on Friday that concerns about Mr Haggar had been raised with Mr Condon in early 2013.</p>
<p>Ms White said that delays by Mr Condon in fulfilling mandatory reporting requirements prompted her to report to the NSW Ombudsman on September 4, 2013 that there was an active Salvation Army officer with a known history of child related sexual abuse.</p>
<p>But asked on Monday if it was only after Ms White's actions that he considered reporting Mr Haggar to the Ombudsman and the Office of the Children's Guardian, Mr Condon replied: "No, it wasn't."</p>
<p>He said a decision had been made to "have a fresh look at all historical cases", including those involving Haggar, in preparation for the royal commission.</p>
<p>"We were reporting to the ombudsman, reporting to the police ... we were in the process ... we were absolutely committed to doing the right thing."</p>
<p>Mr Condon said that following a meeting with Ms White, he also made phone calls, including to Mr Haggar, informing the senior Salvo that he should not have any responsibility for children at the shelter.</p>
<p>Mr Condon said he opposed the promotion of Mr Haggar to lieutenant colonel but it was army policy to promote a husband when a wife was taking an executive role. Mr Haggar's wife Kerry, also a lieutenant colonel, had been made secretary for business administration and a member of the Salvation Army executive.</p>
<p>Mr Condon told the hearing that he accompanied Mr Haggar to Parramatta police station in the early 90s to report the assault, recalling that an officer at the station told Mr Haggar that unless the victim or the family of the victim came forward, there was nothing police could do.</p>
<p>The commission was also told on Monday that the Salvation Army had no plans to use the defence of vicarious liability in historical cases of child abuse, unlike the Catholic Church which had argued in another matter that it could not be held vicariously responsible for historical abuse.</p><br />

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Nats may help Libs secure 3rd Senate seat

Labor Senate leader Penny Wong says the party's results off the WA senate re-run was disappointing. Source: AAP

THE Liberal party is likely to win a third seat in the re-run West Australian Senate election, a political analyst predicts, based on key preferences.

While counting continues, Greens candidate Scott Ludlam has undoubtedly retained his seat, the top two Liberal candidates appear home and hosed, Labor has secured one seat and Palmer United Party is looking comfortable with one seat.

But in the battle between Liberal and Labor for the sixth seat, the latter could lose out, says David Black, history and politics professor at Curtin University.

"I assume the Greens preferences will find their way fairly soon to Labor, but they may not have that many preferences because they may have to use up most of their vote in order to get their quota," Professor Black told AAP on Monday.

"I would have thought on the figures I've seen so far, that unless Labor pick up some significant chunks from other places, then the Liberals will probably win the final sixth seat because the Liberals will get the National Party preferences for a start.

"The Nationals have got enough to make a bit of a difference."

Professor Black said there would be severe recriminations within the Labor party over ordering of candidates on its Senate ticket.

If the order had been reversed - with Louise Pratt ahead of union stalwart Joe Bullock - it would have had a much better chance of winning a second seat, he said.

The Liberals had strong candidates and if the party didn't win the sixth seat, it would only be because of competition from the Palmer United Party, Professor Black said.

Member for Perth and former Labor state minister Alannah MacTiernan said the re-run poll had been a salutary experience for both major parties.

But there was no papering over the fact it was not going well for Labor, she said.

Ms MacTiernan said she was not the only one in the party who had been arguing for reform for many years, "particularly concentrations of power blocs, a small number of people who wield a great deal of power and that's not healthy in any system".

"We've got to open this up so that we are attractive to a broad range of people, and can go out there and build a constituency," she told ABC radio.

"We've got to reflect the community, we've got to show leadership.

"We've got to have candidates who can win votes for us."

Defence Minister David Johnston, who was first on the Liberal ticket, said it was a shame Labor's Mark Bishop was retiring as he was "their best performer".

Senator Johnston also noted - as many had - the absence of Mr Bullock and Ms Pratt from Labor's how to vote cards.

"It's just bizarre what goes on inside the Labor party," he told ABC radio.

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Terrorist Bashir 'wants to disrupt polls'

Radical cleric Abu Bakar Bashir has encouraged supporters to disrupt the Indonesian elections. Source: AAP

EDS: Updates with DFAT advice

JAKARTA, April 7 AAP - Indonesian police are on alert after suspected Bali bombing mastermind Abu Bakar Bashir encouraged supporters to disrupt this week's Indonesian legislative elections.

The convicted terrorist has asked supporters not to be "unproductive" and to disrupt Wednesday's nationwide ballot.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Adi Deriyan Jayamarta told Indonesia's Kompas news website police have been warned by Indonesia's anti-terror forces that a terrorist network could be planning an attack.

The police chief, based in Malang, East Java, has ordered officers to stay in communication with religious leaders and approach any suspicious object with care, especially near polling stations.

"There's expert personnel who will handle it," he said on Monday.

"Don't think that you have some kind of 'blast-free magic' and handle it yourself."

According to Lt Col Adi, Detachment 88, Indonesia's counter-terror squad, had information from a terror suspect involved with a network "that has done military training for firearm and bomb usage".

Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade updated its travel advice for Indonesia last week, noting the elections.

"Australians are advised to avoid all protests, demonstrations and political rallies, as they can turn violent with little notice," a spokesman said.

"The department keeps the travel advice for Indonesia under close review and updates it as required."

Bashir, the founder of Jemaah Islamiah (JI), is serving 15 years in Nusa Kambangan, a high-security jail off the coast of central Java dubbed the Alcatraz of Indonesia.

He was acquitted over the 2002 Bali bombings, but was jailed over his role in setting up a terror cell in Aceh.

Indonesia's counter-terrorism agency chief in 2012 told AAP Bashir was still giving orders from behind bars, albeit to a group with a different name, but the same radical ideology as JI.

The bombing of two Kuta nightclubs in 2002 killed 202 people, including 88 Australians.

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Fans honour Cobain 20 years after death

TWO decades after Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain killed himself in Seattle, fans have flocked to the home where he died to pay homage to the influential rocker.

Fans came from nearby cities like Portland or faraway towns in Georgia - some sporting '90s-era grunge attire like plaid shirts - to leave handwritten notes, flowers and unopened beers to honour the musician.

Police believe Cobain killed himself on April 5, 1994, and his body was found three days later. An investigation determined that the 27-year-old had taken a massive overdose of heroin and then shot himself with a 20-gauge shotgun.

Cobain's Nirvana helped popularise the heavy "grunge" rock scene, along with bands like Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains and Mudhoney.

Nirvana, which sold millions of albums, will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Thursday.

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Pricey lingerie stolen from Madonna shoot

THOUSANDS of dollars worth of lingerie has reportedly been stolen from a Madonna photo shoot in New York.

The undergarments were contained in a bag and included a $US2545 ($A2764) lace bra, according to DNAinfo.com.

They were stolen from the photo shoot for L'uomo Vogue, the magazine's Italian version for men, on March 20.

Police said it was a staff member who noticed the bag, which also contained a G-string worth $US345 and a pair of briefs valued at $US515, had disappeared.

The pieces were designed by New York's Deborah Marquit.

A representative for Marquit says only 13 of the 34 pieces that were loaned for the photo shoot were returned.

"The rest were either lost or stolen because we never got them back.

"Deborah would just like the samples found and returned."

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Labor: Reject Botanic Gardens plan

NSW Labor is concerned about a draft redevelopment plan for the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney. Source: AAP

THE Royal Botanic Gardens Trust has unveiled the draft of its 25-year redevelopment for the Gardens and the Domain, which includes a multimillion-dollar five-star hotel.

A walkway at Mrs Macquarie's Point will connect visitors with the water, while redevelopment of its historic buildings will provide them with new facilities and amenities.

The plan - a first in the 200-year history of the park - also includes a children's garden, with new walkways and educational centres also planned.

"When people consider the draft Master Plan, it's important that they understand that the Domain is outside the Garden gates," said Kim Ellis, Executive Director of the Sydney Parklands and Botanic Gardens.

"This draft Master Plan provides us with the framework to secure our future as a premium Sydney cultural landmark, world's best, Sydney's own," he said in a statement.

The $130 million plan will see the sites redeveloped over the next 25 years, broken down into five-year blocks, and will be developed through a mix of private, government and charity funding, Mr Ellis told the ABC.

Opposition environment spokesman Luke Foley questioned whether a hotel development "in any way complies with the objects of the Royal Botanic Gardens Trust Act".

"Its core purposes are to provide green space to the people of Sydney and to increase our knowledge and appreciation of Australia's plant life," Mr Foley said.

"The voices of botanists, plant scientists and horticulturalists will be drowned out by the construction planners and commercial event organisers."

Mr Ellis told the ABC science would remain at the forefront of the plan, with the Botanic Gardens containing 9000 different plants of 6000 different species.

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Gold Coast drug ring busted

Police have broken up an extensive bikie drug ring operating out of Gold Coast nightclubs. Source: AAP

GOLD Coast nightclub owner Ivan Tesic has been identified by police as the alleged mastermind behind a massive interstate drug ring involving at least six bikie gangs.

They claim Tesic, who is listed as an extreme risk by national law enforcement agencies, distributed cocaine through his Surfers Paradise establishment Club Liv.

Tesic was arrested in Sydney on Friday and was expected to be extradited to Queensland to face charges under the state's anti-bikie legislation.

Bandidos sergeant-at-arms and Cleo Bachelor of the Year entrant Josh Downey, arrested at Airlie Beach, was also among those nabbed in three days of raids.

Arrests were also made in Darwin and Newcastle.

The drug ring allegedly involved dozens of bikies including associates of the Bandidos, Finks, Mongols, Rebels, Highway 61 and Lone Wolves as well as DJs and club managers.

Police say drugs were sourced from Sydney and were driven to the Glitter Strip in cars modified to hide the stashes.

A covert operation was launched 19 months ago and officers had been picking off offenders.

The investigation climaxed over the last three days when 100 police raided homes and Surfers Paradise nightclubs, arresting the alleged bosses.

"(The operation) targeted the higher level offenders that aren't normally touched by police," Detective Superintendent David Hutchinson said.

To date, 152 people have been arrested, including 37 alleged outlaw bikies and associates.

More than 15kgs of cocaine, MDMA and methamphetamine were seized as well as six litres of methylamphetamine oil which could have been used to make $11 million in drugs.

The whole operation stopped $26 million worth of drugs hitting the streets.

Police will seek to retain four luxury homes and cars, including a Porsche, as well as $500,000 in cash and a watch, also worth $500,000.

"They're been living the high life at the expense of our youth and the rest of the community," Det Insp Hutchinson said.

"The may think that they are safe but we are always watching and they never know when we're going to pounce."

Anyone found guilty under Queensland's new anti-bikie legislation faces an extra 25 years mandatory jail on top of their sentence.

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