Cootes Transport faces NSW ban: govt

THE trucking company involved in a fatal Sydney fuel tanker crash that supplies NSW service stations with almost half of their fuel is facing a state-wide ban.

Roads Minister Duncan Gay said Cootes Transport had shown a "blatant disregard for safety" and now had 14 days to explain why its trucks shouldn't be suspended or banned from travelling on NSW roads.

His announcement came after two people were killed and five injured in October 2013, when a Cootes tanker rolled on its side, burst into flames and collided with several cars on Mona Vale Road in Sydney's north.

"I have lost confidence in this company as an operator of dangerous goods movements on NSW roads," Mr Gay told parliament on Thursday.

"Enough is enough."

Cootes' parent company McAleese Group said it was surprised by the minister's announcement, considering it was already in the process of winding back most of its NSW operations.

Cootes supplies about 45 per cent of the state's fuel, but having recently failed to renew key contracts with BP and Shell, that number will fall dramatically in the coming months.

A McAleese spokesman said the company took its safety responsibilities "extremely seriously" and would respond to the government's concerns within the two weeks given to it.

The government in February called for Cootes' 400-strong NSW fleet to be re-inspected after problems were found in a number of trucks during routine checks.

Of about 320 vehicles checked, only 179 had not received a formal warning or defect notice, Mr Gay said.

"The community deserves to feel safe on our roads and this blatant disregard for safety will not be tolerated," he said.

The opposition's roads spokesman Walt Secord said while Labor supported the minister's announcement, it was concerned for drivers who now face "possible unemployment".

Caltex, which relies on Cootes to transport about 50 per cent of its fuel supply, said trucks should only be taken off the road if they fail regulatory checks.

Colin Long, from the Service Station Association, said a Cootes' ban could seriously impact major oil brands.

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Niger hands over Gaddafi son to Libya

Niger has turned dictator Muammar Gaddafi's son Al-Saadi (Pic) over to Libyan authorities. Source: AAP

NIGER has turned a son of the late dictator Muammar Gaddafi over to Libyan authorities, the Tripoli government said Thursday, as a government-allied militia released pictures of him in captivity.

The government said al-Saadi Gaddafi, who fled across the Sahara desert to Niger during the 2011 uprising that saw rebels capture and kill his father, ending his four-decade dictatorship, was in Libyan custody.

The Tripoli Revolutionaries Brigade, a militia made up of former rebels, released pictures on Facebook of al-Saadi in a blue jumpsuit getting his head shaved.

The Libyan government said he would be held in accordance with "international standards regarding the treatment of prisoners."

Al-Saadi Gaddafi was best known as the head of Libya's football federation and a player who paid his way into Italy's top division.

Interpol had issued a "Red Notice" for him, for "allegedly misappropriating properties through force and armed intimidation when he headed the Libyan Football Federation."

Libya had repeatedly called for the extradition of al-Saadi from Niger, which had granted him asylum since September 2011 on "humanitarian" grounds, saying it had insufficient guarantees Libya's new rulers would give him a fair trial.

Three of Gaddafi's sons were killed in the 2011 uprising, including Mutassim, who was killed by rebels on the same day as his father.

Several key members of the Gaddafi clan have survived however, including Gaddafi's erstwhile heir apparent Seif al-Islam, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court but detained by a militia in Libya.

Former Libyan Olympic Committee chief Muhammad, and Hannibal, who made headlines with his scandal-packed European holidays, are believed to be in Algeria, as is the fallen tyrant's daughter Aisha.

Around 30 senior regime officials are believed to have crossed into Niger at the same time as al-Saadi but the authorities in Niamey have not said how many remain in the country.

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PM's comments rile Tasmanian leaders

TASMANIA'S leaders have clashed in a pre-election debate over Prime Minister Tony Abbott's claim that too much Australian forest has been "locked up".

Mr Abbott made the comments at a forestry industry gathering this week, 10 days out from the Tasmanian poll.

The federal government has already moved to wind back World Heritage areas in Tasmania that are part of an historic peace deal between conservationists and the timber industry.

Premier Lara Giddings has defended the agreement, which Liberal opposition leader Will Hodgman has promised to tear up if, as expected, he wins government on March 15.

Ms Giddings says the deal, which took almost three years to negotiate, should not be tampered with.

"Forestry is a critical industry in Tasmania but it cannot be part of the war and conflict we had in the past," the premier said.

But Mr Hodgman said parts of the 74,000 hectares the federal government has asked UNESCO to jettison had been logged previously and could be used to revitalise the state's ailing forestry sector.

"They can in fact then be productive forests available to the industry that's been deprived of a resource," he said.

"It's costing jobs and it's not allowing our forestry industry the capacity to grow."

The Liberals have pledged to get more tourists into Tasmania's World Heritage areas and say they will boost eco-tourism developments in national parks.

"It's too easy to say 'no' to these things," Mr Hodgman said.

"Why can't we be more like New Zealand?"

In a lacklustre third debate of the campaign, questions came from some of the 100 voters present in the Hobart Town Hall as part of a live television broadcast.

There were emotional pleas about provision of services from the carer of a disabled daughter and angst from a jobseeker who described a recent knock-back.

After the first debate was widely called as a draw, Ms Giddings went on the offensive with interjections in the second and was considered the winner.

The premier had less latitude to get on to the front foot in the third but an exit poll awarded her a win.

Only one moment drew applause and it had little to do with Tasmania.

Asked about the plight of asylum seekers on Manus Island, both leaders said they would welcome more refugees to the state.

Ms Giddings called for the reopening of the Pontville detention centre north of Hobart.

"We believe that we ought to have a humane approach to these people who need someone to stand by them," she said, to claps from the audience.

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Palmer angry over election ad robbery

CLIVE Palmer is furious thieves have stolen his party's election advertisements in a Brisbane robbery.

Mr Palmer said there was a break-in late Wednesday at Coroneo and Co, the advertising firm he uses in Brisbane.

He said the Palmer United Party's yet-to-be released policy advertisements for the Western Australia Senate election rerun and Tasmanian state election were targeted in the raid.

"The Palmer United Party continues to be targeted by illegal and dirty-handed tactics," the Queensland MP said in a statement, referring to misplaced votes in the Fairfax seat recount and WA Senate election recount.

Mr Palmer has rushed back to Queensland from Canberra, where he had been attending federal parliament, to assess the situation.

A spokesman from Queensland Police told AAP the robbery happened between 6pm (AEST) on Wednesday and 3am on Thursday morning.

Police said three computers were stolen.

There's been no arrests so far.

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Assaults of NSW paramedics rising

Three NSW paramedics have allegedly been assaulted in 24 hours, alarming the ambulance service. Source: AAP

THREE NSW paramedics have allegedly been assaulted in 24 hours, alarming the ambulance service, which says violence against staff is on the rise.

There have been 35 reported attacks on 47 paramedics in 2014, NSW ambulance chief Ray Creen said.

"Our paramedics are being punched, spat on, physically threatened and terrorised," he said.

"It is unconscionable that they are heading out with a view to rendering medical assistance and ending up requiring treatment themselves."

On Monday night, a paramedic was allegedly punched in the face by a 50-year-old man and taken to Ryde Hospital.

On Sunday evening, two paramedics were threatened by a 33-year-old man who tried to punch them as they treated him at a Dee Why home.

He was charged with common assault and intimidation and given bail to appear before Manly Local Court later in March.

Four other men and a woman are due before courts across the state charged with assaulting paramedics in late 2013 and early 2014.

A male paramedic was punched in the abdomen by a man who had tried to break into an ambulance at Campbelltown, another man flicked blood at a paramedic at Pagewood and two paramedics were threatened with a screwdriver by a man at Blakehurst in February.

"It is a sad indictment on society when a paramedic becomes increasingly vulnerable to attack, and it is a situation NSW ambulance will not tolerate," Mr Creen said.

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Sydney still Australia's most expensive

Sydney and Melbourne are still among the top 10 most expensive cities in the world, a study shows. Source: AAP

SYDNEY and Melbourne are still among the top 10 most expensive cities in the world, according to a global cost-of-living study, despite Australia falling down the costliness rankings in 2014.

The Economist Intelligence Unit's (EIU) Worldwide Cost of Living Survey, which compares 131 cities using New York as its baseline, ranked Sydney as the fifth and Melbourne the sixth most expensive on earth.

Price rises and a stronger currency resulted in Singapore claiming the dubious title of the world's most expensive city, followed by Paris, Oslo and Zurich.

The decline of the Australian dollar means that by the EIU ratings, Australian cities in 2014 offer better value for money to visitors.

Brisbane and Perth rank joint 21st, and Adelaide in 37th place offers the best value for money in Australasia, according to the study, which includes more than 400 individual prices.

That is because inflation and currency appreciation in neighbouring New Zealand mean Auckland (17th) and Wellington (19th) are more expensive than most Australian cities.

"The long-term rise of the Australian dollar, which has doubled in value in the last decade, has fallen back lately, with a corresponding decline in relative prices," report editor Jon Copestake said.

"But cities like Melbourne and Sydney now appear to have cemented their position among the most expensive across Europe and Asia."

The latest rankings have unseated Tokyo as the world's most expensive city, thanks to the declining value of the yen.

Asia and Australasia account for four of the 10 most expensive cities, as well as four of the cheapest.

Europe is home to half of the 10 most expensive cities, while New York has reclaimed its position as the most expensive city in North America thanks to declines in the Canadian city of Vancouver.

On the opposite scale, Mumbai in India is ranked the cheapest to live, alongside other South Asian cities such as New Delhi, Karachi in Pakistan and Kathmandu in Nepal.

A civil war and the collapse of the Syrian pound places Damascus among the world's cheapest cities.

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NSW ordered to release WestConnex plans

THE NSW parliament has ordered the release of all documents relating to the WestConnex motorway project, a move the government says puts the project at risk.

Labor and the Shooters Party joined forces to pass a Greens motion in the upper house on Tuesday, giving the O'Farrell government 21 days to release all draft and final versions for the project.

Those documents will include emails, meeting minutes and diary notes for WestConnex, which is the country's largest transport plan, linking Sydney's west and east.

Coalition government MPs labelled the motion a "spiteful" move that would see commercially sensitive information disclosed.

Roads Minister Duncan Gay said releasing the documents could cost more than $1 million.

"This puts at risk the biggest road project in the country because people will lose confidence in the parliament of NSW," he told AAP.

"It destroys our economic position in getting the best deal for the state."

But Greens MP Mehreen Faruqi, who introduced the 'call for papers' motion, said the documents would lift the lid on the government's traffic forecasting and home acquisition plans for the project.

"WestConnex is the largest infrastructure project in Australia, and yet the public has not seen the business case nor a detailed justification for why this is a priority," she said in a statement.

"All we've seen is a glossy executive summary with pretty pictures."

The opposition's roads spokesman Walt Secord said the call for papers was a win for openness and transparency.

"I fully support lifting the lid on the minister's obsessive secrecy around WestConnex," he said.

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Yarra recognised with gallantry citation

AN old wrong has been righted with a Unit Citation for Gallantry awarded to the crew of HMAS Yarra for brave actions during the dark days of World War II.

Just 13 of 151 sailors survived Yarra's sinking when she took on a superior Japanese fleet to try to protect a fleeing convoy of merchant ships.

None now remain alive so Chief of Navy Vice Admiral Ray Griggs accepted the medal on their behalf from Governor-General Quentin Bryce in Melbourne.

That follows an inquiry into whether retrospective Victoria Cross medals could be awarded to 13 former servicemen, including Yarra's captain Lieutenant Commander Robert Rankin and crewman Leading Seaman Ronald Taylor, both killed in her final action.

Although no VCs were awarded, the inquiry found the outstanding performance of Yarra's crew should have been recognised for two actions.

As Japanese aircraft attacked Singapore on February 5, 1942, Yarra, then commanded by Wilfred Harrington, went alongside the burning troop transport Empress of Asia, rescuing more than 1800 soldiers.

Then on March 4, Yarra was escorting a convoy of merchant ships to Australia when three Japanese heavy cruisers and two destroyers approached.

Cmdr Rankin ordered the convoy to scatter while the sloop held off the Japanese warships. The Yarra was struck repeatedly by enemy shells but the 151-strong crew fought on.

Vice Admiral Griggs said those on Yarra faced almost certain death without wavering, serving Australia with extraordinary gallantry, skill and conspicuous devotion to duty.

"They did so as one company, even to death. In doing so, they set an enduring example to which all members of the Royal Australian Navy can aspire," he said in a statement.

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Minister to meet mine protesters

ABORIGINAL elders are meeting with the federal environment minister to show the destruction a controversial northern NSW mine is doing to sacred areas.

For more than a month environmentalists, farmers and local Aboriginal people have protested against Whitehaven's $767 million Maules Creek mine near Boggabri, concerned about the damage it will cause to a surrounding forest and its sacred Aboriginal cultural and burial sites.

Several activists have been charged after locking themselves to gates and bulldozers. But after days of increased action in January, authorities closed the forest, for fear of fire, effectively blocking protesters from entering.

Gomeroi elders asked environment minister Greg Hunt to temporarily halt works last year and after waiting 116 days for a response, they say he has now asked for more information.

He is due to meet Gomeroi elder representative Dolly Talbott on Tuesday afternoon.

"That's 116 days of bulldozers and earthworks and now more than 10 days of blasting," Ms Talbott said in a statement.

"We fear by the time the minister is satisfied that the areas are at risk of destruction and are important to us that it will all be too late."

The minister, she says, wants to know the exact areas considered sacred and in need of protection.

But Whitehaven is preventing access to the forest, even for traditional ceremonies.

Whitehaven, which in January described the protests as "a nuisance" said it would not be deterred "from getting on with building Maules Creek."

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'No controllers as Airbuses flew over WA'

TWO Garuda aircraft flew over Western Australia's north without being monitored by air traffic controllers to ensure they didn't collide, a report has revealed.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau last week released its findings from an investigation into an incident on March 31 last year, when a Temporary Restricted Area (TRA) was declared for the Kimberley and Cable airspace sectors after two controllers called in at short notice to say they could not perform the night shift.

While the restriction was in place for five hours, two Garuda Airbus A330s - one bound for Melbourne and the other bound for Sydney - flew through the area.

Air controllers in Melbourne only became aware the planes were there when they were contacted by the aircraft as they emerged from the TRA.

"The minimum standards for separation from other aircraft were met, but both situations constituted losses of assurance that separation would be maintained," the bureau said in its report.

While Airservices Australia had adequately addressed some of the safety issues highlighted in the incident, it had not done so with others, the ATSB said.

"A range of actions by operational personnel did not conform to expectations.

"Airservices' risk controls were not robust enough to effectively manage this situation and ensure they would be made aware of all aircraft that were operating within the TRA."

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