No relief in sight as 'warm wave' rolls on

Record high temperatures are clear sign of climate change hitting Australia, a report shows. Source: AAP

AUSTRALIA has experienced its hottest two years on record and high temperatures are set to continue through winter in a clear sign climate change is having an impact, a new report warns.

May 2012 to April 2014 was the hottest 24-month period ever recorded in Australia, but that is likely to be eclipsed by the two years between June 2012 and May 2014, according to the Climate Commission's latest report, Abnormal Autumn.

"We have just had an abnormally warm autumn, off the back of another very hot 'angry summer'," Climate Council Professor Will Steffen said.

"The past two-year period has delivered the hottest average temperature we have ever recorded in Australia.

"Climate change is here, it's happening, and Australians are already feeling its impact."

The average temperature across Australia in April was 1.11C above the long-term average, the report says, citing Bureau of Meteorology figures.

The average minimum temperature was 1.31C above normal.

Unseasonable temperatures in the autumn "warm wave" set records, with Sydney, Adelaide and Melbourne setting benchmarks for the consecutive number of May days when the mercury reached 20C or higher.

In its report, the Climate Council says the abnormally warm weather in April and May "are part of a longer-term trend towards hotter conditions in the summer months and more warm spells in autumn and winter".

It says each of the 12-month periods ending in January, February, March and April 2014 have been record warm periods for Australia, with May figures on track to also be a new high.

"Such records are consistent with the ongoing global and Australia-wide, multi-decadal trends towards a hotter climate," the report says.

Meteorologists predict a high likelihood that Australia will experience an El Nino event - characterised by below-average rainfall in the east and south - in coming months.

The Climate Council says an El Nino could worsen the impacts of climate change, leading to hotter, drier weather.

The Climate Council is a crowd-funded, independent organisation created by the members of the former Climate Commission, which was axed by the coalition government when it came to power in 2013.

17.01 | 0 komentar | Read More

No electricity sell-off plans yet: Baird

The NSW premier's reported plan to sell the state's electricity network in stages has been attacked. Source: AAP

NSW Premier Mike Baird has hosed down suggestions he is preparing to sell off the state's poles and wires, as Labor accuses him of having a "secret" privatisation plan.

Media reports suggest Mr Baird will use the government's June 17 budget to spruik the benefits of selling off the state's electricity assets.

But the premier, who spearheaded an aggressive privatisation push in his previous role as the state's treasurer, said the government had not changed its position on the issue and would take any privatisation policy to the next election.

"I've said very clearly that if we are going to pursue a transaction like that we would need a full mandate," Mr Baird told reporters in Sydney on Monday.

"That is something we'll discuss in our party rooms, that is something we'll discuss in cabinet and that's something we'll be doing in due course."

But Opposition Leader John Robertson wasn't convinced.

He claims Mr Baird is preparing a "secret plan" to privatise the state's poles and wires.

"For years, the people in this state have known only too well what privatisation means," he told reporters.

"It means increased prices ... and for many families that's going to simply push them to breaking point."

He said any sale would strip $1 billion a year in dividends from NSW, which would normally be reinvested into schools and hospitals.

The state's peak union council is vowing to resist the move with a fierce campaign.

"We're very concerned about the premier trying to privatise electricity by the backdoor," Unions NSW Assistant Secretary Mark Morey told AAP.

"Mr Baird should be open and honest rather than floating balloons and come clean with the public."

17.01 | 0 komentar | Read More

Abbott to meet with Indonesian president

PM Tony Abbott is to meet with Indonesian President to mend diplomatic rifts. Source: AAP

AN Indonesian resort island known as a romantic wedding venue will host an ice-breaking meeting between Tony Abbott and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Ties between Australia and Indonesia have been uneasy since the Abbott government began turning back asylum-seeker boats and reports emerged of spies tapping the president's phone.

Relations soured to a point that Indonesia's ambassador to Australia, Najib Riphat Kesoema, was recalled to Jakarta in November.

But since then the ambassador has been a key figure in rebuilding relations and working towards a code of conduct, which could be signed or at least progressed when the leaders meet on Batam Island on Wednesday.

The ambassador met with Foreign Minister Julie Bishop in Canberra last week and this was considered constructive by government sources.

A phone call between Mr Abbott and the president in May is also understood to have helped mend bridges, with the prime minister apologising for not attending a planned meeting in Bali.

Indonesian officials say the president is keen to leave office later this year with a legacy of strong relations with Australia intact.

The pair will discuss not only the bilateral relationships but developments in the region such as China's growing interest in disputed territories.

Batam Island, a popular location for beach weddings, was also the venue for a reconciliation meeting between former prime minister John Howard and Mr Yudhoyono in 2006.

The Howard meeting came after the Papuan boat people crisis and the release of radical Islamic cleric Abu Bakar Bashir.

Mr Abbott is making the eight-hour stopover on his way to France for the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings at Normandy and a trade and investment tour of North America.

He will meet with US President Barack Obama in Washington DC and hold talks with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper in Ottawa.

17.01 | 0 komentar | Read More

Driver may have seen missing Vic girl Bung

THREE years and 1000 calls to CrimeStoppers on, police are still waiting for the one tip-off to help them find missing Melbourne schoolgirl Siriyakorn "Bung" Siriboon.

Police have chased down a mountain of leads, doorknocked 1000 homes, interviewed 250 registered sex offenders and offered a $1 million reward.

Homicide squad Detective Inspector John Potter said it might take a tip-off to find Bung, who disappeared on her walk to school in Boronia in Melbourne's east.

"Someone may tell someone else what's happened to Bung and that's the person that we need to come forward," Det Insp Potter told reporters on Monday.

"We continue to hold grave fears for Bung."

The family's pain is the same every day, Bung's stepfather Fred Pattison said.

"We're all hurting," Mr Pattison told TV reporters.

"Somebody come forward and let us know what's going on. Somebody out there knows something.

"Please, it's time. It's been long enough."

What's for certain is Bung's neighbour saw her walk along Elsie St shortly after 8.30am on June 2, 2011.

Beyond that, the details are sketchy.

Police thought Bung made it all the way along Harcourt Rd to Moncoe St, 130 metres from her school.

But another report, that a driver saw a teenage Asian girl - possibly in a school uniform - in the back seat of a white Ford station wagon on Boronia Rd, puts that in doubt.

"They were driving, they were stationary at the traffic lights, they saw this happen, they felt there was something odd about what they were seeing, so they reported it," Det Insp Potter said.

The driver, aged in his late 50s or early 60s, had a tattooed left arm and a "rock and roll styled hairdo".

"If this is a perfectly innocent scenario we need to find out," Det Insp Potter said.

Police had held onto the information about the sighting in the car "for some time" until they were sure it was on the day Bung went missing.

He said police had spoken to persons of interest, but none of them owned a white station wagon.

In 2013 a man claimed he hit Bung with his car and dumped her body at a local reserve.

But no remains were found, and police said parts of his story didn't add up.

Det Insp Potter said police "always hold out hope" Bung may be found alive.

Mr Pattison had a simple message for Bung should she see it.

"Bung, we miss you. We want you to come home."

17.01 | 0 komentar | Read More

Aust pledges $100m for polio fight

Australia has pledged 100 million dollars to go towards eradicating polio in northern Africa. Source: AAP

AUSTRALIA has pledged $100 million to help eradicate polio for good.

The funds will be spread over five years and will go towards making countries in northern Africa and the Middle East - where outbreaks have been reported - polio-free.

It will also help Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria, where the disease is endemic.

About $20 million will be provided over the next year to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative for immunisations to fight the disease's re-emergence.

Announcing the pledge on Sunday, Foreign minister Julie Bishop said Australia is committed to helping finish the job of eradicating polio.

17.01 | 0 komentar | Read More

People want vision, not complainers: PM

Tony Abbott says he is the man with the plan and the Australian public will back him. Source: AAP

SENIOR government ministers have been accused of being ignorant of their own policies as the prime minister continues to hard sell an unpopular budget.

Tony Abbott on Sunday remained optimistic budget measures - including the $7 Medicare co-payment - would pass parliament, insisting Australians wanted a man with a plan, not a bunch of complainers.

"Whether it's (opposition leader) Bill Shorten, whether it's the Greens, whether it's others - it's one long chorus of complaint," the prime minister said.

"The man with the plan has an extraordinary advantage over the person who has just got the complaint."

But Labor said the government was ignoring what the people wanted - which was not Abbott's budget.

Mr Shorten said the prime minister had lost control of not only his budget, but of ministers who did not know details of their own policies.

He jumped on Mr Abbott quashing reports a senior minister was considering drug testing dole recipients, while he accused education minister Christopher Pyne of contradicting his university-fee change policy.

"Australians are appalled that this government can't maintain the same position for 24 hours without something changing," Mr Shorten told reporters in Melbourne on Sunday.

He vowed again to block large parts of the budget including the co-payment, prompting scorn from Mr Abbott.

The prime minister said it was bizarre for Labor to be "waxing morally indignant" in opposing the co-payment when former Labor leader Bob Hawke sought to introduce it in the 1990s.

But opposition frontbencher Jason Clare said Labor stood up to Mr Hawke on the co-payment and it would do the same with Mr Abbott.

The coalition now has to horse-trade with crossbench senators to realise its budget.

Mr Abbott admits refinement of some measures may be necessary and has been wooing minor party and independent senators to get them on board.

He defused questions about whether he had a difficult relationship with Clive Palmer whose party with key independents would hold the balance of power in the Senate from July 1.

It was "perfectly normal" for senior members of the coalition, like frontbencher Malcolm Turnbull, to hold talks with Mr Palmer in his place, Mr Abbott said.

17.01 | 0 komentar | Read More

Qld still on track for surplus

Queensland premier Campbell Newman isn't phased by a massive increase to the fiscal deficit. Source: AAP

QUEENSLAND is still on track for a surplus despite the budget deficit quadrupling to a projected $2.27 billion next financial year.

The mid-year budget update in December estimated the fiscal deficit would be $664 million for 2014/15, but a $600 million write down in coal royalties has worsened the bottom lime.

So too has a lag in natural disaster relief repayments from the Commonwealth.

Premier Campbell Newman doesn't see the loss as a budget deterioration, rather he insists it's an accounting problem.

"It's a timing issue," he said.

Two years of job and service cuts have given enough of a buffer to sustain the hit, with the state still on track for a surplus in 2015/16, as promised.

"It will be the first time in over a decade that Queensland taxpayers won't have to borrow money," Mr Newman said.

On Tuesday, the Newman government will hand down its third and final budget before next year's election.

It has all but confirmed it will sell assets, instead of increasing taxes and reducing services, to help pay down $80 billion debt and build new infrastructure.

Two ports could be leased and two electricity generators and the commercial parts of Sunwater sold.

"The only way we can build the new infrastructure is through cutting front line services, putting up taxes and charges, or asset sales," Mr Newman said.

On Sunday, it was announced that $6.5 million had been set aside in the budget to hire 70 child safety officers.

Another $25 million will be spent on child safety initiatives, such as more referral services, support for families to care for children at home instead of out-of-home care, and improved support for indigenous families.

Child Safety Minister Tracy Davis says $406 million will be spent over five years, to allow an overhaul of the child protection system.

The funding boost is in response to the Queensland Child Protection Commission of Inquiry and the final report by Commissioner Tim Carmody QC.

He recommended keeping families together, with more prevention and early intervention services.

"Parents should be able to care for their own children at home safely, with early intervention services and support easily accessible for those families who need it," Ms Davis said.

17.01 | 0 komentar | Read More

Bali flights under cloud but Darwin clear

Flights in Darwin are expected to resume later today as plumes from an Indonesian volcano dissipate. Source: AAP

FLIGHTS to and from Darwin have resumed after they were grounded by an ash cloud from an Indonesian volcano, as Jetstar grounds flights to Bali.

Darwin was cut off to all air services on Saturday as ash plumes billowed from the Sangeang Api volcano off the Indonesian island of Sumbawa. It erupted continuously after an initial blast on Friday afternoon.

The major plume affecting Australian aviation swept southeast over the west side of the Northern Territory and as far south as Alice Springs.

Cyndee Seals of the Bureau of Meteorology's Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre in Darwin said Australia was now clear but airlines were meeting to discuss an ash cloud near Bali.

"I can advise that the ash cloud across Australia is dissipating but there are still ash clouds southwest of the volcano and another to the east east-northeast from an earlier high eruption," she said.

The southwesterly ash cloud was nearing Bali but its effects on flights to Denpasar were not yet clear, Ms Seals said.

"Right now, unless the winds change - and they are a little variable - it will take the ash south of Denpasar, away from Bali," she said.

"The airlines are meeting about it."

On Sunday night Jetstar cancelled 12 flights in and out of Bali as the Sangeang Api cloud drifted towards Denpasar International Airport.

Qantas announced it had resumed its flights, while Virgin, Air Asia and Jetstar also resumed operations in and out of Darwin, Darwin International Airport spokeswoman Virginia Sanders told AAP.

But she urged travellers to stay in touch with their airline for updates on flights as some changes might be made.

"Flights are coming back on line but there are some scheduled changes so people still need to check with the airline with regards to what's happening with their particular flight," she told AAP.

17.01 | 0 komentar | Read More

Westfield restructure plan on ice

Westfield chairman Frank Lowy has endured vocal criticism from shareholders over a restructure plan. Source: AAP

THE Lowy family has suffered a setback to its plans for a $70 billion restructure of Westfield following a revolt from small investors in its managed trust, who accused the shopping mall barons of using strong-arm tactics to get a crucial vote to go their way.

A meeting of Westfield Retail Trust (WRT) shareholders was adjourned suddenly on Thursday before the final outcome of a vote on the restructure was known.

Another vote is planned to be held within a fortnight.

The move followed a warning earlier in the day from Westfield founder and chairman Frank Lowy, who vowed to press ahead with plans to split Westfield's Australasian and global businesses regardless of the whether WRT shareholders supported the deal.

Under the restructure plan, Westfield's Australian and New Zealand businesses would merge with WRT to create a new entity, to be called Scentre.

Westfield Group's international business, which includes malls in Great Britain and at the World Trade Center in New York, would become Westfield Corporation.

But the board of WRT considered the warning from Mr Lowy to be a "material change" in the outlook for its investors, and they should have more time to consider the restructure plan, which was approved at a separate meeting of Westfield Group shareholders earlier on Thursday.

The surprise development came after shareholders in WRT appeared set to reject the overall restructure plan.

Steven Lowy, a director on the WRT board and Westfield Group board, told AAP the decision to adjourn the meeting was the right thing to do.

"What's the downside in giving another 10 to 14 days to consider this important proposal?" he said.

But Stephen Mayne from the Australian Shareholder's Association (ASA) said the board should not have delayed a vote on the restructure plan, calling the adjournment "outrageous".

"They lost the vote and shifted the goalposts," Mr Mayne told AAP.

"The independent directors should not have voted like that. It's a sorry tale all round."

Mr Mayne earlier in the day criticised Frank Lowy after the 83-year-old billionaire said a rejection of the restructure plan by WRT "would not diminish our determination to proceed with Westfield Group's strategic objective of separating the two businesses".

Mr Mayne accused Mr Lowy of trying to strong arm WRT investors, adding that his revised proposal to push ahead could devalue WRT by creating a competing investment vehicle.

In a fiery Westfield Group meeting on Thursday morning, Mr Mayne said Mr Lowy had run an "oppressive" campaign to get the deal across the line.

"It's oppressive and it shouldn't be happening," Mr Mayne said to Mr Lowy.

Mr Lowy responded by telling Mr Mayne he was living in "dreamland".

"Your characterisation is absolutely wrong," Mr Lowy said.

"You're in dreamland to say this is being done in an oppressive way."

Mr Mayne later said Mr Lowy was out of line to tell shareholders he would pursue the split regardless of the WRT vote, even before the result was known.

"I'm suggesting he's tying one last desperate attempt to strong-arm Westfield Retail shareholders to accept an unattractive offer," Mr Mayne told AAP.

Westfield had needed support from 75 per cent of investors in each company to push ahead with the restructure.

While 98 per cent of Westfield Group investors gave the nod to the plan, only 74.1 per cent of proxy votes cast by WRT investors.

Shares in Westfield Group and WRT remain in a trading halt.

17.01 | 0 komentar | Read More

ASIO HQ a step closer: spy boss

TEN months have passed since its official opening, and in about another seven months Australia's spy agency should finally move into its new Canberra headquarters.

The $680 million building on the northern side of Lake Burley Griffin has been plagued by delays and budget blowouts, but Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) director-general David Irvine can see a conclusion.

"The first cohorts should be going in towards the end of the year (or) early next year," he told a Senate estimates hearing on Thursday.

Former prime minister Kevin Rudd officially opened the imposing, multistorey building in July 2013, more than a year after it was due to be ready.

Since then, windows have fallen off the building, and problems remain to be fixed.

"Further remediation work will still be required on the air-conditioning system," Mr Irvine said.

Those problems stem from difficulties with the building's automatic fire doors. The access system also has problems.

After the repairs, Mr Irvine expects to get the keys in mid-June, and after some top-secret tweaking, such as with the wiring and internal fitout, the workers can move in.

However, Mr Irvine will not get the chance to work in the new building. He retires in September.

17.01 | 0 komentar | Read More