NSW: Firefighter hurt, unconfirmed property loss=2

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NSW: Firefighter hurt, unconfirmed property loss=2

The fire at Medlow Bath was raging below the Hydro Majestic Hotel, with reinforcementssent in to protect the hotel and nearby property.

An aircrane was diverted from Sydney's northern outskirts to Medlow Bath and a convoyof 15 firetrucks with about 100 firefighters on board had arrived from Penrith.

Waterbombing aircraft were working to cool properties rather than douse flames, theRural Fire Service said.

The new k-pax waterbombing helicopter, capable of dumping 6,000 litres of water ata time, was also at the scene.

"They won't be spraying water on these fires at the moment, they'll be cooling downbuildings such as the Hydro Majestic and other properties affected by this fire," spokesmanCameron Wade said.

"I'd imagine that there'd be firefighters in between the hotel and bushland area."

Two evacuation centres had been set up although the RFS urged anyone capable of stayingwith their homes to help fend off flames to do so.

Evacuation centres had been set up by the Department of Community Services at the BlackheathPrimary School and Katoomba Civic Centre.

"These are not forced evacuations," an RFS spokesman said.

The Great Western Highway was closed at Medlow Bath with detours in place via The BellsLine of Road in both directions.

AAP sal/sdh/br

KEYWORD: BUSHFIRES NSW MEDLOW 2ND LEAD 2 SYDNEY

SA: Man shot in Adelaide park

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SA: Man shot in Adelaide park

ADELAIDE, Aug 1 AAP - A man has died of gunshot wounds after an incident at a parkin the northern Adelaide suburb of Elizabeth Downs.

Police said patrols were called to the scene at about 9.30pm (CST) yesterday afterreports of shots being fired.

A short time later, the wounded man, aged in his 30s, went to the nearby Lyell McEwinHospital accompanied by friends. He was suffering gunshot wounds to the stomach.

He was later transferred to the Royal Adelaide Hospital but died soon after.

Two men were detained but were later released without being charged.

Detectives said investigations were continuing.

AAP tjd/ldj

KEYWORD: PARK

Qld: Autistic woman goes missing from home

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Qld: Autistic woman goes missing from home

Police are concerned for the safety of a woman who went missing from her home northof Brisbane overnight.

Police say the 24-year-old woman from at Petrie suffers from autism and has the mentalcapacity of a young child.

She was wearing blue silk pyjamas with the Elmo …

Fed: Employees take payouts as union signs new Ansett deal

AAP General News (Australia)
12-20-2001
Fed: Employees take payouts as union signs new Ansett deal

By Jane Williams, Industrial Correspondent

MELBOURNE, Dec 20 AAP - Ansett employees who keep their job will maintain current pay
rates but will have to work harder for their money.

Hundreds more employees took up the company's offer of voluntary redundancy this week
as the first rounds of entitlement instalments were paid out to former workers from the
federal government's $195 million Special Employee Entitlements Scheme for Ansett Employees
(SEESA).

But, with SEESA capping redundancy payments at eight weeks pay and with the average
Ansett worker owed about 45 weeks, the majority of employees will not receive their full
payouts until Ansett has been sold and its assets recovered.

In other developments today, five key unions signed an enterprise agreement with Tesna
Pty Ltd, which will take over ownership of Ansett Mark II on February 2.

The company has agreed to keep pay rates on the same level as Qantas and the former
Ansett operators, but unions were forced to concede to efficiency changes in staffing
and rosters.

The Ansett Start-Up Enterprise Bargaining Agreement was certified by Senior Deputy
President Ian Watson in the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC) this morning.

The Australian Services Union (ASU), Transport Workers Union (TWU) and unions covering
engineers, managers, pilots and flight attendants signed the deal.

The agreement includes a five per cent share of profits and equity for employees; a
$4.2 million pool from which wage increases will be funded; and a commitment to guarantee
employee entitlements.

Unions were also guaranteed representation rights and given assurances employees would
not be required to work unreasonable hours.

ACTU boss Greg Combet said the agreements would kickstart the new Ansett operation.

"The new agreement contains pay rates which are broadly comparable to previous Ansett
and Qantas levels," Mr Combet said.

"New staffing levels, working arrangements and improved productivity will give the
best possible chance for the commercial success of the airline."

Tickets for the new airline are already being sold through the internet and 4,000 employees
of Ansett Mark II are vying for positions with the new airline.

Ansett Mark II's chance of success improved earlier this week with the announcement
two American investors with industry experience would back the new airline.

David Bonderman made his name rescuing Continental Airlines in 1993 while Bill Franke
hauled America West out of bankruptcy in 1994.

Newspapers today said Tesna had budgeted for a $120 million loss in the first year
of operation and a slight loss in the second year.

It aimed to make a profit of about $50 million in the third year and planned to partially
float the company in three to five years, according to sources.

AAP jmw/clr/ph/mo

KEYWORD: ANSETT NIGHTLEAD

2001 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

NSW: Academic wins case against Wollongong Uni

AAP General News (Australia)
08-08-2001
NSW: Academic wins case against Wollongong Uni

An academic who was summarily dismissed from his position at a New South Wales university
has won a victory in the federal court.

Dr TED STEELE was sacked from his position as associate professor of microbiology at
the University of Wollongong on February 26 this year.

His dismissal followed comments he made to a newspaper about academic standards after
two incidents where unnamed honours students, in 1997 and 2000, gained marks he believed
were too high.

The National Tertiary Education Union, who brought the case to the Federal Court in
Sydney, argued that the university failed to follow the process required by an enterprise
agreement when they dismissed Dr STEELE.

Justice CATHERINE BRANSON found that the interpretation by the union and Dr Steele
of the agreement was correct.

Dr STEELE is due to make a statement shortly.

In a statement, the vice chancellor of the University of Wollongong, GERARD SUTTON,
says the university believed it was operating within its enterprise agreement.

AAP RTV dmc/jjs/jas

KEYWORD: STEELE (SYDNEY)

2001 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

WA: Main stories in The West Australian

AAP General News (Australia)
02-23-2001
WA: Main stories in The West Australian

PERTH, Feb 23 AAP - Main stories in today's edition of the West Australian:

Page 1: Former premier Richard Court's plan to recruit Federal MP Julie Bishop into
the state Liberal leadership crumbled yesterday after Ms Bishop backed away (Canberra);
Picture story of a rigger and project manager on a site visited by carloads of unionists,
who intimidated workers.

Page 3: Margaret Speed, a nurse serving seven years for lighting fires at a nursing
home, walked free from jail after the Court of Criminal Appeal quashed her conviction
for arson; Controversial …

FED: Govt denies plans to close Williamstown base

AAP General News (Australia)
12-27-2000
FED: Govt denies plans to close Williamstown base

CANBERRA, Dec 27 AAP - The federal government today denied it planned to close down
the Williamstown shipyard in Melbourne and move its operations to South Australia's Osborne
submarine building base.

A spokesman for Defence Minister John Moore said the government did not have the power
to close the Victorian shipyard.

"We can't close Williamstown down, for the very simple reason we don't own it," the
spokesman said.

"We have no plans to rationalise the industry, we haven't signed off on any plan to
do anything to the industry."

The Herald Sun and The Australian newspapers today reported Mr Moore was pushing a
plan for the Tenix-owned naval dockyard at Williamstown to be closed, with a potential
loss of about 2,000 jobs.

Its operations would be moved to the currently government-owned Australian Submarine
Corporation's (ASC) shipyard at Osborne in Adelaide, they reported.

Mr Moore's spokesman said he could not comment on whether the government was pushing
privately-owned defence companies like Tenix to consider the shift.

"At the end of the day it is up to the private sector on how they structure their operations
and where they locate them," the spokesman said.

The spokesman said the defence industry had a big win with increases in defence spending
in the government's recent White Paper.

"The opportunity is there but it is up to them to decide how they restructure their
operations," he said.

The newspapers reported the government was pushing for the consolidation move because
of concerns there would not be sufficient work to support the yards once current projects
like the Collins submarines, Anzac frigates and Huon-class minehunters at Newcastle were
completed in the next four years.

The Herald Sun reported government sources as saying the Osborne plan would involve
a joint venture between the now privately owned ADI (formerly Australian Defence Industries)
and Tenix.

The Australian reported Mr Moore was pushing potential bidders for ASC, which is to
be sold off by the government next year, to ensure the Osborne shipyard was built up to
cater for surface ships as well as submarines.

AAP msl/mb/daw/sp

KEYWORD: SHIPYARD

2000 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.