Bishop raises piracy case with Russians

THE Abbott government has told Russia it's concerned about the piracy charge levelled against Australian Greenpeace activist Colin Russell and it wants him treated fairly.

Foreign Minister Julie 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," Mr Bishop told reporters in Bali's Nusa Dua.

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.

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.

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

Ms Bishop says 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.

"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, Hobart, Adelaide and Brisbane.

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Gun licence revoked from NSW Nomads bikie

NSW police have revoked a gun licence held by an alleged senior Nomads bikie gang chapter. Source: AAP

AN alleged Nomads Outlaw Motorcycle Gang chapter vice-president has had his firearm licence revoked and more than 240 ammunition rounds seized.

The NSW Police Force's Firearm Registry revoked a 42-year-old man's firearm licence on Friday after Strike Force Raptor confirmed the man held the senior bikie gang position.

Police allege investigators seized two semi-automatic pistols, a revolver, a rifle and 247 rounds of ammunition from the man's Cumberland Road home at Greystanes, near Parramatta.

The man was also served with a Notice of Revocation regarding his gun licence.

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Nitschke rues Silk Road closure

THE closure by US authorities of the black market Silk Road website will have a devastating effect on some elderly Australians, says euthanasia advocate Philip Nitschke.

They were using the site to source reliable quantities of the "premier" end-of-life drug Nembutal, Dr Nitschke, director of Exit International, said on Friday.

US Federal agents this week shut down the site which they said was a black market for drugs, hitmen and hacker tools and arrested the suspected owner.

But Dr Nitschke said the site had been welcomed by elderly Australians desperate to obtain an end-of-life safety net.

"Our elderly members appreciated the comfort that came from knowing that their transactions were private," he said in a statement.

"Although they knew that importing a small amount of Nembutal for possible use at some future date was illegal, many still felt it was a risk worth taking.

"The removal of the site will now mean that other less secure avenues will be pursued."

The site closure will be one topic discussed at an Exit International euthanasia workshop to be held in Adelaide on Saturday.

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$4.2bn mega-resort moves ahead in Qld

CHINESE billionaire Tony Fung is one step closer to building a glitzy $4.2 billion mega-resort and casino in far north Queensland.

Queensland's Coordinator-General Barry Broe released a report on Friday outlining what must be covered in the development's Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

Public consultation on the draft report attracted about 56 submissions, with residents flagging flooding, water quality, drainage, water and sewerage utilities and road infrastructure as critical issues.

If approved, the resort would be one of the largest tourism ventures in the state and pump $2.8 billion into the economy each year once completed.

The 340-hectare resort and casino at Yorkeys Knob, a northern seaside suburb of Cairns, includes nine luxury hotels and a casino.

There will also be a 18-hole golf course, a 25,000-seat stadium and a cultural heritage centre.

Mr Fung has said he won't be asking the state government to contribute funds to the project.

"I only seek investment certainty from an approval process," he said in his submission.

He said the resort would rival great man-made structures in Dubai and Singapore and attract big spenders from China.

Mr Fung claimed construction wouldn't impact the nearby Great Barrier Reef.

But environmental groups disagree, saying the scale of the mega-project would impact the coastal environment.

Gambling help service Turning Point has concerns about the potential for increased problem gambling in Cairns.

Mr Fung must now submit an EIS to the state government for consideration.

A spokesman from Mr Broe's office could not confirm whether the project would also require federal approval.

If the complex goes ahead it will likely open in 2018.

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Cootes Transport fleet to be inspected

A MECHANICAL fault is believed to have caused a fuel tanker to overturn and explode on Sydney's northern beaches, killing two people.

Emergency crews have removed the charred remains of the truck from Mona Vale Road where it lost control on Tuesday, ploughing into a power pole and four cars before erupting in a fireball.

Two men, one a local and one from Western Australia, died in the blaze and six people were taken to hospital.

NSW Police Assistant Commissioner John Hartley told reporters in Sydney on Wednesday it appeared the roadway was not at fault.

"It appears to be a mechanical fault, not the fault of the roadway," he said.

As investigations continued Superintendent Ian Krimmer of NSW Fire and Rescue said the clean-up at the site of the accident was going smoothly.

He said about 300 litres of petrol spilled onto the road in the process of getting the truck upright but the spill was contained by an earth dam.

Energy and traffic authorities were working on repairing powerlines and cleaning up the road, he said.

Fuel contamination has been contained within a 1.5km radius of the crash site.

An unknown amount has run into local drains, but does not pose a threat to residents, Supt Krimmer said.

He said the clean-up could be complete within days.

"Petrol is one of the easiest contaminants to deal with because natural forces such as warm weather and wind will evaporate the fuel very rapidly," he said.

Police said the truck appeared to have lost control, hit a power pole and four cars before turning on its side and dousing the road in fuel.

It's likely the huge explosion that followed was caused by a spark from the friction of the crash, Supt Krimmer said.

The Roads and Maritime Service later said it was inspecting more than 80 fleet vehicles from Cootes Transport, which have been directed to checking stations in Sydney and Newcastle.

"The results of these inspections will inform a decision on whether or not other vehicles in the Cootes' fleet will be subject to roadworthiness inspections," RMS said.

Results of the fleet inspections are expected in coming days.

NSW Police are preparing a report for the coroner.

Cootes Transport told AAP it couldn't comment as its spokesman was in a meeting.

The truck driver, a 47-year-old from Wagga Wagga, is in a stable condition at Royal North Shore Hospital.

The two men who died at the scene have not been formally identified, but are believed to be a 73-year-old from Turramurra and a 71-year-old from Western Australia.

They are believed to be the driver and passenger of a Subaru.

The other passengers in that car, two women aged 67 and 72, are both in a stable condition, while a 69-year-old Warriewood man is in a serious but stable condition.

A 75-year-old woman has also been discharged.

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ALP contenders back free vote on marriage

Prominent union boss Paul Howes wants Labor MPs to be forced to vote in favour of gay marriage. Source: AAP

NEITHER prospective Labor leader will back moves to force all Labor MPs to vote in favour of same sex marriage.

The party's platform currently supports gay marriage but gives its parliamentary representatives a free vote on the matter.

But Australian Workers Union boss Paul Howes thinks that's a mistake.

He'll tell an Australian Marriage Equality forum in Sydney on Wednesday it's an issue of social justice, not individual conscience.

The forum will include supporters of same sex marriage across party lines, including Tony Abbott's sister Christine Forster.

"Just like with racial discrimination, it is vital to understand that our past discrimination against people in same sex relationships is not some sort of fundamental starting point for humanity," Mr Howes will say.

"I want tonight to urge my party to finally disown this phony notion that we should be affording equal respect to both sides of the gay marriage debate, as if it were some exquisitely balanced moral quandary that could never be unlocked by mere mortals. It is not."

He wants the party's 2014 national conference to change the rules so there isn't a conscience vote.

But both leadership candidates Bill Shorten and Anthony Albanese say while they personally support same sex marriage, it should be a conscience matter.

Mr Albanese said legalising same sex marriage was a reform whose time had come and parliament should act.

"But equally, I believe this can best be achieved when all members and senators are given a free vote on any future legislation," he told AAP.

With Labor MPs split on the issue and the coalition insisting its politicians vote against same sex marriage, several bills put to federal parliament have been doomed.

Mr Shorten's spokeswoman said he was of the view that limiting the vote would not be consistent with his vision for a diverse, inclusive Labor Party.

The Australian Christian Lobby managing director Lyle Shelton said the issue had been given a fair go.

"It would be damaging for to Labor continue to tie itself to this agenda," he said.

"Labor's 2014 national conference should really be focussing on how the party can better appeal to the centre on social policy, including how best to promote policy which supports, wherever possible, a mother and father for children."

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Pent-up demand for new cars will end

THE boom in sales of new cars in the US has been fuelled by consumers replacing vehicles they kept through the recession.

But a top auto industry executive says that the pent-up demand likely will be satisfied by late next year.

Jim Lentz, Toyota's North American CEO, said the demand for new cars from owners of older models could dry up sometime late in 2014. If the economy isn't creating jobs at a faster pace when that happens, the boom could screech to a halt.

"The market then has to work off a much better economy, an improving economy," Lentz said. "If we don't have that, I think the market may flatten out."

New car and truck sales hit a three-decade low of $US10.4 million ($A11.24 million) in 2009 as the financial crisis dried up money for car loans and US-based auto companies nearly went out of business. Consumers, many who feared they could lose their jobs, refused to buy new cars and instead kept their old ones on the road.

Sales, though, gradually rebounded and now are running at an annual rate of around $US15.6 million, just below pre-recession levels.

Lentz, speaking at the AP's New York headquarters, said the average car and truck in the US is now more than 11 years old. At the same time, the supply of coveted used cars that are one-to-five years old is down to levels not seen since the 1980s. Used car prices have jumped, making their monthly payments as high as those for new cars, Lentz said. That's brought more buyers into new-car showrooms, he said.

But as people replace their cars at a faster rate, the used-car supply increases. Eventually, prices will drop and lure buyers out of the new-car market, he said.

"So in time, as that one- to five-year base builds its way back up, I think we're going to reach that equilibrium, probably sometime near the end of 2014," he said.

Jesse Toprak, senior analyst for the TrueCar.com auto pricing site, disagrees, saying pent-up demand isn't close to tapering off.

Consumers have not yet made up for four years of lower-than-normal auto sales, and won't for another three or four years, Toprak said. He also believes that consumers and businesses have just started to replace old pickup trucks that were held through the recession.

If auto sales do slow, that could be bad news for the US economic recovery. The auto industry has created thousands of jobs as sales have recovered, helping to keep the economy afloat for the past two years.

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Girls 'go for men with green cars'

Women go for men with "green" cars rather than those with gas-guzzlers, a British survey shows. Source: AAP

GIRLS go for men with "green" cars rather than those with gas-guzzlers, according to a British survey.

More than half of women reckon drivers of expensive sports cars are arrogant, the poll from Motors.co.uk found.

But many women, and men too, found drivers of eco-friendly cars such as the Nissan Leaf and Toyota Prius to be conscientious, intelligent and safe motorists.

The survey of 2000 UK adults showed that 48 per cent of men were convinced that an expensive car made them more attractive to the opposite sex.

But 53 per cent of women labelled drivers of expensive sports cars as arrogant, while 44 per cent considered them self-centred and 38 per cent reckoned they were a danger on the roads.

Men appeared none too keen on drivers of off-road vehicles, with 34 per cent considering 4x4 vehicle drivers to be arrogant and 29 per cent reckoning they were rude.

Women felt saloon car owners of such vehicles as the Ford Mondeo, Renault Megane and Volkswagen Passat were likely to be hard-working and safe motorists, while hatchback owners were seen as modest.

The most popular car colour was black.

Motors.co.uk commercial director Phil Jones said: "Our survey provided an interesting snapshot into how people perceive car drivers, with the bad-boy sports car stereotype still holding true.

"The disparity between men and women suggests that the yummy mummy 'Chelsea tractor' stereotype might be having a similar effect on men as sports cars appear to be having on women."

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Westpac Rescue Helicopter marks 40 years

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.

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19 arrests in Freo after Dockers loss

NINETEEN people in Fremantle have been arrested in the aftermath of the Dockers losing their AFL grand final match.

A crowd of about 40,000 people had packed into the port city home of the team to watch the Saturday event in hotels and pubs.

Among those arrested was a 19-year-old man who has been charged with assault after allegedly becoming involved in a fight while being evicted from the Norfolk Hotel at 7pm (WST).

Police said the young man argued with a 44-year-old man, punched him in the face and caused him to fall and hit his head on a kerb.

The 19-year-old ran away but was chased by police and arrested.

The victim was treated in hospital for a cut on his chin and abrasion to the back of his head.

The accused man is due to appear in the Fremantle Magistrates Court on October 11.

The Sail and Anchor pub closed its upstairs balcony about half-way through the match after some fans misbehaved by tipping beer onto the heads of other patrons.

But police said they were "generally happy" with the behaviour of the crowd, many of whom were devastated by their team's loss to Hawthorn.

A police spokesman told AAP that the number of arrests was not greatly different to a typical Friday or Saturday night in Fremantle.

The 19 arrests included charges of assault, assaulting a public officer, disorderly conduct and obstructing police.

Police also issued 46 move on orders and eight liquor infringements, while four more people will be summonsed for charges including assaulting a public officer and disorderly conduct.

Thousands of fans are expected to attend a welcome home ceremony for the Dockers at Paterson's Stadium later on Sunday.

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