Tasmanians to flock to Taste, Falls at NYE

TASMANIAN police will boost numbers at the state's signature New Year's Eve parties on the Hobart waterfront and the Falls Festival.

Tens of thousands will converge on the waterfront and Salamanca, where the state's biggest festival, Taste, combines with the finish to the Sydney to Hobart yacht race.

Fireworks will explode over the docks at 9.30pm (AEDT) and midnight as foodies at the 25th Taste of Tasmania and yachties see in 2014.

At Marion Bay, 50km east of the capital, around 12,000 are expected to see in the new year to the beats of Liverpudlians The Wombats who will take the stage at midnight.

Tasmania Police have warned Falls patrons not to disrupt the enjoyment of others at the three-day event.

"As usual, there will be a police presence on the festival site with plain clothes and uniform officers and the drug detector dog to ensure everyone feels safe and has a good time," Inspector Peter Powell said.

Traffic will be heavy on the road in and out of the bayside festival site at peak times, Insp Powell said.

A major breath-testing operation will be conducted on New Year's Day as festival-goers depart.

"Have a plan to get home safely, don't drive if you have been drinking or you're affected by drugs," Insp Powell said.

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Liberian UN workers, peacekeepers face off

CIVILIAN employees of the United Nations Mission in Liberia have clashed with the United Nations armed peacekeepers in a protest over what they claim are unfavourable work conditions.

An Associated Press reporter saw four UN workers manhandled by UN troops, including one who was knocked down, after the workers tried to block the main entrance to the UN base on Friday.

The workers are protesting a change in the time they are picked up for work.

They claim the UN is asking them to be outside for pickup by 5am, a time they say is unsafe in the war-recovering capital of Monrovia.

A UN officer commanding the troops declined to comment.

The UN mission was established in 2003, just after ex-warlord Charles Taylor stepped down as president and went into exile.

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NZ dollar heads for weekly decline

THE New Zealand dollar has touched a three-week low in subdued holiday trading as the greenback strengthens following better than expected US labour market data.

The kiwi touched a low of 81.45 US cents earlier on Friday, and was trading at 81.59 US cents at 5pm in Wellington, little changed from 81.52 cents at 8am, but down from 82.02 cents at the start of the week.

The US dollar advanced against commodity currencies like the kiwi and Aussie after a report on Thursday showed the number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell last week to the lowest level in nearly a month.

An improving US economy has prompted the Federal Reserve to start reducing its monetary stimulus programme from next month, underpinning the greenback.

"There is a bit of US dollar strength pushing some of the crosses down to the bottom of their range," said Alex Hill, head of dealing at HiFX.

"It's a fairly illiquid market with not much going on."

The New Zealand dollar traded at 91.78 Australian cents in afternoon trading, from 91.73 cents on Friday morning and down from 91.89 cents at the start of the week.

The kiwi was at 85.50 yen from 85.37 yen in the morning and 85.31 yen at the start of the week and at 59.49 euro cents from 59.53 cents in the morning and 59.98 cents at the start of the week.

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Grassfires close Vic Great Ocean Road

VICTORIA'S Great Ocean Road has been closed near Peterborough while firefighters battle small grassfires in the area.

A Country Fire Authority spokesman said two houses were under threat from multiple blazes covering about three hectares.

Ten tankers and two aircraft have been sent to protect the properties and to try to control the fires.

The Great Ocean Road has been closed between Peterborough Road near the Bay of Islands and the Great Ocean Road at Crofts Bay.

Victoria Police are on hand to assist with redirecting traffic.

The CFA has issued a watch and act warning urging people to leave the warning area as the conditions could change suddenly.

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Thousands turn out for community lunches

THOUSANDS of Sydney-siders who would otherwise be alone for Christmas will spend the festive season celebrating with their communities.

More than 600 people - including a few famous faces - turned out for the Wayside Chapel Christmas lunch in King's Cross.

Blaxland resident Stephen South has attended the lunch and church service for four years.

"I don't have any family and this is my family," Mr South told AAP.

"On a day like today, if you don't have family it's really hard."

The Wayside Chapel's 200 volunteers provided 80 turkeys, 40 hams, 700 mince pies and 140 bags of potatoes for the day.

Actress Claudia Karvan made her third visit to the street party this year, and actor David Wenham attended.

"I can't stay away - it just puts a smile on my face that stays there for the whole day," Karvan said.

"It totally encapsulates the spirit of Christmas, I think.

"The open-heartedness, the generosity of the day, the inclusiveness - everyone from all different walks of the community, whether you're sleeping rough or wealthy and isolated, it doesn't matter, you can come down here."

Between Christmas singing, Wayside chief executive Pastor Graham Long said the day was about people not being alone.

"Don't be alone and miserable," he said.

"Come and be miserable with us."

In Ashfield, more than 3000 people were expected at the Exodus Foundation's free Christmas lunch on Liverpool Road.

Volunteers prepared 65 hams, 50 turkeys, 400 kilograms of potatoes, 200 kilograms of green veggies, 400 kilograms of pumpkins, 1300 litres of gravy, 2500 mini puddings and 330 litres of custard.

"You can imagine, we've been preparing for this for months," Reverend Bill Crews said.

Santa Claus will give presents to needy children and adults.

"All these presents have been donated, which is another example of how generous Sydney-siders are," Rev Crews said.

At Redfern's Australian Technology Park, the Salvation Army hoped to feed 1200 of Sydney's less fortunate and disadvantaged.

"Every year we're humbled by the generosity of the over 150 volunteers who give up part of their Christmas Day to bring joy, hope and happiness to those who would otherwise go without," Salvation Army spokeswoman Robyn Evans said.

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US gunman 'had told patients to flee'

Phone recordings reveal chilling details of a man who entered a US urology clinic and began firing. Source: AAP

NEWLY released phone recordings paint a scene of terror inside a US urology clinic where callers hid in bathrooms and exam rooms from a suicidal gunman who killed one doctor and shot another.

Callers including a woman hiding under a desk and another who whispers "he's going to ... kill us", with gunshots audible in the background, can be heard on the tapes, released on Tuesday.

Alan Oliver Frazier, 51, told patients to leave or he would shoot them after he entered the Urology Nevada office in Reno on December 17 and began firing a pistol-grip, 12-gauge shotgun.

The shooter, from northern California, said he was angry because "he had a vasectomy here and they ruined his life", a male witness told a 911 dispatcher from a locked bathroom where he and about 10 others hid.

"He says, 'As long as you're a patient, you can leave. Otherwise I'm going to shoot you,'" the man said.

The bathroom was outside the urology office where the shooting occurred.

Frazier used the shotgun to kill Urology Nevada president Dr Charles Gholdoian, 46. He also critically wounded another doctor, then turned the gun on himself.

A woman hiding under a desk was talking so softly on the emergency recording she could barely be heard.

"I hear gunshots outside my office," the woman said.

"I just heard another one ... He's going to (expletive) kill us."

"Oh, my God ... He's outside my door," she said.

Among the 50 calls police said they received was one from a woman in a locked office, gasping for breath between sentences.

"He's in the middle of the office," she said.

"We think he shot one of our doctors."

Police arrived at the scene within minutes.

They confirmed Frazier had been a patient at the facility who had complained about a botched surgery in 2010.

The unemployed former power plant worker said in a suicide note he planned the attack and his focus was on the physicians, police said.

Detectives are investigating Frazier's involvement in an internet chat room where he reportedly complained about complications from the surgery, city spokeswoman Sharon Spangler said.

She said a neighbour said Frazier told him the day of the shooting that he was leaving and not coming back.

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Man charged for attempting to groom child

A man has been charged over the online grooming of a child in the NSW mid north coast. Source: AAP

A MAN has been charged over the online grooming of a child in the NSW mid north coast.

Police allege the 53-year-old man made contact with a 13-year-old boy over a social networking site in an attempt to groom him for sexual activity.

Detectives from Manning Great Lakes Local Area Command arrested the man at a house in Harrington, about 15km northeast of Taree.

The man appeared in court on Monday and was refused bail.

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Qld pedestrian deaths prompt Xmas warning

A SPATE of serious crashes involving pedestrians has Queensland police warning walkers - as well as motorists - to travel safely this Christmas.

A number of pedestrians have been killed or seriously injured around Brisbane this month, prompting police to warn walkers to pay attention to traffic.

Queensland's Acting Assistant Commissioner Mike Keating said while the circumstances for each crash differed, too many pedestrians were putting themselves at risk of being run over.

"There is a trend in relation to people not respecting vehicles that are on the road, assuming that they will be safe," he told reporters on Tuesday.

"So if you're a pedestrian and you're moving around on the roads make sure you're aware of what's happening around you - you're responsible for your own safety."

A 32-year-old Woolloongabba woman died on Monday, five days after being struck by a car on Ipswich Road in inner-Brisbane.

An elderly walker, 93, died shortly after attempting to cross the busy Logan Road, at Greenslopes in Brisbane's south, on December 3.

A 90-year-old also died after being hit by a 4WD south of Brisbane on December 13, and six days later a two-year-old suffered life-threatening injuries after running out on to an Ipswich road.

Apart from pedestrian safety, Queensland police are concerned about motorists being blatantly stupid on the roads this festive season.

This was highlighted recently when a man was caught driving at 174km/h while over the alcohol limit, Acting Assistant Commissioner Keating said.

The National Road Safety Operation for the Christmas holiday period officially began on Monday.

Although there have been no fatalities on Queensland roads, 22 people have suffered serious injuries.

The state's road toll stands at 268, eight fewer than at the same time last year.

Six people were killed in five crashes on Queensland roads during the last Christmas road safety campaign.

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128 staff retrenched at Brindabella

Nearly all staff at troubled Brindabella Airlines have been retrenched just days before Christmas. Source: AAP

NEARLY all staff at troubled regional carrier Brindabella Airlines have been told they're out of a job just two days before Christmas.

The 140 workers at the Canberra-based airline were told on Monday that 128 of them had lost their jobs.

Staff were told the airline could no longer be sold after it lost most of its licenses and the majority of its planes were returned to their owners.

All but a dozen staff at the cash-strapped airline will be retrenched, as the receivers KordaMentha try to sell the company's remaining assets, mainly four J-41 jetliners.

KordaMentha spokesman Michael Smith said the receivers did not want to dangle false hope in front of the workers once it became clear there wasn't anything left to sell.

"It's a terrible time of year for this to happen," he told AAP on Monday.

"But the receivers thought it was better to be upfront with the workers as soon as the worst had been realised, to give them every possible chance to use the holiday period to look for work."

Brindabella reported to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority in November that several of its planes hadn't been checked or had parts replaced in line with strict schedules set by manufacturers for about a year.

The aviation watchdog launched an investigation and on December 12 ordered the company's remaining six planes be pulled from service for assessment.

Just three days after the fleet was grounded, Brindabella went into receivership, with all flights suspended and bookings ceased.

Mr Smith said staff were stood down last week in the hope the receivers could quickly sell the airline, but they had realised if that didn't happen the outlook wasn't good.

"Today that reality became apparent, and that's the end of the line for Brindabella as a going concern," he said.

Once the company goes into liquidation, the 128 employees to be immediately retrenched would be eligible to get their entitlements under an Australian Government guarantee scheme.

The receivers have already begun the paperwork to help employees submit their entitlement claims.

Mr Smith said the NSW government's decision last week to revoke Brindabella's exclusive regional licenses so other airlines could operate those routes "didn't help".

"After that happened, we went back to the people who were interested in buying the airline, but that stripping of those licences diminished the offering," he said.

"There really wasn't a lot else left to sell."

Mr Smith said there were a number of airlines keen to service Brindabella's routes after it stopped running flights.

Qantas was providing extra services along some of Brindabella's usual routes.

Brindabella was founded in 1994, and serviced regional centres from Canberra, Sydney and Brisbane.

The competitive nature of the airline industry, coupled with regulatory and maintenance issues, were blamed for contributing to Brindabella's financial problems.

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Premium hike to prompt insurance rethink

AUSTRALIANS may rethink their private health insurance coverage in the wake of increases almost triple the annual rate of inflation, consumer groups say.

Insurance premiums will go up from April 1 next year by a weighted average of 6.2 per cent.

This implies an average rise of $3.86 a week, based on a basic combined family policy, equating to more than $200 a year.

The annual increase, approved by federal Health Minister Peter Dutton on Monday, comes after premiums rose by an average of 5.6 per cent in 2013 under the former Labor government.

It also compares with the current annual rate of inflation of only 2.2 per cent.

"This is an unhappy Christmas present for the many Australians who do struggle to meet the cost of health insurance," Consumers Health Forum spokesman Mark Metherell said.

The forum and consumer group Choice said the increase was hefty and could make many people rethink whether it was worth having private health cover.

They advise consumers to compare policies to ensure they were getting a competitive price, review extras cover and check for discounts for paying in advance.

Mr Dutton blamed the former Labor federal government for putting pressure on the sector, saying the 2014 price rise could have been lower.

However, the number of claims was more than expected in the past year, meaning the overall cost of benefits paid out jumped by eight per cent on the previous 12 months.

The premium increases would help insurers absorb those increased costs, Mr Dutton said.

Labor said it was a slap in the face for Australians, two days before Christmas. Health spokeswoman Catherine King said when Labor was in power it tried to ensure the lowest possible premium increases.

The rises approved for 2014 range from 3.14 per cent for Health Partners policies to 7.99 per cent for NIB policies.

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Man critical after CBD assault

Police would like to speak to this man in relation to a serious assault in Brisbane's CBD early Sunday morning. Source: Supplied

Police would like to speak to this man in relation to a serious assault in Brisbane's CBD early Sunday morning. Source: Supplied

POLICE have relased CCTV images of a man as they continue to investigate the serious assault of a man in Brisbane's CBD.

Police are searching for a man who intervened in a couple's fight, seriously injuring a 38-year-old man in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The couple were arguing on the footpath of Queen Street near the intersection with Wharf Street around 4am when an unidentified man stepped in, seriously injuring the 38-year-old.

Brisbane region detective inspector Ian Park said the partner of the injured Arana Hills man was by his bedside in hospital.

"She's very upset obviously by what's happened," he said.

He said the man today remained in Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital in a critical condition with serious injuries after being resuscitated at the scene.

Insp Park said alcohol may have been a factor.

"I guess it's a fair assumption that at 4 o'clock there is going to be alcohol involved, so we would appeal to people to just be careful with alcohol and look after themselves and each other and not to drink to excessive levels, which is always a deadly cocktail."

There were reports that people performed CPR on the man before paramedics arrived.

Alessandro Vosolo, who is staying on the 44th floor of the building, said the fight sounded violent and lasted less than four minutes.

"Fighting, screaming, arguing like guys getting thrown around, that sort of thing," he said.

One witness said he was on the 20th floor of the hotel and heard the fight.

"A dude got beat up... We heard it but then police rocked up."

Police insp Park said a number of witnesses had already been interviewed but appealed for more people to step forward, particularly the man, understood to be Caucasian and in his 30s, who was involved in the fight.

The injured man was taken to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital in a critical condition.

"Initial information suggests that a man and a woman were seen arguing on the footpath of Queen Street near the intersection with Wharf Street when another man intervened just before 4am," police said in a statement.

Police said the two men were then involved in a fight in which a 38-year-old Arana Hills man sustained a serious head injury.

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Detective inspector Ian Park said police were also investigating the assault of a man who got into a fight with a hotel staff member at the Orient about 4.30am.

A 37-year-old man fell down the stairs and suffered serious head injuries when his head hit the concrete pavement.

"I believe the may have been a disagreement between this person and a staff member but as to what actually took place is subject to investigation," Insp Park said.

The man was taken to the Princess Alexandra Hospital where he is in a serious condition.

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In a third incident, a man was allegedly glassed in the face at the Family Nightclub on McLachlan St in the Fortitude Valley about 3am Sunday.

Police said a 19-year-old was struck in the face with a glass, receiving cuts to his cheek area. Police said the man did not have life-threatening injuries.

A spokesman said security staff and patrons stopped the alleged attacker and held him until police arrived.

A 20-year-old Calamvale man has been charged with assault occasioning bodily harm. He is due to appear in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday morning.

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Two men killed in gyrocopter crash

A PILOT and his passenger were checking fire damaged bushland when their gyrocopter crashed northeast of Melbourne, killing both.

The bodies of the 51-year-old pilot from Melbourne, and a second unidentified man, were found in rugged terrain in Victoria's Kinglake National Park about 7am on Sunday (AEDT).

A police plane spotted the wreckage in dense bushland that has regenerated after bushfires.

Searchers had been scouring the park for the men, who failed to return from what was to be a 15-minute flight from the Yarra Valley conference centre on the Melba Highway at Dixons Creek about 7.20pm on Saturday.

Benalla Acting Senior Sergeant Colin Anderson said the pair were flying over a remote area of the ranges to view bushfire damage.

Emergency services were notified when the men failed to return as planned.

An extensive search on Saturday evening failed to find the pair and was called off when it got dark, resuming early Sunday.

Acting Sen Sgt Anderson said next of kin were yet to be notified and he was unable to confirm reports the second man was from overseas.

The bodies are expected to be retrieved from the wreckage on Sunday afternoon, with the help of the SES, he said.

Police are investigating the cause of the crash and will prepare a brief for the coroner.

"There's experts coming to view the wreckage and from that, that report will be prepared for the coroner," he said.

Acting Sen Sgt Anderson said it was a tragedy.

"It's devastating to all concerned - people involved that have to retrieve people from the situation and those directly involved with the people that have been killed," he said.

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