R[0]="2096"; T[0]="Irrigators protest against water plan"; A[0]="By ... Editor"; Dn[0]="20071024"; Dt[0]="Wednesday 24 October 2007"; Acats[0]="a05a40"; B1[0]="      Angry irrigators from along the Murray River have protested in Canberra against the Federal Government's $10 billion national water plan.... "; B2[0]=" "; B3[0]=" "; B4[0]=" "; B5[0]=" "; S1[0]="      Angry irrigators from along the Murray River have protested in Canberra against the Federal Government's $10 billion national water plan.
    "; S2[0]="   Up to 400 farmers have attended an ecumenical service to pray for rain, but are also calling for more water to keep permanent plantings "; S3[0]=" of fruit trees and grapevines alive.
      Wakool Shire mayor, Ken Trewin, says the irrigators want to sit down with whoever wins government, "; S4[0]=" and explain that the trade of permanent water rights is not the answer to problems in the Murray Darling basin.
      'Isn't it "; S5[0]=" time to stop the tax cuts and the political garbage, and let's get on and really face what we need done in this nation', he "; S6[0]=" says.
      'And what we need in this nation is more dams, and it's time they listened.
      'The Greens don't "; S7[0]=" run this country, the people do'... "; R[1]="2081"; T[1]="SA Govt announces $24m water rebate scheme"; A[1]="By ... Editor"; Dn[1]="20071024"; Dt[1]="Wednesday 24 October 2007"; Acats[1]="a05a40"; B1[1]="      South Australian householders will be encouraged to take advantage of a series of rebates as part of a new State Government scheme "; B2[1]="to help conserve the state's water supplies... "; B3[1]=" "; B4[1]=" "; B5[1]=" "; S1[1]="      South Australian householders will be encouraged to take advantage of a series of rebates as part of a new State Government scheme "; S2[1]=" to help conserve the state's water supplies.
      Premier Mike Rann and Water Security Minister Karlene Maywald stood on the banks of the "; S3[1]=" Murray River to make the announcement.
      Mr Rann says $24 million in rebates will be available to people who install water-saving devices.
"; S4[1]="       The Government is increasing the rebate for low-flow shower heads to t$30, offering $50 for every $150 spent on water-efficient garden products "; S5[1]=" and incentives for dual-flush toilets and water-smart washing machines.
      From next year, discounted home water audits will also be available.
    "; S6[1]="   Ms Maywald says the package brings South Australia into line with other states and is forecast to save five billion litres a year by "; S7[1]=" 2010.
      Mr Rann says the incentive scheme aims to save about five billion litres of water over the next three years.
  "; S8[1]="     'The incentives include for instance $100 for home water audits to look at how a household can reduce water and energy consumption, up "; S9[1]=" to $200 for rebates for new washing machines with four star ratings and also up to $150 for dual flush toilet rebates,' he said... "; R[2]="1972"; T[2]="Tasmanian Govt set to speed up pulp mill plans"; A[2]="By ... Editor"; Dn[2]="20070319"; Dt[2]="Monday 19 March 2007"; Acats[2]="a05a39"; B1[2]="      The Tasmanian Parliament is likely to be recalled next week to approve legislation to fast-track planning for a major pulp mill in "; B2[2]="the state's north... "; B3[2]=" "; B4[2]=" "; B5[2]=" "; S1[2]="      The Tasmanian Parliament is likely to be recalled next week to approve legislation to fast-track planning for a major pulp mill in "; S2[2]=" the state's north.
      Gunns Limited has pulled out of the State Government's independent assessment process, saying it could not invest any more "; S3[2]=" money in the project when the Resource Planning and Development Commission (RPDC) had an open-ended timeline.
      Premier Paul Lennon is today announcing "; S4[2]=" plans to speed up the assessment of the proposed $1.4 billion mill.
      Gunns wants the issue resolved by mid-year... "; R[3]="1938"; T[3]="Planning Vital for Dawson Expansion"; A[3]="By ... Editor"; Dn[3]="20070304"; Dt[3]="Sunday 4 March 2007"; Acats[3]="a02a05a72"; B1[3]="      The Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries has teamed with the Banana and Duaringa shire councils to take a proactive approach to "; B2[3]="planning for potential agricultural development along the Dawson River... "; B3[3]=" "; B4[3]=" "; B5[3]=" "; S1[3]="      The Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries has teamed with the Banana and Duaringa shire councils to take a proactive approach to "; S2[3]=" planning for potential agricultural development along the Dawson River.
      DPI&F regional director Paul Walmsley said the February 16 meeting was initiated by "; S3[3]=" the shires to share a wealth of existing agricultural land use information in the event that a major infrastructure such as the proposed Nathan Dam "; S4[3]=" was progressed.
      Mr Walmsley said the Banana Shire representatives led by Mayor Glenn Churchill and Duaringa Shire led by Mayor Gary Howard "; S5[3]=" were keen to work with DPI&F, an acknowledged economic development agency, during this initial planning stage.
      'Any Dawson Valley agricultural precinct development "; S6[3]=" will involve both shires and while it is still very early days, DPI&F regional planning officers have already been working in collaboration with local government "; S7[3]=" officers,' Mr Walmsley said.
      'All parties recognise that the capital input required for a profitable water infrastructure development will in all probability "; S8[3]=" be driven by a demand for water linked to coal mining expansion.
      'While there are implications for local authority planning schemes to "; S9[3]=" accommodate development associated with major industrial developments, future planning must also incorporate the needs of agricultural development,' Mr Walmsley said.
      Mr Walmsley "; S10[3]=" said initial planning involved a shared understanding of local and state government roles in the development of agricultural precincts in Queensland.
      'Agricultural "; S11[3]=" precinct planning for the Dawson has to take into account land-use capacity and its suitability for a range of agricultural industries, which includes irrigated cotton "; S12[3]=" and intensive horticulture.
      'Our objective is to highlight the agricultural potential by making the appropriate decisions to support the whole supply chain "; S13[3]=" to promote future commercial industry investment,' Mr Walmsley said.
      'Banana and Duaringa shires, in conjunction with DPI&F and other state government agencies, "; S14[3]=" are well positioned to work with and develop agricultural precincts, but it is up to the investors to select the ventures they see as the "; S15[3]=" perceived winners,' he said... "; R[4]="1933"; T[4]="Grow hemp instead of thirsty cotton and rice, says union chief"; A[4]="By ... Editor"; Dn[4]="20070304"; Dt[4]="Sunday 4 March 2007"; Acats[4]="a05a15a23a81"; B1[4]="      Union leader and Labor recruit Bill Shorten called yesterday for cotton and rice growers to be forced out of business and their "; B2[4]="water-intensive crops replaced by less thirsty options such as hemp... "; B3[4]=" "; B4[4]=" "; B5[4]=" "; S1[4]="      Union leader and Labor recruit Bill Shorten called yesterday for cotton and rice growers to be forced out of business and their "; S2[4]=" water-intensive crops replaced by less thirsty options such as hemp.
      In the strongest comments yet from a Labor figure in favour of "; S3[4]=" compulsory water acquisitions, the Australian Workers Union boss said: 'The Prime Minister needs to show some leadership, stand up to the National Party and start "; S4[4]=" buying water entitlements from cotton and rice farmers - compulsorily if necessary.' Mr Shorten's comments go further than those of Labor's water spokesman Anthony Albanese, "; S5[4]=" who will not commit to a policy of compulsory acquisitions but has called on John Howard not to rule them out.
      Mr "; S6[4]=" Shorten is the endorsed candidate for the safe Labor seat of Maribyrnong, and is widely tipped to be headed for a frontbench role.
    "; S7[4]="   Cotton and rice were unsustainable crops in many parts of Australia, including the Murray-Darling Basin, and the market would price them out anyway, Mr "; S8[4]=" Shorten said at the Australian Water Summit in Melbourne yesterday.
      'The world wouldn't end if, instead of growing cotton, we started growing "; S9[4]=" hemp,' he said.
      'Hemp needs half the amount of water to produce the same amount of cotton, has huge potential for mitigating "; S10[4]=" dry-land salinity, and can also be used to replace native trees for paper pulp.' The growers would require help through a period of structural adjustment "; S11[4]=" similar to the schemes put in place to support workers and employers in the textile and car industries in the 1980s.
      On "; S12[4]=" Monday, Mr Albanese said Labor would urge farmers to sell entitlements in over-allocated areas.
      Like Labor, Mr Howard has not ruled out "; S13[4]=" compulsory buybacks of some water entitlements, but the Coalition has so far focused on finding water savings through fixing leaks in irrigation systems.
    "; S14[4]="   Mr Shorten's comments were questioned by growers, scientists and green groups, who said annual crops such as rice and cotton were an important part "; S15[4]=" of the irrigated agricultural industry.
      Cotton Australia CEO Adam Kaye said there was no market for hemp, and the crop used the "; S16[4]=" same amount of water as cotton.
      And the executive director of the Ricegrowers Association of Australia, Victoria Taylor, said: 'In my view, "; S17[4]=" Mr Shorten has as much credibility on water as I do on industrial relations.' Ms Taylor said ricegrowers played by the rules.
      "; S18[4]=" 'That is why, because of the drought, we have the smallest crop in the ground for 50 years.' Wentworth Group scientist and water economist Mike "; S19[4]=" Young said cotton and rice were an integral part of the irrigated agriculture industry.
      'Australia has one of the most variable water "; S20[4]=" supply systems in the world, and to manage it we need annual crops that can be switched on and off depending on how much water "; S21[4]=" is available,' Professor Young said... "; R[5]="1889"; T[5]="WA water prices reach record high"; A[5]="By ... Editor"; Dn[5]="20070213"; Dt[5]="Tuesday 13 February 2007"; Acats[5]="a05a07a40"; B1[5]="      In Western Australia, record prices have been paid for water for the second time this season.... "; B2[5]=" "; B3[5]=" "; B4[5]=" "; B5[5]=" "; S1[5]="      In Western Australia, record prices have been paid for water for the second time this season.
      Harvey Water, the "; S2[5]=" state's only water cooperative, has sold water for $240 a megalitre, breaking the previous record by $144.
      Irrigators in the region say "; S3[5]=" unexpected reductions in water entitlements have driven demand to unsustainable prices.
      Dairy farmer Dale Hanks says it is now cheaper to buy "; S4[5]=" grain than water.
      'When you start paying $145 a share and you get 60 per cent of that, you're sort of nearly "; S5[5]=" up to $250 a megalitre for the water on the paddock,' he said.
      'You've got to guarantee you're going to get close "; S6[5]=" to three quarters of a tonne of feed harvest for that megalitre, otherwise grain nearly becomes a better option even at the record prices this "; S7[5]=" season.'.. "; R[6]="1865"; T[6]="PM backs carbon permits"; A[6]="By ... Editor"; Dn[6]="20070207"; Dt[6]="Wednesday 7 February 2007"; Acats[6]="a05a89"; B1[6]="      JOHN Howard is considering a voluntary carbon trading system - based on permits to pollute - to encourage business to reduce greenhouse "; B2[6]="gases... "; B3[6]=" "; B4[6]=" "; B5[6]=" "; S1[6]="      JOHN Howard is considering a voluntary carbon trading system - based on permits to pollute - to encourage business to reduce greenhouse "; S2[6]=" gases.
      But he will not put a 'crude' tax on carbon emissions.
      Ahead of the release of an industry "; S3[6]=" and government discussion paper on what an emissions trading system could look like, the Prime Minister favours a 'permit' system rather than imposing a price "; S4[6]=" on carbon.
      States have begun implementing their own carbon trading schemes, some of which also use permits.
      But Canberra "; S5[6]=" is urging them to instead work on a national scheme.
      Mr Howard acknowledged last night a trading regime would increase the price "; S6[6]=" of electricity and water over the longer term.
      But he insisted the Government would not embark on any scheme that priced Australia's "; S7[6]=" energy companies out of world markets or forced a rapid rise in domestic electricity and gas tariffs.
      'Everybody should accept that over "; S8[6]=" time things like electricity will become more expensive, as over time water will become more expensive,' he said.
      'Whether it becomes much "; S9[6]=" more expensive depends on how you do it.' Experts have devised a number of permit-based trading systems, including one from academic and Reserve Bank board "; S10[6]=" member Warwick McKibbin, but it is understood that Government is working up its own version.
      Experts such as Professor McKibbin say the "; S11[6]=" key to a carbon market is imposing long-term constraint on emissions.
      Mr Howard told the ABC's Lateline that 'one way of doing "; S12[6]=" it is to issue permits'.
      He said: 'Those permits are traded and over time the market establishes a price.' Mr Howard said "; S13[6]=" making it compulsory for coal-fired power stations to use new technology was not viable.
      'That doesn't sound very much to me like "; S14[6]=" a market mechanism when you compel somebody to apply a particular technology,' he said.
      'It is far better if you want to "; S15[6]=" keep faith with the market approach to develop a carbon pricing or carbon trading system.' The discussion paper will be the first significant federal response "; S16[6]=" to the climate change challenge following the report of the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, released on Friday, which warned of a global temperature "; S17[6]=" increase of up to 4C by 2100 unless deep cuts are made in global greenhouse gas emissions caused primarily by the burning of fossil fuels.
"; S18[6]="       Mr Howard rejected suggestions that a carbon trading scheme was the same as a tax on carbon, being considered by the West "; S19[6]=" Australian Government.
      'The imposition of a tax is a very crude, inefficient and potentially damaging way of dealing with it because it "; S20[6]=" pays no proper regard to market forces,' Mr Howard said.
      'It's important that we develop an approach to carbon pricing that is "; S21[6]=" acceptable to and sympathetic to ...
      Australian industry because Australian industry employs millions of people.' Labor leader Kevin Rudd said yesterday the "; S22[6]=" Prime Minister was playing catch-up.
      'A year ago, or more, Labor put forward a positive plan for national emissions trading and a "; S23[6]=" scheme for that and now Mr Howard seems to be indicating he may embrace a similar proposal,' Mr Rudd said... "; R[7]="1834"; T[7]="Bush's biofuels boost call worries livestock producers"; A[7]="By ... Editor"; Dn[7]="20070129"; Dt[7]="Monday 29 January 2007"; Acats[7]="a05a94"; B1[7]="      The US livestock sector is concerned by a call from President George W Bush to boost biofuels product almost seven-fold by 2017.... "; B2[7]=" "; B3[7]=" "; B4[7]=" "; B5[7]=" "; S1[7]="      The US livestock sector is concerned by a call from President George W Bush to boost biofuels product almost seven-fold by 2017.
"; S2[7]="       Mr Bush's goal of 35 billion gallons of biofuels in 10 years has the US livestock industry worried about lost profits, or "; S3[7]=" worse.
      Ethanol demand has already driven prices for feed corn to well over $US3 a bushel, up $US2 from last marketing year.
"; S4[7]="       Indiana US Senator Richard Lugas is a corn farmer.
      'We're going to make more money on the corn for "; S5[7]=" the moment, rather than the livestock...but these things go in cycles.
      Ultimately, we can only produce so much corn, so many soybeans, "; S6[7]=" in America, and that's why the cellulosic thing is critical,' he said.
      President Bush has called for spending more than $US1.5 billion "; S7[7]=" on research to turn plant waste or non-edible plants into biofuels and for the creation of a fuel feedstock reserve in case grain prices get "; S8[7]=" too high... "; R[8]="1833"; T[8]="Debate begins over PM's Top End agriculture task force"; A[8]="By ... Editor"; Dn[8]="20070129"; Dt[8]="Monday 29 January 2007"; Acats[8]="a02a05"; B1[8]="      There is debate in the Northern Territory over the Prime Minister's new task force to investigate the development of northern agriculture.... "; B2[8]=" "; B3[8]=" "; B4[8]=" "; B5[8]=" "; S1[8]="      There is debate in the Northern Territory over the Prime Minister's new task force to investigate the development of northern agriculture.
  "; S2[8]="     Pastoralists are encouraged by the move, but are calling on the government to reinstate Darwin's CSIRO Agricultural Research Station, which closed last year.
"; S3[8]="       But tropical river scientists doubt whether the environment can support further expansion, and prawn fishers like Martin Exel are also wary of "; S4[8]=" any new development.
      'You have got an $80 million dollar industry off the north of Australia, we would want to make sure "; S5[8]=" that any expansion didn't involve too much chemicals,' he said.
      'Also to ensure the water flows remain stable enough so that the "; S6[8]=" prawns actually get flushed out.
      Prawns actually lay their eggs in the rivers and they are flushed out and they move offshore "; S7[8]=" which is normally where we come in an end up catching some of them.'.. "; R[9]="1832"; T[9]="Flannery speaks out over climate change, water"; A[9]="By ... Editor"; Dn[9]="20070129"; Dt[9]="Monday 29 January 2007"; Acats[9]="a05a40"; B1[9]="      Newly-named Australian of the Year, Tim Flannery, wants to use his award to convince farmers, big business and government that time is "; B2[9]="running out to deal with climate change and water shortages... "; B3[9]=" "; B4[9]=" "; B5[9]=" "; S1[9]="      Newly-named Australian of the Year, Tim Flannery, wants to use his award to convince farmers, big business and government that time is "; S2[9]=" running out to deal with climate change and water shortages.
      The well-known scientist and author says Australians are the worst polluters in "; S3[9]=" the world on a per capita basis.
      Professor Flannery says many of the problems now confronting the country's natural resources stem from "; S4[9]=" the grand illusions and short-term planning of our early settlers.
      'Our ancestors came from an overcrowded and impoverished Europe into this, what "; S5[9]=" seemed to be an open continent, that seemed so easy to exploit,' he said.
      'You put the sheep on the land, you "; S6[9]=" didn't even need to knock down the trees and all of a sudden you were a wealthy landowner.
      That pioneer phase is "; S7[9]=" due to a naivety both on the part of the land about us and us about the land.
      It was as if "; S8[9]=" we ate through the wealth of the continent in just a few decades rather than carefully shepherd it.'.. "; R[10]="1830"; T[10]="Piping hot issue for inefficient irrigators"; A[10]="By ... Editor"; Dn[10]="20070129"; Dt[10]="Monday 29 January 2007"; Acats[10]="a05a40"; B1[10]="      Farmers could be forced off their land in areas with old and leaky irrigation systems under the federal Government's $10 billion water "; B2[10]="security plan... "; B3[10]=" "; B4[10]=" "; B5[10]=" "; S1[10]="      Farmers could be forced off their land in areas with old and leaky irrigation systems under the federal Government's $10 billion water "; S2[10]=" security plan.
      Incoming environment and water resources minister Malcolm Turnbull yesterday confirmed that farms could be compulsorily acquired under the project to "; S3[10]=" modernise irrigation channels and stop water wastage.
      'The focus is on voluntary acquisitions but it is not inconceivable that in some circumstances "; S4[10]=" there may be the need, if an irrigation district is unable to provide water to a particular area, that may be regarded as in effect "; S5[10]=" a compulsory acquisition,' Mr Turnbull said in drought-ravaged southwest NSW.
      Mr Turnbull, who will be sworn in to John Howard's cabinet tomorrow, "; S6[10]=" was last week put in charge of the ambitious plan to secure the nation's water supply.
      Yesterday he said he was confident "; S7[10]=" the radical shake-up would get up without triggering a constitutional showdown.
      The plan depends on the four Murray-Darling states - Queensland, NSW, "; S8[10]=" Victoria and South Australia - transferring all powers over the basin to the federal Government.
      'I am increasingly confident the powers will "; S9[10]=" be transferred,' Mr Turnbull said.
      According to Mr Turnbull, the national plan for water security - which involves a $3 billion buyback "; S10[10]=" of farmers' water entitlements and cash to fix leaky and evaporation-prone water infrastructure - is the most important in the nation's history.
      "; S11[10]=" 'This is a very urgent priority,' he said yesterday during a visit to irrigation areas at Griffith, on NSW's Murrumbidgee River, and on the Goulburn "; S12[10]=" River, in northeast Victoria.
      Both have been hit hard by the drought; Murrumbidgee irrigation farmers are getting just 15 per cent of "; S13[10]=" their general security licences, while Goulburn Valley farmers, after 10 dry years, are getting 24per cent.
      Mr Turnbull inspected leaks in 60-year-old "; S14[10]=" concrete lining, studied a failed experiment in collapsible piping, admired the latest in channel control and even leapt a small irrigation channel in a single "; S15[10]=" bound.
      Standing in front of Barren Box swamp, where the water of Griffith is now saved and recycled, Mr Turnbull gestured and "; S16[10]=" said: 'These are all areas where much of the $10 billion would be spent.' Murrumbidgee Irrigation's operations manager, Russell Webb, admitted the concrete-lined open channels "; S17[10]=" lost between 15 per cent and 18 per cent of their water in evaporation, seepage and operational losses.
      'That would be reduced "; S18[10]=" by piping,' he said.
      Mr Turnbull did not say it out loud, but the Prime Minister's plan includes $3 billion for piping.
"; S19[10]="       There are more than 3000km of channels in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation areas alone.
      They have begun piping the channels "; S20[10]=" in the intensive horticulture area.
      Mr Webb said those pipes would deliver water under pressure, which would enable farmers to adopt more "; S21[10]=" hi-tech solutions, such as drip irrigation.
      Goulburn-Murray Water chief executive Russell Cooper greeted Mr Turnbull and his water plan warmly.
    "; S22[10]="   He has just completed plans for a modernisation project that would use a system called 'total channel control, magnetic flow metering and piping and "; S23[10]=" lining channels'.
      He estimates it will cost $180million and save 47,000 megalitres of water a year.
      'We would like "; S24[10]=" to do something like this five times over,' Mr Cooper said... "; R[11]="1827"; T[11]="Farmers to be consulted on AWB"; A[11]="By ... Editor"; Dn[11]="20070129"; Dt[11]="Monday 29 January 2007"; Acats[11]="a05a07a08a22"; B1[11]="      Wheat farmers in the Queensland town of Emerald will on Wednesday become the first in the nation to be consulted on whether "; B2[11]="AWB should lose its monopoly over wheat exports... "; B3[11]=" "; B4[11]=" "; B5[11]=" "; S1[11]="      Wheat farmers in the Queensland town of Emerald will on Wednesday become the first in the nation to be consulted on whether "; S2[11]=" AWB should lose its monopoly over wheat exports.
      The farmers have been warned to be on their best behaviour for the meeting "; S3[11]=" at the normally sedate Emerald Memorial Club.
      Participants will have to register their attendance and register again before they speak.
    "; S4[11]="   If anybody gets too rowdy, they will be evicted.
      The Emerald meeting is the first of 25 events to be held "; S5[11]=" around the country, as the federal Government's new Wheat Export Marketing Consultation Committee considers the question of whether AWB should lose the right to veto "; S6[11]=" the export of wheat by its competitors, as punishment for the Iraq kickback scandal.
      The so-called single desk is considered precious by "; S7[11]=" many farmers who would rather deal with a single buyer.
      The maintenance of the single desk is Nationals policy.
      "; S8[11]=" Supporters say it gives farmers leverage in a tariff-plagued global market.
      Free marketeers, particularly in the wheat state of Western Australia, will "; S9[11]=" use the meetings to lobby for an end to what they see as agrarian socialism - but they will have to wait until the end "; S10[11]=" of next month to have their say.
      The venues in Western Australia have yet to be announced.
      Nationals politicians, "; S11[11]=" including former trade minister Mark Vaile, found themselves in hostile territory when they toured the state last year, as farmers lambasted the Government for establishing "; S12[11]=" the Cole inquiry.
      AWB's shares halved during the inquiry... "; R[12]="1824"; T[12]="Wagga Wagga conference focuses on drought recovery"; A[12]="By ... Editor"; Dn[12]="20070129"; Dt[12]="Monday 29 January 2007"; Acats[12]="a02a05a35a53a54a72a89"; B1[12]="      Scientists from across Australia will gather in Wagga Wagga in February for a conference that will focus on helping grain producers recover "; B2[12]="from the drought... "; B3[12]=" "; B4[12]=" "; B5[12]=" "; S1[12]="      Scientists from across Australia will gather in Wagga Wagga in February for a conference that will focus on helping grain producers recover "; S2[12]=" from the drought.
      The Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) will hold its annual Advisers' Update at Charles Sturt University on February "; S3[12]=" 13-14 with the aim of positioning growers for a rapid recovery from the worst drought on record.
      GRDC Southern Regional Panel chair "; S4[12]=" David Shannon said managing climate variability had become an important operational and research priority for farmers in Australia's southern grain belt, due in part to "; S5[12]=" climate extremes experienced in recent seasons.
      'The past few seasons have been anything but average,' Mr Shannon said.
      'While "; S6[12]=" the climate has always been the main factor impacting on Australian agriculture, and Australian farming success has always been characterised by our versatility in coping "; S7[12]=" with severe weather, recent seasons have highlighted the need for more than just sound farming practices developed by generations of experience.
      'New "; S8[12]=" South Wales, particularly with regard to the southern and western areas of the State, has perhaps been the hardest hit by prolonged dry weather over "; S9[12]=" the past few years.
      NSW growers will recover from these poor conditions because they are resilient and innovative, but they can't do "; S10[12]=" it alone.
      'The role of the research community and farm advisers is to improve the tools and techniques by which growers will "; S11[12]=" emerge from this difficult time stronger and more productive than before.
      'Through organisations such as the GRDC, farmers are now driving scientific "; S12[12]=" research aimed at providing them with better tools to manage climate risk from a whole range of angles - agronomy, planning, natural resource management, marketing "; S13[12]=" and finances.' Mr Shannon said farmers' advisers were playing an increasingly important role in providing the information that growers needed.
      'The GRDC "; S14[12]=" recently surveyed growers and found that increasing numbers were engaging private advisers in addition to greatly valuing the research and agronomic information coming from sources "; S15[12]=" funded by growers and taxpayers,' he said.
      'The GRDC Adviser Update is about bringing advisers and scientists together to discuss the issues "; S16[12]=" and ensure they have access to all of the information they need for their grower clients.
      Communication between them is essential to "; S17[12]=" improving research outcomes and the GRDC considers it a priority to facilitate this with initiatives such as the annual Adviser Updates.' The main topics being "; S18[12]=" presented at the Update include energy in agriculture (the changes and impacts on the grains industry associated with biofuels), planning for a year following drought, "; S19[12]=" adapting to climate change, weed biology and better weed management, insights into farmer decision-making, and soil inoculants as the 'fourth wave' in agricultural production.
  "; S20[12]="     'Many of the scientists and advisers speaking at the Wagga Wagga update are based in New South Wales, a fact which underlines the "; S21[12]=" substantial contribution to national grains research made in the state,' Mr Shannon said.
      'Organisations such as Charles Sturt University and the NSW "; S22[12]=" Department of Primary Industries are at the forefront of research aimed at improving agricultural production, sustainability and international competitiveness.'.. "; R[13]="1811"; T[13]="Desalination plant savings questioned"; A[13]="By ... Editor"; Dn[13]="20070123"; Dt[13]="Tuesday 23 January 2007"; Acats[13]="a05a40"; B1[13]="      RECYCLING Sydney's waste water and pumping it into the city's dams would use about 60per cent of the energy needed to run "; B2[13]="a desalination plant... "; B3[13]=" "; B4[13]=" "; B5[13]=" "; S1[13]="      RECYCLING Sydney's waste water and pumping it into the city's dams would use about 60per cent of the energy needed to run "; S2[13]=" a desalination plant.
      But the Iemma Government yesterday insisted that the network of pipes to carry recycled water about 60km uphill would "; S3[13]=" be about $4 billion, significantly more than the cost of a desalination plant, which it has committed itself to build.
      'Putting "; S4[13]=" aside the argument of whether people want to drink recycled water, the practicality is difficult in that you would have to build a pipeline either "; S5[13]=" overland or underground, depending on the pipeline route,' Water Utilities Minister David Campbell told The Australian.
      'The pipeline would travel through "; S6[13]=" existing built-up areas of residential Sydney and would cause significant community disruption.' The Iemma Government has vowed to build a desalination plant powered by "; S7[13]=" renewable energy if dam levels fall below 30per cent.
      It has already called for tenders and launched a $1.4million taxpayer-funded advertising campaign "; S8[13]=" to promote the technology.
      Comparisons prepared last year by Sydney Water suggest a recycling system would be about 70 per cent "; S9[13]=" more expensive than one based on desalination, a claim rejected by rival infrastructure company Sydney Services.
      It has claimed Sydney Water "; S10[13]=" inflated key costs in the estimates to favour desalination.
      But NSW Opposition water resources spokesman Andrew Stoner said Sydney did not "; S11[13]=" need desalination or recycled drinking water, with the Coalition instead favouring recycling for industrial and agricultural use.
      Water Services Association chief Ross "; S12[13]=" Young supported desalination as an option for all Australian coastal cities.
      He said the ability to further save water was limited "; S13[13]=" in light of 20 per cent cuts in household consumption since 2001.
      On Monday, Victorian Acting Premier John Thwaites flagged the "; S14[13]=" construction of a $1 billion desalination plant on top of a $2.4billion recycling project to supply water to the power stations of the Latrobe Valley.
"; S15[13]="       A referendum on recycled drinking water will be held in southeast Queensland in March... "; R[14]="1807"; T[14]="Government to reward enviro-friendly farmers"; A[14]="By ... Editor"; Dn[14]="20070123"; Dt[14]="Tuesday 23 January 2007"; Acats[14]="a05a42"; B1[14]="      The Federal Government is planning to ramp up payments to farmers for protecting the environment.... "; B2[14]=" "; B3[14]=" "; B4[14]=" "; B5[14]=" "; S1[14]="      The Federal Government is planning to ramp up payments to farmers for protecting the environment.
      Under the stewardship plan "; S2[14]=" to be funded in the budget, farmers would be paid for extra work they do to preserve wild habitats and environmental management efforts.
    "; S3[14]="   Agriculture Minister Peter McGauran says many farmers are already working to protect the environment, but if they are required to do more they should "; S4[14]=" be paid for it.
      'It might be as simple as moving some fence lines and it might be adjusting a watercourse, it "; S5[14]=" might be locking up a wetland either on a long-term or a short-term basis,' he said.
      'The concept of stewardship payments will "; S6[14]=" fit in extremely well with the tax incentives and already existing Natural Heritage grants available to farmers.'.. "; R[15]="1801"; T[15]="Beattie siphons parched Murray"; A[15]="By ... Editor"; Dn[15]="20070123"; Dt[15]="Tuesday 23 January 2007"; Acats[15]="a05a40a66"; B1[15]="      The Beattie Government is planning to sell off 8 billion litres of water a year from the drought-ravaged Murray-Darling river system for "; B2[15]="cotton growing, cattle grazing and other farm irrigation... "; B3[15]=" "; B4[15]=" "; B5[15]=" "; S1[15]="      The Beattie Government is planning to sell off 8 billion litres of water a year from the drought-ravaged Murray-Darling river system for "; S2[15]=" cotton growing, cattle grazing and other farm irrigation.
      Licences for the water, which would be enough to supply the city of Adelaide "; S3[15]=" for two weeks, will be sold in four-billion litre lots in two auctions in March.
      The sale from the Warrego Catchment comes "; S4[15]=" at a time when flows in the Murray-Darling basin have dropped to record lows and water allocations to hundreds of farmers in NSW, Victoria and "; S5[15]=" South Australia have been cut or denied.
      The cotton industry is expected to be a major beneficiary of the new allocations, which "; S6[15]=" are likely to pump about $1million into state government coffers.
      Federal Parliamentary Secretary for Water Malcolm Turnbull said yesterday he had asked "; S7[15]=" the National Water Commission to investigate whether the sales breached National Water Initiative guidelines.
      'Water allocations are being scaled back all around "; S8[15]=" Australia to return water to the environment,' Mr Turnbull said.
      'On the face of it, this requires an explanation from the state "; S9[15]=" Government.' But Queensland Natural Resources and Water Department spokesman Paul Childs described the allocations as small and said they would be the last to be "; S10[15]=" issued from the Warrego River.
      'Water will be available only where there is a suitable flow in the river and flow conditions "; S11[15]=" for pumping are reached,' Mr Childs said.
      Warrego River grazier Colin McDonald said he would consider bidding for an allocation to augment "; S12[15]=" water he extracted from a farm dam to irrigate lucerne and winter cereal crops.
      'It is a potentially attractive proposition for us "; S13[15]=" and a lot of other people to have that extra water,' Mr McDonald said.
      'When you see what water can do for "; S14[15]=" a place, you can't just let it all flow past.
      There's still a hell of a lot of water going down to "; S15[15]=" NSW.
      'You've got to be careful about knee-jerk reactions with these things or you will risk undermining the viability of good farm "; S16[15]=" enterprises.
      It's easy to say no and close the river up but you just can't do that.' The timing of the auction "; S17[15]=" is unfortunate for the federal Opposition, which pledged this week that a Labor government would buy water licences from farmers to try to restore the "; S18[15]=" health of inland rivers.
      The promise followed a warning from leading water authority Peter Cullen that, with irrigators accounting for 70 per "; S19[15]=" cent of water used in Australia, governments had to act to reduce allocations.
      In auction material, the Department of Natural Resources and "; S20[15]=" Water said the process for selling the water had been determined with input from the community.
      But mayor of the Charleville-based Murweh "; S21[15]=" Shire, Mark O'Brien, said there was widespread community concern about the sale.
      'It is unbelievable that during such a serious water crisis, "; S22[15]=" the Queensland Government is selling water licences,' he said.
      'This is a large volume of water.
      NSW and Victoria "; S23[15]=" are buying back licences but we're selling them here.
      It's bizarre.' Mr O'Brien said the transferable licences could all eventually be acquired "; S24[15]=" by a single operator.
      'The very least they could be doing is tying licences to property titles so they can't be traded.
"; S25[15]="       It is not in the community's interest to have a concentration of water ownership.' Water from the Upper Warrego Water Management Area, "; S26[15]=" based in Charleville, will be offered for sale in lots of 100 million litres, with the winning bidder able to buy up to five lots.
"; S27[15]="       Water from the Lower Warrego Water Management Area, based in Cunnamulla, will be sold in allocations of between 200 million and 800million "; S28[15]=" litres... "; R[16]="1763"; T[16]="Riverina irrigators call for compensation"; A[16]="By ... Editor"; Dn[16]="20061223"; Dt[16]="Saturday 23 December 2006"; Acats[16]="a05a07a40"; B1[16]="      Riverina irrigators have rallied to voice their anger at New South Wales Government cuts to their water allocations, and are calling for "; B2[16]="compensation... "; B3[16]=" "; B4[16]=" "; B5[16]=" "; S1[16]="      Riverina irrigators have rallied to voice their anger at New South Wales Government cuts to their water allocations, and are calling for "; S2[16]=" compensation.
      Rice farmers, dairy farmers and croppers, already had zero water allocations this season, but since October the NSW Government has cut "; S3[16]=" 52 per cent of farmer's carry over water.
      This is water farmers have saved in the previous year, to use in the "; S4[16]=" current drought.
      So today farmers are rallying in the streets, to show their anger at the State Government's decision.
      "; S5[16]=" Farmers also say a number of towns and 1,500 farming families now could run out of household water and water for stock.
      "; S6[16]=" Many beef cattle are being offloaded, including breeder cows to saleyards since this decision was made... "; R[17]="1716"; T[17]="War over school history"; A[17]="By ... Editor"; Dn[17]="20061130"; Dt[17]="Thursday 30 November 2006"; Acats[17]="a05a53"; B1[17]="      The Queensland Government is preparing for a stand-up brawl with Canberra over attempts to impose history as a compulsory subject for high "; B2[17]="school students... "; B3[17]=" "; B4[17]=" "; B5[17]=" "; S1[17]="      The Queensland Government is preparing for a stand-up brawl with Canberra over attempts to impose history as a compulsory subject for high "; S2[17]=" school students.
      Queensland Education Minister Rod Welford will defy federal Education Minister Julie Bishop and refuse to mandate history as a compulsory, "; S3[17]=" stand-alone subject for Years 9 and 10.
      'I am happy to mandate some essential knowledge of key components of Australian history into "; S4[17]=" a subject,' Mr Welford said.
      'But it simply does not make sense to mandate history as a stand-alone subject.' History is taught "; S5[17]=" in Queensland public schools as part of Studies of Societies and Environment and is optional from Year 9.
      Canberra is also facing "; S6[17]=" a showdown with South Australia, where history is available until Year 11 as part of SOSE.
      Western Australia, where history is called "; S7[17]=" 'Time, Continuity and Change' and mingled in a Society and Environment course, is believed to be considering Ms Bishop's proposal.
      NSW and "; S8[17]=" Victoria offer history as a stand-alone subject.
      Other territories and states have not made their position clear.
      Ms Bishop "; S9[17]=" has refused to rule out withholding money from the next $40 billion education funding round from those states that resist her push for a stand-alone "; S10[17]=" compulsory history subject.
      'In the last funding round the Government provided $33 billion to the states and territories to run their schools "; S11[17]=" and I believe that the Australian taxpayers would expect us to make the states and territories accountable for that investment,' she said last month.
  "; S12[17]="     Yesterday Ms Bishop's office said: 'The Minister hopes the state will agree with the proposal voluntarily.' The warning follows news that a report "; S13[17]=" commissioned by federal and state education ministers found that more than three-quarters of Australian teenagers did not know the significance of Australia Day.
    "; S14[17]="   Ms Bishop's push for compulsory history in schools has the strong backing of Prime Minister John Howard.
      On Australia Day, Mr "; S15[17]=" Howard foreshadowed his desire to see history established as a compulsory subject on Australia Day.
      He has specifically attacked Mr Welford's proposal "; S16[17]=" for blending history with other curriculums.
      'Too often, it is taught without any sense of structured narrative, replaced by a fragmented stew "; S17[17]=" of themes and issues,' Mr Howard said.
      Mr Welford last night vowed to strongly support Queensland public schools which want to establish "; S18[17]=" a separate history curriculum.
      But he believes the practicalities of many smaller Queensland high schools require history be incorporated into other areas "; S19[17]=" such as social studies or environmental education.
      He warned Ms Bishop that Queensland would not be swayed by Canberra's 'rigid inflexibility' on "; S20[17]=" the issue... "; R[18]="1709"; T[18]="Govt assesses wheat export system future"; A[18]="By ... Editor"; Dn[18]="20061130"; Dt[18]="Thursday 30 November 2006"; Acats[18]="a05a22"; B1[18]="      The Federal Government has started considering the future of the wheat export system following the Cole inquiry report.... "; B2[18]=" "; B3[18]=" "; B4[18]=" "; B5[18]=" "; S1[18]="      The Federal Government has started considering the future of the wheat export system following the Cole inquiry report.
      Federal "; S2[18]=" Government ministers are satisfied they have survived the Cole inquiry unscathed.
      But now they are facing the difficult task of deciding whether "; S3[18]=" the wheat export system rorted by AWB needs to be changed.
      Liberals including Wilson Tuckey and Bill Heffernan want change.
    "; S4[18]="   Agriculture Minister Peter McGauran says his party wants to keep the single desk in some form, although he realises that is not the view "; S5[18]=" of the whole Cabinet.
      However he says AWB may yet be part of the solution.
      US Wheat Associates, the "; S6[18]=" export marketing arm which represents American wheat growers, wants the single desk removed.
      The association's president, Alan Tracey, says Australian farmers have "; S7[18]=" been duped by AWB and the single desk is distorting world trade.
      He says the association will support moves by the powerful "; S8[18]=" US Senate Agriculture Committee to conduct its own inquiry into AWB.
      'AWB has a subsidiary in the United States, the funds that "; S9[18]=" came from the oil-for-food program moved through US banks,' he said.
      'There are a lot of connections here and possible violations of "; S10[18]=" US law.
      'We do believe that some investigations are in order and we'll be seeking that now that we passed the milestone "; S11[18]=" of the report.'.. "; R[19]="1636"; T[19]="Boutique wineries anxious as timber giant branches out"; A[19]="By ... Editor"; Dn[19]="20061111"; Dt[19]="Saturday 11 November 2006"; Acats[19]="a05a13a39"; B1[19]="      Already the centre of controversy for its destruction of native forests and its proposed pulp mill, timber company Gunns is provoking concern "; B2[19]="with its latest enterprise: wine production... "; B3[19]=" "; B4[19]=" "; B5[19]=" "; S1[19]="      Already the centre of controversy for its destruction of native forests and its proposed pulp mill, timber company Gunns is provoking concern "; S2[19]=" with its latest enterprise: wine production.
      Gunns, reviled by many Tasmanians and revered by others, has purchased three of the state's leading "; S3[19]=" wineries, most recently Rosevears Estate several months ago.
      It plans to produce more wine grapes than the state's entire current production.
  "; S4[19]="     The emergence of the first large player in a local industry based until now entirely on boutique wineries is creating unease.
    "; S5[19]="   The rapid spread of its vineyards, like its timber plantations, is fuelled by tax-friendly managed investment schemes.
      The woodchipper now owns "; S6[19]=" Tamar Ridge, Coombend and Rosevears Estate and, under an ambitious planting schedule, plans to produce 4000 tonnes of fruit by 2008-10.
      By "; S7[19]=" 2013, Gunns executive chairman John Gay predicts, that may have risen to as much as 8000 - more than the state's entire current production of "; S8[19]=" about 6500 tonnes a year.
      Gerald Ellis, of Wine Industry Tasmania, said the concern was whether boutique wineries would survive if, as "; S9[19]=" expected, Gunns's economies of scale allowed it to produce $15 bottles of pinot noir.
      'If Tasmania is to enter into the commodity "; S10[19]=" world by producing a $15 bottle of pinot, then our production strategy will have to change,' Mr Ellis said.
      'If they flood "; S11[19]=" the market with cheap fruit, that will drive the prices down, because people will be able to purchase low-price Tasmanian fruit and make low-price Tasmanian "; S12[19]=" wine.' Some Tasmanian merchants are so concerned they are refusing to stock wine sold under Gunns-owned labels.
      Mr Ellis said it was "; S13[19]=" hoped Gunns would find export markets for its bulk product, and Gunns is keen to reassure the industry that this is its intention.
    "; S14[19]="   Mr Gay said: 'The boutique (wine) industry is a very, very good one for Tasmania and Gunns is going to make sure we stay "; S15[19]=" in the boutique industry.
      But we will put a commercial industry alongside it.' Gunns has hired respected winemaker Andrew Pirie to head "; S16[19]=" Tamar Ridge wines.
      Dr Pirie founded the successful Pipers Brook vineyard.
      He confirmed that Gunns planned to produce a "; S17[19]=" range of wine in the $15-$20 price zone, half the cost of most Tasmanian labels.
      But he said the boutique industry need "; S18[19]=" not fear, since Gunns would be 'fishing in different waters'.
      'Some people will trade down when (cheaper) wine is available, but generally "; S19[19]=" we're talking different sectors,' he said.
      'The people who buy the $15 (bottle) are traditional shoppers at Coles; the people who buy "; S20[19]=" the current $30 pinot are buying them in restaurants as tourists.'.. "; R[20]="1619"; T[20]="We'll pay to beat climate crisis - voters"; A[20]="By ... Editor"; Dn[20]="20061108"; Dt[20]="Wednesday 8 November 2006"; Acats[20]="a05a07a89"; B1[20]="      Almost two-thirds of Australians are prepared to pay more tax and more for essentials if it helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, "; B2[20]="according to a Herald/ACNielsen poll... "; B3[20]=" "; B4[20]=" "; B5[20]=" "; S1[20]="      Almost two-thirds of Australians are prepared to pay more tax and more for essentials if it helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, "; S2[20]=" according to a Herald/ACNielsen poll.
      The finding comes as the Prime Minister, John Howard, prepares for a crisis summit with premiers today "; S3[20]=" on the Murray-Darling river system.
      They will discuss restricting environmental flows to save towns and irrigators, as well as withdrawing water licences.
"; S4[20]="       The Murray-Darling Basin Commission will brief the summit on the severe impact of the drought on towns and irrigators.
      "; S5[20]=" The poll found 63 per cent would accept higher taxes and paying more for goods and services if it eased global warming.
      "; S6[20]=" The poll was taken from Thursday to Saturday last week following days of heated parliamentary debate on climate change.
      It found 91 "; S7[20]=" per cent of voters regarded global warming as serious, and 62 per cent were unhappy with the Federal Government's response.
      Almost half "; S8[20]=" of those polled cited solar power as the best way to tackle global warming, 19 per cent backed a carbon tax on fossil fuels and "; S9[20]=" 17 per cent supported nuclear power.
      Only 9 per cent advocated using their cars less.
      During debate last week "; S10[20]=" on climate change Mr Howard ruled out a carbon tax or other levies on fossil fuels that would drive up the price of power and "; S11[20]=" other services and cost jobs.
      He said cleaning up emissions from fossil fuels was the best course of action, which over time "; S12[20]=" would increase the price of coal-fired power and eventually bring the more expensive nuclear power into contention.
      A Government commissioned report into "; S13[20]=" the nuclear cycle to be handed down soon is expected to find nuclear power to be about 15 years from being viable, but only if "; S14[20]=" a carbon tax or emissions trading scheme is imposed.
      Labor is advocating reduced emissions targets, ratifying the Kyoto Protocol and investing heavily "; S15[20]=" in renewable energy.
      The Labor leader, Kim Beazley, has baulked at conceding his measures would make energy more expensive.
      "; S16[20]=" Climate change has been given added impetus by the drought.
      Mr Howard and the premiers will discuss the parlous state of the "; S17[20]=" Murray-Darling, whose main dams will run dry in six months without good rains.
      The premiers of NSW, Morris Iemma, South Australia, Mike "; S18[20]=" Rann, and Victoria, Steve Bracks, and the Queensland Deputy Premier, Anna Blight, will attend.
      They will discuss withdrawing water rights from some "; S19[20]=" farmers and short-term cuts in environmental flows to the river so spare water can be directed to irrigators and towns.
      One senior "; S20[20]=" government source said it was important to 'look after people first'... "; R[21]="1597"; T[21]="SA signs water trading deal"; A[21]="By ... Editor"; Dn[21]="20061103"; Dt[21]="Friday 3 November 2006"; Acats[21]="a05a08a40"; B1[21]="      After facing $17 million in fines, South Australia and New South Wales yesterday signed an agreement to enable permanent trading of water "; B2[21]="in the Murray and Murrumbidgee rivers... "; B3[21]=" "; B4[21]=" "; B5[21]=" "; S1[21]="      After facing $17 million in fines, South Australia and New South Wales yesterday signed an agreement to enable permanent trading of water "; S2[21]=" in the Murray and Murrumbidgee rivers.
      River Murray Minister Karlene Maywald and NSW Minister for Natural Resources Ian Macdonald launched the agreement "; S3[21]=" in Berri.
      'Earlier this year SA and NSW incurred $17 million in penalties from the Federal Government for failing to achieve an "; S4[21]=" agreement on water trading,' Ms Maywald said.
      'The signing of this agreement demonstrates the willingness of jurisdictions to work together.' In the "; S5[21]=" tagged trading system, SA irrigators can own a share of water in NSW but are bound by NSW water laws and visa versa.
    "; S6[21]="   The Federal Government meanwhile announced a scheme to buy water saved through farmers' efficiency.
      Farmers and irrigators can retain the use "; S7[21]=" of water up to 2009 and will be paid in advance to fund efficiency measures... "; R[22]="1595"; T[22]="Costello pushes for water market to end rationing"; A[22]="By ... Editor"; Dn[22]="20061103"; Dt[22]="Friday 3 November 2006"; Acats[22]="a05a40"; B1[22]="      The Treasurer, Peter Costello, has stepped up pressure on the states to set up a national market for water, saying it would "; B2[22]="eliminate the need to ration the precious resource... "; B3[22]=" "; B4[22]=" "; B5[22]=" "; S1[22]="      The Treasurer, Peter Costello, has stepped up pressure on the states to set up a national market for water, saying it would "; S2[22]=" eliminate the need to ration the precious resource.
      Amid the worsening drought, the Federal Government is pushing for a broad system of "; S3[22]=" trading water under the National Water Initiative the states agreed to in 2004.
      Also yesterday, the Government announced it would pay farmers "; S4[22]=" for any water that could be returned to the Murray-Darling river system.
      Tenders to buy water saved through efficiency measures, such as "; S5[22]=" covering irrigation channels, were announced yesterday by the parliamentary secretary for water, Malcolm Turnbull.
      The move came as the Queensland Premier, Peter "; S6[22]=" Beattie, urged people to pray for rain as tougher, level-four water restrictions came into force.
      Queenslanders can now water gardens only on "; S7[22]=" alternate days, while businesses must draw up water efficiency plans.
      The worst drought on record, coupled with rapid population growth, has exposed "; S8[22]=" the inadequacies of south-east Queensland's water supply.
      Under a worst-case scenario, which assumes no significant rain over the next 22 months, the "; S9[22]=" region would run out of water in 2008.
      Dam levels are at 25.6 per cent.
      Announcing the Murray-Darling tenders, "; S10[22]=" Mr Turnbull said he did not know how much water would be returned to the system, which scientists say needs the equivalent of six Sydney "; S11[22]=" Harbours to ensure survival of its plants, animals, floodplains and wetlands.
      Mr Turnbull said the program was designed to protect sites along "; S12[22]=" the river such as the redgum forests at Barmah.
      Farmers and irrigators who take part will be paid now and allowed to "; S13[22]=" use the water until 2009 before surrendering it.
      The 2004 agreement included developing a system to trade water entitlements and introduce market-based "; S14[22]=" pricing for water, but the states have been slow to take up the reforms.
      NSW, Victoria and South Australia have agreed in "; S15[22]=" principle to cross-border trading of water, but the system is yet to come into effect.
      Mr Costello said the drought, which could "; S16[22]=" become the worst on record, should bring the issue into sharper focus for the states.
      'With a fully functioning national market for "; S17[22]=" water there would be no need to ration,' he told an Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry function in Canberra last night.
      "; S18[22]=" 'The price signals created by markets would provide incentives for water to be transferred to where it adds the most value, encourage investment in water-efficient "; S19[22]=" technology and cost-effective infrastructure where it is needed, and also allow for water to be secured for the environment.
      'Markets would provide "; S20[22]=" us with the flexibility to better adapt to future crises, such as from prolonged drought.' Some temporary water trading was taking place, Mr Costello said, "; S21[22]=" but 'we have a long way to go before we have a fully functioning market'... "; R[23]="1594"; T[23]="Clear water for Murray buyback"; A[23]="By ... Editor"; Dn[23]="20061103"; Dt[23]="Friday 3 November 2006"; Acats[23]="a05a08a40"; B1[23]="      The Howard Government has finally opened the way for the buyback of water entitlements from the River Murray -- five months after "; B2[23]="the scheme was first proposed... "; B3[23]=" "; B4[23]=" "; B5[23]=" "; S1[23]="      The Howard Government has finally opened the way for the buyback of water entitlements from the River Murray -- five months after "; S2[23]=" the scheme was first proposed.
      However, the conditional buyback will apply only to water saved through efficiency measures, and is unlikely to "; S3[23]=" deliver the minimum 500gigalitres identified for environmental flows by the Living Murray initiative.
      Irrigators and the Nationals have strongly opposed the Government "; S4[23]=" moving to an unconditional buyback of water entitlements because of the measure's feared impact on regional farm communities.
      Parliamentary Secretary for Water "; S5[23]=" Malcolm Turnbull said tenders had been requested for the new efficiency scheme, which would benefit River Murray sites, including river red gum forests at Barmah "; S6[23]=" on the river's floodplains, Hattah Lakes and the Coorong at the river's mouth.
      Peter Costello has also stepped up pressure on the "; S7[23]=" states to set up a national market for water... "; R[24]="1544"; T[24]="Don't leave Climate Change Action to the Politicians - Suzuki"; A[24]="By ... Editor"; Dn[24]="20061020"; Dt[24]="Friday 20 October 2006"; Acats[24]="a05a89"; B1[24]="      The Prime Minister, John Howard, has been branded an international outlaw whose decision not to ratify the Kyoto Protocol on climate change "; B2[24]="will be seen as a 'crime against future generations'... "; B3[24]=" "; B4[24]=" "; B5[24]=" "; S1[24]="      The Prime Minister, John Howard, has been branded an international outlaw whose decision not to ratify the Kyoto Protocol on climate change "; S2[24]=" will be seen as a 'crime against future generations'.
      David Suzuki, the Canadian environmentalist, criticised the Federal Government and said the whole "; S3[24]=" country should be engaged in the debate, not just politicians.
      'Folks are going to have to start biting the bullet and saying, "; S4[24]=" 'Maybe that land would be better left for other purposes, like letting other species flourish',' he said.
      'But it should be done "; S5[24]=" in a much greater forum, to have the whole country engaged in this process, not just a bunch of politicians knee-jerking around and trying to "; S6[24]=" appease this group and deal with that group and trying to put bandages here and there.' Dr Suzuki, speaking at the National Press Club in "; S7[24]=" Canberra yesterday, questioned the human race's determination to ignore things such as climate change, increasing rates of extinction and genetically modified crops.
      "; S8[24]=" 'We have become afflicted with an incredible appetite for stuff, for consumption.' he said.
      'We like stuff.
      We love "; S9[24]=" stuff, and all that stuff comes from the planet.' Children did not know where their food came from or that polluting a river or lake "; S10[24]=" could affect their drinking water, he said.
      'We no longer think about the consequences of an interconnected world,' Dr Suzuki said.
  "; S11[24]="     The recent attention on the drought was an example.
      It seemed mad, he said, that Australia was growing crops such "; S12[24]=" as rice and cotton when it could focus on native species, such as macadamia nuts, that could better handle the climate.
      Dr "; S13[24]=" Suzuki, described by the press club as a 'gladiatorial geneticist', is now 70 and worried about future generations.
      He does not understand "; S14[24]=" how the smartest species on Earth seems intent on literally eating itself out of house and home.
      'I believe that future generations "; S15[24]=" will look back on the inactivity, the unwillingness to do anything, as a crime against future generations.
      It's outrageous that we are "; S16[24]=" not taking advantage of foresight, our predictive capacity to see where the dangers lie, seize the opportunities and make our way into a more liveable "; S17[24]=" future,' he said... "; R[25]="1497"; T[25]="Economists say trade figures suggest exports improving"; A[25]="By ... Editor"; Dn[25]="20061006"; Dt[25]="Friday 6 October 2006"; Acats[25]="a05a07a08"; B1[25]="      Australia's trade gap with the rest of the world has fallen to its lowest level in six months providing more proof that "; B2[25]="an export recovery is underway... "; B3[25]=" "; B4[25]=" "; B5[25]=" "; S1[25]="      Australia's trade gap with the rest of the world has fallen to its lowest level in six months providing more proof that "; S2[25]=" an export recovery is underway.
      An Australian Bureau of Statistics report showed the balance on goods and services was a deficit of "; S3[25]=" $208 million, seasonally adjusted, in August from a downwardly revised deficit of $320 million in July.
      Economists were expecting a deficit of "; S4[25]=" $400 million.
      Commonwealth Bank senior economist Michael Workman said the result was 'extremely favourable' and indicated that the current very high export "; S5[25]=" prices were finally delivering extremely small trade deficits.
      'It's possibly a mixture of the very high prices and at last, some improvement "; S6[25]=" in volumes,' he said.
      'And imports are still holding up there at record levels.' The trade deficit has not been this low "; S7[25]=" since February, when it was $169 million.
      Exports and imports both rose by one per cent in August, adjusted, the ABS said.
"; S8[25]="       ABN AMRO chief economist Kieran Davies said there has been a trend improvement in the trade deficit for some time, although there "; S9[25]=" is still some uncertainly as to whether that translated into a simular improvement in net export volumes.
      Mr Davies said a key "; S10[25]=" issue for exports is the high Australian dollar along with lingering supply problems, that have hindered the export recovery.
      However, he remains "; S11[25]=" optimistic heading.
      'There should be some recovery in exports volumes in given the expansion in capacity in the export sector in the "; S12[25]=" past 12 months,' he said.
      'Given the increased capacity in the resources sector there should be some pay off for volumes by "; S13[25]=" the end of the year.' UBS chief economist Scott Haslem said the trade data continued to reflect the long-awaited rebalancing of the Australian economy, away "; S14[25]=" from domestic and toward externally-driven growth.
      'It reflects easing inflation risks from lower global oil prices as well as embodying signs of "; S15[25]=" slower future domestic growth, as the pace of imports growth moderates,' he said.
      A similarly-sized trade deficit in September would lead to "; S16[25]=" a significant bounce-back in third quarter gross domestic product, growth due to a positive net exports contribution, Mr Haslem said.
      It would "; S17[25]=" also result in the current account deficit being close to four per cent of GDP, well below the 5.4 per cent reported for the second "; S18[25]=" quarter, he said... "; R[26]="1422"; T[26]="US offers hope for trade talks"; A[26]="By ... Editor"; Dn[26]="20060921"; Dt[26]="Thursday 21 September 2006"; Acats[26]="a05a08"; B1[26]="      The US is prepared to improve its offer to cut billion-dollar subsidies to its farmers in a move that could revive the "; B2[26]="stalled world trade talks... "; B3[26]=" "; B4[26]=" "; B5[26]=" "; S1[26]="      The US is prepared to improve its offer to cut billion-dollar subsidies to its farmers in a move that could revive the "; S2[26]=" stalled world trade talks.
      Two George W.
      Bush appointees, who are in Australia for the 25th anniversary of the "; S3[26]=" talks between farming nations in Cairns, told The Australian yesterday the US was willing to improve its existing offer, but Europe had to break out "; S4[26]=" of its '1930s mentality'.
      'We're willing to be at the table and negotiate our way through this,' US Secretary for Agriculture Mike "; S5[26]=" Johanns said.
      'We're willing to cut our subsidies ...
      But the EU has to be more flexible.
    "; S6[26]="   They cannot continue to maintain very high tariffs.
      Even at the end of this, they'll still be able to subsidise their "; S7[26]=" farmers at twice the level the US would.' But the European Union declared this week that nothing more could be done at present.
    "; S8[26]="   The world trade talks have foundered on inability to reduce high European tariffs, high US subsidies and the Japanese Government's extensive use of both "; S9[26]=" forms of trade protection, which distort world markets.
      US Trade Representative Susan Schwab said there was scope for change, but she would "; S10[26]=" not go into detail.
      'The only way to get to a breakthrough is for all of us to be willing to stretch,' "; S11[26]=" she said.
      'The US has made it clear we're prepared to do even more than the very, very ambitious, very bold proposal "; S12[26]=" we put on the table last October.
      'We're prepared to do more in terms of market access and domestic support but only "; S13[26]=" if there's more European market access on the table.' John Howard met Mr Johanns and Ms Schwab for talks last night after rebuking the Europeans "; S14[26]=" for not taking the opportunity to send officials of equivalent rank to the Cairns talks.
      While European Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson this "; S15[26]=" week suggested Australia was out of touch with the talks and its plans for resurrecting the Doha round were not 'doable', the Americans said Australia "; S16[26]=" was playing a crucial role.
      Mr Johanns said it was a sign of how much importance the US attached to the talks "; S17[26]=" that he and Ms Schwab had come to Cairns.
      'We don't tend to travel the world together,' he said.
      "; S18[26]=" 'We both have busy schedules and oftentimes are heading in different directions but this one's important.' Mr Howard said he was very aware of what "; S19[26]=" was at stake.
      'It's no good Mr Mandelson saying I'm out of touch,' he said.
      'I'm not out of "; S20[26]=" touch, I know exactly what the figures are, I've studied them very carefully and I know exactly how unwilling the political leadership in Europe is "; S21[26]=" to do enough to remove the high level of subsidies so that we can actually get things moving on this front ...
      "; S22[26]=" You only have to look at the figures.
      The level of country support, of consumer support, producer subsidy support in the European "; S23[26]=" Union is probably, what, six times or more what it is in Australia and close to double what it is in the US.
    "; S24[26]="   'I know the Europeans do not like to be criticised and they get very sensitive when I draw attention to these things, but I "; S25[26]=" have an interest as Prime Minister of Australia in sticking up for our farmers.' World Trade Organisation chief Pascal Lamy blamed the collapse of the "; S26[26]=" Doha round on blindsided negotiators and said the US and the European Union would have to slash farming subsidies if global trade reform talks were "; S27[26]=" to succeed.
      'It's pretty unfortunate that negotiations broke down over a few thousand tonnes of beef, a few thousand of poultry and "; S28[26]=" a few billion dollars of trade-distorting subsidies,' he said.
      'The negotiations unravelled because far too many negotiators focused on the small picture, "; S29[26]=" forgetting the bigger one.' Mr Lamy outlined a timetable for saving the Doha round that would include a six-month extension of the US Trade Promotion "; S30[26]=" Authority, which quarantines any trade deals from being amended by Congress.
      Mr Lamy said the barriers to trade reform were not insurmountable "; R[27]="1402"; T[27]="Government to introduce industry code of conduct"; A[27]="By ... Editor"; Dn[27]="20060921"; Dt[27]="Thursday 21 September 2006"; Acats[27]="a04a05a17a18"; B1[27]="      The Federal Government has bowed to pressure from the horticulture industry to introduce a mandatory code of conduct.... "; B2[27]=" "; B3[27]=" "; B4[27]=" "; B5[27]=" "; S1[27]="      The Federal Government has bowed to pressure from the horticulture industry to introduce a mandatory code of conduct.
      "; S2[27]=" Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Peter McGauran yesterday announced the Government would start the process of implementing the code immediately.
      "; S3[27]=" Orchardist and NSW Farmers' Association horticulture committee chair Peter Darley said the decision came after months of lobbying the Government for a code which would "; S4[27]=" clarify the relationship between growers and wholesalers.
      'I think this is a significant result for horticulture.
      It's been "; S5[27]=" a long time coming.
      'We still have to look at what is in the code.
      I would like "; S6[27]=" to see growers and wholesalers sit down and come up with something that works for everyone,' he said.
      The Government had "; S7[27]=" previously raised the possibility of a voluntary code, which was rejected by grower representative groups.
      The mandatory code will include a "; S8[27]=" dispute resolution process.
      Mr Darley while retailers were not a part of the code, it might be necessary to include them "; S9[27]=" in the future.
      'I would like to see retailers a part of it, but I think this is a good start.
"; S10[27]="       Fruit and vegetables in retail have gone up 117 per cent in the last 10 years, but growers profits have actually decreased.
"; S11[27]="       'Someone is obviously profiteering,' he said.
      Minister McGauran said he expected the necessary regulations would be passed "; S12[27]=" by the Parliament by the end of this year... "; R[28]="1320"; T[28]="Labor taps into waste water"; A[28]="By ... Editor"; Dn[28]="20060823"; Dt[28]="Wednesday 23 August 2006"; Acats[28]="a05a40"; B1[28]="      Nearly one-third of Australia's waste water would be recycled under an ambitious Labor plan to revolutionise water usage by 2015.... "; B2[28]=" "; B3[28]=" "; B4[28]=" "; B5[28]=" "; S1[28]="      Nearly one-third of Australia's waste water would be recycled under an ambitious Labor plan to revolutionise water usage by 2015.
    "; S2[28]="   The recycled water would be used in factories and irrigation, not sent to households or used as drinking water unless communities chose to do "; S3[28]=" so.
      The new policy, to be announced by Labor's environment spokesman Anthony Albanese in a speech in Melbourne today, commits a future "; S4[28]=" Labor Government to 30 per cent recycling within a decade.
      The target would be averaged across Australia.
      But with "; S5[28]=" some states recycling none or very little of their used water, and with an existing average of around 10 per cent, reaching the new benchmark "; S6[28]=" would be a major effort.
      In his speech, obtained by The Age, Mr Albanese argues that 'water use and water supply in "; S7[28]=" urban Australia is a national crisis'.
      With water supplies for Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth projected to fall by 25 per cent "; S8[28]=" by 2030, he insists that the 'profligate waste of water' can no longer continue.
      'We must build the infrastructure we need to "; S9[28]=" reuse water for non-drinking purposes, such as watering parks and gardens, and for industrial and commercial purposes,' he will tell the Australian Financial Review National "; S10[28]=" Infrastructure Summit.
      'For most of Australia, recycling water for potable use is unnecessary and a distraction from the need to progress reform.' "; S11[28]=" Victoria currently recycles 11.6 per cent of waste water, and is on track to meet its target of 20 per cent by 2012.
    "; S12[28]="   Labor has also pledged to speed up moves towards a national water market, where water rights can be priced and then traded... "; R[29]="1312"; T[29]="Summit agrees on national approach to history teaching"; A[29]="By ... Editor"; Dn[29]="20060818"; Dt[29]="Friday 18 August 2006"; Acats[29]="a05a53"; B1[29]="      A history summit in Canberra has recommended Australian history be taught as a core, stand alone subject in years nine and 10.... "; B2[29]=" "; B3[29]=" "; B4[29]=" "; B5[29]=" "; S1[29]="      A history summit in Canberra has recommended Australian history be taught as a core, stand alone subject in years nine and 10.
"; S2[29]="       The issue was first raised by Prime Minister John Howard in an Australia Day address.
      Today historians, teachers and "; S3[29]=" social commentators nutted out a new national approach to the subject.
      The summit agreed a national curriculum should be developed for all "; S4[29]=" states and territories, but Education Minister Julie Bishop will not say if she will tie the curriculum to federal funding.
      'It's been "; S5[29]=" an extremely productive day and I'm looking forward to working collaboratively with the state and territory education ministers,' she said.
      'What the "; S6[29]=" Australian Government has done is taken a lead in restoring Australian history to a key place in Australian schools.
      'Now we don't "; S7[29]=" run state government schools, but what we're seeking to do is provide the states and territories with the benefit of the advice that has come "; S8[29]=" from the history summit.' Former New South Wales premier Bob Carr, who was involved in the summit, says the specific details of what exactly should "; S9[29]=" be taught is still being worked through.
      'It agrees that students should come to an understanding of the character of Australian society "; S10[29]=" by pursuing, over a wide range of years, a series of open ended questions about the character of Australia's society based on a clear chronology "; S11[29]=" of events,' Mr Carr said.
      But Mr Carr has urged state leaders to adopt the recommendations.
      'I think states "; S12[29]=" and territories should feel pretty comfortable moving within this space,' he said.
      'I'd like to see this happen by cooperation.
    "; S13[29]="   I'm pretty comfortable with it because we did this in New South Wales, it is compulsory - study for 100 hours subject to an "; S14[29]=" external examination, so we're pretty comfortable with the concept.'.. "; R[30]="1304"; T[30]="US grain growers anxious to control ethanol plants"; A[30]="By ... Editor"; Dn[30]="20060818"; Dt[30]="Friday 18 August 2006"; Acats[30]="a05a36a60a94"; B1[30]="      Australian investment in US ethanol plants is causing a stir among US grain growers, who are anxious to hold onto control of "; B2[30]="their new industry... "; B3[30]=" "; B4[30]=" "; B5[30]=" "; S1[30]="      Australian investment in US ethanol plants is causing a stir among US grain growers, who are anxious to hold onto control of "; S2[30]=" their new industry.
      Mid-west US producers said at a farm bill listening session they are concerned foreign investors that Wall Street might "; S3[30]=" gain too much control of US ethanol production.
      National Farmers Union president Tom Buis says 'it's been a 30-year struggle, basically by "; S4[30]=" farmers to get this industry kick-started.
      And now that it's arrived, they just don't want to sit back and watch the control "; S5[30]=" and all the profits go elsewhere'.
      Mr Buis concedes US growers voted to sell Global Ethanol, based in Brisbane, a controlling interest "; S6[30]=" in Midwest Grain Processors to expand or build three US plants, but argues with the US industry taking off in the last year, attitudes are "; S7[30]=" changing... "; R[31]="1299"; T[31]="Call for SA to raise cost of water"; A[31]="By ... Editor"; Dn[31]="20060818"; Dt[31]="Friday 18 August 2006"; Acats[31]="a05a40a42a68"; B1[31]="      Conservation organisation the World Wildlife Fund wants the State Government to raise water costs if it is serious about conserving the precious "; B2[31]="natural resource... "; B3[31]=" "; B4[31]=" "; B5[31]=" "; S1[31]="      Conservation organisation the World Wildlife Fund wants the State Government to raise water costs if it is serious about conserving the precious "; S2[31]=" natural resource.
      WWF yesterday released its international water report Rich countries, poor water, the first to examine the water crisis in developed "; S3[31]=" countries.
      It found annual rainfall in SA has reduced by up to 60mm since 1970 and climate change will cause further decreases.
"; S4[31]="       WWF's Global Freshwater program director Jamie Pittock said governments should be charging more to reflect the actual cost of water, particularly for "; S5[31]=" agriculture.
      'Capping the level of water extracted is a good start but much more water needs to be returned to the Murray "; S6[31]=" River than is envisaged under State and Federal government plans,' Mr Pittock said.
      He said wastewater should be reused for agriculture... "; R[32]="1298"; T[32]="Restore subject or funding is history"; A[32]="By ... Editor"; Dn[32]="20060818"; Dt[32]="Friday 18 August 2006"; Acats[32]="a05a53"; B1[32]="      State governments will be under pressure to reinstate history as a compulsory separate subject in schools or risk losing nearly $13 billion "; B2[32]="in federal funding as a summit of experts meet in Canberra today... "; B3[32]=" "; B4[32]=" "; B5[32]=" "; S1[32]="      State governments will be under pressure to reinstate history as a compulsory separate subject in schools or risk losing nearly $13 billion "; S2[32]=" in federal funding as a summit of experts meet in Canberra today.
      But in launching the history summit last night, federal Education "; S3[32]=" Minister Julie Bishop told the 23 participants she was not in favour of 'creating some form of an official' history.
      'We start, "; S4[32]=" however, with a strong view that Australian history should be a compulsory stand-alone subject during some period of high school,' she said.
      "; S5[32]=" The history summit, which was flagged by The Australian last month, has been convened by Ms Bishop in response to John Howard's call in January "; S6[32]=" for a 'root and branch renewal' of the teaching of Australian history.
      'Debate is healthy, but too often in the past decade "; S7[32]=" the extremes in the history debate obscured the sensible centre and left others - not the least our children - to simply switch off,' Ms "; S8[32]=" Bishop said.
      'But let me assure everyone that we are not in the business ofproducing some form of official history.' The Government "; S9[32]=" is worried that school students are losing any sense of Australian or world history as a result of the rise of cross-disciplinary subjects with titles "; S10[32]=" such as Study of Society and its Environment.
      The Prime Minister and Ms Bishop want compulsory history subjects taught from kindergarten to "; S11[32]=" Year 10, with Australian history the focus of Years 9 and 10.
      Participants in the summit include former NSW premier Bob Carr, "; S12[32]=" conservative commentator Gerard Henderson, historian Geoffrey Blainey and The Australian editor-at-large Paul Kelly.
      By inviting what she calls the 'sensible centre' of "; S13[32]=" the history debate, Ms Bishop hopes to avoid the summit becoming hostage to the 'history wars'.
      But in an opinion article in "; S14[32]=" a Melbourne newspaper on Tuesday, Melbourne University history professor Stuart McIntyre, who was invited to the summit but cannot attend, suggested it would endorse the "; S15[32]=" view that 'only one story can be told and that it should be drilled into all young Australians'.
      But Henderson dismissed that "; S16[32]=" argument yesterday.
      'I think the presence of Geoffrey Bolton or Bob Carr or Inge Clendinnen indicates this is going to be a "; S17[32]=" discussion which will focus on the importance of narrative history, but also looking at different traditions,' he said.
      'Both the conservative tradition "; S18[32]=" and the social democratic tradition have an interest in getting our history right and seeing it is not captured by ideologues.' The summit should give "; S19[32]=" Ms Bishop the ammunition she needs to make stand-alone history a condition of the next four-year education funding agreement with the states - expected to "; S20[32]=" be worth nearly $13 billion for state schools and $29 billion for private schools.
      Those at the meeting will also advise her "; S21[32]=" on the additional resources that will be required, which could include online curriculum materials and brush-up courses for teachers.
      In a pointed "; S22[32]=" reference to the school syllabus in Queensland, Ms Bishop said: 'History is not peace studies.
      'History is not social justice awareness week.
"; S23[32]="       Or consciousness-raising about ecological sustainability.
      History is history, and shouldn't be a political science course by another name.'.. "; R[33]="1297"; T[33]="Beattie urged to look south for water"; A[33]="By ... Editor"; Dn[33]="20060818"; Dt[33]="Friday 18 August 2006"; Acats[33]="a05a40"; B1[33]="      Peter Beattie will spend $1 billion to drought-proof Queensland by building a web of water pipelines, as critics insisted he should just "; B2[33]="look south to NSW to solve his state's water problems... "; B3[33]=" "; B4[33]=" "; B5[33]=" "; S1[33]="      Peter Beattie will spend $1 billion to drought-proof Queensland by building a web of water pipelines, as critics insisted he should just "; S2[33]=" look south to NSW to solve his state's water problems.
      The Queensland Premier's water plan includes $49 million to lock up land "; S3[33]=" for a 1200km pipeline, and a new water grid.
      But the Opposition and water experts said yesterday that northern NSW had one "; S4[33]=" of the nation's highest rainfalls, highlighting the need to reconsider water policy on the basis of its state of origin.
      University of "; S5[33]=" NSW water expert Greg Leslie said piping water from northern NSW to southeast Queensland would be 'nothing new' at a global level.
      "; S6[33]=" The Beattie Government, which has had eight years to tackle the problem, has recently put two new dams and the water grid on the drawing "; S7[33]=" board after the past five wet seasons failed to bring dam-filling rains.
      It has also announced a feasibility study into a pipeline "; S8[33]=" from Burdekin to Brisbane, which Mr Beattie has said may not be built this century.
      Professor Mike Young, research chair, water economics "; S9[33]=" and management, at the University of Adelaide and a member of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists, said interstate politics had hurt Australia in the "; S10[33]=" past.
      'The costs to Australia of not allowing interstate water trading are very high,' he said.
      'All the economic "; S11[33]=" models that have been done show that Australia would be better off allowing the trading to occur.' With Brisbane using about 800megalitres (800 million litres) "; S12[33]=" a day, the dams have two years' supply of water remaining.
      But just over the border in NSW, the 16,000ML Clarrie Hall "; S13[33]=" Dam on Doon Doon Creek, a tributary of the Tweed River, isfull.
      The 10,861ML Toonumbar Dam, on Iron Pot Creek, a tributary "; S14[33]=" of the Richmond, is 98per cent full.
      There are no water restrictions in the three valleys - the Tweed, Richmond and Clarence "; S15[33]=" - south of the border.
      Clarence Valley Mayor Ian Tiley said he would not oppose water being sent to Queensland.
    "; S16[33]="   Mr Tiley, a former farmer, said: 'As Australians, we are all in this together.
      If it is technologically feasible and it "; S17[33]=" doesn't impact on the health of the Clarence River, why not? 'I think capturing high flows or higher flows and then transferring them to other "; S18[33]=" locations is very doable, I can't see any reason why that shouldn't happen.' Mr Tiley said that when there were floods, or high-rainfall events, an "; S19[33]=" enormous amount of fresh water went out to the ocean.
      'That is what we need to capture,' he said, adding that dams "; S20[33]=" would have to be built to capture the water, before it was pumped elsewhere.
      'That is the solution,' he said.
    "; S21[33]="   'We get coastal rainfall fairly regularly, the country looks very good up here at the moment.' Last month, federal Parliamentary Secretary for Water Malcolm "; S22[33]=" Turnbull said rather than building pipelines to the north, it made more sense to pump water from northern NSW to Brisbane.
      'The "; S23[33]=" solutions to southeast Queensland's water crisis should not stop at the state border,' Mr Turnbull said.
      He said Mr Beattie was prepared "; S24[33]=" to spend $2million on a study to examine piping water 1200km from the Burdekin to Brisbane.
      'But one asks what is being "; S25[33]=" done to consider sharing opportunities closer to hand in NSW, whose northern rivers enjoy far greater catchments andstream flows than those relatively modest streams which "; S26[33]=" service southeast Queensland's catchments?' Tweed Shire Council water manager David Oxenham said the shire was determining how it would supply water to its growing population.
"; S27[33]="       'But once we better understand what our system yield is, and how we are going to be able to cater for our "; S28[33]=" future populations, then we may have some interest in doing that (supplying Queensland),' he said.
      Nationals deputy leader Jeff Seeney said Labor "; S29[33]=" should be looking at 'more realistic' options for piping water than from the Burdekin, with the northern rivers area around the Clarence River an obvious "; S30[33]=" starting point.
      'Obviously there's some interstate issues that need to be overcome but they're not insurmountable,' Mr Seeney said.
      "; R[34]="1295"; T[34]="Import wheat and save water"; A[34]="By ... Editor"; Dn[34]="20060818"; Dt[34]="Friday 18 August 2006"; Acats[34]="a05a40"; B1[34]="      Australia should consider stopping the export of water-hungry produce such as beef and wheat and use the saved water for more immediate "; B2[34]="or higher value uses, such as drinking... "; B3[34]=" "; B4[34]=" "; B5[34]=" "; S1[34]="      Australia should consider stopping the export of water-hungry produce such as beef and wheat and use the saved water for more immediate "; S2[34]=" or higher value uses, such as drinking.
      More than half the water used to irrigate crops ends up in products sent overseas "; S3[34]=" as exports, said International Water Management Institute director-general Frank Rijsberman.
      A third of the globe is already suffering shortages, but world demand "; S4[34]=" for water would double by 2050 due in major part to an increase in animal product consumption, Dr Rijsberman said in Canberra yesterday.
    "; S5[34]="   To keep agriculture sustainable and competitive as the price of water increases, Australia would need to grow 50 per cent more food with the "; S6[34]=" same amount of water, he told the Crawford Fund's annual development conference.
      'You talk about a water crisis, but you are exporting "; S7[34]=" in our figures about 27 cubic kilometres of water each year,' Dr Rijsberman said.
      'That is 13,500 cubic metres for every person "; S8[34]=" and that is quite a few times more than what you need for domestic use across the country.' About 30 per cent of the water "; S9[34]=" is exported in beef products and just over half of the virtual water is in wheat.
      Dr Rijsberman said some of the "; S10[34]=" exports made 'perfectly good sense' because the value in return for selling the goods was greater than the water cost.
      But it "; S11[34]=" would be 'crazy' to build an expensive desalination plant to provide water for Sydney if gigalitres of water were being used to water 'low value' "; S12[34]=" exported crops, he said.
      Effective mechanisms were required to determine where it was best to use water, and water trading would help "; S13[34]=" determine the highest-value, most productive uses for water.
      'If they are able to grow wheat with a lot less water and a "; S14[34]=" lot cheaper in, say, Argentina, then why not import wheat?' he said.
      Wayne Meyer, the chief scientist for the Co-operative Research Centre "; S15[34]=" for Irrigation Futures, said it would be possible to halve the water required for crops, but said the infrastructure required would be expensive.
    "; S16[34]="   Genetic manipulation of species would also be 'part of the package', Dr Meyer said.
      'We are not yet in a position "; S17[34]=" where we have to decide by regulation that we can't grow rice or cotton or anything like that,' he said.
      'We are "; S18[34]=" still in the fortunate position, and we will be for a long time, that we can use (market-based processes) to decide what is the best "; S19[34]=" use for our water.'.. "; R[35]="1273"; T[35]="Howard pumps for conversion to LPG"; A[35]="By ... Editor"; Dn[35]="20060810"; Dt[35]="Thursday 10 August 2006"; Acats[35]="a05a56a94"; B1[35]="      Incentives for motorists to switch to cheaper alternative fuels and proposals to increase the use of additives to cut petrol prices were "; B2[35]="examined by cabinet in a three-hour meeting yesterday... "; B3[35]=" "; B4[35]=" "; B5[35]=" "; S1[35]="      Incentives for motorists to switch to cheaper alternative fuels and proposals to increase the use of additives to cut petrol prices were "; S2[35]=" examined by cabinet in a three-hour meeting yesterday.
      It will bring forward a $1000 subsidy to accelerate the conversion of cars to "; S3[35]=" run on liquefied petroleum gas, due to be introduced in 2011.
      The cabinet decided on new subsidies for ethanol installations at petrol "; S4[35]=" stations to encourage greater use of the cheaper additive to petrol.
      The Government is expected to provide assistance for research to improve "; S5[35]=" storage of LPG in cars and to encourage fuel efficiency.
      The cabinet decided on an advertising and education campaign to run in "; S6[35]=" conjunction with the petrol industry to encourage motorists to use ethanol and retailers to pass on the cheaper price.
      It decided against "; S7[35]=" changes to excise taxes on petrol and LPG and will keep the plan to increase excise on the gas in 2012.
      Cabinet "; S8[35]=" has wrestled this week with the politics of petrol prices - one of the big challenges for the Government as it prepares for the 2007 "; S9[35]=" election.
      But at this stage, the Government is desperately playing down expectations that it can do anything substantial to help hard-pressed motorists.
"; S10[35]="       Any assistance is likely to be only the first stage of a broader energy policy to be released closer to the election.
"; S11[35]="       The Prime Minister, John Howard, said yesterday that the Government was looking at 'a number of practical measures' to address motorists' concerns.
"; S12[35]="       But he was careful to add that these would help only 'at the margin'.
      The Government repeatedly denied it "; S13[35]=" would reduce the impact of fuel excise in 2001, when higher petrol prices angered motorists.
      It then promptly scrapped the indexation of "; S14[35]=" the excise.
      The fall in the price as a result of indexation had helped the Government out of a hole but was "; S15[35]=" not lasting and not memorable.
      However, that experience has fuelled the Government's reluctance to cut excise now.
      As the "; S16[35]=" Government sees it, cutting taxes is not likely to lead to much of a drop in petrol prices, and certainly not to a sustained fall "; S17[35]=" that would be noticeable at next year's election.
      As Mr Howard has pointed out, the Government could cut taxes on fuel and "; S18[35]=" lose about $3 billion in revenue, only to see the petrol price rise due to international supply problems and gobble up the gains.
    "; S19[35]="   Motorists might then blame the Government even more than they do now.
      So the Government will instead blame the international market "; S20[35]=" for the price rises and ensure it is seen to be encouraging the use of cheaper additives and alternatives.
      'We must not "; S21[35]=" lose sight of the central fact that the cause of high petrol prices is the high world price of crude oil … But at the "; S22[35]=" margin, we may be able to make a difference, and that's what we are looking at,' Mr Howard said... "; R[36]="1235"; T[36]="Meat industry to get temporary worker deal"; A[36]="By ... Editor"; Dn[36]="20060805"; Dt[36]="Saturday 5 August 2006"; Acats[36]="a05a06a07"; B1[36]="      The Australian meat industry will be given greater scope to import temporary skilled workers in a deal being negotiated after investigation of "; B2[36]="alleged abuses of the present scheme... "; B3[36]=" "; B4[36]=" "; B5[36]=" "; S1[36]="      The Australian meat industry will be given greater scope to import temporary skilled workers in a deal being negotiated after investigation of "; S2[36]=" alleged abuses of the present scheme.
      Under a controversial visa program that allows employers to bring in these workers for up to "; S3[36]=" four years, the meat industry is permitted to import only slaughterers.
      But those coming in have been given other jobs, such as "; S4[36]=" boning and slicing, prompting union complaints that employers are going beyond the law.
      The Australasian Meat Industry Employees Union also says some "; S5[36]=" workers are being used for unskilled labouring, and that people are being exploited with low wages and below-standard conditions.
      The Government is "; S6[36]=" about to release results of an inquiry into a company against which allegations were made.
      Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone yesterday acknowledged there "; S7[36]=" were problems in parts of the industry.
      These were in relation to 'people being required to work below their proper skill capacity, "; S8[36]=" and allegations of inadequate pay'.
      In 2004-05 nominations were approved for fewer than 200 slaughterers.
      But in 2005-06, the "; S9[36]=" number was approaching 2000 (the figure includes some butchers).
      Under the proposed deal between the Government and the industry, the skills category "; S10[36]=" would be widened so that companies can bring in any worker who has a basic meat industry trade qualification.
      The agreement would "; S11[36]=" aim also to cover pay rates, commitment to training Australian workers, arrangements for settling foreign workers in local communities, and English skills, including training where "; S12[36]=" these were inadequate.
      It might also include a cap on percentages of foreign workers allowed.
      'We can tailor a "; S13[36]=" labour market agreement to meet the needs of the meat industry and, at the same time, strengthen the protection of overseas workers and training opportunities "; S14[36]=" for Australians,' Senator Vanstone said.
      But the union's federal secretary, Graham Bird, said: 'The proposed labour agreement is a way of the "; S15[36]=" Government and employers allowing what is currently unlawful to become lawful.' He called for a study to demonstrate that there is, in fact, a shortage "; S16[36]=" of Australian workers for the industry.
      'It shouldn't be necessary to bring these people in,' Mr Bird said.
      'But "; S17[36]=" if it is necessary, they should come in as permanent migrants, with the rights of any other permanent resident of Australia.' But Senator Vanstone said "; S18[36]=" companies did not always need permanent workers, and that people on this visa could move to permanent status... "; R[37]="1211"; T[37]="Nationals have seeds of doubt on scuttling drought cure"; A[37]="By ... Editor"; Dn[37]="20060730"; Dt[37]="Sunday 30 July 2006"; Acats[37]="a04a05a35a89"; B1[37]="      NATIONALS MP John Forrest has accused government scientists of scuttling research into cloud seeding, a weather-altering technique being used in at least "; B2[37]="seven countries to bring rain to drought-ravaged areas... "; B3[37]=" "; B4[37]=" "; B5[37]=" "; S1[37]="      NATIONALS MP John Forrest has accused government scientists of scuttling research into cloud seeding, a weather-altering technique being used in at least "; S2[37]=" seven countries to bring rain to drought-ravaged areas.
      The civil engineer and federal member for the Mallee in northwest Victoria said yesterday "; S3[37]=" that scientists at the CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology in Melbourne had provided politicians and policymakers with misleading advice on the effectiveness of cloud "; S4[37]=" seeding.
      'They're standing in the way of political action,' said Mr Forrest, who blamed the stance on competition for funding and professional "; S5[37]=" jealousy.
      'My feeling is that both organisations have prostituted themselves to where the dollars are - in climate-change research - and have "; S6[37]=" lost their capacity to think outside the box.' Mr Forrest - who is a member of the parliamentary standing committee on agriculture, fisheries and forestry "; S7[37]=" and initiated the 2002 House of Representatives inquiry into future water supplies for rural industries and communities - said the scientific bodies had become 'bureaucratic, "; S8[37]=" inflexible and riddled with professional jealousy'.
      Cloud seeding is a method of boosting rainfall by dispersing chemicals, such as silver iodide, into "; S9[37]=" clouds to help form rain drops and boost precipitation.
      Cloud-seeding projects are under way in China, the US states of California, Utah "; S10[37]=" and Texas, as well as Israel, Thailand and France.
      'What do they know that we don't?' asked Mr Forrest, who said 80 "; S11[37]=" per cent of the grain-growing areas in his rural electorate had been declared indrought.
      In Australia, Snowy Hydro is trialling cloud-seeding, and "; S12[37]=" Hydro Tasmania has used light aircraft to seed clouds over catchment areas since 1964 as part of its water-management program.
      A CSIRO "; S13[37]=" spokesman failed to return calls yesterday, but Greg Ayers, chief of Marine and Atmospheric Research at the CSIRO, has said previously that cloud-seeding was 'unproven' "; S14[37]=" and 'controversial'.
      Mr Forrest called for the establishment of a co-operative research centre for weather modification to conduct practical trials of cloud "; S15[37]=" seeding.
      Malcolm Turnbull, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister with responsibility for water policy, said he was confident the federal Government would "; S16[37]=" evaluate any such proposal on its merits, but was sceptical of claims of wrongdoing by government scientists.
      'The CSIRO is Australia's leading "; S17[37]=" scientific research body and I, like most people, would find it hard to credit claims it has acted other than with complete objectivity,' he said.
"; S18[37]="       Greg Hunt, Parliamentary Secretary to Environment Minister Ian Campbell with responsibility for the Bureau of Meteorology, praised Mr Forrest's 'willingness to explore "; S19[37]=" any and all options for helping with water supplies'.
      But he said bureau experts had advised him there was limited scientific evidence "; S20[37]=" to support cloud seeding... "; R[38]="1195"; T[38]="Babies to save society"; A[38]="By ... Editor"; Dn[38]="20060730"; Dt[38]="Sunday 30 July 2006"; Acats[38]="a05a07a48"; B1[38]="      AUSTRALIA could face violence and social disruption if the fertility rate doesn't rise, Treasurer Peter Costello warned yesterday.... "; B2[38]=" "; B3[38]=" "; B4[38]=" "; B5[38]=" "; S1[38]="      AUSTRALIA could face violence and social disruption if the fertility rate doesn't rise, Treasurer Peter Costello warned yesterday.
      Intensifying "; S2[38]=" his plea for bigger families, Mr Costello ruled out immigration as a way to make up for the low number of births, which could soon "; S3[38]=" be exceeded by deaths.
      He said reliance on immigrants would mean 'the composition of our population would change' causing 'social dislocation'.
  "; S4[38]="     'There are some European countries that have moved into this situation and it has caused social division,' he said.
      'In "; S5[38]=" some of these countries there has been social disruption and violence.' The Treasurer was putting a harder edge to his previous, lighter plea for women "; S6[38]=" to have 'one for mum, one for dad, and one for the country'.
      'Procreate and cherish,' he said yesterday.
      "; S7[38]=" Mr Costello said Australia's fertility rate was 3.55 in 1961 but fell to 1.73 in in 2002-03.
      It has since risen to "; S8[38]=" 1.8, but the Treasurer said it needed to hit 2.1 for births to replace deaths.
      He said past immigration waves had happened "; S9[38]=" at times of significant natural population increases.
      'It was easier to keep the balance in population because immigrants were being absorbed into "; S10[38]=" a growing population led by fertility,' he said.
      'If we continue a long-term drop in fertility this will put more pressure on "; S11[38]=" our immigration program.
      'Increasing immigration to cover population decline will change the composition of our population and raise concerns of social dislocation.' "; S12[38]=" The Treasurer continued to reject the idea of 'guest workers', foreign labour on short-term visas, a system wanted by most Pacific nations.
      "; S13[38]=" European countries such as Germany have attempted similar schemes which had produced an underclass.
      Mr Costello said guest workers would be second-class "; S14[38]=" citizens vulnerable to exploitation: 'Guest workers become a society within a society.' The Treasurer said strategies to increase the fertility rate had to make having "; S15[38]=" babies more attractive for women who 'have the final say in the decision to have children'.
      One of the biggest problems was "; S16[38]=" births took women out of the workforce.
      'No matter how you sugar coat it, the reality for many women is that despite "; S17[38]=" the experience and skill they have, it can be difficult to pick up the threads of their career when they return,' he said... "; R[39]="1185"; T[39]="Countries aim to salvage trade deal"; A[39]="By ... Editor"; Dn[39]="20060722"; Dt[39]="Saturday 22 July 2006"; Acats[39]="a04a05a08"; B1[39]="      The world's most influential trade ministers are meeting in Geneva this weekend to try to resurrect global free trade talks.... "; B2[39]=" "; B3[39]=" "; B4[39]=" "; B5[39]=" "; S1[39]="      The world's most influential trade ministers are meeting in Geneva this weekend to try to resurrect global free trade talks.
    "; S2[39]="   Six nations, including Australia, will be attempting to salvage a deal.
      Australia's push to reduce trade barriers is receiving support from "; S3[39]=" local meat importers in Europe.
      The Australian sheepmeat sector is pushing for an increase to the 19,000 tonne sheepmeat quota in the "; S4[39]=" European Union.
      One of the biggest importers of lamb and beef into France, Claude Thieblemont, says if import quotas were lifted, local "; S5[39]=" consumption could double.
      'France is very short of production, we supply 40 per cent of all needs and we import 60 per "; S6[39]=" cent of our lamb from abroad,' he said.
      'We would expect to import more from Australia because we like the Australian product.
"; S7[39]="       French suppliers [are] buying five kilo per capita per year which is very low and we could multiply this by two or "; S8[39]=" three, easily.' Professor Andrew Stoler from the Institute for International Trade says world leaders appear keen to agree to reforms after this week's G8 summit "; S9[39]=" in St Petersburg.
      He says that should help to break the deadlock.
      'What is going to move the process "; S10[39]=" forward is not the sort of political direction that came out of the recent G8 meetings,' he said.
      'You can't really get "; S11[39]=" any higher level than that unless God comes down and tells them you have to get a deal.
      'If they can't use "; S12[39]=" that now at this very late stage to move the process then I don't know what other event is going to force them to move.'.. "; R[40]="1181"; T[40]="Tas Gov defends pulp mill plans"; A[40]="By ... Editor"; Dn[40]="20060722"; Dt[40]="Saturday 22 July 2006"; Acats[40]="a05a39"; B1[40]="      A Forsestry Tasmania agreement with pulp mill proponent Gunns Limited would consist of similar volumes to current contracts, Premier Paul Lennon said "; B2[40]="yesterday... "; B3[40]=" "; B4[40]=" "; B5[40]=" "; S1[40]="      A Forsestry Tasmania agreement with pulp mill proponent Gunns Limited would consist of similar volumes to current contracts, Premier Paul Lennon said "; S2[40]=" yesterday.
      The two companies have a heads of agreement about pulpwood volumes, which would be feedstock for the $1.45 billion pulp mill.
"; S3[40]="       The mill will initially process 3.2 million tonnes of woodchips -- 80 per cent of which is native forest.
    "; S4[40]="   'Gunns have had a commercial wood supply arrangement with Forestry Tasmania for years,' Mr Lennon said.
      'Currently they are exporting millions "; S5[40]=" of tonnes as woodchips to Japan.
      They have a commercial arrangement in place and the negotiations they have underway with Forestry Tasmania "; S6[40]=" are within the current volume that they already have contracted for.' Mr Lennon said the commercial arrangements, including the price paid for wood, could not "; S7[40]=" be released.
      'Forestry Tasmania will appear before Government Business Enterprise estimates committee next week,' he said.
      Mr Lennon criticised "; S8[40]=" the Tasmanian Greens for criticising the pulp mill process.
      'We have established an independent process through the Resource Planning and Development Commission "; S9[40]=" and a lengthy debate about what the environmental guidelines should be to assess the project against,' he said... "; R[41]="1170"; T[41]="NZ Ministry hands out 600 left-footed gumboots"; A[41]="By ... Editor"; Dn[41]="20060721"; Dt[41]="Friday 21 July 2006"; Acats[41]="a05a42a89"; B1[41]="      The New Zealand Government was forced yesterday to try to explain why the waste-conscious Environment Ministry provided 600 people at a conference "; B2[41]="with a child's left-footed gumboot each... "; B3[41]=" "; B4[41]=" "; B5[41]=" "; S1[41]="      The New Zealand Government was forced yesterday to try to explain why the waste-conscious Environment Ministry provided 600 people at a conference "; S2[41]=" with a child's left-footed gumboot each.
      National MP Nick Smith said in Parliament that each of the mayors and councillors at "; S3[41]=" the Local Government NZ conference this week was provided with a gumboot stamped with the ministry's logo.
      'Is that gimmick a "; S4[41]=" good use of public money and the right example to set on waste?' Environment Minister David Benson-Pope replied: 'It would have been more useful "; S5[41]=" if the member had read out the line that is written on the gumboot.
      It is in relation to issues around climate "; S6[41]=" change.
      'The Ministry for the Environment tells me that the gumboot is a penholder.
      However, given its size, "; S7[41]=" it might be more appropriate for the member to use it to contain National Party policy.' Dr Smith asked how providing 600 mayors and "; S8[41]=" councillors with a left-footed yellow gumboot with the words 'Are you thinking about climate change?' on it would stop global warming... "; R[42]="1169"; T[42]="Tas Agriculture - Gearing Up To Meet The Challenges Ahead"; A[42]="By ... Editor"; Dn[42]="20060721"; Dt[42]="Friday 21 July 2006"; Acats[42]="a05a57a69"; B1[42]="      The innovation of Tasmanian farmers and the policies of the Tasmanian Government are working to ensure our agricultural sector is well placed "; B2[42]="to face the challenges of the next ten years... "; B3[42]=" "; B4[42]=" "; B5[42]=" "; S1[42]="      The innovation of Tasmanian farmers and the policies of the Tasmanian Government are working to ensure our agricultural sector is well placed "; S2[42]=" to face the challenges of the next ten years.
      Opening the Australian Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology Symposium in Launceston today "; S3[42]=" Minister for Primary Industries and Water David Llewellyn said the theme of the symposium 'Tasmanian agriculture in 10 years time - confronting the challenges', is "; S4[42]=" very appropriate in the current climate.
      'Our agricultural sector is important so it's vital it is prepared to face the challenges ahead "; S5[42]=" which include price squeezing, increased overseas competition and competing demands for land.
      'Tasmanian agriculture has a proud history of evolving in response "; S6[42]=" to international and local pressures and the Tasmanian Government continues to work with industry to face the future.
      'The State Labor Government "; S7[42]=" recently announced several initiatives included in the SMART Farming (Sustainable Management of Agricultural Resources in Tasmania) package to help ensure Tasmanian agriculture is ready for "; S8[42]=" the challenges ahead.
      'SMART Farming will help protect our pure-produce branding which is vital to winning and keeping new international markets by "; S9[42]=" providing a $4 million boost to our quarantine border protection system,' Mr Llewellyn said.
      The SMART Farming package also contains: · "; S10[42]=" $7.5 million to develop water initiatives to make the sector more sustainable · a $6 million investment to develop two "; S11[42]=" key research centres for dairy and vegetables, through the upgrade of research and development programs at the Elliott and Forthside Research and Demonstration Stations.
  "; S12[42]="     · $1 million assisting farmers and fishers increase their knowledge and their business and farming skills through the development "; S13[42]=" and delivery of information services.
      · a boost to farm education by providing increased funds to the school farms.
"; S14[42]="       · $1.4 million to the Fisheries Research Development Corporation to encourage fisheries and aquaculture industries, matching industry payments dollar-for-dollar.
"; S15[42]="       Mr Llewellyn said the State Labor Government is always ready to work with Tasmanian farmers to help them become more innovative and "; S16[42]=" to maximise their future opportunities.
      'With a better understanding of future challenges and therefore better preparation for those challenges, I'm confident Tasmanian "; S17[42]=" farmers will continue to make an important contribution to our State in the future,' Mr Llewellyn said... "; R[43]="1157"; T[43]="China plan to protect environment"; A[43]="By ... Editor"; Dn[43]="20060720"; Dt[43]="Thursday 20 July 2006"; Acats[43]="a05a07a42a63"; B1[43]="      China plans to spend 1.4 trillion yuan ($175bn) over the next five years on protecting its environment.... "; B2[43]=" "; B3[43]=" "; B4[43]=" "; B5[43]=" "; S1[43]="      China plans to spend 1.4 trillion yuan ($175bn) over the next five years on protecting its environment.
      The sum "; S2[43]=" - equivalent to 1.5% of China's annual economic output - will be used to improve water quality, and cut air and land pollution and soil "; S3[43]=" erosion.
      China has some of the world's most polluted cities and waterways.
      Beijing has often overlooked protecting the environment "; S4[43]=" in the rush to develop its economy - but now it is paying the price, a BBC correspondent says.
      A chemical spill "; S5[43]=" in a river near the city of Harbin last year drew international attention, as water supplies to almost four million people had to be suspended "; S6[43]=" for nearly a week.
      Soil pollution Under the plan, sewage treatment plants will be built in 10 river valleys to reduce the "; S7[43]=" harmful impact of waste water from cities.
      Money will also be spent on cutting levels of sulphur dioxide and dust in large "; S8[43]=" cities.
      The state-owned Xinhua news agency said money would be used to curb soil pollution, which has contaminated agricultural produce.
    "; S9[43]="   The agency quoted Zhou Shengxian, director of the State Environmental Protection Administration, as saying that every year 12 million metric tonnes of grain were "; S10[43]=" polluted by heavy metals that had found their way into the soil... "; R[44]="1150"; T[44]="Councils say water initiative hurting rates revenue"; A[44]="By ... Editor"; Dn[44]="20060720"; Dt[44]="Thursday 20 July 2006"; Acats[44]="a05a07a40a48"; B1[44]="      New South Wales local councils say they are facing a dramatic drop in rates revenue as a result of the National Water "; B2[44]="Initiative... "; B3[44]=" "; B4[44]=" "; B5[44]=" "; S1[44]="      New South Wales local councils say they are facing a dramatic drop in rates revenue as a result of the National Water "; S2[44]=" Initiative.
      Under the water reform process, land and water titles are being separated which is expected to cause a drop in rates "; S3[44]=" for irrigated land.
      Councils now have to come up with a new rating formula to make up the difference.
      "; S4[44]=" The Nationals' Member for Murrumbidgee, Adrian Piccoli, is calling on the State Government to give councils more time and more help to make the changes.
"; S5[44]="       'The Victorian Government has postponed the implementation of these new council rating structures by two years,' he said.
      'I've "; S6[44]=" written to the NSW Government asking them to do the same thing because my fear is here in NSW it'll be introduced, it'll be a "; S7[44]=" bit of a disaster, and we'll see legal action from some ratepayers who're going to challenge their rate assessments.'.. "; R[45]="1133"; T[45]="We could be energy superpower: Howard"; A[45]="By ... Editor"; Dn[45]="20060718"; Dt[45]="Tuesday 18 July 2006"; Acats[45]="a05a08a36a42"; B1[45]="      Australia has a 'massive opportunity' to become an energy superpower, John Howard declared yesterday as he outlined plans for uranium, oil, coal "; B2[45]="and solar technology export and development... "; B3[45]=" "; B4[45]=" "; B5[45]=" "; S1[45]="      Australia has a 'massive opportunity' to become an energy superpower, John Howard declared yesterday as he outlined plans for uranium, oil, coal "; S2[45]=" and solar technology export and development.
      In another signal that he intends to contest the next election, the Prime Minister challenged Kim "; S3[45]=" Beazley on nuclear power and climate change and called on the premiers to 'think big' to solve Australia's water shortages.
      Claiming prior "; S4[45]=" rights to the water initiatives and a pragmatic, and rational approach to governing, Mr Howard also undercut Peter Costello's two-week-old vision for solving water shortages.
"; S5[45]="       Mr Howard's global approach to uranium exports, nuclear power, clean coal technology and oil exploration fitted with a domestic approach on trading "; S6[45]=" water rights and recycling sewage and stormwater in the cities.
      'Man's hunger for energy, and all this involves, will profoundly shape geopolitics "; S7[45]=" this century, perhaps even more so than last century,' Mr Howard said at a Committee for Economic Development of Australia lunch in Sydney yesterday.
  "; S8[45]="     'Energy security concerns are assuming the sort of strategic significance once reserved for territorial security.
      'Australia can, and should, supply "; S9[45]=" domestic and world economies with low-cost energy.
      'As an efficient, reliable supplier, Australia has a massive opportunity to increase its share of "; S10[45]=" global energy trade.
      'With the right policies, we have the makings of an energy superpower.' Mr Howard highlighted his nomination in March "; S11[45]=" of water as one of five national challenges and his role in a $25billion energy deal with China.
      The Prime Minister said "; S12[45]=" motorists were 'long-suffering' because of high petrol prices, which were driven by tensions in the Middle East, and that the Government would encourage more oil "; S13[45]=" exploration in Australia and offshore.
      'Australia remains relatively unexplored, particularly for petroleum in frontier offshore areas.
      Encouraging further exploration "; S14[45]=" is a high priority for the Government,' Mr Howard said.
      He also said the record oil prices were changing the economics of "; S15[45]=" nuclear energy and that Australia 'cannot absent itself from global developments surrounding nuclear energy'.
      'We are part of the nuclear fuel cycle, "; S16[45]=" whether we like it or not,' he said.
      Mr Howard said Australia's vast coal reserves would continue to supply world power and "; S17[45]=" that technological advances in producing clean coal were essential and exportable.
      Challenging Labor's policy on restricting uranium mining and backing the Kyoto "; S18[45]=" agreement to limit greenhouse emissions, Mr Howard said the ALP's position was 'hypocritical, irrational andweak'.
      'The real question is whether Australia should "; S19[45]=" fully consider our interests and responsibilities in the global nuclear energy debate or whether we succumb to a dogma of denial,' he said.
    "; S20[45]="   Mr Howard said nuclear power cut greenhouse emissions and 'the Australian Government is not in the business of economic hairshirts, wishful thinking and empty "; S21[45]=" gestures'.
      He said the Kyoto agreement was flawed because it did not treat two of the world's biggest greenhouse emitters, China and "; S22[45]=" India, in the same way it treated the other, the US, and that it had distorted economies 'without any environmental benefit'.
      However, "; S23[45]=" Opposition Leader Kim Beazley backed his party's policies and said Mr Howard 'has had 10 years to tackle the consequences of global climate change and "; S24[45]=" has done nothing'.
      'The only thing you can do if you are serious on climate change is to start with the ratification "; S25[45]=" of the Kyoto agreement and move on to setting realistic targets for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by Australia, followed up by a sensible emissions "; S26[45]=" trading regime,' Mr Beazley said in Perth yesterday.
      'That's Labor Party policy.
      That's what the rest of the world "; S27[45]=" is doing.
      That's the future.' On water issues, Mr Howard strongly backed the position of the Parliamentary Secretary on Water, Malcolm Turnbull, "; S28[45]=" who has advocated establishing a market price for water through trading water rights and helping to alleviate urban water shortages through the use of recycled "; S29[45]=" sewage and stormwater.
      'I believe we need nothing short of a revolution in thinking about Australia's urban water challenges,' Mr Howard said.
"; S30[45]="       'There is little or no reason why our large cities should be gripped permanently by water crises,' he said... "; R[46]="1131"; T[46]="We must accept nuclear power: PM"; A[46]="By ... Editor"; Dn[46]="20060718"; Dt[46]="Tuesday 18 July 2006"; Acats[46]="a05a36a42"; B1[46]="      Prime Minister John Howard has warned Australians they must accept nuclear power and drought-proof their capital cities, in a speech outlining his "; B2[46]="long-term vision for the nation's energy and water use... "; B3[46]=" "; B4[46]=" "; B5[46]=" "; S1[46]="      Prime Minister John Howard has warned Australians they must accept nuclear power and drought-proof their capital cities, in a speech outlining his "; S2[46]=" long-term vision for the nation's energy and water use.
      In the Sydney speech - which has reignited speculation that Mr Howard is "; S3[46]=" planning to contest the next election - Australians were warned they would 'pay a price' in the future if they do not engage in the "; S4[46]=" debate on nuclear energy.
      Mr Howard said Australia could not afford to 'bury its head in the sand' on the issue "; S5[46]=" of nuclear power.
      'Australia cannot absent itself from global developments surrounding nuclear energy,' Mr Howard told the Committee for Economic Development "; S6[46]=" of Australia forum.
      'With close to 40 per cent of the world's known low-cost uranium deposits, for Australia to bury its head "; S7[46]=" in the sand on nuclear energy is akin to Saudi Arabia turning its back on global oil developments.' He warned that if Australia did not "; S8[46]=" engage in the debate 'we will pay a price'.
      Mr Howard also called for a 'revolution' in addressing the nation's water "; S9[46]=" challenges, saying water restrictions should not have to be tolerated.
      'The simple fact is there is little or no reason why our "; S10[46]=" large cities should be gripped permanently by water crises,' he said.
      'Our goal should be to drought-proof our large coastal cities.
  "; S11[46]="     'Having a city on permanent water restrictions makes about as much sense as to have a city on permanent power restrictions.' "; S12[46]=" Mr Howard urged the SA, NSW and Victorian Governments to move quickly towards water trading arrangements.
      River Murray Minister Karlene Maywald said "; S13[46]=" SA was 'ready and our borders are open to trading'.
      Labor's environment spokesman Anthony Albanese said Mr Howard had 'failed to offer "; S14[46]=" anything new to Australians concerned about climate change, water shortages and rising petrol prices'.
      Mr Howard's speech came as an AC "; S15[46]=" Nielsen Poll showed most voters wanted Mr Howard to stay on as leader.
      Labor was found to have increased its two-party preferred "; S16[46]=" vote by 1 point to 52-48... "; R[47]="1117"; T[47]="PM asked to slow down water trading"; A[47]="By ... Editor"; Dn[47]="20060714"; Dt[47]="Friday 14 July 2006"; Acats[47]="a05a40"; B1[47]="      Farmers in Victoria's Goulburn Valley have called on the Prime Minister to slow down the pace of water trading in order to "; B2[47]="stop it destroying local farms... "; B3[47]=" "; B4[47]=" "; B5[47]=" "; S1[47]="      Farmers in Victoria's Goulburn Valley have called on the Prime Minister to slow down the pace of water trading in order to "; S2[47]=" stop it destroying local farms.
      The Parliamentary Secretary responsible for water, Malcolm Turnbull, has met farmers in Shepparton.
      They "; S3[47]=" have told him they cannot compete for local water which is being sent down the Murray to irrigate vineyards and almond farms, and that they "; S4[47]=" enjoy tax breaks through managed investment schemes (MIS).
      Mr Turnbull says he will raise the issue with Mr Howard.
      "; S5[47]=" 'I'll take back to the PM the concern that there is in the community, that the managed investment schemes have certain tax advantages,' he said.
"; S6[47]="       'That means the level playing field, the field of competition for resources, water in particular, is not level and that family farmers "; S7[47]=" are disadvantaged competing against the large corporate investors that are supported with MIS money,' he said... "; R[48]="1115"; T[48]="National Water Initiative 'off the rails'"; A[48]="By ... Editor"; Dn[48]="20060714"; Dt[48]="Friday 14 July 2006"; Acats[48]="a05a40"; B1[48]="      The New South Wales Irrigators Council says it will withdraw support for the National Water Initiative, unless the federal and state governments "; B2[48]="make radical changes... "; B3[48]=" "; B4[48]=" "; B5[48]=" "; S1[48]="      The New South Wales Irrigators Council says it will withdraw support for the National Water Initiative, unless the federal and state governments "; S2[48]=" make radical changes.
      The council's chief executive, Doug Miell, says the initiative is 'off the rails' and will place a huge financial "; S3[48]=" burden on farmers and rural communities.
      He says irrigators are most angry at a decision by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal "; S4[48]=" to back a 92 per cent increase in bulk water prices in New South Wales... "; R[49]="1114"; T[49]="Fuel prices changing rural lifestyles"; A[49]="By ... Editor"; Dn[49]="20060714"; Dt[49]="Friday 14 July 2006"; Acats[49]="a05a07a36"; B1[49]="      High fuel prices are changing how rural families live, with some dropping children's sporting commitments and car pooling with neighbours.... "; B2[49]=" "; B3[49]=" "; B4[49]=" "; B5[49]=" "; S1[49]="      High fuel prices are changing how rural families live, with some dropping children's sporting commitments and car pooling with neighbours.
    "; S2[49]="   The latest figures from the Bureau of Statistics show transport, food and groceries and recreation are the three biggest expenses for rural household budgets.
"; S3[49]="       Queensland beef producer Georgie Somerset believes country people spend more on recreation because they are spending more time on the farm.
  "; S4[49]="     'Perhaps there's a sense there of 'well we'll go and do this while it's in town, or we'll take up the opportunity to "; S5[49]=" go to a performance',' he said.
      'If you're not going to get away from where you live then you may as well "; S6[49]=" make the most of what you've got there and so yes I think there probably has been some more spending on things like a DVD "; S7[49]=" machine and a decent TV because they're actually spending more weeks at home and less weeks away on holidays.' The report has also found that "; S8[49]=" country people spend more on health, alcohol and cigarettes than those living in the cities... ";