R[0]="1813";

T[0]="The great coastal squeeze for NSW";

A[0]="By ... Editor";

Dn[0]="20070123";

Dt[0]="Tuesday 23 January 2007";

Acats[0]="a48a50";

B1[0]="      CITIES such as Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie will be dramatically transformed in the next 25 years, with high-rise buildings, industrial parks ";

B2[0]="and new suburbs, as part of the NSW Government's strategy to cope with the population surge to the coast... ";

B3[0]=" ";

B4[0]=" ";

B5[0]=" ";

S1[0]="      CITIES such as Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie will be dramatically transformed in the next 25 years, with high-rise buildings, industrial parks ";

S2[0]=" and new suburbs, as part of the NSW Government's strategy to cope with the population surge to the coast.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The Planning Minister, ";

S3[0]=" Frank Sartor, yesterday released the draft strategy for the Mid-North Coast, from Forster to Yamba, and the final strategy for the Far North Coast, from ";

S4[0]=" Evans Head to the Queensland border.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The documents reveal that the Government is planning for more than 150,000 new residents along the ";

S5[0]=" coastal strip in the next 25 years.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The lion's share of development will be on the Mid-North Coast, with a plan to ";

S6[0]=" accommodate 91,000 new residents in 58,400 new dwellings.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The Far North Coast's coastal population has already grown strongly, so plans for future ";

S7[0]=" growth of 60,400 people in the region will be focused on inland centres such as Lismore.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Both strategies aim to limit urban ";

S8[0]=" sprawl along the coast by concentrating future development within and around the main cities.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The strategies identify sensitive lands such as wetlands ";

S9[0]=" and remaining littoral rainforests for protection and promise to preserve the character of smaller towns and villages, which are central to both regions' tourist appeal.<BR> ";

S10[0]=" &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The Mid-North Coast strategy, which will be on exhibition for two months, earmarks Coffs Harbour, Grafton, Port Macquarie and Taree as the ";

S11[0]=" region's main centres.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Six other towns are identified as lesser centres: Maclean, Woolgoolga, Bellingen, Macksville, Kempsey and Forster-Tuncurry.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 'In ";

S12[0]=" the case of the Mid-North Coast, we are again concentrating the development around the towns,' Mr Sartor said yesterday.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 'Some of the ";

S13[0]=" councils wanted more development but we have limited it to manageable levels.' However, resisting urban sprawl along the coast may prove more politically challenging.<BR> &nbsp; ";

S14[0]=" &nbsp; &nbsp; The mid-coast councils have already either zoned or identified enough land for the future expansion, but some of the land is 'not necessarily ";

S15[0]=" in the right location', the strategy says.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; These plans will now have to be reviewed in the light of the strategy.<BR> &nbsp; ";

S16[0]=" &nbsp; &nbsp; Another feature of the Mid-North Coast strategy is the proposal for high-rise buildings in the centre of Coffs Harbour and in the jetty ";

S17[0]=" and Park Beach areas, and in the heart of Port Macquarie.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Mr Sartor said the actual shape of each major centre would ";

S18[0]=" be in the hands of the councils, but the State Government would strictly enforce its coastal policy to prevent overshadowing of the beach... ";

R[1]="996";

T[1]="Call For Teacher Nominations for NEiTA Awards";


A[1]="By ... Editor";

Dn[1]="20060628";

Dt[1]="Wednesday 28 June 2006";

Acats[1]="a50a53";

B1[1]="&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Teachers make an important contribution to the lives of our young people and help shape the future of our country, yet few ";

B2[1]="opportunities arise to recognise the true value of the role they play within the community... ";

B3[1]=" ";

B4[1]=" ";

B5[1]=" ";

S1[1]="&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Teachers make an important contribution to the lives of our young people and help shape the future of our country, yet few ";

S2[1]=" opportunities arise to recognise the true value of the role they play within the community.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The NEiTA Foundation's National Excellence in Teaching ";

S3[1]=" Awards program is a rare opportunity to publicly recognise and encourage outstanding teachers.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; It is the only national awards program where school ";

S4[1]=" and early childhood centre communities - secondary students, parents, centre management committees, school councils, and community organisations - can nominate teachers and teaching teams who ";

S5[1]=" contribute excellence.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Sixty per cent of voters in polls developed by the Australian Scholarships Group (ASG) on behalf of the NEiTA Foundation ";

S6[1]=" believe a teacher had the most influence in their life after their immediate family 1.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;  The results support the vital role ";

S7[1]=" teachers play in the lives of our young people and the tremendous and lasting impression teachers have on many Australians - even as they grow ";

S8[1]=" into adulthood.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Launched in Australia in 1994 by the Australian Scholarships Group, the NEiTA Foundation's teaching awards program aims to recognise and ";

S9[1]=" honour excellent teachers from local communities, to recognise and highlight excellence in teaching and to encourage students to enter the teaching profession.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; ";

S10[1]=" In 2004, the awards program was expanded to include a category for registered early childhood teachers.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 'The majority of Australians have an ";

S11[1]=" inspirational story about a favourite teacher,' says NEiTA Foundation Chairman, Terry O'Connell, 'NEiTA award recipients connect with students and parents, and engage them in the ";

S12[1]=" learning process, and inspire them to achieve their full potential.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 'These teachers have so impressed others with their creativity, dedication, and passion ";

S13[1]=" for their work that school parents and students tend to become dedicated supporters, inspiring praise-filled and heart-warming NEiTA nominations,' he said.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; This ";

S14[1]=" year, the 13th year of the Foundation's program, two Awards streams are being offered to teachers from early childhood and special centres, and primary and ";

S15[1]=" secondary schools in government, denominational, independent and private education environments: 1.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; NEiTA Teaching Excellence Awards These NEiTA awards and Australian Scholarship Group ";

S16[1]=" grants are presented to the teachers whose exemplary classroom skills and dedication have demonstrated innovative approaches to teaching that serve as models for schools and ";

S17[1]=" early childhood centres.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 2.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Australian Scholarships Group Community Merit Awards The Australian Scholarships Group Community Merit Awards are made ";

S18[1]=" to teachers who have engaged their students in activities that are of service to the community, and/or who have provided the local community with opportunities ";

S19[1]=" to support and participate in the work of the school or the early childhood centre.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Local communities are encouraged to consider the ";

S20[1]=" benefits of participating in the NEiTA Foundation's Awards program: For teachers: <BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; * Teachers see their work is valued and their contribution ";

S21[1]=" to the centre, school, or wider community is recognised and appreciated.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; * Every teacher nominated receives a Certificate ";

S22[1]=" of Nomination and award recipients may also receive prizes honouring their contributions.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; For students and parents: <BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; * The ";


S23[1]=" awards provide an opportunity to say a special thank you to inspirational teachers who demonstrate effectiveness, innovation, and excellence in their profession.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; ";

S24[1]=" For the early childhood centre or school: <BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; * Nominating a teacher raises teacher, student and centre morale.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <BR> ";

S25[1]=" &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; * Teacher nominations provide an opportunity to gain publicity for the centre and its important work.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; ";

S26[1]=" &nbsp; * Award recipients will receive prizes and may also receive grants that will benefit the centre community.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; ";

S27[1]=" * The Awards enable the centre to celebrate its achievements and the contribution it makes to the community.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; For the community: <BR> ";

S28[1]=" &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; * The NEiTA Awards program encourages the early childhood centre or school to provide mutually supportive opportunities to connect and mentor young ";

S29[1]=" people and celebrate community success.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; * Community achievements and rewards help develop the future success of regional and ";

S30[1]=" local areas.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The NEiTA Foundation awards program offers a unique opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the contribution of a special teacher.<BR> &nbsp; ";

R[2]="637";

T[2]="Report paints desperate picture of life in bush";

A[2]="By ... Canberra Times";

Dn[2]="20060324";

Dt[2]="Friday 24 March 2006";

Acats[2]="a50a51a53";

B1[2]="&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Rural Australia is battling an escalating social and economic crisis, with new research showing significantly higher rates of unemployment, domestic violence, teen ";

B2[2]="pregnancies, suicide, coronary heart disease, diabetes and alcohol-related deaths among young people than in cities... ";

B3[2]=" ";

B4[2]=" ";

B5[2]=" ";

S1[2]="&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Rural Australia is battling an escalating social and economic crisis, with new research showing significantly higher rates of unemployment, domestic violence, teen ";

S2[2]=" pregnancies, suicide, coronary heart disease, diabetes and alcohol-related deaths among young people than in cities.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; A report by Christian charity Mission Australia ";

S3[2]=" warns problems are particulary acute among rural Aboriginal communities, with babies born to indigenous mothers twice as likely to be stillborn, and three times more ";

S4[2]=" likely to die within their first 28 days.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The life expectancy of Aboriginal people is also 20 years less than the national ";

S5[2]=" average.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Federal opposition reconciliation spokesman Peter Garrett described the report as 'profoundly disturbing' and accused the Government of spending more on bureaucracy ";

S6[2]=" and setting up committees than on dealing with deep-seated health and education problems in Aboriginal communities.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Mr Garret said figures obtained by ";

S7[2]=" Senate Estimates showed one government department spent $327,784 to administer funding worth $34,318.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 'It is a case of the Government spending money ";

S8[2]=" on itself rather than the people who need support,' he said.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 'What's needed is more political will and long-term funding for Aboriginal ";

S9[2]=" community programs that will address substance abuse and school retention rates.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; But most government support programs are only short-term and therefore they ";

S10[2]=" have an in-built cycle of failure,' he said.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The Mission Australia reports says rural and regional Australians are suffering from 'a geography ";

S11[2]=" of disadvantage', with limited public transport options, declining health services and loss of educational and job skills training opportunities.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Income levels also ";

S12[2]=" tend to be lower in the bush, with 16 per cent of rural households having a weekly income of $300 or less.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; ";


S13[2]=" Rural Australians also 'suffer from higher rates of injury, mortality, homicide, suicide, diabetes and coronary heart disease', the report says.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 'They also ";

S14[2]=" have less access to specialised medical services including obstetric and mental health services.' It says many of the 'preconditions for good health are unavailable to ";

S15[2]=" indigenous people', with overcrowded and poor quality housing, inadequate sewerage and unreliable water supplies compounding health problems.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; A recent national health survey ";

S16[2]=" has also reported that last year 18,000 adults in remote areas - many on low wages or welfare benefits - regularly went without food for ";

S17[2]=" several days because they ran out of money.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 'There are serious problems with availability and affordability of basic, healthy nutritious food in ";

S18[2]=" remote areas,' National Rural Health Alliance chair John Wakerman said.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 'Wages are also low, there is limited access to transport and in ";

S19[2]=" many cases people will mix up a bit of flour and water to make a kind of damper to eat when they run out of ";

S20[2]=" money to buy food.' Mr Wakerman said the recent National Health Survey showed a 60 per cent increase in the number of people going without ";

S21[2]=" food in remote areas over the past five years.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Recent market surveys revealed grocery costs in remote areas of the Northern Territory ";

S22[2]=" were up to 37 per cent higher than in Darwin supermarkets.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 'There is simply not enough money for people to buy the ";

S23[2]=" food they need because the cost of food is much higher than in cities,' he said.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Mission Australia has called for the ";

S24[2]=" development of a national rural mental health strategy, a new national apprenticeship scheme for women and the expansion of rural finance counselling and drought support ";

S25[2]=" programs.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 'The reality is that one-third of Australians live outside of our capital cities.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; We are not talking about ";

S26[2]=" a fringe group,' Mission Australia national research director Anne Hampshire said.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Federal indigenous affairs minister Mal Brough was unavailable for comment yesterday... ";

R[3]="486";

T[3]="Taking lifestyle horticulture to the world";

A[3]="By ... Editor";

Dn[3]="20060222";

Dt[3]="Wednesday 22 February 2006";

Acats[3]="a04a50a51a54";

B1[3]="&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Lifestyle horticulture is one of Queensland s fastest growing primary industries and the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI&F) is working ";

B2[3]="with industry to put Queensland at the forefront of lifestyle horticulture in Australia... ";

B3[3]=" ";

B4[3]=" ";

B5[3]=" ";

S1[3]="&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Lifestyle horticulture is one of Queensland's fastest growing primary industries and the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI&F) is working with ";

S2[3]=" industry to put Queensland at the forefront of lifestyle horticulture in Australia.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; With new emerging markets like the Middle East and Asia, ";

S3[3]=" Queensland lifestyle horticulture will be at the head of excellence in landscaping parks, gardens and horticulture management technical advice, professional development and training and media ";

S4[3]=" and marketing awareness.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; DPI&F has taken a whole of value chain approach through involvement in research and development, biosecurity, funding of key ";

S5[3]=" projects, building the capacity of peak industry associations, fostering improved communications across the industry, sponsoring functions and increasing exports.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; With the completion ";

S6[3]=" of the Australian Centre for Lifestyle Horticulture (ACLH), Queensland is set to become known as a centre for excellence throughout the world.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; ";


S7[3]=" The ACLH has been developed to bring together key industry stakeholders to advance the development of the lifestyle horticulture in a co-ordinated and cohesive manner.<BR> ";

S8[3]=" &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; DPI&F, working in conjunction with the ACLH, are focusing on future export enhancement work to be undertaken through facilitating business matching, supply ";

S9[3]=" chain development, market research and inbound and outbound trade delegations.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The Singapore Lifestyle Horticulture trade mission scheduled for 8 March 2006 will ";

S10[3]=" focus on building relationships with the Singapore National Parks Board to facilitate increased exports of Queensland lifestyle services and products.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; If you ";

S11[3]=" are interested in export opportunities for lifestyle horticulture please contact Ellen Buckle on (07) 3225 1661 or email ellen.buckle@dpi.qld.gov.au or Prue Tatt on (07) 5466 ";

S12[3]=" 2235 or email prue.tatt@dpi.qld.gov.au... ";

R[4]="480";

T[4]="Yarra River to star in Games Opening Ceremony";

A[4]="By ... Editor";

Dn[4]="20060222";

Dt[4]="Wednesday 22 February 2006";

Acats[4]="a04a05a44a50";

B1[4]="&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The iconic Yarra River will be the pathway leading 71 Commonwealth nations to the Opening Ceremony of the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games ";

B2[4]="on March 15... ";

B3[4]=" ";

B4[4]=" ";

B5[4]=" ";

S1[4]="&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The iconic Yarra River will be the 'pathway' leading 71 Commonwealth nations to the Opening Ceremony of the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games ";

S2[4]=" on March 15.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Commonwealth Games Minister Justin Madden, Lord Mayor John So and Games organisers today revealed that for the first time ";

S3[4]=" in Commonwealth Games history, the Opening Ceremony will flow out of the stadium and onto the streets of the host city, Melbourne.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; ";

S4[4]=" They unveiled one of the key elements of the River Event - 72 water creatures representing the 71 nations of the Commonwealth (Australia will have ";

S5[4]=" two creatures).<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The creatures will be anchored to 36 pontoons along the Yarra River between the Princes and Swan Street bridges by ";

S6[4]=" the end of February.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Ceremonies executive producer Andrew Walsh said each creature had significance to the region it represents, been verified by ";

S7[4]=" the Commonwealth Games Federation representatives of each nation, and authenticated by the Melbourne Museum's Senior Curator of Ichthyology (fish expert) Dr Martin Gomon.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; ";

S8[4]=" &nbsp; Mr Madden said the Yarra spectacular would run concurrently with the Ceremony inside the Melbourne Cricket Ground.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 'For the first time, ";

S9[4]=" we are going to extend the Ceremony beyond the borders of the stadium,' Mr Madden said.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 'And without giving too much away, ";

S10[4]=" colour, light and sound will literally spill out across the city.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 'Imagine more than 80,000 spectators inside the MCG, thousands lining the ";

S11[4]=" banks of the Yarra River and thousands more at Live Sites across the city - all intimately involved for the very first time in a ";

S12[4]=" Games Opening Ceremony.' Lord Mayor John So said the River Event would be Melbourne's biggest art installation ever.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 'Melburnians love the Yarra, ";

S13[4]=" and we look forward to showing off our waterfront city to a global television audience of more than 1.5 billion,' Mr So said.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; ";

S14[4]=" &nbsp; 'Whether we're within the MCG, on the banks of the Yarra or at a Live Site in the city, March 15 will live long ";


S15[4]=" in our memories.' Games Chairman Ron Walker said the water creatures all had significance to the region they represented - whether they were edible fish, ";

S16[4]=" native to that region or of cultural importance.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 'These water creatures give the public a glimpse into what is going to be ";

S17[4]=" the most fantastic Opening Ceremony ever staged,' Mr Walker said.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 'Melbourne is one of the few cities in the world with a ";

S18[4]=" meandering river that is so picturesque connecting to a skyline of city.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The River Event will bring the Yarra to life like ";

S19[4]=" it's never been seen before.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 'And it will only be paralleled by the breathtaking Ceremony we have planned for inside the MCG.<BR> ";

S20[4]=" &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; A small number of tickets are still available for the Opening Ceremony, but you'll need to get in fast.' River Event creative.. ";

R[5]="397";

T[5]="Oldest Aussie recipes begin a national tour";

A[5]="By ... Editor";

Dn[5]="20060222";

Dt[5]="Wednesday 22 February 2006";

Acats[5]="a10a50a51";

B1[5]="&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The earliest known Australian cook book has been dragged out of its protective environment at the State Library to go on a ";

B2[5]="national tour... ";

B3[5]=" ";

B4[5]=" ";

B5[5]=" ";

S1[5]="&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The earliest known Australian cook book has been dragged out of its protective environment at the State Library to go on a ";

S2[5]=" national tour.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; A highlight is a recipe for Slippery Bob - kangaroo brains.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Published in 1864, the book carries ";

S3[5]=" the byline 'By an Australian Aristologist' and the rather pompous title The English and Australian Cookery Book: Cookery for the Many, as Well as the ";

S4[5]=" Upper Ten Thousand.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Just like today's foodies, author Edward Abbott - an MP, businessman and land owner- fancied himself skilled in the ";

S5[5]=" art of fine dining.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; It has recipes for traditional English fare and incorporates local produce.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Librarian Dianne Byrne said ";

S6[5]=" the book's title was thought to be a little tongue in cheek although its production was aimed at colonial gentry.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;  It ";

S7[5]=" contains recipes for a range of products of a type not necessarily available in England, such as wattle, muttonbird, wild duck, pigeon and black swans.<BR> ";

S8[5]=" &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; It also contains curiosities, advice on smoking, tea drinking and, of course, tips on managing servants.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;  More than ";

S9[5]=" 20 of the library's most valuable historic items - all of national significance - have just gone on tour as part of the National Treasures ";

S10[5]=" from Australia's Great Libraries exhibition.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The exhibition opened at the National Gallery in Canberra earlier this month but will not be in ";

S11[5]=" Queensland until November when it will play a role in the opening of the new State Library.Queensland treasures on show include cloths collected on Lieutenant ";

S12[5]=" James Cook's three major voyages and the log book for the first aircraft ordered by the Western Queensland Auto Aero Service, later called Qantas.<BR> &nbsp; ";

S13[5]=" &nbsp; &nbsp; Also included is Sir Donald Bradman's favourite cricket bat and bushranger Ned Kelly's iron helmet... ";

R[6]="380";


T[6]="Solid fence offers protection during bushfire experiments";

A[6]="By ... Editor";

Dn[6]="20060222";

Dt[6]="Wednesday 22 February 2006";

Acats[6]="a09a37a42a50";

B1[6]="&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Experiments have shown that solid steel or hardwood fence provides better protection against bushfire attack than treated pine or open slatted fences..... ";

B2[6]=" ";

B3[6]=" ";

B4[6]=" ";

B5[6]=" ";

S1[6]="&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Experiments have shown that solid steel or hardwood fence provides better protection against bushfire attack than treated pine or open slatted fences.<BR> ";

S2[6]=" &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; A solid steel or hardwood fence provides better protection against bushfire attack than that of treated pine or open slatted fences, according ";

S3[6]=" to research experiments conducted by the Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre and CSIRO.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Scientists tested 1.3km of fence materials to observe the performance ";

S4[6]=" of house fences during simulated bushfire attacks.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Treated pine, hardwood and steel fences were tested in 23 different fire experiments including ember ";

S5[6]=" attack, flame attack, radiant heat attack, leaf litter attack.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 'Solid fences made from steel or hardwood timber were seen to be effective ";

S6[6]=" at stopping the transfer of both fire and radiant heat,' says CSIRO's lead bushfire researcher Justin Leonard.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 'The results from this six-month ";

S7[6]=" study support the anecdotal evidence that solid fencing offers increased protection for homes and can help to reduce the transfer of both fire and radiant ";

S8[6]=" heat.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 'This is critical because our post-bushfire survey results show that the majority of houses actually survive the first fire front, but ";

S9[6]=" burn down during the following few hours from ignition caused by burning debris or ember attack which may come from vegetation or combustible items within ";

S10[6]=" the urban environment.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 'In our study solid steel fences did incredibly well at repelling fire and radiation attacks.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The ";

S11[6]=" protection may be enough to prevent combustible items near the fence from igniting, thus reducing the chance of fire spreading into the inside of the ";

S12[6]=" property boundary.' The steel fence survived all experiments with its structure in tact, but there was buckling and separating of the joints of panels and ";

S13[6]=" posts.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; There was also scorching of the fence's surface coating.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 'Closed slatted hard wood fences also provided a solid ";

S14[6]=" barrier to fire radiation, and survived the majority of tests with minor charring without becoming significantly involved in flames,' Mr Leonard says.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; ";

S15[6]=" 'The proviso for hardwood fences is that people need to ensure there are no combustible materials near the hardwood fence - such as combustible ground ";

S16[6]=" cover, play equipment, sheds or cars.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; If these elements burn the fence may act not as a barrier but as a flame ";

S17[6]=" source.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; When these elements are present, the fence becomes far less effective and can actually become part of the problem.' Hardwood fences ";

S18[6]=" also struggled during the structural fire exposure experiments - with the fence exposed to direct 2.5-m high flames for 30 minutes.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The ";

S19[6]=" hardwood palings started to burn through in five and a half minutes.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 'This suggests that these types of fences may not be ";

S20[6]=" effective in limiting house-to-house fire spread in large fires as we actually observed during the Canberra bushfires,' Mr Leonard says.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; It was.. ";

R[7]="340";


T[7]="Common ground and private practice -- thinking about property";

A[7]="By ... Editor";

Dn[7]="20060222";

Dt[7]="Wednesday 22 February 2006";

Acats[7]="a07a48a50a72";

B1[7]="&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; A new report presenting leading edge thinking about property rights and responsibilities..... ";

B2[7]=" ";

B3[7]=" ";

B4[7]=" ";

B5[7]=" ";

S1[7]="&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; A new report presenting leading edge thinking about property rights and responsibilities.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; While industry, community and government have all ";

S2[7]=" expressed a broad commitment to greater sustainability of the Australian landscape, as yet there is little agreement on a reform agenda to achieve this goal.<BR> ";

S3[7]=" &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;  One of the topics where debate is most fierce concerns property rights and responsibilities.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; In an effort to ";

S4[7]=" encourage and inform debate about the rights and responsibilities of property owners in managing land and water, Land & Water Australia has released a new ";

S5[7]=" report Property: rights and responsibilities, current Australian thinking.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; This collection of eight research papers represents the leading edge of Australian thinking on ";

S6[7]=" property rights.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Topics range from a discussion of private property and common myths in the property rights debate, to analyses of legal ";

S7[7]=" and economic approaches, economic perspectives of water entitlements, and social justice considerations.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Land & Water Australia Chair Ms Bobbie Brazil said that ";

S8[7]=" improving understanding of property rights among communities, industries and policy makers is critical in moving forward on some of the most intractable environmental challenges in ";

S9[7]=" Australia.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 'This is a complex issue, and rarely is this sort of information presented in a comprehensive and accessible way.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; ";

S10[7]=" &nbsp; We have a responsibility to find appropriate and workable solutions, to make sure that we get it right,' she said.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; ";

S11[7]=" The Property report has been produced under Land & Water Australia's Social and Institutional Research Program.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Click here for an electronic copy.<BR> ";

S12[7]=" &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Hard copies can be obtained from Canprint on 1800 776616 quoting product code PR020440... ";