R[0]="925"; T[0]="Aussie wine lake to drain into China"; A[0]="By ... Editor"; Dn[0]="20060619"; Dt[0]="Monday 19 June 2006"; Acats[0]="a08a13"; B1[0]="      The Australian wine lake has found a new outlet: the Chinese middle class.... "; B2[0]=" "; B3[0]=" "; B4[0]=" "; B5[0]=" "; S1[0]="      The Australian wine lake has found a new outlet: the Chinese middle class.
      Australian wine exports to China soared "; S2[0]=" by 482% to 11.75m litres over the past year, according to just-released statistics.
      According to the Australian Wine & Brandy Corp "; S3[0]=" (AWBC), sales growth rose mostly in the discount or bulk end of the market, with the average price per litre of wine sold declining by "; S4[0]=" 63.9% to AUS$1.75.
      The Chinese market is very small compared to Australia's largest export market, the UK - where Australia commands "; S5[0]=" almost 25% of the market - but AWBC corporate affairs manager Eric Wisgard said winemakers were encouraged by a recent reduction on tariffs on wine "; S6[0]=" sold in China, from 65% to 14%, and by rising Chinese affluence.
      'There's a growing middle class, and there is quite "; S7[0]=" a move to adopt Western symbols of success,' Wisgard told The Australian.
      'They're looking for international brand names and other signs "; S8[0]=" of Western-style affluence, and wine fits into that quite comfortably.' Consumption per head in China has doubled in the last five years, although annual "; S9[0]=" consumption per head is very low... "; R[1]="922"; T[1]="Tax credits review raises biofuel concerns"; A[1]="By ... Editor"; Dn[1]="20060615"; Dt[1]="Thursday 15 June 2006"; Acats[1]="a05a36a94"; B1[1]="      A Senate inquiry has warned that the biofuels industry could be threatened by a proposed new fuel tax regime.... "; B2[1]=" "; B3[1]=" "; B4[1]=" "; B5[1]=" "; S1[1]="      A Senate inquiry has warned that the biofuels industry could be threatened by a proposed new fuel tax regime.
      "; S2[1]=" The proposed legislation removes fuel tax from a variety of commercial and domestic uses and allows businesses to claim tax credits in their Business "; S3[1]=" Activity Statements (BAS).
      The move is designed to cut red tape and reduce costs.
      But the Senate inquiry "; S4[1]=" has found that customers of biofuel producers will not be able to claim the fuel tax credit, because of subsidies paid to the industry.
  "; S5[1]="     The Government-dominated committee says parts of the bill should be redrafted to ensure the biofuels industry is not deprived of tax credits.
  "; S6[1]="     Targets 'on track' Federal Treasurer Peter Costello says Australia is on track to meet the Government's target for biofuel usage.
    "; S7[1]="   The Commonwealth has set a goal of 350 megalitres of ethanol and biodiesel blended fuels by 2010.
      Queensland Nationals Senator Barnaby "; S8[1]=" Joyce is concerned that oil companies are not using enough ethanol and wants the Government to mandate its use in fuel.
      Mr "; S9[1]=" Costello has told Macquarie Radio he believes the Government's target can be reached.
      'We're on our way, my advice is by 2010 "; S10[1]=" - that's a few years off - that we should be able to make it,' Mr Costello said.
      'We've given incentives to "; S11[1]=" producers who want to investigate and produce these alternative fuels and we'll see how that goes.'.. "; R[2]="917"; T[2]="Elders signs Russian cattle deal"; A[2]="By ... Editor"; Dn[2]="20060615"; Dt[2]="Thursday 15 June 2006"; Acats[2]="a08a27"; B1[2]="      Australian pastoral company Elders has broken new ground in Russia with the signing today of a contract to deliver the first ever "; B2[2]="large shipment of foreign cattle into the country... "; B3[2]=" "; B4[2]=" "; B5[2]=" "; S1[2]="      Australian pastoral company Elders has broken new ground in Russia with the signing today of a contract to deliver the first ever "; S2[2]=" large shipment of foreign cattle into the country.
      Elders General Manager Trading Michael Dacres-Manning said the deal, announced during a major Australian "; S3[2]=" trade promotion in Moscow, involved an initial shipment of 3500 cattle from Australia to the eastern Russian port city of Vladivostok.
      "; S4[2]=" Mr Dacres-Manning said it was hoped to lead to an ongoing trade involving up to 50,000 head of cattle per year.
      Each "; S5[2]=" shipment had a value of some $US6.5 million ($8.82 million) with the first boatload expected to leave Australia in late July.
      The "; S6[2]=" deal is with Rosagro Leasing, the agricultural leasing arm of the Russian government.
      The cattle, which will be sourced largely from farms "; S7[2]=" in NSW, Victoria, Western Australia and southern Queensland, would consist of a mixture of beef and dairy stock and would largely be used for breeding.
"; S8[2]="       Mr Dacres-Manning said the contract represented a coup for Australian agri-business.
      He said the last cattle export of "; S9[2]=" note to Russia had failed after the animals were unable to acclimatise to the Russian winter.
      'That was a dairy shipment from "; S10[2]=" France and within four months they were producing only 40 per cent of what they had been when they left France,' he said.
    "; S11[2]="   'We have been successful in this deal because Elders reputation for placing a very high degree of importance on animal health is well known.' "; S12[2]=" As well as assisting Russia in the rebuilding its cattle herd, the deal opens up a considerable market for Australian farmers.
      Mr "; S13[2]=" Dacres-Manning said the deal had been more than four months in the making and had been completed with the assistance of the Australian Trade Commission "; S14[2]=" (Austrade).
      After a quarantine period the cattle will be shipped from Portland in Victoria and Fremantle, WA... "; R[3]="915"; T[3]="Karratha liquid ammonia leaves for Taiwan"; A[3]="By ... ABC"; Dn[3]="20060613"; Dt[3]="Tuesday 13 June 2006"; Acats[3]="a03a08"; B1[3]="      The first shipment of liquid ammonia from the Burrup Fertiliser plant in Karratha has left the Port of Dampier in north-west Western "; B2[3]="Australia... "; B3[3]=" "; B4[3]=" "; B5[3]=" "; S1[3]="      The first shipment of liquid ammonia from the Burrup Fertiliser plant in Karratha has left the Port of Dampier in north-west Western "; S2[3]=" Australia.
      Forty-thousand tonnes of ammonia will be exported to a company in Taiwan to manufacture fertiliser.
      The company has "; S3[3]=" agreed to buy the plant's total output for the next 20 years.
      Burrup Fertilisers says it is still assessing the feasibility of "; S4[3]=" building another plant to produce ammonium nitrate, which is used to make explosives.
      The emerging iron ore company formerly known as Sherlock "; S5[3]=" Bay Nickel, has changed its name to Australasian Resources.
      Australasian's directors are currently in India looking for business partners for its Balmoral "; S6[3]=" deposit in the Pilbara... "; R[4]="912"; T[4]="Beef exporter looks to expand overseas markets"; A[4]="By ... Editor"; Dn[4]="20060613"; Dt[4]="Tuesday 13 June 2006"; Acats[4]="a07a08a27"; B1[4]="      A Queensland beef company selling organic meatballs and hamburger patties to the United States says it is looking forward to expanding its "; B2[4]="markets... "; B3[4]=" "; B4[4]=" "; B5[4]=" "; S1[4]="      A Queensland beef company selling organic meatballs and hamburger patties to the United States says it is looking forward to expanding its "; S2[4]=" markets.
      OBE Beef comprises 30 channel country graziers who represent the largest organic beef project in Australia.
      The company's "; S3[4]=" Simone Tully says sales of product in overseas markets are growing and there is good potential for expansion.
      'Definitely is, and we're "; S4[4]=" expanding all the time,' she said.
      'Queensland organic producers particularly, we have proven that we can work really well together and that "; S5[4]=" has been an incredible strength in building the organic beef category, whether it's in Australia, or in Asia, or the US, or wherever it may "; S6[4]=" be.'.. "; R[5]="911"; T[5]="Telcos urged to express interest for bush broadband"; A[5]="By ... Editor"; Dn[5]="20060613"; Dt[5]="Tuesday 13 June 2006"; Acats[5]="a04a05a46"; B1[5]="      The Federal Government has called for expressions of interest from telecommunications companies who can provide broadband Internet services to regional areas.... "; B2[5]=" "; B3[5]=" "; B4[5]=" "; B5[5]=" "; S1[5]="      The Federal Government has called for expressions of interest from telecommunications companies who can provide broadband Internet services to regional areas.
  "; S2[5]="     The $1.1 billion Connect Australia package aims to improve services outside the capital cities.
      Industry analyst Paul Budde says telcos "; S3[5]=" should not be competing for business, but allocated a region to ensure wider coverage.
      'People in regional Australia should not have to "; S4[5]=" pay more for that sort of service than people in metropolitan areas, this is infrastructure this is not luxury, everybody needs it, and therefore it "; S5[5]=" has to be treated as such,' he said.
      'I think it is absolutely important that every company that is going to participate "; S6[5]=" in this Connect Australia fund puts their map on the table because the last thing that we want is that we get overbuilt or we "; S7[5]=" get competing systems.'.. "; R[6]="901"; T[6]="Water compo is not income, say farmers"; A[6]="By ... Editor"; Dn[6]="20060613"; Dt[6]="Tuesday 13 June 2006"; Acats[6]="a07a40"; B1[6]="      Changes to the tax on payments made to farmers who give up water rights could prove a windfall to other resource industries, "; B2[6]="such as timber and fisheries... "; B3[6]=" "; B4[6]=" "; B5[6]=" "; S1[6]="      Changes to the tax on payments made to farmers who give up water rights could prove a windfall to other resource industries, "; S2[6]=" such as timber and fisheries.
      Irrigators are pushing the Government for tax relief on compensation for releasing water back into the nation's "; S3[6]=" stressed river systems, arguing the money should not be taxed as income because it is compensation for lost capital.
      But if approved "; S4[6]=" by the Government, the move could also benefit fishermen or loggers by setting a precedent for future governments needing to claw back licences.
    "; S5[6]="   Doug Miell, chief executive of the NSW Irrigators Council, said the issue had arisen because of historic over-allocation of rights to water in NSW.
"; S6[6]="       The NSW and federal governments had agreed to pay $110million to water users, such as farmers relying on irrigation, who lost rights "; S7[6]=" to part of the water they used.
      The National Farmers Federation and the irrigators council this week put a detailed argument to "; S8[6]=" John Howard about why the payments should not be taxed as income.
      The chairman of the Australian Seafood Industry Council, Bob Pennington, "; S9[6]=" said the same rules should apply to any compensation package for taking away fishing rights.
      'Water rights are in fact either granted "; S10[6]=" or bought and are tradable,' he said.
      'If they are a secure form of property, which I believe in most states they "; S11[6]=" are, they should be traded like any other property.' Fishing licences were property in exactly the same way as water rights, he said.
    "; S12[6]="   As a form of property, they were subject to stamp duty and - assuming they have grown in value since bought - capital gains "; S13[6]=" tax... "; R[7]="900"; T[7]="Local growers losing slice of apple pie"; A[7]="By ... Editor"; Dn[7]="20060613"; Dt[7]="Tuesday 13 June 2006"; Acats[7]="a08a18"; B1[7]="      Peter Darley has been growing apples for 45 years and hopes to reach the 50-year milestone, but the Orange-based farmer is not "; B2[7]="so sure the local industry will survive that long... "; B3[7]=" "; B4[7]=" "; B5[7]=" "; S1[7]="      Peter Darley has been growing apples for 45 years and hopes to reach the 50-year milestone, but the Orange-based farmer is not "; S2[7]=" so sure the local industry will survive that long.
      A second-generation apple grower, Mr Darley said the Australian industry was under attack "; S3[7]=" on three fronts - cheaper imports, the crippling drought, and perhaps of most concern, the supermarkets' growing stranglehold over primary producers.
      The "; S4[7]=" numbers reflect Mr Darley's concern.
      In 1980, there were more than 380 orchards in the Orange area, in NSW's central west.
  "; S5[7]="     Now there are only about 45 commercial orchards left in the region, and they are becoming scarcer by the year.
      "; S6[7]=" 'The younger generation has seen the hardships of their parents and they've decided, 'That's not for me', so there's a natural attrition in that sense,' "; S7[7]=" Mr Darley said.
      'But then there are established growers who have had a gutful of the industry largely because the supermarkets are "; S8[7]=" demanding a cheap product off the grower, which then in turn becomes a very expensive product for the consumer.
      'We're seeing a "; S9[7]=" lot of disillusionment in the industry because of that.' In recent seasons, it was not unusual for growers to receive just $1 a kilogram for "; S10[7]=" apples that would be sold in supermarkets for six times that amount, resulting in farmers barely breaking even, Mr Darley said.
      And "; S11[7]=" with cheaper imports flooding the market and undercutting Australian growers, the long-term outlook for local farmers is bleak.
      'New Zealand is looking "; S12[7]=" at us as their domestic market, and that will bring another 2 million cases of apples into Australia each year,' Mr Darley said.
    "; S13[7]="   'And we are going to see huge pressure from China as they can land a kilo of apples here for just 49 cents.
  "; S14[7]="     'We can't compete with such low prices.
      We support free trade, but we also support fair trade.
      "; S15[7]=" 'But we're up against subsidised countries, and if the Government doesn't want to recognise that, there will not be farmers in this country in five "; S16[7]=" years.
      You will see the demise of the Australian growers.' Export opportunities for local growers are limited because of high production costs "; S17[7]=" and the relatively strong Australian dollar.
      And the drought is continuing to hurt local growers.
      'It's worse now than "; S18[7]=" it's ever been,' Mr Darley said.
      But amid the gloom, there is some short-term joy, with market experts predicting a bumper year "; S19[7]=" for apples, partly due to the high cost of bananas.
      Chris Cope, from the Sydney Market Reporting Service, said apple prices had "; S20[7]=" benefited from the short supply of bananas brought about by Cyclone Larry... "; R[8]="891"; T[8]="Campbell rules out 'stupid' carbon tax"; A[8]="By ... Editor"; Dn[8]="20060609"; Dt[8]="Friday 9 June 2006"; Acats[8]="a05a36a42"; B1[8]="      Federal Environment Minister Ian Campbell has ruled out introducing carbon taxes to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, describing the idea as stupid.... "; B2[8]=" "; B3[8]=" "; B4[8]=" "; B5[8]=" "; S1[8]="      Federal Environment Minister Ian Campbell has ruled out introducing carbon taxes to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, describing the idea as stupid.
"; S2[8]="       Senator Campbell today discussed the Government's climate change policy at a luncheon in Perth, which was hosted by the Australian Institute "; S3[8]=" of Energy.
      He says taxing companies in relation to their carbon dioxide emissions would only discourage investment in Australia and push the "; S4[8]=" greenhouse problem to another country.
      Senator Campbell says there are better ways to reduce the energy sector's impact on the environment.
  "; S5[8]="     'What we want to do is put in sensible incentives to develop low-emission technologies and zero-emission technologies,' he said.
      'We "; S6[8]=" are massively incentivising not only coal, but also solar and wind and a range of others.
      'So we are putting those "; S7[8]=" incentives in place in a way that most other countries aren't.'.. "; R[9]="889"; T[9]="Nuclear power 'too costly'"; A[9]="By ... Editor"; Dn[9]="20060609"; Dt[9]="Friday 9 June 2006"; Acats[9]="a05a36a42"; B1[9]="      Nuclear power would cost twice as much as electricity produced from coal, while the world's viable uranium supplies could run out within "; B2[9]="24 years, a new report has found... "; B3[9]=" "; B4[9]=" "; B5[9]=" "; S1[9]="      Nuclear power would cost twice as much as electricity produced from coal, while the world's viable uranium supplies could run out within "; S2[9]=" 24 years, a new report has found.
      Prime Minister John Howard this week announced a top level inquiry into the nation's options "; S3[9]=" for nuclear energy, which will be headed by former Telstra boss Ziggy Switkowski.
      But the Victorian government report has found nuclear power "; S4[9]=" will not only be double the price of electricity produced from coal, but the world's viable uranium supplies could be depleted within 24 years, The "; S5[9]=" Australian newspaper reported.
      The internal review found that nuclear power was 'not cost effective' and a carbon tax of up to $30 "; S6[9]=" per tonne of carbon dioxide would need to be levied on coal-fired generators to make it viable.
      The Victorian Department of Infrastructure "; S7[9]=" report concluded that coal-fired power stations could produce power for $35 per megawatt hour, compared to nuclear power which would cost between $60 and $80 "; S8[9]=" per megawatt hour.
      The report also found that while there was 4.3 million tonnes, or 60 years' worth, of unknown uranium resources, "; S9[9]=" only 1.7 million tonnes, or 24 years' worth, was economically viable to extract, the paper reported.
      'Nuclear power is not cost-competitive with "; S10[9]=" other forms of electricity generation, in the absence of a substantial greenhouse cost of approximately $25-$30 per tonne of C02,' the report concluded.
    "; S11[9]="   'Hence coal and gas will remain economically attractive to countries such as Australia, the USA and China.'.. "; R[10]="885"; T[10]="Call for more climate research to maintain wheat production"; A[10]="By ... Editor"; Dn[10]="20060609"; Dt[10]="Friday 9 June 2006"; Acats[10]="a04a05a08a22a89"; B1[10]="      There is a warning today that wheat production could fall by 15 per cent and cost the nation $1 billion over the "; B2[10]="next 30 years unless the grains industry steps up research into managing climate change... "; B3[10]=" "; B4[10]=" "; B5[10]=" "; S1[10]="      There is a warning today that wheat production could fall by 15 per cent and cost the nation $1 billion over the "; S2[10]=" next 30 years unless the grains industry steps up research into managing climate change.
      A study of five major grain growing areas "; S3[10]=" show a drop in production of between 5 per cent and 25 per cent, with shorter growing periods and higher threats from diseases and pests "; S4[10]=" as the country gets warmer and drier.
      Professor Peter Grace from the Institute of Sustainable Resources in Queensland, says farmers may need "; S5[10]=" to look to new wheat varieties and better use natural resources like water.
      'Drought resistance is probably the number one area we "; S6[10]=" need to get into in Australia,' he said.
      'We have a long history of scientists who have done a lot of work "; S7[10]=" in traditional plant breeding in drought resistance and have been very successful, so we're well positioned to meet what's going to happen in the next "; S8[10]=" 30 to 50 years.
      'Global warming is here, that is a proven fact.
      Farmers play a role in that "; S9[10]=" as well by moving towards conservation tillage practices, so farmers are in the driver's seat.' Meanwhile, Western Australia's grain handler and marketer the CBH Group "; S10[10]=" is upbeat about the winter growing season, even though many areas desperately need rain.
      CBH has released its first crop yield estimate "; S11[10]=" for the year, with a ballpark figure of 11.6 million tonnes.
      Operations manager David Fienberg says CBH's predictions are largely on good "; S12[10]=" summer sub-soil moisture reserves across broadacre regions.
      'What we do is, we try and collect as much on-ground intelligence in terms of "; S13[10]=" being really well set-up for those from the summer rains,' he said.
      'And there is fantastic sub-soil moisture there in the majority "; S14[10]=" of the state.
      'We just need that 25-35 mils on a couple of occasions to break through, and heaven only knows where "; S15[10]=" we could go with it.
      So I think there's still plenty of scope for a reasonable season.'.. "; R[11]="884"; T[11]="Fuel prices more urgent than nuclear power, say farmers"; A[11]="By ... Editor"; Dn[11]="20060609"; Dt[11]="Friday 9 June 2006"; Acats[11]="a04a36a42a56"; B1[11]="      The National Farmers Federation says the Federal Government needs to urgently tackle high fuel prices, ahead of developing nuclear power.... "; B2[11]=" "; B3[11]=" "; B4[11]=" "; B5[11]=" "; S1[11]="      The National Farmers Federation says the Federal Government needs to urgently tackle high fuel prices, ahead of developing nuclear power.
    "; S2[11]="   It is supporting another government inquiry into alternative fuels, which will look at whether a commercial biofuel industry is viable.
      NFF "; S3[11]=" president Peter Corish says many farm petrol and diesel bills have risen 70 per cent since 2004, and urgent action is needed to promote alternative "; S4[11]=" fuels.
      'There are real opportunities for a number of our agricultural industries and certainly our view is that both need to be "; S5[11]=" focussed on but probably the opportunities that exist from biofuels are more immediate than will come from the nuclear debate,' he said.
      "; S6[11]=" Meanwhile, ethanol production has been flagged as a potential new industry for Australia's biggest irrigation scheme.
      Consultants from Perth and Brazil are "; S7[11]=" looking at the viability of growing sugar cane in the second stage of the Ord River Irrigation Scheme, in Western Australia's far north.
    "; S8[11]="   But the consultants say they do not yet know how much water will be available, because the State Government has not released details... "; R[12]="882"; T[12]="Regional Victoria to Benefit from $851m Package"; A[12]="By ... Editor"; Dn[12]="20060609"; Dt[12]="Friday 9 June 2006"; Acats[12]="a05a07a48a65"; B1[12]="      Regional Victoria is set to benefit from an $851 million Bracks Government package of investments designed to support disadvantaged Victorians and create "; B2[12]="more opportunity... "; B3[12]=" "; B4[12]=" "; B5[12]=" "; S1[12]="      Regional Victoria is set to benefit from an $851 million Bracks Government package of investments designed to support disadvantaged Victorians and create "; S2[12]=" more opportunity.
      Briefing local councils on the A Fairer Victoria - Progress and Next Steps package, Deputy Premier and Minister for Victorian "; S3[12]=" Communities, John Thwaites, said funding had been targeted at regional areas in need of support.
      'While regional Victoria is thriving, we know "; S4[12]=" there are some areas facing tough challenges,' Mr Thwaites said.
      'We are seeing high levels of building activity, low unemployment and growth "; S5[12]=" in key industries, but we're also seeing some towns losing population and services, dealing with the challenges of ageing populations, and supporting communities where disadvantage "; S6[12]=" is entrenched.
      'That's why regional Victoria is a strong focus of our work to build a fairer Victoria.' Mr Thwaites said the "; S7[12]=" second instalment of A Fairer Victoria included the following programs for regional Victoria: ' LibraryLink: ten country libraries across Victoria will be electronically linked through "; S8[12]=" the LibraryLink service, which allows all libraries' books and resources be searched on the one site and items mailed to the nearest library; ' Youth "; S9[12]=" Transition: eight youth workers will be employed to help young people get back into study or work in Greater Geelong, Ballarat/Mooroobool/Golden Plains, Greater Bendigo/Mt Alexander/ "; S10[12]=" Central Goldfields and La Trobe/Baw Baw; ' Community transport: up to 30 more Flexible Transport Solutions projects across regional Victoria and outer metropolitan Melbourne to "; S11[12]=" help people make better use of existing transport resources such as school buses, taxis and volunteer drivers; ' Refugee nursing services: extra funding to extend "; S12[12]=" hours and availability of refugee nurses in regional areas with high refugee populations; ' Extension of no-interest loans scheme: the Bracks Government will, in partnership "; S13[12]=" with the National Bank, extend low interest loan schemes to 77 communities, many in regional areas; ' Heater rebate: extension of a rebate for installing "; S14[12]=" high efficiency gas heaters in homes in rural areas.
      'This is another way the Bracks Government is making Victoria a better place "; S15[12]=" to work, live and raise a family,' Mr Thwaites said.
      The $851 million package of investments in A Fairer Victoria is on "; S16[12]=" top of the $1.1 billion of investments in regional Victoria delivered in the recent State Budget, including: ' $318 million for transport initiatives for regional "; S17[12]=" Victoria including boosting country bus services, upgrading bus and rail facilities and the Wodonga rail by-pass; ' $160 million to secure water supplies in Bendigo, "; S18[12]=" Gippsland, Wimmera-Mallee, Murray Darling Basin and the Alpine resorts at Mt Buller and Mt Hotham; ' $53 million to benefit parents of the approximately 38,000 "; S19[12]=" students from provincial Victoria starting Prep or Year 7 who will receive the $300 School Start Bonus; ' $44.6 million for primary industries; ' $15.5 "; S20[12]=" million for training in areas of high regional demand and sharing in the statewide investment of $62 million for school and TAFE construction and equipment "; S21[12]=" and $32 million to build at least four new Technical Education Centres, including at Ballarat and Wangaratta; ' $12.3 million to boost community safety with "; S22[12]=" new facilities in rural and regional Victoria; ' $2.4 million to revitalise civic centres for the future growth of provincial transit cities in Ballarat, Bendigo "; S23[12]=" and Geelong.
      Mr Thwaites said the Bracks Government was confident that its strategic approach to breaking the cycle of disadvantage was working.
"; S24[12]="       'The evidence shows in lower child abuse reports, more children in kindergarten, higher Year 12 retention rates, record low class sizes and "; S25[12]=" a low crime rate,' he said.
      In addition the first year's investment in A Fairer Victoria is showing further results such as: "; S26[12]=" ' 8000 children in long day care also attending kindergarten programs; ' An extra 460 children with disabilities able to receive therapy and support; ' "; S27[12]=" 18,000 young people reconnected back into school, training or jobs; ' Increased reporting of family violence incidents with 73.2 per cent more charges laid by "; S28[12]=" police; ' 163 men being helped with anger management through Family Violence Courts orders to attend counselling; ' 300 newly-arrived refugee clients registered for specialist "; S29[12]=" nursing services in Shepparton, Warrnambool, Kensington, Werribee and Dandenong; ' more than 100 small towns are involved in a new wave of community building projects; "; S30[12]=" ' 88 community organisations given funding for upgrading computer equipment to help bridge the digital divide; ' Social housing stock increased by 70 homes and "; R[13]="880"; T[13]="A glut reaction as wine growers meet"; A[13]="By ... Editor"; Dn[13]="20060609"; Dt[13]="Friday 9 June 2006"; Acats[13]="a04a13"; B1[13]="      Horror stories abound in the wine industry right now.
      Have you heard the one about the NSW producer getting "; B2[13]="rid of no-label cleanskins at $13 a case, wholesale?.. "; B3[13]=" "; B4[13]=" "; B5[13]=" "; S1[13]="      Horror stories abound in the wine industry right now.
      Have you heard the one about the NSW producer getting "; S2[13]=" rid of no-label cleanskins at $13 a case, wholesale? Or the Yarra Valley grower leaving half his 2006 harvest to rot on the vine? Or, "; S3[13]=" that 40 per cent of Australia's grape growers will need welfare assistance within two years? The last is no furphy.
      It's an "; S4[13]=" estimate made by Mark McKenzie, the executive director of the newly formed Wine Grape Growers' Council of Australia.
      Mr McKenzie, together with "; S5[13]=" members of the Wine Makers Federation of Australia, will meet in Melbourne today, and along with sharing some horror stories they hope to come up "; S6[13]=" with a way to tackle the nation's wine glut, the cause of all the angst.
      Top of the agenda will be a "; S7[13]=" $60 million assistance package to compensate growers for taking a breather away from wine growing over the next few years, or forever.
      "; S8[13]=" 'What can we do to take 200,000 to 300,000 tonnes of fruit out of the system in an equitable way?' asks Mr McKenzie.
    "; S9[13]="   'And if people have no choice but to leave, how can they do it with some dignity?' Growers may be asked to 'mothball' fruit, "; S10[13]=" that is, not pick varieties during the 2007 harvest that are over-plentiful in their region.
      They may also be encouraged to graft "; S11[13]=" varieties that are in over-supply to more in-demand grapes.
      What they won't be paid to do is pull them out.
    "; S12[13]="   There will be no return to the 1980s, when a South Australian government-funded Vinepull saw hundreds of hectares of vines indiscriminately removed.
    "; S13[13]="   'A Vinepull has little support because there's a recognition that five years from now we'll probably need those grapes,' says Michael Matthews, chairman of "; S14[13]=" the Victorian Wine Industry Association.
      In this vintage year, 1.9 million tonnes of fruit flooded the market, compounding an already seriously bloated "; S15[13]=" market after a record 1.96 million tonnes last year.
      Life is tough for both growers and producers, but some are not waiting "; S16[13]=" for the summit report before acting.
      A Yarra Valley producer, Brett Spurling, of Gateway Vineyard, Coldstream, is planning to graft one-quarter of "; S17[13]=" his vineyard from chardonnay and pinot noir over to shiraz and the trendy newcomer, viognier.
      Nationally, there is too much chardonnay (by "; S18[13]=" 10 per cent), and not enough viognier (by 16 per cent), so on paper it's a good idea.
      'What we need are "; S19[13]=" a couple of bad seasons, to be honest, or at least to force a bad season,' says Mr Spurling.
      Across the valley, "; S20[13]=" at Yarra Glen, Bob Curtis, of Yileena Park, believes measures such as 'moth-balling' fruit have merit as long as growers are given a fair price.
"; S21[13]="       He would consider not picking fruit only if he were to receive market price.
      'But I guess that's not "; S22[13]=" going to happen,' he says.
      For now, he will concentrate on selling and marketing.
      'We should be focusing on "; S23[13]=" building markets in Asia with a lot more ferocity than we have at the moment,' he says.
      All of these issues, along "; S24[13]=" with the call for a national vineyard register, which would help the industry know exactly what is in the ground, will be debated at today's "; S25[13]=" wine summit... "; R[14]="878"; T[14]="Doctors call for more focus on bush health woes"; A[14]="By ... Editor"; Dn[14]="20060609"; Dt[14]="Friday 9 June 2006"; Acats[14]="a04a09a48"; B1[14]="      Rural doctors meeting on southern Queensland's western Downs this weekend are expected to warn the State Government not to 'rest on its "; B2[14]="laurels' and do more to address the health crisis in the bush... "; B3[14]=" "; B4[14]=" "; B5[14]=" "; S1[14]="      Rural doctors meeting on southern Queensland's western Downs this weekend are expected to warn the State Government not to 'rest on its "; S2[14]=" laurels' and do more to address the health crisis in the bush.
      The Rural Doctors Association of Queensland's annual conference begins in "; S3[14]=" Chinchilla today.
      Health Minister Stephen Robertson is expected to attend the meeting tomorrow.
      The association's Dr Michael Rice says "; S4[14]=" Mr Robertson has promised to hire extra rural GPs, but there is still more to be done.
      'So it's going to have "; S5[14]=" to be backed with additional ancillary services and probably extra training for nursing staff and the other staff that provide care to people in hospital "; S6[14]=" and as long as that's done it's going to work out well,' he said... "; R[15]="874"; T[15]="EU slams distillation requests"; A[15]="By ... Editor"; Dn[15]="20060609"; Dt[15]="Friday 9 June 2006"; Acats[15]="a07a13"; B1[15]="      The EU has spurned France and Italy's demands for crisis distillation - and told the countries they simply have to produce less "; B2[15]="wine... "; B3[15]=" "; B4[15]=" "; B5[15]=" "; S1[15]="      The EU has spurned France and Italy's demands for crisis distillation - and told the countries they simply have to produce less "; S2[15]=" wine.
      Although some subsidies were granted the figures were less than what both countries wanted.
      France is allowed "; S3[15]=" to distil a maximum of 1.5m hl of table wine plus 1.5m hl of quality wine, while Italy obtained a maximum quantity of 2.5m hls "; S4[15]=" of table wine and 100,000 hl of quality wine.
      Mariann Fischer Boel, EU Commissioner for agriculture and rural development warned against "; S5[15]=" abuse of subsidies in a strongly-worded statement.
      'Crisis distillation is becoming a depressingly regular feature of our common market organisation for "; S6[15]=" wine,' he said.
      'While it offers temporary assistance to producers, it does not deal with the core of the problem - "; S7[15]=" that Europe is producing too much wine for which there is no market.
      That is why a deep-rooted reform of the sector "; S8[15]=" is needed urgently,' he added.
      'We must increase the competitiveness of the EU's wine producers, strengthen the reputation of EU quality "; S9[15]=" wine as the best in the world, recover old markets and win new ones.' France had asked the European Union for a 'crisis distillation' "; S10[15]=" subsidy of 2m hectolitres of table wine and 2m hectolitres of quality wine and Italy sought subsidies of 3m hectolitres of table wine and 100,000 "; S11[15]=" hectolitres of quality wine.
      Fischer Boel is expected to propose a new 'system that preserves the best traditions of EU wine "; S12[15]=" production and reinforces the social and environmental fabric of wine-producing regions' on June 22.
      Large wine surpluses, commonly referred to as "; S13[15]=" 'wine lakes' have been recorded on the wine markets in different EU countries, resulting in a fall in prices and a worrying rise in stocks.
"; S14[15]="       The Common Market Organisation (CMO) allows for 'crisis distillation' in the event of exceptional market disturbances due to major surpluses, and "; S15[15]=" following EU member state requests.
      Raw alcohol resulting from such distillation can only be used for industrial purposes or as 'bio-fuel' in "; S16[15]=" order not to disturb the market for potable alcohol, which is supplied largely by another distillation system.
      The proposals need to "; S17[15]=" be formally adopted by the European Commission.
      Further demands from Spain and Greece are still under examination... "; R[16]="873"; T[16]="Tax floated to cut wine glut"; A[16]="By ... Editor"; Dn[16]="20060609"; Dt[16]="Friday 9 June 2006"; Acats[16]="a07a13"; B1[16]="      The wine industry is to be asked to approve a new tax to ease the crippling grape glut that threatens to send "; B2[16]="40 per cent of growers out of business... "; B3[16]=" "; B4[16]=" "; B5[16]=" "; S1[16]="      The wine industry is to be asked to approve a new tax to ease the crippling grape glut that threatens to send "; S2[16]=" 40 per cent of growers out of business.
      The plan will be put to Australia's biggest wine companies and the Federal Government "; S3[16]=" when the industry holds an emergency summit in Melbourne tomorrow.
      Agriculture Minister Peter McGauran, who is set to open the summit, "; S4[16]=" has already said he favours measures to increase exports rather than an industry bailout.
      But growers who face financial ruin from "; S5[16]=" the oversupply want the industry to agree to a national levy on the grape crush to fund most of a planned $60 million package to "; S6[16]=" get growers to walk away from their vines for two years.
      The tax would need government approval, and the industry may "; S7[16]=" ask the Government for some of the money upfront and repay it through the levy beginning with next year's vintage.
      The "; S8[16]=" peak growers' body, Wine Grape Growers Australia (WGGA), said it was not asking the government to fund the rescue package.
      Executive director "; S9[16]=" Mark McKenzie said allowing the market to sort out the glut would leave the industry undersupplied in years to come.
      'If "; S10[16]=" we just allow the market to correct it's going to take four years or more and about 40 per cent of the growers' sector will "; S11[16]=" be shaken out of business,' he said.
      'It would be the least preferred way just to allow the market to crunch "; S12[16]=" the industry given that in four years' time, managed correctly, we should be on the upswing.' The grape glut was caused by overplanting in "; S13[16]=" the late 1990s to meet increasing export demands.
      Figures out this week showed the intake for the 2006 vintage came in "; S14[16]=" at 1.85 million tonnes - a four per cent drop on last year but still close to record levels.
      Under the "; S15[16]=" proposed industry package, growers would mothball 15,000ha of vines for two years to remove 300,000 tonnes of production from the system.
      "; S16[16]=" 'Around about that amount is flushing down into the system and going in as speculative bulk wine, which is undermining wine grape prices and undermining "; S17[16]=" the wine market,' Mr McKenzie said.
      'If we allow the market to simply adjust that then we're going to be in "; S18[16]=" the doldrums until 2010, and frankly a lot of people in the industry both wineries and grape growers are not going to survive that.' "; S19[16]=" The proposed levy would be raised from both winery vineyards and independent grower vineyards, Mr McKenzie said.
      Raising the $60 million "; S20[16]=" over two years was 'a big ask' given the current economics, so the levy could be run over four or five years.
      "; S21[16]=" Mr McKenzie said the size of the tax was yet to be determined but could be 'a few dollars a tonne or $10 a "; S22[16]=" tonne' depending on the length of the program.
      Australia's six biggest wine companies, including Fosters Wine Estates, McGuigan and De Bortoli, "; S23[16]=" are scheduled to attend tomorrow's summit... "; R[17]="872"; T[17]="Average price of export wine still decreasing: report"; A[17]="By ... Editor"; Dn[17]="20060609"; Dt[17]="Friday 9 June 2006"; Acats[17]="a08a13"; B1[17]="      New figures show the average price of wine being exported is still declining.... "; B2[17]=" "; B3[17]=" "; B4[17]=" "; B5[17]=" "; S1[17]="      New figures show the average price of wine being exported is still declining.
      A report by the Australian Wine "; S2[17]=" and Brandy Corporation shows the average price dropped by 8 per cent in the last 12 months.
      But the amount of wine "; S3[17]=" being exported hit a record high of $726 million litres.
      The corporation's Lawrie Stanford says while that will help with the grape "; S4[17]=" glut problem, the industry still has a long way to go before it is out of trouble.
      'Clearly Australian winemakers' margins are "; S5[17]=" under pressure with the declining prices and that's of concern if we are going to see our way through the next couple of years where "; S6[17]=" we're going to continue to see high stock levels,' he said.
      'The latest estimates for the harvest in 2006 suggest that the "; S7[17]=" harvest is smaller than last year.
      'And although it's still above average yields, estimates suggests we will bring our stocks sale ratio "; S8[17]=" down.'.. "; R[18]="870"; T[18]="New publication a must for Australian horticulturists"; A[18]="By ... Editor"; Dn[18]="20060609"; Dt[18]="Friday 9 June 2006"; Acats[18]="a02a04a24a42a57"; B1[18]="      It may not reach the giddy heights of the Da Vinci Code blockbuster, but if the initial response is any indication, Australia's "; B2[18]="horticultural sector has a hit new publication on its hands... "; B3[18]=" "; B4[18]=" "; B5[18]=" "; S1[18]="      It may not reach the giddy heights of the Da Vinci Code blockbuster, but if the initial response is any indication, Australia's "; S2[18]=" horticultural sector has a hit new publication on its hands.
      Horticulture for Tomorrow today officially released the first attempt to establish a "; S3[18]=" national industry-wide approach for developing and recognising sound environmental and natural resource management in the horticultural sector.
      Guidelines for Environmental Assurance in "; S4[18]=" Australian Horticulture was due to be launched at 1pm at a gathering of national and local industry leaders in Victoria's Goulburn Valley by Parliamentary Secretary "; S5[18]=" to the Minister for Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry, Sussan Ley.
      The culmination of two years' work, the comprehensive publication has been developed "; S6[18]=" by the Horticulture for Tomorrow project to help Australian growers link production targets with their care for the environment as an integral part of daily "; S7[18]=" business management.
      The national project was managed by Horticulture Australia Limited (HAL) in partnership with industry, and funded by the Natural Heritage "; S8[18]=" Trust, through the Australian Government's Pathways to Industry EMS Program.
      'Initial feedback from the 30 or more industry sectors which HAL represents "; S9[18]=" across fruit, vegetables, tree nuts, nursery and extractive crops, indicates that growers have been eagerly awaiting today,' said HAL Chair Dr Nigel Steele Scott.
  "; S10[18]="     'In fact we have been overwhelmed by the support offered by industry organisations to help promote the guidelines, and judging by the enthusiastic "; S11[18]=" response project team members have been receiving so far, the first print run is going to be in high demand,' he said.
      "; S12[18]=" 'The guidelines will be particularly useful to growers thinking about implementing an environmental management system but who don't know where to start and are looking "; S13[18]=" for a practical approach with minimal paperwork.
      They will also be very useful for growers who are already on the way and "; S14[18]=" keen to assess their progress.' 'It has been a truly collaborative effort and the industry should feel very proud of its achievement,' Dr Steele Scott "; S15[18]=" said.
      Horticulture Australia Council (HAC) Chair Stuart Swaddling believes the user-friendly publication will be popular with growers who are keen to gain "; S16[18]=" recognition for sound practices.
      'Many Australian growers have been working towards 'clean and green' production standards for a long time, but they "; S17[18]=" are facing increasing pressure from their customers and consumers to be able to prove it.
      These guidelines will become a valuable tool "; S18[18]=" to help growers do just that,' Mr Swaddling said.
      'They will help growers to bridge the gap between production targets, environmental management "; S19[18]=" and community and buyer expectations.' Mr Swaddling said it had been quite a challenge to develop guidelines that could be generically applied across Australia and "; S20[18]=" were not product or region specific.
      'But feedback from growers involved in the trials indicates the project has been successful in creating "; S21[18]=" a resource that is practical, flexible and easy to read, and can be easily integrated into existing quality assurance systems and complement existing schemes,' he "; S22[18]=" said.
      'It provides a simple structure for farm businesses to undertake their own risk assessments and implement environmental assurance at their own "; S23[18]=" pace and in a way best suited to their enterprise.' More than 190 growers across Australia and some 40 industry representatives and technical experts from "; S24[18]=" a wide range of enterprises were involved in trials to provide input on a draft version.
      The final version includes a review "; S25[18]=" checklist to record progress and identify priorities for action and information about risk assessment, suggested practices, monitoring and recording eight key areas, including soil, nutrients, "; S26[18]=" water, chemicals, biodiversity, waste, air and energy.
      The guidelines are available in a folder format and on CD.
      "; S27[18]=" Horticultural growers, levy payers and peak industry body representatives will pay a subsidised cost of $22, including postage and handling.
      For others, "; S28[18]=" the cost is $80, including postage and handling.
      CDs can be purchased separately for $11.
      All prices are GST "; S29[18]=" inclusive.
      For more information or to order a copy call HAL on (02) 8295 2300, fax Alison Turnbull at HAL on (02) "; S30[18]=" 8295 2399... "; R[19]="868"; T[19]="Ethanol industry faces axe: warning"; A[19]="By ... Editor"; Dn[19]="20060608"; Dt[19]="Thursday 8 June 2006"; Acats[19]="a04a05a20a36a94"; B1[19]="      The Federal Government is about to kill off the fledging ethanol industry as it embarks on a review of nuclear energy, according "; B2[19]="to industry and interest groups... "; B3[19]=" "; B4[19]=" "; B5[19]=" "; S1[19]="      The Federal Government is about to kill off the fledging ethanol industry as it embarks on a review of nuclear energy, according "; S2[19]=" to industry and interest groups.
      However, Prime Minister John Howard strongly rejected suggestions yesterday that he was focusing too much on "; S3[19]=" nuclear options and ignoring renewable energy.
      He has commissioned former nuclear physicist and Telstra boss Ziggy Switkowski to lead a review "; S4[19]=" of the nuclear industry, including whether Australia should export more yellowcake, enrich uranium and build nuclear power stations.
      Mr Howard denies his "; S5[19]=" hand-picked taskforce is biased towards nuclear energy and says it will not be looking at specific sites for reactors.
      Dr Switkowski "; S6[19]=" said yesterday that his training did not mean he was biased in favour of nuclear energy.
      'I approach this with an open "; S7[19]=" mind,' he said.
      The Labor Party and environment groups have attacked the taskforce's narrow terms of reference, calling for it to "; S8[19]=" look into other forms of electricity generation.
      Mr Howard said his Government had already provided incentives that had generated $3.5billion of "; S9[19]=" investment in renewable energy.
      'We ought to be looking at all of these things and we are, and we have done "; S10[19]=" a lot of work in relation to renewables,' he said.
      He denied the inquiry was a smokescreen for increasing uranium exports "; S11[19]=" and establishing enrichment plants.
      Treasurer Peter Costello ruled out a carbon tax to make nuclear energy more competitive.
      "; S12[19]=" Next week the Senate is due to debate a Bill that will destroy the biofuels industry, according to submissions to a parliamentary inquiry.
    "; S13[19]="   Interest groups fear that, if passed, the Fuel Tax Bill 2006 will flood Australia with cheap Brazilian ethanol.
      The National "; S14[19]=" Farmers Federation says the Bill will have a substantial impact on the cash flow of Australian farmers by delaying payments of fuel tax credits.
  "; S15[19]="     The Bill would abolish the e-Grant electronic system, forcing farmers to claim their fuel tax rebate through the business activity statement system, "; S16[19]=" the federation says in a submission to the parliamentary inquiry.
      Queensland National Barnaby Joyce, a proponent of the ethanol industry, has "; S17[19]=" voiced concerns about the Bill.
      Democrat leader Lyn Allison said yesterday the complex legislation was a sop to oil companies.
    "; S18[19]="   'The Bill removes any sort of subsidy effectively from the biofuels industry,' she said.
      'At our [parliamentary] inquiry hearing [on "; S19[19]=" Monday] the biofuels people said it's the end of our industry.' Senator Allison said the Bill would undo many of the environmental benefits negotiated "; S20[19]=" by the Democrats.
      'The Treasurer has resurrected his 'level playing field' for fuel excise for the third time, just three years "; S21[19]=" after he was forced to back down under pressure from the Democrats and the biofuels industry,' she said.
      'Mr Costello has "; S22[19]=" joined the petro-fuel dinosaurs in pretending that oil is an infinite resource with no greenhouse or regional consequences.
      'The Tax Fuel "; S23[19]=" Bills are discriminatory against biofuels and unfair on small business and farmers, and should be substantially modified or dropped.' Mr Costello says the current "; S24[19]=" complex system of administering fuel tax concessions will be replaced with a single system of fuel tax credits claimable through the business activity statement.
  "; S25[19]="     The fuel tax credits system will be progressively introduced over six years beginning on July 1 this year.
      The "; S26[19]=" legislation will gradually lift the excise on Australian ethanol from 2.5c a litre to 12.5c, and will lower the excise on imported ethanol.
    "; S27[19]="   Construction giant Transfield says the impact from the Bill on the biodiesel industry has been 'very much underestimated'.
      'We "; S28[19]=" see this Bill as a terminal threat to an industry which we believe is in Australia's interests to develop.' Mr Howard has named three "; S29[19]=" more members of his inquiry panel - nuclear safety expert Sylvia Kidziak, Dulhunty Power Ltd chairman Martin Thomas, and former supervising scientist with Environment Australia "; S30[19]=" Dr Arthur Johnston.
      They will join professors George Dracoulis and Warwick McKibbin, of the ANU, on the taskforce... "; R[20]="856"; T[20]="Free TRade Agreements - Making Them Better"; A[20]="By ... RIRDC 05/173"; Dn[20]="20060608"; Dt[20]="Thursday 8 June 2006"; Acats[20]="a07"; B1[20]="      The World Bank estimates that one-third of global trade now takes place between countries that have some form of reciprocal regional or "; B2[20]="bilateral trade agreement... "; B3[20]=" "; B4[20]=" "; B5[20]=" "; S1[20]="      The World Bank estimates that one-third of global trade now takes place between countries that have some form of reciprocal regional or "; S2[20]=" bilateral trade agreement.
      While international trade is a good thing, it does not necessarily follow that regional preferential trade benefits trading partners "; S3[20]=" or the multilateral world trading system.
      Free trade agreements (FTAs) may not always be beneficial because they are by definition preferential "; S4[20]=" - they discriminate against countries not included in the agreement.
      A more useful and comprehensive description is preferential trade agreements (PTAs).
  "; S5[20]="     The preferential nature of PTAs is cause for concern.
      The discrimination is twofold.
      One is "; S6[20]=" against countries not in the bilateral or regional trade agreement.
      The other is the discrimination against trade in agriculture, which is often "; S7[20]=" left out of such agreements.
      The number of PTAs has been increasing in recent years.
      The number of agreements "; S8[20]=" recognised by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) has gone from six in 1970 to 206 today.
      Yet more are on the way.
"; S9[20]="       There could be over 300 by the end of 2005.
      Many others remain unreported to the WTO.
    "; S10[20]="   Reasons for the growth in PTAs include the slow pace of liberalisation through the WTO, the fear of being left behind by other "; S11[20]=" countries entering FTAs and a reduced commitment to the principles of free trade.
      Like them or not, PTAs are a part "; S12[20]=" of the modern trading environment that open up a new range of opportunities and challenges.
      While free trade creates win-win outcomes, "; S13[20]=" PTAs are not free trade and can sometimes result in more costs than benefits.
      Costs and benefits need to be assessed for "; S14[20]=" each PTA.
      Whether a PTA creates a net benefit depends on four factors - the trade impacts, competition impacts, nontrade effects "; S15[20]=" and political economy consequences.
      PTAs can create more trade between member countries.
      If this trade is new "; S16[20]=" trade, it is called trade creation and it creates a benefit.
      If this trade is diverted from lower-cost supplying countries then it "; S17[20]=" is called trade diversion and it creates a cost.
      Either outcome is theoretically possible and empirical evidence has shown that some PTAs "; S18[20]=" are net trade creating and some are net trade diverting.
      To fully understand these trade effects it is necessary to consider PTAs "; S19[20]=" in a global economy-wide framework.
      Cheaper imports and more robust international competition from a PTA can lead to productivity improvements as "; S20[20]=" firms are forced to innovate and imitate world's best practice in order to stay competitive.
      The competition benefits from trade are "; S21[20]=" less certain than the trade benefits.
      However, growing econometric and anecdotal evidence suggests there is some competitive benefit from trade.
    "; S22[20]="   PTAs often include several non-trade issues that can cause negative or positive net impacts.
      Two issues of particular relevance are "; S23[20]=" changes to investment rules and changes to trade risk and certainty.
      Investment liberalisation and increased certainty can provide significant benefits.
    "; S24[20]="   But PTA negotiations increasingly consider more domestic issues such as intellectual property, competition rules and regulation of the labour market and the environment.
  "; S25[20]="     The value of including these auxiliary areas is questionable.
      PTAs are constrained by several limitations.
      Important "; S26[20]=" multilateral issues, such as the reform of domestic subsidies, are often excluded from PTA considerations.
      Also, rules of origin and safeguard "; S27[20]=" measures are common and costly elements of PTAs.
      The political economy impact of PTAs is difficult to assess and impossible to "; S28[20]=" quantify.
      Depending on its nature, a PTA can either complement or substitute for multilateral negotiations.
      The growth of PTAs "; S29[20]=" around the world could result in several outcomes: free trade, the formation of several large trading blocs or a complex mesh of overlapping and inconsistent "; S30[20]=" agreements.
      Debates about the virtues and vices of PTAs have occupied the attention of economists for years.
      This "; R[21]="853"; T[21]="Economic growth speeds up"; A[21]="By ... AAP"; Dn[21]="20060608"; Dt[21]="Thursday 8 June 2006"; Acats[21]="a07"; B1[21]="      Australian real gross domestic product (GDP) rose by a seasonally adjusted 0.9 per cent in the March quarter, the Australian Bureau of "; B2[21]="Statistics said today... "; B3[21]=" "; B4[21]=" "; B5[21]=" "; S1[21]="      Australian real gross domestic product (GDP) rose by a seasonally adjusted 0.9 per cent in the March quarter, the Australian Bureau of "; S2[21]=" Statistics said today.
      Over the year to March, GDP rose 3.1 per cent.
      This compared with a revised "; S3[21]=" rise of 0.7 per cent in the December quarter.
      The market median forecast was for a rise of 0.7 per cent in "; S4[21]=" the March quarter and an annual rate of 2.7 per cent.
      Household final consumption expenditure rose 0.9 per cent in the "; S5[21]=" quarter and rose 2.9 per cent over the year to March, adjusted.
      Total investment in housing fell 2.5 per cent in "; S6[21]=" the quarter, adjusted, to be down 2.3 cent in the year to March.
      Total gross fixed capital formation rose 1.3 per "; S7[21]=" cent in the quarter and rose 12.0 per cent over the year, adjusted.
      Domestic final demand rose 0.8 per cent in "; S8[21]=" the quarter and rose 5.0 per cent over the year, adjusted.
      Gross national expenditure (GNE) rose 0.8 per cent in the "; S9[21]=" quarter for an annual lift of 4.6 per cent, adjusted.
      The bureau said the larger-than-expected quarterly increase was due to a "; S10[21]=" 0.6 percentage point increase in household consumption, a 0.2 percentage point lift in business investment and a similar sized increase in public investment.
    "; S11[21]="   However, there was a 0.2 percentage point fall in the contribution from the housing sector.
      Growth in net exports "; S12[21]=" and inventories had no significant impact either way.
      The biggest single contributing sector to the growth was the finance and insurance "; S13[21]=" area, which contributed 0.2 percentage points of the 0.9 per cent increase.
      Increases of 0.1 percentage points were contributed by the "; S14[21]=" communication, transport, retail and wholesale trade, electricity, gas and water supply and agriculture sectors.
      Surprisingly, the mining sector detracted 0.1 percentage "; S15[21]=" points from growth, as did manufacturing... "; R[22]="851"; T[22]="Australian beef exports down in May"; A[22]="By ... Editor"; Dn[22]="20060608"; Dt[22]="Thursday 8 June 2006"; Acats[22]="a08a27"; B1[22]="      According to figures released by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Australian beef and veal exports during May fell 4% on "; B2[22]="last year's levels, to 86,700 tonnes sw.
      Similarly, shipments for the first five months of the year were down 3% on the "; B3[22]="same period last year, to 362,100 tonnes sw... "; B4[22]=" "; B5[22]=" "; S1[22]="      According to figures released by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Australian beef and veal exports during May fell 4% on "; S2[22]=" last year's levels, to 86,700 tonnes sw.
      Similarly, shipments for the first five months of the year were down 3% on the "; S3[22]=" same period last year, to 362,100 tonnes sw.
      Beef shipments to Japan during May totalled 36,500 tonnes sw - 6% below May "; S4[22]=" 2005 levels.
      Adding to the already subdued Japanese beef demand following Golden Week, an earlier than expected rainy season in Japan contributed "; S5[22]=" to a quieter market.
      Exports to Japan for the first five months of 2006 are down 9% on the same period last "; S6[22]=" year, to 160,700 tonnes sw.
      Exports to the US also fell during May - down 28%, to 27,700 tonnes sw.
  "; S7[22]="     The overall fall for the month can largely be attributed to higher US cow supplies as severe drought conditions across many cattle producing "; S8[22]=" states induced producers to offload their cows.
      In addition, herd rebuilding efforts are starting to translate through to higher cow slaughter.
  "; S9[22]="     This extra supply contributed to a sharp fall in US 90CL cow beef prices during May - and consequently placed downward pressure on "; S10[22]=" imported beef prices.
      US beef demand is also subdued with rising energy costs impacting on disposable incomes and the incentive to travel.
"; S11[22]="       Cheaper protein substitutes, particularly chicken and pork, are also affecting beef demand.
      Exports to the US during the first "; S12[22]=" five months of the year were down 10% on 2005 levels, at 120,400 tonnes sw.
      Beef exports to Korea during May were "; S13[22]=" 12,900 tonnes sw, 87% higher than last year's levels, as Korean importers continued sourcing Australian beef in the extended absence of US product.
    "; S14[22]="   Total exports for the January to May period increased 26%, to 48,100 tonnes sw - the highest calendar year to date export volume on "; S15[22]=" record.
      While beef shipments to Taiwan fell 5%, to 2,600 tonnes sw, following the resumption of US beef imports, Australian exports "; S16[22]=" for the first five months of 2006 remain high - up 3%, at 10,700 tonnes sw.
      Australian beef exports to Indonesia doubled "; S17[22]=" during May, to 1,000 tonnes sw - lifting total exports for the January to May period 9%, to, 3,000 tonnes sw.
      Similarly, "; S18[22]=" beef shipments to the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) were up for a second consecutive month, at 1,700 tonnes sw - more than sixty times "; S19[22]=" higher than volumes exported in May 2005... "; R[23]="850"; T[23]="New Volume Record for Wine Exports"; A[23]="By ... AWBC"; Dn[23]="20060608"; Dt[23]="Thursday 8 June 2006"; Acats[23]="a08a13"; B1[23]="      The Highlights for May 2006 were: New volume record of 726 million litres achieved in the 12 months to May 2006; Exports "; B2[23]="to China continue their exceptional performance; Strong growth in bulk shipments... "; B3[23]=" "; B4[23]=" "; B5[23]=" "; S1[23]="      The Highlights for May 2006 were: New volume record of 726 million litres achieved in the 12 months to May 2006; Exports "; S2[23]=" to China continue their exceptional performance; Strong growth in bulk shipments.
      Export volumes for the year ended May 2006 grew 10% to "; S3[23]=" a record 726 million litres.
      Value grew 1% to A$2.78 billion, despite an 8% decline in average price to A$3.84 per litre.
"; S4[23]="       - Note: MAT - Moving Annual Total The UK maintained its position as Australia's number one export market.
      Volume "; S5[23]=" grew 5% to 271 million litres and value grew 1% to A$962 million.
      The average price fell 3% to A$3.57 per litre.
"; S6[23]="       Bulk shipments dominated, accounting for 70% of the volume growth, up from a 27% contribution last year.
      Volume shipped "; S7[23]=" to the US grew 9% to 204 million litres while value fell 3% to A$885 million and average price fell 11% to A$4.34 per litre.
"; S8[23]="       Contributing to the reduction in value and average price was a shift in the mix from bottled reds to the less expensive "; S9[23]=" bulk reds.
      The volume share of bottled red shipments fell 8 percentage points to 57%.
      China continues its exceptional "; S10[23]=" performance, recording the second and third largest contribution to value and volume growth respectively.
      Shipments to China grew 483% in volume to "; S11[23]=" 12 million litres and 110% in value to A$21 million while average price fell 64% to $1.75 per litre.
      China ranked ninth "; S12[23]=" in volume and thirteenth in value shipped from Australia.
      While 90% of the volume growth was in bulk shipments, bottled shipments also "; S13[23]=" recorded strong growth at 68% for the year, albeit off a small base.
      Reflecting the dominance of bulk shipments, 96% of the "; S14[23]=" total volume growth was in the sub-A$2.50 per litre price point.
      This price-point now holds a one-third share of volume shipped from "; S15[23]=" Australia, up from just under one-quarter last year.
      Volume shipped in the A$5 to A$7.49 per litre price bracket fell 5% compared "; S16[23]=" to 18% growth last year.
      On a positive note, volume shipped in the over A$10.00 per litre price bracket grew 4%.
  "; S17[23]="     - Peter Bailey - Senior Analyst AWBC... "; R[24]="849"; T[24]="Farm of the future on Horizons"; A[24]="By ... Editor"; Dn[24]="20060607"; Dt[24]="Wednesday 7 June 2006"; Acats[24]="a02a04a57a72"; B1[24]="      Research for the 'Farm of the Future' is the theme for the fourth Horizons in Livestock Sciences Conference to be held on "; B2[24]="the Gold Coast from 8 - 11 October... "; B3[24]=" "; B4[24]=" "; B5[24]=" "; S1[24]="      Research for the 'Farm of the Future' is the theme for the fourth Horizons in Livestock Sciences Conference to be held on "; S2[24]=" the Gold Coast from 8 - 11 October.Leading Australian and international speakers will explore which livestock production methods could and should be adopted on farms "; S3[24]=" beyond 2015 in order to meet increasing consumer demand for higher quality, healthy meat products.
      The Conference will feature a wide range "; S4[24]=" of challenging topics including: 'How severe will oil and water shortages be by 2015?'; and, 'How might climate change affect the future farm?' To be "; S5[24]=" held at the Gold Coast International Hotel, the Conference is being hosted by CSIRO Livestock Industries Speakers will address vital issues affecting the longer term "; S6[24]=" agriculture research agenda including:
      * Professor Leif Andersson from Uppsala University, Sweden - the impact of the genomics revolution on the "; S7[24]=" future farm.
     
      * Professor Agustin Blasco, Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Spain - genetic engineering and its "; S8[24]=" place in solving hunger, environmental degradation and disease.
     
      * Michael Archer, The University of New South Wales, Australia "; S9[24]=" - alternative farming methods (including 'farmerless' farms and farming native species) how realistic is it and how could we achieve it? What is in place "; S10[24]=" already?
      * Professor Oscar Cacho, The University of New England, Australia - the role of bioeconomics in the farm of the "; S11[24]=" future.
     
      * Robert Burton, Macaulay Land Use Research Institute, UK - social and psychological changes and their effects "; S12[24]=" on the future farm.
     
      * Departing CSIRO Livestock Industries' Chief, Shaun Coffey, will return from his new research "; S13[24]=" management post in New Zealand to speak about the interactions of diet and genetics.
      Other issues to be discussed include: ecological impacts "; S14[24]=" on future farming; doing science in a changing financial climate; does Intellectual Property (IP) and patenting help or hinder science?; how science should interact with "; S15[24]=" the media; the educational needs for the livestock researcher of the future; and, can fundamental sciences really add value to the traditional animal sciences? To "; S16[24]=" be held at the Gold Coast International Hotel, the Conference is being hosted by CSIRO Livestock Industries with support from principal sponsor, Meat and Livestock "; S17[24]=" Australia, and the Queensland Department of Primary Industries & Fisheries.
      Registration for this international event is now available online at: www.livestockhorizons.com... "; R[25]="847"; T[25]="Wine industry's $60 million aid plea"; A[25]="By ... Editor"; Dn[25]="20060607"; Dt[25]="Wednesday 7 June 2006"; Acats[25]="a07a13"; B1[25]="      Desperate wine grape growers want a $60 million industry and Federal Government-funded bailout to ensure their survival.... "; B2[25]=" "; B3[25]=" "; B4[25]=" "; B5[25]=" "; S1[25]="      Desperate wine grape growers want a $60 million industry and Federal Government-funded bailout to ensure their survival.
      Industry leaders "; S2[25]=" will propose a 'mothballing' scheme on Friday to remove a suffocating wine glut from the industry.
      The bailout would pay grape growers "; S3[25]=" to leave grapes on the vine and chemically spray, or severely prune or chainsaw, through the crowns of their vines to stop fruit growing for "; S4[25]=" the next two vintages.
      The move is aimed at removing 300,000 tonnes of grapes, or about 15,000 hectares of vineyards, from the "; S5[25]=" system for the next two years to ease oversupply, said Wine Grape Growers Australian executive director Mark McKenzie.
      Much of that would "; S6[25]=" be from within South Australia, which produces about half of Australia's wine grapes.
      Mr McKenzie will take the WGGA proposal, supported by "; S7[25]=" the Winemakers Federation of Australia, to Agriculture Minister Peter McGauran and the chief executives of Australia's six largest wine producers in Melbourne on Friday.
  "; S8[25]="     'The current position is the market has become very distorted at the bottom end,' he said.
      'Unless we encourage people "; S9[25]=" to mothball, the speculative bulk wine market will continue to distort bottle and bulk wine prices and ultimately the wine grape growers.' He expected wine "; S10[25]=" producers to support the scheme because the grape glut had also 'cut winery returns to shreds'.
      The WGGA said the scheme would "; S11[25]=" need to be fleshed out to include how and how much grape growers would be paid to 'exit the industry with dignity'.
      "; S12[25]=" A proposal raised last week by Riverland Wine Grape Growers Association executive director Chris Byrne - which would compensate Riverland growers with $5000 a hectare "; S13[25]=" for their grapes - was not supported by the WGGA, Mr McKenzie said.
      'We as a national council need to be happy, "; S14[25]=" across all the regions we represent, that the figures stack up,' he said.
      Growers would need to be compensated for not picking "; S15[25]=" their grapes for the 2007 and 2008 vintages and WGGA has proposed an industry levy for grape processors and Federal Government support to fund the "; S16[25]=" scheme at $30 million a year over two years.
      Approval for the plan would need to be immediate as some grape growers "; S17[25]=" had already started their pruning season.
      'At this stage we haven't started getting down to that sort of level (of what growers "; S18[25]=" would be paid per tonne or per hectare),' Mr McKenzie said.
      'The markets are predetermining to some extent which grapes have a "; S19[25]=" home and which don't.
      'We would like to work with government to make sure that those who make that decision leave the "; S20[25]=" industry with dignity... "; R[26]="844"; T[26]="No money for dams, but farmers uneasy"; A[26]="By ... Editor"; Dn[26]="20060607"; Dt[26]="Wednesday 7 June 2006"; Acats[26]="a05a40a66"; B1[26]="      More than $1 billion of government funds will be spent in coming years on two mega-dams for Queensland's heavily populated southeast corner "; B2[26]="- but there was virtually no money for them in yesterday's budget... "; B3[26]=" "; B4[26]=" "; B5[26]=" "; S1[26]="      More than $1 billion of government funds will be spent in coming years on two mega-dams for Queensland's heavily populated southeast corner "; S2[26]=" - but there was virtually no money for them in yesterday's budget.
      The only allocation to date is $50 million for emergency "; S3[26]=" purchases at the Traveston Dam site in the Noosa hinterland, north of Brisbane, while no money has been set aside for a dam in the "; S4[26]=" Rathdowney area, south of Brisbane.
      For cattle farmers Karen and Hans Masen, who are facing the possibility of seeing their farm disappear "; S5[26]=" under a dam, the budget gives no peace of mind.
      They want the Queensland Government to spend taxpayer funds on fixing the "; S6[26]=" state's dwindling water supplies.
      But the Government's decision to build one of two proposed dams in their backyard near Beaudesert is, in "; S7[26]=" their opinion, a ridiculous waste of money.
      'Here, it's as dry as a bone,' Mrs Masen, 40, said from her 160ha farm "; S8[26]=" in Rathdowney, west of Beaudesert, yesterday.
      'There is no rainfall here.
      If this dam goes through, it will be "; S9[26]=" the third dam within about 30km, all near-empty.
      'The Government should instead be looking at ways to recycle water, install more rain "; S10[26]=" tanks or keep the existing dams and pipe water from there.
      People would be happy with that.
      We have "; S11[26]=" had a water problem for years and the silly thing about this proposed dam is that it is not going to fix it.' Mr Masen, "; S12[26]=" 46, who is the fifth generation of his family to run the property, said the proposed dam had already been knocked back twice - most "; S13[26]=" recently in 1991 - because the water flows were inadequate.
      'If this was a mighty river that would save southeast Queensland, I "; S14[26]=" would understand the Government wanting to build a dam here,' Mr Masen said.
      'But it is not.
      The Maroon "; S15[26]=" dam nearby is practically empty - this is nothing but a stupid idea.' While $600 million has been allocated in the budget to water projects, "; S16[26]=" more than half of this is for projects to help the mining industry in the Bowen Basin in central Queensland.
      But water "; S17[26]=" supplies are running low in southeast Queensland, with the most populated region due to move to tougher water restrictions next week... "; R[27]="843"; T[27]="LNG go-ahead despite turtles"; A[27]="By ... Editor"; Dn[27]="20060607"; Dt[27]="Wednesday 7 June 2006"; Acats[27]="a08a36a42"; B1[27]="      The country's biggest energy project is expected to get approval, despite environmental concerns over an obscure breed of turtle, as the West "; B2[27]="Australian Government bows to business pressure... "; B3[27]=" "; B4[27]=" "; B5[27]=" "; S1[27]="      The country's biggest energy project is expected to get approval, despite environmental concerns over an obscure breed of turtle, as the West "; S2[27]=" Australian Government bows to business pressure.
      Premier Alan Carpenter indicated yesterday he was prepared to overrule advice from the state's Environment Protection "; S3[27]=" Authority that the $11billion Gorgon liquefied natural gas project not be allowed to proceed.
      While he stopped short of providing a guarantee "; S4[27]=" the project would go ahead, Mr Carpenter said it involved 'massive economic and social benefit' for the state.
      The Gorgon development, promoted "; S5[27]=" by partners ExxonMobil, Chevron and Shell, will produce 10million tonnes a year of liquefied natural gas.
      The proposed site is on environmentally "; S6[27]=" sensitive Barrow Island, off the Pilbara coast.
      EPA chairman Wally Cox warned of the risks.
      'Flatback turtles, in particular, "; S7[27]=" would be put at risk from the proposal, with two of the most important nesting beaches located adjacent to the proposed LNG processing plant site "; S8[27]=" and the materials off-loading facility,' Dr Cox said.
      But Chevron rejected the EPA's assessment that the development would threaten the breeding area "; S9[27]=" for about a third of the region's flatback turtles.
      Project director Colin Beckett said a more up-to-date assessment suggested the figure was "; S10[27]=" more like 10 per cent... "; R[28]="842"; T[28]="Grape grower calls for vine removal consideration"; A[28]="By ... ABC"; Dn[28]="20060607"; Dt[28]="Wednesday 7 June 2006"; Acats[28]="a04a13"; B1[28]="      A Coonawarra vigneron says it is time for the premium south-east wine region to consider pulling vines.... "; B2[28]=" "; B3[28]=" "; B4[28]=" "; B5[28]=" "; S1[28]="      A Coonawarra vigneron says it is time for the premium south-east wine region to consider pulling vines.
      Coonawarra grape "; S2[28]=" grower Ian Hollick says all Australian cool climate wine regions need to decide how many thousand hectares of vines should be removed.
      "; S3[28]=" He says grape growers in the Coonawarra are facing substantial losses due to the grape glut, which could lead to grapes being left on the "; S4[28]=" vines next year.
      'Well I think it has got to that stage,' he said.
      'I think we have to "; S5[28]=" bite the bullet very shortly and I don't think you don't have to the Einstein to work out that we've got to much vineyard planted.
"; S6[28]="       'So there is going to be pain right around the industry for some years to come.' But South Australian Agriculture Minister Rory "; S7[28]=" McEwen is urging growers to wait for a study on the future of the cool climate grape industry.
      Mr McEwen says the "; S8[28]=" issue of pulling vines, or the use of other technologies, can then be debated by the entire wine industry in the coming months.
    "; S9[28]="   He says the imbalance facing the wine industry needs to be discussed by all players.
      'We also do know in this "; S10[28]=" state that we've got an imbalance between warm climate and cool climate and over time we'll see a smaller percentage of cool climate,' he said.
"; S11[28]="       'There's certainly some significant challenges ahead, but I don't want people jumping to solutions just yet.'.. "; R[29]="836"; T[29]="CSIRO report urges rural, urban water trading"; A[29]="By ... Editor"; Dn[29]="20060606"; Dt[29]="Tuesday 6 June 2006"; Acats[29]="a08a40"; B1[29]="      A major scientific report says city water authorities should be allowed to buy water from farmers to sustain the growing urban population.... "; B2[29]=" "; B3[29]=" "; B4[29]=" "; B5[29]=" "; S1[29]="      A major scientific report says city water authorities should be allowed to buy water from farmers to sustain the growing urban population.
"; S2[29]="       The CSIRO says without reform, water costs in metropolitan areas could rise more than 10 times over the next 25 years.
  "; S3[29]="     The report from the CSIRO and Monash University predicts Perth, Brisbane and Sydney will be the worst affected cities with the price of "; S4[29]=" water jumping up to 10 times unless better reforms are put in place.
      Three models have been tested and CSIRO says "; S5[29]=" the most successful would be a combination of urban and rural water trading, alongside more efficient water use including desalination plants.
      "; S6[29]=" And while farmers could make a lot of money from water trading, the system would change the face of agriculture in Australia.
      "; S7[29]=" The CSIRO's Mike Young says urban/rural water trading is already working in South Australia and WA farmers are leading the way in saving water.
"; S8[29]="       'Agriculture's a lot more skilful in improving water use efficiency and in 25 years time they've made a 50 per cent "; S9[29]=" greater advance than urban Australia, so there's a challenge for urban Australia to catch up and show they're actually as smart as our farmers are,' "; S10[29]=" Mr Young said.
      Bit some irrigators are worried about the social impact of water being diverted into the capital cities.
    "; S11[29]="   Although he believes some form of water trading with the cities is inevitable, Victorian dairy farmer Max Fehring says governments need to make sure "; S12[29]=" urban residents share the cost of water infrastructure with rural communities.
      'I think they've got some social responsibility if they wish to "; S13[29]=" exercise their right to water, that they make sure that those communities affected by this change are well looked after,' he said... "; R[30]="834"; T[30]="Tassie's Spirit III To Be Sold"; A[30]="By ... Editor"; Dn[30]="20060606"; Dt[30]="Tuesday 6 June 2006"; Acats[30]="a05a08a44a69"; B1[30]="      The State Government has decided to sell Spirit of Tasmania III and close down the Sydney ferry service.... "; B2[30]=" "; B3[30]=" "; B4[30]=" "; B5[30]=" "; S1[30]="      The State Government has decided to sell Spirit of Tasmania III and close down the Sydney ferry service.
      A "; S2[30]=" meeting of Cabinet in Hobart today agreed to end the service, two and a half years after it began.
      The last service "; S3[30]=" of the ferry will run on August 27.
      The Government has been advised that most jobs can be absorbed by the company.
"; S4[30]="       Premier Paul Lennon said today's decision had been difficult but unavoidable, given the hard facts the Government had been presented with.
  "; S5[30]="     'This is a decision not about this year's operation but the outlook for the next few years is extremely challenging,' Mr Lennon said.
"; S6[30]="       'Aggressively attacking the Sydney and Queensland tourism markets by introducing Spirit III was a bold move.
      'We have done "; S7[30]=" everything possible to support the service but we have to recognise now that it is not sustainable.
      'The Sydney service has allowed "; S8[30]=" us to make inroads into new tourism markets and has delivered Tasmania strong benefits - in terms of promotion of the State's image to tourists "; S9[30]=" who would never have otherwise considered visiting Tasmania.' Mr Lennon said the trigger for today's decision had been expert forecasts indicating a down-turn in patronage, "; S10[30]=" flowing from a forecast decline in national tourism expectations.
      'In the current year of operation alone, more than 80,000 travellers will have "; S11[30]=" used the Sydney ferry service,' he said.
      'However, the business case depends on passenger numbers building to around 115,000 per year.
  "; S12[30]="     Expert advice shows that those forecasts cannot be achieved.
      'Running costs have been rising - mainly driven by fuel cost "; S13[30]=" increases - and the numbers of passengers cannot keep pace with the increased costs.
      'Treasury's estimate is that TT-Line would require a "; S14[30]=" funding injection of more than $50 million each year to be able to operate both Melbourne and Sydney ferry services on a sustainable basis.
  "; S15[30]="     'That's effectively a subsidy of $5,300 for every additional passenger coming to Tasmania on Spirit III.
      'Against those benchmarks, cancelling "; S16[30]=" the service was a hard decision but a responsible one.' 'We cannot ignore the advice we have been given and responsibility to the taxpayers of "; S17[30]=" Tasmania demands no other alternative than to call an end to the service.' Mr Lennon also noted the Government's full support for the TT-Line Board "; S18[30]=" through the decision-making process.
      'The Board has demonstrated great integrity and professionalism in the way it has considered these issues and brought "; S19[30]=" them to the attention of the Government,' he said.
      Mr Lennon said the Government had set aside a contingency of $22.5 million "; S20[30]=" to cover the costs of ending the service and to ensure that the TT-Line would not be left with additional debt after the sale of "; S21[30]=" the ship... "; R[31]="830"; T[31]="Coal hits back at nuclear power"; A[31]="By ... Editor"; Dn[31]="20060606"; Dt[31]="Tuesday 6 June 2006"; Acats[31]="a05a36a89"; B1[31]="      The coal industry believes power stations that do not produce greenhouse gases could be operating across Australia in the same time it "; B2[31]="takes to establish nuclear power stations... "; B3[31]=" "; B4[31]=" "; B5[31]=" "; S1[31]="      The coal industry believes power stations that do not produce greenhouse gases could be operating across Australia in the same time it "; S2[31]=" takes to establish nuclear power stations.
      Fighting back against the push towards nuclear power, the industry claims the rapidly developing methods of "; S3[31]=" making coal cleaner and more valuable would make nuclear power plants obsolete.
      Federal cabinet is today expected to approve an inquiry into "; S4[31]=" nuclear energy after John Howard said nuclear power in Australia was 'inevitable'.
      Australian Coal Association executive director Mark O'Neill said last night "; S5[31]=" that the potential of clean coal technology and the investments of key stakeholders could not be overlooked.
      Work will begin later this "; S6[31]=" year in the US on the world's first zero-emissions coal-fired plant, which will be running by 2012, and Mr O'Neill said Australia's involvement in the "; S7[31]=" project meant zero-emission plants could be operating in Australia within a decade.
      'Between 2012 and 2020 the cost of this reduced and "; S8[31]=" zero-emission technology will come down,' Mr O'Neill said.
      'The technologies will be competitive with the alternatives.' Clean-coal technology involves removing carbon dioxide "; S9[31]=" from the emissions of coal-fired power stations and burying it in the ground.
      Two Australian scientists are working closely on the US "; S10[31]=" project - Peter Cook, the chief executive of the Co-operative Research Centre for Greenhouse Gas Technologies, and Kelly Thambimuthu, chief executive of the Centre for "; S11[31]=" Low Emission Technology - and examining how the technology may help the coal industry here.
      With Queensland relying more on coal revenues, "; S12[31]=" which will partly underpin today's budget, state power generator CSEnergy has also been undertaking a project to use oxygen to enable easier separation of carbon "; S13[31]=" dioxide.
      While the federal Government is putting $500 million into research, the coal industry has also put up $300 million and the "; S14[31]=" Queensland Government a further $300 million through the sale of its two energy retailers, Ergon and Energex.
      Victoria has pumped $106 million "; S15[31]=" into clean-coal technology, with much of it going into a scheme to foster private-sector research into reducing emissions from coal plants.
      Through "; S16[31]=" the Energy Technology Innovation Strategy, the state Government is examining geosequesteration (storing carbon dioxide emissions in underground wells) and gasification (transforming coal to react with "; S17[31]=" oxygen without burning) to reduce emissions from the coal-fired plants in Victoria's Latrobe Valley, which generate most of the state's power.
      A "; S18[31]=" spokesman for state Energy Minister Theo Theophanous said Victoria was putting money into clean coal technology because nuclear power 'doesn't stack up on environmental grounds, "; S19[31]=" it doesn't stack up on economic grounds and doesn't have the acceptance of the community'.
      He said a Victorian study more than "; S20[31]=" a year ago found it cost twice as much money to produce electricity through nuclear power.
      Queensland Premier Peter Beattie warned yesterday "; S21[31]=" that a nuclear industry would undermine Australia's coal industry, particularly in NSW and his home state, where there is a 300-year supply of coal and "; S22[31]=" 16,000 workers in the industry.
      Mr Beattie said buyers in some world markets were already making a choice between nuclear energy and "; S23[31]=" coal, and the growth of a nuclear industry would inhibit the coal industry.
      'I don't understand why people undermine the coal industry,' "; S24[31]=" said Mr Beattie.
      'We're going down the road of clean coal technology and we've got 300 years supply of coal.' Mr Beattie "; S25[31]=" said the federal Government had seriously misread the electoral mood and there was little public support for nuclear reactors or a nuclear waste dump.
  "; S26[31]="     'Coal royalties fund a large part of our police, nurses, doctors, paramedics, school teachers.
      And why would you give that "; S27[31]=" up,' Mr Beattie said.
      'In many ways, it is the backbone of the Queensland economy.
      'The Prime Minister is, "; S28[31]=" quite frankly, wrong on this.
      While I'm Premier we will do everything we can to block a nuclear reactor.' NSW Premier Morris "; S29[31]=" Iemma declared his Government would block any nuclear power plants planned for the state.
      West Australian Premier Alan Carpenter went a step "; S30[31]=" further, threatening to mount a High Court challenge against any move by the commonwealth to enforce uranium mining, reprocessing or nuclear energy on the state.
"; R[32]="823"; T[32]="Cattlemen square up for new grazing fight"; A[32]="By ... Editor"; Dn[32]="20060605"; Dt[32]="Monday 5 June 2006"; Acats[32]="a04a27"; B1[32]="      Cattlemen are saddling up for a new showdown with the State Government over cattle grazing in Victoria's parks, as the battle shifts "; B2[32]="from the high country to the Murray River... "; B3[32]=" "; B4[32]=" "; B5[32]=" "; S1[32]="      Cattlemen are saddling up for a new showdown with the State Government over cattle grazing in Victoria's parks, as the battle shifts "; S2[32]=" from the high country to the Murray River.
      The Age has obtained a copy of a confidential draft grazing strategy for the "; S3[32]=" 158,000 hectares of Riverine red gum forests from Mildura to Yarrawonga, which recommends reducing or stopping grazing on public land along the Murray except where "; S4[32]=" it could be environmentally beneficial.
      The report, prepared by the Department of Sustainability and Environment, concludes that stricter guidelines are needed to "; S5[32]=" control grazing because it can 'compromise forest values', as well as potentially damaging Aboriginal cultural sites, recreational sites, roads and timber regeneration.
      "; S6[32]=" Initially due to be completed in June last year, the draft report was printed in October and described in its foreword by department head Professor "; S7[32]=" Lyndsay Neilson as 'a comprehensive framework which will further contribute to the sustainable management of the River Red Gum Forest estate throughout northern Victoria'.
  "; S8[32]="     But cattle graziers and environmentalists are angry that the long-overdue draft strategy now appears likely to be withheld until 2008, after the State "; S9[32]=" Government belatedly decided it could overlap with a separate inquiry into the Murray's red gum forests.
      'They've been promising us a copy "; S10[32]=" for 12 months now, even as recently as early April, but they keep holding it off,' said Barmah Cattlemen's Association president Kelvin Trickey, a fourth-generation "; S11[32]=" grazier.
      'Now we're hearing from senior people from the department (of Sustainability and Environment) that the Government is going to leave it "; S12[32]=" and we're not going to see it until after the election.
      It's a bit worrying.
      It makes you wonder "; S13[32]=" what the Government's got to hide.' Conservation and indigenous groups, who hope the strategy would reduce grazing, are also frustrated by the delay.
    "; S14[32]="   'The Government was supposed to have this grazing strategy out in 2003, so for them to refuse to release it now is just irresponsible,' "; S15[32]=" said Victorian National Parks Association red gum campaigner Nick Roberts.
      'While the Government dithers, the condition of these wetland forests, some of "; S16[32]=" which are internationally significant, is declining.
      That's a pretty poor way to manage areas that are receiving hundreds of millions of dollars "; S17[32]=" through environmental initiatives like the Living Murray.' The draft strategy recommends limiting grazing to when and where it would have the least impact, with year-round "; S18[32]=" grazing in all floodplain and waterside areas banned 'unless an ecological benefit can be clearly demonstrated'.
      But Mr Trickey said that would "; S19[32]=" effectively spell the end of a 155-year tradition in areas such as the Barmah forest, near Echuca, where about 40 farmers run about 1000 cattle.
"; S20[32]="       The cattlemen and environmentalists accuse the State Government of withholding the draft strategy to avoid a repeat of last year's protests against "; S21[32]=" a grazing ban in Victoria's Alpine National Park, when 500 protesters rode horses to the steps of Parliament.
      But Environment Minister John "; S22[32]=" Thwaites denies that claim, arguing that releasing the strategy would pre-empt an inquiry on the Murray's red gum forests by the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council, "; S23[32]=" and cause 'confusion … among stakeholders'.
      'It's more appropriate to wait for VEAC.
      They're an independent body, they have "; S24[32]=" the expertise and they're more likely to get community understanding of their outcomes,' Mr Thwaites said... "; R[33]="821"; T[33]="Water woes set to drain economy"; A[33]="By ... Editor"; Dn[33]="20060605"; Dt[33]="Monday 5 June 2006"; Acats[33]="a05a07a40"; B1[33]="      Australia faces dramatic price increases for water, coupled with massive economic losses in rural areas unless major cities find new ways to "; B2[33]="recycle or trade water, a CSIRO report issued today warns... "; B3[33]=" "; B4[33]=" "; B5[33]=" "; S1[33]="      Australia faces dramatic price increases for water, coupled with massive economic losses in rural areas unless major cities find new ways to "; S2[33]=" recycle or trade water, a CSIRO report issued today warns.
      In the next 25 years, Australia is expected to have an "; S3[33]=" extra five million people, living mostly in large cities, but climate change is also predicted to cause a 15 per cent drop in water supplies "; S4[33]=" over the same period, the report says.
      The cost of water in the ACT could treble within 25 years to meet "; S5[33]=" the demands of a population growth rate of 6 per cent.
      In Perth, the price of water 'would need to increase "; S6[33]=" by about 10 times' to manage the demands, and Sydney could expect current prices to rise by just over $6 a kilolitre.
      "; S7[33]=" The economic study says unless state governments invest in building desalination plants, sewage recycling and stormwater collection schemes, increasing water scarcity will 'cause significant "; S8[33]=" changes in the economy'.
      Parliamentary secretary for water Malcolm Turnbull said the report's conclusions were 'fairly obvious common sense', and emphasised "; S9[33]=" the need to investigate urban water recycling options, and improve the water efficiency of existing irrigation infrastructure.
      But farming groups and "; S10[33]=" conservationists want governments to take tougher action to reduce urban water waste, claiming 80 per cent of water used in major cities is discharged to "; S11[33]=" ocean outfall as sewage or stormwater.
      WWF Australia water policy director Dr Stuart Blanch said, 'If you add the populations of "; S12[33]=" major cities currently on water restrictions that means at least 15 million people are affected.
      It gives some idea of the magnitude "; S13[33]=" of the problem.' Australian Conservation Foundation director Dr Don Henry said the report showed strong targets were needed to cut urban water waste.
  "; S14[33]="     'We need to aim for an early target of at least 50 per cent reuse and recycling of sewage and stormwater.
  "; S15[33]="     It's achievable,' he said.
      The CSIRO report warns future growth in city water consumption 'comes at a cost to "; S16[33]=" rural areas', with cities potentially needing to divert 240 gigalitres of water from rural areas to meet urban demand.
      This could "; S17[33]=" result in high economic losses from 5 to 11 per cent for some NSW irrigation regions, including the Murrumbidgee.
      CSIRO economist "; S18[33]=" Professor Mike Young said people had been shocked by the numbers and economic scenarios in the report.
      'The good news is "; S19[33]=" high water prices can be avoided if we get on with the business of building recycling and desalination plants, and allow water trading between urban "; S20[33]=" and rural Australia,' Professor Young said.
      'But if governments adopt a steady-as-she-goes approach and don't invest in major water treatment infrastructure, "; S21[33]=" the real price of water will become a major issue over the next quarter of a century.'.. "; R[34]="817"; T[34]="Funds to Heal Rural Divide"; A[34]="By ... Editor"; Dn[34]="20060605"; Dt[34]="Monday 5 June 2006"; Acats[34]="a04a07a42"; B1[34]="      Queensland farmers will be offered financial incentives and rewards for looking after their land.... "; B2[34]=" "; B3[34]=" "; B4[34]=" "; B5[34]=" "; S1[34]="      Queensland farmers will be offered financial incentives and rewards for looking after their land.
      The new deal is part "; S2[34]=" of a 10-year state government blueprint aimed at boosting the future prosperity of rural and regional communities.
      Premier Peter Beattie yesterday headed "; S3[34]=" to National Party heartland in Charleville to launch the long-awaited Blueprint for the Bush, in a move he hopes will win the support of disgruntled "; S4[34]=" farmers who accuse his Government of focusing too much on the state's southeast corner.
      Mr Beattie said the blueprint would support growth "; S5[34]=" and development in the regions and help end the population drift from the bush to the city.
      'As Queensland grows, I don't "; S6[34]=" want to see two Queenslands,' he said.
      'These projects will keep young people in the bush and attract families to live and "; S7[34]=" work in rural communities.' The plan details $36 billion in public and private investment earmarked for the regions during the next decade, including money for "; S8[34]=" roads, water and other infrastructure, funding to tackle pests, cap bores and to establish a Rural and Life Skills college, where city schoolchildren will learn "; S9[34]=" country skills such as sheep shearing.
      But only $153 million is new money and some of these projects will not be reported "; S10[34]=" until next week's state Budget.
      However, it was welcomed by rural lobby group AgForce and the Local Government Association of Queensland, who "; S11[34]=" worked with the Government to develop the plan.
      However, their support came only after some last-minute concessions that will ensure longer leases "; S12[34]=" for farmers living on government-owned land, a review of the implementation of the controversial tree clearing laws and financial incentives for farmers who protect their "; S13[34]=" land, although details are still being finalised.
      AgForce president Peter Kenny said the blueprint would ease the angst of farmers who remained "; S14[34]=" angry they were unable to clear their land.
      'There is finally a recognition that the costs of looking after the environment cannot "; S15[34]=" be carried by farmers alone,' he said.
      'Under the tree clearing laws the farmers were forced to do that without any thanks "; S16[34]=" or compensation and now we'll have an incentives system.
      '(The blueprint) represents a strong foundation for the future prosperity of rural Queensland "; S17[34]=" while addressing issues of paramount importance to producers.' Murweh Mayor Mark O'Brien also welcomed the release of the blueprint, saying it was crucial for rural "; S18[34]=" communities to find alternatives to the traditional sheep and wool industries to ensure they remained prosperous.
      LGAQ president Paul Bell said the "; S19[34]=" plan was a 'good deal' for the bush.
      But Nationals deputy leader Jeff Seeney said rural constituents would not be fooled by "; S20[34]=" the blueprint.
      'All the Premier has done is cobble together lists of departmental projects that were going to happen anyway and add "; S21[34]=" a few token crumbs,' he said... "; R[35]="814"; T[35]="PM pulling out of Snowy sale"; A[35]="By ... Editor"; Dn[35]="20060605"; Dt[35]="Monday 5 June 2006"; Acats[35]="a05a40"; B1[35]="      The Federal Government is pulling out of the sale of Snowy Hydro, Prime Minister John Howard said last week.... "; B2[35]=" "; B3[35]=" "; B4[35]=" "; B5[35]=" "; S1[35]="      The Federal Government is pulling out of the sale of Snowy Hydro, Prime Minister John Howard said last week.
      "; S2[35]=" 'The Commonwealth has decided to withdraw from the sale of the Snowy Hydro,' he told reporters.
      'We will no longer have our "; S3[35]=" 13 per cent share on offer.' The Federal Government initially decided to sell its 13 per cent interest in the Snowy scheme after the NSW "; S4[35]=" and Victorian governments announced they would sell their larger stakes.
      But the proposed privatisation has come in for strong opposition from the "; S5[35]=" public and some Government MPs, and prominent Australians have also spoken out against the plan.
      Mr Howard said the Government had been "; S6[35]=" swayed to change its mind.
      'There is, for whatever combination of reasons, there is overwhelming feeling in the community that the Snowy "; S7[35]=" is an icon, it's part of the great saga of post world War II development in Australia,' he said.
      'It conjures many "; S8[35]=" stories of tens of thousands of European migrants coming and blending with each other and in the process of working on the Snowy becoming part "; S9[35]=" of this country.
      And people feel that.
      'I have listened to that, and it is important that on occasions "; S10[35]=" a government have both the courage and the willingness to change its mind on something.'.. "; R[36]="805"; T[36]="Inventory Finance Beefs up Agricultural Production"; A[36]="By ... Editor"; Dn[36]="20060601"; Dt[36]="Thursday 1 June 2006"; Acats[36]="a07a08a27"; B1[36]="      Despite fluctuating agricultural commodity prices, inventory finance is injecting renewed confidence in Australia's rural sector, according to Provident Inventory Finance.... "; B2[36]=" "; B3[36]=" "; B4[36]=" "; B5[36]=" "; S1[36]="      Despite fluctuating agricultural commodity prices, inventory finance is injecting renewed confidence in Australia's rural sector, according to Provident Inventory Finance.
    "; S2[36]="   As a specialised lender, Provident Inventory Finance is Australia's only provider of inventory loans to businesses, assisting their acquisition of stock.
      "; S3[36]=" 'The latest rural confidence survey found 24 per cent of the nation's agricultural producers expect the rural economy to improve over the next 12 months
"; S4[36]="       *, requiring purchasers of Australia's produce to have increased cashflow access to capitalise on this opportunity,' said Mr Matthew Nolan, managing director, "; S5[36]=" Provident Inventory Finance.
      'Inventory finance is helping buyers of Australia's rural produce to increase their purchases, driving further growth for farmers nationwide,' "; S6[36]=" he adds.
      Provident Inventory Finance is currently assisting one of Australia's largest stone fruit purchasers, buying stock from over 100 growers "; S7[36]=" nationally, by providing a 120 day revolving finance facility which overcomes the working capital difficulties during seasonal peaks,' comments Mr Nolan.
      'Traditionally, "; S8[36]=" purchasers of agricultural products have experienced slim pickings in accessing additional working capital for inventory.
      Australian financiers rate rural lending as higher "; S9[36]=" risk, and are hesitant to lend against inventory, instead focusing on bricks and mortar security,' explains Mr Nolan.
      New to Australia, inventory "; S10[36]=" finance does not require real estate security or stock presales, instead assessing applications on the basis of businesses performance.
      'Agricultural customers have "; S11[36]=" unique circumstances, and Provident Inventory Finance caters for them, even in the case of co-op's where directors' guarantees are not available,' says Mr Nolan.
  "; S12[36]="     With trend estimates for beef production up to 181,300 tonnes
      *
      *, the flexibility of inventory finance "; S13[36]=" is also helping an abattoir to purchase more livestock for processing and export.
      'Turning over stock almost weekly, requires seamless cash "; S14[36]=" flow and for this customer we have been able to provide an evergreen line of credit of up to 90 per cent of the purchase "; S15[36]=" price of livestock, without the need to repay the loan until the sale proceeds have been received from overseas.
      'This allows the "; S16[36]=" abattoir to beef up production, significantly increasing their profit margin,' concludes Mr Nolan... "; R[37]="803"; T[37]="Common ground and private practice -- thinking about property"; A[37]="By ... Editor"; Dn[37]="20060601"; Dt[37]="Thursday 1 June 2006"; Acats[37]="a02a04a72"; B1[37]="      A new report presenting leading edge thinking about property rights and responsibilities.... "; B2[37]=" "; B3[37]=" "; B4[37]=" "; B5[37]=" "; S1[37]="      A new report presenting leading edge thinking about property rights and responsibilities.
      While industry, community and government have all "; S2[37]=" 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.
"; S3[37]="       One of the topics where debate is most fierce concerns property rights and responsibilities.
      In an effort "; S4[37]=" to encourage and inform debate about the rights and responsibilities of property owners in managing land and water, Land & Water Australia has released a "; S5[37]=" new report Property: rights and responsibilities, current Australian thinking.
      This collection of eight research papers represents the leading edge of Australian "; S6[37]=" thinking on property rights.
      Topics range from a discussion of private property and common myths in the property rights debate, to analyses "; S7[37]=" of legal and economic approaches, economic perspectives of water entitlements, and social justice considerations.
      Land & Water Australia Chair Ms Bobbie "; S8[37]=" Brazil said that improving understanding of property rights among communities, industries and policy makers is critical in moving forward on some of the most intractable "; S9[37]=" environmental challenges in Australia.
      'This is a complex issue, and rarely is this sort of information presented in a comprehensive and "; S10[37]=" accessible way.
      We have a responsibility to find appropriate and workable solutions, to make sure that we get it right,' she said.
"; S11[37]="       The Property report has been produced under Land & Water Australia's Social and Institutional Research Program.
      Click here "; S12[37]=" for an electronic copy.
      Hard copies can be obtained from Canprint on 1800 776616 quoting product code PR020440... "; R[38]="795"; T[38]="Generic label threat grows"; A[38]="By ... Editor"; Dn[38]="20060601"; Dt[38]="Thursday 1 June 2006"; Acats[38]="a07a08a10"; B1[38]="      Bundaberg Sugar, already forced off the shelves in Coles supermarkets, is considering abandoning its brand altogether.... "; B2[38]=" "; B3[38]=" "; B4[38]=" "; B5[38]=" "; S1[38]="      Bundaberg Sugar, already forced off the shelves in Coles supermarkets, is considering abandoning its brand altogether.
      The state sugar "; S2[38]=" producer, with countless other Queensland food manufacturers, is facing the fight of its life to stay afloat during a private label onslaught.
      "; S3[38]=" Woolworths and Coles have been gradually introducing a range of house-brand products in the past year that is forcing brand names off the shelves.
  "; S4[38]="     While many food manufacturers diversify into supplying for house brands as a business strategy, some could be forced to rely solely on generic "; S5[38]=" brands for survival.
      Bundaberg Sugar general manager of sales and marketing Alan Mooney said its product lines were already pushed out of "; S6[38]=" Coles supermarkets when the retailer became exclusive to CSR Sugar and its own house brands five years ago.
      He said the sugar "; S7[38]=" industry was already swamped with home-brand alternatives.
      'Home brands already take a large slice of sugar sales in Australia,' Mr Mooney said.
"; S8[38]="       'We supply some generic labels and have done so for about 20 years but we are obviously focused on keeping the Bundaberg "; S9[38]=" brand strong if we can.' A survey released by AC Neilson in April showed the number of home-brand products consumers were buying accounted for 18 "; S10[38]=" per cent of their grocery basket, an increase from 2.3 per cent on 2002.
      The plan by Coles to reach 30 per "; S11[38]=" cent private label penetration by 2007 would translate into clearing three lanes out of 10 in each supermarket to make way for the in-house products.
"; S12[38]="       Newly elected Golden Circle chairman Ern Pope said Golden Circle previously had too much complacency in their brand strength - something the "; S13[38]=" company was working on changing as private labels took their stronghold.
      'Brands must be kept relevant, innovative, convenient and value for money "; S14[38]=" and Golden Circle are focused on that right now,' he said.
      Golden Circle supplies a small percentage of product to home brand "; S15[38]=" labels, but Mr Pope said it would continue only if it made sense for the company financially.
      'If we have the capacity "; S16[38]=" we work with retailers through supplying some product under other brands but we don't do it a lot.' Mr Pope said fears that Woolworths veteran "; S17[38]=" Mike Luscombe would vigorously push the company's private label roll-out into overdrive when he took over as chief executive in October were baseless.
    "; S18[38]="   Woolworths had been more 'pragmatic' about the private label roll-out than Coles,and he doubted Mr Luscombe would change strategy when he moved into the "; S19[38]=" CEO role.
      'They (Woolworths) are certainly pushing private labels, but they are not saying they have to get to 30 per cent "; S20[38]=" like Coles are,' Mr Pope said.
      Buderim Ginger chairman John Ruscoe said many food manufacturers were resigned to the fact they had "; S21[38]=" to work with major retailers to survive a private label takeover.
      The 60-year-old company had more than a dozen product lines sold "; S22[38]=" in major retailers and independent grocers, and would work with Woolworths and Coles throughout the private label phase in an effort to stay in business.
"; S23[38]="       'Obviously we have spent a lot of time and money building our brand and we want to see returns on that,' Mr "; S24[38]=" Ruscoe said.
      ' But we will work with the retailers and do whatever it takes, so if that means supplying our products "; S25[38]=" under their private label brands then so be it.' A major concern for Buderim Ginger was the possibility its products would be bypassed under home-brand "; S26[38]=" labels for cheaper imported ginger products in the private label roll-out.
      'We are the only Australian grown and processed ginger producers at "; S27[38]=" this time and we hope that means something to retailers and consumers,' Mr Ruscoe said.
      PriceWaterhouse Coopers (PwC) price inflation expert Billy "; S28[38]=" Bennett said weaker brands were in serious danger of disappearing and smaller manufacturers should focus on 'saving' one or two strong lines.
      "; S29[38]=" 'Sell off your weaker brands and align your strategy to focus on your top one or two brands,' Mr Bennett said.
      PwC "; S30[38]=" retail and consumer leader and company partner, Mike James said Coles and Woolworths had a strategy to lift their margins and profitability through private labels "; R[39]="794"; T[39]="Snowy uproar forces sale legislation"; A[39]="By ... Editor"; Dn[39]="20060601"; Dt[39]="Thursday 1 June 2006"; Acats[39]="a05a40"; B1[39]="      Canberra has been forced to legislate to underpin the $3 billion float of Snowy Hydro after legal experts and the Howard Government's "; B2[39]="own back bench questioned the controversial privatisation plan... "; B3[39]=" "; B4[39]=" "; B5[39]=" "; S1[39]="      Canberra has been forced to legislate to underpin the $3 billion float of Snowy Hydro after legal experts and the Howard Government's "; S2[39]=" own back bench questioned the controversial privatisation plan.
      Finance Minister Nick Minchin yesterday said the Government would introduce legislation 'reaffirming the authority' "; S3[39]=" of the Commonwealth to sell its share.
      It will also cap future foreign ownership in Snowy at 35 per cent and require "; S4[39]=" the company to keep its headquarters in Australia.
      But rebel Coalition MPs are still not happy with the package.
      "; S5[39]=" NSW Nationals MP Kay Hull was last night reserving her right to press ahead with a private member's bill to ensure that no company - "; S6[39]=" Australian or foreign-owned - could gain more than 10 per cent of Snowy.
      She said she remained 'vehemently opposed' to the sale.
"; S7[39]="       And Liberal senator Bill Heffernan said the NSW Government must legislate a cap to stop Australian companies getting a controlling stake of "; S8[39]=" Snowy.
      'We need to harmonise a domestic cap with the foreign cap to address the concerns of irrigators about this sale,' Senator "; S9[39]=" Heffernan said.
      But Senator Minchin rebuffed the push and a spokesman for the NSW Government branded the proposal 'quite ridiculous'.
    "; S10[39]="   The spokesman said NSW would continue in separate negotiations with the Australian Stock Exchange to ensure Australian companies would not be able to acquire "; S11[39]=" more than 10 per cent of Snowy for the next four years.
      The Federal Government's internal disquiet over the privatisation plan spilled "; S12[39]=" over into an emotional debate in yesterday's Coalition party room meeting, with a number of MPs - including representatives from well outside the Snowy area, "; S13[39]=" such as far north Queensland's Warren Entsch - saying they had received complaints from constituents that Canberra was selling one of Australia's iconic engineering projects.
"; S14[39]="       On the other side of politics, one federal Labor MP, Tasmania's Duncan Kerr, told the caucus gathering that Labor would not be "; S15[39]=" thanked for backing the sale.
      The Government's efforts to contain the political fallout of the Snowy sale and protect the investment of "; S16[39]=" future shareholders follows fierce lobbying spearheaded by Senator Heffernan and Ms Hull.
      The Age revealed in March that they were mounting a "; S17[39]=" last-minute rebellion against the Snowy sale.
      The legal questions were exposed last week.
      Legal experts said Canberra had not "; S18[39]=" secured appropriate parliamentary approval for the sale before putting its 13 per cent stake on the market.
      Labor and the Greens yesterday "; S19[39]=" said the proposed legislation was an attempt by the Government to cover its mistake in not securing appropriate authority.
      'The bill is "; S20[39]=" an admission the minister was wrong,' Greens senator Bob Brown said... "; R[40]="792"; T[40]="New tools available to help build beef profitability"; A[40]="By ... Editor"; Dn[40]="20060601"; Dt[40]="Thursday 1 June 2006"; Acats[40]="a07a08a27"; B1[40]="      Beef producers will be introduced to three new 'do-it-yourself' tools to boost profitability at Meat & Livestock Australia's (MLA) More Beef from "; B2[40]="Pastures regional expo at Naracoorte in June... "; B3[40]=" "; B4[40]=" "; B5[40]=" "; S1[40]="      Beef producers will be introduced to three new 'do-it-yourself' tools to boost profitability at Meat & Livestock Australia's (MLA) More Beef from "; S2[40]=" Pastures regional expo at Naracoorte in June.
      Producers will also have access to a range of consultants and service providers at the "; S3[40]=" expo to help them advance their enterprise along the proven MLA More Beef from Pastures path.
      The expo will be held at "; S4[40]=" Naracoorte Town Hall, running from 9 am to 4 pm on Friday, 16 June.
      Launched in August 2004, MLA More Beef from "; S5[40]=" Pastures is an innovative information and support program that gives beef producers across southern Australia a framework for incorporating world class strategies and tools into "; S6[40]=" their management.
      About 5,000 southern beef producers have already bought the program's comprehensive guide, The producer's manual, available through MLA.
    "; S7[40]="   The expo will show producers how to use the latest tools created around the three key areas of the business - how their business "; S8[40]=" is performing, how their pasture grows and its variability and what their herd requires to perform.
      'One thing is certain about "; S9[40]=" the beef business - it's not likely to get any easier,' said MLA More Beef from Pastures South Australian State Coordinator, Ben Hebart.
    "; S10[40]="   'MLA More Beef from Pastures gives producers a proven process to work through that isn't prescriptive, yet provides a decision framework from which almost "; S11[40]=" any beef enterprise can work to boost profits and sustainability.
      These new tools really make the decision making process easier.' The Cost "; S12[40]=" of Production Calculator helps producers quickly analyse their enterprise and bring it to a single point of focus: what it costs them to turn off "; S13[40]=" a kilogram of beef.
      The Feed Demand Calculator, developed in partnership with CSIRO, helps producers manage the pasture feed base for maximum "; S14[40]=" benefit to stock, the environment and the enterprise throughout the year's cycles.
      And helping tie pastures and animals together is the Rainfall "; S15[40]=" & Pasture Growth tool, which gives producers a historical perspective on seasonal feed growth and variability to help them make calculated decisions for the future.
"; S16[40]="       'Bringing the whole enterprise back to the cost of producing a kilo of beef shows producers their bottom line in very clear "; S17[40]=" and simple terms,' said MLA More Beef from Pastures National Co-ordinator, Dr David McNeill, of the Cost of Production Calculator.
      'Once they "; S18[40]=" have that cents-per-kilogram figure, they can start to look inside it and use The producer's manual to make the small changes that can have a "; S19[40]=" big effect on business profitability.' While the Cost of Production Calculator uses a simple pen-and-paper process, the Feed Demand Calculator is a powerful computer program "; S20[40]=" that absorbs the details of a livestock enterprise - both cattle and sheep if necessary - to help producers manage different classes of stock according "; S21[40]=" to pasture status.
      Matching feed demand to supply is one of the most challenging aspects of beef production, and yet, Dr McNeill "; S22[40]=" notes, doing it successfully 'delivers one of the biggest hits there is for a beef enterprise'.
      'The tool can calculate how much "; S23[40]=" pasture every animal on the place will need, and then plots those needs on pasture growth curves for the year,' Dr McNeill said.
    "; S24[40]="   'If you find that feed demand isn't matching supply, you can start to make management decisions toward a better match.
      It's "; S25[40]=" not just about turning off more beef: it's also about looking after your land better.' A first step toward using the Feed Demand Calculator is "; S26[40]=" working with the Rainfall & Pasture Growth tool, which supplies the historical rainfall and temperature patterns for 3,000 locations across southern Australia.
      "; S27[40]=" From these patterns, the program extrapolates probabilities and likely variability for future pasture growth.
      Further detail on the tools, their use, "; S28[40]=" and how they work in concert with MLA More Beef from Pastures and The producer's manual will be explained in detail during the expo.
  "; S29[40]="     All participants in the expo will receive The producer's manual and the new tools on CD ROM.
      The expo is "; S30[40]=" also hosting a trade display, which will give producers access to a range of service providers including MLA's EDGEnetwork - a national training program which "; R[41]="780"; T[41]="NFF Voices Serious Concerns about Snowy Sell-off"; A[41]="By ... NFF"; Dn[41]="20060601"; Dt[41]="Thursday 1 June 2006"; Acats[41]="a05a40"; B1[41]="      The National Farmers' Federation (NFF) today strongly urged all levels of government to protect the rights of Australian farmers if the sale "; B2[41]="of the Snowy Hydro goes ahead... "; B3[41]=" "; B4[41]=" "; B5[41]=" "; S1[41]="      The National Farmers' Federation (NFF) today strongly urged all levels of government to protect the rights of Australian farmers if the sale "; S2[41]=" of the Snowy Hydro goes ahead.
      'Certainty of irrigation entitlements is a key plank of the National Water Initiative (NWI).
    "; S3[41]="   We are asking whether these entitlements and associated annual water allocations will be affected by the sale,' NFF President, Mr Peter Corish said.
  "; S4[41]="     'NFF is very concerned that privatising the Snowy will place significant pressure on the timing of water releases to coincide with maximising power "; S5[41]=" generation.
      We fear that little regard will be given to the important role the Snowy plays in supporting agriculture activities.
    "; S6[41]="   'Serious consideration needs to be given to the future value of water as currently, electricity generation forms the basis of the sale.
    "; S7[41]="   In the proposal, management of the water is seen only as a secondary consideration.
      'Water could potentially be worth much more "; S8[41]=" than the sale of the electricity it generates.
      NFF has questions about what that means for agriculture.
      'NFF members "; S9[41]=" are also concerned that the proposed 10% ownership cap applies for just four years.
      In the interests of ensuring ongoing security and "; S10[41]=" stakeholder confidence in water management in Australia, the terms of the sale should include that the cap applies in perpetuity.
      'Certainly there "; S11[41]=" are questions surrounding what privatisation of the Snowy means in the context of the current risk assignment framework of the NWI, particularly in relation to "; S12[41]=" environmental flows.
      'Not only must governments consider how these issues are going to be managed, but also how the funds generated from "; S13[41]=" the proposed sale might be allocated.
      NFF believes that these funds should be used to safeguard the environment, irrigation water and the "; S14[41]=" future of the communities that rely on the Snowy.' The NFF Policy Council will formally consider this issue on 14-15 June... "; R[42]="775"; T[42]="Wheat authority will never be the same"; A[42]="By ... Editor"; Dn[42]="20060526"; Dt[42]="Friday 26 May 2006"; Acats[42]="a05a07a08a22"; B1[42]="      Australia's wheat export regulator is expecting to be scrapped in the wake of the AWB kickbacks scandal.... "; B2[42]=" "; B3[42]=" "; B4[42]=" "; B5[42]=" "; S1[42]="      Australia's wheat export regulator is expecting to be scrapped in the wake of the AWB kickbacks scandal.
      The federal "; S2[42]=" Government's Wheat Export Authority, criticised for failing to fully investigate AWB's illicit payments to Saddam Hussein's government, is bracing for a huge shake-up.
    "; S3[42]="   'I think life will never be the same after Cole,' WEA chairman Tim Besley told a Senate estimates hearing yesterday.
      The "; S4[42]=" regulator has been widely tipped to be replaced or changed substantially after its executives gave embarrassing evidence to the Cole inquiry studying AWB's $290million in "; S5[42]=" kickbacks to Baghdad under the UN oil-for-food program.
      Senate committee chairman Bill Heffernan, a frequent critic of the authority's lack of investigative "; S6[42]=" powers, asked Mr Besley if his organisation's role should be reviewed - and Mr Besley delivered a frank response: 'If the growers would like to "; S7[42]=" see some body that could be, to use your phrase, a cage of gorillas rather than a bed of pansies, then that should also be "; S8[42]=" set in the (Wheat Marketing) Act.
      'If the body that succeeds us, because we are going to be changed one way or "; S9[42]=" the other ...
      is given that role then that should be clearly spelled out.' Authority officials told the Cole inquiry they did "; S10[42]=" not launch a full investigation into claims the wheat exporter was making illicit payments to Iraq because it was not the regulator's job.
    "; S11[42]="   The authority's role, they said, was only to monitor AWB's performance in terms of delivering favourable returns to growers.
      Mr Besley "; S12[42]=" said yesterday the authority's role was 'strange' and its capacity to examine contracts severely limited... "; R[43]="773"; T[43]="PM firm on selling Snowy"; A[43]="By ... Editor"; Dn[43]="20060526"; Dt[43]="Friday 26 May 2006"; Acats[43]="a05a40a42a91"; B1[43]="      The privatisation of the Snowy hydro scheme was a 'very good result' for the environment, electricity consumers and for the region, the "; B2[43]="Prime Minister said yesterday... "; B3[43]=" "; B4[43]=" "; B5[43]=" "; S1[43]="      The privatisation of the Snowy hydro scheme was a 'very good result' for the environment, electricity consumers and for the region, the "; S2[43]=" Prime Minister said yesterday.
      John Howard told parliament he was 'not disposed' to change his position on supporting the sale of the "; S3[43]=" hydro-electric scheme, which he said was based on 'pretty sound' legal grounds.
      But Mr Howard admitted he expected those against the sale, "; S4[43]=" including his 'good colleague' Bill Heffernan, to put their arguments to him 'forcefully'.
      He would listen to those with concerns, 'and respond "; S5[43]=" as best I can', he told parliament after returning from his overseas trip.
      Mr Howard said the Government would sell its minority "; S6[43]=" share in Snowy Hydro because the majority shareholder, NSW, would sell with or without federal support.
      'We are selling because we are "; S7[43]=" very confident that the sale will not affect water flows for irrigation and the environment in any way.
      'Snowy Hydro does not "; S8[43]=" own any water itself; the public owns the water.' Snowy Hydro had a 75-year licence to make use of the water with strict requirements, he "; S9[43]=" said.
      'The private sector is best at running businesses, not government.
      Our responsibility is to make certain that the "; S10[43]=" regulatory regime protects the stakeholders.' The NSW, Victorian and federal governments could gain a total of up to $3 billion when they sell their Snowy "; S11[43]=" stakes.
      Senator Heffernan believes Mr Howard would be worried that some of the measures put in place by the vendors to protect "; S12[43]=" the Australian identity of Snowy Hydro appeared to be crumbling... "; R[44]="771"; T[44]="Japan beef stocks still tight"; A[44]="By ... Editor"; Dn[44]="20060526"; Dt[44]="Friday 26 May 2006"; Acats[44]="a07a08a27"; B1[44]="      As at the end of March, Japanese beef stocks remained threadbare.
      While record Australian shipments throughout March may have "; B2[44]="added to stocks in April, it is likely that stocks are still small... "; B3[44]=" "; B4[44]=" "; B5[44]=" "; S1[44]="      As at the end of March, Japanese beef stocks remained threadbare.
      While record Australian shipments throughout March may have "; S2[44]=" added to stocks in April, it is likely that stocks are still small.
      Low stocks and the continued absence of US beef "; S3[44]=" (until at least late July) suggests that Japanese buyers need to maintain their purchasing of Australian product over the next few months, particularly in the "; S4[44]=" lead up to the Obon holiday peak-demand period in early August.
      Total beef stocks for March were at 68,746 tonnes (boneless "; S5[44]=" equivalent) - down 2% on March 2005 levels, with stocks less than half of the high levels reached in March 2002, of 141,744 tonnes.
  "; S6[44]="     These high stocks in 2002 were before the major disruption caused to the Japan market by the discovery of BSE in the US.
"; S7[44]="       Relative to consumption levels, Japan's beef stocks appear tight.
      During March, stocks were virtually equivalent to the March consumption "; S8[44]=" level of 68,078 tonnes.
      Prior to US BSE in December 2003, beef stocks ranged between one and three month's beef consumption.
  "; S9[44]="     Limited supply - and the subsequent high retail prices - is constraining Japanese beef consumption levels.
      The likely return of "; S10[44]=" US beef to the market this July should see both supply and consumption levels begin to recover... "; R[45]="770"; T[45]="Understanding the China Energy Market: Trends and Opportunities"; A[45]="By ... Energy Business Reports"; Dn[45]="20060526"; Dt[45]="Friday 26 May 2006"; Acats[45]="a07a08a36"; B1[45]="      Energy Business Reports releases a comprehensive report on energy production, consumption, and trends in the world's fastest-growing economy.... "; B2[45]=" "; B3[45]=" "; B4[45]=" "; B5[45]=" "; S1[45]="      Energy Business Reports releases a comprehensive report on energy production, consumption, and trends in the world's fastest-growing economy.
      China's "; S2[45]=" economic trajectory has driven its growing energy appetite, and it is now the world's second largest energy consumer in the world.
      China "; S3[45]=" will continue to be a major player in world energy markets, but increasing energy demands pose tremendous challenges for China's people, its environment, and its "; S4[45]=" leaders, according to a new report on China's energy industry just published by Energy Business Reports, an energy industry think tank.
      This "; S5[45]=" comprehensive report is broken up into 4 Sections:
      * Section I - Overview of China Energy Market Historical Background; Market Value; "; S6[45]=" Consumption; Production; Reserves; Export and Import; Market Segmentation; and Market Forecast.
     
      * Section II - Market Analysis PEST "; S7[45]=" Analysis; Porter's Five Forces Analysis; Socio-Economic Trends; Consumption Trends
      * Section III - Market Segments - Electricity, Oil, , Natural Gas, "; S8[45]=" Liquefied Natural Gas, Liquid Petroleum Gas, Nuclear Power, Coal, Renewables, Photo Voltaics, Wind Power, and Hydroelectric Each Market Segment details current and planned projects, and "; S9[45]=" lists participants in that sector.
     
      * Section IV - Breaking Into the Market Regulatory Framework; Methods of Market "; S10[45]=" Entry; Foreign Investment; Challenges and Government Agencies.
      Report findings include: Energy demand in China: China's energy demand has surged since the beginning "; S11[45]=" of the new millennium when a new round of investment-driven economic growth began.
      China's energy sector has enormous potential, especially the coal, "; S12[45]=" petroleum and natural gas industries, yet China is currently a net importer of oil, and imports are expected to increase to more than 900 million "; S13[45]=" barrels in 2006, against a total demand of 1.993 billion barrels per year.
      China is looking to expand its production of coal, "; S14[45]=" natural gas, and renewable energy sources such as nuclear, solar and hydroelectric power to meet the enormous appetite for energy spawned by its massive industrial "; S15[45]=" complex and consumer sectors.
      It is estimated that in 2020, China will need 2.8 billion tons of coal and 600 million tons "; S16[45]=" of crude oil, two and a half times more than in 2000.
      Given this scenario, China will need to import 250 million "; S17[45]=" tons of petroleum, about 70%, from foreign sources.
      What's more, its carbon emissions will reach 1.94 billion tons, and China will likely "; S18[45]=" overtake the US as the nation with the highest greenhouse gas emissions.
      Industrialization coupled with greater consumer energy consumption has created "; S19[45]=" an energy crisis in China, and symptoms of shortage are visible throughout the country.
      New capital and international technology will be required, "; S20[45]=" opening the door to foreign investment and market entry.
      China opens itself up to global market forces: In recent years, China has "; S21[45]=" allowed market forces to play a larger role in its economy.
      Foreign investors are being encouraged by the government to participate in "; S22[45]=" exploitation of the country's natural gas resources, energy infrastructure construction, sales of natural gas, coal mining, gas-fired power generation and the production of petrochemical products.
"; S23[45]="       Shell, Exxon Mobil and BP are jostling for positions in China's gas market, where demand is expected to quadruple to account "; S24[45]=" for 8% of China's total energy supply by 2010.
      In order to tap China's growing energy market foreign companies are making heavy "; S25[45]=" investments.
      Environment: China is one of the biggest polluters of the developing world accounting for 12% of global carbon dioxide emissions.
"; S26[45]="       In recent years, as concern about climate change and rising carbon dioxide emissions has grown, China has sent confusing signals about its "; S27[45]=" willingness to clean up its energy production plant and tackle environmental pollution.
      China was among the 141 countries that ratified the United "; S28[45]=" Nations' Kyoto Protocol on global warming, which took effect in February 2005.
      The move enabled China to portray itself as a defender "; S29[45]=" of the environment while condemning the US, which withdrew from the treaty, as irresponsible.
      Yet despite throwing its weight behind the "; S30[45]=" Kyoto treaty, China has few short-term solutions to satisfying growing energy demand beyond bringing new coal-fired power pants on line.
      China is "; R[46]="767"; T[46]="Window Closing on Global Trade Reform"; A[46]="By ... Editor"; Dn[46]="20060526"; Dt[46]="Friday 26 May 2006"; Acats[46]="a05a08"; B1[46]="      National Farmers' Federation (NFF) President Peter Corish - in Washington lobbying for urgent and significant agricultural trade reform in the World Trade "; B2[46]="Organisation (WTO) - has enlisted the influential American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) to call for an ambitious outcome from the Doha round of WTO negotiations, "; B3[46]="particularly in the area of agricultural market access... "; B4[46]=" "; B5[46]=" "; S1[46]="      National Farmers' Federation (NFF) President Peter Corish - in Washington lobbying for urgent and significant agricultural trade reform in the World Trade "; S2[46]=" Organisation (WTO) - has enlisted the influential American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) to call for an ambitious outcome from the Doha round of WTO negotiations, "; S3[46]=" particularly in the area of agricultural market access.
      AFBF President Bob Stallman joined the NFF in issuing a joint statement asserting that "; S4[46]=" an ambitious deal on agriculture must be agreed in the coming weeks (by the end of July at the latest), delivering significant new and improved "; S5[46]=" access to markets.
      US and Australian farmers cannot be expected to support anything less.
      Political circumstances in the US "; S6[46]=" (with mid-term Congressional elections this November and the expiry of Trade Promotion Authority in 2007) dictate that if an outcome is not agreed by the "; S7[46]=" end of July, it may be up to five years before a package delivering global trade reform to farmers can be agreed.
      "; S8[46]=" 'In the US at present the opportunity for a positive, progressive outcome is within reach, but time is definitely not the friend of these negotiations,' "; S9[46]=" Mr Corish said.
      'We have a once in a generation opportunity to get this right and it is time for all WTO "; S10[46]=" members to reinvigorate these negotiations in line with the Doha mandate agreed to by all Ministers in 2001.
      'We should not kid "; S11[46]=" ourselves, the July 2006 deadline is very real.' The NFF welcomes and appreciates the continuing work of Prime Minister John Howard and Deputy Prime Minister "; S12[46]=" Mark Vaile who are both currently taking Australia's trade liberalisation agenda to the international community... "; R[47]="765"; T[47]="Seminar on South American market possibilities"; A[47]="By ... Editor"; Dn[47]="20060526"; Dt[47]="Friday 26 May 2006"; Acats[47]="a08"; B1[47]="      Market opportunities for Western Australian agri-businesses in Argentina and Brazil will be outlined at a breakfast seminar in Perth next month.... "; B2[47]=" "; B3[47]=" "; B4[47]=" "; B5[47]=" "; S1[47]="      Market opportunities for Western Australian agri-businesses in Argentina and Brazil will be outlined at a breakfast seminar in Perth next month.
  "; S2[47]="     The seminar, on Thursday, 8 June, is being organised by the Department of Agriculture and Food (DAFWA) with the Western Australian Latin "; S3[47]=" America Business Association Inc (WALABAI).
      DAFWA event organiser Thu Truong said guest speakers would include the Brazilian Ambassador to Australia, His "; S4[47]=" Excellency Frederico Cezar De Araujo, and the Argentinian Ambassador to Australia, His Excellency Pedro Villagra Delgado.
      'The seminar will review opportunities "; S5[47]=" for commercial alliances in the agri-food sector between Western Australia and Argentina and Brazil,' Ms Truong said.
      'South America is a "; S6[47]=" growing market for Australia, and this will be a good forum where local agri-business can access the latest information on opportunities there from the Ambassadors "; S7[47]=" from Brazil and Argentina,' Ms Truong said.
      The seminar is a prelude to a September 2006 study tour to Argentina and "; S8[47]=" Brazil organised in conjunction with the WA Farmers Federation, the Pastoralists and Graziers Association, the CBH Group, with the support of the Kondinin Group and "; S9[47]=" DAFWA.
      Registrations for the seminar can be lodged with Carolyn Walton on 9368 3382 or email cwalton@agric.wa.gov.au for a registration form.
"; S10[47]="       Further information about the study tour can be directed to Tim Carew-Reid 0412 953 725 or email tim.cr@swiftdsl.com.au... "; R[48]="762"; T[48]="Market Prospects in China"; A[48]="By ... Editor"; Dn[48]="20060526"; Dt[48]="Friday 26 May 2006"; Acats[48]="a08a63"; B1[48]="      Market opportunities in Guangdong and Southern China will be outlined for industry representatives at a workshop at the Department of Agriculture and "; B2[48]="Food (DAFWA) in Perth next Tuesday, 30 May... "; B3[48]=" "; B4[48]=" "; B5[48]=" "; S1[48]="      Market opportunities in Guangdong and Southern China will be outlined for industry representatives at a workshop at the Department of Agriculture and "; S2[48]=" Food (DAFWA) in Perth next Tuesday, 30 May.
      The Senior Trade Commissioner/Deputy Consul General for Austrade, Australian Consulate General in Guangzhou "; S3[48]=" in China, Yvonne Chan, will present the free half day workshop 9am til 12pm, at the Department's theatrette in South Perth.
      Ms "; S4[48]=" Chan will also be in Perth to promote the Australian Lifestyle Expo 2006, which will be held in China in November.
      "; S5[48]=" 'Ms Chan has first hand of the Chinese market, and this will be an excellent opportunity for local industry to benefit from her visit to "; S6[48]=" Perth,' event organiser Thu Truong said.
      'All Western Australian companies are welcomed to this workshop, and can bring along their products "; S7[48]=" and pricing information where a quick on the spot market assessment of their suitability for the Guangdong and Southern China market will be provided' Ms "; S8[48]=" Truong said.
      Further information and registrations are available by emailing agrifood@agric.wa.gov.au... "; R[49]="758"; T[49]="Town to branch out"; A[49]="By ... Editor"; Dn[49]="20060526"; Dt[49]="Friday 26 May 2006"; Acats[49]="a05a48"; B1[49]="      Outback ingenuity and 21st century science are combining to give Barcaldine's dying Tree of Knowledge a chance of a lucrative afterlife.... "; B2[49]=" "; B3[49]=" "; B4[49]=" "; B5[49]=" "; S1[49]="      Outback ingenuity and 21st century science are combining to give Barcaldine's dying Tree of Knowledge a chance of a lucrative afterlife.
  "; S2[49]="     A thriving clone of the 150-year-old ghost gum holds the key to a plan to create hundreds more of the trees - and "; S3[49]=" a bold new tourism venture which could be a saviour of the bush town.
      The historic Tree of Knowledge, revered as the "; S4[49]=" birthplace of the Australian Labor Party, is in critical condition with little chance of survival after it was poisoned by vandals recently.
      "; S5[49]=" There were fears its death would spark tough times for the town as 40,000 cashed-up tourists visit the tree annually.
      But local "; S6[49]=" councillors have concocted a scheme to ensure the spirit of the tree will live on forever and keep the tourist dollars flowing.
      "; S7[49]=" 'We cloned the tree several years ago and its identical twin is living in the grounds of the nearby Workers Heritage centre,' said Barcaldine Council "; S8[49]=" CEO Stuart Randle.
      'We want to take cuttings from that tree and graft them on to others, commercially producing hundreds of new "; S9[49]=" Trees of Knowledge.
      These new trees could then be sold to tourists.
      People would be able to buy their "; S10[49]=" own piece of history and the spirit of the Tree of Knowledge would live on.' The propagation plan, which is likely to be given the "; S11[49]=" green light at the council's Budget meeting in July, would cost about $50,000.
      A new greenhouse would be built in town and "; S12[49]=" Department of Primary Industries scientists, who have already indicated they are happy to help, would be brought on as advisers.
      It would "; S13[49]=" take about a year for trees to grow to a height at which they could be sold.
      The cloning plan has been "; S14[49]=" kept under wraps for several years but mayor Rob Chandler said it was now essential to preserve a part of history - and the town's "; S15[49]=" income from tourism.
      'It is the most photographed tree in the world and half the tourists we get come here just to "; S16[49]=" see it,' Cr Chandler said.
      Police from Longreach CIB say results from toxicology tests on the poisoned tree are due back later "; S17[49]=" this week.
      It is believed up to 40 litres of a chemical pollutant were splashed on the tree.
      The "; S18[49]=" tree was the meeting place for shearers during their unsuccessful strike of 1891, which played a crucial role in formation of the ALP... ";