The Slutwalk movement will hit Brisbane streets today – there’s a rally at 2pm at King George Square in town. If you can’t make it, you can watch the rally live online on the 4ZZZ Ustream channel from 2pm Eastern Australian time.
Slutwalks started in Toronto, Canada after a police officer said women shouldn’t dress like sluts if they didn’t want to be raped.
You can follow the Slutwalk Brisbane Twitter account, and you can hear an interview with one of the organisers here.
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Queensland Bureau of Meteorology director Jim Davidson will testify in Brisbane today as part of the Flood Inquiry hearings.
In a written submission, Davidson has stated that forecasters had warned authorities of excessive rain over the wet season.
Yesterday the Inquiry heard engineers at Wivenhoe Dam based their operations on a prediction of no further rainfall, claiming forecasted rainfalls were volatile and unreliable.
Tasmanian Heritage Minister Brian Wightman has approved the construction of a bridge over the discovery site of forty-thousand year old Indigenous artefacts.
The bridge will be built over the Jordan river, north of Hobart. Strong local opposition to the project arose when over 3 million Aboriginal finds were discovered during planning.
A spokesman from the Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources said he would meet with the community before construction starts. Protesters at the site have said they won’t move.
Libyan rebels have rejected a peace plan from the African Union, saying they will not agree to any proposition that leaves Moamar Gaddafi in power.
The African Union, led by South African President Jacob Zuma, have tried to broker peace to end a two-month civil war.
Mr. Gaddafi had already agreed to the plan, which would have seen immediate ceasefire, suspension of NATO air strikes and an effort on democratic reforms.
The Gillard government has ordered the removal of bans in the Australian Defence Force preventing women from applying from the most elite and dangerous of defence jobs.
Defence Minster Stephen Smith is at odds with his ministry after scandals of sexual abuse and suicide, and has ordered a series of reviews and inquiries.
The announcement has been backed by the head of the defence force, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, who says as long as women can meet the tough physical requirements they should be allowed to serve.
A violent mob has looted and set fire to buildings on a rampage through a Papua New Guinean town.
The mob was reacting to claims police bashed a young man in custody who later died.
Two policeman have been arrested and charged with murder. The protesters managed to torch police cars and burn the district Treasury to the ground.
Treasurer Wayne Swan has said Australia’s economic growth will be challenged by natural disasters and global economic instability, particularly in north Africa and Europe.
However, the Treasurer also expects emerging economies will underpin growth in the Australian resource markets.
Quoting a recent report from the International Monetary Fund, Mr Swan predicted a growth of three percent for 2011.
The Greens have criticised Campbell Newman for moving Ray Hopper to the back bench in his shadow ministry.
Mr Hopper was a vocal opponent of coal-seam gas mining. The Greens said this indicates the Liberal National Party plan to focus on a pro-mine stance in the next election.
Mr Newman said his new front bench had a strong commitment to rural and regional Queensland.
Former One Nation leader Pauline Hanson may be elected to a seat in the New South Wales Upper House today.
Ms Hanson, who ran as an independent, is ahead by over six thousand cotes to her nearest competitor, Greens candidate Jeremy Buckingham.
Final votes will be counted by twelve o’clock today.
A suspected terrorist attack in Minsk, Belarus, has left 11 dead and at least a hundred more injured.
The explosion occurred at Mink’s busiest underground station in the middle of the evening peak hour.
President Alexander Lukashenko condemned the attack as an effort to undermine security in the region.
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The company, which was privatised from the state run Queensland Rail last year, had previously deferred speculation that jobs would be cut.
Around 75 million dollars are expected to be spent on the program, which is planned to offer redundancies to a total of 600 employees across Queensland.
Food Standards Australia and New Zealand have called for public debate on legalising the sale of hemp seed and oil.
Hemp, which contains little of the psychoactive chemical found in cannabis, is already used in Australia as animal feed.
The FSANZ said there are no associated risks with eating hemp foods, however a previous attempt to legalise hemp was rejected by ministers on the grounds it would increase acceptance of marijuana.
The US has called for the president of Yemen to step down, following the death of 17 protestors at the hands of presidential security forces.
President Ali Abdullah Saleh has resisted calls to resign immediately, as anti-government protests today continue into their third month.
White House spokesman Jay Carney warned Al Qaeda could exploit a power vacuum in Yemen if conflict was not soon resolved.
A Beenleigh man has been found guilty of murdering his former flat mate, in what has been described as a “brutal slaughtering”.
Robert Ian Logan, a self-confessed cannibal, pleaded not guilty in the Supreme Court in Brisbane to murdering Bun Huntingford in 2006.
Logan has been sentenced to life in prison.
A climate change specialist has warned the Great Barrier Reef will be lost if greenhouse gases aren’t drastically cut.
The announcement is a preface to the GREENHOUSE conference, which begins today in Cairns.
The event will run until Friday.
The Centre for Resource and Environmental Management have warned the Northern Territory would face substantial risk from an Indonesian nuclear reactor fallout.
The Indonesian Government have announced plans to build four nuclear generators by 2022. The planned site for the build is close to an earthquake fault line.
Spokesmen have denied the sight is in danger, and said the site would be considerably more modern than the currently damaged Japanese reactors.
Fijian engineers are still working to restore water to thousands of residents after a planned maintenance shut down went wrong.
A new pipe system to improve supply lines was meant to be installed, but ran over schedule, allowing air to disrupt the system.
The system must now remove all air before it can function properly. Water supply is expected to resume by the end of today.
The Gillard government has been criticised for moving too slowly in providing vital infrastructure to remote communities around Australia.
Remote Indigenous Services Coordinator Brian Gleeson says the government should move faster to deliver acceptable facilities for remote communities, with many key promises brought to a standstill.
High on the agenda is an increase in the number of “safe houses”, which support community members suffering from abuse and violence.
Queensland Speaker of the House John Mickel has refused to allow Lord Mayor Campbell Newman to speak in parliament until he is elected to a seat.
Although Mr Newman is the chosen leader of the Liberal National Party, MP Jeff Seeney is the official party leader.
Mr Newman plans to contest the seat of Ashgrove. Premier Anna Bligh has refused to comment on when the next election will be held.
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Homeowners in flood-affected areas will be allowed to raise their houses and build a metre beyond the current roof line limit, say new Council guidelines to be finalised today.
The rebuilding effort for thousands of homes that were damaged or destroyed in the floods will allow houses with a height of up to nine and a half metres.
Brisbane developers will also be forced to protect infrastructure for water and electricity in preparation for another flood.
Newly elected NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell has started an independent audit of the state’s finances, after claiming a four and a half billion dollar deficit was left by the Keneally government.
The former government was voted out of power over the weekend, with O’Farrell’s Liberal National Party taking more than two thirds of parliamentary seats.
However, Greens MP John Kaye has accused the LNP of overstating the deficit in order to cut back on state spending. Mr O’Farrell denied he would back out of any election promises.
The Australian Dollar has hit one dollar and three cents US, it’s highest since 1982.
Investors are predicting a boom for the Australian iron ore and natural gas industries in the wake of Japan’s earthquake disaster.
BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto both rose point five of a percent yesterday.
One of Brisbane’s best-kept secrets, The Elizabeth Street Laneway, will be shut down to make way for a driveway for a new one hundred and eighty million dollar office tower.
The cultural hub, home to cafe The Coffee Suppliers and popular gig space The Alley, is the first victim of the Council’s pause on the Vibrant Laneways Project.
The sixteen-storey tower will be home to the new Australian Tax Office. The Coffee Suppliers will shut its doors today.
Government representatives have refused to comment on speculation that hackers have accessed the computers of Prime Minister Julia Gillard and other government ministers.
Allegedly hackers found away into the Parliament House email network, but not the departmental accounts used for sensitive communication.
News Limited reports this morning suspect foreign intelligence agencies may be behind the unconfirmed breach.
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has faced court for the first of four criminal charges brought against him. Mr Berlusconi claims they are political ploys.
The controversial billionaire media giant and politician is alleged to have embezzled and fraudulently represented prices of television stations his company, Mediaset, acquired.
Mr Berlusconi faces another two charges of corruption as well as a charge for having sex with an underaged prostitute.
The Australian Defence Force have announced an investigation into soldier drug abuses in Townsville.
The Australian Defence Association, who oversee the ADF, said allegations of serious drug abuse were misleading.
Investigations have also been carried out in Cairns and Sydney, but an ADA spokesman said they were not related.
Julia Gillard’s suggestion for a regional processing centre has been rejected by East Timor, who deem it ‘unimportant’ to the solution for people smugglers.
Diplomats and senior officials have gathered in Bali to discuss solutions for processing asylum seekers.
While they expect to come to an agreement at the conference tomorrow, it will not be binding on anyone’s government.
The Brisbane Coroner’s Court this morning heard a girlfriend of a convicted paedophile lied to police about his whereabouts on the day of Daniel Morcombe’s abduction.
The woman says she was blinded by love and agreed when her boyfriend told her to tell the police he had spent the day at home with her.
She now admits the man left for most of the day, and drive a car similar to the suspected abduction vehicle. She says she didn’t know he was in jail for offences to children. The inquest resumed today.
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Lord Mayor Campbell Newman is expected to announce this morning he is quitting Council to run for a seat in State Parliament.
The announcement will come after four days of speculation that Newman will soon replace John-Paul Langbroek as leader of Queensland’s Liberal National Party.
Newman is expected to contest Dr Bruce Flegg for the seat of Moggill.
Emergency services have concluded their nine week body search of the Lockyer Valley.
Three people are still officially listed as missing, although police have said periodic searches of surrounding areas would still be maintained.
The Lockyer Valley was one of the worst affected during the Queensland floods, with the majority of flood related deaths occurring in the region.
The Fijian Ministry of Health have announced a previous virus outbreak has been contained.
The virus, which was identified as a strain of influenza, infected roughly fifty Fijian students, leading to six hospitalisations.
A spokesman for the Ministry said better understanding of basic hygiene was needed to prevent future outbreaks.
A prominent Queensland mining identity has told the Brisbane District Court he made a payment of sixty thousand dollars to former Beattie Cabinet Minister Gordon Nuttal.
The court heard yesterday the minister approached Harold Warner Shand about cash to buy houses in April 2002 and the payment was made over a two-month period.
Mr Shand is on trial on charges of making a corrupt payment.
Prime Minister Gillard has given her support for the new draft national curriculum.
Parliament Question Time was given over yesterday to discussion of the draft’s coverage of culture as a “complex system of concepts, values, norms, beliefs and practices”.
Ms Gillard, who identifies as an atheist, said she supported the right of children to choose their own values.
Western air strikes on Libya are said to have made impact on Moamar Gaddafi’s Tripoli compound and Southern strongholds.
The air strikes, led by the United States, France and Britain are coming under some international criticism for going beyond the United Nations no-fly zone resolution.
US President Barack Obama said the ultimate goal of Western air strikes is to force Gaffafi from power.
Protests are continuing in the Victorian region of Lake Tyers. A small group of Indigenous women are currently blocking the region’s administrator from entering from the town.
The protesters are demanding to be allowed elect their community leaders. Currently, the government appoints an administrator, after it disbanded the previous council for a breakdown of authority.
Victorian Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Jeanette Powell said she will not talk with the community until the protest is disbanded.
Lord Mayor Campbell Newman has announced that he will run for LNP pre-selection for the state seat of Ashgrove.
After days of speculation, Newman has formally contested a switch to state politics, although many expected him to run for the seat of Moggill.
Newman says if successful he will resign as Lord Mayor. The announcement was made from Suncorp Stadium this morning at ten thirty.
High levels of radioactivity have been found in seawater near the Fukushima plant in Japan, leading to further concern about food contamination.
Vegetables and milk exports from Fukushima have already been recalled, although government spokespeople claim it is just a precaution.
There are also concerns over radioactive substances in local tap water.
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Premier Anna Bligh noted the opportunity for economic growth from gas mining, but said the protestors had the right to voice their opinion.
Floodwaters in Cardwell, south of Cairns, are expected to drop today as torrrential rain finally eases in the region.
Cassowary Coast Mayor Bill Shannon said that many towns in far north Queensland were still isolated, with many roads either blocked or washed away completely.
The state of the roads cannot be assessed until floodwaters ease.
Christmas Island administrator Brian Lacy has assured local residents the protests on Christmas Island have been peaceful and are under control.
The detention facility saw two mass break-outs and a riot over the weekend, with police being forced to use tear gas to restrain around three hundred detainees.
Queensland’s Deputy Commissioner has ruled six officers involved in the Palm Island death in custody investigation will not face disciplinary action.
Last year the Crime and Misconduct Commission called for charges against police involved in a flawed investigation.
The 2004 death of Mulrunji Doomadgee while in custody has been the subject of three coronial inquests and elicited comments about a culture of self-protection within the Queensland police.
Electrical Trades Union Secretary Peter Simpson has been granted a twenty four hour reprieve from his expulsion from the Labor party.
Mr Simpson has been among those opposed to the Queensland Asset Sale for the last two years. An ALP disputes tribunal recommended expelling Mr Simpson a fortnight ago.
However, an Administrative Committee was unable to enforce this last night following a dispute over voting. A second meeting has been scheduled for tonight.
A motion has begun to increase the penalties for animal cruelty following a recent spike in Queensland.
The proposed revisions broaden the scope of the protection laws, as well as tripling the maximum jail time for those found guilty.
The motion is expected to be introduced around June, with the law passed by the year’s end.
The Transport Workers Union will today meet with the Transit Australia Group, following five protest strikes since last December.
The meet is to settle a pay dispute over the Sunshine Coast Sun Bus service, which recently undertook a new bargaining agreement.
Negotiations are expected to be finalised by today’s end.
The Federal Coalition Energy Spokesman has warned Australia shouldn’t be intimidated by nuclear power because of multiple Japanese meltdowns triggered by Friday’s earthquake.
Shadow Minister for Energy and Resources Ian MacFarlane said he is still in support of nuclear power, and the country needs an honest, science-based discussion of the issue.
The crisis in Japan had intensified debate about nuclear power plants, with supporters noting its relatively clean by products, and detractors noting its risk of contamination.
The Fijian Government have announced plans to provide electricity to the island nation’s northern region.
Fiji’s north, which is a strong source of sugar cane and pineapple farming, is being developed as part of a plan to open the region to foreign investors.
Further infrastructural developments, including improving roads and communication, is also planned.
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The Wivenhoe dam release is expected to be extended another day following heavy rainfalls last week.
Wivenhoe’s drinking water levels were expected be at seventy-five per cent by today, however an extra forty thousand megalitres of dam flow have left levels around eighty-two per cent.
Dam officials have advised designated viewing areas have been closed for safety reasons, and that spectators should not attempt to view the dam release.
Brisbane doctor Rolf Homes has petitioned the Gillard government for one point five million dollars to fund cardiac services in rural areas.
Under the program, a mobile unit would travel to regional towns to provide assistance. Cardiac related illness is the largest contributor to middle aged Australian mortality.
The service is planned to begin next year.
Two Queensland oil workers have been evacuated from Libya, after they were stranded for ten days on an oil rig south of Benghazi.
Left by their contractors, Gary Nicholls and Terry Hinz were part of a team evacuated on Sunday by the British navy.
Hinz said as anti-Gaddafi rebel movements began taking over the area, it was the local Libyan people, not his employers, who helped his team escape.
A former Japanese delegate to the International Whaling Commission has criticised the Japanese whaling fleet for returning early following activist obstruction.
The para-legal activist group Sea Shephard have been blamed for reducing the fleet’s seasonal catch to a fifth of its usual total. Supporters say whaling fleets are abiding by the IWC code, while Sea Shephard is not.
However, anti-whaling groups have noted a current stockpile of six thousand tonnes of unwanted whale meat.
Coffs Harbour mayor Keith Rhoades has called for more support from the federal sector to support local road networks receiving significant traffic from freight services
The Gillard Government last week announced its draft National Freight Strategy, which would increase the number of roads available to trucks transporting goods across Australia.
However, Coffs Harbour Shire Association President Bruce Miller said focus should instead be put on increasing rail line transport. The draft strategy is currently open for public comment.
China may relax its strict one-child policy, after it was yesterday announced the country’s massive population has made a modest jump to 1.34 billion people.
The census was conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics, and showed China added almost 6.3 million people to its population last year.
Experts say the slowing growth rate is due to the generation-old one-child policy, combined with the country’s increasing wealth and urbanisation.
State Government is set to reintroduce cattle to the Victorian Alpine National Park, in a trial intended to lessen fuel for bush fires.
Greens MP Adam Bandt has labelled the act “environmental vandalism”, and said keeping the four hundred cattle in the national park puts many endangered species at risk.
Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke has also condemned the move, and said an investigation is under way as to whether any federal laws have been breached.
Kenilworth residents are on alert after it was discovered an application has been lodged to explore the area for the metal manganese.
State Government last week advised the community that Adelaide-based company Monax Mining has applied to search for manganese, a metal used in stainless steel, over a 304sq km area.The Sunshine Coast Environment Council said it was concerned by the proposal, and said environmental and social issues need to be further considered before the exploration went ahead.
The Australian Bureau of Agriculture and Resource Economics and Sciences have announced predictions of 2.3 billion dollars in farming losses due to recent natural disasters.
The coal industry is also expected to face losses of two billion dollars due to lost production times.
The proposed flood levy is still in negotiations, with independent Senator Nick Xenophon refusing to approve the bill until Queensland agrees to acquire disaster insurance.
A former Japanese delegate to the International Whaling Commission has criticised the Japanese whaling fleet for returning early following activist obstruction.
The para-legal activist group Sea Shephard have been blamed for reducing the fleet’s seasonal catch to a fifth of its usual total. Supporters say whaling fleets are abiding by the IWC code, while Sea Shephard is not.
However, anti-whaling groups have noted a current stockpile of six thousand tonnes of unwanted whale meat.
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Liberal backbencher Judi Moylan has criticised the Liberal National party’s immigration policy, following a move by the coalition to limit the number of asylum visas granted.
LNP immigration spokesman Scott Morrison said 96 per cent of Afghani boat immigrants were granted asylum, and that the limit would restore balance to those waiting in detention camps.
A spokesman for the Gillard government accused the LNP of wanting to politicise the debate surrounding immigration policy.
A spate of Aborginal suicides in the Kimberly region has led West Australian authorities to call for better management of services to remote Indigenous communities.
In the last month, seven Aboriginies, all under the age of thirty, have taken their own lives.
The region suffered a similar spate of suicides in 2006. A coronial inquest from this time recommended regional alcohol management and more prevention services.
Western Australian authorities have given the federal Immigration department the go-ahead to build a new detention facility in Northam, near Perth.
The planned site has been declared environmentally suitable, despite some concerns over a local endangered cockatoo species.
Over 700 Northam residents protested the detention centre plans when first announced in November.
Deputy Leader of the Opposition Lawrence Springborg has given his support for a community group opposed to the development of a residential estate in Greenbank, Logan.
The Save Greenbank group are challenging the approval given by the Urban Land Development Authority, saying current legislation fails to allow residents to object to proposed developments.
A public meeting will be held tomorrow night at the Greenbank Community Centre for members of the public to voice their concerns.
Roughly fifty thousand homes lost power in last night’s storms.
Ipswich and Brisbane’s north were among the worst hit areas, however response crews were able to restore power to around eighty per cent of homes before midnight.
Two thousand houses are still without electricity, with the Sunshine Coast being the worst affected.
Violence in the Libyan capital of Tunisia continues this morning, as several high-ranking authorities publicly deride the regime of dictator Moamar Gaddafi.
A Libyan ambassador to the UN has declared that Gaddafi is guilty of genocide against the people, while the country’s justice minister has quit his post.
Libyan diplomats in China and India have resigned, and the embassy in London is today flying the flag of the protest movement. Two hundred and thirty five people have died in protests.
Independent Senator Nick Xenophon has demanded the Gillard government implement legislation requiring all states to purchase disaster insurance.
Senator Xenophon said he will not give his support for the controversial flood levy, a one-time tax designed to raise funds for flood relief, unless his requests are met.
However Queensland Finance Minister Rachel Nolan said there is no guarantee the state can be insured, and that the scale of recent disasters is unprecedented.
Papua New Guinea has appointed its first tribunal to investigate a serving Prime Minister.
PNG PM Sir Michael Somare will face three retired judges from Australia, New Zealand and England on charges of alleged misconduct in office.
Prime Minister Somare was first referred to public prosecution in 2006, but has fought the matter in PNG courts for the last five years.
A flood relief centre has been flooded, following last night’s downpour.
The centre, which was located on the lower levels of the RNA show grounds, has had roughly a third of its stock lost to water damage.
Volunteers have been asked for to help with clean up efforts.
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Workers in the US state of Wisconsin have been protesting in the capital, Madison, for seven days now, with at least sixty thousand rallying on Saturday. They are protesting a planned law that would ban public-sector unions from trying to negotiate about anything except basic wage rates, and would also ban them from even asking for wage increases above the consumer price index.
Protesters near the Wisconsin Capitol on Saturday February 19. Photo by flickr user _kristy_
The law would also make it legal to sack any state government employee who takes part in any industrial action, and force those employees to pay more for their health and pension funds. The law has been proposed by newly-elected Republican Governor Scott Walker, who received donations for his campaign from the right-wing billionaire activist Koch brothers.
Protesters occupy the Wisconsin Capitol. Photo by flickr user pchgorman.
Protesters have occupied the state capitol building over the weekend, while Democratic state senators have left Wisconsion so a vote cannot be held on the law.
Click here to download the full text of the planned law (pdf file)
Whaling Season Ends Early
To ensure the safety of their crew, Japanese whalers have suspended their annual hunts in the region, a result which Greens leader Bob Brown says, “will have Australians putting champagne on ice – coast to coast.
Indigenous Police Program
As a way to address the imbalance between the Aboriginal population of Australia and the percentage of those in prison compared to the police force, a training program has been developed to put Aboriginal students from regional towns on the path to a career in the force.
An 18-week course run by NSW Police and TAFE helps students from regional communities prepare for the grueling training of the academy. Steve Bradshaw, Assistant Commissioner of the NSW Police says, “If we can produce role models of police from these communities, that is going to encourage other young people to join the police.
Flood Looters Face The Music
25 year old Nick Jarrod Barbeler, and his 26 year old brother Brendan David Barbeler, are accused of stealing a variety of items including a fire extinguisher and chair at Pinkenba.
A warrant has been put out for the arrest of Brendan Barbeler after he failed to show in court while his brother was granted bail and remanded to a further court appearance next month.
Two more men, Bradley James Deacon, and Neil Stephen Petterson, also appeared in court, each charged with stealing a boat at Pinkenba. They have also been remanded to further court appearances next month.
Good Vibrations Slash Ticket Prices
The price of tickets to the events has been slashed by to half-price while if you already have a ticket, you can now bring a friend for free by arriving together at the gate.
Good Vibes CEO Justin Hemmes says that with additional capacity, they want to share the festival with as many people as possible. However much like the poor ticket sales for the second Sydney Big Day Out in January, this very much could be a sign of festival congestion and the fact that punters simply don’t have enough money to sustain all the events now offered on the party calendar.
The Gold Coast festival will go ahead on Saturday the 19th where a solid line-up including the likes of Phoenix, Fat Freddy’s Drop and Erykah Badu will take to the stage.
South Bank Bouncing Back
Although the pools and beaches are still closed, most retailers and restaurants have reopened as well as parts of the Parklands. And as of yesterday, The Gallery of Modern Art, the Queensland Art Gallery, Queensland Museum and the State Library of Queensland are all re-opened.
However please be advised that the Cultural Centre Car Parks, including the Queensland Art Gallery and State Library car park remain closed. As such, public transport is recommended to visit the Galleries with both the CityCat and CityFerry back up and running again
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4zzznews
David Jackmanson
4ZzZFM NEWS 