Sydney woman victim of chemical attack

A severely burnt woman discovered in Sydney bushland claimed she was a victim of a chemical attack. Source: AAP

A SEVERELY burnt woman discovered crying for help in Sydney bushland claimed she was a victim of a chemical attack.

A resident on Ferraro Crescent at West Hoxton heard cries for help from nearby bushland on Friday night.

Police found Monika "Nikki" Chetty with extensive burns to her face and body.

Police have released Ms Chetty's name in the hope someone who knows her will come forward.

It is believed Ms Chetty suffered from the injuries for days before she was found.

Green Valley Police Detective Superintendent James Johnson told Fairfax Media Ms Chetty claimed a man threw chemicals at her in Liverpool a week earlier.

Det Insp Johnson said it was the most unusual thing he had seen in his 41-year career.

"It's horrific," he said on Saturday.

Police believe Ms Chetty was homeless.

She is currently in the Concord Burns Unit in a critical condition.

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Qld cop dragged 200m by car

A police officer is recovering after being dragged 200 metres along a road by a car in Townsville. Source: AAP

A POLICE officer is recovering after being dragged 200 metres along a road by a car in central Townsville.

Police will allege the driver of the car grabbed the officer's arm after he leant into the car to breath test the driver about 2.40am on Saturday.

The driver then drove about 200m before the 45-year-old officer managed to free himself.

The officer was allegedly elbowed twice in the face.

He has been treated in hospital for a cut to his head and eye, a chipped tooth and multiple abrasions and bruising.

The 23-year-old driver was later involved in a police car chase and has been taken into custody.

Charges are yet to be laid.

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Fortescue operations resume after death

Operations have resumed at Fortescue Mining Group's Christmas Creek mine after a contractor's death. Source: AAP

SURFACE mining operations have resumed at Fortescue Metals Group's Christmas Creek mine, four days after the death of a contractor.

The man was carrying out maintenance on a large piece of mining machinery in the Pilbara mine's heavy vehicle workshop when the accident occurred on Monday.

Surface mining operations at Christmas Creek were suspended as WA Department of Mines and Petroleum (DMP) inspectors carried out a site investigation.

It is the second death at the iron ore mine in less than five months.

The DMP also issued special directions ensuring that Fortescue tightens safety procedures at all of its operations, including lock out/tag out procedures, ahead of a safety audit.

Fortescue said the heavy vehicle workshop was "released" by the coroner and DMP safety inspectors on Thursday, and will now be brought back into service.

The company is now reviewing safety isolation and lock out/tag out procedures.

DMP Director General Richard Sellers said the department was conducting a thorough investigation into the Christmas Creek death and Fortescue was assisting inspectors with investigations.

Another worker who suffered leg and hand injuries in the incident has been released from Royal Perth Hospital.

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NSW posts big reduction in road deaths

NSW police say fewer people have died on the roads in 2013 compared with any year since 1924. Source: AAP

NSW in 2013 recorded its lowest road toll for 89 years, but police are warning drivers not to become complacent.

And fewer people died on the state's roads over the holiday period than in previous years, with 10 fatalities throughout NSW Police's Operation Safe Arrival period from December 20 to January 2.

The toll is seven down on the same period in 2012-2013 when 17 people died in 15 crashes.

The Operation Safe Arrival period is separate from the Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Board's national road toll period, which started at midnight on December 23 and ends at midnight on January 3.

NSW police carried out 571,664 breath tests and issued 960 drink-driving charges during Operation Safe Arrival.

NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Catherine Burn said despite the road toll reduction, there was still unacceptable loss of life on NSW roads.

"We can't become complacent because we have seen a massive reduction in road injury and road death," she told reporters on Friday.

"It really is now the crucial time for us to focus on keeping this road toll as low as we possibly can."

The overall road toll for 2013 of 339 is the lowest since 1924, Ms Burn said.

About 11,540 speeding infringements were also detected over the Christmas-new year period - about 400 more than the same period in 2012.

Assistant Commissioner John Hartley, of the NSW Traffic and Highway Patrol, said the highway patrol had resources on every highway and backstreet in NSW.

While the traffic blitz might be over, police are expecting heavy traffic over the weekend as people return home from holidays.

"Certainly tomorrow will be the day it is change over for accommodation down the coast in NSW," Mr Hartley said.

"So it will be very busy coming out of the city tomorrow and coming in.

He said while the operation in name has stopped, "all the resources are still out there to make sure people get the message".

NSW Police Minister Michael Gallacher said there was no excuse for people not heeding the message from police about speeding and drink driving.

"Quite simply when you see these statistics you really wonder why is it that people are not heeding the message during a period of double demerit points in particular ..." he said.

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Bondi shooting victim in Brothers 4 Life

A MAN found on the streets of Bondi with a gunshot wound in his shoulder has been linked to the Brothers 4 Life gang.

The 31-year-old is also believed to have been on a boat at Rose Bay in Sydney's eastern suburbs on New Year's Day when it was shot at from the shore, police say.

Peppered with bullets, the boat left the wharf but was stopped by police a short time later and towed to Balmain.

The boat, the OSCAR II, is a 105-foot luxury motor yacht available for hire for more than $2000 an hour, Fairfax Media reported on Thursday.

Less than two hours after the shooting, a 31-year-old was discovered at Lamrock Avenue opposite Bondi Beach with a gunshot wound to his shoulder.

The man is believed to be a member of the Brothers 4 Life gang, which is linked to recent shootings throughout Sydney.

A witness said he spoke to the injured man before police arrived.

"We just walked past and this guy's just said, 'Man, I've been shot in the back,' and these coppers just showed up and they've taken over the scene," the man told Fairfax Media.

Emergency services took him to St Vincent's Hospital, from where he has since discharged himself, police say.

It is understood he is not co-operating with police.

Residents of Sydney's west and southwest witnessed gang violence this year as feuds between Brothers 4 Life members erupted in shootings.

The group was founded by Bassam Hamzy, who was jailed in 1998 for the murder of Kris Toumazis outside the Mr Goodbar nightclub in Sydney's inner-city suburb of Darlinghurst.

He has had his jail time increased after orchestrating kidnappings and assaults and running a drug ring from within prison.

A man believed to be his cousin was shot dead in Revesby last year and another man, Omar Ajaj, suffered multiple bullet wounds in the attack.

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Vic saved from scorching heat

Southerly winds are protecting Victoria from a blast of desert heat that's baking other states. Source: AAP

VICTORIANS could be putting on jackets and dodging rain clouds while some parts of the country sweat through record-breaking temperatures.

Weather bureau senior forecaster Terry Ryan says Victoria won't be hit by the blast of hot desert heat that's struck elsewhere.

"We're protected by this generally southwest to southerly air flow," he said on Thursday.

"We've got nothing here that's very hot at all."

Melbourne only reached a high of 20C by midday on Thursday with temperatures forecast to stay between a low of 12C and a high of 24C during the next five to six days.

Even in the far north, Mildura reached the state's highest temperature of 25.5C at 1pm (AEDT).

The town isn't forecast to break above 30C until Wednesday.

A band of rain has also been crossing the state as the remnants of ex-Tropical Cyclone Christine is picked up by southerly winds.

Scattered showers are forecast in Melbourne over the next five days.

Victoria's fire danger ratings have also dropped to low across northern parts of the state.

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Small business to take tax-break hit

The government is dumping an asset write-off for small businesses that was linked to the mining tax. Source: AAP

THE federal government is setting a "tax trap" for small business by drastically reducing a tax break before legislation for it has passed, the opposition claims.

Small Business Minister Bruce Billson's office has confirmed that the $6500 instant asset write-off introduced by the former Labor government will end from January 1.

Instead, businesses will be able to get instant tax break for assets worth up to only $1000.

The tax break was linked to the mining tax.

Its formal dumping is contained in the mining tax repeal bill, currently stuck in the Senate, but legislation for tax measures can be applied retrospectively.

Acting opposition leader Penny Wong said it was a "tax trap for 2.7 million Australian small businesses and sole traders".

Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen said it was highly unusual for a government to make tax such changes and not publicise them.

"Have we seen any information campaign for small business saying listen, if you want to make an investment you'd better make it now because your tax write-off ends on 1 January? No," he told reporters in Sydney on Tuesday.

"I don't think they're very proud of this change."

Dropping the level of the instant asset write-off was part of the coalition's election commitments.

Information on the Australian Taxation Office's website, dated December 18, says the change is "expected to come into effect" on January 1.

Business representatives - the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Australian Industry Group - have told the government that they'd like to see the asset write-off funded in the next federal budget.

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Private sector credit growing modestly

Credit growth was moderate in November as consumers and business are wary about taking on more debt. Source: AAP

CREDIT growth was moderate in November as consumers and business are still wary about taking on more debt.

The amount of private sector credit issued by banks and other lenders was up 0.3 per cent in November, after rising by the same about in October, seasonally adjusted data from the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) shows.

Over the 12 months to November, total credit rose 3.8 per cent.

Commonwealth Bank senior economist Michael Workman said record low interest rates are not having the desired affect on spending.

"It's not just about interest rate levels. In our view, moderate credit growth indicates that consumers and businesses remain cautious about increasing leverage because of uncertainty over job security and profitability," he said.

"To be fair, the consumer and business (confidence) surveys are gradually improving. Better news on jobs and the growth outlook are required."

Housing credit went up 0.5 per cent in November, and rose 5.1 per cent over the year to November.

Mr Workman said firm growth in home lending is being offset by relatively high repayment rates.

"Mortgage payers have been reluctant to reduce their repayments in line with lower mortgage rates over the past two years," he said.

"Some recent RBA research has indicated that households appear to have used about two thirds of the savings from lower interest rates to repay debt.

"In some respects it negates the effectiveness of monetary policy. While housing lending has responded to lower interest rates, some of the more interest rate sensitive areas of the economy, like non-mining business investment, remain subdued."

Business credit decreased 0.1 per cent in November, after a 0.1 per cent rise in October, and over the year to November it was up 1.9 per cent.

Other personal credit was unchanged in November, after decreasing 0.1 per cent the month before and rose 0.8 per cent in the 12 months to November.

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All set for party of the year

Australia's skies are set to explode with colour this New Year's Eve, the biggest party of the year. Source: AAP

AUSTRALIANS are preparing to celebrate the biggest party of the year, with the skies above the nation's capital cities expected to explode with colour on New Year's Eve.

At the country's drawcard event in Sydney, seven tonnes of fireworks will light up the sky on Tuesday in the form of 11,000 aerial shells and 25,000 shooting comets launched from seven barges spread across six kilometres of Sydney Harbour.

For the first time in a decade, 1000 fireworks will also be shot from the top of the Opera House, as well as from the Harbour Bridge and jet skis stationed in the harbour.

Organisers expect die-hard revellers to start arriving at the iconic new year's locale between 5am and 6am, Sydney New Year's Eve producer Aneurin Coffey said.

"They are the really die-hard fans that get there early and then another group come about 8am," he told AAP.

Keen boaties won't be taking any chances, with more than 2000 vessels expected to vie for an ideal spot from about 10am, he said.

Sydneysiders will share the new year with more than 2,500 police officers expected to be deployed in the city on the night.

Victorians will ring in the new year with a fireworks show promised to be seen from anywhere that has a view of the city skyline.

More than 500,000 revellers are expected to pack the city centre, with 7.5 tonnes of fireworks to be launched from 22 locations, including city rooftops, by a team of 44 pyrotechnists.

Brisbanites will see the state's largest fireworks show yet to welcome the new year.

The skies above the river city will be lit up with five tonnes of fireworks, or 30,000 pyrotechnic effects, fired from three barges and three city rooftops at 8.30pm and midnight.

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

Fireworks will explode over the docks at 9.30pm and midnight as foodies gorge themselves.

More than 70,000 revellers are expected at South Bank Parklands, Kangaroo Point, the Botanic Gardens and Eagle St Pier.

SA will beat the new year's drum with some live music in Adelaide's Elder Park, where local bands will provide the entertainment on top of fireworks.

Western Australia will largely leave its patch of sky alone on the night, with Perth saving up its pyrotechnics display for Australia Day.

But for those not keen to cross the country for Sydney's spectacular display, there are still a few places to ring in 2014 with a bang, including Rockingham and the Shelley foreshore.

A key draw promises to be the headline act for the Salt on the Beach NYE party at North Fremantle, New York hip-hop trio De La Soul.

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NSW workers comp changes for 2014

INJURED workers and children attending childcare will be among the winners and losers at the start of 2014, as new laws kick in across NSW.

Among the raft of new legislation to come into effect on January 1 are controversial changes to workers compensation introduced by the O'Farrell government to rein in a $4 billion budget blowout.

Up to 20,000 injured workers across the state who need ongoing medical treatment will lose out in 2014 due to the changes, the Law Society of NSW says.

"For example a worker with an amputation injury who has, up until now, been having their artificial limbs replaced by the insurer will now lose this entitlement," President John Dobson said.

Meanwhile kids will no longer be able to enrol into a childcare facility unless their parent or guardian provides an immunisation record.

Parents or guardians reluctant to vaccinate on religious or other grounds or due to medical conditions will also have to produce documentation.

"No longer will it be at the discretion of child care operators to accept or deny children who aren't immunised," Health Minister Jillian Skinner said in a statement.

"By law these operators will be unable to do so and should they do so they can be fined."

People looking to swap the city for the country air will be some of the winners in the new year with a number of grants rolling out.

From Wednesday a move to regional NSW for full-time employment will see eligible people pocket $10,000.

An existing $7000 grant to city homeowners purchasing properties in regional areas will be extended to include long-term renters in metropolitan Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong who make the country change from January 1.

"This is about attracting much-needed skills to our regions and developing sustainable and more vibrant regional communities," Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner said.

Meanwhile the tax free threshold for land tax will increase from $406,000 to $412,000.

For those into combat sports, such as boxing, cage fighting and Ultimate Fighting, stronger health and safety requirements will come into effect, including that combatants comply with protective clothing or equipment.

The NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal will also commence in 2014.

The tribunal is billed as a one-stop shop for 22 state tribunals, which the government says "will improve their quality, consistency and transparency".

"NCAT enables these services to exist as a network, rather than in isolation, which will improve their quality, consistency and transparency," acting Justice Minister Michael Gallacher said in a statement.

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