Cooking fire claims Qld toddler's life

A TODDLER has died in a house fire west of Brisbane after his 15-year-old aunt accidentally started the blaze during a cooking mishap while babysitting.

The single-storey house in Toowoomba was well alight when emergency services arrived on Thursday about 6pm (AEST).

Firefighters searched the burning house and found a two-year-old boy's body.

Two other boys and two girls aged between seven and 15 were taken to Toowoomba Hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.

It's been widely reported a 15-year-old girl was babysitting her siblings and nephew and had left cooking oil unattended on the stove, which caught alight.

She attempted to put it out with water, which only exacerbated the problem.

Detective acting Senior Sergeant Scott Stahlhut did not dispute the cause when it was put to him by reporters, but was reluctant to confirm or elaborate.

"Police are preparing a report now which will be provided to the coroner," Sen-Sgt Stahlhut told reporters on the scene.

"Full details of how this terrible event unfolded will be made known in that report, so I can't comment at this stage (about) what's transpired."

Neighbours tried to rescue the toddler, but the blaze, which had entirely engulfed the house within minutes, was too strong.

"A girl came out saying her nephew was still inside and as I went to break through the window to see if I could try to rescue him, I just thought 'nah', because the smoke was too big," neighbour Terrance Mann told reporters.

"At that moment we realised there was just nothing we could have done."

Police also wouldn't confirm the children were left at home unsupervised.

Fire investigators remain at the scene on Friday.

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NT alumina refinery curtails production

PACIFIC Aluminium has told staff that it's considering curtailing production at its alumina refinery at Gove, throwing into question the future of the neighbouring town of Nhulunbuy.

The Northern Territory's Chief Minister Adam Giles on Friday said he was disappointed the company has "chosen to scare its employees by discussing curtailment of its Gove refinery before all its options have been exhausted and a final decision has been made".

Nhulunbuy, a town of about 4000 people, is facing major unemployment if the diesel-run alumina refinery is forced to close due to high operating costs and the low price of alumina.

Pacific Aluminium is a subsidiary of Rio Tinto.

In February, former Country Liberal Party chief minister Terry Mills announced a deal to keep the refinery open by releasing 300 petajoules of gas to help it with running costs.

But in July, Mr Giles said the deal had never been signed and instead made a series of offers, first for 195 PJ, then for 175 PJ, and now says there's an additional 30 PJ available from a potential mobile gas facility from 2015.

The offer is contingent on the refinery remaining open for 20 years.

"I implore the company to thoroughly consider all the options that have been presented to them as quickly as possible," Mr Giles said.

"(We) want the residents of Gove to know the Territory government and a range of companies have been doing all they can to source gas to meet Rio Tinto's energy needs."

The new coalition government has also confirmed it's willing to underwrite the funding for the building of a pipeline from Katherine to Gove.

But Mr Giles said Rio Tinto executives have admitted their issues with the refinery weren't about the terms of the gas offer but the scale of financial losses over the past five years, which the company had failed to correct.

"Rio Tinto should leave no stone unturned in its search to find a solution to Gove's energy needs," Mr Giles said.

Labor's Member for Nhulunbuy Lynne Walker accused the NT government of letting the fate of the town hang in the balance.

"Uncertainty created by Mr Giles has plunged our community into crisis, is threatening the livelihoods of Territorians and the economic viability of our region, yet the man still refuses to have the decency to come and explain his actions to our community and provide details," she said.

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Pressure on new minister from Qld graziers

Federal Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce says he plans to mend trade ties with Indonesia. Source: AAP

AS summer looms, drought-stricken Queensland graziers and farmers are hoping Tony Abbott's government will help pull them out of strife.

Charles Burke, CEO of the state's peak rural body Agforce, says graziers in the north, northwest and southwest have been struck by a "perfect storm".

"I can't say that the drought is any worse than any other year," he told AAP from the annual Agforce conference in Townsville on Thursday.

"But many factors have exacerbated the problem: a high Australian dollar, we had fires in northwest of the state last November and no rain in those areas since.

"We've got legacy impacts from the live cattle export ban, so we've had more cattle queued up than we normally would have.

"It's just been a perfect storm as far as a drought goes."

The Queensland Government extended the drought area this week to include 60 per cent of the state.

Mr Burke hopes new Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce will boost growth in the industry, mend ties with Indonesia, develop trade with other countries and offer more support to struggling graziers and farmers.

"There are some assistance measures under the state government but we now need the federal government to start considering more support measures," he said.

"Rural Queenslanders are financially, physically and emotionally stressed."

Graziers say a temporary live cattle ban in 2011, brought on by claims animals were being mistreated, has crippled the cattle industry.

Although the export ban was lifted later in 2011, Indonesia reduced its import quota from 660,000 head of cattle to 260,000 per year.

In his first public address since becoming minister, Mr Joyce told those at the Agforce conference that he plans to mend the relationship between the two countries in an attempt to boost the market.

His list of "critical tasks" also includes plans to finalise Free Trade Agreements with trade partners including Korea, China and Japan.

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Abbott gets to work on stopping the boats

THE Abbott government insists it will honour its election promise to stop asylum seekers arriving by boat despite Indonesian opposition to its controversial plan to turn back vessels.

Mr Abbott says the coalition "absolutely, totally" respects Indonesia's sovereignty despite comments by Indonesian MP Tantowi Yahya that the turn-back policy is "offensive", "illegal" and could jeopardise good relations between the countries.

"I have no argument with anyone in the Indonesian establishment or parliament," Mr Abbott said in Sydney on Thursday.

"My argument is with people smugglers and my point to the people smugglers is 'the game is up'."

Mr Abbott said he is confident his coalition government will be able to work effectively with Indonesia, as former coalition governments had done.

Not everyone in Indonesia feels the same.

"The policy which is going to be implemented by Mr Abbott clearly ... annoys our sovereignty as independent country," Mr Yahya told ABC television.

And Indonesia's Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said last week that Jakarta was opposed to Mr Abbott's plan to turn boats around - as well as his proposal to buy Indonesian fishing boats to stop them falling into the hands of people smugglers.

Labor MP Matt Thistlethwaite says Mr Yahya's comments accurately reflect the Indonesian government's position on Mr Abbott's policy.

"This is quickly turning into a diplomatic disaster for the new government," Mr Thislethwaite said.

But Australian National University foreign policy specialist Andrew Carr says the Indonesian MP's remarks may really be aimed at a domestic audience.

"This is an issue that does have some resonance with the Indonesian population," Dr Carr told AAP.

"Traditionally, that has not been as much a factor in (Australia's) international relations with Indonesia and I don't think it will be a major factor here."

Mr Abbott will use his first international trip as prime minister to visit Jakarta to hold bilateral talks with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on September 30. Trade and people smuggling are expected to be at the top of the agenda.

Mr Abbott repeatedly said during the recent federal election campaign he wanted his first international visit as prime minister to be to Indonesia and that his government would be focused on Asia.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief of Army Angus Campbell was formally tasked on Thursday with leading operations against asylum-seeker boats under Mr Abbott's Operation Sovereign Borders policy.

The former SAS commander will report directly to immigration minister Scott Morrison and coordinate the 16 departments and agencies that deal with refugee boats.

Mr Morrison met with Lieutenant General Campbell shortly after his appointment.

"The Australian people want that stopped and they have tasked this government to get that job done," Mr Morrison said in Canberra.

"We won't let them down."

Lieutenant General Campbell replied: "There's some work to do."

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Man dies after stabbing in Sydney fight

A MAN has died after being stabbed during an argument on a footpath at Doonside in western Sydney.

The man, aged in his early 30s, was taken to Westmead Hospital on Wednesday afternoon with stab wounds but later died, police say.

A crime scene has been established and local and homicide police are investigating.

No arrests have been made over the fatal attack.

The dead man is yet to be formally identified.

No further detail was available.

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Indi goes indy as McGowan trumps Mirabella

Independent candidate Cathy McGowan set out to run a community campaign in the seat of Indi. Source: AAP

GRASSROOTS independent Cathy McGowan says she will work across party lines to deliver for her community after she bumped former Liberal frontbencher Sophie Mirabella from parliament.

Ms Mirabella conceded defeat on Wednesday, handing the once safe Liberal seat of Indi to the independent.

"This election is over and the responsibility for the outcome is mine," Ms Mirabella, who was expected to be a minister in the Abbott government, said in a statement.

A feeling in the northern Victorian electorate that their views had not been adequately represented by Ms Mirabella apparently helped Ms McGowan win.

"Today is not just not about me or my story," Ms McGowan told orange-shirted supporters in Wangaratta.

"We have given the community of Indi ownership.

"We have given them a choice of who and how they are represented and, as a result, we now have 98,000 stories to hear."

Ms McGowan listed the local train service, health and broadband as her top priorities and said she has good relationships with all sides of politics.

She said one of her first priorities will be to join the long list of people knocking on Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull's door about the NBN.

Ms McGowan said she realises she won't be a kingmaker or queen bee given the state of parliament, but says she will deliver for her constituents.

"I will do my very best to be the very best member for Indi that we have ever had," she said.

"The rest of Australia is going to look upon what Indi does and say 'that is a good idea, I think we could try that'."

After 11 days of vote counting, Ms McGowan found herself nearly 400 votes ahead on Wednesday morning with only about 500 to be counted.

Ms Mirabella telephoned Ms McGowan to concede defeat before emailing a statement to media organisations.

"Despite the closeness of the count, I have decided not to seek a recount," the statement said.

"I unreservedly accept the decision of the democratic process."

Ms McGowan's campaign sprung from a grassroots group called Voice 4 Indi and grew to national prominence when former independent MP Tony Windsor told a television program Ms Mirabella won the "nasty prize".

An army of 600 McGowan volunteers combined traditional on-the-ground campaigning with social media, aiming to make the seat marginal before realising Ms McGowan could win.

"This is not an end of a campaign, this is the beginning of being a community member of the Commonwealth Parliament of Australia and I'm so proud to be the member for Indi," Ms McGowan said.

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Regis doubles full year profit

REGIS Resources has more than doubled its full year profit due to a boost in gold sales and higher prices.

The gold miner made a net profit of $145.7 million in the year to June 30, up from $68.2 million in the previous year.

Gold sales more than doubled to 253 ounces, from 107 ounces during the same period in the previous year.

That helped to boost gold sales revenue to $416.1 million.

The average sale price increased to $1,599 per ounce, up from $1,574 per ounce.

However, the cash cost of production rose 10 per cent in the full year, due to cost increases at the company's Moolart Well operation in Western Australia.

Regis said the development of its Rosemont Gold project, also in WA, would be completed in the December quarter.

"Gold production will commence in the December 2013 quarter and is expected to contribute 48,000 to 53,000 ounces of production for the 2014 financial year as the operation is ramped up," the company said.

Meanwhile, Regis forecasts gold production at WA's Garden Well for 2014 to be between 190,000 to 210,000 ounces and Moolart Well is expected to produce between 95,000 and 105,000 ounces during the same period.

Regis declared a maiden dividend of 15 cents per share, fully franked.

Regis shares dropped 30 cents, or 7.5 per cent, to $3.70.

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Further rate cut possible, but not yet

The RBA has signalled that another rate cut is possible, but says it is not going to happen soon. Source: AAP

THE Reserve Bank is inclined to make another interest rate cut, but it doesn't look like it will happen soon.

"Members agreed that the Bank should neither close off the possibility of reducing rates further nor signal an imminent intention to reduce them," the RBA said in the minutes of its September 3 board meeting.

The central bank said June quarter economic growth was a little below trend, but housing market conditions were continuing to improve in more recent months in response to low lending rates.

The RBA last reduced the cash rate in August, by quarter of a percentage point, to a new record low of 2.5 per cent.

It said the historically low lending rates and the lower Australian dollar are continuing to provide a substantial degree of stimulus to the economy.

The RBA said this would help the Australian economy negotiate its transition away from being driven by investment in resources.

JP Morgan economist Ben Jarman said the RBA did not want to declare an end to its cycle of reducing the cash rate, but stopped short of saying there was scope to cut further.

"The minutes struggled to get very excited about the progress achieved so far," he said.

"Officials are not totally defeatist, and still are putting emphasis on monetary policy's long and variable lags."

The decision to cut the cash rate again will be dependent on future economic data and how far the Australian dollar will fall, Commonwealth Bank economist Diana Mousina said.

But she added that 2.5 per cent will be the low point for the cash rate in this easing cycle.

"On balance, the economy is progressing at a pace in line with the RBA's expectations. So a rate cut is not imminent," Ms Mousina said.

"We also suspect that policy makers would prefer to see any further easing in monetary conditions to come via a lower Aussie dollar."

The release of September quarter inflation figures on October 23 - two weeks before the RBA's Melbourne Cup day board meeting - is one of the key pieces of economic data to be released in the coming months.

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Endangered tamarins born in Adelaide

A PAIR of endangered golden lion tamarins have been born at the Adelaide Zoo.

Officials said the twins were born to parents Aurora and Rio on September 6 following the introduction of Aurora from Florida's Palm Beach Zoo in March.

She was introduced to help spread the genetic diversity of the captive population in the Australasian region.

Senior primate keeper Althea Guinsberg says mother and babies are doing well.

"Both babies are a good size and their positions holding onto mum and curled tails are a good sign that they are both healthy and strong," she said.

Golden lion tamarins are found along the coast of Brazil and are an endangered species due to deforestation and the illegal pet trade.

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Indie game development scene targets apps

GAME developers left out of work after some of Australia's biggest studios closed their doors have poured into the growing independent scene.

The unrelentingly high Australian dollar spelt the end of many developers over recent years including Team Bondi, which made the critically acclaimed L.A. Noire, THQ Australia, Pandemic Studios and more recently SEGA Studios Australia.

Sydney-based Leigh Harris - who started Flat Earth Games with his brother Rohan after leaving Grand Theft Auto developer Rockstar Games - said the big developers in Australia had all but vanished, prompting some talented folk to seek work overseas.

But others had embraced the freedoms - and the financial challenges - of independent development.

"Australia has been re-shaping its game development teams for the past four or five years now, away from the big AAA studios and those that were owned by overseas companies, and into indie, so now we have a fairly strong indie scene," Harris told AAP.

"There are a lot of cool start-ups, incubators and things like that that are pushing things along."

Harris said one of the saddest losses was the closure of KMM Interactive, which comprised the remnants of the L.A. Noire team, but a couple of mini studios were formed out of the wreckage.

"So there's, I suppose, a silver lining.

"We managed to get one of their designers and one of the programmers to help us out for a couple of weeks."

Flat Earth's small team can't yet afford to work on games full time, but that's the plan.

The small firm has spent the past two years developing an app-based resource management game called TownCraft in their spare time, so no-one has been paid a wage, but they plan to share the profits.

The Harris brothers agreed it was liberating working on a small project, without needing to jump through hoops to get signed-up by a video game publisher.

And they knew they were on the right track when all who beta-tested their game - which was inspired by city-building hits Caesar, Pharaoh and Settlers - became instantly addicted.

"That's when I knew we were doing OK ... I was playing and almost missed my train."

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