BHP cuts Downer contract, jobs at risk

Downer EDI has had a Queensland coal mining contract worth $360 million cancelled by BHP Billiton. Source: AAP

MORE than 400 people are expected to lose their jobs after BHP Billiton tore up a $360 million mining services contract with Downer EDI.

BHP cancelled the contract two years early at the Goonyella Riverside coal mine in central Queensland, amid persistent weak global coal prices.

Downer employs 427 people at the BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) site for pre-stripping - the removal of unwanted material before mining.

Both Australia's coal and mining services industries are under siege with thousands of jobs axed in the past two years and miners cutting investment and operating costs that soared during the boom.

The big miners were squeezing the services industries dependent on them to such an extent that mining services senior executives were contacting the union for help, Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union vice-president Chris Brodsky said.

"The contracting companies are ringing out of the blue, saying: what can you do, how do we try and combat what these giant multinational companies are doing to us, forcing us out of business?" he told AAP.

"That's how bad it is, ordinarily they would steer clear of us."

Downer EDI would not rule the job losses in or out, with a spokesman saying it was too early to say as the contract was only terminated on Tuesday night.

Mr Brodsky said he doubted many workers would keep their jobs.

"I can't see Downer having any other work for them ... I could be wrong but work is pretty scarce out there at the moment," he said.

Downer estimated the termination would reduce its work-in-hand by $160 million in the 2014/15 financial year and by $200 million in 2015/16.

Its shares plunged to their lowest level for 2014, down 59 cents, or 11.15 per cent, to $4.70.

Downer will be entitled to compensation for the contract ending in September this year, instead of June 2016.

BHP coal president Dean Dalla Valle said the action was necessary and flagged more cost cutting to ensure the viability of its coal business.

"The coal industry is undergoing a difficult transition and to be globally competitive we have to reset the cost base of the business," he said.

Mr Brodsky rejected the suggestion workers were over-paid and blamed large miners such as BHP for the weak coal prices because they had flooded the market to squeeze out competition.

"We worked with Downer over the last month to reduce costs and keep people employed but it still wasn't enough for BMA," he said.

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Privacy concerns over Kings Cross scanners

EARLY lock-outs, 3am last drinks, year-long bans from party spots and now ID scanners.

While the NSW government and police are praising the early success of measures to curb alcohol-related violence, civil libertarians fear it may have gone too far with the roll-out of data-storing identification scanners.

The scanners, which will weed out banned patrons at the club or pub door, will be operational from 9pm on Friday in 35 high-risk venues in Kings Cross.

High-risk venues are those trading past midnight with more than a 120-person capacity.

The database will store the names of people subject to Kings Cross bans, either 12 months or 48 hours.

The technology will also store the birth date, name, photograph and address of every ID scanned for 30 days.

Police say it will aid in investigating crime but the NSW Council for Civil Liberties sees it as an invasion of privacy.

President Stephen Blanks believes the measures to tackle alcohol and drug-fuelled violence don't need bolstering.

"Keeping people's ID details is not going to reduce the amount of violence," he told AAP.

"But it's going to compromise people's ID security and expose people to significant risk of ID fraud."

The NSW government says the database will be encrypted and venues can't access the data and are only alerted if a banned person tries to enter.

Police must have a good reason to search it, Assistant Commissioner Mark Murdoch said.

"They need to have sufficient reason to interrogate the database, the database is auditable and the information only stays there for 30 days," he said.

But Mr Blanks says even eBay, which had its users' accounts hacked recently, found that despite all the security measures data bases were vulnerable.

"There is no reason to think this database is not going to be vulnerable to improper access or inappropriate access," Mr Blanks said.

Either by police or criminal networks, he added.

But licensee of Kings Cross venue The Bourbon, Adam Gainsford, says the scanners will help keep "idiots" out.

It has been four months since 1.30am lock-outs and 3am last drinks came into play and police are pleased with the drop in assault rates.

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Calls for floor price on cigarettes

AN independent senator is pushing for a minimum floor price on cigarettes to counter a tobacco giant's "cynical" move to sell discounted packets.

British American Tobacco Australia has launched what it claims is the cheapest legal packet of cigarettes on the market at $13 for a 25-pack.

It is blaming federal government policy for the move, saying it's simply seeking to remain competitive as sales of cut-price cigarettes soar.

Senator Nick Xenophon has accused the tobacco giant of circumventing laws to discourage people from smoking.

He plans to introduce a resolution in the upper house next week to seek a minimum floor price for all cigarettes sold in Australia.

"We need to outsmart big tobacco in terms of what they've done with this price-discounting and loss-leading campaign," he told ABC TV on Monday.

Senator Xenophon will consult with public health experts on the most effective disincentive price but wants to see a minimum of $20 for a 25-pack.

It was the best option to combat a "deeply cynical" campaign aimed at boosting the ranks of younger smokers, he said.

Senator Xenophon also dismissed "exaggerated" industry claims that plain packaging laws and large excises were driving up black market sales.

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Public comment sought on WA shark cull

ALMOST 1000 sharks could be caught in the next three years if the West Australian government's controversial shark kill policy continues, but less than 25 are predicted to be great whites.

The state government opened its public environmental review (PER) on Monday as part of the Environmental Protection Authority's (EPA) assessment process, and is seeking public feedback.

A proposed extension of the program would see baited drumlines set one kilometre off some beaches between November and April for three years, targeting great white, tiger and bull sharks longer than three metres.

The PER predicts about 900 tiger sharks, 25 great white sharks and only a few bull sharks will be caught over the next three years.

It said capturing that many tiger sharks could possibly "generate a minor consequence" to that species' population, but described it as a "low risk".

With less than 10 great whites expected to be caught each year, there was only a "remote likelihood" the cull would affect the size or migratory patterns of the south-western Australian population, the review said.

With only a few bull sharks expected to be caught each year, the review says there is a "high likelihood" the proposal will have no impact on its population.

A negligible risk is also expected for dusky sharks and protected or listed animals such as grey nurse sharks, shortfin mako sharks, dolphins, sea birds, seals, sea lions, manta rays and turtles.

Greens MLC Lynn MacLaren urged the community to comment on whether the shark cull was viable.

"Drum lines are an overpriced, anti-conservation policy that conflicts with the values and beliefs of modern-day Australians," she said.

State government officials recently attended a shark conference in Durban and reported the views of culling supporters, who were in the minority, Ms MacLaren said.

"Perhaps if these officials attended the conference with a more open mind, they would have noted overwhelming advice from scientists the world over who practise modern sustainable alternatives that don't cull an apex predator," she said.

Last summer, more than 170 sharks were caught on baited drumlines and 50 were killed, none of which was a great white.

The public consultation period runs until July 7.

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Woman critical after Sydney bus hit

A WOMAN is in critical condition in hospital after being hit by a bus in central Sydney.

The woman, aged in her 30s, was crossing George Street when she was hit and has been taken to the nearby St Vincents Hospital in a with severe injuries.

"She's currently undergoing surgery," police said.

Police weren't able to say what her injuries were or whether she had crossed against the lights.

No one else was injured but one northbound lane of George Street has been closed as forensic specialists investigate.

"A city bus had a smashed windscreen and light at the front and the pavement has been cordoned off," an AAP reporter at the scene said.

Earlier on Sunday police expressed fears safety warnings aren't sinking in, after a second death on the state's roads this holiday weekend.

A 21-year-old driving through Binnaway, veered onto the wrong side of the road on Sunday before crashing and being thrown from the car.

It's believed the young man, who died at the scene wasn't wearing a seatbelt.

A teenage girl died and her four friends were injured when their four-wheel-drive car left the trail through Lowes Mount State Forest near Oberon, in NSW's central west, and rolled just after midnight on Saturday.

"Two people have now lost their lives on the state's roads this long weekend, which is two too many," Acting Assistant Commissioner Smith said on Sunday.

"Today's fatality was a tragedy.

He said it was disappointing so many people were still speeding, with more than 2100 speed infringement notices handed out so far this holiday period.

He urged drivers to remaining vigilant, drive to the conditions, take rest breaks, stay away from alcohol or drugs and the distractions by mobile devices.

"These steps could easily save a life," he said.

Major roads in the CBD will be closed on Sunday night as part of Sydney's Vivid festival.

"Anyone attending (Sunday)'s event should leave the car at home and catch one of the extra 3500 trains and buses operating," the Transport Management Centre said.

"All roads are expected to be reopened by midnight."

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GM makes more recalls: air bags, chimes

GENERAL Motors Friday issued another four recalls, this time for air bag and warning chime problems in about 89,000 models from 2012 to 2015.

It was the latest of dozens of recalls this year that covered at least 15.9 million cars worldwide, mostly for ignition switch problems linked to numerous fatal accidents. The problem cars reached back to 2001 models.

This time, GM said there were no known fatalities, and only one crash with an injury related to the problems.

The recall affects 57,512 Silverados, Sierras, Tahoes, Suburbans and Yukons from 2014-2015; 31,520 Buick Veranos and Chevrolet Camaros, Cruzes and Sonics from 2012; and a handful of Chevrolet Sparks, Buick Encores and Corvettes from 2013-2014.

In the largest of Friday's recalls, the problem was with the warning chime which failed to alert the driver to an open door or unbuckled seat belt. The other recalled cars have defects that prevent airbags deploying properly or totally disabling them.

On Thursday, GM felt the consequences after months of debacle.

Fifteen employees were sacked or left the company over their actions regarding a safety flaw in ignition switches.

The problem has been linked to at least 13 deaths, including many cases in which the ignition switch failure kept airbags from deploying in collisions.

The dismissals followed an internal investigation of the deadly flaw, but new chief executive Mary Barra was cleared of wrongdoing.

The switch was present in about 2.6 million smaller cars produced during the last decade, most prominently the Chevrolet Cobalts.

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PM wants Monash to be household name

VILLERS-BRETONNEUX, France, June 7 AAP - The efforts of Australian General John Monash on the Western Front in World War I should be as widely recognised as the story of Simpson and his donkey at Gallipoli, Prime Minister Tony Abbott says.

Mr Abbott revealed on Saturday a new memorial centre to be built in France would be named in honour of the Australian military leader, who is regarded as one of the great tacticians of World War I.

After joining world leaders at D-Day commemorations in Normandy on Friday, Mr Abbott turned his attention to the the First World War as he visited the Australian National Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux for the first time.

While not as famous as the Gallipoli campaign, the efforts of Australian diggers to stop German forces on the Western Front were critical to the outcome of the war.

Of the 295,000 Australians who fought there between 1916 and 1918, 46,000 never made it home and the prime minister is leading a push he believes will help improve a sense of national identity.

"No place on earth has been more densely sown with Australian sacrifice than these fields in France," Mr Abbott said.

"Australians should be as familiar with the story of the Western Front as we are with Gallipoli.

"Australians should be at least as familiar with the achievements of Monash as we are with the heroism of John Simpson Kirkpatrick (in Gallipoli)."

Sir John Monash was involved in the failed Gallipoli campaign but used his experiences to lead several significant battlefield victories, including the decisive Battle of Amiens.

Mr Abbott said he brought organisation and technology to the battlefield to "break the stalemate of trench warfare".

Attendances at the annual Anzac Day dawn service at Villers-Bretonneux have grown steadily in recent years, with the crowd this year surpassing that at Gallipoli.

Some predict it will become the nation's clear focal point of Anzac Day commemorations beyond next year's centenary in Gallipoli.

"Australians should congregate here, every April 25th, no less than at Anzac Cove," Mr Abbott said.

"And on Anzac Day four years hence, the centenary of the Battle of Villers-Bretonneux, I'm sure they will."

Mr Abbott said it was expected the new "interpretive centre", to be built behind the Australian memorial, would open in 2018 to coincide with 100th anniversary commemorations.

The "Sir John Monash" centre will help to better explain Australia's role in the final victories of World War I and the government will put up $6.9 million for the initial planning.

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One dead, one hurt in SA speed boat crash

ONE person is dead and another has been rushed to hospital after a speedboat crashed on the Murray River in South Australia.

SA Police say Saturday afternoon's accident occurred during a competitive event.

"There were two victims, one is sadly deceased," an SA police spokesman said.

"The other has got some serious burns and has been flown to the Royal Adelaide Hospital."

The Adelaide Advertiser reported the victims were both male, but SA Police were unable to provide further details.

"It was a sad tragic way of ending the day's competition there," the police spokesman said.

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No foul play in Qld creek death: police

DETECTIVES have ruled out foul play in the death of a man whose body was found in a Sunshine Coast creek.

Michael Gent's body was found by Queensland State Emergency Service volunteers at the bottom of a four-metre bank at Nambour last Sunday.

The 36-year-old was last seen at a nearby park on May 28, the same day he was reported missing.

Investigators have said there were no obvious signs of injury.

Police said in a statement on Friday that Mr Gent's death is not being treated as suspicious and has been reported to the coroner.

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Govt looks abroad for navy upgrades

THE federal government will turn to Spain or South Korea to build navy refuelling ships after a poor performance by Australian shipbuilders constructing new air warfare destroyers.

Defence Minister David Johnston has announced the tender process for the urgently needed replacements for HMAS Success and HMAS Sirius - but local shipbuilders won't be able to bid.

Instead, the battle will be between Spain's Navantia and South Korea's Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering.

Senator Johnston says the low productivity of domestic shipbuilders in the troubled air warfare destroyers (AWD) program means the government has to look elsewhere to get value for money.

"No responsible government could consider providing further work to an industry that is performing so poorly," Senator Johnston said on Friday.

"This is not a blank cheque."

The opposition concedes the AWD program has faced problems but claims paying foreign companies to build the replenishment vessels jeopardises the Australian industry.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten accused the government of selling out the future of Australian jobs.

"There are thousands of shipbuilding jobs which have now got a question mark over their future," Mr Shorten told reporters in Melbourne.

Senator Johnston said decisions about replacing navy ships should have been made by Labor years ago, in order to avoid the domestic industry "valley of death" - the gap between current and future projects when workers are laid off.

When asked if Labor should have replaced the supply ships, Mr Shorten accused the Abbott government of playing the blame game.

"If Labor was in power now we would be building these ships in Australia," Mr Shorten said.

Opposition assistant defence spokesman Andrew Feeney denied the government has to look elsewhere for value.

"There has been challenges with that (AWD) program from the beginning," he said.

"The point is those destroyers are being delivered, as far as we know, within the overall fiscal envelope.

"Those destroyers cannot be used as a justification for killing the industry."

The government has warned the refuelling ships may not be the only projects to go overseas if local shipbuilders don't lift their game.

They have a chance to improve performance when they build eight ships to replace the navy's existing Australian-made Anzac frigates next decade for which the government has pledged $78.2 million for preliminary work.

Unions were quick to condemn the refuelling vessel decision, accusing the government of showing a lack of vision.

"Offshoring is an insidious move that undercuts the works of Australian shipbuilders," AMWU national assistant secretary Glenn Thompson said in statement.

However, Mr Thompson was pleased that 20 new patrol boats would be built on home soil, which would lift the confidence in shipyards.

"If the government is aiming to create a shipbuilding industry that's up to international benchmark standard, ensuring there is work is a good first step," he said.

The $8.5 billion AWD project is now running almost two years late and costing $360 million more than planned, with shipbuilders performing well below international standards.

Prime contractor, the government-owned ASC, says it's committed to demonstrating the Future Frigate program can be executed to the quality and cost customers expect.

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