Sunscreen found to have toxic ingredients

ENVIRONMENTALISTS have called for an immediate ban on a chemical found in kids' sunscreens five years after concerns were first raised.

 
Research conducted in 2008 into anatase titanium dioxide found that the chemical's nanoparticles in sunscreen could react with sunlight to break down the coating of Colorbond roofs, Friends of the Earth said.
The study found that the nanoparticles increased the rate of sun damage to the roofs by 100 times, prompting worries about what it could do to human skin.

New research commissioned by the conservationist group has revealed six out of eight tested sunscreens still contain anatase titanium dioxide.

Friends of the Earth spokeswoman Louise Sales called for an immediate ban of the chemical in sunscreen.
"There are a lot of unknowns and there are no current studies looking at the impact of anatase titanium dioxide on the skin," Ms Sales told AAP.

Ms Sales it was "shocking" that there had been no government action on the use of the chemical in sunscreen, particularly those used by children, in five years.

She also said she felt Australia's sunscreen regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), had not kept up with the science.

"We believe a precautionary approach is best."

From July all sunscreens in Europe will be required to show labels listing all the nano-ingredients used in them, but there are no plans for such a move in Australia.

"There is currently no evidence to suggest that sunscreen products which incorporate nanotechnologies pose greater safety risks than other products," a spokeswoman for TGA said in a statement.

"The Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration has not identified any evidence that supports the proposed changes to labelling requirements in relation to nanoparticles."

news.com.au 6 Mar 2013

The pharmaceutical industry make huge profits from selling its garbage to unsuspecting consumers.

The products that contain carcinogenic chemicals should be withdrawn as soon as possible.

See corpau article:

Toxic carcinogen in sunscreen :- http://corpau.blogspot.com.au/2012/11/toxic-carcinogens-in-sunscreen.html

Processed meat responsible for one in 30 deaths: European study

MEALS containing too much processed meat such as bacon and sausages could send you to an early grave, a large-scale study has found. 
 
Analysis of the diets and medical history of almost half a million men and women linked processed meat to deaths from cancer and heart disease.

The Europe-wide research, including work by Oxbridge scientists, found that processed meat is to blame for about one in 30 deaths. The researchers suggested a limit of no more than 20g a day of processed meat – equal to one rasher of bacon.

The warning comes in the wake of the horsemeat scandal which has caused many consumers to question the origins of their food.

Processed meat, made by combining the leftover parts of animals which cannot be sold as good
cuts such as steaks and joints, contains high concentrations of fat, including artery-clogging cholesterol.

The researchers from ten European countries quizzed almost 450,000 people, many of them Britons, and tracked their health for an average of 13 years.

They said: '‘Men and women with a high consumption of processed meat are at increased risk of early death, particularly due to cardiovascular diseases but also cancer.’'

Some 26,344 of the participants died over the course of the study, with those who ate the biggest amounts of processed meat being 44 per cent more likely to have died than those who ate the lowest amounts.

The figures for heart disease were striking – those who ate the most processed meat, more than 160g or three sausages a day, were 72 per cent more likely to die of heart disease.

A study last year found that eating 50g of processed meat a day – the equivalent of one sausage or three rashers of bacon – raises the likelihood of cancer by a fifth.

But in the latest, much bigger study, those who ate the most processed meat were almost 50 per cent more likely to suffer an early death, with heart disease the overwhelming cause.

The study, published in the journal BMC Medicine, concluded that a limit of 20g a day of processed meat – equal to a rasher of bacon or one full English breakfast a week – would prevent about 20,000 early deaths in the UK each year.

Tracy Parker, a dietician at the British Heart Foundation, said: ‘With spring in the air, many of us may be looking forward to sunny barbecues. But this research suggests processed meat, such as sausages and burgers, may be linked to an increased risk of early death.

‘'However, the people who ate the most processed meat in this study also made other unhealthy lifestyle choices.

‘'They were found to eat less fruit and vegetables and were more likely to smoke, which may have had an impact on results.’'

Professor Karol Sikora, one of Britain’s leading cancer specialists and an unpaid member of the industry-backed Meat Advisory Panel, said the key to good health is a balanced diet.

He said: ‘'Don’t worry about having a bacon sandwich. It is not going to kill you. But don’t have four bacon sandwiches every day for your whole life.’'

The amount of white meat eaten, such as chicken, was not linked to death rates by the researchers, while small amounts of red meat appeared beneficial.

news.com.au 7 Mar 2013

Christopher ‘Badness' Binse proposes to girlfriend in court drama amid siege, robbery, theft and gun charges

CHRISTOPHER Dean Binse, aka "Badness", has starred in a dramatic day at court proposing to his girlfriend from the prison dock after a magistrate refused to hear his matter.

Binse had already been kicked out of the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court hearing three times before magistrate Michelle Ehrlich adjourned the matter until tomorrow, saying she could not control him.

 

As he was being led away by five prison guards Binse called out to his girlfriend, who was with two other women was supporting him in court, in what appeared to be another language.

“It means I love her. I just proposed … marriage,” he shouted at media inside the court.

Outside court the woman, who did not give her name, said she had accepted Binse’s proposal.

Binse is representing himself at a committal hearing after allegedly keeping police at bay in a 44-hour siege that gripped Melbourne last May.

It allegedly ended after police surrounding the house fired tear gas into the East Keilor home that forced him out.

As he stumbled outside, police fired beanbag rounds at Binse that brought him to the ground and enabled his arrest.

He is facing charges including making threats to kill, armed robbery, vehicle theft and being a prohibited person in charge of a firearm.

Among the charges was the armed robbery of an Armaguard van at Laverton in March when more than $200,000 was allegedly stolen.

Minutes after the hearing first started this morning Ms Ehrlich stood the matter down after Binse continued to shout out to the court.

He was ejected a further two times before Ms Ehrlich decided to adjourn the matter until tomorrow where Binse will be forced to appear via videolink.

During the hearing Binse accused police of “sabotage” over what he claimed to be missing evidence.
He also urged Ms Ehrlich not to “railroad” his attempt at justice.

“This is hard for me…this is your forte…I’m just trying to do the best I can,” he told her.
Binse said wanted the committal hearing to proceed for the “common good”.

“I’ve never worked with the state but I’m happy to do so now, for the community,” he said.
“I don’t want to hijack proceedings (but) this is in the public interest, believe me.

Binse attempted to give some documents to the media after saying he had been “gagged” by prison authorities, also said he wanted the court to understand his mental capacity at the time.

heraldsun.com.au 6 Mar 2013

What a joke  the Australian legal system really is, where it cannot handle a criminal to be brought to trial.

Could a real reason be that corrupt judges are being paid off, not to proceed, or even better, to give lenient sentences.

Judges work closely with criminals in handing out 'favourable' sentences in exchange for 'drug money'.

Microsoft fined $715m by European Union Commission for browser blunder

THE European Union Commission has fined Microsoft 561 million euros ($715 million) for failing to offer users a choice of internet browser. 

 
The penalty imposed by the EU's executive arm, the Commission, is a first for Brussels: no company has ever failed to keep its end of a bargain with EU authorities before.

In 2009, Microsoft struck a broad settlement with the Commission to resolve disputes over Microsoft's abuse of the dominance of Windows, which had spanned more than a decade.

The company agreed to pay 860 million euros and promised to give Windows users the option of choosing another browser rather than having Microsoft's Internet Explorer automatically installed on their machines.

But Microsoft failed to stick to the deal for some 15 million installations of Windows 7 in Europe from May 2011 until July 2012. The company admitted the failure last year, adding that it was an oversight.

The Commission's top regulator, Joaquin Almunia, said at a press conference in Brussels, Belgium, that the fine reflected the size of the violation and the length of time it went on. It was also intended to make an example of Microsoft and deter other companies from doing same thing.

"A failure to comply is a very serious infringement that must be sanctioned accordingly," he said.

Mr Almunia has advocated negotiated settlements since he took office in 2010, saying competition issues are best resolved quickly. He says slapping big fines on companies years after the fact does little to help consumers.

But he said the whole point of a settlement is undermined when companies then don't abide by its terms.
"They must do what they committed to do, or face the consequences," he said.

Mr Almunia conceded that the Commission had been "naive" in appointing Microsoft itself to oversee compliance with the agreement, and said the Commission won't allow that in the future.

For its part, Microsoft was apologetic.

"We take full responsibility for the technical error that caused this problem and have apologised for it," the company said in a statement. "We provided the Commission with a complete and candid assessment of the situation, and we have taken steps ... to help avoid this mistake - or anything similar - in the future."

The company is required to offer consumers a choice of browsers through 2014.

In all, Microsoft has now paid a grand total of 2.2 billion euros in fines to the Commission since 1998, when regulators opened their first investigation against the company. Some of those fines were for failing to obey the commission's orders, but this is the first time a company has admitted to breaking a promise made to the EU regulator.

The competitive landscape has changed greatly in recent years, however. Tech companies are now often more concerned about Google dominance in Internet search technology, Facebook's dominance in social networking, and Apple's dominance in mobile phones and software than Microsoft's Windows operating system, though it is still dominant on personal desktop computers.

Rival browsers such as Mozilla's Firefox and Google's Chrome have become popular, and software applications on mobile devices usually bypass browsers entirely.

In a sign of the times, Microsoft itself turned to the watchdog in 2012, asking it to investigate Google for anti-competitive practices.

news.com.au 6 Mar 2013

There is literally no such thing as a 'blunder' at this level when it comes to information technology.

Microsoft deliberately packaged in the web browser, and deliberately did not offer users the freedom of choice.

Microsoft deliberately ignored the ruling made by the commission. 

A company that is not to be trusted.

Ted Baillieu resigns as Victoria premier

TED Baillieu has sensationally quit as Victorian Premier as his embattled government was pushed close to collapse. 
 
A tearful Mr Baillieu announced that Major Projects Minister Denis Napthine would replace him after a day of turmoil caused by the shock decision of backbencher Geoff Shaw to quit the parliamentary party and move to the cross benches.

That decision means that the Coalition government could be ousted from office unless it can win Mr Shaw's support on key legislation, including the budget and any possible vote of no confidence.

Mr Baillieu said he had to go for the good of the party and that he would remain in parliament, killing Labor hopes of another by-election.

Dr Napthine is a former state Liberal leader who was ousted in a coup in 2002 before being given the chance to contest an election.

Mr Baillieu offered Dr Napthine, a factional ally, his full support.

"I will be staying on in parliament to support him," Mr Baillieu said. "He has my full support. He's an outstanding individual."

Ashen-faced senior ministers Louise Asher and David Davis left the party-room meeting with Mr Baillieu, who read from a statement and did not take questions.

Mr Baillieu resigned following a crisis meeting of Liberal MPs at parliament this evening called after MP Geoff Shaw quit the party, threatening the coalition's grip on power.

Mr Baillieu said a leadership change was in the best interests of the government.

"I love this state, I love the Liberal Party and I love this role that I have had the honour to enjoy over the last two and a bit years," Baillieu said.

"It is apparent to me that a change of leadership is in the best interests of the government."
Dr Napthine refused to explain why Mr Baillieu stood down.

"The explanation is that Mr Baillieu made a decision to step down as leader of the Liberal Party," he said.
"Mr Baillieu made his own decision to stand down.

"I will lead the party to the next election.

"Ted has put his heart and soul into the Victorian Liberal Party... for the best part of three decades," Dr Napthine added.

"He is not just a colleague, he is a great friend."

Dr Napthine, who turnd 61 today, said he had been proud to serve under the Baillieu government, which came to power at the state election in 2010.

"I look forward to providing strong, stable and positive government for the people of Victoria," he said.

Earlier today Mr Baillieu had declared he was "confident" the Coalition will continue to govern in Victoria, despite the shock resignation Mr Shaw threatening his hold on power.

Mr Shaw's decision to quit the Liberal Party and sit as an independent has plunged Mr Baillieu's government further into crisis, following growing pressure on his leadership.

Mr Shaw's resignation leaves the Liberal-National coalition with 44 seats in the 88-seat lower house and Labor 43, assuming it retains the safe seat of Lyndhurst at a by-election next month.

Mr Baillieu said the controversial former Liberal, who would sit on the crossbenches, gave the government a short resignation letter this morning but did not provide detailed reasons for his decision.

His resignation means the coalition will likely have to rely on his vote to get laws through the parliament.

Asked if Mr Shaw would support the government, Mr Baillieu said: “I understand he will be considering his position.”

Despite the uncertainty surrounding his government, Mr Baillieu emerged from a meeting of Liberal and National MPs today to declare his party would govern “decisively” and push its “strong agenda”.

“I am confident we will continue to govern,” he told reporters as he entered question time.

Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews said he would not actively pursue Mr Shaw's vote.

“How Mr Shaw votes is up to him,” Mr Andrews said.

“I don't think Mr Shaw will be offering his vote to anyone. I won't seek his vote and I will not seek to change the dynamic on the floor to seek his vote.

“That circus is run up in Canberra and I won't be doing it here.”

Mr Andrews said every Victorian was keen to see why Mr Shaw had effectively sacked Mr Baillieu and the Liberal Party.

“He is not so much running a government, he is running a complete and utter circus,” he said of Mr Baillieu.
“This government is doing nothing to deliver for the people of this state other than to lurch from one crisis to the next.”

Mr Shaw's resignation sparked a series of crisis talks in the parliament and heaped more pressure on the leadership of Mr Baillieu, following poor polling and the secret Liberal Party tapes issue.

Mr Shaw was expected later today to explain his resignation.

“Mr Shaw, the Member for Frankston, has resigned from the parliamentary Liberal Party,” the leader of the Liberal Party in the upper house, David Davis, told parliament.

Mr Davis, asked by the opposition whether the Baillieu government still existed, said matters of confidence would be dealt with in the lower house.

“I can state that the government is very much determined to press forward.”

Mr Davis said he was unaware of any undertaking by Mr Shaw to support the government, which until today controlled the lower house with a one-seat majority.

Mr Shaw failed to vote in the first division called following his resignation.

The government won the vote 43 to Labor's 42. Labor's numbers are currently down from 43 because of the decision of Labor's Tim Holding to quit politics, forcing a by-election in his seat of Lyndhurst on April 27.
Mr Baillieu said today's events would not change the party's decision not to run a candidate in the by-election.

Mr Andrews said a move to the cross benches would mean Mr Shaw has to OK everything the government wants to do.

“It would seem that very piece of legislation, everything this government wants to do, will now have to be the product of a negotiation with Geoff Shaw, and in that endeavour I wish Ted Baillieu luck. I think he'll need it,” Mr Andrews told Fairfax Radio.

Police late last year launched a criminal investigation into Mr Shaw after he was allegedly found to have rorted his taxpayer entitlements over the use of his parliamentary car.

In other controversies, Mr Shaw made lewd gestures at the opposition during a question time; likened legalising homosexuality to legalising child molestation, speed driving and murder; was involved in a roadside punch-up with a young motorist in 2011; was fined and put on a good behaviour bond after being charged over a 1992 assault at a Frankston nightclub; and allegedly called Labor MP James Merlino a “midget” in question time.

Earlier today, Mr Baillieu insisted his government was united, amid criticism from his own backbench and ongoing leadership speculation.

Liberal backbencher Bill Tilley said while he believed Mr Baillieu was listening, the government's leadership team needed to revamp the way it dealt with the backbench.

“It's a management thing,” Mr Tilley said.

“There should be some further and significant conversations: how to interact with the executive and the backbenchers to deliver the right, the proper and accurate messages to Victoria.”

Mr Tilley is annoyed with Mr Baillieu over comments he made about him in parliament yesterday.

Mr Baillieu told parliament Mr Tilley quit his role as parliamentary secretary to Police Minister Peter Ryan because his conduct was inconsistent with the role.

Mr Tilley said he was unhappy with the Premier's comments and wanted to speak with him today.
“There was some inaccuracies and I just want to correct those.

“They're taking some things from a report that was tabled by the Office of Police Integrity (OPI) and adding some things that certainly weren't part of that report.”

Mr Tilley resigned as parliamentary secretary after he was criticised by the OPI over a plot to oust former chief police commissioner Simon Overland.

Planning Minister Matthew Guy, who has publicly supported Mr Baillieu this week, is widely regarded as a potential future Liberal leader.

The Premier said he had no need to ask Mr Guy to pledge his support.

“Matthew and I get on very well. I know he's very supportive,” Mr Baillieu said.

The government has been thrown into turmoil this week with the airing of secretly-recorded telephone conversations reportedly involving Mr Baillieu's chief of staff Tony Nutt and a former adviser to Mr Ryan, Tristan Weston.

Mr Weston quit after the OPI found he was involved in a plot to undermine Mr Overland.

The secret recordings and receipts leaked to the Herald Sun reportedly show Mr Weston was paid $22,500 by the Liberal Party after leaving Mr Ryan's office.

Liberal state director Damien Mantach reportedly authorised the payment to Mr Weston.

Mr Baillieu said he did not believe any serious corruption had occurred despite referring the matter to the Independent Broad-Based Anti-Corruption Commission (IBAC).

theaustralian.com.au 6 Mar 2013

Ted Baillieu is involved in elaborate corruption involving Victoria's ex 'top dog' police chief Simon Overland together with others in drugs, prostitution and links to the criminal 'bikie' underworld.

The corporate media is (deliberately) slow in exposing the truth behind the multimillion dollar fraud and corruption in government.

Another win to the 'corporatocracy'.

Government has proof of low wages for foreigners on skilled visas

THE Federal Government said it had proof that foreigners on temporary skilled visas undermined the wages of Australian workers. 

Immigration Minister Brendan O'Connor said new figures revealed that a surge in skilled 457 visas had seen wages tumble in the information, communications and technology sector, as foreign workers accepted pay cuts of between $7200 and $8300.

Mr O'Connor said there had been a 68 per cent leap in the number of 457 visas in the ICT sector over the past four years, the biggest rise of any industry.

But wages for those workers had dropped between 5 and 12 per cent, despite overall wage growth across the economy.

"In these professions the average 457 visa worker is now paid less than Australian workers," Mr O'Connor said.

"The trend is clear and if it is allowed to continue it could lead to wage cuts for Australian workers and permanent skilled migrants."

Holders of 457 visas are supposed to be paid the same as Australian workers and only given a job if there is a shortage of skilled Australians.

Mr O'Connor said the new figures covered web developers, software engineers, database administrators and IT security specialists.

There have been claims that pay levels have been manipulated by some rogue employers in the IT industry in Melbourne and Sydney.

Mr O'Connor said he strongly supported the 457 visa scheme when it was used to fill genuine shortages, but in some industries there was a "saturation of 457 visas" and it was driving down wages.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard said Labor's crackdown was putting Australian workers first. But the government was embarrassed by former MP Pauline Hanson welcoming that position as "vindication" of her controversial policies in the late 1990s.

The PM rejected claims she had embraced Mrs Hanson's policies.

"I want to see Australian workers put first. Full stop. That's it," she said.

Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey seized on Mrs Hanson's comments.

"It says everything about the modern Labor Party and where it is going and what it believes in, which is nothing," he said.

Australian Industry Group chief executive Innes Willox rejected the claim 457 visas were putting downward pressure on Australian workers' wages.

He said the debate was "running completely off the rails". He said only three companies had been prosecuted for misusing the system since 2009.

heraldsun.com.au 6 Mar 2013

While diverting the attention of the herd population to the 'boat people' saga, the government has been allowing entry of so called 'students' to saturate Australia's job market.

The majority of Indian 'students' have been working illegally in many industries with the support of the authorities.

The 'learning' institutions have been part of the fraud, in where students who have been enrolled in courses did not show up to classes only to bribe the lecturers.

Authorities deliberately turn a blind eye with no 'blitz' in sight.

Another government supported fraud.

New laws limit exposure of corrupt judges

CORRUPT judges will be protected from being named and shamed, unlike others in  Victoria’s public sector, under Premier Ted Baillieu’s anti-corruption regime.

After months of delays, the state government has introduced new laws giving Victoria’s first corruption watchdog sweeping powers to investigate politicians and their staff, as well as judges, public prosecutors, police, local councillors, the auditor-general and the governor.

But an examination of the 102-page bill reveals that while the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission must report to Parliament,  it will not have the power to publicise information against judges.
‘‘The IBAC must not include any finding of corrupt conduct of a judicial officer, or any other adverse finding relating to a judicial officer arising from an investigation in a special report ... or an annual report,’’ the legislation says.

Government spokesman Paul Price said the restrictions were consistent with other states, and necessary to ensure the independence of the judiciary.

But a Labor Party spokeswoman, Jill Hennessy, said the government had not previously suggested there would be ‘‘special privileges’’ for some but not for others. The Coalition’s election policy also states: ‘‘All parts of the public sector will be subject to the same rules and investigatory powers.’’

The legislation also means:

• IBAC will be required to dismiss complaints against judges if they relate to the merit of a judgment or court decision.

• Notorious criminals will have the right to make complaints to the new watchdog.

• The government is yet to decide whether journalists will have the  right to protect their sources if called to give evidence.

• The commission can refuse to investigate a complaint if it is not made within a year of the alleged corruption taking place.

• People who obstruct an investigation risk 12 months’ imprisonment, or fines of more than $14,600, or both.

• Public hearings will be allowed in some cases, at the discretion of the IBAC commissioner.

The legislation paves the way for the biggest overhaul of Victoria’s anti-corruption regime in the state’s history.

IBAC is likely to be headed by a retired judge, and its agents will have the power to carry semi-automatic weapons, capsicum spray, and body armour, as well as to search premises, seize documents and tap phones.

But Victorians will have to wait about another six months until the commission is fully operational — a third tranche of laws outlining its  examination powers has still to be introduced; the Commonwealth must pass its own laws  on telephone interception; and it is still not known how long it will take to appoint the  first IBAC commissioner.

Despite the delays, Monash University criminology expert Colleen Lewis — who for years has been calling for a corruption watchdog  — said the change was long overdue. She said the reforms appeared to include an appropriate level of oversight: a parliamentary committee, an inspector to watch the watchdog, and a public interest monitor.

‘‘With a body as powerful as this, we have to have as many checks and balances as we can,’’ she said. ‘‘We have to be careful not to get it to a stage where it can’t operate, but it must be accountable for what it does.’’

theage.com.au 11 Dec 2011

A grim reminder and reality check of how corrupt the authorities, politicians, law makers, judges and police really are.

The masonic brotherhood looking after itself in the most public manner, to the detriment of the 'sheeple', without a single 'bleat' from the herd.

Corruption watchdog is 'seriously flawed'

EXCLUSIVE

The Baillieu government's leading expert on its anti-corruption watchdog has broken his silence to reveal he believes the body is ''seriously flawed'' and the Coalition has constrained its powers.

Former Court of Appeal judge Stephen Charles, QC, who chaired the government's four-person expert panel on the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission, said it was unlikely the watchdog would be able to investigate the kind of corruption allegations engulfing the New South Wales Labor Party.

Mr Charles said that before it begins an investigation, IBAC is required to have enough of the facts to reach a reasonable conclusion that serious corruption may have occurred. A mere suspicion is not enough, he said.

''One will often begin a corruption investigation with a mere suspicion, and time and time again during the [NSW] inquiry it has been plain that it began with suspicion and no direct knowledge of corrupt behaviour,'' Mr Charles said.

''In my view the [IBAC] legislation is seriously flawed. There are significant barriers that have been set up. It will be possible for suspected persons - as soon as they are aware that an investigation is under way - to take steps to challenge IBAC in court, thus delaying the investigation and giving those suspected of corruption the chance to destroy vital evidence.''

Before the IBAC legislation was finalised, Mr Charles and the other experts spent months consulting lawyers, judges, academics, police, the journalists' union and the public service about the watchdog's powers and scope.

On Monday Premier Ted Baillieu wrote to IBAC asking it to assess whether there should be an investigation into revelations the Liberal Party paid $22,500 to ministerial police adviser Tristan Weston. It also emerged that his chief of staff, Tony Nutt, offered to find Mr Weston employment.

Meanwhile, Liberal MP Clem Newton-Brown was last week elected chairman of a new parliamentary committee to oversee IBAC. Mr Newton-Brown is a strong supporter of the Team 200 fund-raising group responsible for Planning Minister Matthew Guy's developer dinners in 2011 and 2012, revealed by Fairfax on Tuesday.

Though no longer formally associated with Team 200, Mr Newton-Brown said he continued to help it raise funds to support Liberal MPs in marginal seats.

theage.com.au 5 Mar 2013

Going to a corrupt authority exposing corruption is a little pointless.

At the end of the day one becomes the target, and the allegations made against the corruption are dismissed.

Yet another win for the corrupt authorities.

Adding fluoride in water is beneficial for for adults too

FLUORIDE cuts tooth decay in adults of all ages, a University of Adelaide-led international study has found. 

 
The world-first population study has uncovered the strongest evidence for adding fluoride to water sources.
The director of the university's Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health, Professor Kaye Roberts-Thomson, said the results add to evidence that fluoride in drinking water benefits the dental health of children.

"By looking right across the Australian population, we now have good evidence that fluoride in drinking water is effective in preventing tooth decay in adults," Professor Roberts-Thomson said.

The study used data from a random sample of 3800 Australians aged 15 and over.

"We've known for some time that fluoridated drinking water can prevent tooth decay in children, but this is the first time that research has conclusively shown this in an adult population," she said.

The researchers found adults with more than a 75 per cent lifetime exposure to water fluoridation have up to a 30 per cent reduction in tooth decay compared to those with less than 25 per cent lifetime exposure.

The study found those born before water fluoridation existed had benefited from its addition to drinking water.

The study, published in the Journal of Dental Research today, follows controversy surrounding MLC Ann Bressington after she shared a "Wanted" poster on her Facebook page, which said Federal Health Minister Tanya Plibersek had committed crimes against humanity by allowing fluoride in the water.

Prof Roberts-Thomson said that, given that controversy, it was important to know that evidence was stacked in favour of long-term exposure to fluoride in drinking water.

Australian Dental Association president Dr Karin Alexander said, "The ADA continues to be dismayed with the scaremongering from fringe groups that lack consideration of the . . . scientific evidence . . . of the significant benefits for dental health that occurs from the fluoridation of water supplies."

news.com.au 6 Mar 2013

Another (deliberate) lie perpetuated by the corporate media to the uneducated masses.

Images of vulnerable children are often used by authorities to instill fear and submission of the herd population.

Many articles have been written in mainstream science journals, that indicate fluoride, a toxic by product from the aluminium industry, is not to be consumed by humans.

Anyone who does not heed to the way of thinking of the establishment, is not only ridiculed by the official propaganda lap dog, the corporate media, but also targeted in other ways once they become uncomfortable to the authorities.

 

Despite the toxicity of fluoride, the authorities are forcing the masses to consume this harmful substance, and the 'choice' is taken away from the people, and the people are told what is good for them.

A policy which can be said is analogous to communist or Nazi rule.

 

Deal that played well for Packer

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission undertook an undisclosed investigation into James Packer and Lachlan Murdoch's acquisition of 18 per cent of Ten Network because of concerns over sports programming.

The secret work was done and evidence was taken in response to the decisions made by the Packer/Murdoch-led Ten board to scrap the Ten digital channel, One, which had been entirely devoted to sport.

At the time the Packer-controlled Consolidated Media Holdings had a 50 per cent interest in subscription producer of sport Premier Media Group. The other 50 per cent was owned by News Corporation - which is controlled by Murdoch's father, Rupert.

The transformation of One from a sport channel into a broader entertainment channel was explained by the new management of Ten as purely financial. The digital upstart was losing money and rating poorly.

There were a couple of other reasons the ACCC turned the active investigation into a ''watching brief''. The first was that it was aware that Packer was seeking to offload his interest in Premier Media and Foxtel. The second was that there were a couple of other large shareholders in Ten, Bruce Gordon's WIN and active funds manager Perpetual.

Soon after Australia's richest person, Gina Rinehart, took a 10 per cent stake and joined the board. Thus the ACCC ultimately concluded that together Lachlan Murdoch and Packer were not in a position to control Ten.

But there is little doubt that axing Ten's fledgling sports channel played well for Packer commercially. Financial statements from his Consolidated Media demonstrate that Premier Media's performance was stagnating while its results from Foxtel were much more positive.

The establishment of Ten's One channel created a new player in the sports programming market. While it was not sufficiently large or well-funded enough to bid for first-tier sporting events, its presence in the room bidding for second-ranking products was pushing up their price.

This was a problem for Premier Media Group and its various Fox Sports operations. When the One sport channel was abandoned the product it had acquired was on-sold to Premier Media for a knock down price and Ten took a one-off financial hit as a result. From Packer's perspective selling Consolidated Media - which owned Premier Media - became a much more lucrative proposition when channel One was disbanded.

He ultimately sold Consolidated Media in a $2 billion deal to News Corporation. It was a good deal for Packer - leaving him flush with funds to pursue his gaming interests through Crown. After he bought into Ten back in 2010 he lasted only a few months on the Ten board. While he has since supported the company by subscribing for its two capital raisings, his influence has been publicly absent.

But as history has now clearly demonstrated Lachlan Murdoch took undisputed control of Ten. Soon after buying he took over management until his hand-picked chief executive James Warburton could take over in early 2012. Murdoch sacked him a year later.

Over the past couple of weeks he has installed a News Ltd executive, Hamish McLennan to replace Warburton. To be fair the rationale for Packer and Murdoch taking a stake in Ten was a two-pronged strategy. It wasn't all about sport.

The two media heirs thought they could cut the network's program expenses and return it to its low-cost and edgy-program youth roots. Again history has shown this strategy has not worked. Since 2010 when their investment was made the company's financial performance and share price have plummeted.

The digital channels run by competitors began to look just like the mainstream Ten product. It was a feeding frenzy for advertisers that bid down rates for what appeared to be homogenous product. Reputations are riding on the outcome - in particular that of Lachlan Murdoch.

While the icing of One as a sports channel has played out well for Packer, Murdoch's upside rests exclusively with restoring the network's fortunes.

And in television there is no quick fix. It has strategy-to-outcome lead times more akin with the mining industry than a service business.

McLennan will need to find his strategy, refine his team, find the audience pitch and come up with a list of new programs that resonate with viewers.

It then needs more than a year of ratings performance before media buyers will start to allocate advertising. At the same time he will need to keep a handle on costs.

theage.com.au 5 Mar 2013

The policy with regards to globalisation and a new world order is to favour the chosen multinationals who are part of the ruling elite, to the detriment of the general populous.

The ACCC currently supports the actions of the supermarket duopoly, to the detriment of the consumer with the petrol discounting.

To the lay man or the Joe Average an authority may seem useless or even spineless, but is following the orders that ultimately bring (official) slavery of the masses to the system.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard declares she has 'no tolerance' for crooked politicians

PRIME Minister Julia Gillard says she has no tolerance at all for politicians who use their office to profit themselves rather than advance the public good. 

 
Her comments come as the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption today resumes its inquiry into the conduct of some NSW Labor politicians, amid allegations of rampant corruption in the awarding of mining deals.
There are concerns within federal Labor that evidence so far to the inquiry is having an adverse impact on the Gillard government's standing with voters, especially in western Sydney.

Ms Gillard, who is spending the week in the area, said what was emerging from the inquiry was truly disturbing but insisted she was not in a position to prejudge the outcome.
"But I can certainly say I have no tolerance for conduct within my political party or any political party which is about profiting for individuals rather than pursuing the pubic good," she told Sky News.

news.com.au 5 Mar 2013

Another pathetic lie, of similar calibre to the 'No Carbon Tax' promise prior to her being elected by politicians, and not the masses.

Politicians are involved in fraud and corruption worth many hundreds of millions of dollars at the community's expense.

Cover ups and legal 'bungles' ensure that the pollies can still carry on, whilst their wages are supported by the tax payer.

Corrupt politicians look out for their 'kind' and  if not the Anglo-Masonic brotherhood will make sure they get away without wither convictions or any jail time.


Corpau can give a list of corrupt politicians to the Prime Minister Julia Gillard, but it will be of little or no consequence to their corrupt dealings.


Per capita, Australia's politicians are more corrupt than the society they serve.

Dale trial witness tells of tipoff to Carl Williams

A SECRET gangland witness says a former detective tipped off gangland killer Carl Williams that a drugs lab he was linked to was being watched by police. 

 

But the prosecution witness in the trial of former detective Paul Dale today denied a suggestion he was a “thoroughly untrustworthy human being”, despite having admitted to the jury he was a gun supplier and drug dealer who was a one-time criminal associate of Williams.

 

The witness, who can only be referred to as Witness B, told the trial via video link from prison that the underworld was not “Mary Poppins school” and that “people who lived by the sword died by the sword”.

Under examination by Crown prosecutor Christopher Beale, SC, Witness B said Williams had told him a policeman named Paul was providing him with information about surveillance.

Witness B said the alleged information seemed “pretty good”.

It was alleged that Mr Dale was the officer being referred to, and that he warned Williams that police were carrying out surveillance on a particular drug lab that Williams was connected with.

Witness B told the court that Williams was told to distance himself, and if he did he would not be arrested.
During cross-examination, defence counsel Geoffrey Steward established that Witness B had never met or spoken with Mr Dale and had never heard Mr Dale speak a word to Williams.

Witness B admitted to having supplied guns that were used to kill people and to “prodigious” drug trafficking.
When asked if he knew how many murders Carl Williams was responsible for, Witness B replied: “A fair few.”

He said he believed his former associate was linked to the murders of Jason Moran, Mark Moran, Mark Mallia, Nik Radev, Lewis Moran and an attempted murder and a conspiracy to murder, and that Williams had admitted to having had Graham “The Munster” Kinniburgh killed because he believed Kinniburgh had the means to have him murdered.

Mr Dale is accused of lying to the Australian Crime Commission about his relationship with Carl Williams.
He has pleaded not guilty to 12 charges relating to answers he gave while being questioned in March 2007 and November 2008.     

In his opening address, Mr Beale said Mr Dale had told ACC examiners his relationship with Williams had consisted of two planned meetings and an accidental encounter, each of which had been documented.
But Mr Beale alleged Mr Dale had an "ongoing, secret relationship'' with Williams, and had lied to the ACC because he believed he was suspected of involvement in the murder of police informer Terry Hodson and his wife, Christine.

Carl’s father, George Williams, last week told the court that he had driven his son to two secret meetings with a man he believed was Mr Dale.

He said one rendezvous was in the suburb of Hillside; the other was a 10-minute meeting at a suburban leisure centre, to which Carl took $6000.

Mr Williams said Carl later told him he'd been provided with ``swimming trunks'' and that he and Mr Dale walked in the pool -- an act Carl found amusing.

Today, Witness B agreed that Carl Williams had been a liar to certain people, a cheat, a man interested almost exclusively in himself and a big-noting multiple killer.

The witness denied suggestions that he himself was a dishonourable man.

The trial, before Justice Elizabeth Curtain, continues.

heraldsun.com.au 4 Mar 2013

Another corrupt copper dealing in drugs with links to local biker gangs in Broadmeadows, in Melbourne's north.

Watch now how the farcical legal system works.

Police often have links to the criminal underworld, an action known to government and supported by lawyers and corrupt judges.

Ted Baillieu's top aide Tony Nutt pledged support to former adviser Tristan Weston

EXCLUSIVE: SECRET tapes lifting the lid on confidential dealings and payouts behind the police command crisis have rocked the Baillieu Government.

More than four hours of digital audio recordings and documents have emerged revealing former adviser Tristan Weston - who quit in the wake of an OPI report into the split between top cops Simon Overland and Sir Ken Jones - was paid $22,500 by the Liberal Party.

The payments were made after Mr Weston was forced to resign as an adviser to Deputy Premier and Police Minister Peter Ryan.

The tapes also reveal that Mr Weston was repeatedly offered help in finding a new job by the Premier's most senior adviser, Tony Nutt - actions at odds with Ted Baillieu's public assurances that his office was not assisting the former adviser.

"I mean, I know Gina Rinehart," Mr Nutt told Mr Weston in a phone conversation on July 10, 2012.

A source has provided the Herald Sun with digital recordings of three phone conversations and two meetings involving Mr Weston, Mr Nutt, and the Victorian director of the Liberal Party, Damien Mantach.

The Herald Sun played no role in recording the conversations.

In them, Mr Nutt told Mr Weston "there's lots of people we collectively know ... Damien knows, I know and Ted knows. You shouldn't feel that the Liberal family is suddenly going to ... wave you and your family goodbye."

In one tape, when Mr Nutt tells Mr Weston he must resign, Mr Nutt says: "I appreciate that there may be more there ... but he's the Deputy Premier in a one-seat majority government."

Mr Weston yesterday stood by his version of events: "I was always taught that if you can't say something nice about someone, you should say nothing at all."

Mr Ryan's spokesman Paul Price said: "The OPI exhaustively investigated these issues and published findings adverse to Mr Weston. Mr Ryan stands by all comments made in all forums regarding these issues."

I'll help you get a job ... I know Gina

TED Baillieu's top adviser repeatedly promised a former adviser to Police Minister Peter Ryan he would help him get a new job - revelations at odds with the Premier's assurances.

In a phone conversation recorded on July 10, Mr Baillieu's chief of staff, Tony Nutt, even told Tristan Weston he knew Gina Rinehart, indicating he'd approach her to give him work.

Mr Weston said he was interested in doing security assessment work in the mining industry, and Mr Nutt said he was happy to oblige.

"There's a lot of ... people ... I know in the mining industry ... I'm a Perth boy originally, you know. I mean, I know Gina Rinehart," Mr Nutt said in the call.

"I've met a lot them, and the ones I don't know, I know the bloke who knows the bloke who set up the company 30 years ago, or something. So you know, I know a lot of those people."

The call to Mr Weston came a day after Mr Weston told Liberal Party state director Damien Mantach he was annoyed at Mr Ryan's comments about him: "I think, you know, Peter Ryan tends to run off at the mouth, and it would be in his best interests not to, mate."

The offer of job assistance was in addition to $22,500 paid to Mr Weston on the say-so of Mr Mantach, who in one recording can be heard reminding him: "I am the person who stepped in and put you on a payroll for three months ... And you know, I didn't have to do that, and I did."

Mr Nutt's offer, and other promises of assistance, were made both before and after October, 2011, when Mr Weston resigned following the OPI's accusation he had run a campaign against police chief Simon Overland.

Last July, broadcaster Neil Mitchell put it to Mr Baillieu that Mr Weston had "taken a fall" and that Deputy Premier Peter Ryan was "up to his neck in it and to help square things off your people are trying to get him a job".

Mr Baillieu replied: "I don't believe that's the case", and "I just don't think there's any credibility to that scenario".

The recordings reveal Mr Nutt's first promise to Mr Weston was made even before the OPI had tabled its report on crisis in police command.

A week before the OPI report became public, in October, 2011, Mr Nutt met Mr Weston and Mr Mantach at the Liberal Party's headquarters in Exhibition St.

None of them knew whether the OPI's report would clear Mr Weston of misconduct, criticise him, or recommend he be charged.

But Mr Nutt was keen to reassure Mr Weston that whatever the report found, the Premier and the Liberal Party would not forget him.

"(There's) lots of people that we collectively all know - Damien knows and I know and Ted knows and lots of people know, um - in the wider world.

''So if that's where we wind up in a month or two, with you looking to the wider world, then I think that you shouldn't feel that the Liberal family is suddenly sort of going to say, 'Thank you very much' and wave you and your family goodbye.

"You know, that's not the way we work," he said.

At the same meeting, the two men discussed with Mr Weston how he could avoid the media in the days after the report was released.

Mr Mantach said the party could find Mr Weston and his family accommodation at short notice.

"We can quickly find a cottage or a house or, you know, another sort of accommodation you need. You know, down the west somewhere I think would be good, where you're right out of the Melbourne CBD," he said.

"You know, in a quiet town somewhere, whether it's Queenscliff or Point Lonsdale, or further down at Anglesea or Apollo Bay or somewhere, that's - you've got to go away, mate. I mean, the last thing we want is media turning up at school, and on this sort of issue."

The day before the report was tabled, the three men met again.

At this meeting, Mr Nutt told Mr Weston he had read the report - "they've really gone after you" - and it would be impossible for Mr Weston to keep working for the Government, especially as the OPI was signalling it might still charge him.

But after helping Mr Weston to draft his resignation letter, Mr Nutt made it clear he was prepared to help Mr Weston find work in the mining industry, once the controversy had died down.

"I would be in a position to say to people directly, well, look, you know, there's been unpleasantness, pretty political, but, you know, if you're looking for a good quality person, here's a good quality person," he said.

In July, 2012, a week after the OPI said it would not charge Mr Weston, Mr Nutt rang him to discuss what help he could be.

"So given that that's now clear, and given there's no question of any legal proceedings against you, then I think it would be good to sort of ramp up the assistance," he said.

"You know, happy to assist. But obviously I don't want to go blundering around the place if you've got something lined up, subject to clearance.

''But if ... it's something we can do to help, we'd be keen to do that now that we're not in this awful environment of ... can the Premier's office say something to someone, and then he's charged a week later?"

heraldsun.com.au 4 Mar 2013

This is literally the tip of the iceberg, when it comes to the corruption involved.

Many members of the police force including Victoria's previous 'top dog ' are involved in criminal activities with current links to drug syndicates.

The public will never be made aware of the true extent of the corruption.

Bandido boss lives to fight another day

Bandidos heavy Toby Mitchell knew it was coming. It was only the time and the place that took him by surprise.

Still recovering from the first attempt on his life, Mitchell, 38, was convinced there would soon be another.

In the past 10 days, he has told associates he suspected a heavy inside prison was planning to kill him but was confident he would be ready to defend himself when the time came.

But on Friday night, a gunfight was the last thing on his mind. It was the end of the week and time to let his close-cropped hair down. He and a handful of mates started the evening drinking beers in Brunswick, and about 9.30pm headed to Melton in three or four cars to continue socialising at the Bandidos-affiliated Diablos' clubhouse.

In those circles there is never a shortage of designated drivers when it comes time to change locations. But this time, for a gang that prides itself on remaining alert rather than alarmed, they were surprisingly slack.

When they pulled up outside the fortified club in Norton Drive, they failed to notice a hit crew had been following them.

Immediately, gunmen in two vehicles began shooting, firing at least 30 shots towards Mitchell, peppering the enforcer's car. Mitchell jumped in a second car to escape. His men returned fire in the gun battle, which lasted only a few seconds.

Despite the number of shots fired towards him, Mitchell escaped with just one bullet wound to the right bicep.

The reason for the attack and the identity of the gunmen remain unclear, although senior Bandidos suspect a Middle Eastern gang known to prefer rapid drive-by shooting tactics.

''And they can't f-----g shoot straight,'' one said.

Police recovered cash and drugs at the scene.

Detectives have yet to establish if the attack on Mitchell is part of a larger bikie feud or a personal vendetta. And as is usually the case in matters such as this, the victim isn't talking to them.

The attack was near the clubhouse of another bikie gang, the Satan's Soldiers, but police sources said this group was unlikely to have been involved.

Two injured men were driven to the Royal Melbourne Hospital for treatment, with Mitchell undergoing surgery to his upper arm.

In November 2011, the physically imposing Mitchell, the Bandidos' sergeant-at-arms and a former kickboxer, was near death after he was shot five times outside Doherty's Gym in Brunswick.

He was on life support for weeks, lost a kidney and part of his liver and, when he was finally released, much of his gym-honed muscle tone.

For months he walked with the aid of a cane, but he seems to have returned to rude health, recently flying to Thailand on business.

No one has been charged over the Brunswick shooting, although police believe a member of the notorious jail gang the Prisoners of War was deeply involved.

The shooting comes as police are becoming increasingly concerned at what they see as a policy of aggressive infiltration by bikie clubs into legitimate industries, including debt collecting, nightclub security, heavy haulage and the entertainment sector.

The police Echo taskforce, which investigates outlaw motorcycle gangs, is gathering information on a potential turf war based on the Rebels launching a major recruiting plan to be the dominant gang in Australia. They have been told the Hells Angels, Comancheros and Bandidos are considering joining forces to block the Rebels.

Corrections Victoria says bikie gangs are recruiting inmates to swell their numbers when the prisoners are finally released.

Police are preparing for an influx of interstate bikies, with national runs of the Finks and the Comancheros due to travel through Victoria in the next month.

theage.com.au 4 Mar 2013

The authorities (law) allow criminals in Australia to possess guns, which in turn leads them to be discharged in public, putting innocent people in danger.

These people are let out by the government back into the community, which is a risk to the cannon fodder, which is of little or no concern to the authorities.

Back to the days of the Wild West in a lawless Australia?

Not entirely lawless, as every citizen is monitored a number of ways, where the information is stored in government data houses.

Bikies in top jobs 'of trust': ACC

REBELS bikie gang members have infiltrated "positions of trust" in up to 20 federal and state government departments, including the Department of Defence and ASIC. 

Officers attached to Taskforce Attero, run by the Australian Crime Commission, have discovered Rebels members and associates with a "foothold" in government ranks.

The revelations follow a top-to-bottom analysis of the Rebels gang by the ACC.

The names of more than 2000 members and associates across the country including wives, girlfriends, friends, prospective members and nominees for the group were put through databases to identify their work and business history, migration status and tax records.

Attero senior investigator John De Candia and ACC New South Wales manager Warren Gray, said a small but significant number of people were red-flagged as part of the exercise. "We are exposing Rebels and their associates in many positions of trust right across society which are there for the advantage for the group," he said.

"We're working with a whole lot of internal investigation sections of those departments."

Supt De Candia, who has been leading the taskforce, said several government agencies had moved to fix their vulnerabilities.

It is understood up to 20 departments are talking with the ACC about specific employees who are active or linked to the club.

"I'm not saying in every case their employment is tainted but, make no mistake they're not stupid and they will strategically look at different areas and people so they can get positioned," he said.

"They might not talk to that person about anything to do with the Rebels, but when the time is right ... they might only need a tiny skerrick of information which will be sufficient, but that gives them a foothold into that department."

The cases mirror that of Hells Angels chapter president Derek Wainohu, who, in 2009, was outed as having worked for two decades with the former RTA.

Another associate, a former NSW police officer, was removed from the force after being found guilty of selling cocaine and ecstasy to an undercover officer in 2010.

A senior Rebel said the police attention was based on unfounded claims of criminality.

He said most Rebels members adhered to strict club rules, did not break the law and were good people with ordinary jobs. The bad eggs were rarely patched members of the club, he said..

"They're associates they're someone who knows someone, they're not part of our club," the member said.
"There's a lot of guys out there who name drop and that's our biggest problem."

 news.com.au 3 Mar 2013

The criminal underworld has been involved with many 'top jobs' for decades, a fact that is not new, but rather ignored by the authorities.

The corruption also involves judges, lawyers, some of Australia's top legal firms, law makers and police.

The proceeds of criminal activities allows criminals to amass fortunes of in excess of  40 properties, with the help of corruption in the tax office (ATO) and other authorities.

It is doubtful if the true king pins will be exposed by any actions of any so called 'war against crime' policy.

Geordie Shore says young people should binge drink

GEORDIE Shore star Vicky Pattison says young people should binge drink so they have fond memories for the future. 

Pattison, who goes on nightly benders with her Geordie Shore housemates, said: "For young people, binge drinking is a fact of life.

"It's better to binge drink while you're young, and have a laugh, and learn from your mistakes.

"It gives you fun, crazy memories to look back on."
Her controversial comments come as Geordie Shore, a reality television hit worldwide, prepares to shoot a new season in Australia.

Geordie Shore will film for five weeks in Sydney and Newcastle.

Pattison and housemate Scott Timlin hope to indulge in classic Geordie Shore antics, including drinking, random sex, and fighting, while Down Under.

Timlin said: "Australia is not gonna know what hit it.

"It'll be the usual - dramas, kick offs (fights), getting drunk, and getting naked."

Pattison and Timlin understand why they have become the poster kids for binge drinking.

But they say the blame rests with alcohol companies and venues pouring cheap drinks.

Pattison said: "We get a bad rap. People think we glamorise bingle drinking. But we're no different to anyone else. Binge drinking is like a rite of passage."

She shrugged: "It's not a big deal. There are far more important things going on."

Timlin consumes the equivalent of six and a half bottles of wine every night on the show.

But he and Pattison say local lawmakers cannot break their drinking habits.

Pattison said: "I think self righteous politicians should pipe down.

"You can't tell me they've never got too merry at Christmas, or had a few too many brandies or sherries and acted a bit daft."

 

news.com.au 3 March 2013

Sound advice from Trailer Park Trash losers.

 

Excessive alcohol consumption can have temporary or permanent memory loss, as well as other detrimental effect to the health of an individual or others around them.

'Promoting' alcohol abuse is another one of the Hollywood producer's tactics at desensitising the youth of the peasants, which is supported by the corporate media, in promoting the shows of Geordie Shore's calibre.

Queensland Scraps Mandatory Rainwater Tank and Hot Water Law

Queenslanders will no longer be obligated to replace rainwater tanks and hot water systems in new homes, after the Newman Government scrapped its mandate.

Homeowners will instead be given the option of installing rainwater tanks and replacing broken electric hot water systems with solar, heat pump or gas hot water systems in new properties.

Why the Law Change?

Housing Minister Tim Mander said the legislation changes, which were announced alongside the $15,000 first home owner’s grant, could help homeowners shave at least $5000 off their building costs.

Mander pointed to a Mainstream Economics and Policy study commissioned by the government, which shows that rainwater tank installation can be costly (up to $6000 up-front) and may have little benefit.

“[The study shows that] the impact of rainwater tanks on bulk water supplies is negligible and certainly not cost effective," Mander said.

When the laws were first introduced, Queensland was in the midst of a devastating drought. Since then, Queenslanders have adopted several water-saving initiatives and are now much more aware of minimising water wastage.

And while solar, gas and heat pump water systems are more energy efficient than electric units, they can be more costly to install.

Speaking on behalf of Master Builders, housing policy director Paul Bidwell said that giving homeowners an option would boost housing affordability.

That being said, the decision is certainly not one that favours rainwater tank installers or hot water system suppliers.

Benefits of Rainwater Tanks

While homeowners in Queensland are no longer required to install rainwater tanks, there are still many great reasons to do so. Rainwater tanks may:

• Cut your water usage and bill

• Reduce your home’s reliance on water supplies

• Provide a back-up water supply during droughts and water restrictions

Despite the Mainstream Economics and Policy report showing that the savings are too little to offset the cost of installing and maintaining a rainwater tank, this may not be the case in all areas.

The Choice is Yours

Even though the mandate has been scrapped, homeowners will still have the option to install or upgrade tanks and hot water systems.

“People who want to install rainwater tanks or a particular type of hot water system can still do so,” Mander said.

Local councils will also have the option of keeping mandatory rainwater tank installation rules. To do so, they will have to prove that doing so benefits their community

homeimprovementpages.com.au 14 Feb 2013

 

So the government has concluded (from a government sponsored study) that storage of rainwater by individual households holds little or no merit, consequently changing the law, making it no longer mandatory to install water tanks.

In Victoria, the government is still a little behind.