Newcastle Resistance Centre to move
NEWCASTLE — The Resistance Centre in Newcastle will relocate following a successful fundraising campaign. The new centre, located in unit 19 of the same arcade as at present, will open on April 16. A launch on May 14 will welcome Green Left Weekly's Russia correspondent, Renfrey Clarke, as a special guest.
The Resistance Centre is the organising centre for the Democratic Socialist Party, Resistance, Action in Solidarity with Indonesia and East Timor, and Green Left Weekly. The Resistance Bookshop is offering a 10% discount on all books until the end of April to celebrate the move.
The new centre will be open every Friday, 9:30am-4pm; Mondays, 2-5pm; and Wednesdays, 2:30-6pm. Phone Adam or Alison on 4926 5328 for more details.
Resistance activist elected
MELBOURNE — On March 24 to 26, more than 550 Swinburne University students voted in a student union by-election. Resistance activist Arty Titiz won the position of International Student Representative by more than 80 votes. Other progressive candidates were elected as Hawthorn campus chairperson, Queer Officer and Hawthorn campus committee representatives.
Titiz's election campaign was centred on organising opposition to education cuts and racism. "I will initiate a campaign to demand the Australian government stop giving hand-outs to the likes of Indonesia's dictator Suharto and instead provide free education to overseas students", he said. To get involved in the International Student Collective, phone Arty on 9329 1320.
Rabelais editors' appeal fails
MELBOURNE — The 1995 editors of Rabelais, La Trobe University's student newspaper, lost an appeal to the Federal Court on March 25 seeking to have the ban on an "Art of Shoplifting" article lifted. The ban, enforced by the censorship board at the behest of the Retail Traders Association of Victoria and the then federal Labor government, leaves the Rabelais editors open to penalties of up to six years jail and/or $72,000 fines.
The editors, Ben Ross, Michael Brown, Melita Berndt and Valentina Srpanska, will be seeking leave to appeal to the High Court.
Hinchinbrook pond spill
An environmental investigation has been launched into Keith Williams' controversial Port Hinchinbrook marina development after a dredge spoil pond wall collapsed, spilling thousands of cubic metres of spoil onto Crown land. The state environment department on April 1 gave Williams three weeks to prepare a report on the spill, described as serious.
Conservationists are calling for the project to be closed. North Queensland Conservation Council coordinator Jeremy Tager said about 1500 square metres of spoil covered a large area of rare mahogany glider habitat next to the development. "We have evidence of more than 50 breaches of the project's deed of agreement", Tager said. "The government now has plenty of reasons to make sure this project does not go a single step further."