News

Queensland forests 'cleared like Amazon'BRISBANE — Queensland is losing proportionately as much forest and woodland each year through clearing as the Amazon basin of South America, according to state officials. Queensland

SYDNEY — NSW education minister Virginia Chadwick has backed away from changes to the years 7-10 geography syllabus after an unrepresentative elite of private school principals rammed through a number of amendments. The course

MELBOURNE — Australian Liberals and the New Right have looked to New Zealand, and the economic policies of both National and Labour governments, as a possible model for what they would like to do here. But the New Zealand

Airport transport workers have accepted a 6% wage rise following strike action last week by aircraft refuellers and tanker drivers. The strike was the third major action in 18 months over award restructuring in the industry. PERTH — The

Hard times 1 "It's very difficult to drive into the office at nine on a Friday morning, fire 10 people and get into a $150,000 Mercedes and drive away again." — Ron Klein, managing director of Klein and Associates, on the social stigma of

MELBOURNE — Encouraged by the response to the campaign of Phil Cleary in the Wills by-election, political activists here are planning a rally for social and economic justice on October 10. This is expected to be close to

UNE students call national day of Action LISMORE — Students at the University of New England - Northern Rivers have called a national day of action to protest against attacks on Austudy and the running down of education in general. The

National incest survivors conferenceSYDNEY — The first Women's National Incest Survivors Confest will be held on July 10-12 at the University of NSW. It is organised by women who consider themselves part of the grassroots

MELBOURNE — Maria Puric, a middle-aged woman, lost everything she owned, as well as family and friends, in the town that was once Vukovar. Vida and Mato Vulic are both in their 60s; everything they owned was left in the town of

SYDNEY — A blazing row has erupted between Sydney and Newcastle officials of the bus workers' union (ATMOEA) over a deal struck by Sydney officials with the Department of Transport. The deal was accepted by a majority at a

Telecom workers at mass meetings around the country have voted for an industrial campaign over management plans to cut its work force by 4400, with further cuts expected. Up to 12,000 jobs may be threatened in the medium term.

SA employers ask for handoutsADELAIDE — South Australia currently has the highest unemployment rate of any state, with working-class areas such as Noarlunga, Salisbury and Elizabeth hardest hit. In May, SA had 74,585 on