Grassfire burning in central Victoria

RESIDENTS in the central Victorian town of Heathcote have been warned to remain vigilant as a small grassfire burns nearby.

The Country Fire Authority (CFA) first received reports of the blaze about 3.40pm (AEDT) and brought the one-hectare fire under control in about 20 minutes.

The wind is expected to change later on Saturday, which may cause the fire to change direction and move towards the southwestern side of the town.

A CFA spokeswoman said the initial emergency message sent to residents had been downgraded and four fire crews were on the scene.

"The wind change is coming through and there is the potential for spotting but there are crews out there looking after it," she told AAP.

"Remain vigilant, particularly in weather like this, that's always the advice - keep your eye out, stay in touch with all your forms of communication, whether it be social media (or) local radio."

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Smoke from bushfire fills Hobart

AUTHORITIES are urging anyone with respiratory problems in Hobart to stay indoors to avoid smoke coming from a fire in the central highlands.

The blaze between Great Lake and Arthurs Lake on Poatina Road has been burning for more than a week.

A Tasmania Fire Service spokesman said the fire was travelling towards Flintstone, a small community on the side of Arthurs Lake, which was expected to be affected later on Saturday afternoon.

"Because of today's weather it's flared up quite a bit and had a few runs towards some populated areas around the lake," he told AAP.

"There aren't any buildings directly threatened at the moment."

The spokesman said people in the Hobart area should not be worried about the fire affecting the city but those with respiratory problems should remain indoors.

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Killer's son jailed for crime spree in Qld

THE son of a triple murderer has been jailed for a five-day crime spree that ended when he crashed his car after a police chase.

Graham Errol Hayes, 25, crashed the four-wheel drive into several vehicles in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley in June last year after a pursuit that started in Woolloongabba, south of the city.

During the chase he drove the car on the footpath and into oncoming traffic, repeatedly ramming police cars in an unsuccessful attempt to avoid arrest.

The Brisbane District Court heard on Friday that Hayes had been driving a car he stole from the attendant of a Gold Coast petrol station he had robbed days earlier.

Prior to that robbery he had bitten a police officer on the finger after he was stopped for a search of the stolen rental car he was driving.

Hayes pleaded guilty to 20 charges, including armed robbery, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and serious assault.

The court heard Hayes had a difficult upbringing, and that his father, convicted triple murderer Errol Graham Hayes, had been violent towards him.

Errol Hayes is serving three life sentences for setting fire to a house and killing his 18-month-old son Joshua, former partner Theresa Dominique Marchetti and a third occupant, Mark Stewart Christensen.

"Your father no doubt failed to provide a good example to you during your formative years," Judge Brad Farr said.

"But that, of course, is no excuse for your behaviour."

The court heard Hayes had a long-standing drug problem, but that he was eager to seek rehabilitation when he was released.

He was sentenced to six-and-a-half years jail.

He will be eligible for parole in June next year after already serving almost 18 months in pre-sentence custody.

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School funding to be 2013 centrepiece

PRIME Minister Julia Gillard wants school funding to be the centrepiece of Australian leaders' discussions in the new year.

The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) briefly considered initial advice about overhauling funding and the commonwealth's national plan for school improvement during its meeting in Canberra on Friday.

Education ministers also met, in Adelaide, to further look at school funding.

They noted there was more detailed work to do early in the new year.

"We want to get the benefit of that work and we want it to be a centrepiece of COAG discussions next year," Ms Gillard told reporters in Canberra.

"Today we had a brief discussion ... because I indicated to my colleagues that I want to make that central work to the first COAG meeting of next year."

She has previously said she wants COAG to agree to a new funding system at that meeting, expected to be held in March.

Federal Schools Minister Peter Garrett said on Friday he was confident further progress would be made early in the new year.

The federal opposition seized on reports COAG only spent about five minutes talking about schools, with education spokesman Christopher Pyne saying Ms Gillard was "too embarrassed to even have a discussion on the topic at COAG".

The prime minister called that a silly attempt to try and measure the worth of issues by the amount of time spent discussing them.

"Only someone who is a fool with no plan would take that kind of approach," she said.

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Crime figures stable in NSW, but fraud up

CRIME rates in NSW have mostly dropped or stabilised, the most recent figures show, but fraud is on the rise.

Drive-by shootings remain at similar levels to the past two years, while the number of theft and robbery offences has fallen, the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) says.

April and July this year were the worst months in the past decade for drive-by shootings in the state.

"Despite these spikes, however, the trend in drive-by shooting incidents over the last 24 months is neither significantly up or down," said bureau director Don Weatherburn.

In the 24 months to September 2012, fraud increased 9.4 per cent across NSW, while non-domestic assault fell 7.8 per cent.

"The significant uptrend in fraud for NSW is driven mainly by service station drive-offs," Dr Weatherburn said on Thursday.

The NSW Recorded Crime Statistics: September Quarterly Report found that fraud was up in Sydney by 12.2 per cent and robbery with a weapon (not a gun) was up 66.3 per cent in the Hunter Valley region.

On the mid-north coast, robbery with a weapon other than a firearm was up 80.5 per cent.

As in the last quarter, the number of assaults on licensed premises dropped (down 11.5 per cent).

NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione welcomed the drop in crime, saying the BOCSAR figures showed only one of the 17 major offences had increased.

He also pointed to a decline in assaults on licensed premises and a 17.9 per cent drop in glassings.

"This shows that the efforts we are making in this area are working, but there is still much work to be done," Mr Scipione said in a statement.

The most significant upward trend in the past 24 months was petrol fraud, which Mr Scipione has repeatedly said is a preventable crime.

He continues to recommend petrol stations adopt the US model of pay-before-you-pump.

Police Minister Michael Gallacher also welcomed the figures and reminded party revellers police would be out in force this weekend when the majority of company Christmas parties take place.

"That is why Operation Unite has been recently launched with more than 1000 extra officers mobilised across NSW, and hundreds more across the rest of the country and New Zealand," he said in a statement.

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Overspending, a Xmas danger

AS Christmas approaches, the colour red is seen in shopping centres, workplaces and homes.

But it's not the colour you want to see on your post-Christmas financial statements.

Households often struggle the most during the months following Christmas, says Roger Mendelson, the chief executive of debt collection agency Prushka.

Lump sum holiday pay and spending on credit cards could be dangerous traps for people during Christmas, he said.

"People tend to get carried away," Mr Mendelson told AAP.

"Then when they get back to work, they're hit with back-to-school expenses, most of which is not budgeted for."

While it is tempting to treat Christmas as a time of indulgence not prudence, it's important to think ahead to avoid being snowed under in January.

Mr Mendelson said post-Christmas financial hangovers could cause serious problems for the start of the new year.

"In previous years it's certainly had an impact on arrears on housing loans."

He said credit cards were the number one trap for Christmas shoppers.

"You need to have a budget. And don't get carried away on a credit card."

Businesses are also not immune from the post-Christmas slump.

"If a business is going to fail, it will be in a post-Christmas quarter," Mr Mendelson said.

"Post Christmas has always been the hardest time for businesses."

Mr Mendelson said there were some simple ways to avoid the Christmas budget blowout.

These included making a budget, putting away the credit card, building a buffer for emergencies and organising Kris Kringle with the family or putting limits on presents.

"It's not how much you spend, it's the thought behind it," he said.

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Aust shares firmer as traders chase yields

AUSTRALIAN shares finished firmer as investors sought high-yielding bank stocks following this week's official interest rate cut.

At the close on Wednesday, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was 16.8 points, or 0.37 per cent, higher at 4,520.4, while the broader All Ordinaries index was up 16.2 points, or 0.36 per cent, at 4,528.0.

On the ASX 24, the December share price index futures contract was 24 points higher at 4,529, with 19,199 contracts traded.

RBS Morgans private client adviser Bruce Smith said the local market improved thanks to the banking sector, which closed around one per cent higher.

"Our market was dragged up by the banks, Suncorp and (also) the likes of Rio Tinto," Mr Smith said.

"It follows yesterday's (Reserve Bank of Australia cash) rate cut, as people look to high-yielding banking stocks."

Traders paid little attention to official national accounts data showing Australia's economy grew by 0.5 per cent in the September quarter, which was slightly below expectations.

Commonwealth Bank, Westpac and NAB on Wednesday passed on only 20 basis points of the full 25-basis point RBA cut to the cash rate.

ANZ will announce its interest rate decision on December 14.

Commonwealth climbed 58 cents to $61.08, Westpac was up 16 cents to $25.58, National Australia Bank put on six cents to $24.31 and ANZ added 18 cents to $24.77.

Suncorp finished 23 cents higher at $9.97.

Mining giant BHP Billiton added three cents to $34.29 and Rio Tinto rose 94 cents to 59.35.

The good news for Rio came after freight rail operator Aurizon, formerly known as QR National, extended a Queensland coal haulage contract.

Aurizon, which was up six cents at $3.63, will transport up to 12 million tonnes of coal per annum from Rio Tinto's Clermont mine to the Dalrymple Bay coal terminal for 10 years from July 2013.

Meanwhile, Ten Network Holdings shares have gone into a trading halt - having last traded at 32.5 cents - as the struggling free-to-air television broadcaster prepared to raise new funds.

Sundance Resources shares fell 11.5 per cent, or 4.5 cents, to 34.5 cents after suitor Hanlong Mining delayed a takeover deal this week.

The spot price of gold in Sydney was $US1702.15 per fine ounce, down $US0.53 from Tuesday's local close of $US1,701.62 per ounce.

National turnover was 1.89 billion securities worth $3.60 billion, with 461 stocks up, 459 down and 332 unchanged.

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Consumers stunned by electricity spikes

THE federal government should have done more to prepare the public for the recent surge in power prices, a Labor senator says.

Speaking at the national conference of the Energy Efficiency Council, Labor Senator Matt Thistlethwaite said it was essential to arm consumers with better information.

Deregulation of the industry in the 1990s exposed consumers to the raw costs of producing electricity, Senator Thistlethwaite said.

Along with the eventual costs of carbon emissions and monopoly businesses that naturally exist in the transmission and distribution of electricity, he said "a perfect storm" was now hitting consumers.

"I don't believe we've prepared the public about that transition and what it means for them," he said.

The government was now attempting to remedy the problem through various reforms, he said, including the establishment of an Energy Consumer Challenge Panel.

AGL has forecast that in 2015 electricity prices will be double the levels of 2008, whereas an analysis by Port Jackson Partners put electricity costs in 2017 as 80 per cent higher than in 2011.

Choice CEO Alan Kirkland said the government had already failed to keep electricity prices affordable, and consumers must be well-represented at Friday's Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting.

He said 25 per cent of household electricity bills went towards infrastructure that is used for only 43 hours per year during extreme temperature spikes.

He called for improved consumer protection and more accessible data for consumers about time-of-use pricing.

Greens Leader Christine Milne said the national electricity market was blocking and distorting Australia's capacity to escape the grip of carbon.

"We can't disassociate from decarbonisation," she said.

"A maximised rollout of renewables is the best hedge against the volatility of pricing of coal and gas."

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Former premier Bligh gets Medibank spot

Former Queensland premier Anna Bligh will join the board of health insurer Medibank Private. Source: AAP

FORMER Queensland premier and privatisation champion Anna Bligh has been appointed to the board of Medibank Private, raising speculation the federal government-owned business could be sold off.

Finance Minister Penny Wong on Tuesday announced the new non-executive director role for Ms Bligh, whose Labor state government lost power earlier this year.

"Her expertise across a wide range of public policy areas will be of great value to Medibank," Senator Wong said in a statement.

As Queensland Labor leader Ms Bligh championed the privatisation of key state-owned assets, including Forestry Plantations Queensland, the Port of Brisbane and coal-carrying rail lines in a bid to balance Queensland's budget.

The federal coalition in early 2010 flagged its plan to sell off Medibank Private in move shadow treasurer Joe Hockey estimated could raise $4.5 billion.

Federal Labor has so far resisted a sale, saying it would cost the budget millions of dollars in foregone dividends, as well as put upward pressure on insurance premiums.

Ms Bligh starts her three-year term from December 21, replacing Philip Twyman, who joined the board in December 2007.

Meanwhile, Dr Cherrell Hirst has been re-appointed to the Medibank board for another three years.

In November, the government appointed former Queensland treasurer Andrew Fraser to the board of the Australian Sports Commission.

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Qld's city kids lagging behind: report

CHILDREN in Queensland's major cities are the least developed in the country by the time they reach school age, a new report suggests.

The federal government's State of Australian Cities 2012 report outlines key statistics for Australia's 18 biggest metropolitan areas - six of which are in the sunshine state.

While the report shows areas like Brisbane have some of the best employment rates in the nation, it contains worrying statistics on Queensland's youngest residents.

The report compares how well children have developed by the time they start school across five areas, including physical health, social competence, emotional maturity, language and cognitive skills.

Unsurprisingly, children from low socio-economic areas were more likely to be developmentally vulnerable.

But the report found across all socio-economic groups that children in Queensland metropolitan areas were slower to develop than those in country areas or cities in other states.

The areas included Brisbane, Gold Coast-Tweed and Townsville-Thuringowa.

"Further analysis is required to determine the reason for this. However, the greater distance between Queensland's regional cities and Brisbane may be one contributing factor," the report suggested.

The report also found more Brisbane residents lived in multi-unit dwellings, like flats or apartments, than in any other capital city.

More than three-quarters of Brisbanites drove to work, the report said.

AA

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Tamworth hail as big as cricket balls

THE NSW town of Tamworth has been hit with hailstones as big as cricket balls as severe storms lash the state's northern tablelands.

A spokesman for the bureau of meteorology said a storm watcher in Tamworth had reported "cricket ball sized-hail", while 98km/h wind gusts have also been recorded.

Severe thunderstorms are predicted to produce large hailstones and damaging winds in locations including Grafton, Scone, Armidale, Tenterfield, Glenn Innes, Inverell, Casino, Tabulam, Maclean, Dorrigo and Glenreagh.

The weather has already caused window and roof damage in Tamworth, the bureau said.

The State Emergency Service (SES) had received about 118 calls for help by 5pm (AEDT), mainly for broken skylights, windows and roof tiles.

There had also been some reports of fallen trees and branches, SES spokesman Phil Campbell told AAP.

There had been no reports of injuries.

SES crews are currently on the scene carrying out repairs.

"We are doing some assessments of the area, which might include a helicopter for an aerial assessment because sometimes people can't see the roof damage from the ground," Mr Campbell said.

Mr Campbell said the SES could receive another surge of phone calls once residents got home from work and assessed the damage.

Another storm cell was expected to hit Tamworth later in the day, Mr Campbell said, but it was forecast to be less intense than Monday afternoon's downpour.

About 1500 Essential Energy customers are without power mainly in the South Tamworth and Oxley Vale area, the power company said.

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Queensland MP plays down racial concerns

Community leaders in Logan fear racial tension after a teenager was killed in a hit-and-run. Source: AAP

REPORTS of racial tension in the Logan suburb of Woodridge have been overblown, says the area's Queensland state MP, Desley Scott.

Jordan Matehaere Tukaki, 17, was killed outside a wild house party on Saturday night when he was hit by a car.

Queensland Police say between 100 and 150 people were at the party at Station Road when a brawl erupted and spilled onto the street, where Mr Tukaki was seriously injured in a hit-and-run.

He died later in hospital.

African-born Charles Greene, 21, has been charged with his murder and was remanded in custody at Beenleigh Magistrates Court on Monday, with his case adjourned until January 21.

Ms Scott, the Labor MP for Woodridge, said reports the incident was sparked by racial tension appear unfounded.

She is blaming a mixture of youth, alcohol and an out-of-control party for the tragedy.

"It doesn't appear to be a racially planned thing," Ms Scott told AAP.

"It sounds very much as though something happened between a group of youngsters.

"(The racial tension has) been blown out of proportion.

"From time to time there's a little bit of tension between our groups ... it'd be foolish to say there's never tensions, but I think we deal with that in a good way."

A friend of Mr Tukaki, speaking to reporters outside court, said while some in the community might be feeling vengeful, it's not the action her friend would have wanted.

"They want revenge on the Africans, but we're saying not to," Kaya Taylor said.

"Jordan wouldn't want that because he was very humble."

Ms Scott said while no formal meeting between community leaders had been planned, she was confident police and community liaison officers would bring people together if they felt that was the right course of action.

"No doubt this will be resolved," she said.

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Man charged with murder in Qld hit-and-run

A MAN has been charged with the murder of a teenage boy who died in a hit-and-run outside a wild house party near Brisbane.

Police say between 100 and 150 people were at the party in Station Road, Woodridge when a brawl erupted and spilled on to the street.

Jordan Matehaere Tukaki, 17, was seriously injured in a hit-and-run during the fracas and later died in hospital.

A 21-year-old man has been charged with murder, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and callous disregard. He will appear in Beenleigh Magistrates Court on Monday.

His car has been seized and is undergoing forensic testing.

Jordan's family released a statement on Sunday, saying he was just weeks away from celebrating his 18th birthday.

"Jordan had such a bright future and outgoing personality, loved music, was an awesome rapper, who would stop to help anyone in need," the statement read.

He is survived by his mother Tia, grandmother Jan and brothers and sisters.

Nearby resident Asmatullah Nasrullahi said he heard people swearing and yelling on the street before seeing a car speed away on Saturday night.

"I was a bit scared because I was at home by myself," he told AAP.

"I could just tell by the noise outside that something was going to happen."

Mr Nasrullahi said he was not surprised the incident occurred in his street.

"This is a low income area and the kids who live here don't have any chance for a good life," he said.

Detective Inspector Christopher Jory rejected witness accounts the brawl was either gang or racially motivated.

"There's nothing to suggest that from our investigations at all," he said.

Acting Superintendent Darren Harland says the party was gatecrashed after it was advertised on Facebook.

"(There is) the potential for uninvited people to arrive at your party and if you advertise on social media, this can be one of the consequences," Supt Harland told reporters in Logan on Sunday.

Police on Sunday were doorknocking residents in the street as they continued their investigations.

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Car park craze as HK property cools

CURBS on buying property in Hong Kong have cooled a market pushed sky-high by mainland Chinese investors. But the steps have sparked a craze for an unlikely new investment - car parking space.

The Asian financial hub slapped new taxes on residential properties in late October to rein in prices, amid growing complaints from Hong Kong citizens that buying even a tiny apartment was now out of their reach.

Mainland Chinese buyers were largely blamed for the increase in prices, which have skyrocketed by 90 per cent since 2009 as they flocked to the city with their new wealth amid the country's economic boom.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying hoped the curbs would calm anger over the issue in the space-starved southern city of seven million people, after previous promises of making more land available did little to help the situation.

The curbs appear to be working but have also had unusual side-effects, with the city's imaginative investors now focusing on car parking spaces, which analysts say could hit an all-time high.

The issue grabbed the public's attention with a single sale of parking spaces for $HK1.3 million ($A160,510) last month, according to reports.

It was the most expensive sale when tycoon Li Ka-shing's flagship Cheung Kong Holdings offloaded 514 car park slots for a total of $HK600 million.

Some of the slots, located in the New Territories area of Hong Kong bordering mainland China, were reportedly quickly resold for profits of up to $HK300,000 each.

People who sell the spaces said they had seen a surge in activity, which they believed was because the slots are not affected by the new taxes, as well as being maintenance-free and relatively cheaper than buying a property.

They say car parking spaces were not previously a popular investment in a city which has only about half a million private cars and is well connected by a vast public transport system.

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