Australia to lead ice core drill project

Australia will lead a major new project in Antarctica to retrieve a 2000 year-long ice core. Source: AAP

AUSTRALIA will lead a major new project in Antarctica to advance the search for the scientific "holy grail" of the million-year ice core.

Environment Minister Tony Burke on Saturday announced the Aurora Basin North project, which will drill a 40-metre deep ice core 600km inland from Casey station next summer to retrieve a 2000 year-long ice core from deep in the heart of east Antarctica.

The project will allow researchers to gain access to the most detailed record yet of past climate in the vast region.

The announcement comes on the same day a leaked draft of the next major Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report showed more evidence of human-led climate change.

Mr Burke, who returned from Antarctica on Saturday, said the project was critically important to understanding how the climate had naturally varied in the past, and it would help predict future responses to global climate change.

"Ice cores provide the written history of our atmosphere and our water," he said.

"Seeking ice cores from this new area where there is much higher snow fall than other inland sites provides a massive increase in the level of detail which lives within the ice."

Aurora Basin is the ideal site for the research as it has sufficient snowfall - 11 centimetres of ice per year - to provide the first record of year-to-year changes over the past 2000 years on the continent.

Mr Burke said when it came to the level of information that could be accessed, shifting to the new location would be akin to moving from a billboard to an encyclopedia, which could soon lead to the "holy grail" of drilling.

"(The project) involves groundwork like the Aurora Basin drilling, airborne surveys and computer modelling of the ice," he said.

"It is expected that this will lead to actual drilling for a one million year old core by various international consortia in the coming years."

The international collaboration will involve about 20 scientists from Australia, Denmark, the US and France.

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Palmer keeps quiet on party plans

Mining magnate Clive Palmer (pic) has refused to discuss his political plans at a press conference. Source: AAP

BILLIONAIRE mining magnate Clive Palmer has once again dodged questions on any plans he might have to start a political party.

Mr Palmer, who has fallen out with senior figures in the Queensland government, suggested two weeks ago he was thinking about forming his own United Australia Party.

But since then the former LNP life member has refused to discuss his plans.

He was again tight-lipped about the issue at a press conference he called at his Palmer Coolum golf resort on Saturday morning.

Liberal National Party defector Alex Douglas was special guest at a dedication of the ninth hole and a lake at the resort to the memory of assassinated US president John F Kennedy.

Dr Douglas, now the independent MP for Gaven following his resignation from the governing LNP, has said he would consider joining a party founded by Mr Palmer.

But both Mr Palmer and Dr Douglas said they'd been too busy to discuss politics in recent weeks.

Mr Palmer said his guest's decision to quit the LNP following a public stoush with Premier Campbell Newman would have been admired by the former US president he was honouring.

"John Kennedy wrote profiles in courage ... you know, he admired people that stood for something," the billionaire told reporters.

"I admire Alex Douglas and the stance he's taken recently in Queensland. I'm sure JFK would if he was here too."

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S&P puts UK's AAA rating on neg outlook

STANDARD and Poor's has cut the outlook on Britain's AAA credit rating from stable to negative, raising the possibility it could downgrade the rating in the next two years.

"The negative outlook reflects our view of a one-in-three chance that we could lower the ratings in the next two years if the UK's economic and fiscal performances weaken beyond our current expectations," S&P said in a statement on Thursday.

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Perth gas buses to continue despite fire

PERTH'S fleet of compressed natural gas buses will be kept on the road while an inquiry is undertaken into why one of them was destroyed by a dramatic fire on Friday morning.

The Transperth bus caught fire as it was heading south on Rockingham Road in the southern suburb of Munster around 6.30am (WST) on Friday and was completely burnt out within minutes.

The driver, who was alerted by one of the passengers to the blaze, had attempted to put out the fire with an extinguisher but was unsuccessful.

As the flames took hold, the safety valve on the fuel tank expelled remaining gas rather than allowing it to reach dangerous pressure levels, the Public Transport Authority and Transperth said in a joint statement.

As photos of the dramatic blaze flashed across social media, state Transport Minister Troy Buswell said significant resources were in place to investigate the cause of the fire.

"I have driven buses and the threat of a fire on a bus is a very, very serious matter," Mr Buswell told reporters.

"We will be investigating urgently and with every available resource.

"We need to understand why this fire started and why our onboard systems were not able to deal with it.

"It is incumbent on us to understand what happened and we will do that very quickly. If there are broader safety issues we will act."

In 2011, the union for bus drivers in Sydney announced they were boycotting the fleet's gas-powered buses, saying it had been kept in the dark about a fire on one of the vehicles caused by an explosion, which prompted the NSW Industrial Relations Commission to order drivers back on the road.

And in 2009, several buses in and around Perth were damaged by fire.

Mr Buswell said he still had confidence in the bus fleet and so should the public.

"I do have confidence in the bus fleet, but we need to investigate what happened this morning and if we have to make changes we will," he said.

"There is no evidence that this is happening broadly, or widely. This is the first incident in three years and there are over 500 of these buses in circulation."

Transperth said it had ordered an immediate inspection of the fire-suppression equipment on all of its 550 gas buses, comprising about 43 per cent of the Transperth metro area fleet.

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BHP and Esso create jobs at Longford plant

GLOBAL giants ExxonMobil and BHP Billiton will spend $1 billion upgrading the Longford gas plant in Victoria in a project that will create about 250 construction jobs.

The 43-year-old plant supplies most of Victoria's gas, while also supplying to NSW and Tasmania and providing 20 per cent of Australia's crude oil needs.

ExxonMobil-owned Esso Australia operates the plant and will provide $500 million in the project and BHP's share is $US520 million ($A494.88 million), pending regulatory approval.

A new gas conditioning plant will remove carbon dioxide in natural gas from the companies' now $5.5 billion-plus Kipper Tuna Turrum project in Bass Strait, the largest on the east coast.

Gas from Turrum contains higher levels of carbon dioxide than past gas from Bass Strait, forcing the revamp at Longford which treats all of the oil and gas from the area.

The 400 million cubic feet of gas a day plant will reduce the CO2 content to an acceptable less than three per cent to meet gas quality specifications for sale into the market.

Turrum has been hit by cost blow-outs and delays, with high mercury levels found in the gas, forcing extra engineering work.

Production is due to start in 2016 after originally being set for last year, with construction at Longford starting in the third quarter of next year.

Australia's suite of costly natural gas projects has been beset by problems and Thursday's announcement follows BHP selling its minority stake in the $30 billion Browse gas project to PetroChina for $US1.63 billion ($A1.56 billion) on Wednesday.

ExxonMobil Australia chairman John Dashwood said the gas conditioning plant would help provide cleaner energy to power economic growth as Australia's energy consumption grew over the next 20 years.

BHP's petroleum chief Michael Yeager said the plant was a necessary extension of Bass Strait infrastructure to enable valuable hydrocarbon liquids production and domestic gas supply for years to come.

BHP, the world's largest diversified resources company and ExxonMobil, the world's largest company by revenue, each have a 50 per cent interest in the Gippsland Basin Joint Venture.

Victoria's Energy Minister Michael O'Brien said the new plant meant the state would get better value out of the gas extracted from Bass Strait.

"We need to have this energy security there because we will diversify from coal, but we can't immediately shift to technology like renewables because renewables aren't as reliable as coal and gas at the moment," he told reporters in Melbourne on Thursday.

Longford was the scene of a catastrophic gas explosion in 1998 that killed two workers, injured eight and disrupted Victorian gas supplies for two weeks.

BHP shares closed 24 cents higher at $36.

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Hey Dad! star on bail on child sex charges

Hey Dad! star Robert Hughes landed in Sydney to face child sex allegations dating back to the 1980s. Source: AAP

ACCUSED child predator and Hey Dad! star Robert Hughes is back in Australia to fight 11 child sex charges.

The 64-year-old was escorted by NSW police on a flight from London that landed at Sydney Airport about 7.30am (AEDT) on Thursday.

Hughes had previously consented to an order sought by Australia's attorney-general that he be extradited to Sydney in relation to allegations he abused five young girls between 1984 and 1990.

An army of media staked out the usual exits at the international terminal but did not get a glimpse of the actor until he arrived at Sydney Police Centre in the CBD, where detectives charged him.

His wife Robyn Gardiner arrived days before and was present in Central Local Court where Hughes made a brief appearance.

He wore a grey and white striped shirt and blue jeans and appeared weary from the long journey but did not express emotion as he sat in the dock.

Police prosecutor Michael Chillari did not oppose bail and Magistrate Julie Huber accepted Hughes' offer of $50,000 as surety.

Outside court, his lawyer Greg Walsh said Hughes was relieved about getting bail but would spend little time outside his small rented apartment in Sydney's CBD.

"It's going to be very difficult for him," he told reporters.

"He'll be residing in a room not much bigger than a cell.

"But I don't think he'll be leaving his room except to go and report to police."

Hughes must report to Surry Hills police station every Monday, Wednesday and Friday and must not approach any crown witnesses.

He must surrender all passports, not apply for any travel documents and not go within one kilometre of any point of international departure.

Mr Walsh noted that Hughes was interviewed years ago over the child sex allegations by detectives at Chatswood police station.

At that time he denied any wrongdoing and he continues to maintain his innocence.

Mr Walsh met him for the first time in person on Thursday.

"He seems to be a fairly quiet sort of man but very determined and very resolute," he said.

The evidence amassed was extensive, he said, and the case would be difficult for both sides since the allegations date back 28 years.

Hughes' wife declined to speak to AAP when she rushed out of the courthouse.

Sex Crimes Squad commander John Kerlatec said all Hughes' alleged victims were pleased the investigation had "progressed to this stage".

"We've been in close contact with all the (alleged) victims (and) they've been made fully aware of our progress," Det Supt Kerlatec told reporters.

He said more than 200 people had been interviewed by police since the investigation began in 2010, and the investigation was nearly complete unless any other alleged victims came forward.

Hughes played the lead role of Martin Kelly in the hit sitcom series Hey Dad! which ran from 1987 until 1994.

His case will come before the Downing Centre Local Court on January 29.

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Pet shop stops selling Christmas puppies

A PET store in Adelaide has stopped selling puppies in the lead-up to Christmas to discourage impulse buying.

The Pet Spot at suburban Salisbury says selling puppies as Christmas presents contributes to many animals being dumped afterwards.

Instead, it's urging people who "genuinely want the wonderful addition of a pet for Xmas" to contact an animal rescue group.

The shop concedes its stand might appear rude to some.

"But we are trying to promote and achieve responsible pet ownership," it said on Wednesday.

After revealing its decision on Facebook this month the store's stand has attracted almost 20,000 likes.

It has also prompted a range of mostly positive comments.

"Now if we could just stop backyard breeders and puppy farmers, we and our pets just might look forward to a happy New Year," said one pet owner Helen Thomas.

A South Australian parliamentary committee will next year examine the companion animal industry including issues surrounding the so-called puppy factories, registration of animals and compulsory desexing in a bid to reduce the number of animals being euthanased.

Labor MP Leon Bignell proposed the inquiry and said many MPs knew of stories that did not end well for companion dogs and cats.

"Particularly around Christmas time when people buy a cute little furry ball of fun that they think the whole family is going to enjoy," he told parliament.

"Suddenly, when they are cleaning up after this kitten or this puppy, it is not quite the fairytale they had in mind."

The inquiry has been backed by Liberal frontbencher Duncan McFetridge, a vet of 22 years, who said he had worked at the coalface of pet ownership.

"I have seen many fantastic stories, but I have seen unfortunately some absolute tragedies where people take on more than they had ever anticipated or expected," he said.

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Indian sitar legend Ravi Shankar dies

Legendary Indian sitar player Ravi Shankar, a major influence on Western musicians, has died at age 92.

Renowned Indian sitar player Ravi Shankar has died in the US aged 92, Indian media reports. Source: AAP

LEGENDARY Indian sitar player Ravi Shankar, a major influence on Western musicians ranging from The Beatles to Yehudi Menuhin, has died at the age of 92.

Shankar, the father of the American singer-songwriter Norah Jones, died in a hospital in San Diego where he was preparing to undergo surgery, according to Indian television news channels, on Wednesday.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressed his sadness over the death and hailed Shankar as "a national treasure and global ambassador of India's cultural heritage".

"Mourn (the) passing of a musical genius and gentle soul," Nirupama Menon Rao, the Indian ambassador to the United States, said on her Twitter feed.

Shankar, who was living in California when he died, was born into a high-caste Bengali Brahmin family in the Hindu holy city of Varanasi in northern India on April 7, 1920.

He taught close friend the late Beatle George Harrison to play the sitar and collaborated with him on several projects, including the groundbreaking concert for Bangladesh in 1971. The Beatles called him The Godfather of World Music.

A statement on Shankar's website said he died in San Diego, near his Southern California home. The musician's foundation issued a statement saying that he had suffered upper respiratory and heart problems and had undergone heart-valve replacement surgery last week.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also confirmed Shankar's death and called him a "national treasure".

Labelled "the godfather of world music" by the Beatles' George Harrison, Shankar helped millions of classical, jazz and rock lovers discover the centuries-old traditions of Indian music.

"He was legend of legends," Shivkumar Sharma, a noted santoor player who performed with Shankar, told Indian media.

"Indian classical was not at all known in the Western world. He was the musician who had that training ... the ability to communicate with the Western audience."

He also pioneered the concept of the rock benefit with the 1971 Concert For Bangladesh. To later generations, he was known as the estranged father of popular American singer Norah Jones.

His last musical performance was with his other daughter, sitarist Anoushka Shankar Wright, on November 4 in Long Beach, California; his foundation said it was to celebrate his 10th decade of creating music.

The multiple Grammy winner learned that he had again been nominated for the award the night before his surgery.

"It's one of the biggest losses for the music world," said Kartic Seshadri, a Shankar protege, sitar virtuoso and music professor at the University of California, San Diego. "There's nothing more to be said."

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Qld, federal govts meet over reef's future

QUEENSLAND'S environment minister says industrial growth along the length of the Great Barrier Reef has been the focus of closed discussions with the federal government.

Federal and state ministers met behind closed doors on Tuesday in Brisbane for the 35th Great Barrier Reef Ministerial Forum.

Queensland's Environment Minister Andrew Powell later told reporters Gladstone Harbour had dominated the talks.

He said Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke, who chaired the meeting, was impressed with state initiatives to set up a partnership between interest groups, the community and the local government to tackle water quality issues in Gladstone.

But Mr Powell failed to say what exactly was being done to minimise damage industrial development linked to the mining industry will have on the reef.

Instead he told reporters Gladstone was an established port and industrial area.

"From an environmental perspective I would rather see continued appropriate high environmental standard developments in Gladstone than further ports opened up (along the coast)," Mr Powell said.

This comes as the state government agrees to the terms of reference involved in the duplication of shipping channels in Gladstone's harbour, clearing the way for the proponent to go ahead with an environmental impact statement.

"Increasing its capacity will place us in a position to take advantage of an immeasurable number of opportunities in coming years," Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney said in a statement.

The Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) said the government was fast-tracking port, rail and mine approvals which threaten the reef.

"The clock is ticking for the state and federal government to respond to international concerns about plans for exploitative development along the reef," AMCS spokeswoman Felicity Wishart said.

The United Nation's environmental arm UNESCO was highly critical of Australia's management of the reef in a June report.

It said coastal development, ports and shipping were among the most pressing threats and chastised the government for not having an overall plan for the future sustainable development of the reef.

UNESCO will decide early next year whether to list the reef as a World Heritage site in danger.

Gladstone Harbour has also had an unexplained outbreak of disease among its marine life that some fishers and conservationists have blamed on the harbour's dredging expansion. This has been strongly denied by the Gladstone Ports Corporation.

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Obeid involvement 'could harm company'

A FORMER mining company boss did not tell shareholders about possible Obeid family links to a $500 million coal deal, despite suspecting they were involved, a corruption inquiry has heard.

John Atkinson, who was managing director of White Energy in 2008, on Tuesday gave evidence at an Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) inquiry into whether former Labor minister Ian Macdonald in 2008 rigged a tender process for a coal exploration licence in the NSW Bylong Valley.

The ICAC is probing how another former Labor minister, Eddie Obeid, may have gained from the awarding of the licence to Cascade Coal.

The inquiry has been told that White Energy made a $500 million offer for Cascade Coal, a company linked to the Obeids, but the deal fell through.

The inquiry heard Mr Atkinson suspected the Obeids were involved in Cascade Coal, but he did not inform shareholders, company directors, or the Australian Stock Exchange of his misgivings.

"There was a real prospect that the knowledge of the Obeids would harm the company, wasn't there?" Commissioner David Ipp asked.

"Yes," Mr Atkinson replied.

"Why didn't you tell the shareholders, and the directors and the stock exchange? Mr Ipp then asked.

"I didn't see that as my obligation," Mr Atkinson replied.

The inquiry was told that Mr Atkinson, an original investor in Cascade Coal, stood to make millions of dollars from the deal between Cascade and White Energy.

It was also told that there was a "high risk" that the state government would not grant a mining licence over the coal-rich area if the Obeids' involvement was revealed, which would cause the value of the critical Mt Penny tenement to collapse.

"You didn't have the shareholders' interests at heart - you had your own interests at heart," counsel assisting the commissioner, Geoffrey Watson, suggested.

"No, I always had the White Energy shareholders at heart," Mr Atkinson replied.

Earlier, Mr Atkinson distanced himself from company letters sent on different letterheads to the NSW Department of Primary Industries in 2008 urging it to reopen a tender process for a coal exploration licence in the Bylong Valley.

"The only possible explanation for White Energy and Amerod sending the letters is that somebody wished to create the illusion there was more than one company out to exploit coal in the particular area," Commissioner David Ipp suggested.

"Was this part of White Energy's plans to use its subsidiaries and other companies in which its major shareholders had an interest to write letters to the department to create this illusion?" he asked.

"Not that I was aware," Mr Atkinson said.

Mr Atkinson conceded that it was "theoretically possible" that the letters were directed by members of a "syndicate" connected to White Energy, including John McGuigan or Travers Duncan.

The inquiry continues on Wednesday.

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Skyfall holds the Australian box office

AUSSIE fans have been seduced by James Bond for another week with Skyfall claiming the No.1 spot in the box office for the third successive week.

The 23rd movie in the 007 series remained a clear leader over the weekend, taking in $4.656 million nationwide.

Starring Daniel Craig as Bond and Javier Bardem as the villain, Skyfall has now earned $32.229 million at the Australian box office in just three weeks.

It was a good week for Pitch Perfect, which jumped one place to No. 2 with $2.597 million. The Hollywood production about an all-girl university singing group stars Australian Rebel Wilson as Fat Amy.

Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2, is still going strong, sitting in third place taking $1.128 million at the weekend, with total earnings of $26.161 million over four weeks.

Newcomer, Here Comes the Boom, a comedy/action film that stars Kevin James and Henry Winkler, debuted at No.4 with $489,946.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower, about three misfit teenagers and based on the book of the same name, was pushed to fifth place.

Meanwhile, The Man with Iron Fists debuted at No.9. Starring Russell Crowe and Lucy Liu, the action film is about a blacksmith in feudal China who must defend his village from warriors, assassins and a rogue British soldier.

Starring Clint Eastwood and Justin Timberlake, The Trouble With the Curve rounded out the Top Ten in its first week of release.

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Vic taxi report to be released this week

VICTORIANS will have a chance to respond to a landmark report on the state's taxi industry before the government responds, Premier Ted Baillieu says.

Professor Allan Fels handed his report to the government several weeks ago after a 12-month inquiry into the industry.

Mr Baillieu said the government would release the report for public comment this week.

"We are keen to ensure that the community will have a chance to assess that, and there will be a process for that to take place," he told reporters in Melbourne on Monday.

"We will respond to that process."

Prof Fels has already recommended drivers should take compulsory tests of their knowledge of the city and called for higher fares and pay rates on Friday and Saturday nights.

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Chavez admits cancer relapse

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez says his cancer has returned and he will undergo further surgery. Source: AAP

LEFTIST Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has admitted a relapse of his cancer and designated Vice-President Nicolas Maduro as his heir apparent in case "something happened" to him.

Speaking on national television late on Saturday, an emotional Chavez said a return of cancer cells was detected during his most recent visit to Cuba for medical examination, and he would return to the communist-ruled island as early as Sunday for another round of surgery.

"During this thorough examination, they again detected some malignant cells in the same area as before," Chavez said.

He did not offer details, but his cancer was first detected in the pelvic area. Neither the Venezuelan leader, nor his Cuban doctors have ever disclosed what kind of cancer that was.

He admitted he was suffering "somewhat strong" pain and was taking tranquillisers as part of preparation for his upcoming surgery.

Chavez acknowledged his Cuban medical team had conveyed to him a sense of urgency about the operation, which he said was now "absolutely necessary."

"The doctor recommended that I undergo surgery yesterday (Friday) at the latest, or this weekend," he noted. "But I did not agree and came back home."

Chavez returned from Havana on Friday after a 10-day stay in Cuba. He had not been seen in public for three weeks.

The Venezuelan leader also said that in the event "something happened" and he were incapacitated, Maduro would step in and assume control of the government for the rest of the 2013-2019 term, as required by the constitution.

But in what appeared like a presentation of his final will, the president also indicated he would like Maduro to take over the reins of power in a post-Chavez period, urging Venezuelans to vote for him in the next presidential elections.

"You choose Maduro as president of the republic," said Chavez told the nation. "I am asking you this from all my heart."

Maduro, who has been serving as Venezuela's foreign minister for the past six years, was appointed vice-president in the wake of the October presidential elections. He has held both portfolios since.

Firebrand leader Chavez made his latest announcement despite frequent assurances on the campaign trail before his re-election in October that he had been cured of cancer.

Recurring bouts of the disease have dogged Chavez's presidency for the past couple of years, requiring him to spend weeks at a time being treated in Cuba.

He had a cancerous tumour removed from near his pelvic area last year.

The Venezuelan leader, 58, has repeatedly claimed to have beaten the cancer that was diagnosed in 2011 and shrugged off his illness to see off a unified opposition and secure another six-year term on October 7.

In Cuba last week, the official newspaper Grandma explained Chavez's treatment consisted of oxygenation.

The American Cancer Society says there is no evidence that this oxygen treatment - in which a patient gets inside a pressurised chamber and breathes pure oxygen for an hour - works against cancer.

But the society says it can serve as treatment for ailments stemming from radiation treatment.

Chavez, who has been in power since 1999 and gained global prominence as an anti-American firebrand, appeared weak and subdued during the presidential campaign, but still managed to win another term that extends to 2019.

Prior to Saturday's surprise announcement, he had last been seen in public on November 15, and two weeks later he went to Cuba for treatment.

Over the past year and a half, Chavez has missed practically every regional meeting he was to have attended, such as the Summit of the Americas in Colombia, the Mercosur summit in Brazil and last month's Ibero-American summit in Cadiz, Spain.

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Teen hospitalised in weekend booze blitz

Hundreds have been arrested in NSW during a weekend crackdown on alcohol-related violence. Source: AAP

A 13-YEAR-OLD girl has been hospitalised and almost 550 people have been arrested during a weekend crackdown on alcohol-related violence.

Following an annual two-day police operation targeting alcohol-related violence in Australia and New Zealand, NSW police said arrests were up in the state.

While last year's blitz saw more than 380 people arrested over two nights, this year almost 550 people managed to get themselves "so drunk, or so out-of-focus that they got themselves in strife and got themselves arrested", Deputy Commissioner Nick Kaldas said on Sunday.

"What we are seeing more and more is that when people do get out and don't have a plan for getting home they end up presenting themselves as victims rather than offenders as well," he told reporters in Sydney.

Among the "victims" was a 13-year-old girl who was found by police passed out in the backyard of a Bellevue Hill home in Sydney's eastern suburbs.

Police said the girl had allegedly consumed a "large amount of vodka" at a party of more than 250 teenagers.

The girl was taken to Randwick Children's Hospital in a stable condition.

At Kings Cross, Sydney's nightclub district, three men were arrested after a brawl broke out at around 1.45am (AEDT).

Meanwhile, in Ballina in northern NSW, a police officer was allegedly assaulted after a man was refused entry to a licensed hotel due to intoxication.

The 36-year-old is expected to be charged with assault police and resist arrest.

"Despite the community's best efforts to curb alcohol-related violence and anti-social behaviour, it's clear some people just aren't getting the message," Mr Kaldas said.

"There is definitely a culture of binge-drinking where people go out not only with the aim of having a few drinks but getting absolutely drunk.

"This is not seen and should not be seen as purely (a) law enforcement problem ... you can't arrest yourself out of these figures.

"The community has to accept some responsibility."

Mr Kaldas said although Queensland has had a "marked drop in arrests", NSW did not greatly differ from other Australian states and territories.

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