Cruise ship returns with sick toll at 700

A cruise ship on which nearly 700 passengers and crew fell ill has arrived home in the US. Source: AAP

A CRUISE ship on which nearly 700 passengers and crew fell ill has arrived at its home port in the US after a Caribbean voyage was cut short by the outbreak.

One woman aboard the Explorers of the Sea yelled, "We made it!" as the ship docked Wednesday at New Jersey. Other passengers, with blankets wrapped around them, stood on deck to watch the ship pull in.

The cause of the outbreak is yet to be determined.

Bill Rakowicz of Canada said he suffered from vomiting, pain and diarrhoea and that his experience was simply "awful".

The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said its latest count puts the number of those sickened at 630 passengers and 54 crew members. The ship was carrying 3050 passengers.

Health investigators suspect norovirus, but lab results are not expected until later this week.

If norovirus is to blame, it would be one of the largest outbreaks in last 20 years, the CDC said. A 2006 norovirus outbreak on a Carnival Cruise Lines ship also sickened close to 700.

Norovirus - once known as Norwalk virus - is highly contagious. It can be picked up from an infected person, contaminated food or water or by touching contaminated surfaces. It causes bouts of vomiting and diarrhoea for a few days.

The CDC said it recommended to cruise operator Royal Caribbean that people who still have symptoms be housed in nearby hotels or seen at medical facilities before travelling home.

CDC investigators boarded the ship during its US Virgin Islands Port call on Sunday. They said no single food or water source or other origin has been identified.

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Power cut to Vic desal plant

Victoria's controversial desalination plant has been relying on generator power for several weeks. Source: AAP

VICTORIA'S controversial desalination plant has been relying on generator power for several weeks, with electricity shut off due to a problem with cabling.

Two cable joints were found to be performing below specification and needed to be repaired, plant spokesman John Ridley said.

Electricity to the Wonthaggi plant has been shut off while the repairs take place.

"Because the plant is not producing any water, it is of no consequence and the systems to maintain the plant have all been supplied by the standby generators which are there for that reason," Mr Ridley told AAP.

"Once the cable is fully operational again, which will be very soon, days rather than weeks as I understand it, then everything will be absolutely fine."

Electricity is needed to run pumps to maintain the plant, he said.

The cause of the cabling problem is being investigated.

The $6.1 billion desalination plant, which provides a drought-proof water supply to Melbourne and Geelong, was built under the previous Labor government and had massive cost blowouts.

It began operating in 2012 but the government has placed a zero-gigalitre order for the past two financial years.

A decision on a 2014/15 order is due by April.

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Qld battens down for huge tropical storm

North Queenslanders are bracing for Cyclone Dylan which is tipped to cross the coach early Friday. Source: AAP

A TROPICAL cyclone barrelling towards north Queensland has been upgraded to a category two cyclone.

Cyclone Dylan is expected to cross the coast further south than originally expected, near Ayr or possibly Bowen, in the early hours of Friday morning, just hours before a king tide is forecast to hit.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) upgraded the severe storm to a category two cyclone on Thursday night.

Whitsunday Mayor Jenny Whitney said the council is now urging people in low-lying areas to evacuate before the king tide on Friday morning.

Those in low-lying areas in Bowen - about 1700 properties - should evacuate before 9am (AEST) and homes that could be flooded in Airlie Beach - about 900 properties - should evacuate before 6am.

Evacuation centres have been opened in both areas.

The cyclone was about 185 kilometres northeast of Townsville and 225km north of Proserpine at 7pm on Friday, the BOM says.

It's moving at 12km/h towards the coast and may bring dangerous storm tides, heavy rain, flash flooding and storm gusts of up to 150km/h.

Gales and torrential rain are battering areas from Cardwell to St Lawrence and winds are expected to intensify between Lucinda and St Lawrence on Thursday night and Friday morning.

Heavy rain, which may lead to flash flooding, is expected from Herbert and Lower Burdekin and the Central Coast and Whitsunday Districts.

Coastal residents between Lucinda and St Lawrence, including Townsville are being warned of a dangerous storm tide, particularly Friday morning.

"The sea is likely to rise steadily up to a level well above the normal tide, with damaging waves and flooding of some low-lying areas close to the shoreline," the weather bureau said in a statement.

A separate severe weather warning is in place for coastal and island communities from Cooktown to Cardwell and from St Lawrence to Gladstone.

North Queenslanders spent Thursday bracing for the cyclone.

Queensland Premier Campbell Newman says while flooding is a "big threat", north Queenslanders have faced far worse disasters.

"I know people in the far north have dealt with bigger and far more serious events than this," he told media after being briefed on the cyclone in Townsville.

"But I'm here in solidarity with the people of the north."

Mr Newman says affected residents needing to travel should do so well before the cyclone makes landfall or wait it out.

Torrential rain and gales are battering coastal communities from Townsville to Mackay on Thursday night.

Low-lying areas in Townsville, Cairns, Bowen, Airlie Beach and Mackay have all been flooded and roads in Bowen have been damaged.

Townsville and Bowen ports have been closed and boats travelling to and from Palm Island, Magnetic Island and The Whitsundays have been moored.

Education Queensland has advised Hayman Island State School and TAFE campuses in Mackay, Ooralea, Burdekin, Bowen and Cannonvale will be closed on Friday.

The approaching cyclone has also disrupted flights out of Whitsunday and Townsville, while the Mackay Airport will be closed until at least midday on Friday.

Residents have been stocking up on supermarket supplies and some stores have run out of sandbags.

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MP says give 'measly' $25m to SPC

Federal cabinet will discuss a proposal to co-invest in SPC Ardmona's fruit processing operations. Source: AAP

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott has used the rejection of taxpayer support for fruit processor SPC Ardmona to set an important "marker" for how his government will deal with requests for industry assistance.

The 93-year-old Victorian company wanted a $25 million federal grant, topped up by $25 million from the Victorian government and its own $150 million investment, for new product development and technology to prop up its operation.

But after three hours of debate in federal cabinet on Thursday, Mr Abbott said the plan was rejected because it was not the government's job to restructure a particular business.

The decision, which workers and growers fear will lead to the operation's closure, comes weeks after Holden's bid for support was rejected and its parent company General Motors announced the end of car production in Australia in 2017.

"The decision that came from the cabinet today does set an important marker," Mr Abbott said.

"This is a government which will make sure that the restructuring that some Australian businesses need, that some Australian sectors need, is led by business, as it should be."

The government's role was to create the right climate for business, he said.

Mr Abbott said SPC Ardmona - owned by food giant Coca-Cola Amatil - was a strong business with the resources to allow it to restructure.

The company advised the government it was prepared to invest an extra $161 million into the business and renegotiate its enterprise bargaining agreement.

Mr Abbott said the company's present EBA had conditions "well in excess of the award", including a wet allowance and generous redundancy provisions.

However SPC Ardmona managing director Peter Kelly said the company would review its business plans.

"This is an unexpected and extremely disappointing decision by the coalition, particularly after the enormous support we have received for our business plans from the local community and beyond," Mr Kelly said.

Acting Opposition Leader Tanya Plibersek said the government had failed in its fundamental role - to protect jobs and bring on new investment.

"First they forced General Motors Holden out - now they are sending SPC Ardmona to the wall," Ms Plibersek said.

Labor pledged at the 2013 federal election to provide the $25 million grant.

If the plant closes, it is estimated 1500 direct and 2700 indirect jobs could be lost in the Shepparton region.

Shepparton mayor Jenny Houlihan said workers faced an unknown future.

"The $25 million that the government refused to let go today will be eaten up in unemployment benefits," she said.

Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union national secretary Paul Bastian said workers had been improving productivity, but other factors were affecting the business, such as the dumping of cheap imports and the high dollar.

"The government directly and indirectly subsidises mining, agriculture, finance, fisheries and other important Australian industries and yet it is continually cutting investment in manufacturing," Mr Bastian said.

"Soon, when we go to the supermarket ... there will be nothing left made in Australia."

Victorian Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews said if state premier Denis Napthine could not convince Mr Abbott to stump up $25 million for SPC Ardmona, he struggled to see how Dr Napthine could secure $300 million for Toyota as it considers its future.

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Treasury Wines tank on share market

Treasury Wine Estates has issued a profit warning in the wake of weaker than expected sales. Source: AAP

TREASURY Wine Estates has been hammered on the stock market, with its shares falling by 20 per cent after it issued a profit downgrade due to weaker sales in Australia and China.

The company behind Penfolds and Wolf Blass has cut its full year earnings forecast from between $230 million and $250 million to between $190 million and $210 million.

It expects first half earnings, which will be announced in February, to be between $41 million and $46 million, down from $73 million last year.

Treasury Wine shares fell to $3.64, their weakest price in almost two years, wiping $589 million from the value of the company.

Weaker than expected sales in Australia, following the company's decision to lift prices on some products and focus less on Christmas promotions, had contributed to the profit downgrade, it said.

A decline in Chinese demand for premium wine had also hit sales volumes.

Treasury Wine also said it had continued to reduce shipments to the US while increasing investment across the group, especially in Asia.

The profit downgrade is the latest in a string of bad news for Treasury Wine, which last year poured more than $35 million worth of excess or aged commercial stock down the drain in the US.

The controversial move, which was part of a broader $160 million writedown, ultimately led to the departure of chief executive David Dearie.

Law Firm Maurice Blackburn and litigation funder IMF last October announced funding of a class action against Treasury Wine, alleging the company misled the market and breached its continuous disclosure obligations in its communication of the financial impact of over-stocked US distributors to investors.

On Thursday, Maurice Blackburn managing principal Ben Slade said the latest profit downgrade raised "questions of transparency" about the company's operations.

"TWE's announcement this morning suggests that continuous disclosure requirements may not have been complied with," he said in a statement.

"We are confident that the company's shock $190 million downgrade announcement in July last year was indicative of such a breach. It may have happened again."

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Police given bus CCTV after woman pinned

A woman has died in hospital after being pinned under a bus for two hours in Sydney's CBD. Source: AAP

AFTER the death of two pedestrians on the same day in Sydney, police are urging the public to be more careful crossing roads.

A 51-year-old Granville woman died on Wednesday night after being hit by a bus in Sydney's CBD. She was trapped in its axles for two hours before emergency services freed her and she died only hours after undergoing emergency surgery.

Earlier that day, an 83-year-old man died instantly when he was hit by a truck in Monterey in southern Sydney while crossing the road.

NSW Police Traffic and Highway Patrol operations commander Stuart Smith said the deaths were tragic.

"It was a dreadful day on NSW roads," he told reporters on Thursday.

Superintendent Smith said crash investigators are looking into both accidents, including CCTV footage from the State Transit bus as well as an examination of traffic and pedestrian control records.

"It's a complex calculation that can only be provided once a re-enactment is provided," he said.

Police say the bus was turning right when it struck the woman, and the 70-year-old driver was provided with counselling.

"We believe he is a very experienced driver with the State Transit Authority," Supt Smith said.

He could not comment on whether jaywalking was a factor in the accident but reminded pedestrians and drivers to look out for each other.

"It is a place where we all need to be aware and to keep a proper lookout," he said.

He warned people about the dangers of jaywalking and using electronic devices such as mobile phones and MP3 players.

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MP says give 'measly' $25m to SPC

Federal cabinet will discuss a proposal to co-invest in SPC Ardmona's fruit processing operations. Source: AAP

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott has used the rejection of taxpayer support for fruit processor SPC Ardmona to set an important "marker" for how his government will deal with requests for industry assistance.

The 93-year-old Victorian company wanted a $25 million federal grant, topped up by $25 million from the Victorian government and its own $150 million investment, for new product development and technology to prop up its operation.

But after three hours of debate in federal cabinet on Thursday, Mr Abbott said the plan was rejected because it was not the government's job to restructure a particular business.

The decision, which workers and growers fear will lead to the operation's closure, comes weeks after Holden's bid for support was rejected and its parent company General Motors announced the end of car production in Australia in 2017.

"The decision that came from the cabinet today does set an important marker," Mr Abbott said.

"This is a government which will make sure that the restructuring that some Australian businesses need, that some Australian sectors need, is led by business, as it should be."

The government's role was to create the right climate for business, he said.

Mr Abbott said SPC Ardmona - owned by food giant Coca-Cola Amatil - was a strong business with the resources to allow it to restructure.

The company advised the government it was prepared to invest an extra $161 million into the business and renegotiate its enterprise bargaining agreement.

Mr Abbott said the company's present EBA had conditions "well in excess of the award", including a wet allowance and generous redundancy provisions.

However SPC Ardmona managing director Peter Kelly said the company would review its business plans.

"This is an unexpected and extremely disappointing decision by the coalition, particularly after the enormous support we have received for our business plans from the local community and beyond," Mr Kelly said.

Acting Opposition Leader Tanya Plibersek said the government had failed in its fundamental role - to protect jobs and bring on new investment.

"First they forced General Motors Holden out - now they are sending SPC Ardmona to the wall," Ms Plibersek said.

Labor pledged at the 2013 federal election to provide the $25 million grant.

If the plant closes, it is estimated 1500 direct and 2700 indirect jobs could be lost in the Shepparton region.

Shepparton mayor Jenny Houlihan said workers faced an unknown future.

"The $25 million that the government refused to let go today will be eaten up in unemployment benefits," she said.

Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union national secretary Paul Bastian said workers had been improving productivity, but other factors were affecting the business, such as the dumping of cheap imports and the high dollar.

"The government directly and indirectly subsidises mining, agriculture, finance, fisheries and other important Australian industries and yet it is continually cutting investment in manufacturing," Mr Bastian said.

"Soon, when we go to the supermarket ... there will be nothing left made in Australia."

Victorian Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews said if state premier Denis Napthine could not convince Mr Abbott to stump up $25 million for SPC Ardmona, he struggled to see how Dr Napthine could secure $300 million for Toyota as it considers its future.

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Treasury Wines tank on share market

Treasury Wine Estates has issued a profit warning in the wake of weaker than expected sales. Source: AAP

TREASURY Wine Estates has been hammered on the stock market, with its shares falling by 20 per cent after it issued a profit downgrade due to weaker sales in Australia and China.

The company behind Penfolds and Wolf Blass has cut its full year earnings forecast from between $230 million and $250 million to between $190 million and $210 million.

It expects first half earnings, which will be announced in February, to be between $41 million and $46 million, down from $73 million last year.

Treasury Wine shares fell to $3.64, their weakest price in almost two years, wiping $589 million from the value of the company.

Weaker than expected sales in Australia, following the company's decision to lift prices on some products and focus less on Christmas promotions, had contributed to the profit downgrade, it said.

A decline in Chinese demand for premium wine had also hit sales volumes.

Treasury Wine also said it had continued to reduce shipments to the US while increasing investment across the group, especially in Asia.

The profit downgrade is the latest in a string of bad news for Treasury Wine, which last year poured more than $35 million worth of excess or aged commercial stock down the drain in the US.

The controversial move, which was part of a broader $160 million writedown, ultimately led to the departure of chief executive David Dearie.

Law Firm Maurice Blackburn and litigation funder IMF last October announced funding of a class action against Treasury Wine, alleging the company misled the market and breached its continuous disclosure obligations in its communication of the financial impact of over-stocked US distributors to investors.

On Thursday, Maurice Blackburn managing principal Ben Slade said the latest profit downgrade raised "questions of transparency" about the company's operations.

"TWE's announcement this morning suggests that continuous disclosure requirements may not have been complied with," he said in a statement.

"We are confident that the company's shock $190 million downgrade announcement in July last year was indicative of such a breach. It may have happened again."

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Qld battens down for huge tropical storm

North Queenslanders are bracing for Cyclone Dylan which is tipped to cross the coach early Friday. Source: AAP

A TROPICAL cyclone barrelling towards north Queensland has been upgraded to a category two cyclone.

Cyclone Dylan is expected to cross the coast further south than originally expected, near Ayr or possibly Bowen, in the early hours of Friday morning, just hours before a king tide is forecast to hit.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) upgraded the severe storm to a category two cyclone on Thursday night.

Whitsunday Mayor Jenny Whitney said the council is now urging people in low-lying areas to evacuate before the king tide on Friday morning.

Those in low-lying areas in Bowen - about 1700 properties - should evacuate before 9am (AEST) and homes that could be flooded in Airlie Beach - about 900 properties - should evacuate before 6am.

Evacuation centres have been opened in both areas.

The cyclone was about 185 kilometres northeast of Townsville and 225km north of Proserpine at 7pm on Friday, the BOM says.

It's moving at 12km/h towards the coast and may bring dangerous storm tides, heavy rain, flash flooding and storm gusts of up to 150km/h.

Gales and torrential rain are battering areas from Cardwell to St Lawrence and winds are expected to intensify between Lucinda and St Lawrence on Thursday night and Friday morning.

Heavy rain, which may lead to flash flooding, is expected from Herbert and Lower Burdekin and the Central Coast and Whitsunday Districts.

Coastal residents between Lucinda and St Lawrence, including Townsville are being warned of a dangerous storm tide, particularly Friday morning.

"The sea is likely to rise steadily up to a level well above the normal tide, with damaging waves and flooding of some low-lying areas close to the shoreline," the weather bureau said in a statement.

A separate severe weather warning is in place for coastal and island communities from Cooktown to Cardwell and from St Lawrence to Gladstone.

North Queenslanders spent Thursday bracing for the cyclone.

Queensland Premier Campbell Newman says while flooding is a "big threat", north Queenslanders have faced far worse disasters.

"I know people in the far north have dealt with bigger and far more serious events than this," he told media after being briefed on the cyclone in Townsville.

"But I'm here in solidarity with the people of the north."

Mr Newman says affected residents needing to travel should do so well before the cyclone makes landfall or wait it out.

Torrential rain and gales are battering coastal communities from Townsville to Mackay on Thursday night.

Low-lying areas in Townsville, Cairns, Bowen, Airlie Beach and Mackay have all been flooded and roads in Bowen have been damaged.

Townsville and Bowen ports have been closed and boats travelling to and from Palm Island, Magnetic Island and The Whitsundays have been moored.

Education Queensland has advised Hayman Island State School and TAFE campuses in Mackay, Ooralea, Burdekin, Bowen and Cannonvale will be closed on Friday.

The approaching cyclone has also disrupted flights out of Whitsunday and Townsville, while the Mackay Airport will be closed until at least midday on Friday.

Residents have been stocking up on supermarket supplies and some stores have run out of sandbags.

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Power cut to Vic desal plant

Victoria's controversial desalination plant has been relying on generator power for several weeks. Source: AAP

VICTORIA'S controversial desalination plant has been relying on generator power for several weeks, with electricity shut off due to a problem with cabling.

Two cable joints were found to be performing below specification and needed to be repaired, plant spokesman John Ridley said.

Electricity to the Wonthaggi plant has been shut off while the repairs take place.

"Because the plant is not producing any water, it is of no consequence and the systems to maintain the plant have all been supplied by the standby generators which are there for that reason," Mr Ridley told AAP.

"Once the cable is fully operational again, which will be very soon, days rather than weeks as I understand it, then everything will be absolutely fine."

Electricity is needed to run pumps to maintain the plant, he said.

The cause of the cabling problem is being investigated.

The $6.1 billion desalination plant, which provides a drought-proof water supply to Melbourne and Geelong, was built under the previous Labor government and had massive cost blowouts.

It began operating in 2012 but the government has placed a zero-gigalitre order for the past two financial years.

A decision on a 2014/15 order is due by April.

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Cruise ship returns with sick toll at 700

A cruise ship on which nearly 700 passengers and crew fell ill has arrived home in the US. Source: AAP

A CRUISE ship on which nearly 700 passengers and crew fell ill has arrived at its home port in the US after a Caribbean voyage was cut short by the outbreak.

One woman aboard the Explorers of the Sea yelled, "We made it!" as the ship docked Wednesday at New Jersey. Other passengers, with blankets wrapped around them, stood on deck to watch the ship pull in.

The cause of the outbreak is yet to be determined.

Bill Rakowicz of Canada said he suffered from vomiting, pain and diarrhoea and that his experience was simply "awful".

The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said its latest count puts the number of those sickened at 630 passengers and 54 crew members. The ship was carrying 3050 passengers.

Health investigators suspect norovirus, but lab results are not expected until later this week.

If norovirus is to blame, it would be one of the largest outbreaks in last 20 years, the CDC said. A 2006 norovirus outbreak on a Carnival Cruise Lines ship also sickened close to 700.

Norovirus - once known as Norwalk virus - is highly contagious. It can be picked up from an infected person, contaminated food or water or by touching contaminated surfaces. It causes bouts of vomiting and diarrhoea for a few days.

The CDC said it recommended to cruise operator Royal Caribbean that people who still have symptoms be housed in nearby hotels or seen at medical facilities before travelling home.

CDC investigators boarded the ship during its US Virgin Islands Port call on Sunday. They said no single food or water source or other origin has been identified.

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Police given bus CCTV after woman pinned

A woman has died in hospital after being pinned under a bus for two hours in Sydney's CBD. Source: AAP

AFTER the death of two pedestrians on the same day in Sydney, police are urging the public to be more careful crossing roads.

A 51-year-old Granville woman died on Wednesday night after being hit by a bus in Sydney's CBD. She was trapped in its axles for two hours before emergency services freed her and she died only hours after undergoing emergency surgery.

Earlier that day, an 83-year-old man died instantly when he was hit by a truck in Monterey in southern Sydney while crossing the road.

NSW Police Traffic and Highway Patrol operations commander Stuart Smith said the deaths were tragic.

"It was a dreadful day on NSW roads," he told reporters on Thursday.

Superintendent Smith said crash investigators are looking into both accidents, including CCTV footage from the State Transit bus as well as an examination of traffic and pedestrian control records.

"It's a complex calculation that can only be provided once a re-enactment is provided," he said.

Police say the bus was turning right when it struck the woman, and the 70-year-old driver was provided with counselling.

"We believe he is a very experienced driver with the State Transit Authority," Supt Smith said.

He could not comment on whether jaywalking was a factor in the accident but reminded pedestrians and drivers to look out for each other.

"It is a place where we all need to be aware and to keep a proper lookout," he said.

He warned people about the dangers of jaywalking and using electronic devices such as mobile phones and MP3 players.

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Rice farmers add to Thai govt woes

Thai caretaker PM Yingluck Shinawatra is facing a challenge from more than a million rice farmers. Source: AAP

BESIEGED by anti-government protests in Bangkok for the past three months, embattled caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is facing another challenge in the countryside, from more than a million angry rice farmers.

Yingluck's Pheu Thai Party won the last general election in 2011 on a populist platform anchored by a pledge to buy every single grain of rice grown by farmers at above-market, fixed prices.

Two and a half years later, the government is now faced with a debt of about 100 billion baht ($A3.4 billion) to 1.4 million farmers who have yet to be paid for their main rice crop, sold to the government in October.

The main opposition party is boycotting the election, so Yingluck's party is expected to win comfortably even with the rice problems.

"Farmers in Phichit are apathetic about the polls," said Banjong Phichitwilailert, a community leader.

"The candidates haven't been campaigning here because they are afraid that they won't be able to answer our questions."

Thousands of farmers in Phichit, 310 kilometres north of Bangkok, are owed 7 billion baht for their crop, Banjong said.

"About 10,000 farmers were paid this week, but 40,000 are still owed money," he said.

In neighbouring Phitsanulok province, rice farmers' groups have given the government until Friday to assure payment.

"On Friday we will meet with the governor," said Piak Phusrithaet.

"If he doesn't guarantee payments we will either shut down City Hall or march on Bangkok. We have been waiting for our money for four months."

Yingluck's caretaker government is trying to arrange loans from commercial banks to pay the farmers before the elections but observers doubt the full 100 billion baht can be raised quickly.

Farmers are only one group causing a headache for the government over the rice scheme.

Earlier this month, the National Anti-Corruption Commission opened an investigation into Yingluck for failing to halt the scheme.

On January 16, it brought corruption charges against former commerce minister Boonsong Teriyaporn and 14 other officials for their involvement in the program.

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Aust could take big role in nuke security

IT'S the nightmare terror scenario: an extremist group building its own atomic bomb and detonating it without warning in Sydney or New York.

A new study by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) says it's tempting to think that the risks of nuclear terrorism are overblown.

"They aren't," ASPI says.

"If terrorists were able to overcome the still relatively significant challenges involved in the fabrication and successful detonation of an improvised nuclear device, the consequences could be catastrophic."

Authors Dr Tanya Ogilvie-White and Dr David Santoro said there were three pathways to nuclear terrorism.

Terrorists could acquire a ready-made bomb from military stocks; acquire materials to make their own improvised bomb; or they could attack or sabotage an existing nuclear facility or transportation to release radioactive material.

The paper says there's low-risk of such attack in Australia, although in 2005 police arrested a group of Islamic extremists who planned to attack the Lucas Heights reactor. But an attack anywhere in the world would still have consequences for Australia.

ASPI said Australia had internationally well-regarded technical and diplomatic expertise in non-proliferation.

Yet the former Labor government had cancelled the flagship Regional Security of Radiological Sources Project, launched in 2004.

Under that program, international experts worked under Australian leadership with regulatory bodies across South-East Asia to secure dangerous radioactive sources used in the health and industrial sectors. They also worked to develop plans to respond to nuclear attacks or sabotage.

ASPI said the government should now launch a new nuclear security strategy, including relaunching the Regional Security of Radiological Sources Project.

At a modest cost of around $2 million a year this would reduce the danger of nuclear terrorism and give Australia an international leadership role.

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Swimmer missing in NSW river

A search is underway in the Hawkesbury River north of Sydney after a swimmer failed to surface. Source: AAP

A SEARCH is under way for a swimmer missing in the Hawkesbury River north of Sydney.

Police say a group of friends were swimming in the river, west of the Windsor Bridge, just before 6pm (AEDT) on Wednesday when a man got into difficulty.

Emergency services were called to the scene after the man, believed to be 22, failed to surface.

A police helicopter and PolAir are searching the area.

Police divers are en route.

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New treatment may help ADHD sufferers

NUTRIENTS may become a new treatment option for ADHD sufferers after a study found the treatment was much more effective than placebo.

The University of Canterbury trial is the first to show the benefits of micronutrients for ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) sufferers is not just due to the placebo effect, the author of the study Professor Julia Rucklidge said.

She said trial participants often get better as they're being cared for by clinicians, so it was important to compare micronutrients with placebo.

About five per cent of Kiwis suffer from ADHD and some children can't tolerate or don't respond to regular medications.

"The study needs to be replicated before we can give clear advice to people affected by ADHD," Dr Rucklidge said.

"However, if replicated, it will offer people with ADHD another treatment option."

Dr Rucklidge said participants taking the nutrients had no adverse effects.

Nutrients have been used as a treatment for a range of ailments, particularly mental illness, for decades, but there is a lack of scientific research to support the treatment, she said.

"As such, many scientists and clinicians have dismissed nutrients as a viable way forward due to this unfortunate history."

Dr Rucklidge plans to run a similar trial with ADHD children, and is also testing the benefits of nutrient treatments for people with depression, sleep problems and addictions.

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Debate on urban projects helpful: Access

EDS: Not to be used until 0001 AEDT, Thursday January 30

By Colin Brinsden, AAP Economics Correspondent

CANBERRA, Jan 30 AAP - At a time of a fading mining investment boom, Deloitte Access Economics is pleased to see policymakers discussing Australia's creaking urban infrastructure.

The independent forecaster's latest Investment Monitor highlights the peaking nature of the resource-related investment spending with definite projects in the final months of 2013 posting the biggest drop since the depths of the 2008-2009 global financial crisis.

However, Deloitte Access Economics partner Stephen Smith notes in the report on Thursday that public infrastructure, particularly for transport, has been the focus of considerable discussion in Australia over the past few months.

The federal government has directed the Productivity Commission to examine major infrastructure projects, drawing organisations such as Infrastructure Australia, the Reserve Bank of Australia and the Business Council of Australia into the debate.

"That the state of Australia's creaking urban infrastructure is stirring the passions of Australian policymakers gives hope that a more efficient system of identifying, assessing, financing and constructing public infrastructure may be in store," Mr Smith said.

"However, there is also a risk that any policy changes are designed with short term growth risks rather than the longer term sustainability of infrastructure spending in mind."

The report shows the value of definite projects - those under construction or committed - dropped by almost $25 billion over the December quarter, the most significant quarterly fall since the December quarter 2008. Definite projects over the year were down 1.2 per cent.

Mr Smith said not a single new liquified natural gas (LNG) project began construction over 2013, although there was a further $2 billion cost blowout for the Gorgon LNG project.

The value of planned projects - those under consideration or possible - rose by more than $17.5 billion over the quarter.

However, a $40 billion increase in the value of projects under consideration was partly offset by a $22.3 billion fall in the value of possible projects.

Overall, the total value of projects at their various stages fell 0.8 per cent compared to the September quarter - or $7.4 billion to $866.3 billion - to be down 9.2 per cent over the year.

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Roache a gentleman, Kirkbride tells trial

CORONATION Street star Anne Kirkbride has told a jury that her on-screen husband William Roache was "always a perfect gentleman" around her.

Kirkbride, a stalwart of the ITV soap as Deirdre Barlow, was called as a character witness for the actor who is accused of a series of sex assaults.

Roache, 81, is accused of using his fame and popularity to exploit "starstruck" youngsters for sex in the mid to late 1960s.

He denies two counts of rape and four counts of indecent assault involving five complainants aged 16 and under between 1965 and 1971.

Giving evidence from the witness box at Preston Crown Court, Kirkbride was asked what one word she would use to describe Roache and replied: "Lovely."

Kirkbride said she had never seen anything worrying about Roache's behaviour on set with young women from when she joined the show in about 1972.

The actress swore on the Bible and then chose to stand as she was asked a number of questions by defending barrister Louise Blackwell QC.

She confirmed she had known Roache "for quite some time", after she started in the soap aged 17 or 18.

Kirkbride was asked how she felt on joining Coronation Street.

She replied: "I was terrified for my first day. Very nervous going.

"It was a completely new situation. I didn't know anybody.

"I very quickly got to know people and it became easier."

Asked what she thought of Roache on meeting him, she said he was friendly.

"I remember the first time I spoke to him was outside a lift and we had a really nice chat and he offered me a cigarette," she said.

"We shared a lot of the same interests in spiritual things. I just found him very easy to talk to."

Blackwell asked her: "At that time, if you had one word to describe Mr Roache what would it be?"

She replied: "Lovely."

Roache smiled in the dock as she made the comment.

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Four dead as truck hits Brazil walkway

FOUR people have died after a dump truck smashed into a pedestrian bridge on a busy highway in northern Rio de Janeiro.

The crash on Tuesday caused the walkway to collapse onto three cars and a motorcycle below.

At least four people were killed and another four injured, according to Lamsa, a private company that administers the toll road.

Witnesses said there were only two people on the yellow metal pedestrian bridge when the accident occurred just after 9am local time.

Mayor Eduardo Paes told reporters at the scene that the trailer of the truck was clearly above than the 4.5 metres permitted for use on the highway, known as the Yellow Line road, which cuts through gritty northern and western portions of Rio.

Paes said authorities were trying to confirm if the truck's bed was raised when it hit the walkway.

Regardless, "an infraction was being committed because trucks aren't allowed on the Yellow Line at that time of day", he said.

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Ambos brace for busy week as temps soar

HEALTH, fire and emergency services in Australia's southeast are bracing for a heatwave for a second time this year.

But while the Bureau of Meteorology warns of serious heat, it may not be as gruelling as the earlier heatwave during which Adelaide earned the dubious label on January 16 of being the hottest city on Earth that day.

Senior meteorologist Simon Allen says they are both significant heatwave events.

"The second one probably won't be quite as severe as the one we had a couple of weeks ago, I think, but they are both very significant," he told AAP on Tuesday.

Victoria and the ACT are putting on extra ambulance and firefighting crews.

South Australia is already at peak resources, with 13,500 volunteers at the ready for the fire danger season.

In Victoria, residents are being warned that some parts of the state can expect a week-long heatwave with temperatures hovering above 40C in some areas from Thursday until Tuesday.

Ambulance Victoria has rostered on extra staff after workloads for ambulance crews soared by 25 per cent during the mid-January heatwave.

"The demand will be huge again," Ambulance Victoria operations manager Paul Holman said.

Residents in the ACT have been warned of a week of extreme heat with temperatures expected to stay in the high 30s.

The ACT Ambulance Service will put an extra crew on roster but doesn't expect major resource shortages.

In South Australia, firefighters have dealt with minor new blazes across the sweltering state, while firefighting operations are continuing at Bangor in the Southern Flinders Ranges and at Billiatt in the Riverland.

Fire bans across the state forced the closure of 11 schools on the day most children returned to school after the holidays.

Residents in Adelaide face temperatures soaring to 40C on Friday and hovering around that mark during the weekend. Temperatures are not expected to exceed the 44.2 degrees reached earlier in January.

On Monday, Adelaide will cool slightly to 39C.

Meanwhile in Tasmania, firefighters have been battling an out-of-control blaze in the state's southeast, on day of a total fire ban across the state.

The Tasmania Fire Service says the fire may put Wattle Hill and residents within the junction of White Hill Road and Wiggins Road, including the areas of Wharmbys Creek and Wiggins Creek, at high risk.

It says the bushfire is not controlled and embers and ash may fall on Wattle Hill.

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Fire burning at Wattle Hill in Tasmania

RESIDENTS of Wattle Hill in Tasmania's southeast are on alert for an out-of-control bushfire.

An emergency warning issued for the bushfire was downgraded to a watch and act alert at 6pm (AEDT) on Tuesday.

However, the Tasmania Fire Service says the fire may put Wattle Hill and residents within the junction of White Hill Road and Wiggins Road, including the areas of Wharmbys Creek and Wiggins Creek, at high risk.

It says the bushfire is not controlled and embers and ash may be falling on Wattle Hill.

The area between Forcett and Copping is not under immediate threat, it says.

Crews have been fighting several fires on a day with a total fire ban across the state.

Fire danger ratings reached severe across much of the Derwent Valley and the southeast of the state on Tuesday.

Tasmania Fire Service chief officer Mike Brown said fire conditions were catastrophic at Bushy Park at one point on Tuesday afternoon.

"The fires today had significant potential to impact on several communities," Mr Brown said.

"But our planning and assignment of strike teams, together with our local crews and aircraft support did much to jump on many fires before they developed."

Several fires on the west coast and central highlands started due to lightning last week escaped their containment lines.

"Some 35 bushfires started in a 24-hour period and under very difficult conditions," he said.

Fire conditions should ease from this evening, he said.

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Nauru slams reports of island chaos

THE Nauru government has slammed reports about chaos on the tiny island nation as irresponsible, arrogant and even racist.

In a statement on Tuesday, the government maintained it was calmly going about its business and moved to set the record straight on what it said were sensational and inaccurate reports in the Australian media about chaos on the island and constitutional problems.

Nauru was not in "chaos", there are no constitutional issues and the rule of law is operating and respected, the government said.

Irresponsible reports that suggested otherwise displayed a culture of international bullying, arrogance and even racism, it said.

Nauru's government has been under pressure to explain why it sacked its chief justice Geoffrey Eames and only magistrate Peter Law, both Australian citizens.

The statement on Tuesday said some critics of that decision had direct links to the two Australian men.

"This is exactly the sort of cronyism that the Nauru government is stamping out," it said.

The government also said the Nauru opposition had moved a no-confidence motion against the government on Tuesday which was defeated on the floor of parliament by a majority of 11 votes to seven.

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Emergency assets bill $1.2b: report

AUSTRALIANS have lost property worth more than $1.2 billion in the latest financial year through emergency events including fire, flood and storms.

A new Productivity Commission report shows that Queensland storms proved the costliest in 2012-13, with related asset loss valued at $971 million.

Storm and fire damage in NSW claimed almost $155 million worth of property while Tasmania's January 2013 bushfires racked up losses of more than $88 million.

The national figure was an increase from 2011-12, when the report showed asset loss was $1.06 billion.

But Queensland's devastating floods stretching from December 2010 into 2011 helped push that period's national losses to more than $4.6 billion.

When it comes to disaster relief, the federal government paid out $171 million in 2012-13 through its scheme of assistance in which affected individuals and communities are entitled to a one-off payment: $1000 for adults and $400 for children.

The payout figure was greater than the $78 million disseminated in 2011-12, but less than $823 million in 2010-11.

Cash payments from Canberra to disaster-struck states and territories amounted to $77.1 million during 2012-13, down from $3 billion in 2011-12, which stemmed largely from Queensland's flood crisis.

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Australian prison tariff at five-year low

AUSTRALIA'S prisoner population is costing the country less now than at any time in the past five years but on a daily basis per inmate, it's still more expensive than a night in a city hotel room.

Data from a new Productivity Commission report into Australia's justice system shows the national average cost in 2012-13 for an inmate was $221.92 a day.

Across states and territories the cost varies, from $188.82 a day in NSW to $321.24 in Tasmania.

The Tasmanian government said of its corrections operations during the period that there was a change of prison director, with the state's inmate population peaking at 507 in the summer of 2012.

The report shows that for the 12-month period there was an average of 30,082 prisoners spread across 113 custodial facilities in Australia, a population increase of about 3 per cent from 2011-12.

Despite the increased population, the national average cost for each prisoner was less about $8 a day.

Online accommodation websites show mid-range capital city hotel rooms available for $200 a night.

On average, there was one prison guard for every 22 offenders. In Queensland there was a guard for every 35 inmates, and in WA one for every 15.

On a policing front the Productivity Commission found the cost of state and territory forces equated to $416 for each Australian resident (22.7 million) during 2012-13.

NSW Police had the greatest overall annual operating cost of more than $3 billion, which provided 17,272 operational officers, or 235 for 100,000 people.

Northern Territory Police cost $276 million for the year, with 1651 operational officers, making it the most costly force per capita at $1166.

The Territory government said that during the reporting period the force took on 184 recruits and added an additional assistant commissioner position along with implementing "numerous operational and corporate initiatives to meet its primary policing objectives".

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Caribbean cruise ends amid gastro illness

THE Royal Caribbean cruise line has ended a ship's 10-day trip in the Caribbean early after hundreds of passengers and crew members were sickened with a gastrointestinal illness.

The Miami-based company made the announcement a few hours after officials from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention boarded the Explorer of the Seas during its Virgin Islands port call to evaluate the outbreak response.

Royal Caribbean said new reports of illness had decreased day-over-day, but "the disruptions caused by the early wave of illness means that we were unable to deliver the vacation our guests were expecting".

The decision to end the trip came after consultation between CDC officials and members of the company's medical team, the company said.

The CDC said early on Monday that 577 of the 3050 passengers aboard reported getting sick during the cruise that left New Jersey on Tuesday.

Forty-nine crew members also reported feeling ill, according to CDC spokeswoman Bernadette Burden.

The CDC team will remain on board until the vessel returns to the US later this week, Burden said.

Tests would have to confirm what caused the outbreak, but fast-spreading norovirus is often to blame for similar symptoms sweeping closed quarters like those on cruise ships.

Royal Caribbean said special cleaning products and disinfectants proven to kill norovirus were being used to clean ship before it returned to the US.

It said a full sanitisation program would be carried out after the 15-deck Explorer of the Seas reached its home port Wednesday.

On Friday, an Explorer of the Seas passenger named Arnee Dodd tweeted that she had fallen ill aboard the ship and was quarantined with the other sick people. The Connecticut woman wrote that ship employees "put a lock down on food & are constantly cleaning everything".

Royal Caribbean said it was "taking several steps" to compensate passengers for the shortened trip.

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Union hit by corrupt deal reports

THE building industry has been hit by controversy following reports that union officials are making corrupt deals to help companies linked to organised crime secure construction contracts.

Victoria's desalination plant and the Barangaroo development in Sydney are among a number of projects that companies connected to major crime figures are involved in, according to media reports.

The ABC said a joint investigation with Fairfax Media implicated a number of Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) members in New South Wales and Victoria in corrupt deals, including bribery and extortion.

It reported that Victorian CFMEU official, Danny Berardi, resigned immediately after the media companies supplied evidence that he had two companies help renovate his properties in exchange for getting them work on Melbourne construction sites.

CFMEU national secretary Dave Noonan said he was "concerned about any criminal activity in the industry", but that the union was not the regulator.

"These are issues for ASIC and the police force and we have consistently called on them to do their job," Mr Noonan said.

Australian Building Construction Commission chief Nigel Hadgkiss told the ABC he was aware of evidence about "the payment of bribes to senior union officials" in Victoria, but said police not previously acted on evidence of corruption in the industry.

He said the lack of action made way for criminals and corrupt officials, and that was "very frustrating".

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Cost of childcare hitting families

CHILDCARE costs have risen at almost double the rate of inflation over the past year, with parents now shelling out about $364 a week.

The Productivity Commission's 2014 report on government services shows that more than a million children aged under 12 were in childcare in the March quarter for 2013.

This was 6.3 per cent more than in the previous year.

The median cost of centre-based long day care jumped by five per cent to $364 for 50 hours of care per week across the country.

The biggest increases were in Western Australia, the ACT and the NT, with day care in the ACT the most expensive in the country.

For family day care, the cost of a 50-hour week jumped three per cent to $339.

The biggest hikes were recorded in the ACT and the NT, with the ACT again the most expensive.

Over the past five years, costs have increased the most in Tasmania, with a 22 per cent hike in long day care fees and a 32 per cent jump for family day care.

Major cities and inner regional areas are more expensive than other regions.

The report shows fewer than one in five childcare centres across the country were given a quality rating in the 18 months since a new national framework began.

Of those which had been rated by June 30, 2013, more than half met or exceeded the national standards.

But 44 per cent of childcare centres were still working towards meeting these standards.

The new national framework includes requirements for staff to have minimum qualifications.

In 2013, more than four in five childcare staff across the nation either held formal qualifications or had three or more years of experience.

This was an improvement on the previous year.

Victorian and Tasmania centres had the highest proportion of staff at these standards, with NSW, Queensland and South Australia close behind.

The ACT - where care is the most expensive - had the lowest proportion of staff meeting the standard with just over three in five.

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Private school spend grows fastest

GOVERNMENT spending on private schools increased faster in the past five years than for public schools.

And data in a new Productivity Commission report shows private schools on average get $1.2 million a year more funding from all sources than public schools.

The commission's 2014 report on government services also confirms the burden on public schools from educating the vast majority of disadvantaged students.

In 2011/12 all governments in Australia spent $47.1 billion on school education.

A little more than 77 per cent of this was spent on public schools, which make up 71 per cent of all educational institutions.

Governments spent an average of $5.45 million per public school and $3.8 million per private school.

But the report says government money makes up only 57 per cent of the total income private schools raise each year, with the rest coming from fees and other fundraising efforts.

That means private schools were getting an average total income of $6.67 million.

Government spending per public school student increased by about 2.4 per cent a year between 2007/08 and 2011/12.

In the same five-year period, government spending per private school student increased by about 3.4 per cent a year.

That means spending on private schools generally grew higher than inflation each year, while spending on public schools was mostly below inflation.

The report said government schools provide education for a high proportion of students from special-needs groups, who generally require more resources.

In 2012, nearly 85 per cent of all indigenous students and almost three-quarters of all students with a disability attended public schools.

Student-to-teacher ratios were lower in public primary schools than private primary schools, but higher in public secondary schools than private ones.

The average number of students per teacher dropped from 14.3 in 2004 to 13.8 in 2012.

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Share market under pressure ahead of FOMC

THE Australian share market is expected to remain under pressure before the US Federal Reserve's tapering decision this week.

Weaker-than-expected Chinese manufacturing data last week led to the Australian bourse closing lower for the third straight week.

At the close on Friday, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was 22.1 points, or 0.42 per cent, lower at 5,240.9 while the broader All Ordinaries index was down 21.2 points, or 0.4 per cent, at 5,254.3.

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Cyclone brewing in Coral Sea

THERE'S a good chance a cyclone will develop in Queensland's Coral Sea tomorrow.

The Bureau of Meteorology is monitoring a low-pressure system inside a monsoon trough that extends from Papua New Guinea to the Solomon Islands.

Senior forecaster Michelle Berry says there is a more than 50 per cent chance the system will develop into a cyclone tomorrow.

She says the system is very disorganised but it could move westward to the Queensland coast.

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