NSW: Unions claim Ryan failed to consult officers on reforms

AAP General News (Australia)
12-08-2000
NSW: Unions claim Ryan failed to consult officers on reforms

SYDNEY, Dec 8 AAP - The New South Wales police officers' union today attacked police
commissioner Peter Ryan for not consulting them over his blueprint for the future direction
of policing in the state.

Under Ryan's plan revealed today, councils would have greater responsibility for noise
complaints and traffic matters while specialist agencies, and the financial community
itself, would free police up by playing a greater role in investigating white collar crime.

But NSW Police Association president Ian Ball said the union was angry that it had
not been consulted.

"The commissioner of police has not spoken to this organisation about his future directions
document at all," Mr Ball said.

He said the union would write to Commissioner Ryan this afternoon expressing its anger
at being left out of the consultation process.

"We are disappointed," Mr Ball said. "This organisation democratically represents police
practitioners."

Releasing the Future Directions 2001-2005 document to reporters, Mr Ryan said the recommendations
were aimed at improving the ability of police to focus on their core responsibilities
of law enforcement.

And he said most of the measures should be up and running by early next year.

Mr Ball said parts of the plan were commendable.

"Policing has become far more dangerous," he said.

"Anything that can be introduced to make it safer for police we would applaud."

But Mr Ball said he feared the concerns of officers in the frontline were being ignored
by the police hierarchy.

"We are a bit concerned that the views of our members are not really being listened
to and there is already an agenda in place," he said.

The union, which is in disagreement with the state government and the police service
over a pay claim, said a lack of adequate remuneration was another reason why the state
was losing so many good officers.

"The reason why we are losing so many, for example commercial crime investigators is
because they are being poached by the other commercial enterprises and being paid significantly
more," he said.

Mr Ball said police officers were particularly concerned about outsourcing some areas
of policing.

"We have some very serious concerns about some of it," Mr Ball said.

"The reality is that if we are funded to do it, does it mean jobs go with it?"

AAP nd/mk/mg

KEYWORD: RYAN UNION

2000 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Vic; Telstra staff wait for commission outcome

AAP General News (Australia)
04-27-2000
Vic; Telstra staff wait for commission outcome

MELBOURNE, April 27 AAP - Hundreds of Telstra workers have put off industrial action
until a dispute over the downloading of pornography is heard by the industrial relations
commission today.

The commission hearing comes after 27 staff were suspended last week for downloading
alleged Internet pornography through Telstra's computer system.

The union says the staff were suspended because the communications giant wants to avoid
hefty redundancy payouts ahead of a planned 10,000-strong cut to its workforce.

Telstra denies the claim, saying the issue is a disciplinary matter.

Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union (CEPU) state secretary Len Cooper said
a mass meeting to consider industrial action today was deferred until tomorrow after the
Australian Industrial Relations Tribunal confirmed a hearing for this afternoon.

"So we felt it would be pretty useless having a meeting before then," Mr Cooper said.

Mr Cooper said consideration of industrial action would depend on the outcome of today's hearing.

The CEPU will allege that Telstra failed to consult the union before suspending 27
workers and warning 35 others for storing downloaded Internet pornography.

Technicians discovered the images during routine checks on the company's computer system.

Telstra says the workers have contravened the company's code of conduct.

AAP nl/er/as/bwl

KEYWORD: TELSTRA CEPU SECOND DAYLEAD

2000 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

NT: Bailiff seizes Northern Land Council vehicles

AAP General News (Australia)
02-10-2000
NT: Bailiff seizes Northern Land Council vehicles

DARWIN, Feb 10 AAP - The Northern Territory bailiff today seized at least 15 vehicles
belonging to the Northern Land Council (NLC) after it refused to pay out hundreds of thousands
of dollars in an unfair dismissal case.

Bailiffs arrived at the NLC's head office in Darwin this morning with a warrant from
the Supreme Court and stuck stickers on at least 13 four-wheel drives and two station
wagons.

The NLC was given until mid-morning to pay former employee Peter Hansen, who worked
as a senior adviser, damages he won in an unfair dismissal case last year.

The Supreme Court ordered that Mr Hansen be paid nearly $300,000, after he was sacked
in 1992 during a six month probationary period.

The NLC was given until mid-morning to pay the damages and a spokeswoman said the warrant
was a surprise.

"This is a bolt from the blue for us," she said.

Earlier, Mr Hansen told local ABC radio he just wanted to pay his lawyers.

In the unfair dismissal case, Mr Hansen had alleged he had been sacked because he had
called for an auditor to examine the NLC's accounting procedure ahead of a federal election.

The NLC's then-director Mick Dodson claimed he had sacked Mr Hansen because he had
undermined him in the media and during talks with the federal government.

AAP cm/bd/wjf/bwl

KEYWORD: HANSEN

2000 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

FED: Australia did exactly the right thing in East Timor PM

AAP General News (Australia)
12-09-1999
FED: Australia did exactly the right thing in East Timor PM

CANBERRA, Dec 9 AAP - Australia had won respect in the region through its handling
of East Timor, Prime Minister John Howard said today.

"I think Australia did exactly the right thing - there are not many criticisms, there
are some," Mr Howard told ABC radio.

"I have no doubt that we have greater respect and acclaim in the region as a result.

"Of course there's strain with Indonesia; I understand that and respect that.

"We're working in a sensible, measured way to rebuild the relationship."

AAP rmg/jm

KEYWORD: TIMOR HOWARD

1999 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

SA: Motorcyclist, 27, first road death for long weekend

AAP General News (Australia)
04-25-1999
SA: Motorcyclist, 27, first road death for long weekend

ADELAIDE, April 25 AAP - A motorcyclist was killed last night at north suburban Wingfield.

The man, 27, of Parafield Gardens, died when his bike and a semi-trailer collided on
Cormack Road, Wingfield about 7.45pm (CST), police said.

His death took the SA road toll to 59 compared with 68 for the same time last year.

AAP tj/

KEYWORD: TOLL SA

1999 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

NSW: Fahey says Baird didn t tell him about bribes

AAP General News (Australia)
01-16-1999
NSW: Fahey says Baird didn t tell him about bribes

SYDNEY, Jan 16 AAP - Former New South Wales Premier John Fahey said he was unaware that
officials had sought bribes during Sydney's bid for the Olympics, it was reported today.

While he conceded it was not impossible that improper approaches were made, Mr Fahey - now
Federal Finance Minister - said he had not been approached and the Sydney bid was "clean".

His comments in the Sun-Herald newspaper follow revelations from former NSW Olympics …

NSW:Sydney promised another NYE spectacular

AAP General News (Australia)
12-22-2011
NSW:Sydney promised another NYE spectacular

By Andrew Frampton

SYDNEY, Dec 22 AAP - The 1.5 million revellers expected to flock to Sydney Harbour
on New Year's Eve will be treated to a $6.3 million show including a fireworks display
set to an all-Australian soundtrack.

The event's producer, Aneurin Coffey, promises that the six hours of entertainment
will once again leave Sydneysiders gasping.

"For the past five years I have been in the control room in a building 25 floors above
the city at Circular Quay," Mr Coffey said.

"You hear 1.5 million people gasp in awe and that is amazing."

The 36-year-old Mr Coffey will produce the event for the first time in 2011, having
worked on the New Year's Eve team for the past six years.

The fireworks this year will be choreographed for the first time to an all-Australian soundtrack.

The 12-minute mix of home-grown tunes includes songs by Aussie drum'n'bass band Pendulum,
1980s new-wave rockers The Swingers, Aboriginal artist Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, as
well as INXS and AC/DC.

Mr Coffey said the natural beauty of Sydney Harbour meant there was nowhere else in
the world that could compete.

"We have also got the most amazing stage," he said.

"We have got the harbour, which in itself is a beautiful stage and then you have got
the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House.

"It's hard to beat that."

More than 1000 people will work on the night, including lighting and sound contractors,
pyro-technicians, stage managers, event managers, artists, cleaners and broadcasters.

With the event so popular, Mr Coffey says planning is everything.

"Work out where you are going and work out an alternative in case that place is full," he said.

"Just make sure you are looking towards the Harbour Bridge at midnight."

Mr Coffey said the $6.3 million that the City of Sydney spends on the event is money well spent.

"We get around 1.5 million people around the harbour, which equates to about $4 a head,
which is damn good value in any language," he said.

The economic benefits bring in an estimated $156 million for the city, he said.

AAP af/jjs/mp

KEYWORD: EVE

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