Pole embedded in teenager's head

A SYDNEY teenager is fighting for his life after a metal pole was embedded in his head during a birthday party brawl.

Police and paramedics were called to a Forestville home in Sydney's north at 11.40pm (AEDT) on Friday after gatecrashers tried to force their way into an 18th birthday party.

In the ensuing fight, an 18-year-old man was struck in the head with a 2.5 metre metal pole.

The pole became embedded in the right side of his head and he was taken to the Royal North Shore Hospital, paramedics said.

He underwent surgery and remains in a critical condition.

Police have set up a crime scene at the home and were continuing to question witnesses on Saturday afternoon.

No arrests have been made.

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Hackers sentenced for Jackson music theft

A BRITISH court has sentenced two hackers to 100 hours of community service for stealing a treasure trove of unreleased music - including Michael Jackson tracks - from the US servers of Sony Music Entertainment.

Officials said music aficionados James Marks, 27, and James McCormick, 26, used their home computers to access Sony's servers and scour them for Jackson-related material.

The pair downloaded nearly 8,000 files, including completed or partial tracks, artwork, and videos relating to Jackson and other unspecified Sony artists.

The precise nature of the unreleased material hasn't been made clear - Sony refused to comment on the case.

A statement from Britain's Serious and Organised Crime Agency identified some of the material as stems, which are audio tracks that can be used in mixes and overdubs.

Marks and McCormick, who met online, were arrested in May 2011 after Sony alerted UK law enforcement to the breach.

Chat logs recovered from their computers showed that they planned to sell or trade some of the files.

The theft could have been damaging for Sony had the music been released to the web. The company has a seven-year deal, worth up to $US250 million ($A237 million), to sell unreleased recordings by Jackson, who died in 2009 at the age of 50.

Marks and McCormick initially pleaded their innocence in public, releasing a statement saying that they "would never do anything to harm the legacy that is Michael Jackson's music".

The pair later pleaded guilty to two counts of "unauthorised access to computer material".

Their community service order was handed down at central England's Leicester Crown Court on Friday.

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Woman dies in car smash with truck in Qld

A woman has been killed when the car she was driving collided with a semi-trailer in Qld. Source: AAP

A WOMAN has been killed when the car she was driving collided with a semi-trailer in southwest Queensland.

Police said they were called the scene of the crash which occurred on the Warrego Highway near Jondaryan about 7pm AEST on Friday night.

They said a male passenger in the car was seriously injured while the driver of the truck was not injured.

The highway has been closed while the forensic crash unit investigates.

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UK army dumps Browning pistols for Glocks

BRITAIN'S army is dumping the Browning pistol it has used for more than 40 years, opting for the faster and lighter Glock 17.

The defence ministry said on Friday it had signed an STG8.5 million ($A13 million) contract for more than 25,000 of the Austrian-made pistols.

The UK joins a host of law enforcement agencies and the Dutch, Norwegian and Austrian armies in opting for the Glock 17. The pistol has a larger magazine than the Browning in use by the UK armed forces.

Britain's defence ministry said the decision to abandon the Browning came after it became increasingly expensive to maintain the pistol.

"When it came out in the 1960s, it was a fantastic pistol, but technology advances," said Warrant Officer 1 Mark Anderson, who tested the sidearms competing for the UK contract after the defence ministry put out a tender for a replacement pistol two years ago.

The faster and more accurate Glocks are considered a boon for troops increasingly facing threats at close quarters, like in Afghanistan where soldiers are dealing with the risks of insider attacks.

Anderson said the Glock earned the confidence of the troops and passed tests of extreme temperatures and climates "with flying colours".

The Glock magazine capacity is 17 rounds, compared with the Browning's 13, and the new pistols are quicker on the draw.

While the Browning had a manual safety catch that needed to be switched off, with the Glock "you just draw it and engage," Colonel Peter Walden told reporters.

That's because the Glock has three internal safeties and can be kept loaded in a holster, unlike the Browning, Walden said.

Saving vital seconds could be the difference between life and death, said Walden.

The defence ministry said the Glocks should be deployed in Afghanistan by the latter part of 2013.

The Glocks are being issued as secondary weapons mostly for personal protection in case the primary firearm fails or soldiers are in close environments, like compound-clearing operations, where short-barrelled weapons are considered a smarter choice.

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Church to cooperate with abuse inquiry

SENIOR Catholic figures are "ready and willing" to assist with the royal commission into child sexual abuse in institutions, the church says.

The six royal commissioners have yet to determine a list of witnesses.

But the chief executive of the Catholic church's newly-formed Truth, Justice and Healing Council, Francis Sullivan, says the church is committed to "fully cooperate and engage" with the commission.

"We have no idea who the commissioners will ask to appear before them," he said.

"But one thing you can be assured of is the Catholic church leadership has made it clear they will fully cooperate so the people the commission wish to speak with will be there."

Mr Sullivan, whose council will be the conduit between the church and the inquiry, said the church wanted the "truth to come out".

"It's important for victims and people who have been damaged by the atrocities that their dignity is preserved and a process of justice can lead to healing," he said.

"But it's also important because a lot of mismanagement occurred in the past, but in the present there's improvement and we want to tell that story as well."

He said it was heartening to hear the government would be putting extra support services in place for people who may be re-traumatised by the experience.

But there also needed to be a long-term commitment to boost support.

Mr Sullivan said the commission would be worth it, whatever the final cost in dollar terms.

"The cost to people's lives is the biggest cost and royal commissions are not engaged lightly by governments," he said.

"But what it is saying is that this is an exceptionally important issue that the community wants to see addressed.

"People's lives have been lost, some families have lived with the damage of these scandals for most of their lives, and that cost is the greatest cost that needs to be addressed."

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Mineral sands miner's shares rise

SHARES in Base Resources have soared after the mineral sands miner convinced the Kenyan government not to enforce new nationalist laws on it requiring local ownership.

The Australian company's share price has been decimated in recent months in response to the Kenyan government's 35 per cent local equity participation regulation.

Now attorney general Githu Muigai has told Base Resources that its Kwale Mineral Sands Project will not be subject to the law after Base resisted it on the basis that its mining licence was issued before the law existed.

The shares shot up 8.5 cents, or 34 per cent, to 33.5 cents by 1430 AEDT.

The company's share price nearly halved from 43 cents when its market capitalisation was $240 million after the government announced the new law in October.

Base Resources believes it has made an enemy in Kenya's environment and resources minister Chirau Ali Mwakwere after he revoked three of its mining licences in other areas in the country.

Base Resources managing director Tim Carstens said he was confident the company would get the licences back, saying he believed Mr Mwakwere had been angered by the miner's actions over the direct equity laws, but lawyers had advised there was no legal basis for the requirements.

Resources nationalism - whether direct equity or higher, mining taxes - is being increasingly pursued by governments globally, including in Africa, as tension rises with mining companies opposed to restrictions on their earnings.

Mr Carstens said while he supported the government's desire to use mining to drag its economy out of poverty, he thought the environment minister was "getting ahead of himself".

Kenya did not currently have a mining industry or a history of one and there wasn't the money or appetite there to sell 35 per cent of the project to local investors, he said.

"There simply isn't $150 million in Kenya to put into it, it would be completely impossible to implement and would benefit the privileged few which I am not prepared to participate in," he told AAP.

Mr Carstens said he wanted more Kenyan investors on the company's registry and would be conducting a roadshow there next month, but it would take more time to deepen its capital pools and understanding of mining.

He described resources nationalism as a problem and due to a perception that the industry was making super profits, which he said was not occurring most years.

"The debate is valuable: how do you balance the dual needs of enticing foreign investment in a naked industry where you don't have expertise to develop it yourself and balance it against making sure the Kenyan people get maximum benefit from exploitation of their minerals," he said.

The $300 million project is due to make its first bulk shipments in November.

The company says the project is still robust, despite heavy falls in prices for mineral sands, which are used variously in ceramic tiles and to make titanium dioxide for pigments for paints, plastics and paper.

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Qld nurses launch campaign against cuts

FURIOUS Queensland nurses will mount a campaign to fight job cuts that are being carried out by stealth in the state's hospitals, a union says.

About 200 nurses holding signs saying "RIP Public Health System" and "Can Do Better" rallied against the cuts outside the Prince Charles Hospital in northern Brisbane on Thursday.

The Queensland Nurses Union (QNU) says more than 25 surgery beds had been cut and 28.5 full-time nursing jobs abolished at that hospital, including more than 20 in surgery wards.

QNU acting secretary Des Elder told the crowd that the state government had been cutting frontline nursing jobs and keeping workers in the dark.

He called on all health workers and communities in Queensland to get involved in highlighting the cuts and fighting them.

The protesters passed a motion "to immediately form a campaign committee to co-ordinate tasks and responsibilities to ensure frontline health workers can continue to deliver safe and high quality health care".

QNU's Bridget Lord said the government was cutting jobs by stealth and it needed to be held accountable.

"They've shut a couple of beds here and moved a couple of nurses on there, but it adds up to about 300 nurses losing their jobs since this government came to power," she told AAP.

"These are people who provide clinical services - nursing directors, surgical nurses, nursing teachers for transplants, the people who work in ... chemotherapy."

Ms Lord said it was important that the public understood the full impact of the changes.

"This is about health service provision," she said.

"Little by little, our health services in Queensland are being chipped away."

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Holmes took self-portraits before massacre

THE man accused of last year's Colorado cinema massacre used a mobile phone to take self-portraits the night of the attack, sticking out his tongue, smiling and posing with a Glock pistol, prosecutors say.

A judge will rule by Friday on whether James Holmes will stand trial in one of the country's worst mass shootings.

The defence decided not to call witnesses to testify about Holmes' mental health at the hearing on Wednesday.

They have said the 25-year-old is mentally ill and are expected to present an insanity defence.

The July attack left 12 dead and 70 injured. Prosecutors this week have argued that Holmes acted with deliberation and extreme indifference, and on Wednesday showed photos they say Holmes took of himself and his arsenal hours before the attack.

The mobile phone photos include one of Holmes sticking out his tongue. His eyes are narrowed. On either side of his head are curls of red hair protruding up like horns.

Sgt Matthew Fyles testified that Holmes also wore black contact lenses at the time the photo was taken.

In another photo taken that evening, Holmes grins at the camera, with the muzzle of a Glock pistol below his face.

In a third photo, Holmes looks at the camera with pursed lips. He holds one of the black, spherical objects that officials described as a pyrotechnic shell used to rig his apartment for an explosion.

Protruding from top is a red and white-striped fuse, and it appears Holmes is blowing it out as if it were a candle.

Another photo shows Holmes' bed. On it is a tactical vest, .223 calibre magazines, pistol magazines, a gas mask, a Glock in a holster, a ballistic helmet, jacket and pants, an assault rifle, a shotgun, a bag that could be used to carry magazines and a carry-all bag.

Police also showed pictures of the theatre they say Holmes took about a month before the shooting.

The first one, taken on June 29, shows an exit door like the one police say Holmes propped open on the night of the shooting so he could re-enter the theatre after getting weapons from his car.

Fyles testified that a witness saw a man with red hair walk toward the emergency door, apparently on the phone, and propped open the door.

Prosecutor Karen Pearson said Holmes picked the perfect venue for his alleged crime.

"He didn't care who he killed or how many he killed, because he wanted to kill all of them," she said.

Defence lawyers had won unusual permission to call two witnesses during the hearing but changed their minds, saying the rules of the preliminary hearing severely limited what evidence they could present.

If Holmes goes to trial and is convicted, his lawyers can try to avoid a possible death penalty by arguing he is mentally ill. Prosecutors have yet to say whether they would seek the death penalty.

If he's found not guilty by reason of insanity, he would likely be sent to the state mental hospital.

Such a defendant is deemed not guilty because he didn't know right from wrong and is therefore "absolved" of the crime, said former Jefferson County District Attorney Scott Storey.

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Call to fix NSW hospital aircon in heat

THE NSW opposition is demanding the O'Farrell government urgently fix faulty air conditioning systems at Hunter region hospitals as heatwave conditions return.

Acting Opposition Leader Linda Burney on Thursday blamed government cost-cutting for the failure to complete air conditioning upgrades at Maitland Hospital.

She said the air conditioning in the hospital's emergency ward broke down on Tuesday, leaving patients defenceless against 42 degree temperatures outside.

The government had failed to complete a $1.2 million air conditioning upgrade despite numerous complaints from patients and staff, Ms Burney said.

"We know surgical operations at Maitland are being postponed because it's too hot in the operating theatres," she said.

"With the O'Farrell government cutting billions of dollars from health, it's no surprise it's neglecting basic maintenance like air conditioning."

Patients and staff at Cessnock Hospital were also sweltering, Ms Burney said.

She said if the government did not fix the problems, Labor would shame it into action when parliament resumed.

The office of Health Minister Jillian Skinner has been contacted for comment.

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Vic and Tas fire damage $60m: ICA

BUSHFIRES in Tasmania and Victoria are estimated to have caused almost $60 million in damage, the insurance industry says.

The Insurance Council of Australia says preliminary data shows more than 510 claims have been received from Tasmanian bushfire victims, with losses estimated at $49 million.

More than 100 properties in the island state have been destroyed.

ICA chief executive Rob Whelan says the area declared as a catastrophe is likely to expand.

The number of claims is also expected to rise once people begin returning to their homes.

Mr Whelan said insurance staff are on the ground in recovery centres helping policy holders with their inquiries.

In Victoria, initial estimates put the bushfire damage at $9 million.

"A small number of properties near Chepstowe, including a homestead, have been destroyed," Mr Whelan said.

"Insurers continue to monitor the situation and are ready to respond to any developments."

In NSW, no significant property loss has been recorded, despite there being more than 140 bushfires on Tuesday.

However, Mr Whelan said property owners must stay on guard, with hotter temperatures expected to return.

The ICA says it is continuing to monitor the situation across Tasmania, NSW and Victoria and remains in contact with emergency services.

A disaster hotline for bushfire affected people is available on 1800 734 621.

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Penrice directors seek shareholder backing

THE directors of soda ash producer Penrice Soda Holdings are urging shareholders to back them as they face losing their positions in a spill vote at the end of January.

Penrice received a "second strike" after more than half of its shareholders voted against the company's pay policy and the re-election of director John Hirst at its annual general meeting (AGM) in October.

Adelaide-based Penrice concedes it is disappointed by its recent unsatisfactory financial performance.

But chairman David Trebeck and deputy chairman Andrew Fletcher have implored shareholders to re-elect them to the board and vote against nominees from minority shareholder London City Equities.

"We cannot turn back the clock, we must look to the future," Mr Trebeck and Mr Fletcher wrote in a joint letter to shareholders earlier this week.

"We, and Penrice's senior management team, remain utterly focused on the only plan that has the capacity to solve the underlying problems facing us."

London City Equities, which holds a 5.2 per cent stake in Penrice, had displayed "consistent hostility" against the company over recent years, including taking legal action and delivering regular personal insults against company representatives.

If London City Equities' three alternative candidates were elected to the board, it would constitute a takeover of the company without a formal offer being made, they said.

Board discussions would likely become dysfunctional and the current constructive relationships would be destroyed.

Mr Trebeck and Mr Fletcher said London Equities had not made one positive or forward-looking suggestion.

They plan to identify an additional director with appropriate skills and experience to replace Mr Hirst.

It comes two months after Penrice, which manufacturers and supplies soda ash, sodium bicarbonate and limestone, settled a $2.5 million insurance claim over a forced plant shutdown at its Adelaide facilities in October 2010.

Penrice will hold an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) on January 25 where it will vote on the re-election of all three directors.

New Zealand-based Securities Research Company said London City Equities had attempted to take control of the Penrice Soda board of directors in May 2009.

"An effective management takeover of Penrice Soda Holdings by London City Equities would probably not be in the best interest of shareholders," the company said in a recent research note.

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Bushfire alert for Bribie Island residents

A WATCH and act alert has been issued for some residents of Bribie Island north of Brisbane, where a bushfire continues to burn out of control.

The Queensland Fire and Rescue Service (QFRS) says residents near White Patch, north-west of Wrights Creek, should finalise their bushfire plans and prepare for a bushfire in the area.

"At 12.45pm, a number of bushfires were located in Bribie Island National Park, near White Patch," the QFRS said.

"The fires are travelling in a northerly direction and are expected to impact the areas surrounding White Patch Esplanade, including Toowa Street, Horace Street, Coondiba Street, Ethel Street, Hilda Street, Maud Street and Charles Street in the next six to 24 hours."

Residents have been told to finalise their bushfire plans and be prepared to relocate to a safer area if required.

There are currently 16 fire crews working to contain the blaze, which is being fanned by strong winds. Water bombers are on standby.

But the QFRS said firefighters may not be able to protect every affected property and residents should not expect a firefighter at their door.

The fire has been burning on the island since Monday. Earlier on Wednesday, all of the island's campgrounds were closed and campers evacuated as a precaution.

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No leads on toxic gas flotsam

AUTHORITIES say they may never determine who's responsible for canisters of a deadly chemical washing up on beaches in Queensland and NSW.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) is investigating the source of more than 20 silver canisters of aluminium phosphide.

They've been washing up on beaches from north Queensland to northern NSW since February last year.

When the chemical comes into contact with air or moisture it generates a highly toxic and flammable gas, which can be fatal if inhaled.

Aluminium phosphide is often used to fumigate ships. It's unclear if the canisters may have been lost overboard accidentally or dumped.

"It may not be possible to ultimately confirm the original source of the canisters due to the apparently long time lapse between when they may have entered the water and when they have been found," AMSA said in a statement on Tuesday.

AMSA has already checked incident reports of cargo losses but has not come up with any leads.

It is currently working with drift modelling experts to determine if the canisters may have originated from recent ship groundings or accidents in the Pacific region.

AMSA is also working with the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority to work out if the canisters originated in Australia.

More information will be provided by the end of the week, AMSA said.

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Tarcutta residents ride out bushfire

THE residents of a township in southern NSW are gathering together after a bushfire cut off their planned escape route.

About a dozen people in Tarcutta, east of Wagga Wagga, have arrived at the Tarcutta RSL and Citizens Club on Tuesday afternoon.

Most of the 300 locals are believed to still be in the area.

More are expected to arrive as club director Ngharie McCallum urges them to take shelter from the conditions.

"It is very close to the township," Ms McCallum told AAP.

"The town is full of smoke.

"It's been so hot and dry today it's like a furnace."

She said there had been plans to evacuate before residents received updated information not to flee the area.

"My daughter's just told me we can't go anywhere so we're going to stay put in the RSL club," Ms McCallum said.

"We're just sort of sitting and waiting because apparently we are surrounded by fire."

An hour earlier, the NSW Rural Fire Service said a fire at the southern side of the township could impact the area at anytime.

Residents were warned to take shelter as it was too late to flee the area.

Embers could be blown up to 4km ahead of the fire, creating spot fires that could move in different directions.

Tarcutta is located on the Hume Highway, which has been closed.

Ms McCallum said the township had not been threatened by bushfire in the 46 years she had been living there.

"They're saying there's another fire north of us so we are virtually in the middle of fire," Ms McCallum said.

"We are surrounded."

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Japan complains about Chinese ships

JAPAN has summoned the Chinese ambassador for the first time under the new nationalist government to "strongly protest" against the presence of official ships in waters around disputed islands.

The foreign ministry said on Tuesday it had told China to stop sending vessels to the area around a chain controlled by Japan under the name Senkakus, but claimed by China as the Diaoyus.

Deputy minister for foreign affairs, Akitaka Saiki, met Chinese ambassador Cheng Yonghua to protest against Beijing's dispatching of four ships on Monday, the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry on Monday lodged a protest with the Chinese embassy by telephone.

It summoned Cheng on Tuesday for the first time since conservative Prime Minister Shinzo Abe came to power on December 26 with promises of assertive diplomacy to confront a confident China.

The ministry last summoned acting Chinese ambassador Han Zhiqiang on December 13 to file a strong protest after Beijing sent an airplane to the area. Japan scrambled fighter jets in response.

It was the first incursion by a Chinese state aircraft into Japanese airspace anywhere since Tokyo's military began monitoring in 1958.

In the meeting on Tuesday, Saiki "strongly protested over the Chinese public vessels' entry and staying for a long time inside Japanese territorial waters, as well as strongly demanded that such incidents do not happen again," the foreign ministry statement said.

Cheng responded by reiterating China's claim over the islands, but said he will report Japan's protest to Beijing, the foreign ministry said.

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NSW faces worst fire danger day in history

The worst bushfire conditions in many years are expected to hit NSW on Tuesday, firefighters say. Source: AAP

AS NSW braces for the worst fire danger day in the state's history, people are being urged to leave campsites and evacuate homes in areas most at risk.

A total fire ban will be in place across NSW on Tuesday as the state experiences severe, extreme and catastrophic fire conditions.

"Having had record rain ... we are about to have record dangers," Premier Barry O'Farrell told reporters in Sydney on Monday.

Temperatures in the state's far west are predicted to hit 45 degrees, while in Sydney the mercury is forecast to climb to 43 degrees - the third highest temperature on record.

Mr O'Farrell urged those living in Shoalhaven, the Illawarra and the southern ranges to be prepared, with a catastrophic fire danger warning in place.

"It is the worst fire danger day that parts of the state have experienced in the history of NSW."

Mr O'Farrell said it would be "very rare" for there to be no loss of property but he was confident that loss of life could be avoided.

Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said people camping in the worst-affected areas should leave as emergency services closed national parks, camping grounds and other facilities there.

"Pack up and be out on the road first thing tomorrow," he said.

Where appropriate, nursing homes and child care centres will also be evacuated.

Mr Fitzsimmons said it was "not recommended" that people living in catastrophic fire danger zones remained behind to protect their properties.

"We are talking about fire danger right off the conventional chart," he said.

"Some fires will start and spread so quickly that there will be little or no time to issue a warning."

An abundance of fuel and strong north-westerly winds of between 60 to 80km/h have heightened fire dangers, Mr Fitzsimmons said, with about 90 fires burning across the state on Monday.

Twenty were still not contained on Monday afternoon.

While "thousands and thousands" of firefighters and up to 70 aircraft were on standby, Mr Fitzsimmons said people needed to have a bushfire survival plan in place.

For Sydney, The Bureau of Meteorology NSW regional director Barry Hanstrum said hot weather would begin early on Tuesday and persist into the early hours of Wednesday.

Temperatures are then set to increase again heading into the weekend.

Acting Deputy Police Commissioner and State Emergency Operation Controller Mick Fuller said police would be targeting suspected or known arsonists on Tuesday and he asked people to be on the lookout for suspicious behaviour.

A "watch and act" warning was issued on Monday afternoon with a fast moving 400 hectare grass fire burning out of control about 14km northeast of Wagga Wagga, threatening the village of Oura.

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Aust shares open higher

The Australian share market has opened at its highest point after encouraging US jobs figures. Source: AAP

THE Australian market has opened at its highest level since May after encouraging US jobs figures.

At 1020 AEDT on Monday, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was up 23.6 points, or 0.5 per cent, at 4,747.4 and the broader All Ordinaries index also added 24 points, or 0.51 per cent, to 4,766.9.

On the ASX 24, the March share price index futures contract was up 13 points at 4,718 with 7,857 contracts traded.

IG Markets analyst Stan Shamu said the strong start to the local market had been mainly due to positive US jobs figures, that while encouraging were not improving rapidly enough for the US Federal Reserve to withdraw its support for a third round of quantitative easing.

"This is the highest level the market has traded since last May so we're off to a pretty good start to the year," he said.

"We had US economic data that showed a little a bit of an improvement in their jobs market but its not improving fast enough to warrant the US Federal Reserve pulling its support for QE3."

In the US on Friday the Dow Jones Industrial Average finish up 43.85 points, or 0.33 per cent, at 13,435.21.

The broad-based S&P 500 advanced 7.1 points, or 0.49 per cent, to 1,466.47, its highest close since December 31, 2007.

In London, the benchmark FTSE 100 index of top companies added 0.7 per cent to close at 6,089.84 points.

Locally on Monday the big miners opened mixed.

BHP Billiton was down seven cents to $37.84 and Rio Tinto fell 19 cents to $68.36 but Fortescue gained 13 cents to $4.99.

The major banks all had a positive opening.

ANZ was up 13 cents to $25.39, National Australia Bank gained eight cents to $25.39, Westpac jumped 22 cents to $26.47 and Commonwealth Bank surged 34 cents to $63.59.

At 1042 AEDT national turnover was 262.9 million shares worth $397.6 million, with 407 stocks up, 193 down and 263 unchanged.

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Severe fire conditions for northern Vic

PARTS of northern Victoria will face severe bushfire conditions on Tuesday with total fire bans likely to be declared, authorities say.

Lightning strikes have already sparked blazes in north-eastern Victoria and there are also fears that fires across the Murray River in NSW may reach Victoria if they take hold.

Northern parts of the state have already experienced several days in a row above 40C and that hot weather will continue on Tuesday.

"The fire danger rating tomorrow in the northern part of the state will be a severe fire danger rating," Victoria's fire services commissioner Craig Lapsley told reporters at the State Control Centre in Melbourne on Monday.

"It is very likely that we will see total fire ban declarations for the northern part of Victoria."

Mr Lapsley said lightning strikes could take a day to become a fire.

He said there had been lightning strikes each afternoon over past three days in northern Victoria and aircraft were monitoring them.

Paramedics have again reminded people not leave children in cars.

Paul Holman from Ambulance Victoria said they were attending between four and seven children who had been left in cars each day.

Mr Lapsley earlier said significant work would be done to fight a large bushfire at Kentbruck, near Portland in the state's southwest but he was no longer confident it would be brought under control on Monday.

The fire has been burning since Friday and is slow moving but has the potential to impact properties in the Mumbannar, Winnap, Drik Drik and Greenwald areas, the Country Fire Authority watch and act messages say.

Mr Lapsley said the fire was in farming area and there were no communities under direct threat.

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Abalone fisherman lucky to be alive

ABALONE season in Western Australia has almost claimed another life, with only the swift actions of a beach inspector saving a 50-year old man at Trigg Beach in Perth.

The fisherman was spotted unconscious in the water at 7.30am (WST) and dragged to shore by the City of Stirling beach inspector.

The inspector performed emergency resuscitation on the man both in the water and on shore, City of Stirling beach services manager John Snook said.

After reviving the fisherman, he was taken by ambulance for further treatment.

The dramatic rescue is the latest disaster to strike an abalone fisherman in Perth, with two having already died since November.

In late December, a Chinese man in his 40s drowned in the waters near Cape Leeuwin in the state's southwest while diving for the marine delicacy.

And in November, a 20-year-old Malaysian was swept out to sea in treacherous conditions while on an abalone hunt north of Perth.

The man was caught in a strong rip in Yanchep Lagoon, 55 kilometres north of Perth, and was swept away.

He had been with a group searching for the expensive delicacy on the first day of the heavily restricted recreational fishing season.

The disaster triggered calls for metropolitan abalone fishing spots to be closed in dangerous weather.

Sunday is the third official day of the abalone season, with an hour on the first Sunday of every month from November to March set aside for fisherman to legally collect the large edible sea snails.

The fisherman was taken to Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in Perth, where he is said to be in a critical condition.

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Firefighters warn of hotter conditions

FIREFIGHTERS are urging NSW residents to prepare their homes against the threat of bushfires as about 70 blazes continue to burn across the state.

NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) spokesman Ben Shepherd told AAP firefighters were trying to get as many under control as possible before conditions turned nasty on Tuesday.

"We're doing what we can to get the majority of these contained prior to the bad fire weather coming through on Tuesday," Mr Shepherd said.

"There is forecast more lightning tonight, so that many prove problematic because it may give us new fires over the next 24 hours.

"We may not have the ability to contain some prior to that real warm, dry, hot weather coming through."

He said there could also be fires that had not been spotted yet, saying the fire situation was "reasonably quiet" across the state.

Blazes were burning near Griffith, Wagga Wagga, Albury and the Snowy Mountains region, he said.

He said extreme fire conditions were predicted in many parts of the state on Tuesday.

He said residents should not to wait until "the last minute" to prepare their properties against bushfire threats.

Total fire bans were currently in place in the southern and northern Riverina, and lower and upper Central West Plains, the RFS said on its website.

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Two young women dead in Qld crash

QUEENSLAND police have confirmed the death of two young women in a crash in Brisbane's southwest.

A vehicle was crushed after it slammed into a power pole on Hawkesbury Road, Anstead, about 3.25am (AEST) on Sunday.

Emergency crews were initially unable to tell how many people were in the vehicle.

But a police spokesman confirmed the crash claimed the lives of two females who appeared to be in their late teens.

They are have yet to be formally identified, he said.

The spokesman said the scene had been cleared by energy crews who were still working to fix the power pole the vehicle crashed into.

Investigations are continuing.

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