Sydney Harbour to launch Australia Day

WHETHER you're into sheep shearing, whip cracking, fireworks or surfing, there is something for everyone this Australia Day.

And a 100-year-old Iraqi-born grandmother and a two-year-old Indian boy are among nearly 3600 people from 113 countries to become citizens across the state on Sunday.

The largest ceremonies in NSW will take place at Sutherland and Blacktown.

Meanwhile in Sydney, an indigenous ceremony will welcome in Australia Day with a ritual fire at the Opera House at 7.30am.

The fire, along with offerings from around the world will then be carried onboard a boat, before meeting bark canoes under the Harbour bridge for a smoking ceremony.

It will commemorate our past and future, with the national anthem to be sung in the Eora language.

Throughout the day, other free festivities include the popular race of Sydney's ferries, as well as the Australian army parachute display over Circular Quay.

In a new event, tug boats and 10 yachts will perform a "ballet" on the harbour.

Singers Mahalia Barnes and Prinnie Stevens will entertain with the sounds of motown in Darling Harbour from 6pm.

Ms Barnes said it is a great opportunity to celebrate and be grateful.

"We live in one of the most amazing countries in the world, we are very, very lucky," she told reporters on Saturday.

"The best thing about it is that everyone goes out and has a good time."

At 8.45pm, fireworks will mark the finale of the festivities on the harbour.

Meanwhile, face painting, an animal farm and a 3pm concert with The Wiggles will be rolled out at Hyde Park through the day to keep the kids entertained.

"Police have said that the crowd that comes to The Wiggles, Dorothy the Dinosaur and PABA Pig are the best behaved crowds of the Australia Day weekend," Blue Wiggle, Anthony told reporters.

"It is a lovely, lovely day for families to come along, celebrate Australia and the multicultural society we live in."

Further west in Sydney's Olympic Park, about 6000 Sydneysiders are expected to head to Bicentennial Park for fireworks, sheep shearing, whip cracking and sheep dog trial shows.

Elsewhere in the state, more than 110 people are hoping to break a world record by riding the same wave at North Broulee Beach on the NSW south coast.

At Newcastle a national maritime festival will be held from 8am to 5pm.

Across the state, police are urging people to slow down after almost 800 speed infringement notices were issued on day one of the long weekend campaign.

"With 168 major crashes and one fatality, I'd like to again remind drivers to slow down, stay within the speed limit; no deadline is worth dying for," NSW Police Traffic and Highway Patrol Commander, Acting Assistant Commissioner Stuart Smith said in a statement.

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US pregnant woman's life support to be cut

A US judge has ordered a Texas hospital to remove life support for a pregnant, brain-dead woman. Source: AAP

A US judge has ordered a Texas hospital to remove life support for a pregnant, brain-dead woman.

The judge issued the ruling in the case of Marlise Munoz, who is being kept alive in a hospital in Fort Worth against her family's wishes.

The judge gave the hospital until late Monday afternoon to remove life support.

The case has raised questions about end-of-life care and whether a pregnant woman who is considered legally and medically dead should be kept on life support for the sake of a foetus.

It also has caught the attention of both sides of the abortion debate, with anti-abortion groups arguing Munoz's foetus deserves a chance to be born.

Munoz was 14 weeks pregnant when her husband found her unconscious on November 26, possibly due to a blood clot.

Erick Munoz says he and his wife are paramedics who were clear about not wanting life support in this type of situation.

His lawyer argued that keeping the woman alive would set a dangerous precedent for similar cases in the future.

John Peter Smith Hospital maintained it had to protect the life of the unborn child.

Hospital officials said they were bound by a state law prohibiting withdrawal of treatment from a pregnant patient.

Several experts interviewed by The Associated Press have said the hospital was misapplying the law.

Earlier this week, Erick Munoz's lawyers said the foetus, now believed to be at about 22 weeks' gestation, is "distinctly abnormal".

The lawyers said they based that statement on medical records they received from the hospital.

The local district attorney's office, which is representing the hospital in the lawsuit, said the hospital was expected to issue a statement later on Friday in response to the ruling.

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First female Anglican priest remembered

THE 70th anniversary of the ordination of the first female Anglican priest is being celebrated on Saturday.

Rev Dr Florence Li Tim-Oi was ordained in China on January 25, 1944.

A church service will be held at St Martin-in-the-Fields, central London at 11am on Saturday to mark the anniversary.

After the World War II, Li Tim-Oi was put under pressure by church authorities and resigned her licence as a priest, but did not give up her holy orders.

She was put in charge of a parish near the Vietnamese border, where she started a maternity home to ensure baby girls were not smothered at birth.

Li Tim-Oi eventually moved to Toronto, Canada, to be with other members of her family.

She lived there until her death in 1992.

A foundation was set up in her name two years later to enable women to be trained for Christian work in their own countries. It has given more than STG750,000 ($A1.43 million) in grants to more than 350 women in countries including Brazil, Fiji, Kenya, Pakistan, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.

One of the first beneficiaries of the foundation, Rev Canon Dr Edidah-Mary Mujinya, now president of the Mothers' Union in Uganda, will preach at the service in London.

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Man charged over A-League police assault

A MAN has been charged with assaulting police during the A-League Sydney derby at Parramatta earlier this month.

Officers were conducting crowd control at the match between Sydney FC and the Western Sydney Wanderers about 9.45pm (AEDT) on Saturday, January 11, at Parramatta Stadium when a 29-year-old man approached a male officer and allegedly pushed him.

Police said the man then allegedly acted in an intimidating manner toward a female officer, before he was pulled away by two other men.

Following inquiries, police arrested the man on Thursday and charged him with two counts of assault police officer in execution of duty.

He was given conditional bail to appear in Parramatta Local Court in March.

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Sydney woman gets $243,000 for broken leg

Rachel Gardner's damages fell well short of what she sought. Source: DailyTelegraph

Rachel Gardner outside the District Court after she was awarded $243,591 in damages from NSW Police. Picture: AAP Source: AAP

A SYDNEY woman has been awarded nearly $250,000 after a judge found a police officer used excessive force in kicking her legs out from under her, fracturing her knee, during a clash over a train ticket.

The District Court judge on Friday also ruled that Sergeant Craig Sands had no intention of charging Rachel Gardner for the offences he claimed he arrested her for.

Instead, he dropped her at another train station, where she made her own way home and called an ambulance.

The state of NSW, as Sgt Sands' employer, has been ordered to pay Ms Gardner, a 36-year-old Sydney arts student, $243,591 damages for her ordeal.

She had sought up to $750,000 for the injuries, humiliation, anxiety and loss of social status.

Ms Gardner was on a train to Cronulla on March 13, 2011, when a transit officer found her and two friends, Samantha Golsby and Hamish Rawcliffe, without tickets.

The friends had earlier in the day been at an equal rights march and a party in Miranda.

According to the judgment, police were called to the station to meet the transit officers at Cronulla.

Things went awry when Mr Rawcliffe objected to not being allowed to accompany girlfriend Ms Golsby to the toilet instead of a transit officer.

A scuffle broke out and Ms Gardner intervened.

She claimed that when Sgt Sands arrived, he told her to "go sit over there" but then said "stuff this", and kicked her legs out from under her.

Evidence from a doctor, detailed in the judgement, showed Ms Gardner suffered a fractured knee.

Sgt Sands said he executed an approved procedure, known as a "leg sweep", but it didn't involve kicking.

Ms Gardner claimed police then told a state transit officer to sit on her as she lay face down on the ground.

CCTV footage showed during an earlier court hearing depicted Ms Gardner limping along the platform after she and her friends accepted transport to Sutherland station.

But Judge Sharron Norton stated in her judgment, Sgt Sands was reluctant to admit any limp.

"He was not the only police officer who felt unable to make this relatively simple concession," she wrote.

Ms Norton stated the police evidence had "problematic aspects", including a lack of a proper record about the train station incident.

She found Sgt Sands did not intend on charging Ms Gardner with any of the offences, including hinder police, that he claimed he arrested her for.

The arrest was unlawful and there was no justification in Sgt Sands' leg sweep, Ms Norton found.

The officer also used excessive force.

A doctor gave evidence that Ms Gardner was likely to develop post-traumatic osteoarthritis from her knee fracture.

In a statement to the court, Ms Gardner said she felt humiliated and distrustful of authority.

Ms Norton ordered Ms Gardner be paid $243,591 in damages plus interest, for future medical costs, economic loss and assault damages.

Outside court, Ms Gardner's solicitor Penelope Purcell said her client was pleased with the result.

"She feels vindicated by the judgment," she said.

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WA's shark net trial ready

THE shark barrier designed to protect beachgoers at Western Australia's popular Dunsborough beach has been completed.

Premier Colin Barnett has confirmed the City of Busselton's beach enclosure trial at Old Dunsborough Beach is under way.

The $165,000 barrier, based on those used on the Gold Coast to prevent bull shark attacks, has been constructed over the past few months, as debate rages over WA's controversial shark kill policy.

The enclosure comprises six metal piles drilled into the seabed supporting a 100m x 300m mesh barrier.

The trial will test the suitability of beach enclosures to protect beachgoers from sharks.

Mr Barnett said Old Dunsborough Beach was an appropriate location - despite no shark attacks being recorded at the location.

"Old Dunsborough Beach is used for school holiday swimming lessons, surf lifesaving and community events," he said.

Mr Barnett said the beach enclosure trial was one of "a range of measures" put in place to decrease the risk from a shark attack.

"The state government recognises that a range of measures are needed to ensure West Australians can enjoy our beautiful beaches. Funding research into shark deterrents is part of this strategy, as is the beach enclosure trial," Mr Barnett said.

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Abuse by Marist brother 'criminal'

A MARIST brother who taught at a school in Cairns where boys were molested has been forced to acknowledge the criminal nature of the behaviour.

Brother Andrew Moraghan, who was a dorm master at boys' boarding school St Augustine's College in Cairns in the 1980s, at first told a national inquiry into child sex abuse that accusations of abuse were so rare in those days that he would not know how to characterise it.

Br Moraghan was being questioned by Justice Peter McClellan, chair of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse at a hearing in Sydney on Thursday.

The commission is examining Towards Healing, the Catholic Church process for handling abuse complaints, by exploring what happened to four abuse victims, one of whom, DK, has accused senior religious staff at the school of failing to act against a brother, Ross Murrin, even though in 1981 they knew of a number of complaints against him.

Murrin is now in jail for offences he later committed at schools in Sydney.

Br Moraghan told the hearing he did not know that Murrin was a sex offender until he was charged in 2008 with matters unrelated to St Augustine's.

In 2010 Br Moraghan - along with a previous witness at Thursday's hearing, former principal at St Augustine's Br Gerald Burns - attended a Towards Healing mediation session with DK, a 49-year-old father of three who wanted to ask them what they knew about Murrin's behaviour and why they did not act to protect other boys.

Justice McClellan pressed Br Moraghan on how he, as an experienced teacher and a manager at the school in 1981, would have characterised an allegation that a brother had touched the genitals of a boy.

"I think my first response would have been shock... I would think it would be a gross act of irresponsibility," Br Moraghan said.

Justice McClellan asked: "Would you see it as a crime?"

When the witness said he did not know how to answer that because it would have been something so completely out of common practice, Justice McClellan asked if he would consider it a crime if a brother touched a female school child.

The witness said he would consider it the same as touching a male pupil.

Justice McClellan said: "So you would see it as a crime?"

Br Moraghan said he would see both acts as a crime.

On Thursday Br Burns denied he lied to DK in the mediation session about his knowledge of other complaints by boys about Murrin's behaviour.

Br Burns told the commission that at the time he was at St Augustine's he would have seen the behaviour as a moral lapse not a crime.

The hearing continues

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Westpac the world's most sustainable firm

WESTPAC has been named the world's most sustainable corporation at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Australia's second biggest home lender and deposit holder topped a list of 100 corporations, which also included rivals ANZ and Commonwealth Bank, plus Coles owner Wesfarmers and property developer Stockland.

The bank also beat Japanese car maker Nissan, German sportswear brand Adidas, Korean electronics maker Samsung, American beverage giant Coca-Cola and confectionary maker Nestle.

The annual Global 100 award from Canadian investment research company Corporate Knights recognises companies which reduce energy use, demonstrate impeccable safety credentials, minimise employee turnover and promote leadership diversity.

Westpac chief executive Gail Kelly, Australia's most high profile female corporate leader, said social, environmental and economic responsibility were part of the bank's culture.

"I am delighted that Westpac's sustainability performance has been rated so highly on the global stage," she said in Davos.

"It is wonderful recognition of the work of our people to help create a sustainable future and deliver long term value for our customers, employees, shareholders and the community."

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AMA calls for national summit on alcohol

EMERGENCY doctors who spend their weekends dealing with victims of drunken violence have called on the federal government to follow NSW's momentum in tackling alcohol-related harm.

Sexual assaults, dying car crash victims and surviving drunk drivers and coward punch victims are some of the cases Victorian emergency physician Dr Stephen Parnis deals with on an average weekend.

He told reporters in Sydney on Thursday there was no doubt there was more alcohol-related harm victims fronting hospitals than when he started 21 years ago.

"I could fill a book with the number of tragedies I have seen from treatments and admissions that are directly related to alcohol," the Australian Medical Association (AMA) Victoria president said.

Dr Parnis said it was well and truly an epidemic.

"It's time for major change, time for a parliamentary inquiry into the issue and a national summit," he said.

The AMA has welcomed proposed measures put forward by the NSW government on Tuesday, including earlier lock-outs in party hot spots and harsher penalties for alcohol and drug related crimes.

But the association believes it does not go far enough.

It wants to see the federal government convene a national summit to come up with solutions to the alcohol misuse epidemic.

The summit would bring together government, councils, police, health experts, teachers, victims and industry.

AMA federal president Dr Steve Hambleton said Australia needed leadership from the federal government and support from the states.

According to the AMA, at 2am in an emergency department, about 20 per cent of people are there because of alcohol-related trauma.

Perth intensive care specialist Professor Geoffrey Dobb said sometimes he went to work in the morning and half of the people in intensive care were there due to alcohol.

"An action that lasts for just a second can impact on people for the rest of their lives," he said.

The effect of alcohol misuse also extends to children, with tens of thousands of cases each year of alcohol-related child mistreatment, the AMA says.

Prof Dobb said there needed to be a change in the drinking culture in Australia.

While the group is looking to the commonwealth for help, Acting Prime Minister Warren Truss told reporters on Wednesday people should not rely on the government to stop alcohol fuelled-violence.

He said governments could make it easier for people to be jailed, but they could not solve the problem.

"People have got to take responsibility for their own lives, recognise the impact on people that they may hurt as the result of some silly drunken violence but also on their own lives."

The AMA's call comes just days after the NSW government announced a suite of reforms to target drunk and drug-fuelled violence.

The proposed laws include the creation of a fatal one-punch offence that would carry a minimum eight-year jail sentence if committed under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

They also include 1.30am lock-outs and 3am last drinks at bars and clubs across an expanded Sydney CBD entertainment precinct.

Other proposed reforms are mandatory minimum and longer maximum sentences for serious alcohol-fuelled assaults, 10pm closing times for bottle shops and new powers allowing police to administer drug and alcohol testing to suspected offenders.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has thrown his support behind the AMA's proposal, saying it wasn't a problem in just one small pocket of Sydney.

"It isn't just a challenge for local and state governments. This is a national issue that demands national attention," he said in a statement with Labor health spokeswoman Catherine King.

Mr Shorten said the community owed it to innocent one-punch victims like Daniel Christie, who died after being assaulted in Kings Cross on New Year's Eve, to face up to the problem of alcohol-fuelled violence.

He said a national summit was the most appropriate way to bring key groups together, including the hotel industry and health experts, to work in partnership with government to tackle the issue.

NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell said it was up to the federal government to decide whether a national summit on alcohol was necessary.

"These are problems that extend beyond state borders," he told reporters on Thursday.

"The prime minister has made clear ... that he recognised not only was it a national problem, but that the commonwealth is prepared to play its part."

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WA police get suspended term for tasering

TWO West Australian policemen convicted of assaulting an Aboriginal man by repeatedly tasering him in a lock-up have been given suspended jail terms and fined.

CCTV footage showed the officers - Aaron Grant Strahan, 45, and Troy Gregory Tomlin, 34 - tasering Kevin John Spratt nine times in just over a minute after he refused to be strip-searched in the East Perth watch house on August 31, 2008.

Perth Magistrate Richard Bromfield ruled on Tuesday that Tomlin was guilty of all three charges he faced, while Strahan was guilty of three charges and acquitted of a fourth.

While defence lawyer Karen Vernon had asked the magistrate to impose a good behaviour bond or a fine, rather than a term of imprisonment, Magistrate Bromfield said on Wednesday that imprisonment was the only appropriate sentence.

State prosecutor James MacTaggart had not asked for a jail term, instead suggesting a significant fine.

Tomlin was given an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for six months, as well as a $3800 fine.

Strahan was also given an eight-month jail term, suspended for six months, and a $3250 fine.

In determining the fine, Magistrate Bromfield took into account Tomlin and Strahan's earlier fines of $1200 and $750, respectively, after an internal WA Police disciplinary hearing.

Magistrate Bromfield described the policemen's actions as "a gross error of judgment" and "persistent and repetitive assaults" on a vulnerable victim in custody.

He rejected a suggestion from Ms Vernon that Mr Spratt could have been screaming in joy during the assault as "fanciful", instead describing his utterances as loud and protracted cries of anguish. And while Mr Spratt had been intoxicated and unco-operative before the assault, his struggling during the incident was an understandable response as the Tasers were clearly causing him discomfort.

"No reasonable person could view that footage without being disturbed," Magistrate Bromfield said.

"He was in custody. He could not flee from either of you. He was in an extremely vulnerable position."

Mr Spratt made a brief statement outside court, thanking the media for covering the matter.

After the verdict was handed down on Tuesday, he said he hoped the judgment made it less likely that others would suffer at the hands of police misusing their power.

"A Taser should only be used as a last resort," he said.

While the defence had argued the policemen's actions were justifiable because Mr Spratt was uncontrollable, the court heard from an expert witness that police were instructed not to use the devices for the purposes of ensuring compliance.

Mr Spratt is submitting an application to WA Attorney General Michael Mischin for an ex-gratia compensation payment and is also considering civil proceedings against the officers.

Tomlin and Strahan declined to comment outside court but are expected to issue a statement later on Wednesday.

They are expected to have to fight to keep their jobs as a result of the convictions.

Strahan is still performing operational duties for the WA police, while Tomlin is now a police auxiliary officer.

Both were formerly senior constables.

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Get fit, Ita tells new Australian of Year

Outgoing Australian of the Year Ita Buttrose advises her successor to get fit. Source: AAP

ITA Buttrose's advice for this year's Australian of the Year is simple: get physical.

"I would suggest they start doing physical exercises right now," says Ms Buttrose, 72, whose term comes to an end on January 26.

"You've got to be physically fit. You just reorganise your life and enjoy it.

"It's a really wonderful experience."

Ms Buttrose's appointment capped a distinguished media career spanning four decades.

She shot to prominence as the founding editor of Cleo magazine in the 1970s, before being appointed editor of The Australian Women's Weekly.

In 1980, she became the first female editor of The Daily Telegraph, and later The Sunday Telegraph.

Ms Buttrose has since worked to raise awareness of health issues such as breast cancer, HIV/AIDS and prostate cancer.

She has also been been national president of Alzheimer's Australia since 2011, and in 2012 was the subject of a TV drama, Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo.

But despite the impressive CV, Ms Buttrose says being Australian of the Year was a unique challenge.

"I'm struck by how much interest there is in the community about the award," she told AAP.

Ms Buttrose's duties took her to all Australian capital cities in 2013, as well as to rural centres such as Wagga Wagga and Broken Hill.

She says she was struck most by the resilience and generosity of the thousands of people she met along the way.

"I've seen firsthand the way we can recover when things are crook. We can get ourselves back on our feet. We never doubt that we'll be able to overcome a difficulty," she said.

"I also think that the average Australian person is very charitable, to help someone try and get back on their feet."

However, one area where the country needs to do better is ageism in the workforce.

She recalls the case of one 60-year-old man who applied for more than 200 jobs but didn't get a single interview, despite his qualifications.

"When you tell someone over 50 they're unemployable, you really crush their self-worth.

"Employers are making a terrible mistake in not really appreciating the wisdom and knowledge of older people."

Ms Buttrose will now spend more time on other projects, such as her role on Network Ten morning show Studio 10.

But she'll leave some time for post-Australian of the Year duties, just in case.

"I suspect there will be the odd assignment here and there. I'm told they never, ever actually let you go."

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Vic woman dies waiting for ambulance

A woman died after a two-hour wait for an ambulance during the heatwave say union officials. Source: AAP

AN 85-year-old woman with heatstroke died after a two-hour wait for an ambulance during last week's heatwave, the ambulance union says.

Hundreds of paramedics are expected to converge on the Ambulance Victoria headquarters on Wednesday morning over their ongoing industrial dispute.

Ambulance Employees Australia (AEA) Victorian secretary Steve McGhie says ambulance services went into "meltdown" during last week's heatwave.

"Even during relatively quiet times, Victoria's ambulance service is woefully inadequate. However, last week the system went into meltdown," Mr McGhie said.

Paramedics reported delays of seven hours and extensive ramping, where a transported patient has a long wait in the vehicle on arriving at hospital because there are no available care areas or beds.

One elderly patient waited nine hours on a stretcher for a bed at Northern Hospital and no crews were free to attend a motorbike accident patient who had skin missing from his face and a leg fracture, the AEA said.

A spokesman for Health Minister David Davis said the coalition government inherited an ambulance system in crisis and has since injected millions to recruit more paramedics.

Ambulance Victoria CEO Greg Sassella said it had been negotiating in good faith to reach a meaningful enterprise agreement and wage increase outcome.

He said they remain in voluntary conciliation with the unions and their next meeting was scheduled for the end of this month.

The ambulance union claims its paramedics are the lowest paid in Australia and they could go interstate and earn almost $30,000 more for doing the same job.

Deputy opposition leader James Merlino said the tragedy was yet another example of an ambulance system in crisis.

"Response times for code one emergencies have blown out each year of this government," Mr Merlino told reporters on Wednesday.

"The government are yet to acknowledge they created the crisis and are yet to respond to it."

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Strong quake hits NZ's North Island

A SIZEABLE earthquake in the lower half of New Zealand's North Island has caused at least some property damage, though the extent of damage is not immediately clear.

The 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck about 3.52pm (1352 AEDT) on Monday, centred 10km east of the Wairarapa town of Eketahuna at a depth of 10km.

The quake was widely felt in Wellington and Palmerston North.

Several items were reported to have fallen off shelves in Palmerston North, while in Wellington, a large model of a giant eagle from The Hobbit which was hanging in the airport dining area fell.

Tranz Metro has suspended all train services in Wellington, and there were reports of shoppers being evacuated from Queensgate Mall in Lower Hutt.

At least five aftershocks, one as high as a magnitude 4.3, have been recorded since the main quake.

Emergency services were unavailable for comment, saying they were busy taking calls.

Wellington regional civil defence controller Bruce Pepperell says other than the fallen eagle at the airport, he has received no other reports of damage in his area.

"There's been limited damage in Palmerston North and lower Hawke's Bay with the odd chimney and things like that," he told AAP.

"Other than giving us a really good rattle, there's no damage south of Eketahuna that I'm aware of."

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West Gate safe despite crack: VicRoads

Two lanes of Melbourne's West Gate Bridge have been closed after a crack appeared to have developed. Source: AAP

A LARGE crack has appeared in Melbourne's West Gate Bridge, but authorities say there are no structural defects.

The crack, which is believed to be about five metres in length, appeared on Monday morning on the bitumen surface of a steel section of the bridge.

It is believed last week's record heatwave, where temperatures reached more than 41C for four days in a row, may have caused the crack.

The crack is in the inbound lanes one and two of the bridge, which are closed while emergency roadworks take place.

VicRoads acting chief executive Peter Todd said the crack was noticed during a daily inspection of the road.

"An immediate more detailed inspection from inside the bridge identified that there was no structural defect, but just a cosmetic problem involving the cracking of the bitumen," he said in a statement.

"The cause is believed to be as a result of last week's extreme heat causing the water-proof membranes underneath the asphalt to separate."

VicRoads has closed two lanes of the bridge to carry out temporary repairs, while more permanent repairs will be done on Monday night, Mr Todd said.

All lanes will be open for tomorrow morning's peak, VicRoads said.

The West Gate was recently closed overnight for four nights while scheduled resurfacing works took place.

The bridge is the only direct freeway connection between the city and the western suburbs.

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Goodman Fielder executive dies in accident

Goodman Fielder's Australian managing director, Andrew Hipperson, has been killed in an accident. Source: AAP

FOOD company Goodman Fielder's managing director of Australian operations, Andrew Hipperson, has been killed in a motorcycle accident.

The company said Mr Hipperson was killed in an accident south of Nowra in NSW on January 18.

"Andrew was a valued member of our group executive team and successfully led our Australian operations for just over the past two years," Goodman Fielder chief executive Chris Delaney said in a statement on Monday.

"He was widely respected both within our company but also across our industry."

Goodman Fielder offered its condolences to Mr Hipperson's wife and family.

Until a replacement for Mr Hipperson is found, Mr Delaney will oversee the Australian business.

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Whales swim out in Golden Bay

MORE than 60 pilot whales stranded at Farewell Spit at the top of New Zealand's South Island have been refloated but experts say it's too early to say they won't strand again.

Department of Conservation rangers, Project Jonah volunteers and others have been fighting to save 62 whales after days of strandings.

On Sunday afternoon, DOC said the whales had been refloated about 5 kilometres from the base of the spit, in Golden Bay.

"It is too early to say yet whether or not the rescue effort will be fully successful with the whales remaining in deeper water and moving further out to sea," DOC said in a statement.

"There is still a risk of whales restranding."

Most of the refloated whales are swimming in deeper water towards the other side of Golden Bay and it is hoped they will continue to swim safety further out in the bay.

They are being monitored by the Tasman District Council harbourmaster in a boat.

About six to eight whales have remained close to Farewell Spit and are swimming further along the spit.

About 28 stranded whales have already died this weekend, DOC says.

A total of 71 whales were found on the beach on Sunday morning, including eight dead, spread over 1.6km.

On Saturday morning, 53 whales stranded, including 13 that died.

The whales are believed to be part of the same pod seen off Taupata Point, south of Farewell Spit, on Tuesday.

Pilot whales regularly become stranded on Farewell Spit. On January 6, 39 whales stranded there and died or were put down.

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Cate Blanchett wins SAG Award

Australian actress Cate Blanchett has won a Screen Actors Guild Award for her role in Blue Jasmine. Source: AAP

CATE Blanchett has continued her domination of Hollywood award season with a win at the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards.

Blanchett won the best actress SAG on Saturday night for her lead performance in Woody Allen's comedy-drama Blue Jasmine.

A week ago Blanchett claimed a Golden Globe for the role and on Thursday was nominated for an Oscar.

The SAG win confirms her almost unbackable favouritism for the best actress Oscar at the March 2 Academy Awards.

It is also a great omen.

In 2005 when Blanchett won the supporting actress SAG award she went on to win her first Oscar, supporting actress for The Aviator.

Blanchett's sweep of awards season comes despite competition from some of the greats of the business.

The other SAG best actress nominees were: Meryl Streep (August: Osage County); Sandra Bullock (Gravity), Judi Dench (Philomena); and Emma Thompson (Saving Mr Banks).

American Hustle won the ensemble film award.

In other SAG categories, Matthew McConaughey continued his run at the best actor Oscar with a SAG victory for Dallas Buyers Club.

His co-star, Jared Leto, won the supporting SAG while 12 Years a Slave's Lupita Nyong'o caused an upset in the supporting actress category.

She beat favourite Jennifer Lawrence (American Hustle) and heavyweights Julia Roberts (August: Osage County) and Oprah Winfrey (The Butler).

In the TV categories, Modern Family won the best comedy ensemble and Breaking Bad took the drama ensemble.

Breaking Bad's Bryan Cranston also won the lead actor in a drama series award.

Helen Mirren, for Phil Spector, caused an upset over Top of the Lake duo Elisabeth Moss and Holly Hunter in the TV movie or mini-series category.

The SAGs were held at The Shrine auditorium in Los Angeles.

SAG is the union representing more than 100,000 actors.

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'Social' smokers warned of risks

ALMOST a quarter of British smokers say they only have a social habit despite the fact many smoke six to 20 cigarettes a day.

A survey of 2000 smokers found 24 per cent class themselves as social smokers but more than one in three of these buy up to a packet a day.

About 60 per cent of all those questioned said they have tried giving up in the past, with women being slightly more likely than men to have attempted quitting.

One in six of those who had tried to stop smoking succeeded for over a year but then went back to their old habits.

Some 13 per cent said part of the reason they took up smoking again was because their friends smoked and they did not like being left alone on nights out.

Other reasons included the effects of alcohol, a football team losing and because the smoker did not want to miss out on socialising with work colleagues.

Of those who did go back to smoking, 47 per cent said they had initially cut down how many cigarettes they smoked.

The poll also found that 54 per cent of smokers admitted to smoking in banned areas, such as indoors in public spaces.

One in six said this was because it was too wet and cold to smoke outside, while 14 per cent took the risk because the area was not policed very well and one in 10 did so because they had never been asked to stub out their cigarette.

Catherine Cox, primary care manager at The Co-operative Pharmacy, which conducted the poll, said: "The smoking ban in public places has had a major effect on the health of the nation with a significant number of people giving up.

"But many smokers are convincing themselves they are consuming less tobacco than they actually are by classing their habit as a 'social' one.

"People see it as more acceptable to be a social smoker than admitting they regularly light up each day, even though our research shows that this is the case.

"Just smoking a few cigarettes a day has an impact on your health and the wellbeing of those around you."

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