Homes under threat from Springwood fire

FIREFIGHTERS are battling to protect more than 100 properties from a large bushfire burning in Lithgow and the Blue Mountains in NSW.

They were hoping to use the calmer and cooler temperatures on Saturday to control fires across the state, but blazes in and around the Blue Mountains have flared up.

Crews have been redirected from back burning operations to protect more than 100 homes in Bell, Dargan, Berambing and Bilpin that are now under threat, Rural Fire Service Deputy Commissioner Rob Rogers said.

The RFS has issued its highest emergency warning for fire burning between Lithgow and Bilpin and closed a number of roads in the area.

It has also issued an emergency warning for Springwood, where 193 properties have already been destroyed.

"This fire is by no means contained," Mr Rogers told reporters in Sydney.

"It's got absolutely kilometres and kilometres of fire front."

He stressed it was too late for people in Berambing and Bilpin to leave, as the roads were too dangerous to use.

"The message is to shelter in place and not to leave," Mr Rogers said.

He urged people in areas that might be affected in coming days to plan what they'd do if the fires reached them.

"There's now two instances this afternoon where ... people may have wanted to go but the situation developed so quickly that they couldn't leave and the decision is made for them," Mr Rogers said.

"If you want to be able to make the decision yourself, then decide now what you're going to do."

Mr Rogers described conditions as "okay", but said it would likely warm up on Sunday and winds could strengthen on Monday.

Firefighters were hoping there was going to be rain, but that now appears unlikely.

Mr Rogers said it was particularly difficult for firefighters working in their home area.

"There's a sense of failure when they lose homes because their mantra is to try and protect people and their homes," he said.

Meanwhile, the defence department is investigating whether there is a link between the Lithgow fire and an explosives training exercise that took place at the Marrangaroo training area on the same day.

An RFS spokesman told AAP there were no fire bans in place while during the training exercise and that it occurred a day before extreme conditions were expected.

Premier Barry O'Farrell said "there was no suggestion" that the explosives testing had sparked the blaze.

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Murdoch survives vote at AGM

Shareholders have failed to gain support to oust Rupert Murdoch as 21st Century Fox's chairman. Source: AAP

A SHAREHOLDER-LED revolt to dump Rupert Murdoch as chairman of his new TV and film conglomerate 21st Century Fox has failed, but the mogul's sons Lachlan and James suffered ego-bruising protest votes.

Murdoch will retain the chairman and chief executive roles at 21st Century Fox, which includes the Fox TV network, the 20th Century Fox film studio and other jewels of his global media empire.

His sons will also sit on the 12-member board.

But the shareholder vote at the company's annual general meeting in Los Angeles on Friday showed plenty of dissatisfaction with Lachlan, 42, and James, 40.

Lachlan received the lowest total vote of all board members, with 384 million votes supporting his place on the board and almost 126 million opposed.

James, who faced plenty of heat following the UK phone hacking scandal, had 411 million votes in favour of a board seat and almost 100 million against.

The numbers were significant considering the Murdoch family controls 39 per cent of the vote.

Shareholders easily voted 82-year-old Murdoch on the board, supporting him with 436 million votes and 46 million against.

There was less support for Murdoch to hold the chairman and chief executive roles.

A group of disgruntled shareholders, led by "faith-based socially-responsible" Christian Brothers Investment Services, put forward a proposal that the chairman be independent.

The proposal was unsuccessful, with 362 million votes against and 147 million for.

"Appointing an independent chair would give shareholders more comfort that real oversight of the executive team is being exercised," Tim Shayer, an investment adviser for Christian Brothers, told the AGM.

21st Century Fox board member Viet Dinh, speaking on behalf of the board, said the combined chairman-CEO role "ensures strong and consistent leadership of the company".

Murdoch's News Corp empire was split into two companies earlier this year, with 21st Century Fox holding its vast TV and film assets.

The new News Corp is largely comprised of Australian, UK and US newspapers.

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Kiwi heads for 1.7 per cent weekly gain

THE New Zealand dollar is heading for a 1.7 per cent weekly gain after markets rallied on the end to the US political stalemate over approving the federal budget.

The kiwi rose to 84.56 US cents at 5pm in Wellington from 83.16 cents at the start of the week. It slipped from 85.25 cents at 8am, and was little changed from 84.24 cents on Thursday.

The trade-weighted index decreased to 77.99 from 78.15 on Thursday, and is heading for a one per cent weekly gain from 77.20 at the Monday open.

Economists estimate the end to the partial shutdown of US federal government services probably sliced 0.5 of a percentage point from quarterly growth.

That slower pace of growth will likely feed into a further delay to the Federal Reserve's planned tapering of monetary stimulus, pushing out the expected appreciation of the US dollar.

"When (Fed chair Ben) Bernanke said no to tapering, the market pushed its expectation out to December, and after the shutdown that's now moved to March," said Imre Speizer, market strategist at Westpac Banking Corp in Auckland.

Chinese government figures on Friday showed the world's second-biggest economy grew at a 7.8 per cent annual pace in the July through September period, in line with expectations, and supporting currencies that export into China, such as New Zealand and Australia.

The kiwi dollar fell to 87.85 Australian cents from 88.27 cents on Thursday.

The NZ currency also fell to 82.92 yen at 5pm in Wellington from 83.07 yen and to 61.88 euro cents from 62.18 cents.

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Abbott, Newman sign deal on approvals

THE prime minister and the Queensland premier have signed a deal to streamline state environmental approvals.

But green groups are warning natural assets such as the Great Barrier Reef could face greater threats.

Under a deal signed in Brisbane on Friday, Queensland will take sole responsibility for assessing projects, making sure they comply with federal and state environmental laws.

Both governments say the change will remove duplication, and should result in plans for new developments being approved within 12 months.

The federal government will adopt a strategic oversight and auditing role.

A full deal formalising the new system is expected within a year.

Mr Abbott and Mr Newman did not speak to reporters after the signing.

But federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt and his state counterpart Andrew Powell said the streamlined process would bring many benefits.

"Australians don't want to be on the phone forever if they call a call centre and businesses shouldn't be on the phone for three years," Mr Hunt said.

"They have a right to decisions, they have a right to have the ability to get on, to invest, (and) hit environmental standards of the highest order."

But Green Senator Larissa Waters told AAP the Newman government could not be trusted to safeguard the environment.

"In the short time he's been premier he has single-handedly ripped up most of Queensland's environment protections," she said.

"He's the last person that should be given more responsibility because he has shown time and time again that he doesn't want to protect the environment. He wants to put the interests of miners ahead."

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Adelaide welcomes Art of India

BEAUTIFUL paintings, sculptures, textiles and even a mansion's towering teak gateway are on show at a new exhibition of Indian art at the Art Gallery of South Australia.

Visitors to the media preview leave with calm smiles on their faces, confirming curator James Bennett's observation that Realms of Wonder is a joyful exhibition.

"As I have been working on the show for the past 18 months, it struck me again and again, it's actually about joy," he told AAP on Thursday.

"It's not a subject we often see in art nowadays."

The vibrancy, life and colour of Indian society is well and truly reflected in the art, he says.

Realms of Wonder: Jain, Hindu and Islamic Art of India features more than 200 paintings, sculptures and decorative works including manuscripts, embroidered fabrics and silverware.

The earliest work dates back to the eighth century while the latest was created in 2009.

Bennett says the exhibition looks at the three great Indian religions and the way their spirituality and beliefs has inspired the country's art.

Music from the relevant area plays in the background of each section, adding to the exotic atmosphere of being in another world.

While Bennett says curators aren't supposed to have favourites, he particularly likes a simple stone.

"It's the only work in the exhibition that hasn't been made by human hands, but it was revered as a manifestation of Lord Shiva, called a linga," he said.

"It is a large naturally polished, perfectly spherical stone that was found in a sacred riverbed in India.

"It's so eloquent in its simplicity and beauty."

Most of the works are from the gallery's collection, while the rest are on loan from private owners.

The gallery's director Nick Mitzevich says the exhibition reminds us of the power of art to foster an understanding of the richness and diversity of the world.

* Admission is free to Realms of Wonder: Jain, Hindu and Islamic Art of India which runs at the Art Gallery of South Australia from October 19 to January 27, 2014.

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Chinese general visits Australia

A SENIOR general in China's People's Liberation Army has visited Australia as the latest step in building the growing military relationship.

General Zhao Keshi, director of the PLA's General Logistics Department and a member of China's Central Military Commission, is in Australia this week for talks with government and military officials, Defence says.

He has met junior defence minister Stuart Robert, Defence Force chief General David Hurley and defence department secretary Dennis Richardson.

This is the first visit to Australia by a member of China's Central Military Commission since General Guo Boxiong, then commission vice-chairman, visited in May 2010.

"General Zhao's visit provided an important opportunity to build on this strong foundation of practical engagement and dialogue and further strengthen the bilateral defence relationship," defence said in a statement.

In December, Australia and China celebrate the 41st anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties.

Since then, China has become Australia's leading trading partner and in recent years Australia has expanded defence links.

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Federal government focuses on aviation

AUSTRALIA'S aviation sector will be comprehensively examined by federal government to ensure it can meet predicted domestic and international growth.

Nationals leader Warren Truss, who has ministerial responsibility for transport, told a meeting of air safety delegates the coalition government plans a series of reviews on safety and competitiveness.

"A review of skills and workforce requirements ... will provide an evidence-based and coordinated approach to training and workforce development to meet industry needs," he told the Safeskies Australia conference in Canberra on Wednesday.

The skills review will look at a wide range of aviation occupations including pilots, cabin crew, air traffic controllers, maintenance and engineering staff, aviation security and airport employees.

"The future is likely to be challenging, and we need to ensure that we plan effectively," Mr Truss said.

The deputy prime minister also confirmed plans for a review of safety and regulation despite Australia's "very good" record.

"I believe that it's time to examine our aviation safety framework and identify where improvements can be made," he said.

The safety review will be carried out by an international aviation expert, to be named before the end of the year.

The government will also offer greater support to industry watchdogs including the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), which will be able to request extra funding when it finds itself swamped with investigations.

Mr Truss also pointed toward the completion of a national air traffic system, saying it should ease pressure on Australia's airports trying to meet domestic and international flight demands.

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Food aid groups stretched thin in NSW

MOST days, Michael Wilson only eats one bowl of noodles, then tries to sleep to conserve his energy.

He's spent most of his time living on the streets since being released from prison in February.

Mr Wilson says he's a drug addict and receives a pension for his chronic depression.

"A lot of the time I try to sleep during the day because if you get up you use energy," he told AAP.

"I only spend four days a week awake and doing stuff in a fortnight because that's all I can afford."

He usually eats one meal a day and his diet consists mainly of noodles and food van meals.

And he is just one of 700,000 NSW residents who have relied on food aid to survive in the past year.

An annual report from Foodbank NSW, released on Wednesday, titled End Hunger in Australia, recorded an eight per cent hike in the number of people seeking food assistance in the state.

Nationwide, Foodbank provides more than 2600 charities with enough food for 88,000 meals a day.

But each month, 65,000 people are turned away from welfare agencies due to low food supplies.

At the report's launch in Sydney, Foodbank NSW CEO Gerry Andersen told reporters he sees a lot of families asking for help.

"Across the nation there's 473,000 people we provide food for every month," he said.

"About a third of those ... are kids that go to bed without dinner or to school without breakfast every day."

The organisation's western Sydney warehouse wasn't big enough to meet demand and has turned useable food away.

"At the moment we have eight or nine hundred pallets stored in our warehouse and 500 pallets stored outside," he told reporters.

"Last week I had to knock back 50 tonnes of pumpkins. I had nowhere to put them."

Foodbank estimates 60 per cent of food recipients nationwide are low income or single parent families.

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Synthetic drugs inquiry needed: Greens

THE Australian Greens will push for a Senate inquiry into how best to deter the rising use of synthetic drugs.

But the minor party wants to avoid a "tough on drugs" approach, saying the issue should be dealt with on a health, rather than a criminal, basis.

"Dealing with the risks of synthetic drugs is a very complex proposition and it won't be solved with simplistic solutions," Greens health spokesman Richard Di Natale said on Tuesday.

The rise of synthetic drugs hit national headlines in June when Sydney teenager Henry Kwan plunged from a balcony after taking a synthetic form of LSD, prompting NSW to ban the drugs.

A 120-day federal ban was also put in place, but Small Business Minister Bruce Billson said on Sunday various state laws meant there was no need to extend it.

Senator Di Natale said a Senate inquiry was needed to find the best response to dealing with the problem and pointed to the New Zealand model of regulation based on health and safety grounds.

"The emerging synthetic drugs industry is a relatively new and growing issue in Australia," he said in a statement.

"The old parties seem keen to double-down on the old 'tough on drugs' rhetoric and continue to push for a law-and-order response.

"The status quo is unacceptable and we need to take a measured approach that ensures we put the health of the community first."

So-called synthetic highs are becoming increasingly popular among recreational users.

Some 44 per cent of regular drug users used an emerging psychoactive substances (EPS) - including synthetic cannabis - in the previous six months, the latest National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre survey shows.

This was up from 40 per cent in 2012.

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Tasmanian bushfire report finds flaws

AN inquiry into Tasmania's devastating January bushfires has made more than 100 recommendations.

Former South Australian police commissioner Malcolm Hyde's report says major improvements can be made in the response to blazes that destroyed 200 homes.

"The fact that no person was killed should not simply be taken as an indication that the emergency management arrangements worked well," the report said.

"In a number of respects, the emergency management arrangements worked well.

"However, in a number of ways they did not."

The recommendations include that communications across agencies be more effective, that predictive modelling of fires be improved and the roles of police and fire service clarified.

Strategic fuel reduction burns should also be implemented, Mr Hyde found.

Tasmanian premier Lara Giddings said 30 of the recommendations had been prioritised for implementation before the coming bushfire season.

All 103 would be accepted in full or in principle, she said.

"It is true that the inquiry has identified weaknesses in some elements of the initial response and recovery but this process is about learning, not blame," Ms Giddings said in a statement.

The report said 3000 firefighters in 498 crews fought 34 fires when catastrophic conditions hit Tasmania on January 4.

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iSelect CEO resigns

THE chief executive of iSelect has quit after disagreement with the board, less than four months after the company floated on the Australian share market.

Matt McCann, who had served as chief executive of iSelect, an insurance and utilities comparison business, since January 2012, resigned on Friday last week.

"Differences of opinion between the board and Matt led to him tendering his resignation last Friday evening," iSelect executive chairman Damien Waller said on Monday.

Mr McCann and the iSelect board had differed over the company's operating priorities.

"For example, Matt had a view around how to grow the business via acquisition. The board was much more focused on organic growth," Mr Waller said.

The differences were "amplified" by the fall in iSelect's shareprice and requests for information from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission in relation to iSelect's prospectus and the company's outlook for the 2013 calendar year.

Mr McCann's departure comes less than four months after iSelect, which has been operating for 13 years, was listed on the Australian Securities Exchange.

Current chief financial officer David Chalmers will take over as chief executive in the short term while iSelect begins a worldwide search for a permanent replacement.

The company has had a disappointing first few months, with its stock price falling from $1.85 to around $1.26 since its debut.

News of Mr McCann's resignation came as iSelect released a trading update.

The update affirmed the company's earnings expectations for the 2013 calendar year.

But it warned of a drop in expected revenue for the first half of the 2013/2014 financial year and the 2013 calendar year.

iSelect expects calendar 2013 EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation) to be in line with its forecast at $30 million, which would represent a 51 per cent increase on calendar 2012.

Revenue for calendar 2013 is expected to be $126.5 million, down $6 million on the prospectus forecast of $132.5 million.

Revenue in the first half of the 2013/14 financial year is expected to be $2.4 million below the prospectus forecast, mostly attributable to a decision to defer a car insurance marketing campaign.

Mr Waller said the outlook for iSelect was strong.

"iSelect is robust. We are tackling the challenging economic conditions as well as recent regulatory changes that have affected out largest business segment," he said.

Shares in iSelect were 2.5 cents higher at $1.285 at 1349 AEDT.

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Child safety jobs left vacant: NSW inquiry

CHILD protection caseworker jobs across NSW have sometimes been left unfilled in an effort to save money.

The former deputy chief executive of operations at the Department of Community Services, Helen Freeland, told an upper house inquiry on ministerial propriety on Monday that the department had implemented a range of measures to "shave parts off the budget".

She said she noticed there had been a reduction in caseworker numbers across the state by January this year.

"We had positions which were vacant but we didn't have the salary to pay people if we recruited against those vacancies," she told the inquiry.

The inquiry, which was set up by the NSW opposition, is probing whether Minister Pru Goward misled parliament about caseworker numbers.

Ms Goward has faced sustained pressure since denying any knowledge of an Ernst & Young report that contradicted her claims that NSW had more than 2060 caseworkers. Only 1797 positions had been filled.

Ms Freeland told the inquiry she was required to make savings in the operations budget.

While the savings were not made by reducing caseworker numbers, she said a number of small savings measures were imposed.

"It has been standard practice for a number of years to fund salaries at the midpoint," she said.

"There were some weeks where a position might be vacated by a caseworker before you can appoint someone permanently to that position, so in that time you make some savings."

Labor MP Luke Foley asked whether one response to budget pressures was to stop filling the 2068 budgeted caseworker positions.

"It's a decision that some regional directors took because when they worked out what their salaries budget was, they calculated that there were positions that they couldn't fill from time to time," Ms Freeland replied.

The opposition has claimed Premier Barry O'Farrell is trying to protect Ms Goward after he announced last month that lower house ministers need not attend the inquiry.

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Caucus backs Shorten over Labor faithful

The Labor Party will announce the result of the caucus and leadership ballot on Sunday. Source: AAP

BILL Shorten will lead Labor to the next federal election after winning a historic ballot of the caucus and party rank and file.

The new leader of the federal parliamentary party won the caucus vote convincingly 55-31, but the wider membership backed Anthony Albanese 60-40 per cent.

When the two tallies were weighted against each other, Mr Shorten had 52 per cent of the vote.

Interim Labor leader Chris Bowen predicted Mr Shorten would go on to become the next Labor prime minister of Australia.

"Bill Shorten is a man who has dedicated his working life to representing vulnerable people and to representing this nation," he told reporters in Canberra on Sunday.

Mr Bowen also paid tribute to Mr Albanese, saying he still had a "significant contribution" to make in parliament.

The caucus will meet on Monday to elect a deputy leader, likely to be Tanya Plibersek, and shadow ministry.

The size of Mr Shorten's caucus vote margin surprised many observers who had expected a closer contest.

But it's clear some Left faction MPs deserted Mr Albanese to back Mr Shorten, a major figure in the Victorian Right faction.

As expected, Mr Albanese convincingly won the backing of the rank and file.

Former prime minister Julia Gillard was quick to congratulate the new Labor leader, despite his controversial role in her dumping in June.

"Congratulations to Bill Shorten on becoming Labor leader. A great honour! I wish Bill all the best. JG"

Mr Bowen said Mr Shorten had already been introduced to the public through the Labor leadership process, giving him an advantage over previous opposition leaders.

Mr Shorten, 46, entered parliament in 2007 when Labor won government from the coalition.

Before that he was national secretary of Australian Workers Union, coming to public prominence as the public face of the Beaconsfield Mine disaster.

In government Mr Shorten was a minister for workplace relations, education, financial services, superannuation and assistant treasurer.

He was responsible for the initial steps the Gillard government took to establish the national disability insurance scheme.

But his role as one of Labor's so-called "faceless men" was instrumental in the downfall of two prime ministers - Kevin Rudd in 2010 and Julia Gillard in 2013.

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Port Stephens fire threatening properties

A BUSHFIRE in the NSW Hunter region is burning out of control and threatening properties.

Police are evacuating people on the corner of Browns Road and Rooks Road in Port Stephens.

The NSW Rural Fire Service is urging residents in Lemon Tree Passage, Mallabula, Bobs Farm and Tanilba Bay to take shelter as the fire-front approaches.

The fire service says the blaze is burning in extremely dangerous conditions and travelling in a southeast direction.

"Under these conditions, fires are uncontrollable, unpredictable and fast-moving," they said in a statement on Sunday.

Embers may be blown up to 6km ahead of a fire, creating spot fires that will move quickly and in different directions.

"These spot fires may threaten your home earlier than the predicted main fire front," the NSW Rural Fire Service warns.

It was 34C in Sydney at 3.15pm (AEDT) on Sunday and the temperature was rising toward the forecast of 36C.

A change sweeping through the state is expected to drop temperatures by as much as 10 degrees when it reaches Wollongong by 6pm and Sydney by 9pm.

The Bureau of Meteorology says the strong cold front will bring damaging winds of around 50 km/h with peak gusts of 90km/h.

The NSW Rural Fire Service has banned the lighting of fires for Sunday in large parts of NSW, including greater Sydney.

Meanwhile, firefighters are gaining the upper hand in a grass fire burning near Grey Gum Terrace, Northmead, in Sydney's northwest.

Authorities urge residents to call triple zero if they believe their lives are at risk.

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