NSW deficit revised with $656m downfall

A SOFT economy and government revenue decline have cancelled out the benefits from a prospering property market to deliver a big blow to NSW's bottom line.

Despite initial budget forecasts for a $1.89 billion deficit in 2013-14, NSW is now on track to plunge to about a $2.5 billion deficit.

The $656 million downfall will push out NSW's target for a surplus to 2016-17, according to the Half-Yearly Review released on Thursday.

NSW Treasurer Mike Baird said a fall in payroll tax revenue, despite the "shining light" property sector, contributed to the position.

He also attributed a shift in budget accounting and employee and superannuation expenses to the negative revision.

The NSW government is still reaping the rewards of a strengthening property market with stamp duty growth expected to exceed budget forecasts by between three and four per cent.

But the outlook shows it will not be enough to overcome the forecast $166 million decrease in payroll tax revenue for 2013-14.

"Over the budget estimates, yes, stamp duty is up but it is pretty much offset by the payroll," Mr Baird said on Thursday.

"So the payroll weakness has come off (due to) two factors.

"Wages growth is not as strong and a slighter, weaker employment rate ... so that has driven the revenue down in terms of payroll." Property Council of Australia NSW executive director Glenn Byres said the stamp duty results showed the property market was one of the viable areas of the economy.

"Where we need to be cautious is stamp duty is a volatile source of revenue, so the state will need to immune itself against sudden shifts," he told AAP.

Mr Byres said the real challenge was making the property market upturn go past the usual "ebb and flow" cycle of one or two years.

Mr Baird said the budget would be in a worse position if not for the lease and sale of assets such as Port Botany and Kembla.

The asset sales have helped prop up NSW's infrastructure spending.

Mr Baird conceded the state had challenges but said he was not alarmed.

He also did not rule out further revenue raising actions to bring the books back into the black.

Based on figures from a new budget accounting standard that incorporates changes to how superannuation is treated, NSW is forecast to achieve a $320 million surplus by 2016-17.

That is later than the June forecast of a $157m surplus in 2015-16.

The NSW Business Chamber says it's not surprising payroll tax receipts are lower than expected with business confidence in the "doldrums" for two years.

"The NSW Business Chamber has long been a critic of payroll tax as a burden that does not encourage employers to hire new staff and is a perverse incentive to reduce employment during economic downturns," chief executive officer Stephen Cartwright said.

Opposition Leader John Robertson said it took an extraordinary level of incompetence to have tax takes, record dividends and job cuts but not a balanced budget.

"What this shows is this Liberal government with a treasurer in Mike Baird is inept and incapable of delivering a budget that is going to sustain NSW going forward," he said.

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Fares up and bus route changes for Sydney

SYDNEY commuters may have to travel further to reach their bus stops next year and pay more to climb aboard following a raft of transport changes.

The NSW government's 20-year plan to redesign Sydney's bus system aims to streamline more than 600 bus routes.

The plan, Sydney's Bus Future, will introduce a three-tiered network and see more rapid routes, like the existing metrobuses.

The rapid routes will link major centres and create a "turn up and go service" with a bus every 10 minutes on weekdays.

However, routes will see fewer stops and commuters may have to walk further to reach them.

Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian announced the plan on Thursday, along with a public transport fare increase to start on January 5.

Opposition Leader John Robertson slammed the plan, saying it would create longer queues at fewer bus stops.

Customers on "suburban" routes will get a bus at least every 10 minutes in peak times and every 15 minutes during the day on weekdays.

"Local" services will have buses stopping every 400 metres.

The new plan's 13 "rapid" routes will link Sydney's hubs, but will only stop every 800 metres to one kilometre.

The government says the bus route changes will see 1.5 million Sydneysiders living within a 10 minute walk to "turn up and go" services on rapid or suburban routes.

Sydney Business Chamber executive director Patricia Forsythe said the government recognised that increasing buses was the problem, not the solution, for traffic congestion.

"The metro bus routes have been very popular and the development of more rapid services that have reduced stopping patterns, but faster trips, will be very attractive to passengers who travel over longer distances," she said.

The Tourism & Transport Forum supports the plan, but deputy chief executive Trent Zimmerman wants more services to Olympic Park.

"We are disappointed the plan does not include express bus services from Strathfield to cater for a growing workforce and we encourage the government to keep the door open on improving bus links to Olympic Park," he said.

While the government says it will not increase MyZone fares in line with an IPART recommendation, there will be an increase in line with CPI.

The hike will range between a 20 cent increase on single adult tickets up to a $2 increase for MyMulti weekly tickets.

However, Opal fares will remain unchanged.

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NRL's Ferguson denies groping woman in bar

RUGBY league player Blake Ferguson has denied groping a young woman at a Sydney nightspot and says it's all a case of mistaken identity.

Ferguson is accused of touching a 24-year-old woman between her legs at 2230 Bar and Restaurant in Cronulla on June 16.

The woman has stood by her claim the former Canberra Raiders player squeezed her vagina firmly while he was out celebrating his NSW State of Origin selection with fellow player Josh Dugan.

But Ferguson told Sutherland Local Court on Wednesday he did not grope the woman.

He says he did touch her on the upper, inside thigh because he mistook her for another blonde woman he'd been kissing at another pub Northies earlier that night.

Ferguson said he had made plans to meet up with the woman at the other bar later in the night.

He said when he saw the alleged victim he thought it was her.

"I tried to kiss her just like I did (before)," he said.

When she then slapped and hit him, he said he giggled because he didn't know why the girl was suddenly rejecting his advances.

"I sort of realised it wasn't her, but she kept on yelling and screaming at me," he said.

"I was pretty embarrassed."

But police prosecutor Rick Manley said Ferguson never explained to the alleged victim, her boyfriend or Dugan that he'd thought the girl was someone else.

When Mr Manley suggested this version of events was a last-minute invention, Ferguson insisted it had been an innocent mistake.

"I would never touch anyone like that if I didn't know them on an intimate level," he told the court.

Dugan also gave evidence he'd seen Ferguson canoodling a young blonde woman at the previous venue.

When asked by Ferguson's lawyer Adam Houda if, as a sports star, there was "no shortage" of young women approaching him, Dugan replied: "Not at all."

In CCTV footage shown in court, Ferguson can be seen posing for photos with fans and hugging a young woman before turning and approaching the alleged victim behind him.

She then shoves and slaps Ferguson, who goes to the other side of the bar.

The hearing before Magistrate Jacqueline Trad continues.

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Govt moves to extend Senate sitting

The government will try to extend Senate sitting hours to force a vote on the carbon tax repeal. Source: AAP

THE federal government will attempt to have the Senate sit beyond Thursday to try to force a vote on its carbon tax repeal legislation.

The move will fail if Labor and the Greens gang up on the coalition in the upper house.

Government senate leader Eric Abetz wants senators to remain in Canberra for as long as it takes - up to Christmas if necessary.

The Senate so far has voted on only one of the 11 bills in the government's repeal package.

Nor has it voted on a bill to repeal Labor's minerals resource rent tax.

Senator Abetz says the government has a "thumping mandate" to get rid of the carbon tax.

"The Labor and Green alliance in the Senate is seeking to deny that legislation getting through before Christmas," he told reporters in Canberra on Wednesday.

Greens senator Richard Di Natale said his colleagues would consider extending sitting hours at a party meeting on Wednesday morning.

But party leader Christine Milne already has said she won't be in Canberra past Thursday, when parliament is due to rise for the long summer break.

It doesn't return until mid-February.

Independent senator Nick Xenophon flagged his support for the government move.

"We have got a job to do to deal with legislation one way or the other and we should just get on with it," he said.

A spokesman for Senator Di Natale later said the Greens would oppose any government move to extend Senate sitting hours.

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Echo says debt restructure to cost $22m

CASINO owner Echo Entertainment will incur a one-off charge of $22 million from changes made to its debt arrangements.

But the owner of Sydney's The Star said the changes will reduce its finance costs from the second half of the 2013/14 financial year to the 2015/16 year.

Echo had closed out some of its interest rate swap positions and restructured its lending arrangement, it said.

That will involve pre-tax expenses of $22 million which will be recognised its in results for the first half of the 2013/14 year.

Echo shares were down 7.5 cents, or 3.1 per cent, at $2.325 at 1412 AEDT.

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Senate rejects first carbon tax bill

THE Senate has rejected the first of the government's carbon tax repeal bills with Labor and the Greens combining to vote it down.

Parliament's upper house voted 38 to 29 against further debate on a bill to scrap the $10 billion Clean Energy Finance Corporation, effectively defeating the legislation.

It was the first of the package of 11 bills to repeal the carbon tax, in line with a coalition election promise.

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann said abolition of the corporation was a priority for the government and a commitment Prime Minister Tony Abbott took to the September 7 election.

The government had the strong support of voters who rejected Labor at the poll, he said.

"Labor takes the position they have flagged in this chamber today at their peril."

The CEFC was set up by the Gillard government to help finance clean energy projects.

Labor has condemned its abolition, saying it returned about $200 million a year to the budget.

But Senator Cormann said scrapping the CEFC would save money because the corporation had to raise funds at public debt borrowing rates, which Labor senators had ignored.

CEFC chair Jillian Broadbent, a former member of the Reserve Bank of Australia board, last week pleaded with the government to reconsider its plan, saying the corporation had made a profit and helped curb carbon emissions.

Labor senators condemned the move to abolish the CEFC, saying it would hurt the government's ability to reach its emissions reduction targets.

"It will cost the taxpayer more to shut this corporation down than Abbott says it will save," Labor senator Glenn Sterle said.

Labor colleague Ursula Stephens said the coalition was taking a "very important, potent policy tool" away from its direct action plan.

The Clean Energy Finance Corporation (Abolition) Bill 2013 cannot be reintroduced for three months.

If it is rejected a second time, the government will have a double-dissolution trigger.

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Aust research could prevent stillbirth

A team of Victorian researchers has developed a test they say could prevent stillbirth. Source: AAP

A MELBOURNE woman involved in a world-first test that aims to reduce stillbirths says she hopes she can help other expectant mothers avoid the heartbreaking tragedy.

Mercy Health researchers have developed a blood test that will help doctors test if a fetus is at risk of stillbirth.

Researchers say the test, which measures a baby's oxygen levels inside the womb, could be more effective than an ultrasound.

Rochelle Haralambous had blood tests throughout her pregnancy to monitor her premature baby Tia, as part of the study.

Doctors monitored Tia to ensure she was not born too early or too late.

"If it can help any mums in the decision-making of taking that baby out of their stomach and delivering it early, then that would certainly help a lot," Ms Haralambous said on Monday.

She said the test could help her again in the future if she decides to have more children.

Lead researcher Clare Whitehead and Professors Stephen Tong and Susan Walker developed the test, which measures RNA fragments that are released when a baby is suffering from dangerously low levels of oxygen.

Dr Whitehead says the test can help doctors deliver premature babies at the right time.

"If we know how much oxygen the baby is getting we can deliver pregnancies prior to the oxygen levels becoming very low and the baby succumbing to stillbirths," Dr Whitehead said.

She says the test could be made available in three to five years.

An international clinical trial is taking place across seven hospitals in Australia and New Zealand.

One in every 135 Australian pregnancies ends in stillbirth, Dr Whitehead said.

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NSW bar owner on fraud charge

A BAR owner has been charged with providing fraudulent information to get a liquor licence for his premises in Armidale in the NSW's Northern Tablelands.

The 39-year-old man allegedly submitted an application to the licensing police in the New England Local Area Command in April 2013.

Since the licence was granted for the Beardy Street premises, police said they had attended a number of alcohol-related incidents.

Investigations revealed the man had allegedly provided fraudulent details to obtain the licence.

He was arrested on Friday and charged with dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception.

Police also executed two search warrants and seized financial documentation and computer equipment.

The man was released on bail to appear at Armidale Local Court on January 20.

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John Legend lands his first Aussie No.1

JOHN Legend's All of Me has become his first No.1 single in Australia, topping the ARIA chart.

Legend is in the country touring as support act to Alicia Keys, and while the racy video clip featuring his wife, model Chrissy Teigen, must have given the song its initial viewings, the track has sold enough to be certified Gold in Australia after four weeks in the charts.

The Monster for Eminem and Rihanna is back down to No.2 after three weeks at the top, while Magic! climb four places to a new peak of No.3 with Rude.

Spending their eighth week within the Top 10, Pitbull and Ke$ha climb back up to their former high of No.4 for a third non-consecutive week, while Avicii is back down two places to No.5 with Hey Brother, and Guy Sebastian holds at No.6 with Like a Drum.

Katy Perry is down three places to No.7 with Roar, Bastille and Justice Crew hold at No.8 and No.9 respectively, while the new No.1 album holder in the country, Taylor Henderson, is back up a couple of places to No.10 with Borrow My Heart.

Over on the ARIA albums chart, the self-titled debut set for Taylor Henderson is the new No.1 this week.

After a single week at the top, One Direction drop down a place to No.2 with Midnight Memories, while climbing up a place to a new peak of No.3 is Willy Nilly - The 12th Man's Biggest Hits for comedian Billy Birmingham, which pushes Prism for Katy Perry down to No.4.

Human Nature climb a place to a new peak of No.5 with The Christmas Album, while Michael Buble returns to the Top 10 with 2011/2012 No.1 album Christmas, rising five places to No.6 this week, accumulating its 16th week within the Top 10.

The self-titled album for Dami Im drops four places to No.7 and Eminem is down three to No.8 with The Marshall Mathers LP 2.

Robbie Williams drops a couple of places to No.9 with Swings Both Ways and Lorde is down two spots to No.10 with Pure Heroine.

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Australia pledges more aid to Philippines

FOREIGN Minister Julie Bishop has visited typhoon-devastated communities in the Philippines, pledging another $10 million to Australia's aid effort.

Ms Bishop on Sunday met the Australian medical team in Tacloban, one of the areas worst hit by Typhoon Haiyan, and Australian Defence Force personnel working in Ormoc and surrounding areas.

She thanked the health, defence, aid, consular and other officials who have responded to the crisis, and the Australian public who had donated more than $13 million to relief and recovery efforts.

The additional $10 million in humanitarian relief brings Australia's total contribution to $40 million.

Almost 15 million people have been affected by Typhoon Haiyan, which caused massive destruction early last month.

Ms Bishop will travel to Manila to meet her Filipino counterpart and other cabinet members, where the Philippines' recovery needs and broader bilateral and regional issues will be discussed.

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