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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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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Labor transport plan undercosted: Vic govt

VICTORIAN Labor's plan for 24-hour weekend public transport will cost double what it says and lead to a hike in fares, the government says.

Under the $50 million proposal, all-night public transport will run on weekends from New Year's Eve 2015, with the trial to run for 12 months if Labor wins the November state election.

Trains will run on all lines, while extra trams and buses will also ferry people out of the city.

But Treasurer Michael O'Brien says the policy will cost double what Labor says, based on figures supplied by Public Transport Victoria and the Department of Justice.

"What this information indicates is that Labor's costings are completely wrong," he told reporters in Melbourne.

The coalition is basing its claims on an assumption Labor's plan will require 530 extra security guards and eight new trains, because running trains through the night on weekends will "play havoc with maintenance schedules".

Mr O'Brien says there is already adequate public transport services on weekends.

"Victorian public transport users face a fare hike of 22 per cent to pay for Labor's unfunded promises," he said.

"When they were in government, they got their costings wrong, they couldn't run major projects.

"This demonstrates they have learnt nothing from those errors."

But Deputy Opposition Leader James Merlino rejected the claims, saying the proposal would get people home safely.

"These are desperate claims from a clearly rattled premier, whose only transport project is a dud $8 billion tunnel that costs a lot and doesn't do very much," he told reporters.

Mr Merlino says Labor is confident in its costings and will release full costings before the election.

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Rising unemployment hits Aussie confidence

The Westpac Melbourne Institute Index of Consumer Sentiment has fallen amid rising unemployment. Source: AAP

AUSTRALIA'S rising jobless rate is chipping away at consumer confidence.

Confidence fell by 1.7 per cent from 105.0 points in December to 103.3 in January, according to the Westpac Melbourne Institute Index of Consumer Sentiment.

Although optimists still outweigh the number of pessimists, the index is at its lowest level since July 2013, Westpac chief economist Bill Evans said.

That was despite the January 'holiday effect', he said.

"To the extent that respondents were aware of the announcements, the most important economic event was the release of the December jobs report which showed a shock loss of 22,600 jobs in the month," he said.

The survey's Unemployment Expectations Index increased by 0.7 per cent, following a 4.6 per cent rise in December.

"Higher readings mean more consumers expect unemployment to rise in the year ahead," Mr Evans said.

"The Index shows no signs that respondents are feeling any relief for job prospects despite the Reserve Bank's rate cuts and the recent fall in the Australian dollar.

"There is also some evidence of a cooling in optimism around housing and house prices."

Mr Evans said improving optimism around the world economy and evidence that Australia's housing market was responding to low interest rates meant the Reserve Bank of Australia would keep the cash rate on hold at 2.5 per cent when the board meets on February 4.

But Westpac still sees a case for another cash rate cut this year, he said.

"Evidence from this survey that households are losing a little confidence, the labour market remains very difficult and the confidence boost around housing may be peaking is all consistent with the eventual need for further relief," he said.

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$20m for drought-hit Qld farmers

The Queensland government has offered drought-hit farmers a $20 million support package. Source: AAP

DROUGHT-STRICKEN farmers will get a $20 million support package from the Queensland government.

Two-thirds of the state is drought-declared, leaving many farmers in a precarious position.

Premier Campbell Newman says the package includes $13 million for the Drought Relief Assistance Scheme, $5 million for land rental rebates, and $2 million for community events, training and resources for local leaders.

"The extreme dry conditions continue to spread and we are potentially facing a second failed wet season," Mr Newman said in Longreach on Tuesday.

AgForce general president Ian Burnett said the drought was one of the worst on record.

"Assistance such as this is very much about helping our farmers through what is an extraordinarily challenging weather event and beyond a reasonable capacity to prepare for," he said.

Earlier in the day, the government added the Longreach and Barcaldine regions to the list of drought-declared areas.

Twenty-six local government areas are now drought-declared, covering about 65 per cent of the state.

Barcaldine mayor Rob Chandler says many graziers are in real trouble.

"There have been some very isolated falls of rain but this is one of the best droughts Mother Nature has put on, and there are some people in some real strife," he told ABC radio.

"Some places had only 50 millimetres for the full year last year, and when you've got an average rainfall of 19 inches, that's way below par."

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Trio charged after man shot in Sydney

THREE people have been arrested after a man showed up at a Sydney hospital with a gunshot wound to his leg.

Police were called to Nepean Hospital about 9.45pm (AEDT) on Monday after the 34-year-old received treatment for the injury.

A crime scene was later established at a hotel on Mulgoa Road in Penrith, where police believe the shooting occurred.

A 40-year-old man and 25-year-old woman were arrested at the hotel and have since been charged with hindering a police investigation.

A 28-year-old was also arrested after officers raided a Penrith home, where police say they seized a firearm.

The man has been charged with discharging a firearm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

The trio were refused bail to appear before Blacktown Local Court on Tuesday.

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House sales fall as prices hit new high

THE number of houses sold in New Zealand fell in December from a year earlier as the national median sale price rose to a new record, according to Real Estate Institute figures.

The number of houses sold fell 1.1 per cent to 5,688 in December from the same month a year earlier, and were down 18 per cent from November, a bigger drop than the average decline, REINZ said in a statement.

The fall in sales volumes was led by Manawatu/Whanganui, where turnover dropped 37 per cent, followed by a 27 per cent slide in Southland and a 24 per cent decline in Wellington.

The median sale price rose 0.5 per cent to $NZ427,000 ($A405,431.07) in December, and was up an annual 9.8 per cent.

Prices in Auckland, which have been driving growth over the past year, fell 3.2 per cent to $620,000, and were up 12 per cent on the year.

"The softer trend in sales noted in November 2013 continued into December," chief executive Helen O'Sullivan said.

"Further data is needed over the next few months to determine if this is a new (price) trend, or a short-term effect caused by a change in the pace of sales at lower price points given the increased complexity some buyers in these price points now have to navigate."

In October, the Reserve Bank imposed restrictions on lending with small deposits as bubbling housing markets in Auckland and Christchurch, which typically account for half the nation's property turnover, raised fears about the nation's financial stability if there was a sharp correction.

The average number of days to sell a property slowed to 32 days from 31 days in November, and was unchanged from a year earlier.

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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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Bushfire threatens WA homes and lives

LIVES and homes are under threat from an out-of-control bushfire in Western Australia's South West region.

A watch-and-act alert has been issued for people in Riverslea in the Shire of Augusta-Margaret River.

"There is a possible threat to lives and homes as a fire is approaching the area and conditions are changing," the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) said.

"You need to leave or get ready to actively defend."

The blaze is moving in a northerly direction and is burning towards Birch Loop, Banksia Chase and Tingle Avenue.

DFES warns burning embers are likely to be blown around homes and spot fires are starting up to 300 metres ahead of the fire with flames that are five metres high.

The fire was reported at 10.40am (WST) on Sunday.

The cause of the blaze is unknown.

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NSW properties under threat from fire

SEVERAL isolated rural properties have come under threat from a bushfire in southern NSW that has intensified in deteriorating conditions.

An emergency warning has been issued for the Humula, Carabost and Little Billabong areas after a south westerly wind change on Sunday afternoon put homes "under immediate threat" from the out-of-control Minnimbah fire, which is "burning quickly and erratically", the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) says.

It's blazed through more than 8000 hectares.

"Firefighters are actively undertaking property protection," the RFS said on its website.

"There are reports of property losses, however due to dangerous fire conditions, firefighters are unable to enter a number of fire-affected areas."

Smoke and embers are being blown over Humula and containment lines at Carabost and Shockeroo roads are under pressure.

Several roads are closed in the area.

More than 60 firefighters, heavy machinery and water bombing aircraft are trying to bring a fire at Redbank, near Bathurst, under control.

The bushfire, which has scorched more than 300ha, is burning through a pine plantation and "is proving difficult to contain", the RFS said.

"If your plan is to leave, or you are not prepared, leave early," the RFS advises residents on its website.

Frantic work to build containment lines for a third bushfire at Minjary, between Canberra and Wagga Wagga, is also underway.

The scrub fire has burnt 2675ha and is being controlled.

About 900 firefighters have been deployed across NSW to battle 50 new fires sparked on Saturday by lightning strikes.

RFS spokesman Matt Sun said 86 fires were burning across NSW, with about 20 uncontained.

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