Qantas near miss being investigated

THE air traffic controller overseeing an apparent near miss between two Qantas passenger aircraft hasn't been stood down, it has emerged.

Air navigation services provider Airservices Australia, who employs the traffic controller, says the staff member has been moved to another role but has not been fired.

The spokesman explained that it was standard procedure for controllers to be relieved of their normal duties after such incidents.

"That's for the safety of the traffic controllers as well," the spokesman told AAP on Saturday.

"Any incident, no matter what it is, would worry them. You don't want them worried and having to try to also focus on their job."

Collision avoidance systems were set off as a Sydney-to-Perth plane came too close to a Perth-to-Sydney plane over the Great Australian Bight on Friday afternoon.

The plane travelling from Sydney had been granted permission by air traffic control to climb.

Qantas says the Airbus A330 aircraft had a "loss of separation".

"Our pilots followed standard operating procedures in re-establishing the required separation distance," the airline said in a statement.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has begun an investigation which will include examining radar and audio data and interviewing air traffic controllers and flight crew.

It says the incident occurred just after midday (AEST), 19 kilometres west of Adelaide, when the flight one plane had begun to climb from 38,000 feet to 40,000 feet after being cleared to do so.

"Soon after, the controller cancelled the clearance and the aircraft descended back to 38,000 feet," the ATSB said.

It said the flight crew of the second plane received a resolution advisory alert from the aircraft's traffic collision avoidance system, requiring immediate action.

The ATSB expects to complete its investigation later this month.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority says it will wait until investigations are concluded before it decides whether any action is needed.

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Govt rejects asylum boat secrecy charge

THE federal government has rejected as "simply wrong" suggestions it will stop telling the public about asylum seeker boat arrivals.

Under the previous Labor government, Customs and Border Protections told the media every time a boat was intercepted in Australian waters.

That practice appears to have changed under the coalition government, with Customs now directing media inquiries to Immigration Minister Scott Morrison's office.

Labor says this shows the government is trying to hide information on boat arrivals from the Australian people.

"You can't have a situation where the problem is meant to be solved by secrecy," opposition immigration spokesman Tony Burke told Sky News on Saturday.

"That's not the way to deal with it."

Mr Morrison denied the government was trying to keep boat arrivals hidden.

"The suggestion that information will not be provided is simply wrong and a typical reaction from a Labor party hypersensitive to their own chronic failures on border protection," he said in a statement.

The government will in the coming days outline how it will treat the information "from an operational perspective", Mr Morrison said.

He argued the Abbott government was changing the previous government's "failed approaches" on border protection.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott formally launched his new military-led approach last week, appointing Deputy Chief of Army Angus Campbell to lead the operations.

The former SAS commander will report directly to Mr Morrison and coordinate the 16 departments and agencies that deal with the boats under what will be called Operation Sovereign Borders.

"How (boat arrival) information is provided and the timing of it is something the government will be managing in a way that best supports the success of Operation Sovereign Borders ... based on the extensive experience of the operational agencies and commanders that lead this effort," Mr Morrison said.

Labor leadership hopeful Bill Shorten slammed the government for trying to "hide" information about boat arrivals.

"First of all they said (they wanted to) stop the boats - they know they can't do that," he told reporters in Melbourne.

"Then they said they want to buy the boats," he added, referring to a coalition plan to buy back Indonesian fishing boats to keep them from falling into the hands of people smugglers.

"Now they want to move from buy the boats to hide the boats."

He urged the government to work with opposition on asylum seeker policies and avoid demonising refugees.

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Hunt moves to abolish climate bodies

Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt has abolished the Climate Commission. Source: AAP

THE Climate Commission has been abolished and work has begun on scrapping the Climate Change Authority.

Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt signed a departmental brief on Thursday to close the authority, following Wednesday's swearing in of the new Liberal-National government in Canberra.

The authority was set up by the former Labor government to provide advice on emissions targets.

The move will require consultation with the authority and legislation to be passed by the parliament, which is due to return in late October or early November.

A CCA spokeswoman said the authority understood it was the government's position to abolish it through repeal legislation.

"At this time the authority has received no further information from the government," the spokeswoman told AAP.

But Mr Hunt has immediately closed the Climate Commission, an advisory body set up by Labor to increase public awareness and provide information on climate change science.

Mr Hunt spoke to commission head Tim Flannery on Thursday to inform him of the decision and thank the commission for its work, the spokeswoman said.

The commission's work will be taken over by the environment department, to save the budget $580,000 in this financial year and $1.6 million a year in running costs.

Prof Flannery said there was a strong need for accurate information on climate change as "propaganda" aimed at misinforming the public increases.

"I believe Australians have a right to know, a right to authoritative, independent and accurate information on climate change," he told reporters in Melbourne.

He said Australia had endured the hottest 12 months on record, with last summer breaking more than 120 heat records across the country.

The commission was established in February 2011 to provide authoritative, apolitical information to the Australian public on all aspects of Climate Change at a cost of $5 million over four years.

Prof Flannery said all commissioners would continue their work in one way or another, informing the Australian public that climate change is happening.

"It's a grave threat, but a threat that can be overcome," he said.

He said a well-informed public was key to action on climate change.

"We desperately need a well-informed public, especially in areas of complex policy," Prof Flannery said.

"Without an informed public, we will go astray."

Prof Flannery did not want to comment on political matters, or whether the current government believed in climate change.

He said about six to eight per cent of the Australian population were "rusted on" climate sceptics.

Staff at the commission would be re-assigned, he said.

Labor leadership contender Anthony Albanese said the government's priorities were wrong.

"They only got sworn in yesterday but they have already begun ... rolling AusAID into DFAT, sacking senior public servants and just today the shameful act of shutting down the Climate Change Authority," he told a forum in Melbourne.

He said it was a "step back in time".

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Moves to ban powerbrokers from lobbying

NSW has quickly acted on Prime Minister Tony Abbott's warning to the major parties' numbers men that political officials have no place lobbying MPs.

"You can either be a powerbroker or a lobbyist, but you can't be both," he announced on Thursday.

On Thursday afternoon, NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell announced a ban on Liberal party officials and managers in the state also acting as lobbyists.

"From the 31st of October, people who occupy or act in an office or position concerned with the management of a registered political party will not be eligible to engage in lobbying activities in NSW or to be registered as a lobbyist in this state," he told parliament.

Mr Abbott said he would move to ban party officials from the official lobbyist register but did not give further details.

The policy would ensure public confidence in his government, he said.

"I know that all coalition governments right around Australia are determined to try to ensure that there are no conflicts of interest, real or apparent," Mr Abbott told reporters in Sydney.

"I'm determined to ensure that as far as the new coalition government in Canberra is concerned, not only is it clean and fair but it's seen to be clean and fair."

The premier said there may be further changes in future.

Controversial powerbrokers and lobbyists Michael Photios and Joe Tannous have reportedly both announced they would be resigning from the Liberal Party State Executive.

Mr Photios is the chairman of lobbying firm PremierState, while Mr Tannous is the chairman of 1st state.

Their reported resignations come more than a month after Mr O'Farrell was grilled about Mr Tannous during budget estimates.

Labor MP Luke Foley drew the premier's attention to Mr Tannous' LinkedIn profile, which said he "enjoys constant contact with elected representatives from across the political divide enabling him to attain the desired results for his clients".

The Labor MP pointed out that Mr Tannous lobbied for Thiess, which in July won a $1.15 million northwest rail tunnelling contract, and Dell Australia, which was awarded a $455,000 government deal.

Meanwhile, Mr Photios came under the microscope over his contact with the former NSW finance minister Greg Pearce, who was sacked last month for failing to disclose a conflict of interest over an appointment to the board of Sydney Water.

Mr Foley suggested in August that there were seven people on the Liberal state executive who could be termed lobbyists, while the premier claims there are only three.

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Travellers blamed for Qld measles spike

BRISBANE Sept 18 AAP - Health authorities are pleading for parents to vaccinate their children against measles as more travellers bring the potentially deadly disease into Queensland.

There have already been 16 cases of measles in the state this year, despite the disease having been eradicated from Australia.

Chief Health Officer Dr Jeanette Young says tourists and those travelling to places in Southeast Asia and Europe are bringing measles into Queensland at an increasing rate.

This will cause more outbreaks of measles to occur, unless the vaccination rate lifts from 90 per cent to around 95 per cent, she said.

"Someone has to catch measles overseas come into Australia and they'll spread it because it is so contagious," she told reporters in Brisbane.

"Please parents, make sure your children have their two doses (of the vaccination)."

The majority of recent measles cases have been in the Ipswich area, west of Brisbane.

Dr Young said most of those struck down by the disease were young people who had travelled overseas to places including the Philippines and Italy.

"They've mainly been people in their 20s and 30s," she said.

"Unfortunately, there has been one young child, a 10-month-old baby who was too young to be vaccinated who caught it."

So far, two of the 16 people affected have been hospitalised, however Dr Young said the consequences could be far worse.

"Somewhere between two and six per cent of people who will get it in Australia will die," she said.

"Why risk it when there is a fantastic vaccine which is free, safe and is out there?"

The last major outbreak of measles in Queensland was in 2009 when 32 cases were recorded on the Sunshine Coast - an area with a lower vaccination rate.

The measles, mumps and rubella vaccination has been available in Queensland since the late 1960s.

Children are vaccinated at 12 months and 18 months of age. Those born since 1966 can also get the vaccination free of charge.

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Tinkler falls off BRW Young Rich list

JUST two years ago, Nathan Tinkler was sitting comfortably atop BRW's Young Rich list, with a fortune estimated at $1.13 billion.

Now the mining entrepreneur has dropped off the list altogether after failing to miss the $18 million cut off.

Averaged out over the two years, the decline in Mr Tinkler's wealth equates to more than $10 million a week.

Mr Tinkler, who has been hit with court action over unpaid debts this year and is selling personal property, is the biggest casualty on this year's Young Rich List.

At the top of the 2013 list are software entrepreneurs Mike Cannon-Brookes and Scott Farquar, with a combined wealth of $550 million.

One of the biggest movers is Ruslan Kogan, founder of online retailer Kogan, who has lifted from number eight to number three on the list, with an estimated fortune of $315 million.

Carolyn Creswell, who owns muesli company Carman's, is the richest woman on the list, with $55 million and is ranked number 34 overall.

Retired MotoGP rider Casey Stoner, 27, is the youngest person on the list, with an estimated wealth of $20 million.

IT and sport dominate the list, with 32 tech entrepreneurs and 14 sport stars among the top 100.

BRW editor James Thomson said it was a diverse list with 25 people making their debut in 2013.

"The 2013 BRW Young Rich list is, without question, the most exciting group of entrepreneurs we've assembled in the 11 year history of the Young Rich," he said.

"We've got the pioneers of technology and eCommerce, we've got the upstarts of retail and franchising. And as always, we've got glamour courtesy of the young stars of sport and entertainment."

BRW Young Rich list features the 100 wealthiest self-made Australians aged 40 and under and excludes people who have inherited their wealth.

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Shorten claims Labor caucus support

Bill Shorten says he's been nominated by a majority of caucus members for the Labor leadership. Source: AAP

LABOR frontbencher Bill Shorten says he has the signatures of the majority of caucus members on his nomination for the federal parliamentary leadership.

Mr Shorten and fellow frontbencher Anthony Albanese are contesting a ballot for the leadership, following Kevin Rudd's decision to step down after Labor's federal election loss.

For the first time, the parliamentary leadership will be determined by a ballot evenly split between caucus members and 40,000 ordinary party members.

Mr Shorten, who hails from the ALP's Right faction, told reporters in Melbourne it was an "exciting time" for all party members to participate in an important decision and he was heartened by the support shown so far.

"I've got a majority of caucus members to sign my nomination," Mr Shorten said on Tuesday.

He said he had spoken with Mr Albanese, and they had agreed to a "civil debate about ideas, not personalities".

The pair also agreed the loser of the ballot would still get a "senior" role in opposition.

Mr Shorten said outgoing health minister Tanya Plibersek would make a good opposition deputy should she choose to run.

He said he would get around the country to speak to as many members as possible.

"My focus is on directly communicating with the people who contribute so much to the Labor party and that is our membership," the former Australian Workers Union boss said.

Asked whether he and Mr Albanese had any policy differences, Mr Shorten said their values were "quite similar".

But issues surrounding services for people with disabilities must be kept at the centre of the political stage and Labor needed to ensure during the leadership contest there was a focus on keeping the Abbott government accountable.

"I think the coalition is showing some degree of complacency," he said.

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Customer growth lifts TPG profit

TPG has increased customer numbers at a faster rate than last year, substantially boosting the telco's annual profit.

TPG made a net profit of $149.2 million in the year to July 31, up 64 per cent on $90.96 million in the previous year.

The prior year's result was skewed by a $23 million one-off tax expense.

When that item is excluded, TPG's net profit rose by 31 per cent in 2012/13.

TPG's broadband subscriber base grew by 76,000 in 2012/13, compared to growth of 47,000 in fiscal 2012.

The number of subscribers to TPG's home phone and broadband bundle plans rose by 130,000, which was partly offset by a fall of 54,000 in standalone customers and customers not using TPG's own fibre network.

TPG's mobile phone subscribers increased by 105,000, compared to a rise of 54,000 in fiscal 2012.

The company expects earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) in 2013/14 to be between $290 million to $300 million, compared to $293.1 million in 2012/13.

Earnings from TPG's corporate division, which provides wholesale and corporate telecommunications infrastructure under the PIPE Networks brand, grew by more than 10 per cent in 2012/13.

The earnings growth was largely due to improved margins from investment in the group's fibre network.

TPG is planning to increase the number of buildings directly connected to its fibre network in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.

"With the evolution of new technologies now enabling speeds of up to 100Mbps this will enable the group to commence offering very high speed broadband services to its customers at ADSL2+ prices," TPG said.

TPG increased its domestic fibre network by more than 800 kilometres in 2012/13, to more than 3,800 kilometres.

More than 300 extra buildings were directly connected to the network, taking the total number connected to more than 1,600.

TPG shares were up 48 cents at $4.18 at 1532 AEST.

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Lynas loss widens, new debt deal struck

A DEPRESSED rare earths market has forced Lynas to postpone its expansion and renegotiate a $225 million debt facility.

The Australian rare earths miner, one of the world's few non-Chinese producers, will have to start repaying debt next year instead of in 2015.

Repaying the $US225 million in full a year early by 2016 was the condition its Japanese lenders put on the new agreement to waive for 15 months Lynas' previous obligations to ramp up to 'phase two' production and cash margins expansion targets.

On Monday, Lynas reported that it had widened its full year loss to $107.4 million for the 12 months to June 30, from $102.6 million the previous year.

The miner only started selling rare earths products shortly before the end of June, receiving a modest $900,000 first pay cheque.

The debt negotiations were well-received by investors, who still appear bullish about the outlook for rare earths and sent Lynas shares up 3.25 cents, or 8.0 per cent, to 43.75 cents by 1500 AEST.

Lynas had hoped to start producing at its Malaysian plant in 2011 when rare earths prices were booming but fierce opposition from local villagers was fought in the courts, delaying permits.

By the time it won that battle this year, Chinese domestic prices for rare earths products, which have a range of hi-tech industrial uses, had sunk to under $20 a tonne making it hard to be profitable.

The company said last year had been one of significant milestones for Lynas, positioning it to achieve its core objective of becoming the leading sustainable global supplier of rare earth materials to the market.

A successful Lynas would be a game changer for a Chinese-dominated industry, with its fully integrated operations from its Western Australia-based Mt Weld mine - considered the world's best - through to its Malaysian finishing plant.

Patersons analyst Rob Brierley said the move to get out of its phase two expansion for 15 months was a good one that would otherwise have left it under huge financial stress and at risk of defaulting.

He said an end to the depressed market was not yet in sight but Lynas was well placed long term, with a strong resource base and state of the art, low cost concentration and processing plants.

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Top Of The Lake earns respect for TV in Oz

WIN, lose or tie at the Emmy's, mini-series The Top Of The Lake has placed a red seal of approval on Australian/NZ TV productions, says producer Emile Sherman.

Top Of The Lake is up for eight Primetime Emmy Awards including two acting categories, but the majority of the nominations are for the production of the six-part series.

Created and written by Jane Campion and Gerard Lee, Top Of The Lake is an Australian/New Zealand co-production commissioned by the BBC for the Sundance Channel in the US.

As the producer, Sherman, who five years ago founded Australian company See-Saw Films with Iain Canning, stands in line to win an Emmy for Outstanding Mini-Series or Movie.

Sherman told AAP the competition is tough and he has low expectations of winning when he attends the awards at the Nokia Theatre in LA on Sunday night (USA time).

Yet, he says the nominations are gold for the Australian and New Zealand television industries and it's why See-Saw Films now has now branched out in to television.

Top Of The Lake was the See-Saw films' first foray into TV, and Sherman says the nominations should bring more Hollywood commissioned series Down Under.

"This has been totally overwhelming," Sherman told AAP.

"We were hoping to get one nomination, but to get eight is something we never imagined.

"I don't know when the last time an Australian mini-series has been nominated for an Emmy but it means it's been really been embraced over there which is amazing for a series."

Also nominated is veteran Sydney-based editor Alexandre de Franceschi, who along with Scott Gray, is up for Outstanding Editing For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Dramatic Special for their worn on the fifth episode.

De Franceschi has been editing films, music videos and commercials for close to 30 years and among the more recent titles he has worked on is the film Stone which starred Robert De Niro.

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London mayor Johnson backs UK fracking

WIND farms are a "disease" which have blighted Britain's countryside and the country should embrace nuclear power and fracking to meet its energy needs, London Mayor Boris Johnson says.

Johnson accused the energy companies of "ruthlessly exploiting" a shortage of supply as he insisted the UK must stop "pussy-footing around" and start exploiting shale gas reserves.

The senior Tory said turning to a new generation of nuclear plants and fracking would cut energy bills and boost the economy.

Writing in The Sun on Sunday he said he was shocked by the number of wind turbines he saw on a recent drive to Scotland.

"It is a good 20 years since I last drove all the way to Scotland, and in the interim something unbelievable has been done - in our name - to our green, pleasant and precious countryside," he said.

"I mean the windmills, the turbines - whatever they are called. I mean the things that look like some hideous Venusian invasion, marching over the moors and destroying the dales; the colossal seaside toys plonked erratically across our ancient landscape; the endless parade of waving white-armed old lunatics, gesticulating feebly at each other across the fields and the glens.

"They seemed to be everywhere, and I asked myself, when were we consulted? Was there a referendum? Did someone ever warn the British people that these moaning seagull slicers were going to be erected on some of the most sensational scenery that God ever called into being?

"The answer is that no one warned us, because no one really took the decision to do it. It just sort of happened. We have contracted these mills like a disease, because of our pathetic apology for an energy policy."

Claiming that the turbines would not meet the UK's needs he blamed the last Labour administration for failing to get to grips with the issue, leaving the UK facing an energy crisis.

"It is time to take the fight to the energy companies, who have been ruthlessly exploiting their position - and the best answer is an enormous increase in supply. We can do it, and we can do it in a way that is as clean and green as any technology on earth," he said.

"First we need to grow some collective cojones and launch the nuclear energy programme that this country has too long delayed. Do you know how much of their juice the French get from their nuclear programme? Almost 80%. They are laughing at us - us, the nation that split the atom!"

He added: "Next, we must stop pussy-footing around, and get fracking. Even if we have 100s of fracking pads, they are nothing like as ugly as windmills, and they can be dismantled as soon as the gas is extracted."

Mr Johnson said shale was "clean and green" and would help the UK secure its own energy supply without relying on gas from countries such as Russia.

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Worst over in baby illness mystery

More than a dozen babies in Melbourne's Royal Women's Hospital have fallen ill to a mystery bug. Source: AAP

VICTORIA'S nurses' union claims the state's neonatal intensive care system is at breaking point after a mystery illness hit more than a dozen babies in a hospital nursery.

Fifteen newborns being cared for in The Royal Women's Hospital's intensive and special care nursery were quarantined when the illness emerged nine days ago.

Two had to have surgery for an inflammatory bowel condition.

A Royal Women's Hospital spokeswoman said there was no danger to new arrivals.

Australian Nursing Federation state secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick said she was concerned about the stress on neonatal care units across the state.

"There is continuing pressure put on those units and we know that there has been an issue this week with 20 babies still being barrier nursed," Ms Fitzpatrick said.

More than 1900 specimens had been taken to determine the cause of the outbreak, she said.

"We have pregnant staff in that unit and nurses working up to 14-hour shifts to take care of those babies," she said.

The state opposition blamed funding cuts for the stress in neonatal units, but the state government said it had been increasing the number of neonatal intensive care beds.

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