NSW deaths push road toll to seven

THE nation's Easter road toll stands at seven following two fatal NSW collisions.

The latest death was that of a cyclist, killed instantly when struck by a car on Sydney's north shore on Saturday afternoon.

Police said the male driver of the Mercedes sedan was uninjured but had been taken to hospital for mandatory blood and urine testing.

Two-and-a-half hours earlier, a man was killed when his car and a truck collided in the state's north at Tyndale.

The deceased driver is yet to be identified, while the man behind the wheel of the truck and his passenger both suffered non life-threatening injuries and were taken to Coffs Harbour Hospital.

Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash and witnesses are urged to come forward. A report will also be prepared for the Coroner.

The deaths follow tragedies in Western Australia, Tasmania and Queensland over the holiday period.

Three of the fatalities were on WA roads and involved young men aged 17-20.

A Chinese tourist was killed in Tasmania and a Queensland woman died after being struck by a car.

The 67-year-old woman died on the way to hospital on Thursday after she was hit by a station wagon while crossing the road in Beaudesert, south of Brisbane.

On Thursday afternoon, a 17-year-old boy died after being thrown from a car which rolled several times on the Gnaraloo-Quobba Road near the West Australian town of Carnarvon.

The East Carnarvon boy was taken to Carnarvon Regional Hospital but was unable to be revived.

Hours later, a 20-year-old man was killed when his Ford Falcon ute hit a tree on Collie-Williams Road near Collie.

His passenger, a 22-year-old man from Bunbury, was knocked unconscious and taken to hospital after a passing motorist pulled him from the burning wreckage.

On Thursday night, a 19-year-old Bruce Rock man died after his car hit a large tree near Bruce Rock east of Perth.

Also on Thursday, a 32-year-old Chinese tourist died following a head-on collision on a Tasmanian highway.

The woman from China was a passenger in a vehicle being driven by her 30-year-old husband.

Their Volkswagen hatchback collided with the Hyundai delivery van on the Bass Highway, west of Port Latta.

The couple were taken to the North West Regional Hospital, where the woman died. The man has undergone multiple surgeries and is in a serious condition.

(EDS: The Easter road toll figures are for the period 0001 April 17 to 2359 April 21)

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Abbott 'world's worst tipster': Tony's dad

PM Tony Abbott's dad says 'Tony is the world's worst tipster' when it comes to horse racing. Source: AAP

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott may know about politics but he's not so good when it comes to horse racing - just ask his dad.

"Tony would be the worst tipster in the world on racing," Dick Abbott said of his son during a short break from their lunch outing at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

Mr Abbott and his wife Margie had accompanied Mr Abbott's parents to day two of the rich new Championships carnival at Randwick.

The prime minister was in an upbeat mood, saying his day had started well with a 55km bike ride.

"And now I can I guess eat and drink to my heart's content this afternoon," he said.

Mr Abbott was not answering questions about a week of highs and lows that saw him welcome the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, William and Kate, to Australia on the same day his NSW Liberal colleague Barry O'Farrell resigned as state premier in sensational circumstances.

"I guess this is a week of sad endings and happy beginnings," Mr Abbott said.

The one tip staunch monarchist Mr Abbott was prepared to volunteer was for Carlton House, a horse owned by Queen Elizabeth and trained by Gai Waterhouse.

"I guess it couldn't have a better owner and you couldn't have a better trainer," the prime minister said.

He wasn't doing his own betting, however.

"I've sought advice and I've given $50 to my racing investment adviser and I've asked him to try to make sure he comes back with more than $50," Mr Abbott said, not revealing who that adviser might be.

Mr Abbott was filling in for the visiting royals, who were unable to attend Randwick for the presentation to the winner of the $4 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes on Saturday afternoon.

The outing was also a belated 90th birthday treat for Mr Abbott senior.

The prime ministerial party dined in the Directors' Room in Randwick's new grandstand as guests of Racing NSW with broadcaster Alan Jones and former News Limited boss John Hartigan at their table.

On the menu were starters of king prawns, rock oysters and Alaskan king crab while the main course was a choice of veal fillet and rock lobster medallions or poached pink snapper fillet with gingered kumera.

Dick and Mr Abbott's mother Fay are keen racegoers and have been members at Randwick for 35 years.

"I first came to the Randwick track in the 1960s when I was a kid," Mr Abbott said.

"Visits have been few and far between since then."

The PM said it was "nice to be able to give something back to your parents".

Fay Abbott said she favoured It's a Dundeel.

"I think it might be a quinella race - the Queen's horse Carlton House and It's a Dundeel," she said.

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Brisbane lines up to greet royalty

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have arrived in Brisbane to another strong crowd reception. Source: AAP

ONE could have been forgiven for thinking One Direction was in town.

Queenslanders haven't turned out to see a youthful royal couple woo a crowd since the early years of Charles and Diana's marriage some 31 years ago.

In true style, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge won the hearts of 10,000 people along the streets of Brisbane's South Bank precinct under a clear blue sky and 28C heat.

Adoring royal watchers offered flowers and soft toys for nine-month old Prince George, who was absent on the couple's fourth day in Australia.

In some areas, 20-deep crowds lined the streets and held up their mobile phones hoping for a glimpse of his glamorous parents.

Brenda Stephens, a 73-year-old former British Air Force nurse, was among those who shook hands with Prince William, a former RAF pilot, after an eight-hour wait in the sun.

"I've just had a triple bypass so it was really special to me to shake the Duke's hand," she told AAP.

"He's a very charming man."

The avid royal watcher also managed to see the couple from a front row vantage point, with tears in her eyes, despite passing out earlier in the day waiting for their arrival.

Even republicans were enthralled, with Agnes Delos Santos happy to wait hours.

"This is history ... their visit to Brisbane," she said.

Inside Brisbane's Convention and Exhibition Centre starstruck rugby league greats Johnathan Thurston and Jharal Yow Yeh nodded seriously as they briefly chatted with the duke.

But as Prince William moved to greet another dignitary, the beaming sporting heroes high-fived each other and fist-pumped like school boys.

In the same room, the youngest person to sail around the world solo, Jessica Watson, was impressed by the duchess.

"You feel like you know them, and they treat you like you do," she told AAP.

But not everyone was so welcoming, with a crowd of about 30 Aboriginal rights activists chanting "No treaty, no peace" and "Always was, always will be Aboriginal land" before police disbanded them.

Outgoing Queensland Governor Penelope Wensley and Premier Campbell Newman had dashed back to Brisbane from Amberley, near Ipswich, to greet the royal couple for the second time in a day.

Afterwards, as they walked outside, cheers and shrieks followed them as the royals made a street walk, stopping to chat to the old, young and everyone in between.

Sue Gillies was there with her daughters Rebecca Gillies, 27 and Jodie Taranto, 34 from 7.30 in the morning.

"It was worth it," Rebecca said.

"It would have been nice if they'd sent Harry."

The duchess needed an army of helpers to pass on the gifts handed over security barricades - everything from modest posies of carnations, to stuffed kangaroos, chocolate bunnies, and a soccer ball bearing a map of Australia.

After more than half an hour greeting the crowds, the royal couple then climbed into a car, bound for the airport and a full schedule of events in Sydney on Easter Sunday.

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Off-duty policeman over the limit

AN off-duty policeman has been caught drink driving in Victoria.

The officer encountered a random breath testing site on the Old Princes Highway, at Beaconsfield in Melbourne's south-east, just after 8pm (AEST) on Friday.

The Leading Senior Constable is alleged to have recorded a blood alcohol level of .077 per cent, which is mid-range offence.

The officer was issued a penalty notice for $433, which also carries a loss of license for six months.

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MH370 search at 'critical juncture'

An underwater drone is continuing its Indian Ocean search for the Malaysia Airlines plane wreck. Source: AAP

THE effort to find missing flight MH370 is at a "very critical juncture", Malaysia's transport minister says as authorities mull whether to reassess a challenging search of the Indian Ocean seabed that has so far found nothing.

"The search for today and tomorrow is at a very critical juncture. So I appeal for everybody around the world to pray and pray hard that we find something to work on," Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said on Saturday.

The jet is believed to have crashed in deep and remote waters far off Western Australia.

But with no results from the multi-national search operation for the Boeing 777, which vanished on March 8 carrying 239 people, Australia's Prime Minister Tony Abbott on Thursday set a one-week deadline to locate the plane by mini-submarine.

The Australian-led search effort is relying on a single US Navy submersible sonar scanning device to scour an uncharted seabed at depths of around 4,500 metres or more.

Technical hitches, including the fact that the torpedo-shaped Bluefin-21 is operating at the extent of its depth limit, made for a slow start to the search.

Launched from an Australian naval vessel, the device has so far made six deep-sea scanning runs but has detected nothing.

"We have pursued every possible lead presented to us at this stage, and with every passing day the search has become more difficult," Hishammuddin, who is heading up the Malaysian government's response to MH370, told reporters in Kuala Lumpur.

As the search and rescue effort expected to be the costliest in aviation history wears on, authorities have indicated alternative methods may be needed, including possibly deeper-diving devices.

Hishammuddin said adjustments "may include widening the scope of the search and utilising other assets that could be relevant in the search operation", but he stressed the search would not be abandoned.

Earlier on Saturday Australian officials said experts were analysing data relayed by the underwater drone on its sixth mission and it had embarked on its seventh.

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Cambridges wow a stunning Sydney

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will join thousands of Australians at the Royal Easter show. Source: AAP

IT'S been a very Good Friday for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and for their host - Sydney.

The bright young stars of the British royal family have attracted thousands to every event they've had since arriving in Australia on Wednesday, and this perfect, autumn day was no different.

From their visit to the Royal Easter Show to stepping onto the famous sands of Manly beach, there was no let up in the enthusiasm.

Kate wowed by wearing a white cotton lace dress by Australian designer sisters, Nicole and Simone Zimmermann to Friday's events.

But it wasn't just about cheering crowds. The royal couple also spent an hour with sick children and their families at the Bear Cottage hospice in Manly, one of only two such hospices in Australia and a cause very close to Kate's heart.

The duchess, who is royal patron of the East Anglia Children's Hospice in the UK and has also visited children's hospices in Malaysia and New Zealand.

In her first speech of the Australian visit, the duchess told parents, staff and kids, it was "wonderful to be here today".

"The haven that you have created here is inspirational, and there is so much that you can share with each other as you continue to support and nurture those in your care," the duchess told the packed room that included Prime Minister Tony Abbott and NSW Premier Mike Baird.

She also used the opportunity to thank Australia for their welcome.

"To be here together as a family has been very special and we will always remember it with fond and happy memories," she said.

"Thank you for inviting us here and for such a generous welcome."

Everyone who has had the chance to say hello to Kate or William - or just catch a glimpse of them - has been delighted.

Sophie Martyr, 16, was still shaking after making the presentation to the royal pair at Bear Cottage.

"It was amazing, it was unforgettable," she told AAP.

At the show, Margaret Bryant and her pals Margaret Wright and Marie Whiteman - all in their 80s - arrived in Sydney from Cowra at 3am (AEST) to see the Cambridges.

"They're such a lovely couple. They're so much in love," Ms Bryant from Cowra told AAP.

"I thought they were spectacular and I'm glad they've come," Ms Wright said.

Kate and William took in some displays at the show, with Kate light-heartedly ribbing her husband when inspecting a display featuring alpaca wool.

"The princess said (the Duke) should put some on his head," said Lyn Cregan, 67, from Glen Innes.

"She pointed at him and said 'You need it more than me.' He laughed."

However, like many eight-month-olds, Prince George was deemed too young to see the show - but it didn't mean he was forgotten.

A trolley was brought to cope with number of presents being offered by the crowds - including books, Possum Magic and Peppa Pig toys and bouquets.

At Manly, there was barely room to move behind the cordoned-off areas. The royal couple were delighted with the late afternoon surf lifesaving display. There was also another present for George - a surfboard.

Kate told former world ironwoman champion Naomi Flood that she was loving being in Australia.

Prince William chimed in: "We are just trying to see more."

That will happen on Saturday, when for the first time they head interstate to Amberley RAAF base and Brisbane.

On Sunday, they'll visit Taronga's Zoo before moving camp to Canberra. Next week, Uluru and Adelaide are on the itinerary.

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Kate delights kids during hospice visit

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have visited Bear Cottage as part of their visit to Sydney. Source: AAP

IT was the simple things that the Duchess of Cambridge did that made the difference. A personal greeting and chat, a smile, singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star alongside small children facing the biggest fight.

There were no airs and graces, just a young mother bringing smiles to sick young children being cared for at Bear Cottage in Manly, one of only two children's hospices in Australia.

The palliative care of sick children is a cause close to Kate's heart, as she is the royal patron of East Anglia's Children's Hospices in the UK and has visited similar centres in Malaysia and New Zealand.

While Kate toured the centre's playroom, quiet room and music therapy garden, meeting with children some of whom were wheelchair bound or confined to stretchers, Prince William met privately with families.

Wearing a cream lace Zimmermann dress, Kate sat on a wooden garden bench and played a drum, singing the nursery rhyme with the children taking part in music therapy.

During an informal afternoon tea attended by families and centre staff as well as NSW Premier Mike Baird and Prime Minister Tony Abbott, the duchess made her first speech of the visit.

"It really is wonderful to be here today - having the chance to meet you all and to see the incredible work of Bear Cottage," the duchess said.

"The haven that you have created here is inspirational, and there is so much that you can share with each other as you continue to support and nurture those in your care."

There was a special moment for 16-year-old Daniel Howarth, who suffers from a lung disease and had a Union Jack flag strapped to his wheelchair.

"Very nice to meet you, Daniel," Kate said.

His dad Adam, 44, said it was amazing for Daniel to meet the duchess.

"We explained to Kate that Daniel's got chronic lung disease and cerebral palsy and we've been coming here for 10 years after major surgery," said Mr Howarth, who was at the centre with his wife Deborah, 43, Daniel, and 10-year-old son Lachlan.

"Daniel likes sport, Chelsea, so she was asking us all about sport and telling us her husband supports Aston Villa, and we talked a little about the English Premier League. She's so natural, engaging and friendly."

Sophie Martyr, 16, wearing a red bandanna after undergoing cancer treatment, was still shaking after presenting the couple with an artwork painted by Bear Cottage kids.

"It was amazing, it was just unforgettable," Ms Martyr told AAP.

"He (William) asked me about how I'm going and how I'm feeling."

Bear Cottage nurse Philly Smith, 44, talked with the duke in the garden.

"I think he made the families feel very special," Ms Smith said.

"One of the children is a similar age to his so he talked about that."

The royals then left - 20 minutes late - but before getting in the royal motorcade, Kate thrilled the crowd by meeting a number of fans and receiving flowers and a toy footy.

On his way out, Mr Abbott said it was a "fabulous afternoon for Bear Cottage".

"These are magnificent people here. There are some very special and brave kids here," Mr Abbott told AAP.

"To get this visit from Prince William and the duchess is just extraordinary."

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Easter road toll stands at four lives lost

AUSTRALIA'S Easter road toll now stands at four after a tragic opening to the holiday long weekend in both Western Australia and Tasmania.

Young men aged 17 to 20 account for three of the deaths, all in WA, and the fourth fatal crash involved a Chinese woman who was on holiday in Tasmania.

All of the fatal crashes occurred on Thursday and authorities have not reported a road death on Good Friday.

On Thursday afternoon, a 17-year-old boy died after being thrown from a car which rolled several times on the Gnaraloo-Quobba Road near the WA town of Carnarvon.

Police said the East Carnarvon boy was a passenger in a Nissan Patrol when the driver lost control of the vehicle.

People who had been following the vehicle stopped and performed CPR on the boy until ambulance crews arrived. He was taken to Carnarvon Regional Hospital but was unable to be revived.

The 17-year-old male driver was treated for cuts and bruises.

Hours later, a 20-year-old man was killed when a Ford Falcon ute he was driving hit a tree on the Collie-Williams Road near Collie at about 3pm (WST).

His passenger, a 22-year-old man from Bunbury, was knocked unconscious and taken to hospital after a passing motorist pulled him from the burning wreckage.

On Thursday evening and again in WA, a 19-year-old Bruce Rock man died after his car hit a large tree on Narembeen Rd near Bruce Rock east of Perth.

In Tasmania, the 32-year-old Chinese woman was a passenger in a vehicle being driven by her 30-year-old husband, also a Chinese national.

Their Volkswagen hatchback was involved in a head-on collision with a Hyundai delivery van on the Bass Highway, west of Port Latta, on Thursday afternoon.

The couple were taken to the North West Regional Hospital, where the woman died. The man has undergone multiple surgeries and is in a serious condition.

A 31-year-old Burnie man who was driving the van suffered minor injuries but has been released.

(EDS: The Easter road toll figures are for the period 0001 April 17 to 2359 April 21)

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Good Friday processions in Jerusalem

The crucifixion of Jesus is being remembered in prayers and processions throughout Jerusalem. Source: AAP

CHRISTIANS in the Holy Land are commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ in Good Friday prayers and processions through Jerusalem's Old City.

Thousands of Christian pilgrims filled the cobblestone alleyways of the Old City on Friday along the Via Dolorosa, Latin for the "Way of Suffering."

They are carrying wooden crosses and following the 14 stations ending at the ancient Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Tradition says the church was built on the site where Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected.

The Easter holiday and Jewish Passover coincide this year.

According to the Gospels, Jesus ate his last supper - a Passover meal - hours before he was betrayed. Christians believe Jesus was crucified on Good Friday and resurrected on Easter Sunday.

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Call for sanctions against N. Korea

Michael Kirby, the head of a special UN inquiry, has urged the UN to slap sanctions on North Korea. Source: AAP

THE United Nations Security Council should slap targeted sanctions on North Korean officials responsible for grave human rights abuses, the head of a special UN inquiry says.

Michael Kirby told an informal meeting of the Security Council convened by Australia, France and the US that he also wanted the reclusive regime hauled before the International Criminal Court (ICC) for prosecution.

"More monitoring and engagement alone cannot suffice in the face of crimes that shock the conscience of humanity," said Kirby, a former Australian High Court justice. "Perpetrators must be held accountable, it is necessary to deter further crimes."

North Korea did not send a representative and the meeting was snubbed by China, Pyongyang's sole major ally, and Russia.

"A new generation of senior officials now surround the supreme leader Kim Jong-Un," Kirby said.

"They must be made to understand that they will themselves face personal accountability if they join in the commission of crimes against humanity or fail to prevent them where they could.

"The commission of inquiry therefore recommends to the Security Council the adoption of targeted sanctions against those individuals most responsible for crimes against humanity."

Kirby said the proposal to refer North Koreans to the ICC had found favour with most countries present, but UN diplomats said any move would likely face fierce opposition from China, the North's economic lifeline.

In March, the UN's top rights body also called on the Security Council to act against officials responsible for a litany of crimes against humanity in North Korea.

Kirby's commission of inquiry on North Korea released a hard-hitting report on the nuclear-armed totalitarian state in February that documented a range of gross human rights abuses, including extermination, enslavement and sexual violence.

North Korea refused to co-operate with the probe and said the evidence was "fabricated" by "forces hostile" to the country.

After the meeting, US ambassador to the UN Samantha Power praised council members for joining other countries for the first time to discuss the North's "tragic human rights situation in North Korea".

"We heard directly from the authors of a thorough, objective and credible UN report, and from victims of North Korean atrocities themselves," she said.

"These firsthand accounts - horrific stories of torture, rape, forced abortions and forced infanticide, extermination and murder - paint a chilling picture of the regime's systematic and remorseless repression of its citizens."

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Vic man in court over partner's murder

A man wanted over the fatal stabbing of his partner in a busy Melbourne street remains at large. Source: AAP

A MELBOURNE man allegedly murdered his partner after they'd been in court about a family violence order, a court has heard.

Craig McDermott, 38, is charged with murdering his de facto wife of 18 years, Fiona Joy Warzywoda, in a Sunshine shopping strip on Wednesday.

McDermott, of Sunshine North, briefly appeared in Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Thursday afternoon.

Ms Warzywoda was in Sunshine Magistrates Court on Wednesday morning over a family violence order in place against McDermott.

The mother of four left her solicitor's office just three minutes before she was killed, police said on Wednesday.

She was stabbed multiple times in front of lunchtime shoppers in Sunshine's busy Hampshire Road shopping district.

Passers-by performed CPR but could not save the 33-year-old Melton West woman.

McDermott handed himself in to police on Thursday morning.

Prosecutor Tim Bourbon said police would speak to a number of eyewitnesses and examine a significant amount of CCTV footage.

"The incident occurred in a public place," he told the Melbourne Magistrates Court.

"The CCTV footage covers the lead-up to the incident."

The footage may also include Ms Warzywoda's death, he said.

Magistrate Peter Reardon agreed to allow the media to publish the fact that there was a family violence order, saying it was in the public interest to highlight cases of domestic violence.

"The victim, or the affected family member, had attended Sunshine Magistrates Court," he said.

"Subsequently she was murdered.

"In light of recent events ... in these circumstances it is in the public interest and just."

McDermott appeared in the dock with his left hand heavily bandaged.

He was remanded in custody for a committal mention on August 7.

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The young shunning soft jobs market

PARTICIPATION in the labour market by Australia's youth is as low as it's been since at least 1978.

That's as far back as the figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics go.

But realistically, it's a safe bet that participation is a low as it's been since Arthur Phillip landed at Botany Bay with his 11 shiploads of convicts, guns and exotic news diseases in 1788.

The Bureau's figures show participation in the jobs market by 15 to 24-year-olds averaged 66.6 per cent over the year to March, a record low.

Five years earlier, in the year to March 2009, participation for this age group averaged 70.4 per cent, after mostly hovering around 70-72 per cent since the late 1970s.

The obvious explanation for the fall that the young are staying at school and university for longer these days.

It's an attractive explanation, but has a couple of catches.

First, you can be a full-time student and still be unemployed, as long as you are looking for a job - even a three-hour shift at a dress shop or cafe.

In fact, nearly half - 47 per cent, to be exact - of the unemployed in this age group are in full-time education.

So being a student doesn't stop you being unemployed.

The other catch is that there's a better explanation for falling participation.

The latest downturn in participation is around the time of the global financial crisis in 2008.

This type of thing has happened before, typically when the labour market turns its back on jobseekers, as it did in the latter half of the 1990s and the recession early that decade.

In the six years since 2008, the number of people with jobs grew at less than half the pace of the six years before.

So the latest downturn in participation, coinciding with unusually slow employment growth, is just history repeating.

And there's plenty of evidence that labour market weakness is affecting younger would-be workers.

The long-term unemployment is the number unemployed for a year or more as a percentage of the number active in the jobs market, either employed or jobseeking.

For 15 to 24s the long-term jobless rate averaged 2.5 per cent in the first quarter of this year.

That was the worst quarter in the available 13 years of data.

The figures also show the unemployed are spending an extra seven weeks longer without work than they did a year ago, 27 weeks this March versus 20 last March.

It's still not a patch on the 61 weeks the average jobseeker aged 55 or more has spent on society's rubbish heap, but it's significantly more than it was.

So all the evidence suggests the reason young people are becoming less engaged with the labour market is that it's simply a lot harder to find a job these days.

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Cambridges help Blue Mountains recovery

The Blue Mountains is looking forward to the visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Source: AAP

THE words "I'm sorry" never sounded more sincere or consoling for victims of last year's Blue Mountains bushfires, than when spoken by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Six months after suffering the worst firestorm in years, the community is still scarred and struggling to recover.

But a visit on Wednesday from William and Kate went a long way to raise their spirits and remind them again that people, including royalty, really cared.

"For them to come out all this way to say hello and say, 'I'm sorry this happened to you' ... it didn't seem like duty to them, it seemed like a pleasure," Eartha Odell, 47, said.

"They were very sincere in trying to understand our grief and very kind and warm and approachable to the children."

Ms O'Dell lives in Buena Vista Road, Winmalee - a street where almost half the homes were destroyed in the savage blaze one frightening afternoon in October last year.

Last spring, Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark visited the region while the pain was still raw.

Wednesday's visit by the William and Kate was just as important because it reminded residents they hadn't been forgotten.

"People out there are still thinking of us, which is greatly appreciated, bloody oath it is," Adrian Harrison, who lost his house, said.

The royal couple was scheduled to meet with just two fire affected families in the street but they chose to talk to many more, stretching their visit by more than 20 minutes.

Shortly afterwards, they met with many of the fire fighters who had put their lives on the line to save houses and lives. And William was keen to show his respect.

"I want to shake as many hands as I can. Everyone," Prince William told the volunteers.

He asked about fire-fighting techniques and rebuilding.

"It must be wonderful being a part of a community that works together."

He singled out a 16-year-old who worked the communication lines when the bushfire came to town - while his house was burning.

"Wow what a baptism of fire you have had," William said.

Ten metres away, the Duchess was engrossed in the sheer dimensions of the disaster.

"To not have any loss of life is incredible," she said.

As an ongoing reminder for the locals and a symbol of growth for the area, the couple planted a West Australian flowering red gum tree out the front of the Winmalee Guides Hall in Yellow Rock.

After raising spirits, the royal couple played tourists, stunning natural beauty of the Blue Mountains.

Like many tourists before them, the royal couple visited Echo Point in Katoomba, taking in the iconic Three Sisters, Mt Solitary and the Jamison Valley.

"I pointed out Mt Solitary and Jamison Valley from the lookout. She said the view was beautiful - it was amazing how far you could see," Anthea Hammon, joint managing director of Scenic World said.

The visit will provide an enormous boost to tourism in the mountains, which has struggled since the bushfires.

"The economy has not recovered from the fires and we need to attract visitors back to the mountains ... This coverage will bring people back," Blue Mountains mayor Mark Greenhill told AAP earlier.

Thousands, including Sydney sisters Alexandra Witting, 12, and Sophia Witting, nine, and Ainslie Zakis, 12, of Wentworth Falls, had waited at Echo Point for the chance to meet or at least see the couple.

"It was a last minute decision to come up here today - but it was so worth it. I will never forget it," Alexandra said.

The Duke and Duchess' last stop on Thursday was Narrow Neck, a spectacular vertical cliff at Katoomba that plunges 100 metres to the lush bush below.

They met a group of local youth group demonstrating adventure sports.

William prompted gasps from onlookers as he stepped to the very edge of the cliff to watch some abseilers.

"He took a bit of a lunge and a few people held their breath, gasped and readied their hands to grab him," said Damien Cooper, manager of the Blue Mountains Youth Service.

"He was fine of course, he knew what he was doing. I think his military background prepared him well for it."

The royal couple then made their way to Katoomba Falls oval where they left the mountains in a Black Hawk army helicopter. William met privately with Prime Minister Tony Abbott at Admiralty House on Thursday afternoon.

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Thai charges for Australian journalist

THAI authorities have charged an Australian journalist and his local colleague with defaming Thailand's navy in an online news report about the trafficking of refugees from Myanmar.

The English-language news website Phuketwan posted a story last July carrying excerpts from a report by the Reuters news agency alleging that members of the Thai military were involved in trafficking captured immigrants from Myanmar's beleaguered Rohingya ethnic minority.

The charges came several days after Reuters won a Pulitzer Prize in international reporting for its series on the violent persecution of the Rohingya - a Muslim minority that rights groups say has been subjected to systematic abuse and forced segregation.

Alan Morison, the website's Australian editor, and his Thai colleague, Chutima Sidasathien, appeared in a court on the southern island of Phuket to hear charges of defamation and violation of the 2007 Computer Crime Act. If found guilty, they could face up to seven years in prison and a fine of 100,000 baht ($A3223).

"To us, it's still very much a case that shouldn't be going to court, and sadly it's going to damage Thailand's reputation as a democracy because these kinds of cases shouldn't occur in any democracy," Morison said.

The navy filed the lawsuit against the pair in December. Human rights and press freedom groups have criticised the navy and urged that the charges be dropped.

The trial of Phuketwan's journalists was "unjustified and constitutes a dark stain on Thailand's record for respecting media freedom," Brad Adams, the Asia director of New York-based Human Right Watch, said in an email.

"The Thai navy should have debated these journalists publicly if they had concerns with the story rather than insisting on their prosecution under the draconian Computer Crimes Act and criminal libel statutes."

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Numbers man Baird vows to transform NSW

MIKE Baird has vowed to restore trust in the government and transform NSW after his sudden rise to premier replacing Barry O'Farrell.

The former banker, who had served as treasurer in the O'Farrell government, was elected Liberal leader unopposed on Thursday.

The top job was vacated following Mr O'Farrell's resignation for giving misleading evidence to the corruption watchdog about a $3000 bottle of wine.

The party room elected Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian as deputy Liberal leader after ministers Pru Goward and Anthony Roberts pulled out of the running.

In his first media conference as incoming premier, Mr Baird said the community was "incredibly disappointed and shocked" by the events over the past 48 hours.

The committed Christian said he would be announcing a set of integrity measures in the coming days and weeks to restore trust.

"What is absolutely challenging for any government is when you lose the trust of the community," he told reporters, flanked by his wife and three children.

"My job, Gladys's job, the government's job, is to restore it," Mr Baird said.

He paid tribute to Mr O'Farrell, saying he was a man of integrity.

"We have made a great foundation," he said.

"But I don't want to just stabilise NSW - I want to transform it."

Mr Baird, who is a surf buddy with Prime Minister Tony Abbott on Sydney's northern beaches, said he looked forward to working with the federal leader.

"I have to say it's a pleasure to work alongside a prime minister such as Tony Abbott," Mr Baird said.

Mr Abbott said the new premier would make a fine leader.

"I have known Mike for many years and I know he will discharge his responsibilities with integrity and honour," the PM said.

Mr Baird, the son of former federal MP Bruce Baird, decided to run for premier following a family meeting on Wednesday night.

"We were all apprehensive about what it would mean and that it would be a tough few years ahead but we still said he should do it because we thought he would do a great job," Bruce Baird told Sky News.

But NSW opposition leader John Robertson said Mr Baird was an ideologue.

He said he must answer questions about the appointment of Nick Di Girolamo, who is at the centre of a corruption inquiry, to the board of State Water Corporation in mid-2012.

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Candidates line up to replace O'Farrell

THE blood had barely dried from Barry O'Farrell falling on his sword before his heir apparent Gladys Berejiklian was doing the numbers.

Within an hour of Mr O'Farrell's announcement that he was quitting as NSW Premier, the transport minister was believed to be hard at work trying to win over Liberal MPs to support her bid to replace the outgoing premier.

Ms Berejiklian, who is one of the key leaders of the party's left faction, is tipped to be the frontrunner to replace Mr O'Farrell along with Treasurer Mike Baird.

Mr O'Farrell has always seen Ms Berejiklian as his favoured candidate to succeed him.

Mr Baird is expected to win the support of the party's right faction, who have been impressed with his aggressive push to privatise the state's assets.

He is the son of Bruce Baird, who was a lower house federal MP in John Howard's government, and represents the northern beaches electorate of Manly.

Ms Berejiklian is the daughter of Armenian immigrants and holds the north shore electorate of Willoughby.

She entered the political scene as president of the Young Liberals and has gone on to become one of the better performing ministers in the O'Farrell government, managing the tough transport portfolio.

She recently launched the pay-as-you-go Opal transport card and has committed billions to the new north-west train line.

Finance Minister Andrew Constance and Community Services Minister Pru Goward are also understood to be in the running for next week's ballot.

Mr Constance may garner some support from the left and Ms Goward, who has been a particularly strong media performer on social issues, is popular among regional MPs.

Mr Baird said he was "incredibly saddened and shocked" by Mr O'Farrell's resignation but wouldn't comment on whether he'd run for the top job.

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Observatory gets more stargazing power

ASTRONOMERS have a powerful new stargazing gadget to explore the origins of the Milky Way at unprecedented speed.

The federal government believes it will not only help Australia remain a world leader in astronomy but also drive breakthroughs in other areas like big data and high performance computing.

These new instruments can capture and analyse light from up to 400 stars at the same time, Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane said as he launched the $13 million HERMES at Siding Spring Observatory near Coonabarabran on Wednesday.

Funding science can be risky but the federal government is totally committed to funding science research and development, he said.

"If we only pursue the sure shots then knowledge will not progress either here or anywhere else," he said.

The science developed in the design, construction and use of HERMES is flowing through to other areas such as big data analysis which could boost productivity in a range of industry.

Professor Brian Schmidt says astronomers deal regularly in huge amounts of data.

So this field provides a great vehicle for trying new ideas and techniques and training people to sift vast amounts of information for interesting bits.

But HERMES' key job at the moment is a multinational survey of one million stars to explain the formation of the Milky Way, says HERMES project astronomer Ken Freeman.

"Before HERMES it would have taken about 300 years, now it will take a good five years," he said.

HERMES, or High Efficiency and Resolution Multi-Element Spectrograph, was developed over five years by the Australian Astronomy Observatory and is attached to the Anglo-Australian Telescope.

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Technical issue curtails MH370 search

The first mission of an underwater drone searching for flight MH370 turned up nothing of interest. Source: AAP

AN underwater drone searching for the missing Malaysia Airlines plane has been forced to resurface for the second straight day.

The first mission of the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) Bluefin-21 on Tuesday was returned to the surface after just six hours because its depth limit of 4.5 kilometres had been exceeded.

It was expected to be a 24-hour mission, comprising four hours travel to and from the ocean floor, 16 hours of sidescan sonar work and four hours of downloading and analysing data.

The AUV was redeployed on Wednesday but was forced to return to surface to rectify a technical issue.

While on the deck of the Australian Defence Vessel Ocean Shield, its data was downloaded.

The vehicle was then redeployed to continue its underwater search for MH370, which was carrying 239 passengers and crew when it went missing more than five weeks ago.

Initial analysis of the data did not indicate any significant detections, the Joint Agency Co-ordination Centre (JACC) said.

Searchers ceased the hunt for acoustic signals from the Boeing 777's black box on Monday after it became clear the batteries had died, eight days after their guaranteed shelf life and six days after the last audio detections.

And it could be the final day of the aircraft search for floating debris, with JACC saying on Monday that part of the operation would continue for two to three more days.

On Wednesday, 14 planes and 11 ships combed a 55,151 square kilometre area of the Indian Ocean, centred about 2087 kilometres north west of Perth.

While the water depth of the search area was previously estimated at being about 4.5km, Tuesday's Bluefin-21 mission encountered a slightly deeper zone, causing the day's work to be automatically aborted.

JACC said the device could scan to depths deeper than 4.5km, but the sonar imaging became less effective the further down it went.

JACC chief Angus Houston told reporters earlier this week that another much larger vessel with wreckage recovery capability that could go a lot deeper than Bluefin-21 was "being looked at as we speak".

"Options to acquire additional recovery assets to assist in the search of missing Malaysian Airline flight MH370 are still being considered," JACC told AAP.

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Note and 'memory fail' claim O'Farrell

BARRY O'Farrell swept to power on a promise of cleaning up NSW politics only to be brought down by his own hand and a $3000 bottle of wine.

The premier, previously described as a political cleanskin, made the shock announcement on Wednesday morning that he would resign, before appearing at the corruption watchdog to admit that evidence he gave a day earlier was mistaken.

At issue was a bottle of 1959 Penfolds Grange Hermitage - a gift from Australian Water Holdings chief executive Nick Di Girolamo that, on Tuesday, Mr O'Farrell had insisted he had not received and knew nothing about.

On Wednesday morning, Mr O'Farrell's handwritten note of thanks to Mr Di Girolamo for the wine - a gift marking his 2011 election win - was presented in evidence to ICAC.

The note read: "Dear Nick and Jodie. We wanted to thank you for your kind note & the wonderful wine. 1959 was a good year, even if it is getting even further away! Thanks for all your support. Kind Regards, Barry and Rosemary."

Mr O'Farrell maintained he had no recollection of receiving the gift during the busy first weeks of forming a new government but he accepted the handwriting was his.

"This has clearly been a significant memory fail on my part," he said.

But Mr O'Farrell had no choice but to resign.

"As someone who believes in accountability, in responsibility, I accept the consequences of my actions," he told reporters.

The outgoing premier returned to ICAC where, in a 20-minute appearance, he repeated that he had no recollection of receiving the wine on April 20, 2011.

Under questions from counsel assisting the inquiry Geoffrey Watson, SC, Mr O'Farrell maintained he did not know about a call from his mobile to Mr Di Girolamo's phone at about 9.30pm that night.

ICAC has heard that in 2011 Mr Di Girolamo was chief executive of Australian Water Holdings - a water infrastructure company with alleged secret links to corrupt ex-Labor MP Eddie Obeid.

Mr O'Farrell had been due to share the national stage with Prime Minister Tony Abbott on Wednesday to welcome visiting royals Prince William and Princess Kate and their son, Prince George.

Mr Abbott, who learned of Mr O'Farrell's decision following a text message, said the NSW premier had "innocently" and "inadvertently" misled the inquiry and done the "utterly honourable" thing by stepping down.

"We are seeing an act of integrity and an act of honour," he said.

NSW opposition leader John Robertson attacked the government, saying public confidence in the state's politicians had been "rocked to the core".

"What we see today is not about a bottle of wine," he said.

"Today is an insight into how the Liberal Party operates in NSW."

"They have allowed donors and lobbyists to get involved in the public administration of this state."

Mr O'Farrell was elected to state parliament in 1995 and became premier in March 2011.

No corruption allegations have been levelled against Mr O'Farrell.

The outgoing premier said he expects to formally resign next week, when his replacement will be announced.

Treasurer Mike Baird and Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian are considered frontrunners to become the 44th premier of NSW.

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Perth airport road closed after threat

THE road that links Perth's domestic and international airports, and parts of a shopping centre in the city's southern suburbs have been closed after suspicious mail items were found.

Sections of the Riverton Forum Shopping Centre were evacuated after suspicious piece mail was found at the electorate offices of WA Premier Colin Barnett and Treasurer Mike Nahan.

That followed the discovery of three suspicious items at the Australia Post depot on Boud Avenue, Redcliffe, which links the two airports.

The suspicious items at the mailing centre near Perth Airport were analysed, and confirmed not to contain dangerous substances, police said in a statement.

A spokesman for Mr Nahan said he was not in his office at the time.

Employees at the mail sorting depot and other nearby businesses were evacuated as the police tactical response group's bomb unit investigated.

The items at the depot were deemed to be suspicious because of threatening words written on them, police said.

One was addressed to The West Australian newspaper.

At least three of the mail items contain a powder-like substance.

Police spokesman Sam Dinnison said officers were investigating whether they had the same origin "given the timing".

Road blocks have been set up on Boud Avenue and Dunreath Drive in Redcliffe, although both airports can still be reached via other roads.

Mr Dinnison said police would look into whether any other suspicious items may have already been delivered.

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Vic govt to consider IBAC changes

VICTORIA'S corruption watchdog could be beefed up after complaining it can't investigate some claims.

The Victorian government says it will consider changes to the integrity regime after the year-old watchdog called for stronger investigative powers.

The Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) says there are cases where it has felt unable to investigate corruption claims because the allegations do not meet a high enough threshold under the legislation.

The IBAC also wants parliament to consider making it mandatory for heads of public sector bodies and local councils to notify it of corrupt conduct, as is already the case in other states.

The change should apply at the very least for more serious matters within the public sector, IBAC says.

Victorian Attorney-General Robert Clark said the government would carefully consider the various recommendations and suggestions made by IBAC.

In its report on its first year of operation, IBAC says it has been hamstrung by restrictions in the legislation which set it up.

"There have been corrupt conduct allegations where IBAC has not felt able to commence investigations because of threshold restrictions in the IBAC Act," IBAC says in the report released Tuesday.

Not all the cases were suitable to be referred elsewhere and this may have undermined its objectives, it says.

IBAC also wants powers to investigate misconduct in public office, as is the case under other Australian integrity regimes.

In addition, it flagged the need for stronger protection for whistleblowers.

The watchdog says there are cases where people who have disclosed information appear not to qualify for whistleblower protection and this may deter whistleblowers coming forward with valuable information.

Mr Clark said the government has made clear it will monitor the IBAC legislation and take into account feedback from the IBAC commissioner about amendments.

"The government will now carefully consider the various recommendations and suggestions made by IBAC," he said.

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Ita destroyed 90 per cent of sugar cane

Sugar canegrowers say cyclone Ita destroyed almost 90 per cent of Australia's crop. Source: AAP

ALMOST 90 per cent of Australia's sugar cane crop is thought to have been destroyed by cyclone Ita.

But Queensland's Community Recovery Minister David Crisafulli says it's up to the industry to seek government help.

"It's too early to just make a blanket statement to say industry x needs this and industry y needs that," he told reporters in Cairns on Tuesday.

"That's not the way it should be done."

Canegrowers said Ita destroyed 90 per cent of Australia's crop as it moved south along the Queensland coast.

The peak body representing sugar cane harvesters in cyclone-hit parts of Queensland said the destruction of 10 million tonnes of cane in the state's north also accounted for almost 30 per cent of Australia's sugar production.

Cane farmers in Tully and Innisfail and as far south as Proserpine and Mackay have been affected.

While Ita was downgraded from a cyclone to a tropical low on Monday night, the sugar cane farming town of Ingham north of Townsville was stranded as the swollen Herbert River cut off the Bruce Highway.

The weather bureau was expecting flood levels to continue falling on Tuesday.

Canegrowers chairman Paul Schembri said growers would not realise the full extent of flood damage until harvesting began in late June.

"Many of our sugar cane growers will have a tough time recovering from this blow," he said in a statement.

"We are going into damage control mode, focusing on the individual growers for whom Ita bought an immediate and severe economic loss."

Inspector Kevin Gutteridge, who will lead the recovery effort, said his main priority was getting access to affected communities.

He said apart from repairing infrastructure, it was also important to assess the human cost of the disaster.

"It's a great thing to sit there and say there's always someone worse off," he said.

"But if anyone needs help, please take the right steps to get the assistance you need ... because down the track things will get much harder."

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Sydney boy aged four hit by car, dies

A YOUNG boy who was run over by a car in Sydney's west has died in hospital.

The four-year-old was crossing a residential road in Westmead on Tuesday afternoon with his mother and brother when he was hit, leaving him with serious head injuries, police said.

Paramedics tried to revive the child at the scene before taking him to Westmead Hospital, where he later died.

"The child's mother sustained minor injuries in the collision and was also taken to Westmead Hospital for treatment. The other child was not injured," police said.

The woman driver wasn't hurt and has been taken for mandatory blood and urine tests.

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PM keen to get 2nd airport off the ground

Western Sydney residents want the federal government to hurry up and approve a second airport. Source: AAP

LADIES and gentlemen welcome to Sydney's Badgerys Creek Airport.

The federal government has ended decades of indecision about Sydney's second airport, confirming work will begin in 2016 at the site, 56km west of the CBD.

But please remain seated - flights aren't due to touch down until the mid-2020s.

"There's been decades of procrastination here so we do want to get cracking," Prime Minister Tony Abbott said.

Private sector investment will cover the $2.5 billion bill for construction, including a 2.5km runway through paddocks, while the commonwealth will pick up planning and design costs.

In its initial stages the government forecasts a "modest" operation with a single runway and mix of intra-state, interstate, international and cargo flights.

Billions of dollars and some 60,000 jobs are expected to flow from the airport development by 2060, which has the in-principle support of Labor.

"When we see the detail we will be out there examining it," opposition transport spokesman Anthony Albanese told Sky News, while offering support for the announcement.

But Mr Abbott faces possible internal party dissidence over his hints at a curfew-free airport.

"We deserve what's best for our community and I don't support a 24-hour airport," Western Sydney Liberal MP Fiona Scott said.

Community consultation will be a compulsory part of the planning process, with concerns about aircraft noise and air pollution already being voiced.

The operator of Sydney Airport has first dibs on running the new facility, with two years to confirm their interest.

"Let's hope that they have a look at this and don't beat around the bush but quickly decide," an eager Mr Abbott told Fairfax Radio.

If Sydney Airport declines, the government will swiftly approach the open market and is confident of attracting strong interest.

Sydney Airport acknowledged the announcement, but pointed to the need for improved transport links and fuel lines for the Badgerys Creek site.

"The government's approach will be roads first, airport second," Mr Abbott said, adding that light rail services would be a state government responsibility.

NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell is expected to meet with the prime minister on Wednesday to reveal further details of transport upgrades for the region.

Infrastructure Minister Warren Truss told ABC TV he expects the NSW government will build a rail line offering improved service to Western Sydney.

"Perhaps there could be a station at Badgerys Creek in due course," he said, but added that a rail line to the airport in the early stages is unnecessary.

Caltex, which supplies fuel to Kingsford Smith Airport, has a pipeline which runs from Botany via Silverwater, nearby Badgerys Creek.

Airlines will decide which of the Sydney airports they will use.

Qantas boss Alan Joyce welcomed news of the "vital" facility for Sydney and Australia and hoped the airline will be involved in the planning process.

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It's a royal croc block for George

THE royals aren't the only ones who cause a kerfuffle when travelling - it has proven so difficult to fly George the royal crocodile from Darwin to Sydney to meet his namesake that the two remain tragically separated by the tyranny of distance.

Young Prince George won't be accompanying his parents, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, when they visit the Northern Territory next week.

That means he won't be able to meet his crocodile namesake at Crocasaurus Cove, named George after he hatched on December 12, the day the royal pregnancy was announced.

"We did try to get the crocodile George to meet Prince George in Sydney, but unfortunately quarantine regulations did not allow the crocodile to get into Taronga Zoo," Northern Territory Chief Minister Adam Giles told reporters in Darwin on Tuesday.

"We don't know if there's any friendly political rivalry there, because I understand (NSW Premier) Barry O'Farrell is very keen for the bilby to be showcased to the royals, and the Territory wanted to showcase our crocs, because we do have the best and biggest crocodiles ... it's very unfortunate the crocodile won't get to meet the royals."

Flying crocodile George to Uluru to meet William and Kate is too logistically difficult, Mr Giles said.

Instead, the chief minister will take a group of nine secondary school students from around the NT for a half-hour meeting with the royal couple.

"This is an unreal opportunity," said Emma Kellaway, a year 12 student at Taminmin College.

"I'm very excited," said Tarra Brain, from Casuarina Senior College.

Grace Tozer, from Palmerston Senior College, wants to ask the duchess what it's like being swept up in the royal life despite not being born into it.

When teachers approached the family of Chevez Kirkman, from the remote community of Mutitjulu near Uluru, they weren't sure how they would react.

"We thought, oh jeez, some people still think of it as the invasion and all that, but when his father heard he'd been selected he was absolutely beside himself with excitement," Terry Brown, deputy principal of Nyangatjatjara College, told AAP.

The duke and duchess touch down in Yulara on Tuesday, and will present graduation certificates to students of the National Indigenous Training Academy before walking around Uluru.

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Stocks to watch at close on Monday

STOCKS to watch on the Australian stock exchange at the close on Monday:

API - AUSTRALIAN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES - in trading halt, last traded at 56.5 cents

Drugs wholesaler and pharmacies operator Australian Pharmaceutical Industries is set to make an announcement about the carrying value of its assets.

BRL - BATHURST RESOURCES - in trading halt, last traded at seven cents

Bathurst Resources, which has cut jobs and delayed the start to its controversial Escarpment open-cut coal mine on New Zealand's Denniston Plateau, may raise up to $NZ6.87 million ($A6.41 million) in a discounted share placement.

ELD - ELDERS - down 0.5 cents, or 4.55 per cent, at 10.5 cents

Agribusiness Elders has appointed two more non-executive directors who it says will add to the depth of financial management and agricultural experience on the board.

WDC - WESTFIELD GROUP - down 13 cents, or 1.2 per cent, at $10.44

WRT - WESTFIELD RETAIL TRUST - down two cents, or 0.65 per cent, at $3.04

Shopping centre group Westfield's split of its Australian and New Zealand assets from its international operations has been backed by financial services firm KPMG.

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Woolies breached shopper docket agreement

Retailer Woolworths has breached an agreement it had with the ACCC over its fuel shopper dockets. Source: AAP

MOTORISTS will still be able to get big fuel discounts by combining supermarket and petrol fuel discounts offered by retail giants Coles and Woolworths, a court has found.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) had argued that a Coles petrol discount of 14 cents breached undertakings the company had agreed with the consumer watchdog.

The undertaking prevented Coles from offering a discount of more than four cents, when it was contingent on a supermarket purchase.

But Justice Alan Robertson on Monday found that Coles' 14 cent discount was not in breach of that agreement.

He said that although the total discount that customers were able to get at the fuel pump was well above the four cents, the full offer was not linked to supermarket purchases.

"In my opinion, four cents per litre of the offer only was contingent on supermarket purchases and 10 cents per litre of the offer only was contingent on an acquisition of goods or services from Coles Express," he said.

ACCC Chairman Rod Sims said he was disappointed by the decision.

"We will carefully consider the judgment and its implications for competition in fuel markets and any detrimental price impact on fuel consumers," he said.

Justice Robertson did, however, find that Woolworths had breached the ACCC undertakings in its eight cents discount.

Customers were able to obtain an eight cent per litre discount on fuel if they spent at least $30 in a Woolworths supermarket as well as $5 or more at a petrol station.

The consumer watchdog had argued this was in breach of its undertaking with the retailer because the discount was only available to customers who made a supermarket purchase.

A Woolworths spokeswoman welcomed the decision, saying it provided it with clarity.

"We said at the time when we sought a declaration from the Federal Court that we accepted we needed to make our discounts independent of each other, and this change was implemented some time ago," she said in a statement.

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Nine's move pays off in quarterly ratings

THE Nine Network's decision to screen an hour-long news service and throw to The Block and A Current Affair in a ratings battle against Seven Network shows has paid off.

The first nine weeks of the 2014 survey ended last Friday and the new official period starts April 27 which also coincides with Nine's TV Week Logies coverage.

Nine's programming underwent some major changes in 2014 with the introduction of an hour long new service (6pm-7pm).

The knock-on effect was pushing back A Current Affair to the 7pm timeslot in a head-to-head with the Seven Network's long running soapie Home And Away.

It also meant Nine had to ditch its 7 O'Block promo for The Block which was moved to 7.30pm in direct competition with Seven's ratings juggernaut My Kitchen Rules (MKR).

Even though The Block had to take on MKR, the Nine reality show's ratings were up about 12 per cent for the same time last year.

The Block: Fans V Faves, which ended last Wednesday, averaged 1.414 million viewers per episode compared with The Block All Stars which averaged 1.263 million per night in early 2013.

The Block's ratings may have started moving skyward but MKR remains the dominant show and averages more than 1.6 million viewers an episode.

But the improvement in The Block's nightly figures helped the station's audience share in prime time (6pm-midnight) rise from 28.5 per cent in 2013 to 29.6 per cent this year.

For the same period, Seven's dropped slightly from 32.7 to 32.3, while embattled Ten slipped from 16.4 to 15.6 and further behind the ABC. The ABC increased from 17.5 to 17.9.

Nine's hour-long service has held up well and justifies the network's decision to lead the way and switch its programming.

Seven also went to an hour news in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane but still produces local versions of Today Tonight in Adelaide and Perth.

So far Nine's news has won every week of the official survey period while Home And Away has won five of the nine weeks in its battle with ACA.

Outside the prime time battle for ratings, the other war being waged by the networks is to win 25-54 year-old age demographic. Both Seven and Nine have scored wins.

Nine had the biggest increase, lifting its 25-54 demographic from 31.6 per cent in 2013 to 33.1 this year. Seven's share rose from 32.5 to 33.3.

However Ten, which last year suddenly changed from a younger target audience to attract a bigger share of the 25-54 age demographic, slipped considerably.

Ten dropped from 19.6 to 18.4 while the ABC slid from 12.1 to 11.2 and SBS dipped from 4.2 to 3.9.

Seven director of programming Angus Ross said the network was number one for all people, 25-54 and 18-49.

"The record share in 25-54's has again been driven by the dominant performance of My Kitchen Rules," Ross told AAP.

"We are very confident of carrying this momentum into quarter two with the My Kitchen Rules finals, the return of House Rules and A Place to Call Home and the premiere of Rebecca Gibney's new project The Killing Field."

The three commercial networks will roll out some of their biggest shows for the year immediately after Easter.

Among Nine's offerings are the third season of The Voice, local drama series House Husbands and its new reality series When Love Comes To Town hosted by Natalie Gruzlewski.

Seven still has the finale of MKR to screen before it rolls out renovation reality series House Rules and its new US sci-fi series Intelligence.

Ten will again serve up MasterChef and the Australian-based episodes of the US sitcom Modern Family, the US series 24: Live Another Day and imported comedy The Millers.

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Body of woman found in SA

SA police hope tourists in a motorhome can help shed light on the disappearance of a Frenchwoman. Source: AAP

A BODY believed to be that of missing French tourist Aurelie Lhorme has been found at the base of a cliff on South Australia's far west coast, police say.

Ms Lhorme, 30, was last seen in her parked car near the Head of the Bight Whale Watching Centre, near the Nullarbor Plain, on Saturday night.

"Police can confirm that the body of a woman has been found at the base of a cliff near Head of Bight," police said in a statement on Monday evening.

"The body is yet to be formally identified."

Police Special Tasks and Rescue officers abseiled down the cliff on Monday and confirmed the body of a woman had been found.

Staff at the centre had spoken to her after she appeared to be sleeping in her car on an access road.

Her car was found in the same spot the following morning, along with her mobile phone, wallet and passport.

A search on Sunday, involving an Aboriginal tracker, failed to find the woman and resumed on Monday.

Police want to speak to the occupants of a Jayco motorhome, which was parked next to the whale watching centre on Saturday night, who may have had contact with Ms Lhorme.

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Man charged with murder of elderly woman

A MAN who allegedly beat an elderly woman to death has been charged with murder.

Police found the 61-year-old woman with severe head injuries when they were called to a Redfern home on Friday night on reports she was being assaulted.

"She was taken to St Vincent's Hospital where she died a short time later," police said in a statement.

They arrested a man, 38, at the scene and took him to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.

He was under police guard until he was released on Monday afternoon, taken to Redfern police station and charged with murder.

Bail was refused and he's due before Central Local Court on Tuesday.

Investigations are continuing and police have asked for any witnesses to come forward.

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Ita heading south as category one

Cyclone Ita will menace the Queensland coast for at least another day bringing torrential rain. Source: AAP

QUEENSLAND - cyclone one day, sunshine the next.

Premier Campbell Newman is pleading with southerners not to cancel their Easter breaks, as the far north dries out and cleans up after Cyclone Ita.

"The sun, by the way, is shining again," he said.

"You're bound to have a great time."

On Sunday, the premier choppered into Hope Vale and Cooktown, which bore the brunt of Ita when it crossed the coast as a category four storm on Friday night.

He predicted it would take about eight to 12 weeks to "really crack the back of the recovery task".

"It's good that there is no loss of life but I can't stress enough (that) people have got to sit tight."

About 50 buildings were damaged in Cooktown and another five written off.

The town's water supply was critically low and it's hoped power can be restored to the water treatment plant by Sunday night.

In Hope Vale, the banana farm which sustains the local economy was razed.

While the sun was shining in the towns on Sunday as well as in Cairns, the danger is not over yet.

Cyclone Ita is expected to remain its category one status until late on Monday as it weaves on and off the coast south to central Queensland.

Up to 15,000 homes are without power and regional towns are flooding.

On Sunday evening, the popular tourist destinations of Airlie Beach and the Whitsundays were being lashed by 90km/h winds, and up to 400mm of rain could soak some areas.

Just north, Bowen copped 200mm in a short period of time, overloading the storm water system.

While there has been no reports of property damage as of yet, Mr Newman says the situation is worsening.

"There is an issue where the Don River is rising very fast and expected to peak at 9pm, and that may well cause flooding problems again," Mr Newman said.

On Monday morning, the premier will travel to Ingham where sugar cane crops have been flattened. The town is cut in two by a swollen creek and the Bruce Highway remain closed to its south.

Mayor Rodger Bow warned locals there was raw sewerage in the water and people risked disease if they ventured out.

"We had severe rain, about 300mm, and I don't know what kilometre an hour winds, but we have trees blown down," Cr Bow said.

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Greens call for Vic clean energy fund

THE Greens want the Victorian government to establish a state-based clean energy fund to make solar panels more affordable.

Australian Greens Leader Christine Milne call for the creation of a Victorian Solar Fund to help homes and businesses deal with the upfront costs of solar panels.

Senator Milne said the fund would make money for the state and reduce power bills.

"Australia is a leader in solar science but is underinvested in solar power, depriving us of jobs that the community is calling out for," she said on Sunday.

"We can create the financial incentives to put solar panels on roofs, for no money down, delivering immediate savings on electricity bills."

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Vic govt to build Melbourne Airport rail

PASSENGERS for the Melbourne Airport service from Southern Cross Station could be waiting several years for their train to arrive, but they have been told it is on its way.

Victorian Premier Denis Napthine says his government will build the long-awaited airport rail link, with a promise of a 25-minute service from the city.

The premier says the electric trains will be high-capacity, affordable and run every 10 minutes during peak times.

Dr Napthine was scarce with precise details when announcing the pledge at the Victorian Liberal Party conference, saying the time and cost of the project will be revealed in the state budget next month.

He said the project was long overdue.

"This project has been on the books for over 40 years," Dr Napthine told the conference on Sunday.

"It is time this rail link was built."

Melbourne airport attracts 30 million passengers a year, and this was expected to double in 20 years, he said.

"This is an enormous step forward for Melbourne Airport, for Melbourne and Victoria," Dr Napthine later told reporters.

"It's absolutely essential that Melbourne and Victoria has a rail link to the airport."

The link will use the existing Albion-Jacana goods rail corridor between the city's west and north.

Dr Napthine says the project will be publicly run but private involvement would be sought.

Deputy Opposition Leader James Merlino said the state had higher public transport priorities.

"This won't fix train congestion, this won't fix delays, this won't fix level crossings," he told reporters.

Mr Merlino said he was doubtful the government would fulfil the pledge.

"Denis Napthine and the Liberal Party promised rail links to Avalon, to Doncaster, to Rowville. None of them have been delivered," he said.

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Man who stole Sydney cab charged

IT'S hard to find a free cab on the weekend but one drunk Sydney man may have gone too far.

When a taxi driver stopped to break up an argument on a Bondi road in the early hours of Sunday morning, one of the men involved slid behind the wheel and took off.

He was tracked to a Randwick street by the cab's GPS unit, but when police tried to stop him, he sped away.

Police caught the 26-year-old a short time later and breath tested him.

He allegedly blew 0.189 and was charged with high-rang drink driving, taking a car without consent, resisting police and failing to stop.

Bail was granted and he's due before Waverley Local Court in May.

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Motorcyclist killed in Victorian collision

A WOMAN is dead after her motorcycle and a ute collided in northeast Victoria.

Police said the collision happened on Happy Valley Road at Rosewhite on Sunday afternoon.

The motorcyclist died at the scene, while the ute's female driver suffered minor injuries.

The state's road toll stands at 77, six higher than the same time last year.

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