Woman fights bus firm on wheelchair access

A woman has won a legal bid in the Federal Court against an interstate bus company. Source: AAP

A WOMAN has won her legal bid against an interstate bus company, with a court finding it discriminated against her by not having wheelchair access on any of their fleet.

Julia Haraksin took Murrays Australia Limited to court after it refused to take her from Sydney to Canberra in August 2009.

At the time, Murrays - a top-end bus and coach service - had no wheelchair accessible coaches in its fleet.

Ms Haraksin claimed Murrays contravened the federal Disability Discrimination Act and the Discrimination Standards for Accessible Public Transport.

In a judgment handed down on Thursday, judge John Nicholas found the company had directly discriminated against Ms Haraksin by failing to make the "reasonable adjustment" of deploying vehicles equipped with wheelchair access.

"As a result of that failure the applicant was treated less favourably than other people would have been treated had they sought to travel between Sydney and Canberra," Justice Nicholas said.

"In these circumstances, I am satisfied that the respondent discriminated against the applicant."

Murrays, which defended the action, argued in a hearing in 2011 that it was relying on a defence of "unjustifiable hardship", saying it would cost a total of $23 million to convert all of its 154 coaches.

But Justice Nicholas said that there was no evidence before him that changing the fleet would have imposed an unjustifiable hardship.

Speaking outside the court, Ms Haraksin said the win proved that people with a disability can "take on a big bus company for doing the wrong thing ... and be successful".

Murrays general manager Damian Lee said since 2009 the company had taken steps to ensure it was compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act and the standards.

"Our company in recent times has gone to great lengths and incurred significant expense to accommodate persons with disability," Mr Lee said in a statement.

Justice Nicholas said both parties have seven days to make submissions on costs.

23.09 | 0 komentar | Read More

Body of disabled boy found in WA

THE body of a 15-year-old intellectually disabled teenager has been found in rough terrain in Western Australia's Kimberley region.

The Aboriginal boy was reported missing on Wednesday morning in the vicinity of La Djadarr Bay, north of Broome, in difficult terrain and high temperatures.

Police said the teenager's body was found on Thursday afternoon.

They were not immediately able to provide further details, but said there were no suspicious circumstances in the boy's death.

A report was being prepared for the coroner.

23.09 | 0 komentar | Read More

RBA plays down surge in jobs growth.

A RESERVE Bank of Australia official says the large surge in employment growth in February will not, by itself, have an impact on the interest rate outlook.

Total employment surged by 71,500 in February - the largest monthly increase since July 2000 and was much higher than the 8,000 increase the market was expecting.

The unemployment rate remained at 5.4 per cent for the third month in row, figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed on Thursday.

RBA assistant governor (economic) Dr Christopher Kent said the employment data was surprising.

"Our forecast has been for a gradual edging higher in the unemployment rate," he said in a speech to the Australian Institute of Building at the University of Technology, Sydney.

Dr Kent was asked how many months of good jobs figures would mean an end to the interest rate reduction cycle.

"I don't have an exact number, it's going to be very hard to predict," he said.

"I would personally think we don't turn things around on the basis of one month's number, this figure could be a little overstated.

"You don't put too much on one month's number, the labour market is very important, it's not the full story."

The RBA has kept the cash rate steady at three per cent at its two board meetings in 2013 after cutting it four times in 2012.

23.09 | 0 komentar | Read More

Honda recalls vehicles for braking issue

Honda is recalling vehicles for brakes that can suddenly kick in when the driver isn't braking. Source: AAP

HONDA is recalling nearly 250,000 vehicles, including 1000 in Australia, for brakes that can suddenly kick in when the driver isn't braking.

No crashes have been reported related to the defect.

The affected vehicles were produced from March 2004 to June 2006.

The affected models include the Acura RL, Acura MDX, Pilot, Odyssey, Legend, StepWgn and Elysion.

The problem is caused by electronics and wiring in the vehicle-stability-assist system.

23.09 | 0 komentar | Read More

Wild cyclonic weather to hit Lord Howe

A tropical cyclone is expected to cause extreme winds and surf on Lord Howe Island. Source: AAP

A TROPICAL cyclone is expected to pass close by Lord Howe Island on Friday morning, lashing the island with damaging winds and surf, the weather bureau says.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) said on Thursday night that the category two cyclone was tracking south in the northern Tasman sea, and would pass to the east of the Pacific island on Friday morning.

On its website, BoM said the island off the NSW coast could expect "damaging surf, heavy swells and abnormally high tides" through the rest of Thursday and Friday.

This included wind gusts up to 150km/h until the early hours of Friday, it said.

BoM advised that the cyclone would weaken as it passed by the island.

It also said heavy rain caused by the cyclonic conditions would probably cause flash flooding overnight.

Residents and holidaymakers on Lord Howe Island were being warned to bunker down as the cyclone approaches.

Luke Hanson, the manager of the largest guest lodge on the island, said the conditions were "scary" as the cyclonic winds headed for the island.

"This cyclone's a direct hit, this will be the first time we've been whacked by a category two," Mr Hanson told AAP by phone.

"Everyone's a bit nervous, we've been getting all the guests settled, they've all had an early dinner and gone to bed, and they're just going to ride out the night.

"They don't come to Lord Howe Island in March thinking they're going to get hit by a cyclone."

He said residents had been strapping down outside furniture and sandbagging in preparation for the weather to worsen overnight.

Meanwhile, a high seas weather warning has been issued for Tropical Cyclone Tim, which is currently about 500km east northeast of Cairns.

23.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Man's body found near Broken Hill

THE body of an elderly man has been found near Broken Hill in outback NSW.

Police said two elderly men, aged 81 and 78, went missing on Wednesday near Broken Hill after leaving the isolated mining town in a four-wheel drive.

Police told AAP on Thursday night that a search for the men was launched on Thursday, and the vehicle was located on Thursday.

One of the elderly men was found deceased near the vehicle while the other man was found alive, they said.

The 4WD may have become bogged, police said.

The ABC reports that the men were on a prospecting trip in a remote part of the region.

It also reports that the man who was found alive has been taken to hospital and is in a stable condition.

In a statement, police said the 4WD was found in remote country known as Euriowie, about 70km north of Broken Hill, about 1.45pm (AEDT) on Thursday.

Police say a report will be prepared for the coroner.

23.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Govt lets down defence victims: taskforce

THE head of a taskforce investigating alleged abuses in the defence force says he's disillusioned with the federal government's failure to act on claims - and thinks victims may be too.

DLA Piper taskforce leader Gary Rumble told a Senate Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade hearing on Thursday that he was disappointed none of the matters raised in a 2012 report had been acted on.

Law firm DLA Piper was commissioned to examine abuse allegations following the Skype scandal at the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) in 2011 and uncovered 775 plausible abuse allegations across every decade since the 1950s. The earliest related to events in 1951.

"I am deeply concerned that the government's lack of action and decision last year may have distressed individuals who were hoping for some response to their specific issue (and) worn down the willingness of those who told their stories ... to continue to be involved," Dr Rumble said.

He said he was worried the lack of action would encourage perpetrators and potential witnesses to think they could escape punishment.

Dr Rumble said the taskforce had been directed to write a second report for the Chief of the Defence Force and Service Chiefs but only the defence minister, Stephen Smith, had seen it.

Mr Smith wrote to him saying it would not have been appropriate for anyone other than him to see the report.

Earlier on Thursday, Mr Smith told parliament new complaints to the taskforce's hotline had been building steadily since it opened last November.

At March 4, there had been 1041 complaints.

Just over 780 were made by personal phone call and in voicemail messages, while 260 were sent by email.

Taskforce chairman, retired judge Len Roberts-Smith, told Mr Smith there was no realistic prospect of its work being completed within the initial 12-month term, so the government has agreed to a six-month extension, with the taskforce now due to conclude its investigations by the end of May 2014.

As well, there will be an end-of-May 2013 deadline for new allegations to be made.

The taskforce is examining individual allegations, which if sufficiently substantiated could allow victims to claim up to $50,000 in compensation.

It is also considering whether a full royal commission is needed to address outstanding allegations at ADFA in the 1990s and allegations of sexual and other abuse of naval cadets at the former navy training centre, HMAS Leeuwin, which operated from 1960-84.

The taskforce said it appeared the abuse at Leeuwin occurred in the 1960s and 1970s.

"Much of the alleged bullying and violence appears to have been unreported," Mr Smith said.

Shadow Defence Minister David Johnston slammed the federal government's "snail pace" response and the way in which Mr Smith has handled the issue as if it were an "afterthought".

23.08 | 0 komentar | Read More