News

Take a tip: garbage trip not worth a peso

913 words
28 July 2005
Illawarra Mercury
First
22
English
© 2005 Copyright John Fairfax Holdings Limited. www.f2.com.au. Not available for re-distribution.

your letters

OH dear - another garbage junket coming up!

What is it with Wollongong Council and their priorities? Councillor Gigliotti and engineering manager Joe Scimone went on a $30,000 garbage trip last year to Europe but tell me - has anyone ever seen a report put up to the council?

I would have assumed that this expenditure warranted some form of solid evidence that they actually attended anything at all and would be included in council's business papers.

Now we have the Argentinian connection and the council dare not let loose with one very novice councillor - so they must go in twos.

Well, in South America garbage is dealt with in many ways. In one country they still collect it by horse and cart, in another they just toss it into the bays, and then I observed in one city where it was hung in plastic bags along fences to keep it out of the way of all those hoards of unregistered dogs.

Ever been to Rio a few days after Carnivale? Breathing masks are a salvation from the smell of all that rotting refuse. In some of the most underprivileged areas there are people who actually live on garbage tips in order to scavenge the most meagre items that might render a peso or two.

- PEGGY STRANSKY,

Port Kembla.

Outstanding result

IT was pleasing to see the Mercury (July 20) report on new research rankings of Australian universities by Dr Abbas Valadkhani and Professor Andrew Worthington.

They show for the first time, that when the size of institutions are considered, the University of Wollongong ranks in the top eight Australian universities in terms of research outcomes.

This is an outstanding result which accurately reflects the University of Wollongong's high standing.

This innovative study by the two senior academics from the Faculty of Commerce at the university has also created interest overseas and is at present under critical review for publication in an international academic journal.

- ED WILSON,

Head of Economics,

University of Wollongong.

Missing the point

JAMES Dunn ("Too close for comfort", Mercury, July 25) conceded that terrorism began before September 11, but added this qualifier: "the Iraq war projected a surge of hostility throughout the world of Islam. It gave a new and disturbing momentum to a form of extremism that was hitherto controllable". Controllable? I doubt I could find a more fictitious statement even in a tall Disney tale.

Journalist Jonathan Freedland (from The Guardian) gives us a much more realistic picture: "Al-Qaeda was at war with the West long before the Iraq adventure; and if al-Qaeda cares so much about Iraqi civilians then why is it killing so many of them, including children, through suicide bombings? Turning up the volume, the foreign secretary sought to drown out the Chatham House report - which said the Iraq war had given a 'boost to al-Qaeda - by declaring: 'The time for excuses for terrorism is over,"'.

Mr Dunn, the time for excuses for terrorism is over.

Freedland does admit that Iraq is now like Afghanistan, but adds this: "So Iraq is central. But it is not the whole story ... al-Qaeda is not like ETA or the IRA - organisations with a clear, single goal. It is not simply a troops-out movement, demanding nothing more than a withdrawal from Afghanistan and Iraq and justice for the Palestinians. It is not the armed wing of the Stop the War Coalition.

Its aims are rather different. Central to its ideology is the reintroduction of the caliphate, an Islamic state governed by Shariah law that would stretch across all formerly Muslim lands, taking in Spain, Morocco, north Africa, Albania, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, as well as Pakistan, Indonesia and the Philippines."

These facts continually escape Mr Dunn.

- RAY AGOSTINI,

Wollongong.

Media at fault

UNDER the heading, "Inconsistent", (Mercury, July 16), Ken O'Hara criticises Ray Agostini for calling the media biased in the item concerning industrial changes.

Anyone without blinkers can see that most of the media is biased towards anything that concerns John Howard and/or the Liberal Party/National Party.

Thank goodness for the Liberal/National Party's overwhelming majority in the last election or we would be crying foul.

Mr O'Hara remarks about the $20 million public money being used for advertisements but has he stopped to think if the unions and media hadn't been so biased and in fact, telling porkies, the advertising would not have been necessary?

- BARBARA WITTE,

Barrack Hts.

It's fair dinkum

THE new rescue helicopter service should let the bullies have their precious name and simply call the new service The Fair Dinkum rescue helicopter service.

Everybody will know which service that refers to.

By the way, I wonder if the other mob are going to sue the Guardian Pharmacy chain or the Communist Party of Australia, whose weekly newspaper is called The Guardian.

- KEVIN EPPS,

Coalcliff.

Gourd grief!

N AND B Holland take exception to the Mercury's using "Oh gourd, look at the size of this zucchini", (July 19), and refer to the bible passage where it says "shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain".

Don't they realise this is a secular country and in the quote above "your God" isn't necessarily another person's god.

- DAVID McBAIN,

Warilla.

Document ILM0000020050728e17s0000p

News

Sutton's new vision

By JENNY DENNIS
275 words
21 July 2005
Illawarra Mercury
First
7
English
© 2005 Copyright John Fairfax Holdings Limited. www.f2.com.au. Not available for re-distribution.

Wollongong Uni aims for No1

UNIVERSITY of Wollongong vice-chancellor Gerard Sutton is a hard man to please.

One day after UOW was confirmed as one of the country's top eight tertiary research institutions, Professor Sutton said he would not be happy until it was number one.

A new study has found that some "second-tier" and regional universities are producing research rivalling the national's elite universities.

Using a new formula for ranking Australia's 37 publicly funded universities, the study's authors placed UOW among 15 universities in category A for research performance - alongside the prestigious Melbourne University and the Australian National University in Canberra.

Other second-tier universities to make the grade using the new formula included Macquarie University, Newcastle University and the University of New England in NSW, and Flinders in South Australia, Murdoch in Western Australia, and the University of Tasmania.

The new formula measured research performance against staff numbers and scale of operation. The results even surprised the authors of the study, one of them UOW economics lecturer Abbas Valadkhani.

Prof Sutton said the results did not surprise him. The Good Universities Guide already had indicated as much.

"We have had five stars for research for some time," he said. "All this does is confirm that if you allow for size, we are among the top research universities in the country."

Prof Sutton's goal now is for the university to be number one when size is factored in. "There's no reason why that should not be possible," he said.

Document ILM0000020050721e17l0000g

News

Uni gets top grade

By MATTHEW KELLY Education Reporter
244 words
20 July 2005
The Newcastle Herald
Late
21
English
© 2005 Copyright John Fairfax Holdings Limited. www.f2.com.au. Not available for re-distribution.

Quality research output

NEWCASTLE University has been punching well above its weight in terms of research, a new study has found.

The study of Australian university research performance between 1998 and 2002 shows that Newcastle University rivalled many of Australia's elite universities.

University of Wollongong economics lecturer Dr Abbas Valadkhani used PhD completions, publications and grants as the basis of the study.

While Australia's top "Group of eight" universities dominated the highest rankings, Newcastle University easily made the top 15 list.

Other regional NSW universities that had similar rankings to Newcastle included the University of New England and the University of Wollongong.

"In total research performance terms, the group of eight universities comprise the better performing cluster," Dr Abbas said.

". . . but when appropriate recognition is made of the differing scale and funding of operations, the performance of seven additional universities (which include Newcastle) is statistically indistinguishable."

The faculties that generate the most research income at Newcastle University are engineering, health and science and information technology.

Deputy vice-chancellor, research Adrian Page said he was not surprised by the report's findings.

"In terms of conventional measures, we ranked ninth in terms of research income in 2003," Professor Page said.

"If you start looking at the success of individual faculties the result is higher again. Engineering, for instance, is in the very top group."

Document NEHR000020050720e17k0001i

News and Features

Smaller universities top of their class

Kelly Burke Higher Education Reporter
426 words
20 July 2005
The Sydney Morning Herald
First
10
English
© 2005 Copyright John Fairfax Holdings Limited. www.smh.com.au Not available for re-distribution.

Quality research not confined to the big eight

HIGH ACHIEVERS
Total research performance
1 Melbourne
1 Australian National University
3 Sydney
4 Queensland
5 NSW
6 Western Australia
6 Monash
8 Adelaide
9 Flinders
10 La Trobe
11 Macquarie
12 Tasmania
13 Newcastle
14 Murdoch
15 Wollongong

Research performance per
academic staff - category A
1 Melbourne
2 Adelaide
3 Western Australia
4 NSW
5 Sydney
6 Queensland
7 Tasmania
8 Wollongong
9 Murdoch
10 Monash
11 New England
12 Macquarie
13 Flinders
14 Newcastle
15 Australian National University  

A clutch of smaller and regional universities are producing research to rival the elite eight so-called sandstone institutions of learning.

A new formula for ranking Australia's 37 publicly funded universities found the group of eight universities predictably outperformed all others in research produced between 1998 and 2002.

But once the size of the university and its academic staff were taken into account, seven other universities held their own against the elite, research-focused group. As a result, 15 universities made it into the study's top category for research performance.

Four of the high-ranking universities outside of the group of eight were in NSW - Macquarie, Newcastle, Wollongong and the University of New England. Flinders in South Australia, Murdoch in Western Australia and the University of Tasmania were also in the top category.

The co-author of the ranking, University of Wollongong economics lecturer Abbas Valadkhani, said the results were surprising, given that the new ladder pushed Monash and the Australian National University out of the top eight.

Dr Valadkhani said the data needed further investigation and it was important not to view the findings as the sole measure of productivity.

He said the integration of research and teaching at an undergraduate level could explain the ANU anomaly.

The national university had the highest concentration of research-only academics in the country.

Teaching-only staff were not factored into the formula used for the ranking, which analysed each university's rate of PhD completions, publications and grants, using Federal Government-audited data.

A raw ranking placed ANU and Melbourne at the top of the list followed by the University of Sydney.

The results were remarkably consistent with the Melbourne Institute's 2004 index, which ranked Australian universities according to their international reputation. But once the size of academic staff were factored in, only the University of Melbourne retained its position - at No.1.

Document SMHH000020050719e17k00035

Prepare to tighten purse strings as 2004 brings in the bills Happy new arrear

by Jenny Rogers and Amy Harris
872 words
29 December 2003
Gold Coast Bulletin
1
3
English
(c) 2003 Nationwide News Pty Limited

THE squeeze is on for Gold Coast families as a series of big price increases, set to hit the household purse from January 1, become a reality.

The rises will hurt at a time when most people are facing a nail-biting wait for hefty credit card bills to arrive in the wake of the massive Christmas spending spree.

Many of the rises will be greater than the inflation rate of 2.6 per cent and annual wages growth of 3.7 per cent.

Gold Coast parents Cathy and Brad Stubbs say their only option is to 'just work harder' to make up for what will be a $6000 increase in annual living costs in 2004.

With their three children, Mathew (11), Tani (7) and Courtney (5) at the prestigious Somerset College - a private school - the family faces an increase of $2346 in school fees for 2004. That is about $800 per child each year, not including extras such as text books, school uniforms, sport and music tuition. Text books and school uniforms are expected to increase in price by about 5 per cent.

"Budgeting has never really been our strong point but it might have to be from now on," said Cathy, who admitted to having a haphazard method of budgeting.

Cathy said she did not see state school as an option for her children.

"My opinion is that you only get one shot at an education. Private school is a lot more expensive but there are a lot of things I would change before I would change schools," she said.

"Education is our main priority."

Along with the school-fee hike, the family will dish out an extra $70 in both council rates and home insurance but their biggest increase comes in car insurance - a result of their private limousine business, Palm's Limousines, which has a fleet of six cars requiring an extra $837 per year.

"That is a big hit for us. Obviously it is not something every family has to deal with but we do, and all we can do is try and move things around and just make it work," said Cathy, who acknowledged she and husband Brad were luckier than families on a base salary.

The insurance crisis will take its toll, with some of the biggest rises expected in home and car insurance.

An average, comprehensive car insurance of $550 is expected to rise by $50.

It will cost 7 per cent more to insure your home next year.

The interest-rate hikes are also going to hurt on top of a planned increase in Gold Coast City Council rates.

The 4.8 per cent rate increase will add an extra $60 a year to the average $1200 bill.

There also will be rises in all other council services, including garbage collection, water consumption, and waste charges.

Australian economy expert Dr Abbas Valadkhani, of the Queensland University of Technology, said the hikes in basic living expenses were likely to hurt lower income earners and families.

"With commodities like clothing, food and education all increasing by more than the overall inflation rate, these increases are always going to impact on the poor rather than the rich," he said.

Dr Valadkhani said the education fee increases would cause the biggest budget pain.

"The cost of education is growing at about 8 per cent. Today, 35 per cent of families are sending their kids to private schools, and responsible parents feel that they have to pay for it to give their child a good education, even if they aren't that rich.

"If you want to send two children to a private school, it is likely to cost you about $14,000.

"HECS fees are also making it tough for the younger generation to get ahead because most are faced with a bill for $35,000 before they even get their first job."

Interest rates were adding to the burden.

"Increasing interest rates are going to make it even harder for first home buyers to afford a house. Coupled with rising petrol prices and the added credit card burden, living in 2004 is going to get tougher."

The increased cost of living in 2004

EDUCATION

Tuition fees for 2004 up 8%.

Private schools $11,323.

Catholic schools $2973.

HECS fees up 2.4%.

Band 1 $3768 (up $88).

Band 2 $5367 (up $125).

Band 3 $6283 (up $145).

INTEREST RATES

Up 0.5%: Monthly repayments $1338.31 (up $59.28).

INSURANCE

Home up 7 %.

Car up 9 %.

Public liability increase up between 10 - 29 %.

COUNCIL CHARGES

General rates up 4.8 %.

Sewerage and wastewater charges up 2%.

Refuse collection charge up 2.6%.

Water consumption charge up 7.6 per cent.

Water - fixed charge no increase.

Open space preservation levy up 3.4 %.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT (Surfside Buslines)

Zone 1 ticket $1.55.

Zone 2 $2.30.

Zone 3 $3.30.

Zone 4 $3.95.

Zone 5 $4.50.

All day Ezypass $10.

Gold Coast Tourist Shuttle $15.

Increases likely in July, when Gold Coast public transport is integrated with Translink, combining public transport systems in southeast Queensland.

Document GCBULL0020031229dzct00008

NEWSNATION

Ansett fall cost 80,000 jobs: report

113 words
13 December 2003
Cairns Post
1
12
English
(c) 2003 Nationwide News Pty Limited

ALMOST 80,000 people may have lost their jobs because of the collapse of Ansett, a new report reveals.

About 16,000 Ansett employees were made redundant when the airline collapsed in September 2001, but the new study says up to 60,000 other workers may have lost their jobs as an indirect result of the crash.

The report - How many jobs were lost with the collapse of Ansett? - was written by Abbas Valadkhani from the Queensland University of Technology.

Mr Valadkhani said more than three times as many people as Ansett had on staff were made redundant as an indirect result of the collapse.

Document CAIRPO0020031215dzcd0000t

Ansett collapse - the inside story.

By Jessica Stanley
375 words
13 December 2003
Canberra Times
7
English
(c) 2003 The Canberra Times

By the time Cecil Wagstaff finished working for Ansett, he had devoted exactly 25 years to serving at Australia's second-largest airline. Joining up on August 1, 1977, he received the news that he had been made redundant in September 2001 as a "body blow". "One shouldn't dwell on the negatives. It was a bitter blow. But that's history," he said. Recalled a month later to head up the Canberra administration process, the former national account manager of Federal Government Business was 100 per cent committed to the creation of "Ansett Mark 2". The Fox and Lew bid to revive the airline fell through in early 2002, and he found himself jobless exactly 25 years to the day after he first began work. Nation-wide, about 16,000 workers were made redundant when Ansett collapsed. A new study claims almost 80,000 people may have lost their jobs because of the knock-on effects of the crash.

The report, How many jobs were lost with the collapse of Ansett, was written by a lecturer in economics and business section of the Queensland University of Technology, Abbas Valadkhani. Ansett employed almost 200 people in Canberra, at the airport, a retail centre in Civic, a corporate office in Braddon, a Tuggeranong call centre and at the Australian Institute of Sport. All employees lost their jobs. Before last month's Federal Court settlement, most workers were still waiting for about half their entitlements. But on Thursday, Mr Wagstaff and the other Ansett workers woke up to find administrato rs KordaMentha had deposited some of their remaining entitlements in the bank as an early Christmas present. They have now received an average of 71c in the dollar, but are collectively still owed more than $200million. Mr Wagstaff is now state manager, ACT and NSW South Coast, for Regional Express. He said Canberra staff fared quite well after the initial shock of being made redundant. "It's a tribute to the quality of our staff that they have gone on to do so well - the cream definitely rises to the top," he said. The Federal Government is still to receive more than $330million from the administrators. (Endstory) (Story #885784).

Document CANBTZ0020031212dzcd0001q

News

Ansett job loss 80,000

80 words
13 December 2003
Adelaide Advertiser
1 - State
43
English
(c) 2003 Advertiser Newspapers Limited

ALMOST 80,000 people may have lost their jobs because of the collapse of Ansett, a report reveals.

Around 16,000 Ansett employees were made redundant when the airline collapsed in September 2001.

The study, written by Abbas Valadkhani, a lecturer at the Queensland University of Technology, says up to 60,000 other workers may have lost their jobs.

Workers in retail, business services and hospitality would all have been made redundant, he said.

Document ADVTSR0020031212dzcd0005h

News

80,000 jobs lost to Ansett

171 words
13 December 2003
Herald-Sun
1 - FIRST
4
English
(c) 2003 Herald and Weekly Times Limited

ALMOST 80,000 people may have lost their jobs due to the collapse of Ansett, a report reveals.

About 16,000 Ansett workers were made redundant when the airline collapsed in 2001.

But a report says up to 60,000 other workers may have lost their jobs as part of the indirect effects of the crash.

The report, How many jobs were lost with the collapse of Ansett, was written by Abbas Valadkhani, an economics lecturer at the Queensland University of Technology.

Mr Valadkhani said workers in retail, business services and hospitality would all have been made redundant as a knock-on effect of the airline's collapse.

He warned that Virgin Blue and its new discount airline competitor, Jetstar, must bear in mind the lessons learned from the Ansett collapse before embarking on an all-out price war.

"Competition is good for industry, but not if it is only a short-term strategy to try and force out other rivals," Mr Valadkhani said.

Document HERSUN0020031212dzcd00033

Report claims up to 80,000 jobs lost by Ansett collapse.

By Charlie Hamilton
243 words
12 December 2003
13:43
Australian Associated Press Financial News Wire
English
(c) 2003 Australian Associated Press Pty Ltd. All Rights Reserved

SYDNEY, Dec 12, AAP - Almost 80,000 people may have lost their jobs because of the collapse of Ansett, according to a new report.

Around 16,000 Ansett employees were made redundant when the airline collapsed in September 2001, but the new study claims up to 60,000 other workers may have lost their jobs due to the knock-on effects of the crash.

The report, "How many jobs were lost with the collapse of Ansett", was written by lecturer at Queensland University of Technology, Abbas Valadkhani.

Using complex statistical tools, he estimated that more than three times as many people as Ansett had on staff were made redundant as an indirect cause of the company's failure.

"The impact of the Ansett collapse had consequences that reached far wider than most people have so far estimated," he said.

"It is not just the airline industry that suffered. Workers in the retail, business services and hospitality sectors would all have been made redundant, due to the knock on effects of the collapse."

And he warned that Virgin Blue and its new discount airline competitor JetStar must bear in mind the lessons learnt from the Ansett collapse before embarking on an all-out price war.

"Competition is good for industry, but not if it is only a short-term strategy to try and force out other rivals," Mr Valadkhani said.

Document AAPFIN0020031213dzcc00008

Fed - Report claims up to 80,000 jobs lost by Ansett collapse.

By Charlie Hamilton
249 words
12 December 2003
13:42
Australian Associated Press General News
English
(c) 2003 Australian Associated Press Pty Ltd. All Rights Reserved

SYDNEY, Dec 12, AAP - Almost 80,000 people may have lost their jobs due to the collapse of Ansett, a new report reveals.

Around 16,000 Ansett employees were made redundant when the airline collapsed in September 2001, but the new study says up to 60,000 other workers may have lost their jobs due to the knock-on effects of the crash.

The report - "How many jobs were lost with the collapse of Ansett" - was written by a lecturer in economics and business section of the Queensland University of Technology, Abbas Valadkhani.

Using complex statistical tools, he estimated that more than three times as many people as Ansett had on staff were made redundant as an indirect cause of the company's failure.

"The impact of the Ansett collapse had consequences that reached far wider than most people have so far estimated," he said.

"It is not just the airline industry that suffered. Workers in the retail, business services and hospitality sectors would all have been made redundant, due to the knock on effects of the collapse."

He warned that Virgin Blue and its new discount airline competitor JetStar must bear in mind the lessons learned from the Ansett collapse before embarking on an all-out price war.

"Competition is good for industry, but not if it is only a short-term strategy to try and force out other rivals," Mr Valadkhani said.

Document AAP0000020031213dzcc00008

Assessing the impact of changes in petroleum prices on inflation and household expenditures in Australia

Abbas Valadkhani; William F Mitchell
133 words
1 June 2002
Australian Economic Review
122-132
Volume 35, Issue 2; ISSN: 0004-9018
English
Copyright (c) 2002 ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights reserved.

This article examines 3 broad issues: 1. the expected impact of the recent petrol price rises on prices throughout the economy, 2. the hypothesis that the economy is now less susceptible to oil price rises than it was in the 1970s when the first major oil price rises occurred, and 3. the likely distributional impacts of the petrol price rises. A modified input-output price model is used to simulate the impact of a twofold increase in petrol prices on the sectoral and aggregate price indices in Australia. The 1996-1997 and 1977-1978 IO tables are used. Among the results is an estimated impact on the consumer price index of 1.8%.

Document aur0000020020716dy6100002

Petrol rises hit the poor.

152 words
12 August 2001
Sunday Times (Perth)
18
English
(c) 2001 Nationwide News Pty Limited

HIGHER petrol prices hit the least well-off hardest, according to a university study.

While they pay at the bowser, poorer households also spend proportionally more of their income on basic survival goods such as diesel, heating fuels, meat, dairy products and other foods.

The research shows that industries such as transport, storage, forestry, fishing, agriculture, meat and dairy are worst affected by petrol price rises.

Two University of Newcastle academics found that fuel-price induced price rises reduced the spending power of the lowest 20 per cent of income earners and had least impact on the highest 20 per cent.

"You don't have to necessarily use a lot of petrol to be affected by a price rise," Dr Abbas Valadkhani, of the university's Centre For Full Employment and Equity, said.

Research indicated industry suppliers and distributors covered rising fuel prices with product mark-ups.

Document suntip0020010821dx8c00270

Petrol rises hit the poor.

102 words
12 August 2001
Sunday Times
18
English
© 2001 Business Intelligence International Pty Ltd, Channel E Group Information contained in this database consists of abstracts of articles appearing in various publications. Any views expressed in the material contained in the database do not necessarily reflect the views of Business Intelligence International Pty Ltd.

Two University of Newcastle academics have released a report on petrol prices. They say higher petrol prices most severely affect the lowest 20% of income-earners, and have the least effect on the top 20%. Because higher petrol prices flow-on through other industries, especially transport, storage, forestry, fishing, agriculture, meat and dairy, a greater proportion of low-income earners wages are spent on essentials. Abbas Valadkhani, of the university's Centre for Full Employment & Equity, says the amount of petrol used personally has little bearing on the overall effect.

SUBJECT

PETROL - PRICES - AUSTRALIA

EQUALITY - AUSTRALIA.

Document abxsti0020010812dx8c0005o

Reward to eagle-eyed motorists.

By Chris Jones.
240 words
10 August 2001
Courier-Mail
5
English
(c) 2001 Queensland Newspapers Pty Ltd

BRISBANE motorists were rewarded for shopping around yesterday, with unleaded petrol prices in the metropolitan area varying by 11c a litre.

Figures from independent petrol price monitors FuelTrac showed the lowest price for unleaded petrol in Brisbane was 68.9c a litre yesterday morning. The highest was 79.5c.

FuelTrac general manager Geoff Trotter said it was rare for there to be such a range in prices as service stations tended to follow each other when setting price.

Mr Trotter said prices would probably fall to just over 70 a litre by this morning as the major service stations matched the lower prices being offered by independent retailers.

Meanwhile, a university study to be released today has confirmed what struggling Australians already knew - petrol price rises have most impact on low-income earners.

The University of Newcastle study found that despite spending less on petrol than richer Australians, the poorest 20 per cent of Australian households were hit hardest when bowser prices go up.

Dr Abbas Valadkhani, of the university's Centre of Full Employment and Equity, said poor households tended to spend proportionally more on goods whose production costs were linked to petrol prices.

"If an industry's suppliers and distributors use a lot of petrol, that industry will have to cover increased indirect costs with higher prices - the dairy and meat industry being a case in point," Dr Valadkhani said.

Document coumai0020010809dx8a000bg