Latest ABC News for Western Queensland http://www.abc.net.au/news/ http://abc.net.au/news/img/newslogo88.gif http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss ABC News Online Wed, 08 Oct 2008 14:59:24 +1000 Wed, 08 Oct 2008 14:59:24 +1000 The Mayor of Mt Isa says he has received letters and emails from women across the world eager to learn more about the city and possibly move there. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/10/08/2385459.htm 2385459 Wed, 08 Oct 2008 14:48:00 +1000 local-government human-interest women longreach-4730 mount-isa-4825 Queensland Health Minister Stephen Robertson has dismissed claims of a big drop in the number of public hospital beds. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/10/08/2385270.htm 2385270 Wed, 08 Oct 2008 13:07:00 +1000 government-and-politics parliament state-parliament health doctors-and-medical-professionals healthcare-facilities health-policy australia qld brisbane-4000 bundaberg-4670 cairns-4870 longreach-4730 mackay-4740 maroochydore-4558 mount-isa-4825 rockhampton-4700 southport-4215 toowoomba-4350 townsville-4810 Queensland Health Minister Stephen Robertson says the State Government will do more to attract medical staff to regional areas. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/10/08/2385259.htm 2385259 Wed, 08 Oct 2008 13:01:00 +1000 government-and-politics parliament state-parliament health doctors-and-medical-professionals healthcare-facilities health-policy australia qld brisbane-4000 bundaberg-4670 cairns-4870 longreach-4730 mackay-4740 maroochydore-4558 mount-isa-4825 rockhampton-4700 southport-4215 toowoomba-4350 townsville-4810 The federal Member for Flynn, Chris Trevor, has welcomed a Queensland Government decision to continue existing services at the Aramac Hospital, in central western Queensland, for the next year. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/10/08/2385087.htm 2385087 Wed, 08 Oct 2008 11:33:00 +1000 states-and-territories healthcare-facilities aramac-4726 longreach-4730 mount-isa-4825 Mining giant Xstrata has urged parents in Mt Isa, in north-west Queensland, to have their children re-tested to find out if high lead blood levels are persisting. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/10/08/2385070.htm 2385070 Wed, 08 Oct 2008 11:25:00 +1000 mining health blood community-organisations lead longreach-4730 mount-isa-4825 Communities in outback Queensland have been sweltering in hot and dry conditions which have arrived earlier than expected. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/10/08/2384929.htm 2384929 Wed, 08 Oct 2008 09:42:00 +1000 drought rural boulia-4829 burketown-4830 julia-creek-4823 longreach-4730 mount-isa-4825 Local government grants commissioners from across Australia are this week in Charleville, in Queensland's south-west, looking at ways to improve federal funding allocations to councils. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/10/08/2384926.htm 2384926 Wed, 08 Oct 2008 09:38:00 +1000 federal-government local-government charleville-4470 longreach-4730 mount-isa-4825 toowoomba-4350 Six Queensland jockeys and horse trainers have been found guilty of providing false or misleading statements over an incident in western Queensland earlier this year. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/10/08/2384900.htm 2384900 Wed, 08 Oct 2008 09:19:00 +1000 horse-racing julia-creek-4823 longreach-4730 mount-isa-4825 townsville-4810 The REIQ says the Reserve Bank decision to cut interest rates by 1 per cent will boost consumer confidence. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/10/08/2384885.htm 2384885 Wed, 08 Oct 2008 09:11:00 +1000 business-economics-and-finance economic-trends industry building-and-construction housing business-regulation community-and-society charities-and-community-organisations government-and-politics australia qld brisbane-4000 bundaberg-4670 cairns-4870 longreach-4730 mackay-4740 maroochydore-4558 mount-isa-4825 rockhampton-4700 southport-4215 toowoomba-4350 townsville-4810 The Queensland Farmers Federation says rural producers should get all of the 1 per cent reduction in official interest rates. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/10/08/2384884.htm 2384884 Wed, 08 Oct 2008 09:10:00 +1000 economic-trends banking housing rural bundaberg-4670 cairns-4870 longreach-4730 mackay-4740 maroochydore-4558 mount-isa-4825 rockhampton-4700 southport-4215 toowoomba-4350 townsville-4810 The union representing Qld paramedics will start statewide industrial action over stalled EBA negotiations. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/10/08/2384795.htm 2384795 Wed, 08 Oct 2008 08:06:00 +1000 disasters-and-accidents emergency-planning government-and-politics unions health doctors-and-medical-professionals australia qld brisbane-4000 bundaberg-4670 cairns-4870 longreach-4730 mackay-4740 maroochydore-4558 mount-isa-4825 rockhampton-4700 southport-4215 toowoomba-4350 townsville-4810 Health Minister Stephen Robertson has released the latest figures of lead levels in Mount Isa children. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/10/07/2384018.htm 2384018 Tue, 07 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +1000 business-economics-and-finance industry mining pollution government-and-politics states-and-territories health child-health-and-behaviour law-crime-and-justice rural australia qld longreach-4730 mount-isa-4825 Gulf of Carpentaria fishermen say it has been a tough year for the industry as buyers opt for cheaper international product, but they are optimistic people will return to buying Australian fish. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/10/07/2383926.htm 2383926 Tue, 07 Oct 2008 11:15:00 +1000 fishing-aquaculture karumba-4891 longreach-4730 mount-isa-4825 A Queensland farm lobby group says the usual benefits from a drop in the Australian dollar may not flow on to farmers because of the instability in global markets. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/10/07/2383913.htm 2383913 Tue, 07 Oct 2008 11:04:00 +1000 finance-markets agribusiness bundaberg-4670 cairns-4870 longreach-4730 mackay-4740 maroochydore-4558 mount-isa-4825 rockhampton-4700 southport-4215 toowoomba-4350 townsville-4810 A leading expert on regional development says 'land for a dollar' deals do not help rural towns to attract people in the longer term. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/10/07/2383905.htm 2383905 Tue, 07 Oct 2008 11:01:00 +1000 population-and-demographics community-development longreach-4730 mount-isa-4825 richmond-4822 The Queensland Aquaculture Industries Federation believes prawn farmers will be able to adapt their practices to deal with climate change. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/10/07/2383709.htm 2383709 Tue, 07 Oct 2008 09:04:00 +1000 climate-change fishing-aquaculture bundaberg-4670 cairns-4870 longreach-4730 mackay-4740 maroochydore-4558 mount-isa-4825 rockhampton-4700 southport-4215 townsville-4810 A union is calling for Queensland ambulance workers to be allowed to use capsicum spray to protect them against violent patients. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/10/07/2383705.htm 2383705 Tue, 07 Oct 2008 09:01:00 +1000 disasters-and-accidents emergency-planning health doctors-and-medical-professionals law-crime-and-justice laws australia qld brisbane-4000 bundaberg-4670 cairns-4870 longreach-4730 mackay-4740 maroochydore-4558 mount-isa-4825 rockhampton-4700 southport-4215 toowoomba-4350 townsville-4810 The Queensland Seafood Industry Association says the management of the fishing industry must become more flexible to deal with climate change. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/10/07/2383690.htm 2383690 Tue, 07 Oct 2008 08:48:00 +1000 climate-change fishing-aquaculture bundaberg-4670 cairns-4870 longreach-4730 mackay-4740 maroochydore-4558 mount-isa-4825 rockhampton-4700 southport-4215 townsville-4810 The Rural Doctors Association has welcomed a reprieve for a small hospital in Queensland's central west. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/10/07/2383683.htm 2383683 Tue, 07 Oct 2008 08:38:00 +1000 states-and-territories doctors-and-medical-professionals health-administration aramac-4726 longreach-4730 mount-isa-4825 The Govt says pending legal action prevents releasing a report about children's high blood lead levels in Mt Isa. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/10/07/2383677.htm 2383677 Tue, 07 Oct 2008 08:31:00 +1000 mining states-and-territories child-health-and-behaviour lead longreach-4730 mount-isa-4825 Pilots and tourists are in Burketown in the Gulf of Carpentaria in far north Queensland, to witness one of the world's most spectacular meteorological phenomena. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/10/06/2383103.htm 2383103 Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:39:00 +1000 weather-phenomena burketown-4830 longreach-4730 mount-isa-4825 A men's health consultant says men are becoming more interested in their health needs but there is still more work to be done to improve outcomes in Queensland. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/10/06/2383090.htm 2383090 Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:28:00 +1000 mental-health mens-health longreach-4730 mount-isa-4825 Queensland's Workplace Rights Ombudsman says there still much confusion about workplace laws, almost a year after the Rudd Government took office. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/10/06/2383086.htm 2383086 Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:26:00 +1000 industrial-relations federal-government charleville-4470 longreach-4730 mount-isa-4825 toowoomba-4350 The Queensland Government wants to delay the next council election by six months to give local governments more time to organise their budgets. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/10/06/2382945.htm 2382945 Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +1000 government-and-politics elections local-government australia qld brisbane-4000 bundaberg-4670 cairns-4870 longreach-4730 mackay-4740 maroochydore-4558 mount-isa-4825 rockhampton-4700 southport-4215 toowoomba-4350 townsville-4810