Crispin Hull

The Federal Court rejected yesterday allegations of petrol price fixing by the service-station industry.

The action was brought by the Trade Practices Commission in response to the industry’s “”Prosper from Petrol” campaign among service-station owners in 1990.

The case was a test of the extent to which industry associations can act to promote their industry without falling foul of Trade Practices Act prohibitions against retail-price maintenance and other anti-competitive conduct.
Continue reading “1992_07_july_petrol”

A Canberra woman has been refused entry to a NSW psychiatric hospital, because there has been no ACT funding and ACT law does not apply to it.

The 73-year-old woman’s daughter said her mother had been committed to the Rozelle Psychiatric Hospital for six months by an ACT magistrate on Monday under the Inebriates Act.

The daughter had sought the order because she could no longer cope with her mother.

She had been taken to Rozelle by ACT police, but refused a six-month committal. After police pleaded, she had been admitted temporarily, but, according to the daughter the hospital might attempt to send her back to the ACT alone by train this morning.
Continue reading “1992/1992_07_july_nut”

The position of a Canberra woman committed to Rozelle Hospital under the Inebriates Act for six months was resolved yesterday, (wedjul29) according to the office of the Minister for Heatlh, Wayne Berry.

Her case was reporter in The Canberra Times on Tuesday. (jul28)

A spokeswoman for Mr Berry said ACT authorities and NSW had liaised to clear up a misunderstanding about the application of ACT law and funding to NSW institutions.

Earlier this week Rozelle Hospital refused to admit the woman under the terms of the order saying there was no funding and the ACT law did not apply in NSW and said she would have to go back to the ACT.
Continue reading “1992_07_july_nut1992_07_july_0”

The Parliamentary triangle is falling apart, according to the National Capital Planning Authority.

But the Minister responsible for it, Ros Kelly, says this is not the case. Mrs Kelly says Old Parliament House would make an excellent portrait Gallery.

The chairman of the NCPA, Joseph Skrzynski, has expressed his concerns in a recent speech to the Canberra Business Council, a copy of which was obtained .

He is concerned about a rapidly increasing population density and the deterioration in the Parliamentary Triangle and the funding for its upkeep.
Continue reading “1992_07_july_ncpa”

Australia is pressing ahead with its defence of a claim by Nauru for between $70 million and $90 million to rehabilitate the Pacific island after phosphate mining.

This is despite last month’s comprehensive rejection of Australia’s position in the International Court of Justice that the court had no jurisdiction to hear the case.

It is easy to jump to the conclusion that Australia was the wicked colonial power that ripped off the innocent native people of Nauru, wrecked their island, destroyed their Pacific way of life and then left. But there are two sides to the story, as the court no doubt will hear.
Continue reading “1992_07_july_nauru”

The ACT Government has agreed with several conservation groups that Mulligan’s Flat in Gungahlin will be preserved as a nature reserve.

On original plans, much of the area was to be sub-divided for housing.

The Minister for Environment, Land and Planning, Bill Wood, acknowledged yesterday ÿ(tuejul28)@ that a significant amount of revenue would be forgone, but the significance of the site.

A proposal submitted by the Conservation Council of the South-East Region and six other conservation groups said that six square kilometres should be made a nature reserve. Mr Wood said he would take a generous view of those boundaries. He hoped to fix them within weeks.
Continue reading “1992_07_july_mulligan”

Several years ago you could drive around Vernon Circle and southwards on to Commonwealth Avenue Bridge.

As you rounded the corner the Brindabellas formed the horizon like a blue ribbon. In winter, the ribbon was spotted with snow.

Now, alas, that hideous white block of residential units shatters the harmony of the Brindabella horizon. One has to drive past the building to get the full line of the Brindabellas. It is not quite the same; the joy of the vista needs to be experienced on the turn of the corner.
Continue reading “1992_07_july_mullfeat”

Campbell Brede, of National Capital Motors, has been elected president of the Motor Trades Association of the ACT, it was announced yesterday.

He takes over from Denis Sargant, of Hall Brother Smash Repairs, who was president for four years. Others elected were: Ross Ellis, of Shell Manuka, vice-president; Leonie McCulloch, of Capital Auto Wreckers, treasurer.

Inflation-fighting policy and the Accord had changed to the extent that the Prices Surveillance Authority and the Trade Practices Commission should be merged, the chairman of both bodies said yesterday.(tuesjul28)

Professor Allan Fels was commenting after the authority issued a report this week on real-estate agents after an inquiry headed by Dr D.C.Cousins.

The report concentrated on the competitive elements of the industry which caused high fees, rather than regulatory measures to hold them down. It attacked recommended maximum prices (which were rarely discounted) and high entry qualifications.
Continue reading “1992_07_july_merge”

The legal system had forsaken Australia’s mentally ill and it was a disgrace to the nation, according to Australia’s Human Rights Commissioner, Brian Burdekin.

“”The common law, our democratic institutions and our industrial mechanisms have failed the mentally ill,” he said.

The mentally ill and homeless suffered systemic and institutionalised discrimination. Nearly 80,000 mentally ill young people “”have no facilities and many take their own lives”. Of the tens of thousands of older people wandering the streets of our cities, more than 15 per cent were mentally with no care or treatment. The were abused and exploited and not protected by our legal system. Up to 70 per cent of old people in nursing homes suffered dementia. The homes were not designed to care for them. Many were routinely over-drugged as a management tool, not for treatment.
Continue reading “1992_07_july_mental”