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Since October 1995

Wednesday 8th May 1996

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International:

The 1996 Floods moved south during the course of yesterday wreaking havoc in the northern parts of New South Wales.

Here in Karana Downs the waters of the Brisbane River have now returned to levels which, although still exceptionally high, are at least 8 metres down from their peak on Sunday. The weir is now open and Colleges Crossing is expected to be opened in the next day or two.

The Queensland State Government has called on the banks (they'll be lucky) and the Federal Government to help flood victims. The damage bill in this state alone is expected to top Au$150 million. There has also been an outcry about the government stating that the rain would bring a Au$1 billion windfall to the local economy with famers in the rain effected areas claiming that they are actually suffering millions of dollars in crop losses.

*Record Rain Falls:
CentreRainfallPrevious Record
Toowoomba494mm298mm
Pittsworth307mm203mm
Esk370mm248mm
Gatton555mm232mm
Mt Glorious1053mm497mm
Mt Tamborine1161mm621mm
Brisbane Airport606mm382mm

*Rainfall totals for month to 9am yesterday compared with previous records for the entire month of May.

Political:

The Federal Government has increased pressure on the states to accept the proposal for a nationally based control on guns. Only Western Australia and the Northern Territory are now rejecting the proposal as they claim that automatic guns are needed by farmers to control ferral animals. Prime Minister John Howard said that a levy on guns was now being considered to fund the payments made to citizens returning automatic and semi-automatic guns under the proposed new abholition.

Business:

Pay television group Australis Media, owner of Galaxy, has threatened legal action against controversial lawyer Malcolm Turnbull who has compiled a report stating that the company will accumulate negative cash flow of between Au$750 million and Au$1.15 billion during the next seven years.

You might recall that Packer has started to bite at the Australis bait and has put together a large package of cash to try to save the ailing business. It appears that Turnbull has been retained by News Limited and Telstra who recently gave Australis the flick after a proposed merger between them was thrown out by the unfair trading board in Australia.

Sport:

A superb effort from the bench enabled Australia to clinch an opening win against the Ukraine in the four team pre-Olympic women's basketball series in Melbourne on Monday night. The Australian Opals overcame the visitors 80 to 64 at the Glasshouse while the powerful US team cruised home defeating the Cubans 108 to 80.

Personal trivia, from the global office:

The rain cleared up yesterday and today we are back to balmy Queensland sunshine. Spent the day in the global office working on a number of web sites.

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