Shell sale 'could lead to fuel volatility'

Plans to sell Shell's Geelong refinery could lead to dependence on volatile foreign fuel markets. Source: AAP

AUSTRALIA'S fuel supply could be exposed to foreign volatility in the wake of Shell's plans to sell its Geelong refinery, say industry experts.

The global oil giant says it will sell the refinery with a view to keeping it open, but may convert it to a fuel import terminal if a buyer isn't found by the end of next year.

Melbourne University economics lecturer Dr David Byrne says any threats to local refineries mean more dependence on potentially volatile foreign markets.

"You might be exposing yourself to risk inherent to refining fuel in foreign markets," Dr Byrne told AAP.

"When you refine domestically you might have more control over that in a situation of a crisis."

NRMA director Graham Blight said political instability along supply routes could put Australia's fuel supply at risk.

"If our supplies stop I can assure you this country is in trouble," he told Fairfax Radio.

Mr Blight said he doubted importing fuel would lead to cheaper prices, with Australia at the end of long trade routes.

Dr Byrne said while foreign refining could bring retail prices down, transport costs had to be taken into account.

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Help plea: 'I got shot, I could have died'

Police investigate the Strathfield shooting on February 8. Picture: Gordon McComiskie Source: The Daily Telegraph

A SHOOTING victim has come forward to appeal to witnesses despite fearing for his life after he and a friend were ambushed by a group of armed men.

The 21-year-old man, who asked not to be named, and his friend drove to Strathfield Park on Chalmers Road in Strathfield shortly after midnight on Saturday February 8.

"Both those men were basically ambushed by a group of males," Detective Sergeant Karl Leis said. "At the time of the shooting there were half a dozen males with firearms."

Det-Sgt Leis said a number of shots were fired at close range and the victim was hit by a bullet as he sat in the drivers seat.

He said the attack was particularly brazen as it occurred in front of numerous witnesses, including a group of girls in an older model white Holden Commodore police were asking to come forward."

"The person or people responsible for this act are clearly dangerous, thoughtless individuals," he said. "They mean business."

He said the victim of the shooting was "living day to day" in "fear of his life" and praised his courage in coming forward to appeal to witnesses.

"It takes a lot of guts to be here today," he said.

The man said he was concerned about other victims of gun crime.

"I got shot. I could have died, he said. "There are innocent people out there and I don't want this to happen to them."

"People have to be safe when they walk onto the street."

He said he believed there were still witnesses to the crime yet to come forward to police.

"All I ask is that they do the right thing and contact police so the people who did this to me can be brought to justice," he said.

The victims friend fled the scene and the injured man drove himself to Richmond Road at Lidcombe where he was found by police.

He was taken to hospital where he remained for a number of days in a serious but stable condition.

The bullet remains lodged close to his spine.

While police have not been able to identify the actual shooter involved in this incident Det Srgnt Leis said charges police had information and would be laying charges.

"We are confident with the direction the investigation is taking,” he said.

"Nevertheless, we would still like to speak to anyone with information that may help us; particularly those people who we believe were at the park on the night of the shooting.

"I want to remind people that they can provide information anonymously via Crime Stoppers and that their identity will be protected."

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Ultimate Aussie superyacht could be yours

The Spirit of Sovereign. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied

The Spirit of Sovereign boasts spectacular entertaining areas. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied

THE Gold Coast family responsible for some of the city's richest developments is putting its spectacular superyacht on the block and they are even willing to throw in the silverware.

The 31.52m vessel, called the Spirit of Sovereign, has been all over Australia and the South Pacific since it was purchased by the Lewis Land Corporation, which developed The Sovereign Islands, Harbour Town and worked with Mirvac on Ephraim Island, the Gold Coast Bulletin reports.

But now the Lewis family wants to step things up and buy a boat that is about 10m longer, with room for their large extended family with the Spirit of Sovereign to be auctioned off soon on the Gold Coast by Ray White Marine.

In pictures: The spectacular Spirit of Sovereign

Ray White Marine agent Brock Rodwell said even the silverware used on the boat would be included in the sale.

"The boat has a dining room table for 10 and silverware to match, which will be included," he said.

"But they are taking the wine collection they have onboard with them."

The Spirit of Sovereign, built by the world-renowned Warren Yachts of Kincumber, NSW, in 1990 has a full-time crew, which stay onboard.

There is also room for eight guests in the four ensuited cabins, including a master stateroom and VIP bedroom.

The Spirit of Sovereign has massive entertaining areas, including a jacuzzi on the forward deck, outdoor bar on the upper aft deck and a grand saloon inside with every feature and facility, including a state-of-the-art home theatre and sound system.

Thanks to the boat's large galley, the owners have the capacity to cater for anything from an intimate dinner party to a large corporate function.

The Spirit of Sovereign has a 5.4m tender and jetski, which can be stored on the flybridge deck.

The Spirit of Sovereign. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied

There is also a platform at the back of the boat, giving easy access to the water for swimming, diving and fishing.

Mr Rodwell said there had already been interest from several Asian buyers in the boat.

"This boat is in fantastic condition and has had two complete refits in the past few years," he said.

The vessel's replacement cost has been estimated to be in excess of $10 million.

Ray White Marine is yet to lock in the auction date for the Spirit of Sovereign, but it will be one of the items listed on either March 21 or April 9.

Click here to see a video of the Spirit of Sovereign.

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Sydney taxi fares could go down

SYDNEY taxi fares could be cut because many people find them too expensive, the pricing regulator says.

The recommended 2.5 per cent fare drop is one of four options suggested by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) in an issues paper released on Monday.

"Our recent survey of Sydney residents on taxi use found that almost half of people surveyed had not used taxis in the last six months," IPART said in the paper.

"Around two thirds of people who had considered taking a taxi but in the end did not do so said the reason why was because taxis are too expensive."

The other options include no change to fare levels, an increase in line with the Consumer Price Index rise of about 2.5 per cent, and a change of fares in line with the Taxi Cost Index.

The pricing body is seeking submissions on its issues paper, with any fare changes to take effect from July.

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Western Sydney could experience flooding

Flooding could be expected in Penrith and Richmond after Sydney's Warragamba Dam spilled over. Source: AAP

WESTERN Sydney could be in for minor flooding after Warragamba Dam spilled over following a weekend of heavy rain.

A State Emergency Service (SES) spokeswoman says the spillover occurred about 3.30am (AEDT) and could cause flooding in local areas.

"Penrith could be affected and the Richmond areas today on the Hawkesbury Nepean River," she said.

Minor flooding could disrupt local ferry services and close low roads and bridges.

As swollen creeks and rivers start to recede across the state, the SES says 26,000 people remain stranded by floodwaters in the north but the focus now is shifting to recovery and resupply.

Crews from the SES, NSW Rural Fire Service and Fire and Rescue NSW are concentrating on the Sydney suburbs of Malabar and Narellan, and Kiama on the south coast, which were worst-affected by storm damage over the weekend.

In Kiama, three houses were destroyed and seven others badly damaged, while St Andrew's Primary school at Malabar will be closed on Monday for safety checks.

Meanwhile Ausgrid crews are working to restore power to about 500 homes and businesses on the Central Coast, about 100 in Sydney and more than 500 around Kiama and Bowral.

At its peak over the weekend, more than 6000 homes and businesses on the Central Coast were without power as trees and debris hit powerlines.

Flooding at Putty Road in Colo, from the Colo River which peaked on Sunday, has closed some local roads, the SES said.

Flooding is also expected to affect low-lying farmland and local roads near the rivers and their tributaries and a number of caravan parks on the Colo River and lower Hawkesbury from Lower Portland.

"Farmers should watch the weather and be ready to move pumps, other equipment and livestock away from rising waters," the SES said in a statement.

The clean-up of asbestos debris is continuing at the Malabar RSL in Sydney's east.

Savage gusts extensively damaged the club's roof on the weekend, sending sheets of asbestos flying onto nearby homes and roads.

An SES spokeswoman says two streets near the club have been closed off.

But there's better news up the coast at Kempsey, where the SES has given the all-clear for the CBD with the exception of some properties.

So far there have been 85 flood rescues across NSW, mainly from vehicles.

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Hodgkin's patients could get less chemo

A blood test developed at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research could change the way doctors treat patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma, reducing the amount of chemotherapy they need. Source: The Advertiser

QUEENSLAND researchers have developed a blood test that may reduce the amount of chemotherapy Hodgkin's lymphoma patients need, limiting toxic side effects and preserving their fertility.

The blood test, which measures levels of a protein, CD163, was developed at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research by haematologist Maher Gandhi and PhD student Kimberley Jones.

Professor Gandhi, who also works at the Princess Alexandra Hospital, said the test had the potential to change the way doctors treated patients with the blood cancer.

He said while most Hodgkin's lymphoma patients were cured, the chemotherapy therapy treatment left them at increased risk for "severe long-term" side effects such as infertility, heart and lung problems, and other cancers.

"Chemotherapy drugs are toxic, and the more you use, the higher the chances of side effects down the track," Professor Gandhi said. "We need to get the chemotherapy just right so that we don't give them too much, particularly because this is a cancer that mainly occurs in adolescents and young adults who have many years ahead of them."

About 400 Australians are diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma annually. High profile patients have included singer Delta Goodrem and Rabbitohs' rugby league player Jamie Simpson.

The blood test measures levels of a protein, CD163, that researchers found wa elevated in the blood of Hodgkin's lymphoma patients, but dropped as their tumours shrank during chemotherapy. Picture: Thinkstock

Professor Gandhi said the QIMR research had found that levels of CD163 were elevated in the blood of Hodgkin's lymphoma patients, but dropped as their tumours shrank during chemotherapy.

At the moment, doctors rely on scans to help them judge how well patients are responding to chemotherapy, but the imaging is expensive and can be difficult to interpret.

Scans can be limited to one before treatment starts and another after it ends.

The QIMR research, funded by the Queensland Government, the Cancer Council Queensland and the Leukaemia Foundation, is based on an analysis of 47 Hodgkin's lymphoma patients from diagnosis to recovery.

Professor Gandhi said the blood test would have to be validated in a much larger study before it reached doctors' surgeries.

He said that could take five to 10 years.

A much larger study of patients in Europe, Australia and New Zealand has already begun.

If the blood test is validated, it may save the health system scarce dollars.

"It will be a lot cheaper than giving extra chemotherapy," Professor Gandhi said.

The research is published in the journal, Clinical Cancer Research.

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