Fed: Wine, wool exports expected to flourish - govt

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Fed: Wine, wool exports expected to flourish - govt

Trade Minister MARK VAILE says the wine and wool industries are expected to flourishdespite the drought causing a drop in exports for 2002/03.

Mr VAILE says statistics released by commodities forecaster ABARE today confirm governmentexpectations that exports will drop.

He says the drought is going to cause a reduction in the level of exports for the currentfinancial year of about three point seven per cent.

But he says wine and wool exports are expected to rise.

The minister says wine is going to increase by about 24 per cent and wool is expectedto increase by seven per cent.

AAP RTV klw/nf/rp

KEYWORD: ABARE VAILE (SYDNEY)

Qld: Facts about black-spined toads

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Qld: Facts about black-spined toads

Facts about the Asian black-spined toad:

- Originally from China, the black-spined toad has spread to Cambodia, Vietnam, India,Malaysia, and Indonesia, including Bali and Irian Jaya.

- They carry poison in spines and warts on their backs.

- They are officially known as Bufo melanostictus.

- They have short, spade-like feet with webbed toes.

- They move by hopping, rather than leaping like a frog.

- Predators include snakes, birds, insects, turtles and crocodiles.

- They eat insects, snails, worms, plants and dead animals.

AAP jb/sc/tnf

KEYWORD: TOAD FACTBOX

SA: Queen greeted by big crowd =5

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SA: Queen greeted by big crowd =5

At Gawler the Queen was greeted by an even bigger crowd with thousands lining the routefrom the railway station through the town to the sports and community centre.

There she …

NSW: Quotes from the NSW bushfires emergency this weekend

AAP General News (Australia)
12-30-2001
NSW: Quotes from the NSW bushfires emergency this weekend

SYDNEY, Dec 30 AAP - Quotes from the NSW bushfire emergency:



"It is a sad reflection of the wickedness of some human beings." - NSW Premier Bob
Carr on arsonists.



"These acts of arson are acts of sheer bastardry." NSW Senior Deputy Police Commissioner
Ken Moroney.



"Tomorrow's going to be one of the most potentially dangerous days we've ever faced
as a community, this community of NSW." - NSW Premier Bob Carr on predictions of horror
weather conditions for bushfires over the weekend.



"We're going to have to be on the highest conceivable state of alert, but we are actually
well planned and it's important therefore for everybody to remain calm." - NSW Emergency
Services Minister Bob Debus on forecast weather conditions that turned out better than
expected.



"We're not optimistic about the weather in the next 72 hours, but there's nothing,
there's no doom and gloom weather on the horizon." - NSW Rural Fire Services commissioner
Phil Koperberg.



"One of the fires leapt part of the Warragamba Dam that was as wide as six freeways;
now that is a pretty substantial barrier." - NSW Premier Bob Carr after being briefed
on the bushfires when he returned from a shortened holiday to China.



"This bushfire should not have any impact on premiums." - Insurance Disaster Response
Organisation coordinator Chris Henri on an estimated $50 million damage bill from the
fires.



"Losses, whilst tragic, have been a fraction of what might have been the case otherwise."

- NSW Rural Fire Service commissioner Phil Koperberg on 11,000 properties that were saved
after being directly threatened by fire.



"There are occasions where they are just sucked dry by the volumes of water that's
being taken out." Sydney Water spokesman Colin Judge on the demand on street water mains



"It is not a day to be watering your lawns when water might be required to put out
fires." - NSW Premier Bob Carr urging residents to conserve water so it can be used to
fight fires.



"It's all that NSW smoke. It's none of ours." - ACT Bushfire Services operations manager
Tony Graham on a haze of smoke over the ACT sky.



AAP rk/sal/jmd

KEYWORD: BUSHFIRES NSW QUOTES

2001 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Vic: Snow report, Sunday, 19 August

AAP General News (Australia)
08-19-2001
Vic: Snow report, Sunday, 19 August

MELBOURNE, Aug 19 AAP - The Victorian snow report for Sunday, August 19:

Falls Creek: Snow Depth: 73 cm. Lifts: 15/16. Very good skiing and snowboarding on
a very good new and windblown cover. Cross country: Very good skiing on a very good cover,
32 km of groomed trails.

Mt Hotham: Snow Depth: 79 cm. Lifts: 11/13 plus one standby. Very good skiing and boarding
on a fresh cover. Cross Country: Very good cross country Hotham to Whisky Flat, good cross
country to Dinner Plain on fresh snow. Majority of trails groomed.

Mt Buller: Snow Depth: 30 cm. Lifts: 16/25. Good conditions on fresh, dry snow in most
areas. Cross country: Good conditions on nine km of trails.

Mt Baw Baw: Snow depth: 17 cm. Lifts: 4/7. Good on a fair to good cover of fresh snow
on areas operating. Cross country: Good to very good on resort trails on fresh snow.

Lake Mountain: Snow depth: 22 cm. Cross country: Excellent skiing on an excellent fresh,
groomed cover, upper and lower trails.

Mt Buffalo: Snow depth: 19 cm. Lifts: 3/5. Very good skiing and boarding on a fresh
cover from Novice/Gully Pomas and Valley Chair. Cross Country: Good to very good on groomed
trails.

Dinner Plain: Snow depth: 20 cm. Lifts: 1/1. Lift open for downhill skiing. Cross Country:
Very good on ungroomed trails.

Mt Stirling: Snow depth: 10 cm. Cross country: Good on groomed trails.

Mt St Gwinear: Snow depth: 15 cm. Cross country: Good on a good fresh groomed cover
on the main trail, fair elsewhere.

Mt Donna Buang: Snow depth: 5 cm. Good sightseeing and snow play.

AAP jt/cjh

KEYWORD: SNOW VIC

2001 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Zurich Closing Stock Pricess

AAP General News (Australia)
04-03-2001
Zurich Closing Stock Pricess

Close Change % Change

SMI Index 7035.30 -132.50 -1.85

Index Components
ABB AG 106.00 -20.00 -15.87
Adecco 885.00 -23.00 -2.53
Baloise 1755.00 +5.00 +0.29
CIBA Specialty Chemicals 104.00 -1.25 -1.19
Clariant 474.00 +1.00 +0.21
Credit Suisse Group 301.50 -4.00 -1.31
EMS Chemie 7125.00 +75.00 +1.06
Givaudan 435.50 -2.50 -0.57
Holderbank 1704.00 -46.00 -2.63
Julius Baer 7490.00 -260.00 -3.35
Kudelski 1271.00 -28.00 -2.16
Lonza 1074.00 +82.00 +8.27
Nestle 3523.00 -94.00 -2.60
Novartis 2712.00 +3.00 +0.11
Richemont 3725.00 -174.00 -4.46
Roche Holding D.R.C. 12390.00 -110.00 -0.88
SAIR Group 177.50 Not Traded
Serono 1375.00 -25.00 -1.79
SGS Surveillance 2020.00 -83.00 -3.95
Sulzer 1093.00 -24.00 -2.15
Swatch Bearer 1835.00 +30.00 +1.66
Swatch Registered 381.00 +5.00 +1.33
Swiss Life 1185.00 -15.00 -1.25
Swiss Reinsurance 3470.00 -20.00 -0.57
Swisscom 386.50 -3.50 -0.90
Syngenta 88.00 -1.00 -1.12
UBS 246.00 -3.50 -1.40
Unaxis Holding 272.00 -8.00 -2.86
Zurich Financial Services 556.00 -14.00 -2.46
Ascom 108.00 -0.25 -0.23
Barry Callebaut 220.00 Unch Unch
Charles Voegele 186.00 -4.50 -2.36
Georg Fischer 440.00 +9.00 +2.09
Lindt & Spruengli 9600.00 +90.00 +0.95
Phonak 5010.00 -160.00 -3.09
Rieter 450.00 -9.00 -1.96
Roche Ordinary 13000.00 -580.00 -4.27
Saurer 702.00 +22.00 +3.24
Sulzer Medica 351.00 -6.00 -1.68
Vontobel 2900.00 -100.00 -3.33
Prices in Swiss Francs
Source: Reuters Group PLC

(END) Dow Jones Newswires 02-04-01

1535GMT(AP-DJ-04-02-01 1535GMT)

KEYWORD: ZURICH CLOSING STOCK PRICES

2001 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: Businessman claims Kerry Danes responsible for gems=2

AAP General News (Australia)
01-11-2001
Fed: Businessman claims Kerry Danes responsible for gems=2

Mr Danes' spokesman Ernie Stewart told AAP his son-in-law was innocent and that Mr
Webb must have an agenda to push.

"It's obvious to me that someone is telling him to …