By Phil Mercer
BBC News, Sydney

The recent shootings have been blamed on a dispute involving the Hell’s Angels and other gangs

A smouldering feud between motorcycle gangs in Australia is a step away from an all-out war, according to one of the country’s most senior former police officers.

In recent weeks there have been multiple shootings in Sydney blamed on the gangs.

Homes have been sprayed with gunshots while children have slept inside, and there have been several related shootings in South Australia, Western Australia and Queensland.

Clive Small, a retired assistant commissioner of New South Wales, said they were part of a fight for control of the amphetamine and weapons trade, as well as competition for new recruits and extortion rackets.

He said that if a truce was not put in place soon, then the power struggle could intensify into a far more bloody conflict.

“One side will say ‘hang on, we’ve had enough’, and they’ll negotiate a peace deal,” Mr Small explained.

“The other situation is that we could see a loose bullet being fired into a house and hitting the family of a bikie member, particularly if it was a child.

“I think that would push it over the brink and then we’d be looking at a more substantial escalation of the situation, perhaps even a war.”

‘Growing menace’

It is estimated there are 35 “outlaw” motorcycle groups in Australia with 3,500 “patched” or official members. Since the 1980s there have been about 100 biker killings across the country and 1,000 shootings.

Mr Small said biker gangs constituted a growing threat

The epicentre of the current outbreak of violence is Sydney, where there have been more than 60 drive-by shootings so far this year.

Detectives mostly blame them on a dispute between the Hells Angels and the Nomads.

Clive Small charts the tensions back to the infamous Milperra massacre in 1984, when six bikers were shot dead in a pub car park in Sydney, while a teenage girl was killed in the crossfire.

Since then, he said, the motorcycle gangs had “really grown as a menace”. Traditional criminal codes where families were never targeted had been abandoned by “nasty, violent people.”

In 2009, members of the Commancheros clashed with Hells Angels at Sydney Airport, where one man was beaten and stabbed to death in front of dozens of horrified passengers.

“They (gang members) do look hard but they are generally family men – but you wouldn’t want to cross them,” said Macca, a long-time resident of Sydney’s Kings Cross district, a hub of the city’s illicit drug industry.

“They can be really dangerous. I seen a bloke get axed across the back of the neck. He died. Seen a couple of blokes get chopped up (with knives) and left in dumpsters.”

‘Clear message’

The authorities have put some measures in place to try to curb the violence. New laws have made it illegal to wear certain biker “patches” or insignia in Kings Cross.

And New South Wales state premier Barry O’Farrell says the gangs must not be allowed to act with impunity.

Randall “Animal” Nelson said gangs were being blamed for criminal violence

“This is about sending a clear message that… wearing bikie colours doesn’t make you a superhero that protects you from the long arm of the law,” he said.

“Equally, this is about… giving the police the tools they need to tackle the shooting spree that’s affecting our city.”

Several Australian states have also introduced legislation that would criminalise membership and association with biker gangs, although previous attempts have been struck down by the High Court.

But Randall “Animal” Nelson, a founding member of the Kings Cross Bikers Social and Welfare Club, which does charity work for people with disabilities, hospital patients and prisoners, believes the bikers are being unfairly castigated for the spate of shootings in Sydney.

“Propaganda is a big thing,” he said. “Whatever the police say, the people believe. Most media have blown it out of proportion.”

“All they want to hear is blood and guts. They don’t hear the good things bikers do. Thousands of bikers do thousands of things for thousands of people.”

He said criminal elements with no biker affiliations were to blame and that gang members were being victimised because of their reputation and distinctive clothing.

But author Ross Coulthart believes outlaw gangs in Australia are responsible for an increasingly brutal fight over multi-million dollar drug rackets.

“These battles are nothing new,” he said of the recent violence in Sydney.

“(But) what is disturbing about what is happening now is previously if a bikie had a gripe with a bikie, it would be two blokes with guns and one would come away dead or with holes in him.”

“The phenomenon now is for people to get a machine gun and spray the front of a house,” he said.

Article source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-18030746#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

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Duncan Kennedy on how Canberra balances its books

Australia has said it will return to a budget surplus in 2012-13, making it one of the first developed nations to balance its books since the financial crisis began in 2008.

Treasurer Wayne Swan outlined a budget on Tuesday that aims to be in credit by 1.5bn Australian dollars ($1.5bn; £967m) in the year to 30 June 2013.

Defence spending will be cut and a rise in overseas aid will be deferred.

It comes as support for Prime Minister Julia Gillard nears record lows.

Australia has run a budget deficit for the past four years, with the deficit for the current year about A$44.4bn, the equivalent of 3% of GDP.

Surplus years

A balanced budget was an election promise by the Labor government and Mr Swan said it would “provide a buffer against global uncertainty, and continue to give the Reserve Bank room to cut interest rates for families”.

Continue reading the main story

Analysis

Australia’s Treasurer Wayne Swan has delivered an economic blueprint that could be the last chance for an unpopular, scandal-ridden government that is sinking in the opinion polls to win back support from traditional Labor voters.

Mr Swan is promising to return the budget to a small, yet politically potent surplus in 2012-13 through billions of dollars of cuts from corporate Australia and the wealthy.

It’s a sugar-coated plan that is firmly focused on a federal election due next year.

Mr Swan has vowed to share more of the riches of a spectacular mining boom that’s fuelled by demand for natural resources in Asia with low and middle-income Australian families, and small businesses.

To howls of derision from his conservative opponents, who have accused the minority government of “cooking the books”, the Treasurer pledged that one of the developed world’s “strongest economies” would deliver one of its “fairest societies”.

“The surplus years are here,” Mr Swan said in his speech to parliament in Canberra.

“In a global economy marked by anxiety and uncertainty, our nation is a beacon of resilience.”

The governing Labor party has said the budget is aimed at supporting lower-income families.

“These new measures are good for low and middle-income families because they will help them make ends meet and get ahead,” Mr Swan said.

The government said there would be A$33.6bn in savings, including A$5.4bn from the defence budget over four years.

That money will be distributed to families including A$5bn in new payments to households, A$714m earmarked to help companies compete and A$3.7bn in small business tax breaks.

The country’s pledge to increase spending on foreign aid from its current level of 0.35% of GDP to 0.5% of GDP by 2015-16 will also be postponed by a year.

The government is being helped by solid growth. Demand for Australian iron ore and other natural resources is expected to help boost growth to 3.25% next year.

Mr Swan also announced measures to help businesses that are not seeing the same profits as Australia’s booming mining industry.

Article source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17986806#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

A slowdown in domestic demand has hurt Australia’s economic growth

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has lowered its growth forecast amid a slowdown in the country’s non-mining sectors.

The central bank cut its growth forecast for 2012 to 3% from its earlier projection of 3.5%.

The move comes just days after the RBA cut rates to 3.75% in a surprise move to boost growth.

Many analysts said this signalled that the bank was worried global economic problems would worsen domestic issues.

Australia’s recent boom has been fuelled by strong exports of its natural resources. However, global demand has weakened in recent months as China and India’s growth has slowed, and Europe has been engulfed in a debt crisis.

The RBA said that these problems could still weigh on its latest growth forecast.

“The most significant external risk to this outlook is the possibility that the sovereign debt problems in Europe could intensify and derail the upswing in the global economy,” the RBA said in its statement.

“A sharp slowdown in global activity, particularly if it flowed through to east Asia, would have significant implications for commodity prices and demand for Australian exports,” it added.

Continue reading the main story

“Start Quote

There is the possibility that in the near term, labour shedding across a range of industries outside of the mining sector accelerates as the firms continue to adjust to high exchange rates, weakness in the property market and the effects of a weaker public demand”

End Quote
Reserve Bank of Australia

Domestic troubles

The non-mining sectors of Australia’s economy have been going through a tough time.

The country’s housing market has been hit by falling demand as well as a dip in prices, with sales of new homes at their lowest level in more than a decade in March.

The RBA said that the sector may remain subdued for some time.

“At this stage, the available forward-looking indicators suggest that a recovery in housing construction is unlikely in the near term,” the bank said.

At the same time, a rising Australian dollar has also hurt the competitiveness of Australia’s exports weighing on its manufacturing sector.

The Australian dollar has risen almost 7% against the US dollar since August last year, making Australian goods more expensive to foreign buyers.

Home and away

Analysts said that a decline in domestic demand has only made conditions tougher for the manufacturers.

A strong currency has also hurt the local tourism industry making holidays in Australia more expensive for foreigners.

To make matters worse, the slow down in manufacturing, retail and construction has hit employment in those sectors, a situation the RBA warned was likely to get more difficult in the coming months.

“There is the possibility that in the near term, labour shedding across a range of industries outside of the mining sector accelerates as the firms continue to adjust to high exchange rates, weakness in the property market and the effects of a weaker public demand.”

Article source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17948868#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

Article source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_europe/~3/drztvUrcsdc/index.html

Rathbeggan Lakes is the Ryanair of family days out.

Just €2 is all it costs to enter the fun park, to have your picnic, check out the pet farm, feed the ducks, or take your water pistols into a purpose-built warzone and soak your kids (or be soaked yourself) to the skin.

After that, the extras start kicking in.

Visitors get a menu of charged activities as they arrive, with prices attached — including a 14-acre Airsoft war-game range (from €15), a zip-line (€7), angling (€15 per day) and a Fun Valley full of inflatable slides and bouncy castles (€5).

Shortly to open is a heritage park forming a guided walk through Meath’s history.

After that, owner Dave Robinson says, there are plans for a zorbing run. But where’s the hill, I wonder? “We’ll build it,” he says.

It’s an admirable, can-do spirit, and a sunny day brings results for all to see.

Buddies cast off for trout, teens abseil down the climbing wall, families surround the barbecues.

The place is compact, clean and camper vans can overnight for just €15. Michael O’Leary would be proud.

Details: €2. Tel: 01-824 0197; rathbegganlakes.com.

2 The Boyne Ramparts Walk

The Boyne Valley is known for its driving routes — leisurely meanders connecting heritage gems such as Monasterboice, the Hill of Tara and Trim Castle.

But you can get a flavour of the river on foot, too, along with its myths, legends and built heritage, all without spending a cent.

Pulling in at a car park off the Boyne Road outside Navan, I take in a section of the Boyne Ramparts Walk, following the river and canal towards Stackallen Bridge.

The one-way distance is 8km, but you’ll get just as much out of half-an-hour on the towpaths as you will a good hike.

I pass joggers, women pushing buggies, a couple of boys in a swimming hole.

The air is humming with insects and birds, and every so often there’s an arching stone bridge, an old lock, or an interpretive panel pointing out the wildlife, from kingfishers to spawning Atlantic salmon.

Details: Free. See discoverireland.ie/boynevalley.

3 A snack at Sheridan’s Saturday market

Congratulations to whoever spotted the potential for turning the Old Virginia Road Railway Station near Carnaross into a cheese and wine warehouse.

What had become an old ruin in the middle of nowhere is a destination once again — and the best time to visit is the Saturday market (10am-3pm).

Stepping into the whitewashed old engine maintenance house, I find Franck Le Moenner stocking the shelves of Sheridan’s shop.

Originally from Brittany, Franck is in his element among cheeses such as Cooleeney, Triskel and Durrus, meats from Thomas Doherty, and Burkes Farm ice cream.

Several wheels of Montgomery Cheddar sit in a maturing room. In the corner there’s a coffee dock where they serve cheese platters, local scones, and wine by the glass.

One regular customer, he tells me, is an old lady who recalls taking the train from the Old Virginia Station to Donegal, via Drogheda.

It closed in 1956.

Details: Tel: 046 924 5110; sheridans cheesemongers.com.

4 A 5,000-year- old mystery at Newgrange

I’m ashamed to say, as an Irishman, that this is the first time I’ve visited Newgrange.

Joining the shuttle bus from Bru na Boinne, however, I get the feeling I’m not the only one. The accents around me are American, Scottish, German.

Aside from the driver, I’m the only Paddy onboard.

The passage tomb itself is revealed in a blast of sunshine.

My group follows its guide, Paul from Dublin, up the hill towards the manicured exterior, where he explains the key debate — was this engineering marvel a tomb or a temple?

In truth, we can never really know.

Following Paul inside, we squeeze down a narrow passageway, stones worn smooth by countless arms and elbows, and regroup in the chamber itself.

The cruciform design rises into the roof like a cathedral, spiralling art scratched with graffiti dating back to the 1800s.

“It’s all about possibilities,” Paul says. He shuts down the lights, leaving us in darkness for a moment, before beginning a simulation of the winter solstice illumination.

A shaft of orange light creeps up the corridor, bathing the balmy limestone chamber in a soft glow.

It’s nothing to what a shaft of pure winter sunlight would bring, but it gives me goosebumps nevertheless.

One tip — if you’re using a Sat Nav, be sure to set it for Bru na Boinne near Donore (Latitude: 53.694567; Longitude: -6.4463) rather than Newgrange itself.

Admission to Newgrange and Knowth is via shuttle buses through the visitor centre only.

Details: €6/€5. Tel: 041 988 0300; heritageireland.ie.

5 Lunch at The Old Post Office, Slane

I love the approach to Slane. Sweeping in along the N2, crossing the thin bridge over the Boyne — as long as the traffic isn’t too hectic — it always makes me feel like hanging about.

The stonework faade of The Old Post Office looks like the perfect excuse to do exactly that.

Inside, sunlight streams through the windows into two rooms kitted out in country-classic style, with a basket of fresh scones on the counter and a lunch menu on the go.

Choices include open sandwiches (€7) and house specials such as a smoked-fish pie (€10.50), but I settle on the Old Post Gourmet Burger, described as a ground beef “pattie” with Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato and a choice of pickle or guacamole.

At €9.50, it sounds like good value. The burger arrives on a soft bap with a healthy spoonful of guacamole and snappy baby leaves.

The patty itself is tough — as if it has been squashed on the grill, compacting the meat — but its juices run all over the place, breaking up the bap and blending agreeably with the melty cheese.

Details: Main Street, Slane.

Tel: 041 982 4090.

6 A chipper time at Tayto Park

Pulling up in the Cheese Onion car park, I could be forgiven for expecting a theme park named after a brand of crisps to be a bit … well, cheesy.

Surprisingly, however, Tayto Park gets an awful lot right.

Opened just last year in Curragha, near Ashbourne, it still has a fresh-from-the-packet feel, and money continues to be invested. A mini-zoo, aerial trekking course, adventure zone and factory tour are just the start of the activities.

I like the Pow Wow Playground — a mass of climbing ladders, tube slides, climbing nets and castellated towers.

It’s a shrewd move, too, stocking animals you wouldn’t find at Dublin Zoo or Fota Wildlife Park — Amur leopards, mountain lions, albino wallabies and American buffalo are all on show, and a pair of white lions is arriving in May.

Then there’s the factory tour, in the form of a raised walkway offering a bird’s-eye view over the production line.

Storyboards tell the Tayto tale, from its humble origins in 1954 to a brand that gobbles up one in 10 Irish potatoes today.

Of course, branded T-shirts, hoodies and snow globes won’t be for everyone. But I get the sense that Mr Tayto has anticipated any cynicism.

This is a potato chip that ran for election and wrote an autobiography, after all. Plus, there’s a free bag of crisps when you leave.

Details: Family ticket (2+2) from €40. Tel: 01-835 1999; tayto crisps.ie/park.

7 Overnight at Broadmeadow BB and Equestrian Centre, Ashbourne

“We’re 20 minutes from O’Connell Street,” Paul Duff tells me. I raise an eyebrow, but he’s absolutely serious.

“Not in rush hour. But at any other time, we’re that close to the city.”

Despite being on Dublin’s doorstep, Broadmeadow is most definitely a country house.

Swathed in Virginia creeper, with large gardens, ample parking, a 100-acre farm and an equestrian centre with some 80 horses, it makes the city seem very far away indeed.

For families, I’d recommend Room 1.

The decor is starting to show its age slightly, as with so many Irish BBs these days, but it has ample space for a double, single and a camp bed, and three big corner windows overlook the paddocks outside.

There’s a sunny breakfast room (try the bagel with smoked salmon and cream cheese), and tennis racquets to tempt guests by the front door.

No doubt about the USP, though — Broadmeadow’s equestrian centre does lessons from €30/€25 (“the ponies we use are bomb-proof,” Paul tells me), and non-riding visitors are welcome to say hello to the horses and foals.

There’s a beauty salon, too, offering facials, massages and pedicures.

Details: BB from €35pps. Tel: 01-835 2823; irishcountryhouse.com.

THE BUDGET

All prices are calculated per person, and include one night’s accommodation, two meals (breakfast and lunch/dinner), and all activities.

We’ve also added €30 for travel costs within the county. NB: Prices subject to change and availability.

Money-saving tips

Broadmeadow BB can accommodate two adults and two kids in a family room for €99 per night, working out at just under €25 per person.

Access to OPW heritage sites (including Bru na Boinne) is free on the first Wednesday of every month.

- Pol O Conghaile

Originally published in

Article source: http://www.independent.ie/travel/inside-ireland/ireland-on-a-shoestring-99-night-away-in-meath-3094803.html

The former Black Caps skipper, who has spent 17 months in charge, will leave after

their tour of West Indies.

He

replaced compatriot Mark Greatbatch as coach in December 2010.

John Wright factfile

• Born 5 July 1954, Darfield, Canterbury
• Left-handed opening batsman
• Played 82 Tests (including 14 as captain), scoring 5,334 runs (average 37.82), including 12 centuries
• Scored 3,891 runs in 149 one-day internationals
• Played for New Zealand, Auckland, Canterbury, Northern Districts and Derbyshire
• Coached India, Kent, ICC World XI and New Zealand

“I appreciate the offer to extend my contract but after much consideration I feel it’s the right time to move on and look at other opportunities,” Wright, 57, said in a statement.

He steered the Kiwis to the World Cup semi-finals last year, while in November they recorded

their first Test victory in Australia for 26 years.

However, he is reported to have had differences of opinion with former Australia coach John Buchanan, who was

appointed as New Zealand’s director of cricket last April.

New Zealand Cricket chief executive David White said: “John has been an outstanding servant for cricket in New Zealand over a long time and it is disappointing to lose someone of his calibre.

“We were keen to see him continue his head-coach role, however understand and respect his decision to look for another challenge.

“We are keen to fill this critical role as soon as possible but are conscious that we need to take the time to find the right candidate who can take us through to the 2015 World Cup.”

Wright became India’s first overseas coach in 2000, spending five years in the role, and has also coached English county side Kent.

Article source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/17904508

A slowdown in consumer price growth has made it easier for the central bank to cut rates

The Reserve Bank of Australia has cut interest rates more than expected because economic conditions were “somewhat weaker” than forecast.

It added that inflation had also moderated in recent months.

The bank cut its key rate to 3.75% from 4.25%. Most analysts were expecting a 0.25 percentage point cut.

There have been increasing signs that Australia’s economy is being hit by a slowdown in global growth and demand for its resources.

“This decision is based on information received over the past few months that suggests that economic conditions have been somewhat weaker than expected, while inflation has moderated,” the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) said in a statement.

“Growth in the world economy slowed in the second half of 2011, and is likely to continue at a below-trend pace this year.”

The Australian dollar fell 1% to A$0.969 against the US dollar and a five-month low of A$1.5719 against the pound after the central bank’s decision.

Australian shares rose, with the ASX 200 index ending the day 0.7% higher at 4429.5 points.

Aggressive support?

Continue reading the main story

“Start Quote

This is the interest rate cut that households and small businesses have been hanging out for”

End Quote
Wayne Swan
Deputy Prime Minister, Australia

One of the biggest headaches facing policymakers over the past year or so has been the fact that Australia was developing a two-speed economy.

While Australia’s mining and resources sector has been booming, the other parts of Australia’s economy have not been doing as well.

Figures out last week only compounded the fears of analysts and politicians.

A report showed that new home sales fell to their lowest level in more than a decade in March. At the same time, home prices have fallen for a fifth straight quarter, while retail sales have shown little growth.

The government welcomed the interest rate move by the central bank.

“This is the interest rate cut that households and small businesses have been hanging out for,” said Wayne Swan, Australia’s Treasurer and Deputy Prime Minister.

“It is very welcome, it is well deserved and it is certainly much needed by households under financial pressure.”

Further cuts?

Over the past seven months, the central bank has now cut interest rates three times amid signs that Australia’s economy is slowing.

However, in earlier moves it was less aggressive in bringing down borrowing costs than many observers had hoped because it said that keeping consumer prices in check was one of its top priorities.

This time round it was able to do more because data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed that the rate of consumer price growth had almost halved during the first three months of the year.

According to the statistical office, prices grew by an annual rate of 1.6% in the three months to the end of March, compared with a rate of 3.1% in the previous quarter.

“The non-mining sector is weaker-than-expected and with inflation coming down, it’s more appropriate for interest rates to be cut more aggressively,” said Joshua Williamson of Citigroup.

Some analysts said that the bank still needed to do more to spur growth and that it may lower the cost of borrowing even further in the coming months.

“The economy is not certainly going to recover just because of the 50 point cut,” said Shane Oliver of AMP Capital Investors. “We will probably see cash rates down to 3.25% by the year end.”

Article source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17904041#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

The centennial of the sinking of the Titanic this year has prompted museum openings, ceremonies, the 3D rerelease of Titanic, and educational programs across the world. But what’s all that compared to what one Australian billionaire has planned in honor of the most famous ship in history?

Clive Palmer announced today his plan to build a near-replica of the Titanic, enigmatically named the Titanic II, with a launch date in late 2016. The Associated Press reports that the seafaring homage will be built in China at CSC Jinling Shipyard, and much like its ill-fated namesake, will make its maiden voyage from England to New York.

Palmer, a coal-mining and real estate mogul reportedly worth $5.2 billion, said the Titanic II is merely the first in a line of four luxury cruise ships commissioned from Jinling through his new shipping company, Blue Star Line Pty. Ltd. (The original Titanic was commissioned by the also similarly named White Star Line.) The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the new ship will have the same proportions, number of rooms (840), and decks (9) as the first Titanic.

“These people produced work that is still marveled at more than 100 years later and we want that spirit to go on for another 100 years,” Palmer said in a statement.

So, what will be different?

“It will be every bit as luxurious as the original Titanic, but…will have state-of-the-art 21st century technology and the latest navigation and safety systems,” said Palmer. According to the AP, the main differences in the new ship include welding to replace rivets, a “bulbous bow” to increase fuel efficiency and modifications to the rudder and bow thrusters for greater maneuverability. Diesel will power the ship, rather than coal, though decorative replica smokestacks will grace its decks.

Improvements and modern technology aside, it’s reasonable to assume some may view the second pass at one of the world’s most infamous tragedies as tempting the fates, to say the least. When asked if the Titanic II could sink, Palmer was somewhat more candid about the liner’s limitations than his ‘unsinkable’ forebears:

“Of course it will sink if you put a hole in it.”

He did add, “It will be designed as a modern ship with all the technology to ensure that doesn’t happen.” (Well, that’s a relief.)

The AP writes that the initial design for the Titanic II has begun, and that a historical research team has been brought on to assist. No budget has been announced as of yet for this new Ship of Dreams. And no word on whether James Cameron has been tapped for the 3D “Making Of” film.

Thinking of taking a trip on the Titanic II? Best of luck to you. But if you have an opinion on the remaking of this infamous ship, weigh in in the comments section below.

Photo Credit: Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/fodors/travel-news/~3/QMCyL126h0c/story_5479.html

By Duncan Kennedy
BBC News

Drought has had a devastating effect on farmers in Australia over the years

Phew! What a scorcher that was.

Australians call it the Big Dry and, after nine parched years, it’s over.

It’s the drought that has afflicted large areas of this vast country and now the federal government is about to declare it officially at an end.

The final two areas to be given the all-clear are Bundarra and Eurobodalla in the south-eastern state of New South Wales.

In practical terms, it means that the last of special subsidies to farmers are being withdrawn.

It’s the end of “Exceptional Circumstances”, or EC, to use the bureaucratic jargon.

“The seasonal outlook is brighter than it has been for many years and the improved conditions are a welcome reprieve for farmers across Australia,” said Joe Ludwig, Australia’s agriculture minister.

He said the end of the drought would be a “a major milestone for agriculture in Australia”.

Since 2001, the government has provided 4.5bn Australian dollars ($4.7bn, £2.9bn) in EC assistance.

That’s the money handed out to struggling farmers, totalling between 400 and 600 dollars each, every fortnight.

‘Baffling’

Some farmers say the move to take away the EC assistance is premature.

The National Farmers Federation said the government’s “snap decision” to cut subsidies was “baffling”.

Some farmers are opposed to declaring the end of drought

“With no areas likely to be drought-declared in the near future and with a programme to develop alternatives already under way, we ask the question of government: why the rush?” the federation’s president Jock Laurie said.

Australia’s current drought really took hold from 2003 and, depending on the area, has lasted on and off ever since.

But this, the driest inhabited continent, has lived with the scourge of drought throughout its entire history.

Long history

One of the first recorded was in 1803 when there were severe crop failures in New South Wales.

Another, devastating nationwide drought followed in 1902, just after Australia became a federation.

During that one, the total sheep population halved, from just over 100 million to about 50 million.

It wasn’t until 1927 sheep numbers recovered.

One of the longest dry periods lasted through the Second World War, from 1937 to 1947, with eastern Australia again the worst affected.

Other bad droughts followed at an interval of about one every decade.

And the pattern has been repeated into the 21st century.

Australia is drought-prone because of its geography and changeable rainfall patterns.

It’s located in a subtropical area of the world that produces dry, sinking air which creates clear skies and little rain.

That means for most of the country, the rainfall is very low and irregular.

Another cause of drought is the El Nino weather pattern.

When there are El Nino weather conditions, Australia becomes drier than normal and the chance of rain decreases.

Population pressures

The succession of droughts has lead some to question the future of population growth in Australia.

The environmental organisation, Sustainable Population Australia, says Australia cannot continue to maintain its current rate of population growth without becoming overpopulated, in terms of access to water.

Their calculation is all the more remarkable, given the current size of the population in relation to the vastness of Australia.

At the moment there are just under 23 million people in a country roughly the size of the United States, which has more than 300 million inhabitants.

The population of Australia is about the same as Texas.

So imagine Texas being where everyone in the US lived and the rest of the country is empty! That’s what population density is like in Australia.

But, even with only 23 million people, the pressures on water supplies are intense.

You only have to follow the caustic ebbs and flows of political debate over the Murray-Darling river basin to realise just how precious and divisive a resource water is.

This vast system, with the Murray and Darling rivers at its heart, covers most of the states of New South Wales, Victoria and parts of Queensland and South Australia.

The recent publication of an official report into its future made headline news, such is its importance to literally tens of millions of people, with everyone from farmers to industrialists to indigenous Australians, laying claim to a stake in the Basin’s liquid bounty.

Yet, just when it seems that Australians are doomed to live in a land lacking in water, comes news from the Bureau of Meteorology that 2011 was the third-wettest year on record and the wettest since 1970.

It’s this sustained onslaught of rain over the past two years, that has, in part, enabled the government to declare the end to droughts, even if, at the same time, it has also had to deal with the catastrophic flooding that has accompanied the deluge.

The voluminous precipitation of recent times has been largely due to the influence of La Nina, the contrary cousin of El Nino.

La Nina produced slightly warmer conditions in the western Pacific, creating more moist air, especially over the populated eastern states.

But, as with everything Australian, that is not the complete picture, as while the East has been swamped with rain and cool conditions, out West temperatures soared beyond 49 degrees.

That’s just the way it is here, a people of moderation existing in a land of climatic extremes.

Finally, it is drought-free. At least for now.

Article source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17887572#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

But environmental groups claim that a full scale protection is needed.

Eric Camara reports.

Article source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-17869228#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa