Fed: Men more likely than women to start small business

AAP General News (Australia)
12-08-2000
Fed: Men more likely than women to start small business

CANBERRA, Dec 8 AAP - New small business owners were now more than twice as likely
to be men than women, a new survey showed today.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) found a two-year influx of women into small
business turned around in the latest survey.

Between February 1997 and November 1999, the number of male small business operators
increased by almost three per cent a year, while the number of female operators fell by
about one per cent a year.

The latest ABS figures are a complete turnaround from the previous period.

Between February 1995 and February 1997, the number of women small business operators
was increasing at 2.6 per cent a year, compared to only 1.5 per cent a year for men.

Of the 1.4 million small business operators across Australia, 941,700 - or 67 per cent
were men - and 456,200 or 33 per cent were women.

Between February 1997 and November 1999, the number of small businesses grew to 999,100.

The survey also found just over half of the small business operators were qualified
with either a basic or skilled vocational qualification, or with a degree or diploma.

Of the remaining operators, 38 per cent had completed secondary school without gaining
a degree or diploma and four per cent had not completed the highest available year of
secondary school.

For the first time, the survey asked if small businesses used a computer and whether
they had access to the Internet.

In November 1999, 59 per cent of small businesses were using computers in their business
operation but only 36 per cent of all small businesses had access to the Internet.

Home-based businesses made up a very large proportion, 62 per cent, of the total small
business picture in Australia.

AAP eg/daw/jtb/cjh

KEYWORD: BUSINESS

2000 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: Mitsubishi could close unprofitable Adelaide plant

AAP General News (Australia)
04-27-2000
Fed: Mitsubishi could close unprofitable Adelaide plant

CANBERRA, April 27 AAP - Mitsubishi Australia may close within a year if it failed
to turn a profit or at least break even, its Japanese parent company has warned.

Mitsubishi Motors Corp president Katsuhiko Kawasoe said in Tokyo that there was a condition
for Mitsubishi to continue its Australian operations.

"It has to become break-even or profitable (before next year)," he told reporters.

"I hope the plants can restructure properly, the business will be profitable and it
will not be closed.

"That depends on the content of the restructure plan which will be disclosed within days."

When asked if there was a possibility of closing the company's production facilities
in Adelaide, Mr Kawasoe said: "To be honest, there is."

"The Australian operations don't even touch the break-even point, and in order to continue
the businesses, we have to see them even or plus."

His comments came as Mitsubishi in Japan unveiled a mid-term business plan that includes
further cost-cutting.

ABC Radio said the tough action needed was expected to be revealed at a mass meeting
later today of the 4,000 Adelaide workers.

The troubled Adelaide operations - an engine manufacturing plant and a vehicle assembly
plant - have undergone a rollercoaster ride of fortunes this year.

In January, Adelaide won the right to upgrade the Magna sedan and build the model that
would succeed the Magna, which should have guaranteed its future to at least 2012.

But last month German-American giant carmaker DaimlerChrsyler acquired a controlling
interest in Mitsubishi Motors, so there were no guarantees the new model would be built
in Adelaide.

Mitsubishi Australia, one of four Australian car makers, saw its sales fall 17 per
cent in 1999, to about 70,000 vehicles.

It retrenched 300 workers last year and warned more job losses could follow.

AAP fh/ps/

KEYWORD: MITSUBISHI DAYLEAD

2000 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: Howard denies favouritism in National Textiles = 2

AAP General News (Australia)
02-10-2000
Fed: Howard denies favouritism in National Textiles = 2

Mr HOWARD says there was no impropriety.

AAP RTV mb/mfh/rt

KEYWORD: SACKED HOWARD 2 CANBERRA

2000 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

SA: Teenager injured in crash

AAP General News (Australia)
12-09-1999
SA: Teenager injured in crash

A teenage boy is in a critical condition in hospital after a car crash at Waikerie
last night in South Australia's Riverland.

Police say the boy was a passenger in the back of the car when it left the road and hit a tree.

Major crash investigators will inspect the scene this morning.

AAP tjd/rp

KEYWORD: TEENAGER (ADELAIDE)

1999 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

FED: No boost to defence budget, says Moore

AAP General News (Australia)
04-25-1999
FED: No boost to defence budget, says Moore

CANBERRA, April 25 AAP - Defence Minister John Moore today ruled out an increase in the
defence vote in the May 11 budget.

Mr Moore said the government was currently implementing the Defence Reform Program by which
savings from reforms to defence administration and support programs were redirected to combat
forces.

He said the reform program should be able to produce savings of $1 billion, which could be
used to improve defence capability.

"When they have done that and been able to demonstrate their ability to handle these
changes, then we will look at the question of further funding," he said on the Ten network.

"At the present moment there is no extra funds in the coming budget for defence."

The current defence budget is around $11 billion, or under two per cent of gross domestic
product. In real terms, that represents virtually no increase for more than a decade.

The Australian Defence Force, however, faces substantial costs to replace important
equipment which reaches the end of its life early next century.

That includes jet fighters and bombers, guided missile destroyers, patrol boats and tanks.

Mr Moore said it might well be that the ADF could end up needing few but more expensive
pieces of equipment.

He said he was placing great importance on reform of the manner in which contracts for
major projects were arranged, which had led to problems with the Collins submarine and the
over-the-horizon radar system. Both are running years behind schedule.

AAP mb/wjf

KEYWORD: BUDGET DEFENCE

1999 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

QLD: Three dead after Torres Strait plane crash

AAP General News (Australia)
01-16-1999
QLD: Three dead after Torres Strait plane crash

BRISBANE, Jan 16 AAP - Queensland authorities are investigating a plane crash in the Torres
Strait which killed three women and seriously injured a man this afternoon.

Queensland Police spokeswoman Katrina Naumann said the four people were aboard a twin
engined Islander aircraft which crashed close to the shore of Coconut Island, about 70
nautical miles north-east of Thursday Island, at about 2.30pm (AEST).

The pilot was killed in the crash, and authorities are trying to determine if Coconut …

QLD:Giant surf may close Gold Coast beaches

AAP General News (Australia)
12-22-2011
QLD:Giant surf may close Gold Coast beaches

By Tony Bartlett

GOLD COAST, Dec 22 AAP - With cyclone swells expected to create waves up to three metres
during Christmas, some of Queensland's most popular beaches could be closed on the normally
busiest days of the year.

Gold Coast Chief Lifeguard Warren Young says a heavy easterly swell started pounding
the city's main beaches early on Thursday afternoon.

"Even if you get two and a half metres, it's pretty solid with an easterly," he told AAP.

"It comes straight in, so it'll be interesting."

Mr Young says the offshore weather systems could veer away and leave some residual
swells coming in, but there's always a chance they could stay closer to the coast than
forecast and push up huge waves.

"It's not an exact science by any means, but what everyone agrees on is that it's going
to come straight in from the east and that in itself is not good," he said.

"But on Christmas Day there's a really good low tide between 3.30 and 4.00pm (AEST)
after a big tide in the morning, which means there'll be plenty of sand to play beach
soccer or beach cricket on."

He says if there's a big easterly swell it won't be worth risking a swim in the surf.

"If the beaches are closed it'll be for a reason, especially with that size swell coming
in," he said.

"But people should be patient because these weather systems pass through fairly quickly,
and in a couple of days they'll be able to get back in the water."

Beaches will be assessed individually unless a huge swell rolls in.

"We will give people a swim if we can," Mr Young said.

"But if it comes in at three metres plus, especially on the open beaches between Burleigh
and The Spit, there could be a blanket closure of all those beaches.

"We'll take it day by day and see how it goes."

If the forecasts are right, the waves will probably be too messy for even the country's
top surfers who regularly hunt big cyclone swells along the Gold Coast's top beaches,
he says.

AAP bart/gd/jl

KEYWORD: XMAS BEACHES QLD

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