Defence civilians to vote on strike action

DEFENCE public servants are set to vote on industrial action in protest against a proposed federal government pay deal.

COMMUNITY and Public Sector Union national secretary Nadine Flood said the union would apply to the Fair Work Commission on Tuesday for a ballot of members to take industrial action.

Ms Flood said defence staff were outraged at an insulting offer of a 1.05 per cent pay increase a year, with cuts to conditions, including removal of two days leave, and working an extra 3.5 days a year.Once endorsed by a vote of union members, industrial action would encompass a range of work bans and stoppages of up to 24 hours, she said."Taking industrial action is always a last resort but Defence staff will be joining their colleagues across the Australian public service in sending a clear message that they are not going to cop this," Ms Flood said in a statement.

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Hundreds flee South African wildfires

WILDFIRES are raging in the Cape Town area on South Africa's southwestern coast, prompting hundreds of people to leave the area, media reports say.

HUNDREDS of firefighters were battling flames fanned by strong winds on Monday, pledging to protect residential areas.

Four buildings, two of which had thatched roofs, were reported to have been damaged.A luxury tourist lodge in the Table Mountain National Park was also engulfed by flames, but no one was hurt, a representative of the lodge was quoted as saying.The extent of the damage was being assessed.Residents of a home for the elderly who had been moved out were being allowed to return, according to the website News24.No injuries were reported.Firefighters were using about 30 vehicles and several helicopters.Some of the areas in flames were only accessible on foot, making it likely that the fires could only be contained on Tuesday, according to broadcaster eNCA.The cause of the fires was not immediately known.

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Carnell reveals struggle with anorexia

FORMER ACT chief minister Kate Carnell has revealed her struggle with the eating disorder anorexia which saw her weight dwindle to just 30 kilograms.

NOW head of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ms Carnell recalled being sick and having tension headaches all the time.

She said felt rotten about herself and what she was doing to others in her life."... and having an absolute focus on food. I was stick thin but people said `wow you are looking so great.' I wasn't - I was looking really skinny," she told ABC television.Ms Carnell's battle with anorexia started when she was 12 or 13. At 15 she started an extended stay in a psychiatric unit.She said people didn't understand eating disorders."It is hard to understand why you can't put a piece of food in your mouth, chew it up and swallow it. How hard can that be. When you've got anorexia it's like moving a mountain," she said.Food still remained a greater focus in her life than it should."I still have to have little discussions with myself about body image. I still naturally think I am too fat," she said.Ms Carnell described her experiences at a function on Monday where the advocacy group The Butterfly Foundation released a report outlining the high cost of eating disorders which affect almost a million Australians.Butterfly Foundation chairman David Murray said their report demonstrated the large benefits of intervention."Early intervention pays big time, with about a 50 per cent cost reduction for the government in the health system by getting the problem early enough," he said.

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Four buffalo bulls found dead in NT

POLICE are appealing for witnesses after four valuable purebred buffalo bulls were found dead on a research station in the Northern Territory.

THE Riverine buffalo bulls were found at the Beatrice Hill Research Station on Saturday morning.

Two of the three had been dismembered, and a fourth buffalo was later found with gunshot wounds and had to be euthanised by staff.Residents on the property did not report hearing any gunshots, said Sergeant Paul Wood.The animals were located close to the Arnhem Highway near the Windows on the Wetlands education centre, and Sergeant Wood said they may have even been shot from the road."Given the location, it is possible that someone saw something," he said."This is a very serious matter and these sorts of incidents will not be tolerated."Anyone with any information is urged to contact police on 131 444 or the Animal Welfare Branch on 1300 720 386.

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Three shot dead near Toowoomba

THREE people have been shot dead at a property on Queensland's Darling Downs, police say.

OFFICERS were called to an address in Biddeston, 25km west of Toowoomba, shortly before 7pm (AEST) on Monday.

A crime scene has been established, a police spokesman said.Police have cordoned off a red brick bungalow house belonging to a single-parent family with several children, a neighbour told AAP.The man said the house, about 30 metres from his own, was frequented by police."It's put Biddeston on the map for all the wrong reasons," he said.Forensic officers and detectives will remain at the scene throughout the night.

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