The Sydney Morning Herald du lieu suivant : Sydney, New South Wales, Australia • Page 1

Ilk WW pi nrr Tin ii THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1997 Wendi's No. 49,996 FIRST PUBLISHED 1831 90c Sydney's top ti3dsp0pl DOMAIN LIFE HOME WEEKLY v. NEWS PAGE 5 Z' SiV SPORT PAGE 50 (is Tun, iiwmh I -3 wiiwiiiiiMii urn rrr rr i mnwn mi 'in Casino bursts onto the ydney scene i-f4 1 i iife. l'r 'i tVr I ill Wi ill jf 'T I I COLUMN nririririririri LA tJ Ll KuJ iJ WE DON'T CONDONE the use of fake ID, but Angela Favaloro, of Bonnet Bay, and Cheryl Kalisch are studying at the University of Illinois. Angela reports: "Since we arrived in January, we've come to realise how ignorant Americans are about the rest of the world.

We went to St Louis, Missouri, and planned a night on the town. However, when we arrived in the downtown area I realised that I had forgotten my fake ID I was three days short of turning 21. I showed my NSW driver's licence, hoping the bouncers would check the year, and not the actual day. I was waved in no questions asked. "THEN, I had a tap on the shoulder and the bouncer was asking to see my ID once again.

I explained to him that Australia is 49 hours ahead of the US, so technically I was 21, since I was born Down Under. He thought long and hard, then got the manager They gave me drinks on the house that night after all, if there WAS a 49-hour difference, it WOULD be my birthday!" IT'S getting a bit much when it's advertised in the Border Morning Mail, there's an advertiser who boasts: FLASHING SPECIALIST AT NORTHBRIDGE Uniting Church last Sunday, as worshippers filed out to shake hands with the Rev Graham Ellis, one woman told him she normally didn't go to church. But she was so incensed at the call by "a certain politician" for people to boycott the churches in a Wik protest, that she had urged each of her friends to go to church. And she was doing her bit BURNS, PHILP'S name might not be the best with its shareholders after its big losses, but it's still admired at the Exodus Mission at Ashfield, where they like to help people in trouble. The Rev Bill Crews writes: Burns, Philp built on our property a large hall in which we were able to establish a special school for children in great difficulties in mainstream education.

So far over 90 children now have a better start in life Burns, Philp took a risk in helping us, and it paid off. I hope the new start they have given so many kids is mirrored in the way their future evolves. AND it would help if you are at a Celebration of Music at St John's Wahroonga, tomorrow or Saturday night (9476 3318 or 9489 4106), raising funds for the Exodus Mission. SOME believe Column 8 is the fount of all wisdom. Joshua Pigott, Year 5, St Charles School, Ryde, writes: "Why do most representative NSW sporting teams wear blue?" He's tried all sorts of sources.

Our reputation is now at stake. By KENDALL HILL Star City exploded onto the Darling Harbour entertainment strip last night with a deafening fireworks display and a $20 million party attended by thousands of Sydneysiders. The three-minute pyrotechnic show staged jointly from the top of the Casino's five-star hotel and a barge in Pyrmont Bay signalled the opening of the complex at 9 pm. Laser and spotlight displays, giant balloons, inflatable figures and gyrocopter-powered parachutists completed the colourful celebrations. The Premier, opening the $876 million gambling and entertainment complex, said it as "another big opening night in the orld's best "We have the harbour, the bridge, the lifestyle, the attractions; we are the entertainment capital, we are the Olympic city, we are the first destination for tourists, and now we have Star City." The Sydney Harbour Casino chairman, Mr Dick Warburton, said it was the largest building completed in Sydney since the Opera House opened in 1973.

About 4,000 VIP guests were inside for the opening, and about 20,000 on the forecourt outside for a performance by Diana Ross. Star City paid Ross and her fellow entertainers Michael Crawford and Tom Jones about SI million apiece to perform, a Casino spokesw oman said. The free forecourt concert included a Tom Jones number relayed to giant video screens from the 900-seat show room here he as performing for the invited guests. About 1,500 valued casino clients were the first to try the 160 tables and 2,000 slot machines in the huge gaming room. PAGE 6: Big night out Si By JENNIFER HEWETT Herald Correspondent in Vancouver The United States will take a lead role in dealing with the Asian currency crisis by trying to organise a gathering of the world's finance ministers.

The Clinton Administration's announcement is designed to counter any criticism that the US is not doing enough to stabilise the situation and builds on the APEC leaders' agreement to back the central role of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in dealing with problems. But the Japanese have also made it clear that they reject Sky's the limit fireworks light the night over the Star City gambling and entertainment complex at Darling Harbour last night. Photograph by STEVEN SIEWERT President calls for summit of world finance ministers to build on APEC measures J7? SLOTS IB. Oil Gold slumped below $US300 an ounce yesterday to its lowest level in more than 12 years, prompting investors to dump gold stocks and raise concerns about the impact on Australia's current account deficit. Comments by Bank of England Governor Mr Eddie George that gold did not hold much value to the proposed European central bank, coupled with the threat that some banks will sell down gold stocks, has dragged it to The Australian Gold Index slumped 21.7 points.

PAGE 31: Full report. Although details of the meeting had not been finalised, its purpose would be to keep the attention of the world focused on the principles endorsed by the APEC finance ministers. The inclusion of other big economies should also calm any fears that the IMF may have victims, overseas investors will not suffer loss, and the financial system will be preserved," he said. Mr Hashimoto contrasted this with Japan's previous strong desire to avoid the failure of banks and securities houses. "Now we are engaged in reform, we wouldn't allow the rescue of Yamaichi Securities because the racketeering element cannot be forgiven," he said.

He also hinted that Japan may be prepared to use public funds to clean up the country's problem, saying the Government had to respond to the debate. PAGE 14: More reports. PAGE 22: Editorial. I fry 1 I t-S' Iti 2 insufficient funds to cope with the new demands on it following South Korea's request for aid and the possibility of requests from other countries. The APEC leaders endorsed an earlier agreement by their finance ministers to provide regional backup funds for IMF of It added a caveat, however, saying that the "top of the growth cycle" may have been reached and that it would now be much easier to pay too much.

But the study highlights graphically that the further housing is from the city centre, the more price rises lag and capital growth drops. Academics and statisticians agree that while further research is needed on the long-term effect of urban consolidation policies on house prices and affordabil-ity, the Ku-ring-gai statistics must be heeded. They appeared to be the first indicator that policies which favour more townhouses and flats, combined with rapidly increasing demand, have sparked property speculation which has in turn inflated prices. Overall, the survey forecasts that Sydney will register 9.08 per cent, 9.8 per cent and 9.29 per cent rises each year for the next three, five and eight years respectively. Crosswords 29 Opinion Govt defies Senate demand to reveal legal advice on Wik How crowded Sydney housing fuels prices rescue packages where necessary and to allow closer co-operation and surveillance of their financial policies.

Mr Clinton said the APEC meeting had set an agenda to help meet the challenges of the international financial system in the next century and that countries seeking international help were "doing the right Mr Hashimoto, faced with the fallout from the failure of Yamai-chi Securities, said he could not guarantee that there would be no further collapses. "But should anything happen, our fundamental stance is that depositors will not be made the The chairman of Residex, Mr John Edwards, said the Ku-ring-gai local government area, with its sluggish home price rises, was the lowest-ranking of the 42 areas covered by the study. One reason might be that a negative view of an aspect of the council was depressing prices for the under-performing areas of the district, he said. associate director of Sydney University's Planning Research Centre, Mr Jon Hall, said the report's results should not be ignored. "They are a cause for real concern about the long-term affordability outcomes of current government policies," he said.

More research was needed about the relationship between the State Government's planning and housing policies and prices, and public information was needed on households which were having repayment difficulties compared with, say, five years ago. PAGE 10: suburbs. Prices guide to all 23 PHONE suggestions by the US that it is up to Japan to be the engine of growth to drag its Asian neighbours out of their slump. In a clear rebuttal of the US stance, the Japanese Prime Minister, Mr Hashimoto, said his country would take on roles that were appropriate. "We are certainly not complacent enough to think that we can be a locomotive for the Asian Pacific economies," he said.

The problems of the Asian economies dominated discussions by the 18 leaders in Vancouver 'even though they expressed confidence in the region's long-term prospects 4 i Backed request that advice be tabled Senator Harradine. Minchin, said last night: "We want people to support our bill to guarantee that freehold does extinguish native title and therefore everybody can go about their business with absolute certainty." His claim came after after the Acting Prime Minister, Mr Fischer, was caught out twice. Leading the defence of the bill in Parliament, he said the head of WEATHER today sydney thunderstorms. and the effects of further trade liberalisation. A senior White House official said that Mr Clinton's decision to convene a broader meeting of finance ministers was in response to expressions of concern and requests for sustained US involvement.

the Cape York Land Council, Mr Noel Pearson, had issued a native title claim of "exclusive possession" on a pastoral lease, contrary to the High Court's decision that pastoralists' rights prevailed over native title. Mr Fischer was later forced to concede that the claim was over a "ghost lease" where the pastoral lease had expired and under the law the land was available for an exclusive native title claim. He was also embarrassed when the Bendigo branch of Defenders of Native Title released a letter from his senior policy adviser, Mr Terry Ryan, to a Victorian woman, claiming the High Court's Wik principle "could apply to your suburb of Castlemaine with regard to freehold it can also be thrown into Mr Fischer's office said last night: "It is not very well worded, but there was no intention to suggest that Wik had any impact on freehold title." PAGE 2: More reports. 22 10 38- showers and Hot. COLUMN 8: Direct line 9282 2207 Fax 9282 2772 e-mail: columns a smh.fairfax.com.au Need we say more? ERICSSON GH688 Conditions apply including a $65 connection fee to the Optus 'yes' 60 Plan; and monthly access fee of $60.

Minimum total cost over 18 months is Ericsson GH688 $1,344 (includes up to $630 in calls excluding international roaming calls). If connection fee is not maintained for 18 continuous months $350 extra is payable. Limit 3 per customer. This offer is available for new connections only. Subject to Optus credit assessment.

While stocks last. Offer ends 301197. I if By MARGO KINGSTON and MICHAEL MILLETT in Canberra The Government last night defied an order by the Senate to table its legal advice on whether its Wik bill was racially discriminatory. The Government refused the demand despite its backing by the Tasmanian Independent Senator Brian Harradine, who will decide the fate of the bill. The Senate move came after the Government refused requests from Liberal MPs to release the advice, following Herald revelations that the Government's senior legal adviser told it in July that the bul breached Australia's international obligations not to discriminate racially.

The Government sought to regain momentum in the debate yesterday, claiming that freehold title was at risk from native title claims. Despite unambiguous High Court statements that freehold title extinguished native title, the Special Minister of State, Senator Internet www.smh.com.au Home delivery (02)92823800 ISSN 0312-6315 inn By PAOLA TOTARO Urban Affairs Writer The State Government's push to rein in urban sprawl by encouraging more housing on smaller blocks is likely to be one of the driving forces behind Sydney's soaring property prices, a new study has shown. The study, by the residential research group Residex, found that the municipality with lowest home price rises was Ku-ring-gai bastion of the quarter-acre block and bitter opponent of urban consolidation. Throughout the 10-year study period, Ku-ring-gai registered only a 6.95 per cent annual rise compared with about 10 per cent in all other comparable areas. This means that for a $100,000 house, the 3 per cent gap each year over 10 years would result in a loss of capital profit for the municipality's home owners of nearly $60,000.

On the other hand, the survey found that price rises in the inner suburbs had been "nothing short TOMORROW Sydney The chance INSIDE of storms with a maximum of 25. NSW: Hot inland. Milder on the coast. Dry in the south-west. The chance of late storms elsewhere FULL DETAILS Page 29.

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