The Sydney Morning Herald from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia • Page 2

Tuesday, October 16, 1990 2 The Sydney Morning Herald Household goods Shops planted in Skygarden suffer in slump RETAIL TRADE Smilllon. 7ti pojy Sandmining for unspoilt area of Qld By MIKE SECCOMBE Federal Cabinet last night granted approval for sandmining oh one of the last large untouched areas of the Queensland coast on Army land at Shoal water Bay near Rockhampton. Conservationists have already warned of protest action to stop exploration of the area, which is the biggest coastal wilderness area on the east coast south of Cooktown, and which is claimed to harbour about one-third of all Australia's plant and animal species. The decision ends at least in political terms a saga which began in 1965, when the Defence Department compulsorily acquired 275,000 ha of land. But a company, Murphyores Pty Ltd, had a pre-existing authority to prospect in the area.

In 1981 the company took High Court action, which was settled two years later, with the requirement that the Government would make a final decision on the issue of leases subject only to the receipt a satisfactory Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The then-Minister for the Environment, Senator Richardson, accepted an EIS last February. The current Minister for Administrative Services, Senator Bolkus, sought stringent conditions, but Cabinet granted a 21 -year lease. The conditions need only be fulfilled afterwards, not in advance, as he wanted. By DEBORAH CORNWALL and KARIN BISHOP Domestic hardware, furniture, floor coverings and fabrics were among the hardest-hit casualties of the retail slump in the June quarter a clear reflection of the downturn in housing, industry sources confirmed yesterday.

While turnover for such staples as food remained steady at 2.2 per cent growth compared to 2.6 per cent growth in the 1989 June quarter the Australian Bureau of Statistics figures for the June quarter showed an alarming drop in retail turnover, the NSW Retail Association claimed. Lumped together, domestic hardware stores and jewellers recorded the biggest losses, shrinking 12.7 per cent compared with growth of 13 per cent in the 1989 June quarter. Clothing and fabric stores also reflected the drop-off in sales for non-essential items, contracting 5.5 per cent, compared with a 1.5 per cent contraction in the same period last year. Floor covering stores and furniture stores vied for third place in the retail slump, declining 4.9 per cent and 4.8 per cent If it wasn't for food, I would suggest retail would be in a real mess but everybody's got to eat," association executive director, Mr Bruce Beven, said last night. "That's what Mr Keating has set out to do to dampen consumption.

People are wearing that fashion item just a little bit longer. And instead of buying that new fridge or whatever, they are putting it off for another month." Even in some of the worst-affected retail areas, however, there had been a few unexpected bonuses along with the slump in "entertainment retailers said yesterday. "There's no doubt we've seen a big downturn in whitegoods in the past 15 months or so between 5 and 25 per cent but sales li, i I ja' 'l -Mi "III ii a- r- By ANDREA DIXON At a time when retail centres are suffering a severe lack of interest from tenants and shoppers, nearly all of the shops in Skygarden, in Pitt Street Mall, have been leased but not without the odd concession. Some of Australia's most stylish retailers including Hunting World, Corso Di Fiori and Baubridge Kay pay rents from $800 to $4,500 a square metre just to be a part of the $300 million development. But some tenants are more desirable than others and the developer, Merlin International Properties, was prepared to put its money where it mouth was to snare the elusive retailer.

Retailers who opened their shops in Skygarden before the anchor tenant, Sportsgirl, opened in May were not charged rent, according to Mr John Russell, Merlin's leasing executive. Among the early openers in Skygarden where Boxer Rebellion, Aquila Shoes, Weiss Art, Woodhouse, Ken Done, Oxford Shop, Michel German! and Baubridge Kay. Some were installed as early as March, which resulted in some retailers getting a rent-free period of almost two months. "We were very particular about which retailers went into the centre and if we desperately wanted a retailer because of their image, we gave some small incentives," Mr Russell said. "We did not give anyone a rent-free period of one year but there were some concessions for those shops that opened early." All but two of the 66 shops in the complex have been leased.

One retailer, Ms Helen Attwater of House Garden, is very happy with the deal which lured her to Skygarden from the City Centre, directly opposite in the Pitt Street Mall. MI looked at the other centres and they were all offering comparable deals, but Skygarden has the best position," she said. "I was asked to be confidential about the lease agreement but it was quite a good deal. "They gave me as much help as I needed to move across and whatever rent-free period we agreed to has helped to pay for the move, which includes some fit-out." According to Mr Ian Hayson, the chief executive of Merlin International Properties, the only incentives given were to for goods like video cameras, video recorders and computers are really up, in some cases by about 150 per cent," Harvey Norman managing director, Mr Gerry Harvey, said. "The stay-at-homes can do without their new fridges and washing machines, but when they feel the pinch they will still try to brighten up their miserable lives with the latest big screen television or home computer." Shop vacancies throughout Sydney are on the increase as disillusioned retailers close down.

According to Retail Traders Association spokesman, Mr Keith Bloodworth, specialised interior design shops and medium priced ladies fashions outlets "are finding it difficult to stay afloat." "It is mainly the pseudo luxury stores oriented to discretionary incomes that are going under," he said. The president of the Kings Cross Chamber of Commerce, Mr Trevor Fenton, said that its retail vacancy rate was just as high as Mosman and Double Bay, which have been estimated at 10 per cent. Ex-prison informer sues over fire attack By JENNIE CUMIN A man who was set on fire while in jail is suing the Corrective Services Commission for allegedly failing to provide him with adequate protection. Walter Patrick Missingham, 36, was in Silverwater Jail serving a nine-year sentence for armed robbery when, in April, 1981, two inmates squirted him with flammable liquid and set him alight. Mr Missingham, a martial arts instructor, was a jail informer, on the Supreme Court heard yesterday.

He had spoken out against the actions of some prisoners in trying to start a strike at Goulburn Jail in 1979 and was threatened after he gave evidence at a Public Service Board hearing of misconduct charges against Ms Irina Dunn. Mr Missingham described the horrific injuries he suffered when he was set alight. I had a nylon shirt on that went up and started to dissolve through my skin," he said. When later he tried to remove what was left of the shirt, "my chest came with Mr Missingham's chin was fused on to his chest and his right arm stuck in a permanent 45-de-gree angle for two years until surgery returned them to their norma! positions. He also explained how he became a jail informer.

In February, 1979, he was approached by a fellow inmate at Long Bay, Fred Many, who asked him to acquire some weapons to help with an escape attempt. Mr Missingham pretended to go along with the plan but, in fact, reported it to jail authorities who later broke up the plotters, sending them to different jails. The hearing was told that when he was sent to Silverwater, the Corrective Services authorities asked him to give evidence at a Public Service Board hearing against Irina Dunn, who was editor of the jail magazine, Inprint. Mr Missingham told the hearing that in March, 1981, Ms Dunn had threatened him. "She said I would be bashed because of thej stance that I took over the Goulburn issue and subsequent articles he wrote for Inprint During that time, he found a note in his cell which said: "Drop off or die." The following month, on April 1 1, he answered a knock at his cell door about 12.40 am.

When he opened it, two men sprayed him with some inflammable liquid from a pump-action spray can. Instantly, he burst into flames and had to run down the corridor and put himself out in the shower. Mr Missingham said that he was in jail for robbing a Merry-lands gun shop in 1978 but that he had committed this his only crime because of the invasion of East Timor by Indonesia. hopping centre, where deals were The interior of the Skygarden Picture by TIM CLA YTON towards their fit-out, but all developers do that for the big tenants like supermarkets in shopping centres. "The only rent holidays in Skygarden was for those retailers that opened before the building was finished." done to snare the right retailers.

major chains, which is common practice for all retail centre development. "The incentives were in the form of assistance rather than rental holidays," he said. "We gave Country Road some money Child sex abuse law 'flawed' IV, jf, 1 iihiiii- nimiaii JL I I 8 8 MMr a its it Koonunga Hr- "I know a lot of people in recent times have claimed I'm being somewhat obsessional about this whole area I'm not obsessional at all, I'm just doing my job," she said. "I didn't choose to become involved, I didn't seek it out I responded as I thought I should in my job Mr Dowd warned Mrs Grusovin last week to stop interfering with prosecution witnesses in criminal proceedings because of her "obsession" with the Mr Bubbles case. Mrs Grusovin is refusing to back down from her campaign.

She said there was increasing evidence of pedophiles engaging in satanic rituals to confuse and intimidate their child victims, so that when they went to adults and told of being abused their stories were less credible. "It seems to me very clear that we have a very flawed system at the moment," she said. "The Mr Bubbles case epitomises the problems that are there in the system and that's why I've attempted to highlight the problems in talking about that case." It's war on wine prices as Australia's winemakers battle for market share. Hurry to Farmer Bros or pick up the phone now for your share of the spoils: Penfolds Koonunga Hill Claret 1988 $3.99 This is just an amazing price on the wine that for twelve years has gone unchallenged as the benchmark for budget-priced reds. The 1988 is particularly good, showing all the richness of flavour and firm satisfying, dry finish that sets Penfold's reds apart from those of its competitors.

At this price, you simply cannot overbuy. Stock up! Woodleys Queen Adelaide Chardonnay 1989 $3.99 Here's an equally great bargain for white wine drinkers. The 1989 Woodleys Queen Adelaide Chardonnay is a remarkably good budget-priced white. It's very rich and full flavoured sensationally good at $3.99 a bottle. An excellent food wine.

New! Woodleys Queen Adelaide Sauvignon Blanc 1990 $3.99 At last! Somebody's come up with a decent Sauvignon Blanc at a reasonable price. This one's outstanding every day drinking at the price: it's light, zippy, fresh, tasty, and dry a lighter alternative to the fuller Chardonnay. Stock up at our introductory price of S3.99 By ALICIA LARRIERA Police had been investigating allegations of child sexual assault at four other NSW pre-schools at the time of the so-called Mr Bubbles case, but the cases had gone nowhere because of flaws in the legal system, according to the Opposition's spokeswoman on family and community services, Mrs Deirdre Grusovin. She said one of the cases involved handicapped children. Another involved 15 children, and although the pre-school director's licence had been revoked, no further action had been taken.

Mrs Grusovin, who signalled her intention yesterday of raising in Parliament details of these and other cases of alleged child sexual abuse that have not been investigated, claimed that there had been a "virtual de-facto decriminalisation of child sexual assault" in NSW. "In fact our children are being raped by the law," she said. But Mrs Grusovin did not detail what laws governing child protection needed to be changed, other than those relating to children's evidence, which Pi, mm Hi Mrs Grusovin children are being "raped by the the State Government has already announced are to be amended. Mrs Grusovin, who is coming under increasing attack from the Attorney-General, Mr Dowd, over her long campaign for the establishment of a royal commission into the Mr Bubbles case, defended her actions yesterday. Lotto numbers Week 42: 3, 10, 14, 16, 23, 28, supplementaries 8, 34.

Prizes, division 1: $1,859,632, div 2: $143,272, div 3: $238,787, div 4: $286,544, div 5: $382,059. Total: $2,910,294. mm IrSilEJJia EEEDG mm War on champagne prices, too Seppelt Great Western Champagne $3.99 Seppelt Fleur de Lys NV Champagne $8.99 buy a dozen Fleur get a bottle FREE. Seppelt Fleur de Lys Brut 1987 $10.99 2 Gold, 1 Silver, 3 Bronze medals ,1 PYRMONT STREET FREE tasting of Australia's greatest wines this Saturday Readers of the Sydney Morning Herald are invited to the tasting of the year this Saturday between 10 and 4 at Farmer Bros Waterloo and Spit Junction stores. Well be opening the fabulous 1987 vintage Lindemans St George, Pyrus, and Limestone Ridge Coonawarra Reds, as well as the superb 1 989 Padthaway Chardonnay and 1988 Padthaway Sauvignon Blanc.

And that's not all. Well be opening a large range of $5 to 10 a bottle reds and whites as well as Australia's leading Champagne styles. All wines tasted on the day will be available at discounted prices. I f. Mill! From 7.00 a.m.

Wednesday 17 October, for a period of 3 weeks, Pyrmont Street near Alan Street, will be partially blocked. Major essential works by the SCC to increase electricity supply capacity within this area will commence Wednesday morning (17th October, 1990) and will be completed as soon as possible. In consultation with Police and The Roads and Traffic Authority, the lane shown has been closed from Wednesday 17th October, 1990 for a period of 3 weeks. Gold Medal winners for S4.99 Perhaps the greatest bubbly bargain of all comes from Yalumba. Their Angus Brut won a gold medal this year, rj anH thp A none Rqp Rnit nn twn' Tn nur these are 11 I 1 ALAN STREET 1 tit 'Tt Usui superior to any other S4.99 Champagnes.

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