The Age du lieu suivant : Melbourne, Victoria, Australia • Page 1

nnrr tt AGE Vm THURSDAY 8 JANUARY 1998 144th Year No. 44,484 90c Should chequebook journalism survive? Howzat! Sport's bumper year Willicmstown withstands tides of change METRO Bushrangers How low can they go? 1 NEWS METRO SPORT i Wl Picnic hampered by a nosey neighbor mi Bolaur ffiuels fear om rate Men not the only 'bloody idiots9 By SANDRA McKAY, transport reporter Men, it seems, are no longer the only bloody idiots. Repetitive drink-driving used to be almost exclusively a habit -of men under 40. But a study has shown a dramatic increase in the number of young women repeatedly drink-driving. l-'ive years ago, only one in 46 women caught driving above the legal blood alcohol limit would be caught a second time.

But according to the Victoria Police's traffic and alcohol section, which surveyed 4000 repeat offenders between October and December last year, it is now one in 13. "I used to say drink-driving was exclusively a male problem," Inspector Michael Moloney said yesterday. "I can't say that any more women are increasing in their levels of reoffending, which is of obvious concern, and the indications are it is women under 25." Mr Moloney said the Transport Accident Commission had been alerted to the results so it could consider an education campaign for young women. In the past, he said, women broke the law "mainly out of ignorance" about the impact that wine had on blood alcohol levels. Having been caught once, women rarely reoffended.

"But young women seem to be more aggressive and many aren't learning from their first experience and are reoffending," Mr Moloney said. The recent study of 4000 repeat drink-drivers also found: Women over 25 predominantly drank wine and those under 25 drank spirits. 70 per cent of men caught drink-driving said they were drinking full-strength beer; 7 per cent drank light beer, 13 per cent spirits and 8 per cent wine. 36 per cent of women were drinking wine, 33 per cent full-strength beer, 2 per cent light beer and 29 per cent spirits. In the under-25 group for men and women, 24 per cent were drinking spirits, 3 per cent light beer, 68 per cent full-strength beer and 5 per cent wine.

Mr Moloney said younger women's preference for spirits was pushing them over the limit because they were ingesting twice the amount of alcohol as beer drinkers. The shift in women's drink-driving habits follows a recent survey by the insurance company AAMI, which found young women were increasingly showing the sort of aggressive driving behavior normally displayed by ygSW'W fife Trap fc wvJf rr Vf W- JV U. M3 SLi rdS Li VVj 1 i ii i iiT By PHILLIP HUDSON, economics correspondent, Canberra Home buyers could be hit with a rise in interest rates this year due to the falling dollar and inflation pressures, the National Australia Bank has warned. As the Australian dollar slid further yesterday against the US dollar, the bank warned that changing economic conditions could force interest rates up by 1.5 percentage points. Home buyers with a typical $100,000 mortgage could have to pay an extra $100 a month in repayments if the increase were passed on in full.

The National said the pressure for a rate rise would be. partly fuelled by the strong domestic economy creating inflation pressures. However, the buoyant economy also would help to cut the national unemployment rate from 8.4 per cent to 7.8 per cent by June, the bank said. The Victorian Employers Chamber of Commerce and Industry director, Mr Steven Shepherd, last night appealed to the Federal Government to prevent a "knee-jerk" rate rise, say- The Dollar 63.70 US cents tvw 8am (7 January) 6pm ing it would hurt the economy and jobs. The bank's predictions came as the dollar plunged to an 11-year low of 63.17 US cents.

The fall was blamed on continuing concerns about the Asian economic crisis. The foreign exchange associate director at Macquarie Bank, Mr John Wheatley, said investors were taking their money out of Australia because of concerns about Asia. The National said the combination of a weaker dollar and strong economy would push up inflation. Consumer prices fell by an average 0.3 per cent over the past 12 months, but the bank believes the cost of living could rise by more than 4 per cent by 1999. The bank's chief economist, Mr Alan Oster, said the underlying inflation rate, which is used to help guide interest rate decisions, would climb above the Reserve Bank's 3 per cent safety zone.

The Australian Consumers Association spokeswoman, Ms Mara Bun, warned home buyers to be wary of cheap short-term interest rates. Some banks are offering customers one-year fixed rates of less than 5 per cent, but Ms Bun said after the honeymoon period, the higher variable rate and fees lifted the real cost to above 6.5 per cent. A survey of 750 businesses by the National Bank found that although business conditions were at their best for two years, the outlook was overshadowed by a cloud from Asia. More than 50 per cent of the firms surveyed said their sales and profits would be cut by the Asian economic slowdown, with mining, construction, transport and construction sectors hit worst. PAGE CI: Report.

Spice is not to our PM's taste By JIM SCHEMBRI and REBECCA LANCASHIRE Nelson Mandela said just meeting them was the happiest day of his life. Prince Charles allowed his royal, helr-to-the-throne cheek to be besmirched with Ginger Spicefe llpsticked kiss. But the Prime Minister, Mr John Howard, appears immune to Grrl Power. The Spice Girls were not enticing enough to lure him away from his holiday at Hawk's Nest. The girls Ginger, Baby, Scary, Sporty and Posh requested to meet Mr Howard at the Sydney premiere of their film Spiceworld on Saturday night, but were politely told he had declined.

Among those who did not decline the invitation to attend the premiere were TV personality Ray Martin; actors Magda Szubanskl, Claudia Karvan and Sam Nelll; singers Kate Ceberano and Christine Anu; comedians Wendy Harmer and Usbeth Gore (Elle McFeast); screenwriter Laura lones, and cast members from the TV shows Home and Away and Heartbreak High. A spokesman for the Prime Minister said that Mr Howard was still holidaying at Hawkfe Nest and that there was nothing to add to the report. When asked if Mr Howard was passing up a golden photo opportunity in an atmosphere of fun and glamor, he simply said again that there was nothing to add. In stark contrast, the Victorian Premier, Mr Jeff Kennett, will be making a special effort to meet Britain's most popular girl band when they descend on Melbourne on Sunday at Planet Hollywood. It will be one of Mr Kennettb first official engagements of the new year.

The Girls will make impressions of their hands in plaster for the venueb walls before heading off to the Hoyts cinema complex at Highpoint shopping centre in Maribyrnong to attend screenings of Spiceworld. Their critics say their rapid rise to fame is merely due to the spice trade a huge dollop of marketing savvy while others argue that their feisty Grrl power offers a palatable 1990s feminist role model for young women. Mr Kennett, who declined to attend another British cultural export recently the confronting play about disaffected British youth Shopping and Fing staged as part of the Melbourne Festival appears to be tackling his Arts Minister portfolio with renewed vigor this year. Or maybe he was curious about Ginger Splcefe advice to the blushing HRH; "We could spice up your life." Face to face: This couple had to make a stand when a nosey kangaroo invaded their picnic yesterday. Animal experts say the drought is forcing wild animals into the suburbs in search of food.

PAGEA4: Natures wild surprises. Picture: heath missen Tax Office takes aim at $15 billion cheats New Apartments for Lease At Southbank, City South Melbourne Just Completed Apartments with Resort Facilities: Indoor pool Gym Tennis court Security Carpark Inspect Daily 12 at these convenient locations (or by private 2pm appointment 7 days a week) rassE I liTTS-s it- i.tiirn,iDiii! I Southbank Towers 13 Queensbrtdg St soutfiDanfc were part of a new approach by the Tax Office to be more helpful to business and to try to influence people's tax recordkeeping before they lodged their returns. A Tax Office report on the black economy last year referred to academic studies that have estimated between $4 billion and $15 billion were lost In taxes each year. The number of tax investigators in the area has increased from 300 to 900 and there could be an education campaign in schools to stress how tax cheats cause taxpayers to pay more. "We increasingly see the community concerned about the integrity of the tax system and Its ability to fund schools, hospitals and roads," Mr Carmody said.

"Yet it's OK down at the pub to joke about how you put one over the taxman in fact you've put one over your fellow citizens." Neil Mann, said the new system also would help firms that had low profits because of bad business practices, unnecessarily high costs or dishonest staff. "If we can encourage business to look at their own performance and lift their profits, that will take the pressure off them to minimise the amount of income they're declaring," he said. The figures, which have never been made public, have been calculated by the Tax Office with help from tax agents and professional groups. They say that a painter with a gross business income of $60,000 a year would typically have a net profit of between $21,000 and $24,000. The Tax Office also can estimate income based on wages.

If a painter paid workers $10,000 a year, it would mean the typical income of the business would be between $40,000 and $50,000. Mr Mann said the figures By PHILLIP HUDSON, economics correspondent, Canberra Painters, plumbers, taxi drivers, fruit and vegetable growers, publicans and restaurateurs will be the focus of a Tax Office crackdown on the black economy that costs taxpayers up to $15 billion a year. The Tax.Office has been concerned that many of these small businesses understate their income to avoid paying their full share of tax. It has set new guidelines to provide an indication of their typical Income and profit levels, based on their wages bill and turnover, Tax agents also are being urged to question their clients if their tax affairs do not fall into line with industry averages, although the tax commissioner, Mr Michael Carmody, said it was only a guide and the figures could vary significantly. The Tax Office assistant commissioner (cash economy), Mr The Jostling for 1998 radio ratings has started, with a new season of moves ready to hit the airwaves.

Nell Mitchell (above) has renewed his contract for another two years at SAW, having spent 10 years there already. Triple meanwhile, Is giving top-billing to footy heroes Jason Dunstall and Doug Hawkins In their own lifestyle radio show. PAGE AS: Report a I 3D ill! a SO LLfilTL. Tr. ill iilfin mi I IJIf "770312 1630OG 1.