The Age from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia • 1

Oui offshore territories 1 4 IS TIE Wednesday August 10 1977 250 Spencer St Melbourne 60 0421 (Classified 60 0611) 60 Pages 123rd Year 12c Vic Open soil -28 Thus art tha terms of reference for the inquiry into Housing Commission land purchases The inquiry will be conducted by Sir Gregory Gowans A An aspect of and matters arising from tha land purchased by tha Housing Commission at Pakenham Sunbury and Malten in tha years 1S73 and 1S74 and tha proposed development of tho land so purchased and in particular to report in oach case: (a) whether any parson was guilty of any impropriety breach of law or duty negligence or act of dishonesty in relation thereto (b) whether any parson gave or gained improper advantage or improperly disclosed or misused confidential information (c) whether tha valuation or valuations preceding tha purchase was or wars properly made and basad (d) whether tha price paid was fair and reasonable Whether tha procedures and methods employed and tha practices observed in relation to tho purchase of land by tha Housing Commission are adequate or whether any and what now procedures methods and practices should be introduced and adopted in relation thereto Teachers' jobs fear Ahum 3000 primary and secondary teach er in Victoria could face unemployment next year Young blacks starving Minv of Sidney's Aboriginal children erj suffering serious malnutrition MMBW silence The Board of Works decides to make no sulimissiiin to the State Government Inquiry to be held into its operations SEC 'vandalism' A Drouin farmer says the SEC's $113 million tree-pruning operation is "official vandalism" If Wide power for Evidence to be public says Hamer Inquiry chief keeping MARK IAKER Sir Gregory Gowans QC seasoned jurist is not planning to get excited about hia latest case "It's another job" was his nonchalant response yesterday to the announcement that he will head the board of Inquiry into the Housing Commission land deals not really anything nut of the way" he said not much different to the work that had to be done in the courts" But exciting or otherwise Sir of his the types called to not to reference "I've bren interest like gUy I've the matter Sir Gregory Supreme ago after 13 He has eight cool investigations he did not know of officials who would be give evidence and he preferred comment on his terms of reading the papers with everybody else he did taken no more interest in than the ordinary 72 retired from the Court bench almost a year yean as a judge just returned homu alter living months in the Eng'ish countrywide "getting used to doing nothing after doing a He is well-qualified for this latest appointment While it is the lint Government in quiry he has headed he was involved as a coun-cl in six Royal Commisiions and hoards of inquiry bdore becoming a judge They included uvh diverge investigations as the 1939 bushlire Royal Commission and an inquiry into the administration of army rantoens But on the Housing ('ummiinn afiair he concedes: "I am looking forward to it with interest but you know as much about it as I He heiieves it could he up to a ru'ipls of weeks before the "mechanic:" of selecting staff and counsel ran he completed and the inquiry can begin As our photographer coaxed a smile for this picture he quietly observed: thought Sir John Latham once said that Judges never smiled" Gregory was lieing judiciously discreet about the task ahead when he met "The Age" in the study of his home in Sludley Park Road Kcw He was uncertain of the full scope Transport out for four hours Council PR plan Melbourne City Council is considering set ting up a public relations committee to improve its public image National drug probe Draft plans arc to be prepared for tha first national Koval Commission on drugs 5 Rhodesian 'revenge' Rhodesian nationalist leader Mr Joshua Nkomo says guerillas will strike at military targets in Rhodesian cities In reprisal for Saturday's bomb blast in Salisbury Vance PLO "talks" The US Secretary of State Mr Vance and Palestinian guerilla leader Yasser Arafat are expected to meet in Alexandria tomorrow according to a Cairo newspaper Soma re PM easily The PNG Prime Minister Mr Somers is returned to power with a massive majority Bid to defer wage case The Arbitration Commission is asked to deter ns decision in the national wage case Reptile racket A Queensland wildlife dealer is suspected as being the connection" in a niuiii-miilion-doilar international reptile smuggling racket Drugs in car A customs officer tells of finding 487 packets of drugs in an Imported car ODD SPOT A London newspaper has advertised for the return uf a missing pet vampire bat failed Leppin lie was owned by a careless hluch witch from Stoke Newington a northern suburb By MICHAEL GORDON Melbourne's public transport will stop again this Friday but only for about four hours Train tram and tramway bus workers will stop work to discuss a pay claim But their action will not disrupt peak-hour services A meeting of the six unions involved in last week's 24-hour transport strike yesterday decided to call the stonwork at 1UJU am Union leaders who predicted the new stoppage would last only four hours said the workers were determined to win their $30 pay demand The planned transport disruption came as wonening industrial trouble hit mail deliveries and threatened power supplies Melbourne's striking mail sorters will return early today to tackle a backlog of more than six million letters and other articles But ft will he at least a week before Victoria's postal services are back to nurmal and further strikes by postal drivers and mail sorters are scheduled to take place in a fortnight Services in all other States particular! NSW face similar ts following the introduction upsei ing i Mr Hamar By ELISABETH STEREL The board of inquiry into Housing Commission land deals will have power to investigate Cabinet decisions and call Ministers to give evidence The board appointed yesterday will also be able to subpoena trust records bank accounts and solicitors records The Premier Mr Hamer said yesterday all evidence would be made Kblic and all inquiry hearings would open He said the board was being set up under the Attorney-General's Depar-ment at the request of the Chief Secretary Mr Dickie Mr Dickie was Housing Minister at the time of the land deals Former Supreme Court Judge Sir Gregory Gowans QC was appointed as the one-man board yesterday He must report back to the Government by November 30 The board has been given wide terms of reference These will allow it to investigate all aspects of the Housing Commission land deals at Sunbury Melton and Pakenham It will also have to decide if there was eny impropriety illegality negligence or dishonesty in any of the transactions which proved profitable for land developers The board will investigate how the valuations on land bought by the commission were determined and if confidential information was misused for improper advantage The Government has also directed the board to review Housing Commission procedures in buying land and to recommend possible changes Mr Hamer eaid yesterday: 'The terms of reference could not be wider" Buf the board will not be able to inquire into the proposed Ml Ridley development Mr Hamer said Mt Ridley did not involve the Housing Commission and the Government had not yet decided if the development would go ahead Police reports The inquiry is expected to suit taking evidence in about a week The Government has already received two preliminary police reports on the three major land deals The final comprehensive report will recommend whether any criminal charges should be laid It is understood the Government will defer any charge until the board delivers its report The Opposition Leader Mr Wilkes yesterday criticised the Government for limiting the inquiry to Sunbury Melton and Pakenham The Hamer Government not just the Housing Commission had to explain iU actions in the land deale he said Mr Wilkes said the terms of reference should have allowed tha board to investigate Mt Ridley Mr Dickie cut short an interstata holiday earlier this week to attend the Cabinet meeting which approved the inquiry's terms of reference But Mr Dickie left immediately after the meeting to resume his holiday He did not attend a Parliamenury Party meeting yesterday and is not expected back in his office until next Tuesday The Government also decided to release files on the Sunbury land deals to- the Opposition end the National Party Editorial What is tha truth of tho Indonesian invasion of Timor? RICHARD CARLETON former TV and radio commentator has spent six daya in Timor trying to find out Ho is tho first independent journalist allowed to travel in tha country since tho invasion in 1976 "The has exclusive righto to his reports They shad now NDBtttrOiFAGESt of claims for a $40 rise shorter hours and improved conditions The assistant general manager (personnel I Mr Peter Duncan last night said the strike would not immediately affect power generation in the Latrobe Valley the future security of supply depends on how well the plant stands up without he said Another dispute threatening the jobs of 20000 car industry workers has been temporarily defused Fifiv-four die-setters at the Elizabeth plant of General Moiors-Holden's yesterday decided to return to work But the men angry at the promotion uf a hand to foreman may strike again if the issue is not' resolved The foreman concerned Mr Starr is due to return to his joo today following an induction course The diesetters are threatening non-co-operilion but there is no indication how far they will carry the action In SYDNEY the Shell Oil Company has applied for the de-registration of the NSW Federated Engine and Firemen's Association 'I he Full Bench of the Arbitration Commission will hear the application next week following a dispute involving 330 workers at the company's Clyde refinery 2 Woether 2 1 shipping law list 7 Amusements 23 I Spert "I Comics I Crossword 25 1 Arts Pinkney World news Letters Editorial Accent Business Age Quotes 1720 21 of national fork bans Classified index -29 Personal notices 24 WEflCTHERTODAY And a 24-hour strike by postal staff at Melbourne's two biggest parcel centres will stop more than 23000 parcels being handled tomorrow A new strike by about 1300 SEC maintenance workers in the Latrohe Valley is posing a threat to power supplies At a slopwork meeting yesterday the workers voted to strike until at least Tuesday in support CITY: Fine Windy Expected highest temperature 16 (yesterday 15 Details 14 dorrxirvex is ci'JvWbjs picture: JOHN LAMB light on a war cloudod by propaganda from both aides Today's report 9 -( TOMORROW)- Sir Gregory Gowans QC who has been appointed to head the board of Inquiry Into Housing Commission land deals He is pictured yesterday at his Kew home in front of a 40-year-old portrait of himself as a barrister Domlnex House 7C-77 Ssut Bttsoen tha ten ord spau Domlnex Toorak til Tierati ScodlactaSc FuAt'2S Asian trade Vecl Gaea-d-o wJh eo-voa'jn rvjoeadirohair thped skid 1 talks will put policy to test Trail of blood to death house ly LINDSAY MURDOCH Homicide squad detectives yesterday found a trail of blood leading 540 metres from the Noble Park home of a murdered man and his daughter Luka Bedic about 45 and daughter Suzanne 15 were bludgeoned to death in tneir Mon Parade Noble Park houe after 7 pm on Fridsiy Police found their bodies at midday yesterday after forcing their way into the three-bedroom house A trail of 34 blood spots led from the house along Mons Parade to opposite the Noble Park railway ala-lion Forensic science experts took samples of the blood for analysis They examined a hammer ana pair of gloves found in the backyard of the house Police were last night trying to contact Mr Bedic's wife File who is holidaying in Yugoslavia Detectives said Mr Bedic's stepson aged between 22 end 25 had lived in the Mons Street house "on and The metropolitan crime co-ordinator Chief Inspector Don Plant said: "We are endeavoring to contact him at this stage to teil him of the tragedy" Continued 3 YeurtarAcaidiiwearrjL lb From MICHAEL RICHARDSON A full wsek't guide to TV and radio progrommoa However alter meeting ASEAN leaders on Saturday Mr Fraser indicated that he saw the "consultative mechanisms" as a form of urging voluntary restraints un imports from the five countries The curbs would be sought if imports threatened jobs in politically sen- sitive areas like textiles footwear and clothing In CANBERRA the Prime Minister Mr Fraser said the ASEAN countries now had a "much better understanding" of Australia's position on trading matters He said Australia and ASEAN had reached amicable agreement on trade at their talks in Kuala Lumpur He said ASFAN countries already had open access" to the Australian market Editorial Fraser slicks to his guns 1 KUALA LUMPUR August 9 The Government's foreign policy will be put to the test following Mr offer to intensify tnm talks with our neighbors In South-East Asia Leaders of Indonesia Malaysia the Philippines Singapore and Thailand have made it clear they regard the offer as an indicator of Australia's readiness to improve its terms of trade The five-member States of the Association of South-East Asian Nations are determined to secure a fairer economic deal with Australia through the consultative mechanisms that emerged during Mr Fraser's talks hers If this fails several ASEAN countries are likely to act to cut Australian imports The Singapore Prime Minister Mr Lee and bis Malaysian counterpart Daiuk Hussein Onn both said yesterday they expected real benefits not just talk from the proposed trade consultations Australia's relations with ASF AN are good overall end the $90 million expansion in Australia's assistance programme announced by Mr Fraser is appreciated But ASEAN is looking for betlet trade rather than more aid Datuk Hussein last night told Press conference that the object of improving consultative machinery with Australia was to increase ASEAN's share of two-way trade In the 10 month! to April trade both ways was worth more than SUNK) million with Australia selling almost twice as much to ASEAN as it buys FRIDAY Weekender T) Your lift-out A guidt to loisuro living.