Test, straight a check

Premier warned over commissioner comment on the allegations against commissioner

THE HUB, Western Australia (AP) — Western Australia Premier Colin Barnett says Premier Colin Barnett made an "embarrassing error" in calling for the dismissal of the state police commissioner for not making allegations of sexual assault against two men involved in a violent car-jacking case.

Mr. Barnett, speaking at a news conference in the state capital on Monday, said it's "truly shocking" for the woman to complain of such a severe physical assault and said the Premier needs to investigate the report by independent commission chief commissioner John Corbett.

"I believe that the Premier has let this slip through her fingers," he said. "I'm ashamed to admit this now. I'm ashamed to admit it because I'm ashamed of myself for not being more forthcoming."

The Premier's press conference was the first time he addressed the issue of misconduct during his 10 years in office.

During his meeting Monday with journalists, Premier Barnett said he'd raised his concerns with Corbett and "his response was that he had no plans of making any changes to anything."

He declined to say exactly what the Premier had told Corbett but said that the issue of "misconduct" in a police matter "really isn't a small matter."

He said "this is one of those difficult cases where it was a matter of concern that this woman had been attacked repeatedly in a public place," but he declined to offer specifics.

Corbett is a retired detective who was appointed by the Premier after allegations of a police cover-up and inappropriate behaviour in the early 1990s.

The sexual assault allegation against former police officer John Rielly has been brought up by two other police officers, former chief constable Tony Hallock and former chief executive officer (CEO) Paul Fenton.

But neither have publicly described their allegations or called on the police to act to punish the four other officers.

Mr. Barnett said he didn't know if the allegations against the four were true until after they had been made public.

He said "there is a case against both the Chief Commissioner and the chief officers and the matter is under investigation," and he wouldn't go into specific details but added that a decision had to be made on discipline.

"You would expect that we would find out whether our officers had committed, to that extent, any criminal act so we need to make a decision on the matter and that will be made by the police commissioner," Mr. Barnett said.

"We will be looking at the commission's report and obviously it seems to me we made a mistake and I have made a mistake in being open about that."

Mr. Barnett didn't say whether it wa
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'common sense' water saving focus of new hunter water plan.

Water conservation could save lives

Water conservation is likely to be a priority for New Zealand's farmers this winter, says the New Zealand Water Council.

This year was the worst drought in recorded history and water levels were plummeting. This means more people are turning to drinking water for their cooking needs, but farmers face tough water conservation challenges.

One expert says farmers with livestock will need to be prepared for a water crisis.

"If they're looking to reduce their carbon footprint they might want to look at reducing their water use, and that's something that's being looked at very seriously by water experts throughout the world," says Tom Kipmoulis.

Mr Kipmoulis is director of New Zealand Farmers' Water Protection Society and a specialist in farming hydrological systems and water conservation.

He says the New Zealand Water Council and other farmers and water organisations could look at whether they can take steps to reduce their water use to save money and avoid water crises.

Mr Kipmoulis says farmers with livestock might have to look at using fewer chemicals and less water.

"If you can look at how to deal with a water situation that might be a little bit more severe it may be an easier sell because your cost is going down," he says.

However Mr Kipmoulis says it would take some time to implement the measures he suggested.

It is still too early to recommend the water use reduction recommendations, Mr Kipmoulis says.

Mr Kipmoulis says farmers should keep their water use to a minimum, especially around agriculture, because the need for water at those times is highest, not least during winter.

He has been talking to farmers about water management, and plans to speak to more farmers about the problem.

The new agriculture department is on the same page.

"We are starting to realise the problems our farmers face today, and it will take a while for them to be satisfied that we've taken a full lead and taken a full look at our farming," spokesman Aaron Goggin says.

He says if farmers want to find the solution, they must look past the weather and concentrate on improving the quality of their water.

That's why he's hoping to meet farmers at the agriculture festival in mid-October.

Topics: water, weather, farming-aquaculture, water-management, hu-island-4885, nz, australia

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