Search Results for: Australia

BY MATTHEW BRACE
A NEW “safe saw” hits the market in April, which could find favour with plant hire companies keen to prevent accidents involving their ‘amateur’ customers.

The brainchild of Arbortech Industries Ltd, in Western Australia, the blades of the Australian KS150 Kango Saw cut with an orbital action slicing through masonry, wood and tough composite materials but not breaking the skin if they accidentally hit flesh.…

BY MATTHEW BRACE
A NEW oil spill response atlas (OSRA) has been developed in Australia which should help the petroleum industry minimise coastal and marine environmental pollution from oil spills.

The electronic mapping system developed by the Australian Marine Safety Authority (AMSA) measures and tracks the size, speed and direction of slicks.…

BY MATTHEW BRACE
THE SEAS around Australia are among the cleanest in the world, partly thanks to the ingenuity of local scientists, who are pioneering two projects to ensure local waters remain healthy, while assisting other more stressed ocean regions.

One involves an electronic mapping system developed by the Australian Marine Safety Authority (AMSA), which is being used to predict the effects of dangerous chemicals in the ocean.…

Keith Nuthall
MEMBER governments of the World Trade Organisation have agreed to embark on two-phase talks to meet the 2003 deadline for completing negotiations on a multilateral registration system for geographical indications of wines and spirits.

The WTO’s TRIPS (trade related aspects of intellectual property rights) council has broadly agreed that a single draft document should be written by early next year, even if this included alternative options.…

BY MATTHEW BRACE
AUSTRALIA is breaking new ground in anti-crime public-private partnerships with plans for a crackdown on on-line credit card fraud. The country’s Internet Industry Association is establishing a cybercrime code with local law enforcement agencies that will see Internet service providers working hand in hand with police.…

Keith Nuthall
MEMBER governments of the World Trade Organisation have agreed to embark on two-phase talks to meet the 2003 deadline for completing negotiations on a multilateral registration system for geographical indications of wines and spirits.

The WTO’s TRIPS (trade related aspects of intellectual property rights) council has broadly agreed that a single draft document should be written by early next year, even if this included alternative options.…

BY MATTHEW BRACE
SCIENTISTS from the Queensland Centre for Schizophrenia Research in Australia claim to have made a crucial step forward in the study of schizophrenia, which could help the pharmaceutical industry develop new vitamin D enriched drugs to treat the condition.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE PRICE of tobacco products fell in developing countries from 1990-2000, according to the World Health Organisation, which has concluded that they are now “sometimes even cheaper than bread or rice.” By contrast, the WHO tobacco price trends study assessing more than 80 countries concluded that cigarettes have become more expensive in most industrialised countries, such as Norway, Australia and Hong Kong.…

BY MATTHEW BRACE, in Sydney
RESEARCHERS at the University of Tasmania, Australia, have developed the world’s first smart car that can override driver error and reduce road accidents.

“In terms of a comprehensive central processing unit working as an artificial brain to make driving safer, this is a world first,” said project leader Dr Vishy Karri.…

Keith Nuthall
WINES of SA, a non-profit organisation responsible for the promotion of South African wines, has reported that South African wine exporters are to begin targeting east Asian markets as a key to future growth.

The recent move will build on the industry’s existing successful penetration of the European markets coupled with the signing of the wine and spirits agreement between South African and the EU.…