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Carpet Cleaners

Reporter: Rohan Wenn

If you own carpet, you probably own the odd carpet stain as well, especially if you're like Gillian Neck, and you have a couple of active kids.

In the past Gillian has tried a variety of commercially available carpet cleaners, but many of the major brands have left her a little disappointed. When you look at the claims manufacturers make, it's hard to know which products work. So we enlisted the help of Dr Reg Hamilton from the Australian Wool Testing Authority.

We asked Dr Hamilton to test the effectiveness of 8 carpet cleaners on a variety of stains. The brands were Scotch Guard Spot Cleaner, Freedom Carpet Foam, Preen for Carpets Powershot, Preen for Carpet Wipes, and Preen OxyAction, Carpet Power, Orange Power, and Cavalier Bremworth Stain Remover.

“We've got milk coffee, common stain, hard to get out; tomato sauce, another very common stain, and also very hard to remove from carpet; and red wine -- I think everyone has spilt red wine on their carpet once or twice”, said Dr. Hamilton.

“Most carpet sold in Australia has stain release properties. The one we are testing has no stain release product and that means the results we see are the worst possible results -- most carpets will perform better than our test carpet will do”, Dr. Hamilton said.

The tests were carried out repeatedly, with Dr Hamilton sticking closely to the instructions on each of the packets, cans and bottles. Once the tests were done, there was a clear winner.

“The preen Oxi-action was clearly the best”, Dr. Hamilton said.

The next three cleaners weren't far behind. “The Preen Wipes, the Orange Power and the Scotch Guard, were very similar, almost as good”, Dr. Hamilton said.

And then there was the rest. “The other four...not quite so good”.

According to Carpet Call's Steve Harry the first step to avoiding carpet stains is to choose the right colour carpet for your circumstances. If you've got kids or pets, lighter colours are a no-no.

Then the best advice is to act quickly, start by blotting the stain, not rubbing, and after you've tested the cleaner in a discreet area of the carpet, it's time to apply the cleaner to the stain -- but make sure you don't put it straight onto the carpet.

“The key is to apply them with a white cloth or a nappy, and wipe the area but certainly don't rub the pile or spray the cleaner directly onto the carpet. One of the problems there is the more you spray into the carpet the less likely you are to get all the product out”, Steve said.

Finally, Steve says you should avoid using water on your carpet. “Sometimes you might be left with a brownish ring in the area, the best product for household type items is vinegar and you can use an abundance of vinegar and it won't have a detrimental effect on the carpet”, he said.

But how do the commercially available carpet cleaners stack up against the home made cleaners?

To test the home-made concoctions, Kerry will be using the book Dirty Deeds, Sue will be using the book Spotless and Sandra will be using Preen Oxy Action on red wine, coffee and tomato sauce stains.

For Red Wine the book Dirty Deeds says you should blot the stain and wash with warm water before using a conventional carpet cleaner. For coffee the book recommends you dab the stain with mineral turpentine and then sponge with cold water, and blot dry. For tomato sauce, Dirty Deeds recommends you use cold water and then dab the stain with Glycerine which you leave on for 30 minutes. Then sponge with water.

For red wine Spotless suggests you cover the stain with bicarb soda and let it dry. Vacuum that up and add bicarb and vinegar, and gently scrub. Vacuum again and sponge with vinegar. For coffee the book recommends you mop up the excess, and wipe the stain with a vinegar soaked cloth. Finally for tomato sauce, Spotless recommends you simply wash the stain with soapy water, and dry with a cloth.

So what worked best? Well the results were mixed and a bit subjective, but overall Kerry using the advice from Dirty Deeds seemed to have the best results.

Spotless and the Preen Oxy Action did similar jobs.

Whitegoods

Reporter: Karryn Cooper

It's one of the great domestic unknowns...will the next tradesman you call to fix your broken down fridge or washing machine take advantage of you..

Well judging by our investigation into appliance mechanics, there's a very good chance you are going to be told a lot of nonsense and pay more than you should.

Cherie Dalley says “yes it easy it is easy for people to get ripped off “

Arthur Moss says “it looks like the electrics have failedsorryit looks like the electrics have failed on the motorokay, you'll spend quite a few hundred dollars fixing it.” This is long time brisbane fridge repairman arthur moss talking rubbish.

“Okay how much? Two to three plus gstwe've got to do it haven't weyou don't have to do anythingwell I need the fridgewell let's do ittwo to three hundred plus GST.” He even joked about the price.

Appliance expert, Kevin Coutts, has altered a perfectly good fridge and washing machine...and then watched on to see what our repairmen do..”Okay to make it non-functional what are you going to do?...we'll remove the good thermal overload and just put in one that's faultywhat will that actually dothat stops the compressor pumping if it doesn't pump gas it can't get cold.”

“So is that something that most tradesman should pick up at some pointdefinitely, definitely any tradesman should be able to pick this up within thirty minuteshow much is that to replace?...less than a $30 part.”

The results from our hidden camera investigation were staggering.... Four out of seven mechanics coudln't find the fault, overcharged or wrongly charged..or in this case hinted we break the law.

Appliance industry association boss David Mackay is at the end of his tether. He says a minority of shonks are destroying the industry's reputation “i get damned annoyedi find that it's difficult because the perception that people have is that they are going to get ripped off.”

David blames a chronic skills shortage for the troubles.

He says the only way you can be truly guaranteed an honest job is to employ an appliance industry association member but admits only fifteen to twenty per cent of the $125 million plus industry falls under the association's umbrella.

David Mackay says “There's too many of them out there that aren't trained and they aren't licensed and whilst there's a big shortage of service people they are going to get a lot of workand some of them are less than ideal.”

But good news... Not all appliance tradies are shonks.

Not one of the 12 washing machine mechanics we called on took us for a ride.

“Oh I know what it isit's pumping isn't itI think there's nothing wrong with it, I think you've been fiddling and not realised what you have donewhat(leans and turns switch)oh you're jokingnono I'm not joking.”

This honest bloke didn't even charge us.

But be warned ..they can charge like wounded bulls.

“we had you fix a fridge for us and it should have cost only a hundred dollars yet you charged usexcuse methree times”

Arthur Moss charged us $330 for just over 40 minutes work fixing the so-called electrical failure....

Well Arthur wasn't interested in answering our questions but as we pointed out the only thing wrong with the fridge was a faulty thermal overload...a part worth about $30 and labour.

The affable Arthur even took time out to tell our researcher how much he loved his job.

well now we know why...

If a major appliance breaks down it can hold up the whole family for weeks at a time it can create you major stress problems and cost you a lot of money.

So here's a few helpful hints from Cherie Calley at the Consumer's Association just in case you don't get one of the good guys when your appliance inevitably breaks down.

• Look for someone local
• Someone you think you can trust
• Someone where you know where their actual workshop is would be handy because you can go back there then
• You know where they are
• You are not just a telephone number

--ooo--

CHARITY BINS

REPORTER: Andrea Burns

Chris says “You really have to wonder what these people are thinking about when they do it, it's just mindless”

Jim says “they're going to get caught”

The illegal dumping of rubbish costs West Australian taxpayers a staggering TEN MILLION DOLLARS a year.... and increasingly, it's Perth's needy that're picking up the tab.

Chris says “they're robbing people who have disabilities and want to work” Chris Jones is the CEO of Good Samaritans Industries. He says every week, mountains of junk are dumped outside his charity's five hundred bins by people too lazy to dispose of them properly. Rubbish the Sammies have to pay to remove. “Dumping is costing the business around 250-300 000/ yr”

And we capture vision of people like this pair - driving expensive cars, she puts only one bag in the bin, the rest they just chuck at the bin.

The pair does trip after trip, hurling bags, boxes -piles of stuff outside the collection bin. Chris says charity bins have become the new tip for the lazy.“the knock on is more and more councils are banning bins in public places because ratepayers complain about the rubbish and how unsightly it is, local councils don't want ratepayers complaining so therefore the simple solution is ban the bin”

Scavenging the seedy bi-product of dumping donations outside bins. Remember, it's the poor they're stealing from -the greed is  breathtaking.

The more people scavenge, the further the mess is spread. Chris says “on the night this footage was taken it rained and we were left with a soggy pile of rubbish that had to be taken to the tip - so it was no use to anyone? No use to anyone.”And these are the people that are being ripped off. In the case of Good Sammies, donations put inside their bins or dropped off at their shops provide employment for the disabled.

Twenty eight years a police officer, Jim Dabelstein is now on bin duty for the Department of the Environment.

Jim says it's an operation as serious as any he attempted in his CIB career. “To get back into the day to day chasing the baddie, if you like to put it that way, it's good”

Security vision like this provides intelligence; there are plans to put even more secret cameras in, around charity bins. Scavengers can face criminal charges. Jim plans to conduct "stings", just like police to catch people illegally dumping junk. “The penalties come in 2 forms, there's an infringement of 200 dollars and there's also a thousand dollars for the more serious offences”

Charities say they're grateful for every real donation - but if items won't easily fit inside a bin, drop them off at a charity shop - or call - many charities will collect.

Do the wrong thing, Jim says, he'll get you.

Authorities say if you see someone dumping rubbish at a bin or scavenging , get as much information about the person as possible, like car registrations and a description - but don't approach them. Instead, call:

Pollution Watch on 1300 784 782, during business hours.

Driveway Danger

Reporter Graeme Butler

Brock says “your the one doing the damage your the one doing the damage your the one you know causing the trauma to your own “

It's Christmas Eve at the aberle house... baby charlotte is helping dad brock wash the car - mum tammy is behind the camera. But in less than an hour this happy scene becomes a nightmare

“We need an ambulance my daughters just been run overshe been run over by my husbands car backing the car out didn't know she was there”

Brock says “just running behind the car just expecting her just feeling the car run over her I was assuming that was it because she started screaming then just before that it clicked into my mind there was that second where the car was still rolling back and she was under the tyre being pushed by the tyre on the concrete”

Both parents thought the other had charlotte - neither did... the toddler wandered behind the car at the precise time Brock was shifting it in the drive

“Your life really does flash before your eyes I mean this is my little girl as a husband and a father you're meant to be the protector once she gets into trouble you're the dad you're the hero of the moment but this is quite the opposite.”

Charlotte was rushed to hospital - a fractured collar bone and broken ribs, it could have been so much worse.. and for many Australian families it is. “Approximately one child every week is run over in the driveway often by a member of their own family” Sue Wicks from kidsafe says and the effect of accidents like this can be devastating.” To run over your child in the driveway of your home and the worst case scenario where you actually kill your child is absolutely horrific it destroys families” 

The reason so many children are run over in driveways is two-fold - parents being unaware of where their children are and huge reversing blind spots in nearly every car. Gary Moore says “they probably wouldn't be aware that there is an extensive black spot in most vehicles that can be very dangerous particularly with young children in driveways”

SGIO and NRMA have conducted reversing index testing on hundreds of cars in Australia to see how much visibility there is behind. Gary Moore from SGIO says the results are startling. “The average blind sport across all vehicles is around 15 metres, square metres so in other words an average 2 year old child would have to be more than 7 metres behind the vehicle in a radius arc before they would be seen”

This is an average family sedan and when you look in the rear view mirror and the two side mirrors you cant' see anything behind me but incredibly all these balloons are what I couldn't see and anyone one of these could have been a small child”

Gary Moore says “manufacturers are aware of it we've received some really positive feedback on this survey that we conduct we've been doing this survey probably close to 3 years now first year we did about 80 vehicles and this year we looked at 200 vehicles“

The cars that scored lowest in the reversing index were

• Holden commodore
• Toyota Prado
• Honda Odyssey
• Mercedes CLK500
• Holden crewman Ute.

These had reversing blind spots of 27 square metres.

Gary Moore says “there are an increasing g number of vehicles these days looking at rear cameras particularly some of the 4wds and rear sensors as another example of ways of detecting something that might be behind vehicles” But all the technology in the world doesn't compensate for simply making sure children are nowhere near a vehicle.

Sue Wicks says “make sure that there's another adult there that's physically got hold of the children where you can see them if that's not possible make sure that you've done the circuit of the car before you get in and move it”

Baby charlotte has made a full recovery and only required a short hospital stay.. She even got to open those Christmas presents, but for her mum and dad the best present under the tree was their daughter.

“You could've killed her – Brock says “I could've and just knowing that it's my fault was the worst thing “

To see the full list of results in the reversing index tests go to

http://www.sgio.com.au/pub/sgio/motor/car_research/reversing_visibility/index.shtml

STAINS

REPORTER: HELEN WELLINGS.

Shannon Lush is the "Queen of Clean". A fine arts restorer, who's been scribbling down messy ideas since she was a kid, Shannon Lush can tell us how to clean EVERYTHING.

"I get stains out that are 50 years, 80 yrs, 100 yrs old," says Shannon. From the front of the house to the back, she advocates using virtually chemical-free old-fashioned home remedies that save you heaps of money.

The nation's aversion to dirt and how to get rid of it has made Shannon Lush's $20 book, "Spotless", a huge surprise hit. Amazingly, it's been a top seller for 2 months.

Mum of three little girls, Belinda Vincent, is just one of around a hundred thousand Australians who've snapped up Shannon's secret remedies. "The book gave me solutions to day to day problems that I had with the children, for example I had ice-cream, chocolate ice-cream down t-shirts, paint - they always have paint," declares Belinda.

"It means that I can stick to just 4 or 5 products and ditch a lot of the commercial products that I used to be using. I know that they will work, I don't need to panic. Children's paint - it's supposed to come out in water, but it doesn't once it's being there for a while. I had no idea how to get the stains out before. The book just gave me ideas on that and I don't have to use those strong cleaners."

Here's a tip Belinda's learnt for kid's wall art -- crayons on all sorts of door and wall surfaces. "It's simple -- just dry cleaning fluid on a cotton wool ball. Wipe it over, soft brush and dry cloth and the mark's gone."

Shannon says, "We're trying to turn around from being a throw away society to a keep it society."

So what are the most common stains? "Red wine and pet mishaps," advises Shannon. Coffee and cordial are very common disasters too. So, Shannon's cheap remedies?

* RED WINE:

"Most people think you put soda water on it. No you mustn't."

This dense chamois-like sponge called "Slurpex", which has been on the market for decades, is Shannon's little helper for all sorts of disasters. "Mop it up first with paper towel or a Slurpex and get most of the moisture out as fast as you can."

It's most important to act quickly, because if that moisture drops into the back of the carpet, the tannin is released from the jute or hemp backing and it stains the carpet. "After you've removed most of the moisture cover it with Bicarbonate of soda. Then once the colour is changed, you leave it to dry and you vacuum it off. If there's any remaining stain on it at all, you just use a cloth that's being damped in white vinegar and sponge it and it's gone."

You may have to repeat this process.

* STOVES, OVENS, SAUCEPANS, CUPBOARDS.

Simple bicarbonate of soda and vinegar clean all sorts of things.

Shannon demonstrates, "You use it for all your kitchen cupboards, the stove cleaning, and the saucepans. It will clean a stove down faster than any stove cleaner. You don't use caustic stove cleaners anymore - they don't work as fast or as easily as this does."

* LIPSTICK and GLASS:

Another old-fashioned and cheap cleaning whiz -- methylated spirits, from windows to lipstick.

"Now you've broken down the waxes and colours in the lipstick, all you've got to do is put it in the washing machine and it washes straight out."

* TEXTA:

Indelible texta on clothes - dry cleaning fluid works like magic.

"All you're doing is wiping it and then you leave it for 10 minutes and rinse it through with water. Then wipe it again leave it for ten minutes, rinse it through with water again."

* SOAP and DETERGENT SCUM:

"The best way to remove soap scum is with a pair of damp panty hose -- old ones will do -- you just damp them and wipe it."

* HOT AND COLD DRINK STAINS:

"Plain old glycerin's really good for removing things like oxide stains .. that means tea, coffee, orange juice, fruit juices, anything that creates an oxide stain."

* TOYS:

Now Belinda uses tea-tree oil a lot in the home.

"When toys get grubby just couple of drops of tea tree oil in water and you just wipe it over -- dry it off. It's safe then, when the baby puts those toys in her mouth."

* DIRTY COLLARS, CORDIALS.

For soaking away stains and dirt, Belinda finds Shannon's Napisan remedies a saviour. Just soak clothes for a few hours in dissolved Napisan, and they disappear.

"Spotless", by Shannon Lush and Jennifer Fleming

published by ABC Books for the Australian Broadcasting Commission 2005

$19.95

SHOPPING RETURNS

08 Feb 2006, 04:28:40 PM

Reporter: Glen Connley

Experts offer their tips on getting your money back if something goes wrong with a product you bought. Research shows women are better at it than men.

There is nothing more annoying than buying something, bringing it home and finding it does not work. But often, heading back to the store is just the start of the problem. Dr Rebekah Bennett is the author of one of the most detailed studies ever conducted into consumer complaints in Australia. She knows first-hand the frustration of taking things back.

Dr Barnett's study found that when it came to having faults fixed or asking for a refund, women were far more successful than men. "By the time a woman complains to a third party, I think that they're pretty sure that that's exactly where they need to go and they're pretty sure they've got a case," Dr Barnett explained. "Men, on the other hand, were more likely to complain from the start."

Eva Bouman was convinced her new Fischer and Paykel fridge was not working properly, despite three separate repairmen checking it out and telling her nothing was wrong.

Eva stayed calm, put her whole experience in writing and sent it to head office. "They sent someone out straight away and he replaced several items in the fridge," Eva said. "There were several major parts he just replaced and said 'it should work fine now' and it has, it hasn't had a glitch."

Compare Eva's experience to that of Josh Teicher, who had a faulty Primus phone installed when he recently moved house. "I was on the phone for, like, 35 minutes," Josh said. "And I kept complaining and trying to deal with them, and in the end I just gave up because it was going to take too long."

Josh admitted being angry, frustrated and sarcastic when he called for help. But in the end, he paid a bill he believed he should not have had to pay. He said he could not be bothered taking it any further. "I think men are more prone to blowing a fuse," he said.

Dr Barnett's co-author Charmane Hartel said Josh's experience defied the old theory that women were too emotional in frustrating situations.

"Men would, more times than not, express their anger to the person that they were complaining to," Ms Hartel said. "Whereas the women would tend not to do that to the person they're complaining to."

Expert tips

Dr Bennett offered a few tips she said would help any consumer obtain their money back on an item that does not work, or which they already possess.

1. Keep your documents

2 Keep your cool.

3 Know who to complain to.

4 Be persistent.

5 If you fail, let it go. There are more important things in life.

We decided to put the experts' theories to the test, pitting Joel against Kim. We gave them two sets of glasses and two DVDs bought at three different stores in a shopping centre.

Their task was to get our money back. Joel was given a harder time of it, but with the items unopened, in their original bags and fresh receipts, both managed to obtain their money back with a minimum of fuss. We called it a dead heat.

If you experience problems when returning faulty goods, as a last resort you can contact the Australian Competition and Consummer Commission (ACCC) on 1300 302 502.

NECKLACE MYSTERY

01 Feb 2006, 05:35:14 PM

Reporter: Natalie Bonjolo

A precious keepsake... a sign of a Mother's love... these pendant necklaces were meant to be a beautiful legacy. only, the Mum who paid to have them made, never picked them up.

Carla says"she completely paid the items off, and she said to me can we get them valued, I said absolutely, the valuations took a week, so I said I'll see you in a week's time, and she didn't return."

It's a two year old mystery... one shop assistant Carla Nikoloski has moved mountains to solve... trying to track down a customer she knew only, as Mrs Ream. She said "she was a lovely lady she was the same height as me had bobbed strawberry blonde hair and she wore glasses"

Could she have just forgotten? Carla believes someone out there must know of Mrs Ream. One thing Carla knows - there's three sisters with no idea of their mum's precious gift. "I would love the girls to end up with the pendents, for them to get to their final destination"

Bruno Notaro the jeweller says "it plays on my mind cause a they're nice pieces and I'd like em to go the people to have them, and put closure to it." It breaks Bruno Notaro's heart to keep the jewellery he created, locked away in a safe.

Mrs Ream fell in love with every piece. But Bruno suspects she knew exactly which pendant each of her girls would chose. The pendants are worth ten thousand dollars. it took Mrs Ream five years to pay the jewels off, the pensioner would pop in with a few hundred dollars here and there, whenever she could afford it.

Bruno says "she struggled hard and got to this level and it's finished, and I think it should go all the way." Although Mrs Ream never really let on, Bruno and Carla knew she was very unwell. Carla's cligging to the hope she'll see Mrs Ream again, she'd dearly love her to walk through the door.

Carla says "it's emotional cause we've known her for so long and we've known the story behind it...can we stop?" Clearly Mrs Ream was more than just a customer. Carla and Bruno carry a soft spot for the lady who loved her daughters so much. which is why they'll never put the pendants up for sale. Bruno says they "were made for special people and I don't think I could just put them in the window"

No matter how long it takes, they've vowed to find the sisters who should have these creations round their necks, close to their hearts.

Bruno says "somethings happened and we don't know about it, if this is your mother, she has left you a lovely legacy"

Contact

email: tt@7perth.com.au

SMS SCAMS

24 Jan 2006, 03:04:39 PM

Reporter: Helen Wellings

They're telemarketer's dreams - mobile phones generate fortunes for scammers. With around 20 million mobile phone users around Australia, those fraudsters can't lose. In fact complaints to the Telecommunications Ombudsman about bills for premium rate SMS's have tripled in the past year - and text spams top the list.

Gordon Renouf, of the Australian Consumers' Association, publishers of Choice magazine, warns "There's more and more of this kind of spam going to go out to consumers. It's only going to get worse unless the regulations are fixed up."

The latest rackets attacking mobile users left, right and centre - offers of so-called "free" ringtones, "you've won a competition for a trip" scams and innocent-looking text messaging that tricks you into replying.

"All the text messages were inviting and playful and much like a friend would text you that's really what got me in," says IT expert Steve Marr. He was intrigued by an SMS from someone say "Hi it's Susan. I'm back. Contact me." Thinking it was an old acquaintance just back from overseas, naturally he sent back a text message. "It came back with a very bizarre message saying "blonde hair blue eyes long legs. Does that help?" I thought I still don't know who this person is but they're having a lend of me. Someone's got a sense of humour I'll play along."

After a few text messages, he discovered he couldn't make a call from his prepaid mobile, even though he'd just bought $30 worth of credit. Steve was scammed! By replying to the message, he'd automatically become a subscriber to a chat service. Every time the service messages him, it costs him $4 up; his replies cost him 50 cents.

Choice's Gordon Renouf says, "Another thing that almost certainly applies is the Trade Practices Act because these people are actually tricking you into signing up for a product or a service and that's misleading conduct and is definitely illegal." But he adds that, ironically, the Spam Act which is meant to specifically apply to unwanted messages, has big loopholes, so the scammers continually get away with it.  

Another person who's been scammed is Paul Oar Zins. "They just continue to send me messages almost on daily basis I didn't realise they were costing money I was just looking at them reading them and ignoring it."

Paul received a text message advertising a competition. "I had an opportunity to win an mp3 player. They said it was $2 per message sent and $2 per message received so I said I didn't want to take part. I thought that would be the end of it."

But when Paul went to make a call on his prepaid phone, his $40 credit had disappeared. He'd actually been charged for reading unwanted messages, again $4 up for each message. "I don't even know how they got my phone number in the first place but they're just taking my money without my permission they seem to get away with it," says Paul angrily.

Free or cheap ringtone offers - another vicious scam targeting mobile phone users around the country. Once Paul Dale accepted the offer for one at $5, he kept getting more messages. "Every 5 days they send you a message saying you can get a ringtone here. I assumed it was just advertising because I hadn't signed up to anything."

Paul had accidently registered with a company known as Mobile Active. When he checked his bills, he realised he'd forked out, not $5 ... but $195 for just one ring tone. The catch - once you get your ringtones, the only way to stop being billed continuously is to .. opt out. "You have to cancel but I didn't think you had to cancel something you didn't subscribe to," says Paul.

Gordon Renouf is concerned about the hundreds of thousands of young consumers with mobile phones - easy targets for scammers. "Kids are going to be more likely to respond to messages and less likely to hit the stop command. And so that's a real worry in terms of parents who are going to be paying for their children's mobile phone bills."

ADVICE: If you want to complain, it's difficult to work out just which authority's got the power to help you and stop the scams, especially if they're overseas companies. So the best advice, start with The Australian Communications and Media Authority and your phone service provider. And also try the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman.

Steve and Paul Oar-Zims finally got refunds. But not everyone is that lucky. Once you reply to an SMS, then try to unsubscribe, often you're hit with more bills. Steve's warning, "My message to everybody out there, particularly kids is, do not respond to anybody you don't know who they are. It's just not worth it."

* The Australian Communications Media Authority.

Report to online@acma.gov.au or use ACMA's online report form on its website.

* The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman {TIO}.

1800 062 058

www.tio.com.au

BOMB CARS

15 Dec 2005, 04:51:02 PM 

Reporter: Rohan Wenn

Four years ago Connie Byrnes bought a car to accommodate her suddenly super-sized family.

Sadly the family ended up with a new car riddled with problems they have had to deal with first-hand ever since. "Oil leaks, noises that people could hear from miles away, they knew we were coming", Connie said.

And then, the engine started cracking and has had to be replaced four times.

So how do you stop consumers like Connie being burnt by car manufacturers who won't replace a car that is clearly a lemon. Well, Norm Crothers from the Australian Consumers Association thinks we need Lemon Laws. "If the motor car had the same fault a number of times, say 3 or maybe four times, during the warranty period, then that constitutes the cars a lemon and the manufacturer or distributor should replace the car, or give the consumer a full refund at the consumers discretion", Norm said.

Laws like that are already in place in the US, and Norm says if they were in place here, consumers wouldn't have to take car companies to the civil courts to get a result.

But how do you avoid getting stung when you're buying a second hand car? Well Mechanic Darryl Weaver says it's not that easy. "There are lots of traps out there and you can find yourself buying a lemon if you're not extremely careful", Darryl said.

So we asked Darryl to give us his top 7 tips you can use in a car yard, to work out which cars may be worth buying, and which cars are bombs.

Tip 1 - Take along a fridge magnet. "We run it along the bottom of the bonnet here 'cause it's metal, it sticks. We get to the corner and the magnet simply won't stick -- that means there has been a rust problem with the bottom of this car, so it's been filled with body filler or fibreglass", Darryl said.

Tip 2 - Take along some cloth. "By putting it over the exhaust and just start it up. A lot of smoke tells us that there's definitely signs of engine wear and you can see with the smoke that's emitted there's possible ring wear which can cost quite a bit of money to repair. So if it was in good condition the cloth should still be fairly clean, maybe just a bit of darkness - maybe a bit but not a dark oily look".

Tip 3 - Watch out for steam cleaned engines. "Quite possibly they've cleaned the engine to cover a potential oil leak, so you've got to ask the question, do you want to have this investigated further?"

Tip 4 - Get under the car. "If you walk under the car as you can see if there's a whole in the muffler that you wouldn't find that lying on your back in a car yard, you'd be very lucky to find something like that. You need it elevated in a hoist situation".

Tip 5 - Look under car seats. "Any car with a seat cover, lift it up, have a look underneath it. The seats have to be in good condition or it can be an un-roadworthy seat".

Tip 6 - Look closely at seat belts. "What you'll find they do is trim the seat belt up with a cigarette lighter, clean the edges, not something you'd normally notice unless you had a really good look and run your fingers over it. Even after they've trimmed it up, it would still be un-roadworthy. They need to be replaced, they are not safe at all".

Tip 7 - Look in the glove box. "If there are no service books you need to speak to the dealer, ask him if he's got any information on it -- the history's important".

Of course the checklist is just a guide, and you should still get a mechanic to properly inspect your car before handing over your hard earned cash to a dealer. That way you won't end up with a lemon which leaves you feeling bitter every time you get behind the wheel.

BBQ SURVEY

08 Dec 2005, 04:29:54 PM

They say men have trouble expressing their true emotions. Well, that's clearly not the case, when the topic for discussion is barbecues. Just as creating poetry is an art, apparently so is choosing the right type of barbecue. But with so many on the market how do you know what's right for you?

Steve King from Adelaide's Heatworks says gone are the days when the traditional style Webber occupied a place in almost every Aussie home. Barbecues are now part of the decor - and a great way to show off to your friends.

"It's quite unbelievable how many people actually go to the extent of having something that's going to look fantastic in the back yard," Steve said.

So how much do they cost? Well they can vary from a couple of hundred dollars right up to the thousands. But according to John Ashes from Choice Magazine you can always find something to suit your budget.

For a few hundred dollars you could get a stylish Webber Baby-Q, or if you have a spare $8000 you could splurge on an Aussie-made Beefeater.

For around $14,000 you could virtually get an outdoor kitchen, equipped with a stainless steel four burner barbecue - even a sink!

Think that's as good as they get? You're wrong.

For around $28,000 you can get all of the above with a few extras like a DVD player, another two-burner on the side, even fridges in the cabinets.

But if you're one of the unlucky ones, who simply can't afford to buy a monster-size barbecue never fear.

Your budget may not allow for the sink or the stainless steel but, more than likely, it will cook just as well as any other barbecue on the market.

According to Choice Magazine, price is not a good indicator of how well the barbecue is going to perform but it might have a bearing on how long it lasts and you may have difficulty with replacement parts for some overseas models.

John says a good quality, reliable family barbecue doesn't have to cost the earth.

"People are conned by features they think might be useful to have," he said.

RAISING A TEENAGE GIRL

02 Aug 2005, 05:51:41 PM

Reporter: Jackie Quist

After 12 years as a children's court magistrate, Barbara Holbrow has given more than her share of tongue lashings to young girls who have run off the rails.

"I believe they are confused and I put it all down to hormones they have never had to deal with before," Ms Holbrow said.

Francis and Max Bourband are struggling to understand the needs and antics of their 13-year-old daughter Becky.

"We caught her smoking and we grounded her and she said, 'no I'm off', and ran away," Mr Bourband said.

"On that occasion we knew where she ran away to and we picked her up and brought her back home," he added.

After Becky ran away a second time her parents sought help from a family counselor who helped them all deal with this difficult time.

Family therapist Benita Cohen specialises in helping families and adolescents cope with this often difficult stage. She said it can be baffling for the parents and is often baffling for the girls.

"There is a kind of emotional roller coaster many parents describe where their daughters go from being happy and calm one minute to furious and overwhelmed," Ms Cohen said.

Rahat Kauper, 14, said her priorities included friends, fashion, mobile phones, parties, privacy and boys.

"Arguing is the only way you can get your ideas to your parents, they're so old fashioned," she said.

Ms Cohen said reaching a middle ground is the key to not just surviving but enjoying your daughter's adolescence.

"I try to give suggestions for parents to not hover over their children or try to impose certain standards and boundaries all the time," she said.

"They need to let their child know they want them to grow up and be free and have space but safe at the same time," Ms Cohen added.

Other tips include remembering girls are more emotional than boys so offer support, ask questions about their feelings, be interested in their lives, discuss their fears and dreams, and give comfort in difficult times.

"It is important parents remember back to their own experience and remember for the most part they survived their teenage years and matured," Ms Cohen said.

DRIVE CAM

03 Jun 2005, 05:57:09 PM 

Reporter: David Richardson

It's a humble Aussie invention taking the world by storm, the ultimate driver watchdog called Drivecam.

"I believe it has the potential to save more lives than airbags and seat belts combined."

Australian inventor Gary Rayner is not idly boasting about his creation. Already 30,000 Drivecams have been sold in the United States, reducing accidents by more than 50% by recording the anatomy of a car crash as it happens.

The camera is mounted just behind the rear vision mirror on the front windscreen. It looks back into the cabin, and ahead towards the road. It acts like a black box recorder for your car, bus, cab or limo but records pictures and sounds.

For anxious parents Drivecam is the ultimate car nanny. It's recording all the time so parents can remove the cameras flashcard, download into their computer and see how their kids have been behaving behind the wheel.

"People like parents or fleet managers or others that are monitoring drivers can see close calls or bad driving behaviour before they turn into accidents and actually counsel them."

But as the boss of Drivecam America found out, the device has also saved companies a fortune in insurance claims.

"If you do get involved in an accident you want to know if you were at fault of some else was. Most of the time people think they are responsible and they're not at fault and the drive cam proves that" says Bruce.

"It takes about 30 days for a major accident to be investigated by an insurance company. With Drivecam that can take that down to a day or two" adds Gary.

The camera is also equipped with a red panic button so it can record anything you see, like a mugging or road rage incident, just about anything. But in Australia it's being examined for our teen driver problem.

"If you've a parent out there who is unsure about the way their son or daughter may be driving or behaving in a motorcar it's great protection and it's a security blanket for the parent as well" says Head of the Stay Safe Committee Paul Gibson. He believes the Aussie invention is one of the best he has ever seen. "Where it's been tried there's been a 30% reduction in deaths, a 30% reductions in accidents and a 30% reduction in hospitalization."

Gary Rayner was forced to start selling Drivecam in America but hopes to introduce into Australia soon. It sells for about $1,500 and has already been picked up by 400 American companies who download from the cameras to tell how their drivers perform.

"The bottom line is it absolutely saves lives" says Gary.

For more information on Drivecam, please visit their website: www.drivecam.com

FIGHTING THE FINE PRINT

01 Jun 2005, 05:35:14 PM 

Reporter: Miranda Miller

Unfair terms and conditions can turn a seemingly good purchase into a nightmare of extra expenses. Today Tonight looks at your rights against the big guys.

After putting her house up for sale, Selvana Michael took the family on a day out while the real estate agent had an "Open For Inspection" day.

When Selvana returned, she found the family's digital camera was gone. Despite being covered by her insurance company for theft, Selvana's claim was rejected on the grounds she had "invited" the thief into her home.

Tamika Fox was just six months into a 24-month mobile phone contract when her phone stopped working. With a 12-month warranty on the handset, the phone company sent it back to the manufacturer who claimed it was damaged by liquid.

So, with 18-months still left on her contract, Tamika had to pay over $400 with no phone to show for it.

Eliza Collier from the Consumer Law Centre says most contracts clearly favour the companies writing them. When you hire a car, go to the gym, or sign up to a video library, all of the contracts can contain terms that are considered "unfair". They are usually the ones in the fine print.

"Unfair terms can include a term that allows a business to determine, unilaterally to change the terms of the contract, including the price of the contract or even the goods and services that are provided under that contract", Ms Collier said.

Ms Collier said mobile phone contracts were the most common ones with clauses that favour the company.

Some examples of what she calls "unfair" clauses are:

• Cancellation fees for the early termination of the contract, with is often higher than the price of the remaining contract.

• The supplier's allowed to vary the rates or charges at any time.

• Terms and conditions are often not detailed in the signed contract, but are available "on request".

Not surprisingly, financial institutions are the big winners too.

One major lender's contract states: "From time to time we may: change the amount of or basis for calculating any fee or charge; change the interest or fee charging cycle; impose and debit any new fee or charge; and change any other terms and conditions".

"There is often an enormous amount in fine print and the contract you sign is in fact only a summary of the terms of the contract that you are actually bound by," Miss Collier said.

Victoria is currently the only state that has Unfair Terms Legislation. Everywhere else, the terms of any contract can favour the company as much as they like.

The Consumer Law Centre wants to see unfair contracts outlawed in other states.

"Consumers shouldn't have to deal with large amounts of fine print or legalese", Ms. Collier said.

Selvana claims businesses make contracts as confusing as possible so they will always be able to find a loophole that favours them.

Tamika took her case to the Telecommunications Ombudsman and has since received a new phone. But she says next time she will shop around for the company with the fairest contract, rather than the cheapest.

The Consumer Law Centre is at www.clcv.net.au

Find the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman at www.tio.com.au

4WD's

30 May 2005, 05:18:57 PM 

Reporter: Adene Cassidy

Arif Hajher's 7-year-old son, Shahid, was killed in January this year - hit by a 4WD and tragically, he died in his sister's arms.

Mr. Hajher, a father in grief, is determined to have 4WD's banned from our streets and has this plea. "I can say that I have lost the taste in my life and life is meaningless. I believe they should be at least restricted".

It is certainly not the first time the call to ban 4WD's has been made and says Arif, it won't be the last until the number of fatalities and accidents involving the powerful cars has been reduced.

A similar story and tragedy for 5-year-old Bethany Holder, struck by a 4WD Nissan Patrol in her school grounds. The driver, mother John McLennan, says she also didn't see the little girl and has now vowed to spend the rest of her life trying to improve road safety for children. "I don't think they are a safe vehicle. I don't see the point of having them on city roads", she said.

At the inquest into little Bethany's death, the coroner made several recommendations which have gained momentum and nationwide support - some of these include a 4WD free school zone and even a special licence for 4WD owners.

While some State Governments are now seriously considering the recommendations, it seems the issue of tariffs for 4WD's has been overlooked. The 4WD was originally introduced for farmers so the tariff has been kept at just 5% compared to a 10% tariff on your average family sedan.

The makes these powerful people-movers even more affordable for city drivers.

In 1980 only one in 50 cars purchased was a 4WD but by 1990, it was one in 12. Today it's a staggering one in five, with only a quarter of those drivers buying the car for off-road exploring.

But despite the renewed debate and publicity surrounding these controversial cars, it seems drivers are still oblivious. Footage we took outside several primary schools showed double parking, parking across driveways, ignoring signs - all at peak hour when Australian school kids are at their most vulnerable.

"Most of them, when they feel safer, they don't mind about the safety of others or at least are less careful, that false confidence makes them aggressive drivers - that's what I mean", Arif said.

The government-funded National Black Spot Program website maintains a map of current road black spot projects around Australia at: www.dotars.gov.au/transprog/road/blackspot/current.aspx

HOUSEWORK AND MEN

24 May 2005, 03:05:50 PM 

Reporter: Glenn Connley

In the beginning man was a hunter and gatherer, while the women stayed at home and looked after the cave. 

But in this age of equality and dishwashers, blokes couldn't hunt down a pre-roasted chook or gather their thoughts, so surely it's about time the men started to pull their weight and do their bit around the cave.

Comedian Tim Smith and his wife, Jules, have a beautiful home in Melbourne, but while Jules cleans it from top to bottom, Tim sits on his bottom and watches.

Its an age-old problem for women across the world - getting their bloke to pitch in at home. In fact, latest research from the Australian Institute of Family Studies says while men do between eight and nine hours housework a week, women do between 19 and 25 hours.

Now in Spain, a proposed law will force men to do at least 40% of domestic duties, otherwise they will miss out when it comes to diving assets in the divorce courts.

Nova FM host, Dave O'Neil recently performed a stand-up comedy act called "House Proud", mocking his own laziness. "I don't see dust, I don't think men see dust at all. I don't believe in things like vacuuming; I don't believe in doing dishes; I don't believe in lots of things", Dave said.

Dr. Carole Ferrier from the Queensland University Centre for Women says its time working wives took a stand. "I suppose one successful strategy would be for all women in the house to just stop doing it, even perhaps for just a week. They'd probably be much more miserable living in squalor with no food, but that would definitely work", she said.

But there are plenty of guys who would spend hours working out ways to avoid work. "All you have to do guys, if you are watching this, is break one good dish when you are doing the drying or washing up", Tim said.

Interestingly, there is a marked difference between what married and unmarried men do around the house. De-facto husbands do 39% of the housework in their homes and 73% of the outdoor jobs. Married men do just 26% of the housework but 81% of the outdoor jobs. Married women do a huge 83% of the housework at their place, while unmarried women do 71%.

Today Tonight is on the hunt for Australia's best and worst husband when it comes to domestic duties. To enter your husband send an outline of why you think he is Australia's best or worst husband to tt@7perth.com.au

TABLE MANNERS

23 May 2005, 03:04:06 PM 

Reporter: Natalie Bonjolo

Perth parents say their teenagers' manners are so bad they can't take them

out in public. But Perth has its very own Super Nanny who says she can tame

any teenager in just one day.

We decided to take a group of teens out for a meal and put etiquette expert,

Natalia Josephs, to the test.

Natalia, an ex finishing school mistress, takes the teenagers through

etiquette lessons, changing things from the way they walk to the way they

talk and eat. And, believe it or not, her methods work.

One week on, and the mums say their children are still demonstrating good

manners. Teresa says her son, 14 year old Sean, used to shovel his food in

and grunt but now he's actually talking. The girls' mums say they're back

to a few of the old tricks, but Natalia says you can only expect subtle

changes to start with.

Contact Image Power Australia for more information on Natalia's workshops.

Image Power Australia

Natalia Josephs

Ph 9322 2224

www.imagepower.com.au

PIZZA TESTS

20 May 2005, 04:58:13 PM 

Reporter: Helen Wellings

Pizzas, once exclusively an Italian dish, have become a universal favourite.

In Australia, after hamburgers, pizzas are now the most popular fast food in the nation. We eat our way through 160 million of them a year, $1.6 billion worth, that's a whopping one third of the total fast food market in Australia. But how good are they for us?

It's pizza 2 or 3 times a month in the Wilcox household. Mum, Anthea says it's a very economical and filling meal for a family of 7, but in the nutrition stakes?

"They are quite fatty, treats for family on entertainment night, during the week we stick to our normal diet" says Anthea.

So how much fat, kilojoules and salt do pizzas have, and how much meat is on top? Is thin crust better then thick? We tested supreme pizzas from the biggest players in the market, Dominos and Pizza Hut, as well as Eagle Boys and Pizza Haven. Also the frozen supermarket varieties, Papa Giuseppi's and McCain. Those results coming up.

Sharon Natoli, Dietician from Food Nutrition Australia says pizzas should be an occasional treat. Just look at the figures! Highest in fat and kilojoules:

• Domino's Thin amazingly - around 1228 kilojoules and 14.4% fat in an average slice

• Pizza Hut thin 1121 kj, 11.4% fat, slightly more than Pizza Hut pan.

• Lowest in kilojoules with half the fat Pizza Haven Thin, Papa Giuseppi's, Eagle Boys and McCain.

"A thin crust is better than the thick crust, but be aware of the toppings, so the more pepperoni, sausage, bacon on top the higher the readings are going to be even if it's thin [crust] it can be high in fat kj and salt" says Sharon.

So, one slice of supreme pizza is, on average, around 1150 kilojoules, 10 grams fat. A Big Mac Burger is 2010 kilojoules, 25 grams of fat which means not quite 2 slices of pizza is equivalent to one Big Mac!

Most meat: McCain 15% and Papa Giuseppi's 13%, least Dominos thin, Pizza Haven pan and Dominos pan. But remember, the more the meat and the fattier, the higher the kilojoules and fat. And watch that high salt, bad for blood pressure and arteries - almost 2 grams in some of our pizzas.

"Most people would eat 3 slices for an average meal and that would give you more than your salt intake for the day and more, one third of you daily kj intake and half of your daily fat intake, so you are getting a fair whack of those nutrients in one go" says Sharon.

So Sharon Natoli recommends; "try to have them less often and limit the amount you have at any one time, try and serve it with some salad or crusty bread and make a more balanced meal of it."

KIDS TESTS

19 May 2005, 04:47:32 PM 

Reporter: Rohan Wenn

These days, it almost seems like parents need to go back to school just to understand school reports. A, B, C D, and marks out of one hundred, have been replaced with ambiguous terms like Established, Developing, Beginning.

Gail McHardy from Parents Victoria says the new styles of school reports are confusing and unhelpful.

Which is why the Australian council for Education Research has created the “i-achieve” testing program. As Professor Jim Tognulini explains, the on-line system gives parents a clear set of marks, scores and results, without the politically mumbo jumbo. “The beauty of it is you do the test, you submit it, and within one second you get your whole report back”, Professor Tognulini said.

Penny Maher put her two children, Jed and Hannah, to the on-line test and she felt the feedback was fantastic.

The children answer forty questions per subject, and once completed, and receive instant, detailed statistics and comments about what they know and what they need to brush up on. 

And if parents want the results presented in the old fashioned style, with a percentage mark and an A B C D or F, the program will do that too. “The important part of the information is what did you get right, what did you get wrong, which skills appear to need some extra help”, said Professor Tognulini.

Then at the end of the year, the child is given a second test to see how they have improved and what areas still need a little attention. “the whole process is on improving learning. It's not focused on pass and fail”, Professor Tognulini said.

At the moment the testing program is available for Maths and English, but the Council for Education Research will expand the service into other subjects over the next year.

It costs around $100 per each subject and that covers all the testing and re-testing. As far as Penny is concerned, that money is simply the price you pay for clarity “That instant feedback, which they don't get from basic skills or other testing at school, is really important, for them to see and improve”, Penny said.

For further information about the testing program visit the website at:  www.iachieve.com.au/iah/

FRUIT & VEG IMPORTS

19 May 2005, 04:50:19 PM 

Reporter: Helen Wellings

Australia grows, arguably, the best produce in the world, but in the past 5 years, imports of fruits and vegies have risen alarmingly. In fact, some of our vegies have been almost eroded by imports, and more and more growers, family businesses, are going out of business.

Vegies and fruit from China, India, South America, Phillipines are very cheap, so retailers and supermarkets will bring them in in increasing amounts. Trouble is, imported produce is not subject to the same strict practices and tests as our home grown products. We show shocking farm practices in China, fresh human faeces from toilet blocks used as fertiliser, chemicals applied liberally from back packs, dangerous pesticide residues like DDT and other organochlorines on imported fruit and vegies in Australia - cancer-causing chemicals that have been banned in Australia for decades. Just to twist the knife further, the government is planning to water down Country of Origin labelling, so we consumers won't know where produce comes from. How convenient for the supermarket's new Own Labels!

Where do our fruit and vegetables come from?

Says spokesman for Australian vegetable producers, Euan Laird, "Walk into any supermarket and you see produce there is not clearly labelled as to whether it is grown here or imported from overseas."

How much is imported?

"20% of food products come in from China at this stage," declares Queensland vegetable farmer, Howard Poole.

And just how clean and green are fruit and vegies in the shops?

Euan Laird again, "Traces of chemicals that have been banned in Australia are being found on imported on imported produce ... We should not expose consumers to these dangerous chemicals."

Aussie-grown fruit and vegetables are known to be among the best in the world, but an invasion of overseas produce into our shops is threatening to take over. Tasmanian vegie grower, Michael Badcock, says the new global economy and the advent of free trade agreements are killing our local market.

"I believe we will lose our industry here and the Australian consumer will be eating products that we can grow here but they will be coming from overseas."

"We've seen in the last 4 yrs a 40% increase in imports of frozen vegies and a 26% increase in fresh imports," adds Euan Laird of AusVeg, Australian Vegetable and Potato Growers Federation. He's seen 900 growers, all family businesses, go bust lately .. and that's just the start, all because of falling exports and rising imports.

"We've had a 7000% increase in asparagus imports in the past 12 months, a 25% increase in garlic being imported into Australia ... frozen potatoes, substantial increases."

Just listen to the figures!

• Garlic .. a staggering 95% of it in our shops is imported, mostly from China, yet it can be sourced all year round in Australia.

• Asparagus, around 50% is now imported.

• Green peas 25%.

• Onions and shallots, 20%.

• Peanuts 15% to 20% are imported, but in supermarkets 40% of the shelf stock are imports.

Frozen vegies .. we now import over $100 million worth a year, mainly sweet corn, peas, beans and spinach.

Howard Poole stresses, "Vegetable production is a hands on thing. It absorbs a lot of labour. In China wages are around $2 and less a day, or they work for a bed and a feed. How can we compete against that."

Howard Poole says the biggest problem with a lot of imports, especially from some parts of China, is very dodgy and dangerous practices. He's regularly travelled to China and has seen first-hand these sub-standard habits.

"The common practices in China is to use any sort of organic waste, this includes human waste, pig waste, chicken manure," he says.

Pictures we show on Today Tonight will shock, but the facts need to be told! We see untreated human excrement from farm's toilet blocks which is used as fertiliser on hectares of vegetables - cauliflower, celery, cabbages, all sorts of vegies grown for export.

Euan Laird says, "I guess consumers have to ask themselves whether they would eat produce fertilised with human waste. That's been outlawed in Australia for centuries, yet they're still using those practices overseas. And that's the fundamental question, how safe is this food coming in?"

"Chinese farmers still use chemicals that have been outlawed in the Western world over the years," indicates Howard Poole.

That's another shocking revelation! We show dangerous carcinogenic chemicals being used in vegetable and peanut farming in China and some other countries. These chemicals were banned in Australia decades ago because they accumulate in the body and cause serious illness and death.

Euan Laird again, "We have clear evidence to show some of the imported produce coming in has traces of dieldren, DDT, various organochlorines, all sorts of pesticides. So if those products are being used overseas and they come into Australia we're exposing our consumers to potential risk and harm."

Kingaroy's Bob Hansen of the Peanut Association of Australia says imported peanuts can be high risk.

"A number of these contaminants such as organochlorides, heavy metals, aflatoxin - they are quite detrimental to health in a number of ways and we ensure they're not in our Aussie products".

The same dangers exist with some imported dried vegies, fruit and herbs. A confidential report by the Department of Primary Industries reveals 16 out of 50 dried products tested, that's 1 out of 3, contain chemical residues including DDT, Deildren and other cancer-causing organochlorines. Also many had traces of foreign seeds, fungi, bacteria and viruses that could introduce exotic diseases into Australia.

Howard Poole, looking at photos of Chinese vegetable farmers with chemical packs their back, says "They certainly don't understand how to use chemicals and when to use them and when not to use them, and at the end of the day the product could be contaminated with high level of chemicals."

"In Australia, our machinery delivers a very accurate dose and there is only the minimal amount of chemical possible to achieve the desired result, " says Euan Laird, as he points to a machine delivering a very fine measured spray of pesticide recommended as safe under our regulated food standards.

But, unbelievably, imported foods don't have to meet the same strict food safety Standards as our locally grown foods.

Aussie produce is government-tested for 61 chemicals, but imported produce is tested by the Australian Quarantine Inspection Services for a mere 25 chemicals. And only 5% of containers {1 in 20} coming into the country are checked.

But the worst thing? Those tests don't even screen imports for the real dangers - DDT, Deildren, heavy metals and faecal coliforms like human waste.

Euan Laird says, "They are going the lowest common denominator in some of this testing, forcing regulations on our own growers, but not complying other trading partners to meet the same standards."

And here's the crunch! Just when Aussie farmers are being wiped out by imports, our food authority is planning to water down Country Of Origin labelling on unpackaged produce. Proposals would mean retailers don't have to tell shoppers that food is imported, unless we specifically ask a salesperson!

But with strong objections from the public and Aussie growers, and the fear of terrorist contamination on foods from overseas, Dean Stockwell of Food Standards Australia New Zealand tells us the Authority is now backing down.

"The feedback we're getting is that the proposal is not realistic for many of the consumers and producers so we're looking very hard to make sure the proposal is reworked."

"We need imported produce to be clearly labelled so consumers can make an informed decision about the produce they're buying," warns Euan Laird.

MADONNA WEEPS

16 May 2005, 02:55:04 PM 

Reporter: Andrea Burns

The people are true believers, they claim the mysterious tears from the fibreglass statue are the world of God and that some of them are alive because of the miracle.

Devout Catholic Patty Powell bought the statue in Thailand over a decade ago. Three years ago she claims it started crying, and the tears are still flowing.

Patty has transformed her backyard into a grotto for prayer and the inside of her home as well. Her website documents other signs, including an apparition which she claims left a footprint. “I was very humbled, I was a bit emotional about it because it was such a tangible sign”, Patty said.

Grandparents Mary and Geoff Wishart believe they have received two miracles thanks to the weeping Madonna. “I had severe pins and needles in my left arm, 24/7. It was absolutely shocking and my neck was very restricted”, Mary said.

On her second visit to the statue, Mary claims she heard a voice. “I felt nothing happen, nothing at all. It was just a voice saying Mary move your head and I very cautiously did. I found I had pretty near full movement”, Mary said.

Within days of receiving a Virgin Mary medal, Geoff says something pushed him to get his eyes checked. Doctors found a hard to diagnose cancer. “There is no other explanation. If I had been two weeks later to the optician, I wouldn't be here tonight”, Geoff said.

Angel and Lorraine Floate still wear lockets around their necks containing tear-soaked cotton wool. They believe it was responsible for bringing the twenty-five year old out of a diabetic coma. “I put the oil on her forehead and her hands while she was lying there. I kept calling out to her and then she opened her eyes”, Lorraine said.

Scientific tests two years ago found no evidence of foul play – a Catholic Archbishop's inquiry couldn't explain the tears.

John Happs from the Sceptics Society, said it simply couldn't be true – a fibreglass statue does not cry role oil. He says he hasn't changed his mind and says the whole thing is just nonsense.

WORKING MUMS

12 May 2005, 04:00:50 PM 

Reporter: Andrea Burns

It used to be that a mum was a housewife OR a business woman...and nothing in between. But these days, women juggle being a mum, a wife and running a business from home. Not because they have to but because they choose to... and they love it..

"When you really enjoy something you've got to make it work!" Liza.

Meet Liza, Mum of Jasmine and Luke and the face of Twisted Sister Jewellery. She doesn't see her job as work...

"I am working around the clock but because I enjoy it so much I don't feel that it's working -it's just a pure passion for me."

That passion and creativity has turned her unique hand made jewellery work into a successful party plan business.

"Everything is hand made with love and passion."

Running the business from home, and fitting into her kids' schedules, Liza sometimes has to resort to drumming up business while doing the daily chores.

"Once I started running the business you have to basically learn not to stress out, your house has got to be lived in - it can't be a palace all of the time," Liza.

"I wasn't able to just stay at home and be a mum as much as I love doing that I had the need to do other things," Renee.  

For 28 year old Renee having her 2 year old son Isaiah couldn't slow her dream to start her pet product range Shampucci.  

"I've always been an ideas person and that was no different once my son came along," Renee.

Working out a balance with running a business and entertaining a toddler has its days, but it's manageable.

"You can't just get up in the morning and work all day on something - it's really intermittent so you have to work around them," Renee.

After running two successful grooming salons Renee realised there was a niche in the market for salon quality products.

"When you are running a salon, you are wanting to use a really good product when so you get that salon quality finish so that's how it started looking into something for me to use and it went from there, and now the public have a quality product available to them and it's made locally," Renee.

With an active 2 year old to consider, daily chores and deliveries, and with new products on the horizon the secret is to be organised and prioritise your time.

"Isaiah always comes first, I always make sure he's happy and always do everything with him first and then the business and because I work from home it's possible to keep it all going," Renee.

"It gets a bit hectic sometimes, I find I don't have enough hours in the day," Jennifer.

Jennifer has been running Plum Gifts from home well before she was a mum, and now with three gorgeous girls, she manages it all ...and the business has never been better.

"I try and keep my family life as separate from my business life as I can. I take the kids to school and I work from the time I drop them off til the time I pick them up doing my hampers," Jennifer.

Making up custom design gift hampers from home suits Jennifer's clients and her family.

"It gives me a lot of flexibility, I can still be there if there is something on at school and my clients know that can call me at 8 o'clock at night for a late order," Jennifer. 

But there are more benefits than just the flexibility of working from home.

"It does my retail therapy for me without actually buying anything for myself!" Jennifer.

But like everything in a busy day, something's always got to give...

"I have someone that cleans the house, somebody that pulls the weeds in my garden and that sort of thing," (laughs) Jennifer.

And on the title of being a super mum?

"I think everyone that can juggle is a super mum in their own way," Jennifer.

TWISTED SISTER -- Jewellery Party Plan -- Liza Ness 0402 748 618

Call Liza to organise your party. All designs unique and hand crafted with love and passion.

SHAMPUCCI -- Pet Products -- Renee Matokovich 0418 933 813

Available at City Farmers Joondalup, pet shops, gift shops and even some hairdressers. For stockists, contact Renee. 

Products -- Shampoo / Conditioners / Soothing Balm

PLUM GIFTS -- Hampers -- Jennifer 9276 1766 // 0407 881 424

Web: www.plumgifts.com.au

Email: sales@plumgifts.com.au

Products: Custom made gift hamper

WASHING POWDER

10 May 2005, 03:41:44 PM 

Reporter: Chris Simond

Staying clean is a costly business. Each year Australians spend $450 million to keep their clothes spotless.

And with words like enzymes, phosphates and optical brighteners it's no wonder, a simple load of washing sounds more like a science experiment.

So how on earth are we to choose the right product? Thankfully Choice Magazine has done the work for us. The results of their washing powder tests a little later.

"I do about three loads a day which works out to be 21 loads a week, what with a husband working in a bakery he gets pretty dirty in his whites and two children, a three and a five year old its a pretty messy business." Annette Gonzles knows her way around a washing machine, like most Australians she chooses a powder to clean her families clothes. "To tell you the truth I've never tried a liquid, I've stuck to powders like the old fashioned days."

And it seems Annette's made the right decision. Choice Magazine have discovered powders clean better than their liquid counterparts simply because they contain more chemical cleaning ingredients.

"Powders do clean better than a liquid but liquids do come with other benefits, liquids are probably more convenient because of their cap and the way they dose its very convenient for consumers." OMO's Martin Drinkroe has seen the washing powder market change drastically in recent years with front loading machines now accounting for 20 per cent of the market, powder manufacturers have had to follow suit. "If you use a top loader powder in a front loader washing machine it could actually make too much foam and end up flooding out of your washing machine and give you a worse wash result as well as damage the washing machine."

"I think they're rather bombarded with all these technical words and if people have got no idea what they mean I'm not quite sure what they make of them." Being the Head of Chemistry at the University of Technology Sydney, Dr John Callum has the advantage of at least knowing what he is buying. So what exactly do enzymes do? "Enzymes speed up the rate in which water breaks down the stain on your trousers, on your shirts Enzymes indeed aren't just a marketing ploy, they actually do help clean your clothes and remove stains from them."

And when it comes to Optical or fabric brighteners, be warned, it's an illusion, they don't actually make your clothes any cleaner. They make your clothes look white, and the way they work is they absorb ultra violet light, they're whats called fluorescents."

So just what are the best washing powders on the market and how much do they cost each wash?

For front loader use Choice Magazine recommends:

• Omo Matic at 59 cents per wash.

• Dynamo Matic at 51 cents per wash

• Duo Matic Concentrate at 35 cents per wash.

These products rated over 91% for performance and all contain stain lifting enzymes.

For those with top loaders:

• Omo High Performance concentrate at 51 cents per wash is the best performer. 

• Omo Aloe Vera at 66 cents per wash does a good job

• Duo Concentrate at 32 cents per wash round out the best performers.

All of these products rated above 92% in terms of performance and all contain enzymes.

"To be saving any kind of money, especially with a family would be worth while looking into and I'm sure it would be cheaper than the $18 I'm already spending" says Annette.

Now the best buys for front loaders users on a budget:

• Bi-Lo Laundry powder is hard to beat at only 8 cents per wash.

• No Frills Premium Laundry at 21 cents per wash is a good purchase

• Radiant Ultra Concentrate Cold will also get your clothes clean for 21 cents per wash.

All these products scored over 91 per cent for performance.

And the best buys for top loaders suers for a budget;

• Bi-Lo Laundry Powder tops the list, a little more expensive at 17 cents per wash

• Next Duo Concentrate at 32 cents per wash

• Surf Ocean Fresh at 33 cents per wash.

"I would try a lesser known brand if it was cheaper, I mean if it does the same job as a brand name because there's thousands of dollars going through the wash every year" adds Annette.

MAGNETS

21 Apr 2005, 03:42:49 PM 

Reporter: Rohan Wenn

They have worked all their lives, raised their families, and now - if it was a just world - they would be able to enjoy a little rest and recreation in retirement. But to often, time on the bowling green has retirees seeing red thanks to the chronic pain of arthritis.

Dick Wickes knows a bit about chronic pain. He suffers from a condition called Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome, but a chance meeting with former Olympian Betty Cuthbert saw Dick's health and his career prospects looking up. "This thing fell on the ground and I just bent over picked it up and asked Betty what it was. She said it's my magic pillow, it's got magnets and gives off this lovely natural warmth", Dick said.

Ever since he has been manufacturing magnetic products he says can be used to relieve pain, and he points to recent medical studies to back up his claims. "We have such positive proof coming from leading doctors, not only in Australia, but in America, Japan, England, all over the world really", Dick said.

He claims the magnets affect the iron in the blood. "They claim the iron ions are attracted to the magnets in your haemoglobin and it just creates a lovely warm feeling", Dick said.

Grant Stevenson from the Sceptics Society is well, sceptical. "Why would you spend hundreds or thousands of dollars when there is no curtain outcome. I think there should be more research and more longer term studies", he said.

So we decided to do a little test of our own, with the help of six retirees. The trick is only half of them have magnets in then and you won't know who has the magnets and who doesn't.

We asked Cliff, Tess, Daphne, Gilda, Irene and Marshall to relate their current pain levels on a scale of one to five, then wear the knee support for six weeks, marking down how their knee feels each week.

Finally, after six weeks, we assembled our groups and asked them how they had been feeling: Irene and Daphne felt no improvement, but then again, they weren't wearing the knee supports with magnets; Marshall wasn't either, but he still felt an improvement.

Cliff and Tess were wearing supports with magnets and they both felt better, while Gilda, who also wore the magnet knee support, noticed a big drop in pain.

While our test was not exactly scientific, Dick says it is proof magnets seem to make life a little easier for people in pain, "We work with chronic pain sufferers and the results have been fantastic over the years", he said.

Dick Wicke's products are available at: (03) 9556 6677 or visit the website at:  www.dickwicks.com.au

HOT CHIPS

18 Apr 2005, 04:31:39 PM 

Reporter: Helen Wellings

Aussies' love affair with hot potato chips is still sizzling. We crave those irresistible French fries, crinkle cut, chunky, straight cut, shoestring - endless shapes and sizes, but in the nutrition stakes, chips have a very sleazy reputation.

We consume huge quantities, around $140 million worth a year, just from the supermarket, making them Australia's most popular snack after sandwiches.

Two years ago, a Choice study found some hot chips had more than 5 times the fat of other healthier brands and most were cooked in bad-for-you saturated fats, the animal fats like beef or palm vegetable. "Saturated fat is the type that clogs the arteries, leads to heart disease, increases your risk of stroke and heart disease," says Dietician, Sharon Natoli from Food and Nutrition Australia. 

She adds that says some chips are also laden with salt. "The high intake of salt leads to increase in blood pressure and so minimizing salt is recommended."

So, are chips still potential killers? Today Tonight had the most popular supermarket brands tested, along with hot chips from fast food outlets.

How much fat do they have? What type of fat are they cooked in? Also how much salt and kilojoules or calories? "We wanted to separate the saturated fat because that is considered harmful to the human body," explains Analytical Chemist, Roger Mooney, who conducted the tests.

We had all the chips tested once they were cooked, measuring the amount of salt they're sold with.

The results for our fast food chips:  

Lowest in total fats, Red Rooster -- 7.3%, but half of that is the bad saturated fat, 3.7%.

Compare that with McDonalds, 16% total fats, but only 1.8% of that is saturated.

KFC, 11.6% fat, 5.7% saturated.

Worst in our test is Hungry Jacks with 16.7%, and a big whack, 7.4%, is unhealthy saturated fat.

"We're ranging from one and a half teaspoons up to just over 3 teaspoons of fat and that's just per 100gm of chips. From Red Rooster to Hungry Jacks we're looking at twice as much fat in the Hungry Jacks compared with Red Rooster. So it's very important to know how much you're getting and where it's coming from" demonstrates Sharon Natoli, with relative teaspoons of fat.

McDonalds are the only ones that give nutritional information on the pack. They now use mainly canola which gives them the lowest saturated fat. But fast food chips are still cooked in a blend of oils. Sharon Natoli explains, "Most of them are still using animal fats which are high in saturated fats and that's the bad fat we need to be avoiding."

Salt. All our fast food chips contain less than 1% salt, but in just an average serve, that's a disturbing half to three quarters of our daily salt needs. 

But we shouldn't only focus on low fat and salt. Watch those kilojoules. "An average serve of chips from a fast food outlet will give you 1800 to 2000 kJs in one go. If you're trying to lose weight that's about one third of what you need for the whole day," says our Dietician, Sharon.

Supermarket frozen chips. They can be more healthily cooked, oven baked or grilled, because they already have fat added. 

How much? In our selection,

McCain's Healthy Choice is indeed a healthier option... just 3 grams of total fats and only 0.3% is saturated.

Logan Farm Golden Gourmet Straight Cut 3.2%, 1.7% saturated beef fat. Birds Eye Crinkle Cut Canola 4.5%, just 0.4% is saturated,

Coles Straight cut 4.9%, 0.8% saturated.

Homebrand Shoestring 5%, 0.6% saturated.

And Farmland Canola has the most fat of the bunch, 5.8% fat, but less than 1% is saturated.

That's good news! Supermarket chips have only around one third to one fifth of the fat and kilojoules of most fast food chips. Also they're much lower in salt.

Even so, any chips are a relatively high kJ food, because of the kJs in potatoes, and the additional oil content. The more oil, the more kJs or calories. And, if you fry, rather than oven bake or grill, supermarket chips, the fat levels could skyrocket .. five times more.

Sharon Natoli's advice, always drain and blot chips in absorbent paper. "Keeping hot chips from fast food outlets to once a week or less is a good guide for people and if they're wanting chips to go to the supermarket and get the frozen ones in healthy oil and pop them in the oven at home or better still make your own from whole potato."

For further information visit the website at:  www.foodnut.com.au

And The Dieticians' Association of Australia on (02) 9262 1211 or (02) 6282 9555

GENERIC FOODS

14 Apr 2005, 03:38:07 PM 

Reporter: Helen Wellings

Get ready for the supermarket revolution! 

Hundreds of new products are about to hit the shelves, lots of familiar brands and products are disappearing before your eyes. It's a huge upheaval for shoppers, and it could spell the end of the road for thousands of manufacturers and small businesses, so the supermarkets can drive up their profits.

Robert Stockdill, of the independent grocery publication, Foodweek, says, "The power is definitely, very definitely with the supermarket chains ... It will be the death knell for smaller manufacturers."

Dairy Farmer Brendan Kennedy voices his concern, "We don't want people to have a monopoly, let the consumer have a choice."

"This is probably the biggest thing that will happen in most people's lives in supermarketing", says Barry Flanagan of "Retail World".

That "biggest thing" is about to happen - an explosion of new Own Label or house brands, products made by the supermarkets that sell them. At present in Australia, Own Label Brands make up around 12% of supermarket sales. Woolworths have "Home Brand" and "Woolworths", Coles currently offers "Savings", "Farmland", "Persona", "Reliance" and "Coles Organic".

But now, Coles Myer want to treble their share of Own Label products to 30% - 40% of the products in their stores ... within 2 years.

Barry Flanagan explains, "Coles want to lift the number of products in the shopping trolley to one third of what you buy."

He says supermarkets can make far bigger profits from their own house products than from manufacturer's brands.

"The population's not increasing so they've got to find new ways of making money out of the products they already sell is one way of doing it."

Woolworths are keeping their popular Home Brand - but they'll go into battle with Coles and soon introduce a new range of premium products with the Woolworths label. It's rumoured there will be 200 different products.

Coles are ditching all their current house brands and bringing in "3 tiers" of new ones - cheap, medium, expensive.

They'll call them "Coles Smart Buy", "You'll Love Coles" and the superior brand, "George J Coles". Expect to see them on the shelves in a few weeks!

This new move to flood the major supermarkets with "own brands" is based on the huge success of supermarket generics overseas, especially in the UK where they're 40% of overall supermarket sales!

"We have olive oils. Basic light. And garlic and basil. and then extra virgin. And here the top of the range ..", says UK Retail Consultant, Robert Clark as he shows us the huge range of generics at Tesco.

Robert Clark says, in the UK "own labels" have built up over 20 years, in all sorts of product ranges. He gestures to one typical example where the giant Tesco supermarket chain has its own label at the cheap, medium and expensive parts of the range.

"At the commodity end is Tesco "Value" range of milk chocolate digestive bars, more upmarket is Milk Chocolate Digestives, mid-range Coffee Time, then finest range. Virtually any product that you see in a supermarket is now the subject of an own brand product and probably more than one."

Tesco is in fact the UK's leading supermarket. It has 5 own label brand ranges. 84% of its customers buy it's "value" range of 1200 products. "Finest" range products are bought by 71% of customers. These premium ranges at Tesco and the big Sainsbury's stores, generate a staggering $2.1 billion dollars a year in sales, but at the expense of other manufacturer's brands.

Robert Clark, explains, "What tended to happen was the smaller manufacturers got squeezed. They couldn't get shelf space because of the growth of own label."

And that's exactly what critics predict in Australia. Products that are not the TOP 1, 2 or 3 sellers could collapse under the weight of the supermarket's new Own Labels.

"They'll just drop off the shelves, they'll not be there. It's already happening," says Robert Stockdill of the independent Foodweek publication.

"I know of one multinational that's had 40% of its stock deleted virtually overnight. Coles and Woolworths are basically screwing suppliers to the wall, but at the same time there's only one thing worse than dealing with Coles and Woolworths and that's not dealing with Coles and Woolworths."

In the heart of rural Victoria 3,500 dairy farmers are waiting anxiously to learn their fate. They supply the Murray Goulburn cooperative and they're just heard that Devondale cheese, which is made with their milk, will be removed from Coles and Bi-Lo shelves to make room for Own Label products.

"It's a fair chunk out of our market we're going to have to make up and hopefully somewhere else or in other supermarkets," says dairy farmer, Brendan Kennedy. His family has been supplying milk to Murray Goulburn for 3 generations. But, with 500 small dairy farmers in Victoria gone bust in the last 3 years, he's now praying that small Aussie growers won't be displaced by Own Labels made from cheaper imports.

"We want everyone to have a choice that's Australian owned it's proudly Australian all the way from the producer to the end product is made here and we'd like to see everyone have choice to get that," says Brendan.

Roger Corbett, CEO of Woolworths comments, "We've recently had a major project spending well over 100 million dollars relaying all our stores .... And that's been in preparation for this project, so we have made some new room in our stores."

Coles wouldn't talk to us on camera, but Woolworths Chief, Roger Corbett claims Woolies won't knock out other manufacturers, as long as they sell well.

"We're not about deleting, but customers will finally make their choice."

Roger Corbett says Coles is more likely to push out slower sellers.

"We will only have 2 pricepoints. I understand Coles will have 3 pricepoints and I think if you did that it would have a significant impact on the secondary brands."

But, some Aussie companies have told us they've been put on notice by Coles and Woolies to show why they should continue to be on the shelves.

Robert Stockadill says, "We've had some companies tell us on a no name basis that they've been asked to pay as much as $800,000 a year to keep their full range in one of the 2 chains."

In fact some say they've even been asked to pay sums of up to $2 million a year just for space on the shelves ... or face their products being dropped.

"It's effectively real estate, best doesn't come into it. It's who's got power, who can afford the shelf space, it's whether or not you are the biggest selling brand," declares Robert Stockadill.

It remains to be seen whether Australian shoppers embrace these new supermarket brands. As for smaller manufacturers, they're not necessarily doomed. Talks have already begun for some to supply ingredients for Own Label Brands instead.

But once again, it's the supermarkets that will call the shots.

Barry Flanagan - "They can go to a manufacturer, get a price they can set themselves and sell it at their own price so they can make more money from that product than they would from a big manufacturer."

For more information please see below references:

* Foodweek, published by Octomedia Pty Ltd. Co-Publisher and Editor, Robert Stockdill.

<www.foodweek.com.au>

* Retail World. Editor-in-Chief, Barry Flanagan.

<www.retailworld.com.au>

* PAPER ENTITLED, "An overview of Private Label in Australia" presentation to the Monash Food Executive program, October 2004. Coriolis Research <www.coriolisresearch.com >

BROOME JOBS

04 Apr 2005, 03:59:43 PM 

Reporter: Andrea Burns

Broome ... one of the hottest destinations in tourism. Tropical... beautiful... and local.

Kylie Minogue, Elle Macpherson, Baz Luhrman are just some of the names who have holidayed here, staying at the elegant and exclusive Cable Beach Club Resort.

Filling the beds isn't the problem... getting staff to make them is.

According to John Woodworth, manager of Cable Beach Resort, his company is going to extraordinary lengths to find employees.

“Whereas we used to have people knocking our door down to work for us now we have to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in trying to recruit every year,” he said.

With peak season fast approaching John says he has jobs that desperately need to be filled.

His solution? A multimillion dollar resort down the road which his staff could rent accommodation cheap.... very cheap.

“The beer's cold and so is the pool but they're not the only attractions at this resort,” John said. “For the staff who live here, water and power are free and the company subsidised rents range between just $60 to $110 a week.”

Queenslander Sandra Hart is one of the happy tenants.

Arriving in January this year her original plan was to only stay until the start of April but with such an attractive offer from her employers she now plans to stick around until October

Chef Andrew Wise says the cheap accommodation is a good perk, but believes the job opportunities also justify the move north. He left one of Melbourne's best restaurants to run his own dining room at Cable Beach Club.

“I decided it was time for a change and here was a good opportunity and it was inside Australia,” he said

Professionally satisfying, but also fun.

“Here you live and you eat and you drink with every body so you'll know the front office manager, or you'll know the housekeepers, you know everybody like your best mates, it's really good,” he said.

Jobs in everything from housekeeping up are available but chef positions are particularly hard to fill. Cable Beach has even brought in three from China.

Recruitment company boss Sandy Daniels says Cable Beach is not alone, bringing in outsiders to fill Aussie jobs.

Sandy says some companies are even travelling abroad, interviewing pools of potential staff members, organising visas, and bringing them here. It's not an easy or cheap option, but Sandy says the staff are good, and bosses don't have a choice.

So, 20 jobs in paradise up for grabs...good dollars, cheap rent, very cheap rent...and in your spare time you can relax on one of the best beaches in the world...any takers?

Contact Cable Beach Club Resort on 9192 0418

BEST IN THE WEST IV

17 Mar 2005, 04:21:08 PM 

Reporter: Sharon Dale

ICE CREAM

At the recent Australian Grand Dairy Awards, Connoisseur's Strawberry Stravaganza won the prestigious 'Grand Champion Ice Cream' award. This is a national event held annually and provides consumers with a guide to the ultimate in Australian dairy quality. It is a huge honour to be recognised amongst other well known dairy manufacturers.

Connoisseur has won this award four times in six years. In 2003 Strawberry Stravaganza was awarded the highest achievement of all - Grand Champion Dairy Product which recognises the best product amongst creams, cheeses and of course ice creams!

Peters and Brownes, 22 Geddes St, Balcatta. Ph: 9441 7777

Factory Outlet: 22 Kenhelm St, Balcatta. Ph: 9441 7207

BARISTA

Almin Fulurija has just won the Braziliano SuperBarista of the Year 2005. He started working in hospitality after leaving school to support himself through University but his future is not as a Barista, Almin has almost completed his degree in multi media.

To win Almin had to produce 5 espresso's, 5 cappucino's and the same number of signature hot and cold beverages with in a twenty minute time frame. He was judged on technical ability, taste, presentation & creativity.

He is serving his award winning brew at Sandrino Cafe & Pizzeria, 95 Market St, Fremantle. Ph: 9335 4487

CAKES

Roseanna Scurria won 'Most successful exhibitor in the cookery section of the Perth Royal Show 2004. She won first prize for her CARROT & WALNUT CAKE, SAVOURY MUFFINS, CREAM PUFFS AND SCONES.

A mother of 2 who also works part-time is passionate about baking and thinks if they won lotto she might open a corner store and sell her goods but in the meantime she's happy keeping it to herself she has tricks and tips for cooking award winning scones and other treats - but encourages all to have a go. And for those that want one up on her she can't cook from packet mixes.

SAVOURY MUFFINS

2 1/2 cups self raising flour

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup grated parmesan

2 eggs

1 tbsp pesto

1/4 cup finely chopped sundried tomatoes

Method:

Mix all wet ingredients together. In a seperate bowl mix all dry ingredients together. Mix wet and dry together and stir lightly until combined. Bake in a standard muffin tray for 15-20 minutes at about 190-200 degrees. Should make 12 muffins. Serve warm or cold

SCONES

2 cups self raising flour

1 tbsp butter

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp sugar

1 cup milk (depending on brand of flour may need to add a little more)

Method:

Sift flour, rub in butter. Mix ingredients very gently. Once at a good consistency pat it down with your hands and cut your scones. Cook in a hot oven at 200 degrees for 15 minutes. Glaze with milk if desire before cooking. Serve warm or cold.

BEST IN THE WEST III

16 Mar 2005, 02:57:16 PM 

BEST BEER

Little Creatures was born to make a pale alea specific style of pale ale.

A style they are absolutely passionate about and one that we believe displays great balance of flavour and refreshmentcomplex yet highly drinkable.

L