Alzheimer's study leap

Researcher Dr Kaylene Young, left, with Bubbles Haynes, of Kettering, whose husband suffers from Alzheimer's. Picture: KIM EISZELE

A TASMANIAN scientist has found that crucial insulating cells in the nervous system can be made throughout life, providing a new lead for Alzheimer's research.

Menzies Research Institute Tasmania researcher Kaylene Young was the study's chief investigator and worked with Japan and United Kingdom scientists.

She said there was now evidence these cells may not just be "passive by-standers".

The research showed new insulating cells were made from an immature cell type found in the brain and new insulation was added to brain circuits every day.

"This process is likely to be very important for learning, memory, vision and co-ordination," Dr Young said.

"This finding may have important implications for sufferers of Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis and other neurological disorders."

In Alzheimer's, the most common form of dementia, many nerve cells die, causing patients to progressively lose their ability to think clearly and remember things, and they can have problems with movement and co-ordination.

Dr Young's team was now investigating ways to hijack the natural ability of the immature cells to make new insulating cells, and repair the insulation damage.

"We expect that increasing brain insulation, to re-wrap the nerve cells, will prevent more nerve cells from dying."

Bubbles Haynes's husband John was diagnosed eight years ago and has recently moved to a Snug secure dementia unit, which Mrs Haynes has praised for his care.

"It's researchers like Dr Kaylene Young who give us the chance to hope, which is absolutely beautiful," Mrs Haynes said.

The work was published in Neuron and supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council Australia, Alzheimer's Society UK, BUPA Foundation, and Multiple Sclerosis Research Australia.

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Trawler lawyers warned

LAWYERS fighting a two-year ban on a super trawler operating in Australian waters have been warned by a Federal Court judge to cast their nets with care when making allegations against federal Environment Minister Tony Burke.

Seafish Tasmania wants the court to overturn a ban imposed by Mr Burke on the trawler Abel Tasman. An expert panel is considering the ship's possible impact on the environment.

In documents previously lodged with the court, Seafish said the minister was advised that the impacts were known and any risks could be managed.

Seafish alleges Mr Burke was keen to ban the vessel and was searching for some power to justify his actions.

The trawler has since been sold and left Australia on Thursday.

In his opening statement yesterday, Justice John Logan warned the company's lawyers their statement of claim risked breaking the Parliamentary Privilege Act, which emanates from the centuries-old Bill Of Rights. Under the Act, questions cannot be asked of ministers in court about their behaviour in Parliament.

"Your statement of claim is scandalous, is it not, in asking this court to do what has been forbidden since 1689?" Justice Logan said.

He suggested he might strike out sections of the claim.

"Such is the constitutional importance of the separation of powers between the state and the law," he said.

Roger Derrington, SC, told the court he had no intention of questioning what the minister said in Parliament and did not call into question his motivation.

The case has been set down for trial on June 25.

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MKR dishes up Tassie disaster

TASMANIA has suffered a double disaster this week with best friends Ali and Samuel eliminated from My Kitchen Rules last night.

The pair's shock exit comes after Tassie father and son duo Mick and Matt Newell were eliminated from the Channel 7 cooking show on Monday night.

Ali and Samuel, of Hobart, ran into big problems with their entree of polenta with flathead and red capsicum salsa.

Their main of masterstock lamb with brussel sprouts and steam buns fared no better.

The pair scored a dismal 26 out of 60 in the sudden-death cook-off. They were beaten by Victorian housewives Angela and Melina whose Italian-themed menu scored 34 out of 60.

"I'm absolutely gutted," Samuel said.

"We had a great game plan, we were confident with our menu, but it all came down to a simple mistake.

"I mucked up the polenta. Something that would usually take 10 minutes took 40 minutes.

"The lamb was so chewy you could roll it up and kick it like a footy."

Hosts Manu Feildel and Pete Evans and guest judges including Liz Egan and Guy Grossi, heaped scorn on the Tassie team's entree and main.

"That's not braised meat, that's ruined meat," Egan said.

Ali's dessert of pistachio and almond tart with orange ice-cream was the shining star.

"The ice-cream is sensational," Grossi said.

"It has that lovely richness in its base with lovely cardamon and orange flavours through it."

Samuel, a public servant, is hoping his appearance on My Kitchen Rules will lead to media work.

The 34-year-old is also hoping there will be love on the horizon.

"A lot of close friends are engaged, married, have children, so the next girl I am with, I will be looking for those things," he said.

Ali had just separated from her partner of 14 years.

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Glimmer of hope for jobs

TASMANIA'S unemployment rate stabilised at 7.1 per cent in February with the loss of 300 jobs for males offset by a gain of 200 jobs for females.

The number of people employed was stable at 232,800 in trend terms, although the number of unemployed dropped by 100 to 17,800, the Australian Bureau of Statics said.

But in the more volatile seasonally adjusted measure unemployment fell from 7.7 per cent to 6.6 per cent in Tasmania.

Nationally, unemployment was stable at 5.4 per cent.

The numbers come after fall in the ANZ job ad series but some improvement in retail trade figures in January.

Finance Minister Scott Bacon said the figures showed a more encouraging outlook for jobs in Tasmania.

"We need to continue to work with the private sector to grow jobs -- that is why we announced the Tasmanian Jobs Package which will bring forward $375m of new investment and support more than 3000 new jobs," Mr Bacon said.

He said many measures of the package had only just taken effect and their impact would not be reflected in the current figures.

Liberal Treasury spokesman Peter Gutwein said the state had lost 3000 fulltime jobs in the past 12 months.

"It's little wonder that Tasmania continues to have the highest unemployment rate in the nation," he said.

Victoria posted a big drop in its unemployment rate, to 5.5 per cent from 6.1 per cent, while in South Australia the rate declined to 5.8 per cent from 6.1 per cent.

In the Northern Territory it eased to 3.9 per cent from 4.0 per cent.

Unemployment rose in NSW to 5.2 per cent from 5.1 per cent, in Western Australia to 4.5 per cent from 4.1 per cent, and in Queensland to 5.8 per cent from 5.5 per cent.

In the ACT the rate rose to 4.6 per cent from 4.5 per cent.

nicholas.clark@news.com.au

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Fare lure for regions

A NEW campaign celebrating Tasmania's heritage wilderness is hoped to provide a much-needed boost for regional tourism.

The $300,000 campaign marks the 30th anniversary of Tasmania's World Heritage Listing and was jointly funded by Tourism Tasmania and Jetstar. It comes as the airline marks a major milestone, having carried 8.5 million passengers on services to and from the state.

Jetstar CEO David Hall was in Hobart yesterday to mark the occasion, albeit arriving a little later than expected. His flight was delayed for "a technical reason".

The airline hit the Tasmanian airways almost nine years ago and now has 120 services in and out of the state each week.

Mr Hall said Jetstar expected to carry 1.5 million passengers on Tasmanian services this year.

He said recent surveys showed visitor numbers to Tasmania were slowly rising and almost 30 per cent of travellers were first-time visitors to the state.

Mr Hall said low airfares would continue to be a key factor in stimulating visitor growth, combined with innovative promotions from Tourism Tasmania.

The airline contributed $150,000 to the new campaign, launched yesterday. Jetstar will provide potential visitors with suggested itineraries to help plan trips to heritage-listed areas. The campaign involves paid print and digital media advertising, direct mail-outs to Jetstar's extensive database and a feature button on the airline's webpage, with links to a new site.

Tourism Minister Scott Bacon said the state's wilderness continued to be a major drawcard for tourists.

He said the campaign was likely to boost visitor numbers in the state's struggling regional areas.

"It's about getting people to spend a few nights in these parts of the state and the regional communities that are gateways to the Wilderness World Heritage Area," Mr Bacon said.

Jetstar is offering discount fares to mark the launch, on sale from today.

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Delight at dual-name policy

Heather Sculthorpe, left, Glenorchy's Kartanya Maynard, 18, and Cape Barren Island community leader Furley Gardner, 85. Picture: KIM EISZELE

TASMANIA'S Aboriginal community will have its heritage honoured with a new policy to use both Aboriginal and introduced names for important regions and landmarks.

Names of areas could be changed if the community embraces the Aboriginal names over the introduced names.

The new Aboriginal and Dual Naming Policy allows for an Aboriginal and an introduced name to be used together as the official name and for new landmarks to be named according to their Aboriginal heritage.

Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre chief executive Heather Sculthorpe said the policy was the start of recognising that Aboriginal languages, palawa-kani, were important.

"History doesn't start from when the English invaders arrive we go back 40,000 years," she said. "This is a fantastic day for us, we have been working on this for decades.

"It is really fantastic the politicians finally took it up."

Tasmania is Australia's last state or territory to adopt a dual-naming policy for landmarks.

Premier Lara Giddings and Aboriginal Affairs Minister Cassy O'Connor described the new policy as a significant step in reconciliation.

"I'm delighted we will now be able to ensure this important recognition of our First People and their culture," said Ms O'Connor, adding the policy was developed co-operatively with the Aboriginal centre.

"Aboriginal place names deepen our appreciation of the tens of thousands of years of history before the first Europeans."

But Opposition Aboriginal affairs spokesman Elise Archer accused the State Government of not revealing the full details of the policy yesterday.

"We have no objection, in principle, to recognising the original Aboriginal names for significant Tasmanian landmarks," Ms Archer said.

"However, we are concerned that the detailed policy document suggests it is actually about renaming Tasmanian landmarks, not dual-naming.

"It's telling that this detail isn't mentioned in the Premier's media release today ... [she] must clearly explain what is actually being proposed."

Ms Giddings used Northern Territory's Uluru, previously known as Ayers Rock, as a landmark that was now universally known by its Aboriginal name.

"Aboriginal people have had a deep, abiding connection with this land for thousands of years," Ms Giddings said.

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Second Glover win for Duff

A MOODY painting of a Launceston streetscape has won the 2013 Glover Prize People's Choice Award.

Launceston artist Leoni Duff today won the popular vote with her oil-on-canvas work Down on Cameron Street. She won the inaugural award in 2004.

Duff pocketed $3000 for the award, which was decided by patrons at the Glover exhibition in Evandale.

Ms Duff said the win was an encouraging sign that people had understood her work.

She said the stillness of the painting sought to convey the economic uncertainty in the city since the global financial crisis.

"While the meltdown occurred in 2008, there is a continual hovering menace that has not been dissolved," Ms Duff said.

"I have taken the familiar everyday icons of Cameron Street, in Launceston, the traditional financial end of town, and depicted them under moonlight.

"The solid things become uncertain as if all could be suddenly changed.

"The charm of our architecture and the ordinary nature of the street is infused with unsettling stillness; and the monstrous moonlit sky towers over us imposing a sense of how small and helpless we all are in reality."

Launceston Airport general manager Pam Graham said the organisation was proud to sponsor the award.

"Every year the standard of painting, depicting and interpreting Tasmania's rich and varied landscape, improves and offers those attending the exhibition unrivalled access to landscape painting in its many forms," she said.

About 700 children voted in the Children's Choice Award, opting for New Kid on the Block by former Glover Prize winner Michael McWilliams.

The Glover Prize, worth $40,000 and now in its tenth year, was won by Sydney artist Janet Laurence.

To check out all the finalists in this year's award, click here.

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Thieves hit former Hobart bank

BURGLARS have broken into the Murray St building at the centre of Hobart's red awning debate.

Police today appealed for information into the overnight break-in, with the offenders making off with an undisclosed amount of cash.

Detective Inspector David Plumpton said the building's tenants called police this morning after discovering the theft and associated damage.

"Entry was gained to the building overnight through an unlocked door. Upon gaining entry, offenders searched through a number of rooms, located varying amounts of cash and caused some damage while doing so," he said.

Forensics officers collected evidence earlier today, with police remaining at the former Savings Bank building for several hours.

Anyone with information on the break-in is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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Former Liberal senator dies

FORMER Tasmanian Liberal senator Brian Archer has died at the age of 84.

Mr Archer was born in Calder, near Wynyard in North-West Tasmania, and worked as a real estate consultant and farmer before entering parliament. He served as a senator from 1975 until 1994.

He died on Sunday.

The Tasmanian Liberal Senate Team and the Federal Coalition today expressed their condolences to Mr Archer's wife Dorothy, children and grandchildren.

Mr Archer was appointed Shadow Special Minister of State and science spokesman when John Howard became Opposition Leader in September 1985. He held those positions until August 1987.

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Tassie horse wins Adelaide Cup

Norsqui put Tasmania back on SA's map with his win in the Adelaide cup.

TASMANIAN galloper Norsqui has produced another giant-killing performance to win the $400,000 Adelaide Cup.

Trained at Broadmarsh by veteran horseman Walter McShane, Norsqui started at the attractive odds of $26 but proved too strong for the locals and a strong contingent of Victorian runners.

Bred and owned in Tasmania, Norsqui was unplaced in both the Launceston and Hobart Cups before heading interstate.

But the six-year-old gelding has a strong record of success on the road, including wins in last year's Mornington Cup and a support race at Flemington on Melbourne Cup day in 2011.

He finished third in last year's Adelaide Cup.

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School rebuild furore

Rental costs for demountable buildings, supplied by a Victorian company, at Dunalley Primary School are $10,700 a month.

THE decision to hire demountable buildings from a mainland company to rebuild the Dunalley Primary School has been criticised by the Housing Industry Association.

HIA Tasmania executive director Stuart Clues said the decision was "indefensible".

The Education Department confirmed most of the buildings for the school, which was destroyed in January's bushfire, came from Victoria and cost $280,000 to transport and install.

Rental costs for the buildings are $10,700 a month. This could see the cost blow out to more than $536,000 in two years.

Mr Clues said the move was a "mindless knee-jerk reaction".

"Anything they wanted to do could have been done locally," he said.

"There's no reason why the school couldn't have been rebuilt locally for a fraction of that cost.

"It's a lost opportunity for the local Dunalley community, in terms of providing an economic stimulus for the region."

Despite the school reopening just 40 days after it was destroyed in the fire, Mr Clues said local businesses could have potentially completed the project in less time.

"We could have done it faster, that's what I'm prepared to say," he said.

"In the time they took to transport them here, we could have built it using local materials and local workers.

"It's not just the Dunalley issue and the bushfire, [there is] a culture that exists within government and within departments [to] take the easy route and deal with one large mainland contractor, instead of fielding work to a number of local smaller businesses."

-2Mainland firm Ausco Modular provided five classrooms, one staff administration building, a library and toilet blocks.

Education Department deputy secretary Andrew Finch said the demountable buildings were "already in existence" and were not made specifically for the project.

"Following a public tendering process Ausco has been a preferred supplier to the Department of Education for the provision of demountable buildings and the company specialises in purpose-built classroom buildings," Mr Finch said.

hannah.martin@news.com.au

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Nice! Richie Porte wins title

Tasmanian Richie Porte has become the first Australian to win the Paris-Nice title. Pictures: AFP

TASMANIAN rider Richie Porte has won the Paris-Nice race after a dominant victory on the final time trial stage.

Porte was in the leader's yellow jersey overnight and needed only to protect his lead. But he attacked from the start and dominated his rivals on the uphill time trial, finishing a massive 23 seconds ahead of American cyclist Andrew Talansky, who was also second overall.

The 28-year-old Tasmanian Porte posted a time of 19 minutes, 16 seconds over the 9.6km from Nice to Col d'Eze to become the first Australian to win the race.

"I can't believe it, the first Aussie to win such a big race," said Porte.

"It's just an honour to have my name up there with Bradley Wiggins, Tony Martin, all the big champions."

Talansky was 32 seconds behind Porte overnight, but the Garmin-Sharp rider slipped further behind to finish 55 seconds adrift in the final standings. Frenchman Jean-Christophe Peraud finished third overall, 1min21sec behind, despite coming off his bike, and American cyclist Tejay van Garderen was 1min44sec back in fourth spot.

He follows in the footsteps of Sky teammate Wiggins, who won the race last year before going on to win the Tour de France.

But Porte, who came relatively late into professional cycling, ruled out any likelihood of becoming a main contender on the Tour later this year.

"I'm still doing my apprenticeship, I'm still learning from Bradley and Chris Froome, so I don't expect to go to the Tour and ride for general classification," he said.

"I'm in a good place at the moment and don't really want to change anything. Whatever happens we're going to have a hell of a team for the Tour de France."

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Lib view labelled as insult

COMMUNITY Development Minister Cassy O'Connor has accused deputy Liberal leader Jeremy Rockliff of insulting women with his comments about proposed new abortion legislation.

But members of the Liberal Party have refused to become embroiled in a battle of semantics over the issue.

Mr Rockliff said the Government's introduction of the Bill was a distraction from the state's economic problems, which Ms O'Connor said was dismissive of an issue that Tasmanian women took very seriously.

"Mr Rockliff insulted the women of Tasmania and particularly those women who face some agonising choices in the event of an unplanned pregnancy," she said.

"This is just another example of the Liberals being opposed to socially progressive reform in Tasmania, or outright dismissive of it."

Mr O'Connor challenged Opposition Leader Will Hodgman to either condone or condemn Mr Rockliff's comments but Mr Hodgman would not be drawn on the issue.

Liberal community development spokeswoman Elise Archer also refused to get distracted by an argument over the comment.

"Ms O'Connor knows perfectly well that Liberal members will have a conscience vote on this issue, she should not be playing silly word games with it," she said.

The proposed Reproductive Health Act aims to remove the impediments that currently make it difficult for women to have access to legal terminations in Tasmania.

While abortion is legal in Tasmania, it is covered under criminal law, and the proposed legislation will allow for it to be regulated by the Health Department instead, as well as simplifying the process required to have an abortion.

The State Government is inviting public comment until March 22.

More information can be found at www.dhhs.tas.gov.au/pophealth/womens_health or by phoning 1800 671 738

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800 whales saved

TENSE: Heated clashes during the Japanese whaling season. Picture: Eliza Muirhead/Sea Shepherd Australia

MORE than 800 whales escaped the harpoon this season because of anti-whaling activists Sea Shepherd, its director Bob Brown said yesterday.

"This is the lowest whale kill in the 10 years that the Sea Shepherd has been operating and that's something to celebrate," Mr Brown said.

Sea Shepherd has claimed victory in the Southern Ocean as Japan's whaling fleet heads home with an estimated 75 whale carcasses on board, Sea Shepherd said.

Worsening weather conditions, disappearing plankton stocks and the whales heading north have combined for the worst season the Japanese fleet has had in the decade Sea Shepherd ships have patrolled the Southern Ocean, Mr Brown said.

The 2013 whaling season was marred by growing aggression on both sides, with claims and counter-claims of violence and harassment.

Mr Brown said Sea Shepherd was not optimistic the hearing on whaling at the International Court of Justice in The Hague would begin soon.

Australia's argument that Japan's whaling breached international obligations had been lodged with the ICJ since 2010, he said.

"We can't rely on that court case getting finalised by next season."

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has indicated that his Government will continue whaling for two more seasons, Mr Brown said.

"The Sea Shepherd will be even more effective if the Japanese return in future seasons.

"We've got more ships and we're more effective than ever before."

He said the assertion by Japan's fisheries minister, Yoshimasa Hayashi, that eating whales was the same as Australians eating kangaroos was the first time the Japanese had not used science as an excuse for whaling.

"The Sea Shepherd does not condone killing whales in our homeland. Japan needs to restrict its actions to its own territorial waters."

Mr Brown said Sea Shepherd crews and former captain Paul Watson were placed under phenomenal pressure this season.

"Paul Watson is totally committed to protecting those whales and so are his crews."

The Sea Shepherd fleet Steve Irwin, Bob Barker, Sam Simon and Brigitte Bardot and their crews are expected to dock in Williamstown, Melbourne, on March 20.

jennifer.crawley@news.com.au

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