Articles by Ben Pike

An increase in the number of mobile speed camera enforcement hours from 900 to 7000 hours a month has helped boost the government's coffers after it issued just 26,453 fines in the 2013-14 financial year, netting $4.9 million.In the seven months to January this year, the NSW state government has already issued 40,912 fines and raised $8.3 million.Public anger over the explosion in mobile speed camera fines can only be soothed by giving motorists better warning before they get busted, the NRMA says.The $8.3 million cash bonanza for the government has sparked a five-fold increase in attacks on camera cars, with 82 instances so far this financial year of objects being thrown, verbal abuse and cars swerving towards operators.The NRMA believes hidden signs that don't even display the speed limit, anonymous camera cars and little distance between sign and camera are fuelling the rage.These measures that we are suggesting will make it fairer and should slow people down before they get fined"There has been a seven-fold increase in enforcement hours for mobile speed cameras, which has given rise to a perception of unfairness among motorists," NRMA president Kyle Loades said."The NRMA is aiming to address those perceptions and help reinforce the message that mobile speed cameras are about road safety, not revenue."These measures that we are suggesting will make it fairer and should slow people down before they get fined."The plan involves displaying speed limits on mobile speed camera signs, greater distance between the signs and the cameras, and high-visibility markings on camera vehicles.The organisation, which represents 2.4 million motorists, also wants the government to conduct a yearly audit to guarantee the cameras are put only in proven black spots.NSW Roads Minister Duncan Gay hinted the government may make some changes."We always welcome constructive dialogue and it's fantastic to see the NRMA put forward sensible safety recommendations, which I've asked our roads safety experts to look at."

A woman who drifted into oncoming traffic on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and crashed head-on into a taxi, had fallen asleep at the wheel.

Experts warn the job losses could spill into the supplier industry “within months”. Holden said that after the Global Financial Crisis its redundant factory workers were assisted into “childcare, landscaping, gardening, aged care and hairdressing”. Holden spokeswoman Andrea Matthews suggested people look to the growing services sector for work. “With the most recent retrenchments we had at Elizabeth ... there was a high success level of people finding employment,” she said. “After the GFC in Adelaide we had a working committee ... and went through a process of where employees nominated what areas they wanted to reskill in.  “We worked to facilitate training in those areas. It was things like childcare, landscaping, gardening, aged care and hairdressing. There's a broad range of options we accessed for them in 2009.  “The manufacturing industry in SA has been hit very hard over several years. Aged care is one of those areas which continues to need more labour. “If three-quarters of roles are in the service area you would say that is where three-quarters of the potential openings are.”  When pressed as to what transferable skills those production line workers would likely have, Mrs Matthews nominated “skills in manufacturing” and “working to job instructions”. But SA Unions secretary Janet Giles said Holden is undervaluing the skills of its workers. “Lawnmowers’ jobs are low-paid, largely casual employment. You're asking people to move from high-paid, secure jobs to low-paid, insecure jobs.” Lawnmowers earn an average salary of $37,440 while hairdressers make $33,800. Staff at the Holden Adelaide plant earn between $45,000-$70,000 a year. Furthermore, Giles said, the transitions are not as easy as Holden makes them out to be. “You can't just be a boilermaker then move into hairdressing. (These new jobs) require complete retraining so you couldn't build on any of the current skills people have.” Meanwhile the Federation Automotive Products Manufacturers - which represents 100 of the top 150 suppliers to Holden Ford and Toyota - says job cuts will be inevitable in the wake of Holden’s announcement. “I’ve spoken to some of our key members today and they’ve said that when Holden goes from building 400 cars a day to 335, it will have an impact on employment at their companies for sure,” Richard Reilly, chief executive of FAPM, told News Limited. “It’s not rocket science. If you’re not building as many cars, you don’t need as many parts.” Holden will reduce the number of cars it builds from August 1, to a rate of 74,000 cars per year (down from 85,000 last year and 165,000 at its most recent peak in 2004) but the job cuts at suppliers may come sooner now that they know demand will drop. “It’s early days, and it’s too hard at this stage to estimate how many suppliers and jobs may be affected,” Reilly said. Additional reporting by Joshua Dowling