EMBARGOED: 12:01AM FRIDAY JULY 3, 2009

Research conducted by The Australian Women’s Weekly website aww.com.au has revealed that 70 per cent of Australians throw out up to $1,040 worth of food each year.

The survey of more than 600 people revealed:

• Nine out of 10 Australians throw away food every week
• 88% of Aussies feel guilty or frustrated about food wastage
• 15% of Aussies named lettuce as their most frequently wasted vegetable
• Unexpected plans or not eating leftovers were the most common reasons for throwing away food

Audio news grabs available:

ROBYN FOYSTER – Editor-in-Chief of The Australian Women’s Weekly

EMBARGOED: 5AM FRIDAY JULY 3, 2009

Engines will roar this weekend as Australia sees its first ever showdown between a V8 Supercar and a fighter jet.

Bundaberg Red Racing driver David Reynolds is preparing to race his VE Commodore head-to-head against an L-39 Fighter Jet this Saturday July 4 at the Wide Bay Australia International Airshow, held at Bundaberg Airport.

The race will be conducted on a straight three-kilometre track at 11.30am on Saturday 4 July. The vehicle which completes the track in the fastest time will win, and to even up the competition, the L-39 Fighter Jet will have to elevate to one kilometre high before commencing the three-kilometre track.

Audio news grabs available:

DAVID REYNOLDS – Bundaberg Red Racing driver

EMBARGOED: 12:01AM WEDNESDAY JULY 1, 2009

Credit unions and mutual building societies are almost two years ahead of industry standards in regard to responsible lending says Abacus CEO, Louise Petschler.

The Federal Government introduced consumer credit legislation to parliament last week which will regulate all consumer credit under a single national legislative framework.

“The legislation commences in November 2009 but some important parts of the legislation dealing with responsible lending will not come into affect until January 2011, leaving some consumers at risk from irresponsible lenders”, says Ms Petschler.

“Members of credit unions and mutual building societies, however, can breathe easy because they are protected by the responsible lending principles in the new Mutual Banking Code of Practice.”

Audio news grabs available:

LOUISE PETSCHLER (Petch-La) – CEO Abacus

EMBARGOED: 6AM WEDNESDAY JULY 1, 2009

For the thousands of Australians battling advanced bowel cancer, the nation’s second largest cancer killer, the July 1 listing of Avastin (bevacizumab) on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) represents a significant and long awaited step forward in the management of this deadly disease in Australia.

Included in the Government’s 2009-10 Budget as part of its commitment to deliver world-class cancer care to Australians, Avastin is the first in a new class of highly targeted cancer medications, which has been proven to extend life in those with advanced bowel cancer. 

The listing means that Australians will now have access to treatment for advanced bowel cancer similar to that in the US and Europe.

Audio news grabs available:

DR NICK PAVLAKIS - Head of Medical Oncology at Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney

SUNDAY JUNE 28, 2009
 
Early in the morning of Friday 19 June 2009, a person trespassed onto Sydney Airport’s general aviation apron.
 
Information on the event is as follows:
 
12.23am: Sydney Airport staff observed a person hiding behind a bush outside the airfield fence. A search of the area was commenced.
 
12.30am: The person was held in a Sydney Airport vehicle. The person had scaled a fence and entered the general aviation area. 
 
The person had been first found by an employee of a ground support contractor who took the person to the Sydney Airport vehicle.
 
12.32am: The Australian Federal Police were advised and took the person into custody at 12.40am.
 
The person was airside for less than seven minutes, no aircraft were interfered with and all relevant authorities were notified.

Audio news grab available:

MICHAEL SAMARAS - Manager Media & Communications, Sydney Airport

10AM WEDNESDAY JUNE 24, 2009
 
Every heart attack this year will cost Australia an average of $281,000 and each chest pain event an average of $74,000, including the value of healthy life lost. 
 
According to a report released today by Access Economics, expanding health bills and lost productivity from these events are creating an expensive but partly preventable burden on the economy.

Access Economics Director, Lynne Pezzullo said the report’s findings quantified impacts and also helped identify solutions for health policy making in Australia.

“We calculate there will be 55,074 sudden heart attacks and 32,452 cases of chest pain costing Australia a total of $17.9 billion this year” said Ms Pezzullo. “There are also cost effective ways of reducing this burden in future,” she said.

Audio news grabs available:

LYNNE PEZZULLO – Access Economics Director

TONY ARVIDSSON – Heart Support Australia

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 10AM TUESDAY JUNE 23, 2009

As Australians continue to battle the bulge, new research confirms that chewing sugar free gum significantly suppresses sweet snack cravings and helps curb kilojoule intake.

The study, presented at the recent American Society for Nutrition (ASN) Scientific Sessions and Annual Meeting at Experimental Biology 2009, shows that people who chew gum after a meal significantly reduced their desire to eat sweet snacks compared to those who did not chew. The gum-chewing person experienced a reduction in energy intake of 250kJ compared to those who did not chew.

Audio news grabs available:

SHARON NATOLI - Accredited Practising Dietitian and Founding Director of Food & Nutrition Australia

EMBARGOED: 5AM TUESDAY JUNE 23, 2009

Facebook and Twitter attacks are rife again, with cybercriminals looking to lure trusting social network users to fake sites, via phishing emails, and obtain personal login data for their own financial gain.

Since the beginning of May, Symantec has observed a new wave of phishing attacks on social networks and it seems these attacks are set to continue. This week Symantec has observed a current method of attack that targets a victim’s Facebook or Twitter account.

Audio news grabs available:

CRAIG SCROGGIE - Vice President and Managing Director, Pacific region, Symantec

MONDAY JUNE 22, 2009

Commonwealth Bank, in conjunction with MasterCard, today launched the Travel Money Card, the first prepaid travel card that enables travellers to lock in the exchange rate of up to six prominent currencies on one card, providing anyone who travels with a highly convenient, cost effective and secure way of spending and accessing money overseas.

Audio news grabs available:

MICHAEL CANT - Commonwealth Bank Executive General Manager, Retail Products

EMBARGOED: 5AM MONDAY JUNE 22, 2009

Australians are a text crazy nation, according to Telstra’s State of the Nation Report released today.

One in three Australians said they choose SMS to communicate major life events – compared to using the phone, email or social networking sites. The report also found we are more likely to SMS news of a birth (25%), or a promotion (18%) compared to other major life events.
 
Four in 10 Aussies indicated that they send between 3 and 7 text messages every day to family, friends and their partner respectively, and it seems there are few places that are sacred from texting - 34% admitting sending them while at the movies, 21% in a business meeting and 15% whilst attending a funeral, christening or wedding.

Audio news grabs available:

MARK MCCRINDLE - renowned social researcher and futurist

FRIDAY JUNE 19, 2009

A new study into Australia’s small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) by national accounting firm RSM Bird Cameron has found that nearly one in five SME owners delayed their exit date from their business because of the impact of the economic downturn in the last six months.

Some key findings of the ‘thinkBIG’ study include: 

• SME owners remain reasonably optimistic about their business’s medium-term prospects but are becoming increasingly concerned about cashflow management and are more aware of the stress associated with managing their business

• 60% of SME owners do not formally plan their business, and

• More than half of SME owners started their businesses to be their own boss and get work/life balance, not to build wealth.

Audio news grabs available:

TERRY RODONI - National head of business solutions, RSM Bird Cameron

MONDAY JUNE 15, 2009

Commonwealth Bank Staff Community Fund today launched the 2009 Community Grants Program which will provide over $500,000 in individual grants of up to $10,000 for programs to improve the health and wellbeing of Australian children. 

The Community Grants Program is one of the largest grant initiatives in Australia and has contributed over $1.5 million to over 200 charities to fund local community initiatives since 2007.

The Grants have benefited charities of all shapes and sizes, from a national to a local level.  These charities range from centres for disadvantaged youths, sports clubs, education centres and groups that provide equipment for sick and disabled children.    

Audio news grabs available:

TRISTAN WILLS - Executive General Manager, Community and Sponsorship, Commonwealth Bank

EMBARGOED: 6AM MONDAY JUNE 15, 2009

The old saying “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” has taken on a whole new meaning.

Not only will eating apples keep you healthy this June, it will also raise money to help the McGrath Foundation support women with breast cancer and their families. 

Independent grocers IGA will donate 20 cents from every specially marked 1kg punnet of Pink Lady™ apples sold through their 1280 stores nationally from June 15 to July 5.

The McGrath Foundation aims to raise money to place McGrath Breast Care Nurses right across rural and regional Australia, as well as increasing breast awareness in younger women.

Audio news grabs available:

TRACY BEVAN - Executive Director of the McGrath Foundation