Perth's best-kept property secret

The city skyline and river as seen from the emerging suburb of Brentwood. Pictures: Stewart Allen Source: PerthNow

IT may be the best-kept secret patch of riverside earth in Perth.

The south-eastern suburb of Brentwood has topped the state for median house price growth in the past year, according to The Property Report in this weekend's The Sunday Times.

WHAT'S YOUR SUBURB WORTH? Click here to explore our special interactive

Landgate figures show the quiet corner with Canning River - and more specifically Bull Creek - waterway access recorded median house price growth of 47.8 per cent on the back of 13 sales to lead the whole state.

It's certainly a river of gold to young couple Julie and Wayne Granville, who moved to Brentwood in 2001 and over the past dozen years have witnessed the thriving suburb grow in community spirit and people.

See this weekend's The Sunday Times for the Property Report liftout

Home to just under 2000 residents, the area is a "stunning'' haven for the family of four, who love the lush Brentwood backdrop with the river just down the road.

The south-eastern suburb of Brentwood has topped the state for median house price growth in 2013. Picture: Stewart Allen Source: PerthNow

"We have lovely neighbours, my kids go to a lovely little school, and it's just a little pocket that we really like,'' Mrs Granville said.

"I'm very fond of the river. We quite often see pelicans and dolphins in the water and I take the children down there in the evening and they swim in the river and it's just stunning.''

From her residence on Selway Rd, Mrs Granville said Brentwood was home to people with good old-fashioned values.

Julie Granville and children Georgia, 3, and Charlie, 5, at Thomas Middleton Park in Brentwood. Picture: Stewart Allen Source: PerthNow

"Our neighbours are elderly and keep the tradition of talking to each other alive, which is great because it's like it was when I was growing up, and my children get to be a part of that environment,'' she said.

The Granvilles predict they will probably be in the same spot in 20 years time.

"You really have that sense of being a part of somewhere rather than just living in a house,'' Mrs Granville said.

Julie Granville and children Georgia, 3, and Charlie, 5, at Thomas Middleton Park in Brentwood. Picture: Stewart Allen Source: PerthNow

Acton Real Estate Applecross senior sales consultant Pauline Couanis said many families overlooked Brentwood but in recent times the suburb's popularity had grown due to its affordability and amenities.

"There is always very little stock available in Brentwood because of the facilities offered, the affordability of the suburb and the schooling options,'' Ms Couanis said.

"Listings are competitive as there is not a large turnover of housing as it is not a large suburb.''

Ms Couanis said people moving into the suburb were generally looking for affordability, convenience and good schooling.

"In more recent years, land within the suburb has been developed and newer homes constructed,'' she said.

"These and other large properties in the area appeal to families, given the schooling opportunities, the location and the proximity of rail and bus transport.

"Many properties are within a stroll to the river, with some on the river.''

Mallison Real Estate managing director Spiro Mallis listed several benefits to buying in Brentwood.

"Proximity to the city, it borders Mount Pleasant, is a highly desirous location, the get-in price is more affordable than neighbouring suburbs, its location to Garden City, the train, Fremantle, and freeway,'' he said, listing the suburb's great qualities.

"But Brentwood and Bateman are small suburbs and are (in) high demand. As the sprawl continues south, the demand intensifies.''

PROPERTY REPORT - SUBURB PRICE GUIDE INTERACTIVE

THE Property Report puts the latest suburb price guide and data at your fingertips.

Whether you're a homeowner, a prospective buyer or seller, tap a postcode into our special property interactive to find detailed data on that suburb, including median house price, suburb growth and block sizes.

The figures are from independent government authority Landgate and should give home owners every reason to be confident as 2013 draws to a close.

A sea of upward green arrows - showing median house price growth for most areas in the state - are a clear sign of a seller's market in the Perth market cycle. Happy house hunting!

INTERACTIVE: Hover over our Google map interactive to see a suburb's growth cycle over the past 10 years or click here to explore our special postcode interactive.

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No jab, no childcare says Perth doctor

AMA WA branch president Richard Choong has put forward a plan to ban children from daycare centres if they are unvaccinated. Source: PerthNow

CHILDREN who are not fully vaccinated would be banned from childcare centres under a plan put forward by the Australian Medical Association.

The Sunday Times has learnt the AMA's WA branch wants the Barnett Government to consider introducing such a ban into law.

Under the plan, unvaccinated children would not be allowed into childcare unless their parents registered as conscientious objectors and presented paperwork, signed by a doctor, justifying their position.

The medical body believes most parents who fail to have their children vaccinated simply forget or are complacent  rather than don't believe in the practice.

AMA WA president Richard Choong said they would raise the prospect of legal changes with Health Minister Kim Hames as soon as possible.

"No jab, no play" laws that allow childcare workers to turn away children whose immunisation records are not up to date were passed in NSW in May and will come into effect there in January.

Australian Child Immunisation Register data reveal WA as having the worst vaccination record in the country for young children. As of June, just 91.1 per cent of two-year-olds and 90.3 per cent of five-year-olds in WA were fully immunised.

Dr Choong said the figures were "alarming", and if the immunisation rates dropped into the 80 per cent range the risk of an epidemic was "dramatically increased".

"There would not be enough people in the community who would be immune to the disease," Dr Choong said.

"We've seen that recently in Wales."

A measles epidemic was reported in Wales between November 2012 and July this year, during which 1455 cases were reported.

In WA, six cases of measles in adults and two in young children have been reported by the Health Department in the past fortnight.

The children were aged 13 and 15 months and one attended a childcare centre, but was not believed to have been infectious at that time.

The adults all contracted the disease while travelling in Bali.

WA Immunisation Strategy Implementation Steering Committee chairwoman Rosanna Capolingua said there were "significant concerns" about WA's immunisation rates, particularly for the metropolitan area.

"We do very well in certain areas  such as the Kimberley, the Mid-West and the Wheatbelt  but North Metro and South Metro immunisation rates are much lower," she said.

"We know it's not just conscientious objectors because that's actually a small percentage. It's just about parents and families being able to start the immunisation schedule and finish it. At the moment we have two babies with measles because of a measles outbreak in Bali. Those two kids didn't go to Bali, they didn't have to go to Bali to get measles, they just had to be living in WA and not immunised."

Dr Hames said the Government had no plans to change immunisation laws. "In May I launched the WA Immunisation Strategy 2012-2015, which aims to improve immunisation rates among WA children," he said. "It focuses on four-year-olds entering the education system and on high school students, as well as increasing immunisation rates among Aboriginal children.

"It's our view that school-entry immunisation checks, coupled with health education and access to vaccine services, can achieve immunisation coverage rates in excess of 95 per cent, sufficient to prevent sustained disease transmission among schoolchildren and their community."

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Farce is with Ludlam in 'Star Wars' Senate count

Senator Scott Ludlam wining after the WA Senate recount by the WA Electoral Commission in Perth. Picture: Ross Swanborough Source: The Sunday Times

GREENS Senator Scott Ludlam snatched victory from the jaws of defeat yesterday after a thrilling recount of the WA Senate result saw him hang on to his job in Canberra.

The recount of the September 7 poll produced several shocks, including Labor Senator Louise Pratt losing her seat in Parliament and a surprising win for the Australian Sports Party.

Yesterday's announcement of the crisis-plagued recount result prompted jubilant scenes from Greens supporters gathered at the Northbridge count centre.

Such is the eclectic mix of politicians now in the Senate, it is being compared to the Mos Eisley bar in the first Star Wars film.

But the celebrations are likely to be short-lived, as mining magnate Clive Palmer, founder of the Palmer United Party, vowed to challenge the recount result in the Court of Disputed Returns within minutes of the announcement. Labor is also expected to lodge an appeal.

This week, the Australian Electoral Commission called in former Australian Federal Police commissioner Mick Keelty to investigate the loss of 1375 ballot papers missing from the WA Senate recount.

During the recount of 1.3 million ballot papers, it is understood scrutineers also found informal votes from the original count that were actually valid, and above-the-line papers that should have been in the below-the-line pile, altering the result.

The Australian Sports Party's candidate Wayne Dropulich scored an astonishing victory and Senator Ludlam snuck back into the Senate, ending Senator Pratt's political career and forcing the Palmer United Party's Zhenya "Dio'' Wang out.

Senator Scott Ludlam wining after the WA Senate recount by the WA Electoral Commission in Perth. Picture: Ross Swanborough Source: The Sunday Times

During a preselection battle, Ms Pratt lost her No.1 position on WA Labor's Senate ticket in favour of union heavyweight Joe Bullock, who retained his position after the recount.

Liberal senators David Johnston, Michaelia Cash and Linda Reynolds also held their positions.

Senator Ludlam and Mr Dropulich requested the recount after the original result revealed a razor-close finish.

There was a 14-vote difference between the Shooters and Fishers Party and Australian Christians, which handed a third Senate seat to the Palmer United Party, ending Senator Ludlam's political career in the original count.

Yesterday Senator Ludlam, joined by a dozen overjoyed Greens supporters, said he was "delighted'' with the result, which saw him gain a 12-vote victory. He was looking forward to getting on with his job, though he expected "a few twists and turns ahead''.

"We know, of course, that other parties are likely to take a very close look at the numbers - they obviously would be keeping their options open,'' he said.

"The Electoral Commission also indicated it might consider a referral to the Court of Disputed Returns.

"That's obviously a few jumps down the track. As far as I'm concerned, we've certainly been vindicated in our call for a recount.

"Quite a few hundred votes changed hands and it sounds like a lot until you realise there is actually a warehouse full of paper  you can never quite exclude human error.

"Hopefully this allows us all to get on with our jobs with a degree of certainty, but I'm well aware that there could be a few twists and turns ahead of us yet.''

Meanwhile, Mr Palmer slammed the recount as a "bad day for democracy'', as he declared he would challenge the result through the Court of Disputed Returns. He maintains the original result should be upheld.

"The AEC has got this wrong on so many levels, which I've been saying for the last eight weeks,'' Mr Palmer said.

"How they can lose 1375 votes is simply beyond belief and demonstrates incompetence or criminal conduct. The original count should stand as that is the only count where we had a full count of all votes.''

Australian Electoral Commission spokesman Phil Diak said the recount result would be formally declared tomorrow.

He was unable to comment on how close the recount result was yesterday, nor what role the missing 1375 votes would have had on the recount result.

Mr Dropulich welcomed the result, but said his celebrations were "reserved''.

"It's still a long way to go  it's definitely not over just yet,'' he said. "Different things happen to different people and we're lucky enough to be in this position.''

Before the recount result was announced, federal Labor deputy leader Tanya Plibersek said she "did not know anyone who'd had a more stressful few weeks'' than Ms Pratt. She told Ms Pratt at WA Labor's state conference that "everyone in this room values your work and supports you''.

Australian Greens leader Christine Milne said "this whole saga highlights the need for electoral reform''.

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Shark alarm in Perth's north

Bodyboarders ordered out of the water at Trigg Beach after the sighting of the Tiger Shark. Picture: Jodi-Lea Kershaw Source: PerthNow

MORE sharks are spotted at northern suburbs beaches than anywhere else in Perth.

Helicopter patrol data obtained by The Sunday Times reveals 76 per cent of the 104 shark sightings made in the 2012-13 financial year were at northern suburbs beaches.

The biggest number was recorded at Scarborough and City beaches, where seven sharks were spotted, followed closely by Floreat, Swanbourne and Trigg, which each had six.

The 104 shark sightings were recorded by Surf Life Saving WA's metropolitan helicopter patrol at 45 beaches, 29 of them in the northern suburbs.

The figures include a "feeding frenzy" of 20 tiger sharks at Trigg Beach, which has been counted as one incident.

Tiger sharks were the most-sighted variety, accounting for almost 40 per cent of sightings.

Great white sharks were spotted at City Beach (2), Floreat (1), Fremantle (1), North Cottesloe (1), Leighton (1) and a beach on the Cambridge-Stirling border (1). There were four great white sightings at Rottnest Island beaches.

Other varieties included bronze whaler (3) and hammerhead (18).

In 30 sightings the type of shark could not be identified.

SLSWA chief executive Paul Andrew said a number of factors could influence shark sightings, including tagged sharks setting off "responders".

"Just off City Beach, for example there is one of those responders," he said. "Tagged sharks will set those off as well, which will then result in, if the helicopter's not there, it being called out and so forth."

Floreat and City beaches were closed on Friday after tagged sharks were detected by the Department of Fisheries.

Fisheries Minister Troy Buswell said the WA Government had provided "unprecedented investment" in shark research and shark mitigation funding.

"The Liberal-National Government has allocated more than $20 million over four years to 2015-16 for shark hazard mitigation strategies, aimed at reducing the risk of shark attacks against WA beachgoers," Mr Buswell said.

"The network, which extends from South Australia to WA, uses about 320 receivers positioned in the seabed and 20 satellite receivers to monitor tagged sharks.

"In recent weeks our scientists have tagged five white sharks and nine bronze whaler sharks, which takes the total number of sharks part of the tagging program to 335 (141 white sharks, 175 whaler sharks and 19 tiger sharks).

"The satellite receivers can give real time information on the presence of a tagged white shark, information which can be monitored 24 hours a day by the public."

The Barnett Government this month announced that a $165,000 shark-proof enclosure would be installed for a one-year trial at Old Dunsborough Beach in the state's South-West.

It will be 300m long, will extend 100m offshore and be made of heavy gauge mesh.

University of WA Oceans Institute associate professor Nathan Hart said the barrier would only hold up in calm conditions, making it unsuitable for use at any of Perth's metropolitan beaches. But he said the beach-by-beach approach was "sensible".

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What is the 'Mother of Satan'?

Chemical explosives found in WA have been confirmed to be the highly-volatile TATP.

Police divers search South-West waters after the TATP explosive was detected. Picture: Beau Pearson / ABC Source: PerthNow

A large haul of TATP was found in a South-West estuary - so, what is it?

Police are investigating the discovery of a second "object" found in the Leschenault Estuary, near where a haul of volatile TATP chemical explosives were found on Tuesday.

Here are some facts about the explosive:

* Acetone peroxide - otherwise known as triacetone triperoxide or peroxyacetone - is an organic peroxide, and can be used as a primary high explosive

* It commonly appears as a white crystalline powder and has a distinct smell of bleach

* It is highly volatile, and particularly susceptible to heat, friction and shock

* It is created through the chemical reaction between hydrogen peroxide and acetone

* It is chemically notable as one of the few high explosives not containing nitrogen - making it popular with terrorists as it can pass through scanners designed to detect nitrogenous explosives

* As little as four grams can cause a detonation when ignited

* TATP base ingredients can include drain cleaner, bleach and acetone

* The recipe to make it is easily available on the internet, including a YouTube video viewed over 82,000 times

* It has been linked with various terrorist attacks including those attributed to al-Qaeda

* The substance was included as the trigger in the shoe bomb that Briton Richard Reid attempted to set off on a flight to Miami in December 2001

* It was also used in the 2005 London terrorist bombings, which claimed 52 lives

* Its highly unstable nature has earned it the nickname "Mother of Satan''.

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Explosives found days before political summit

Police in WA have been forced to transport dangerous chemicals away from where they may cause harm.

Commander Scott Higgins said Federal Police have been called in to trace the origin of the explosives haul. Source: News Limited

Commander Scott Higgins fronts the media yesterday after the revelation that the chemical found was the highly volatile explosive TATP. Picture: Marie Nirme Source: News Limited

The TRG Bearcat, which was used to transport the volatile TATP from Curtin House to Gloucester Park. Source: News Limited

A COUNTER terrorism expert believes the discovery of volatile explosives just days before world leaders meet in Perth for the Indian Ocean Rim Association summit is a "nasty coincidence."

Curtin University's Alexey Muraviev told PerthNow today the discovery raised additional security concerns for the event, which will see Foreign Ministers from countries such as India, Iran, Kenya, Malaysia and Sri Lanka meet in Perth tomorrow, November 1.

Dr Muraviev said terrorists wanted symbolic targets and the IORA event could provide such an opportunity.

"Many of them (member countries) are engaged in counter-terrorism efforts and many countries of the Indian Ocean Rim are affected by ongoing high levels of terrorism activity," he said.

He said because Perth was not considered a high-risk terrorism target, there would have also been an added element of surprise in any attack plot.

Police today said they were not ruling out any line of inquiry after a second suspicious package was found underwater at the Leschenault estuary in Australind this morning.

Army bomb disposal experts have been called in to help dispose of explosives after another suspicious package was found in the estuary where a large cache of the volatile chemical compound TATP was discovered on Tuesday.

PerthNow understands the substance found in the water today was located at the end of the jetty, and heavily weighted.

It was similar in size to the one found on Tuesday.

It is understood specialist Navy divers and officers from the bomb squad will move the substance a short distance early tomorrow morning and then detonate it on land in a controlled explosion.

Earlier this afternoon a forensics police officer spent 15 minutes photographing evidence on the side of Old Coast Road, about 50m from the jetty.

It appeared to be a small piece of paper which was eventually bagged and taken away as evidence by the officer.

Police investigating the discovery of explosives in Australind. Photos Bohdan Warchomij Source: News Limited

Police say there are no "legitimate" reasons why someone would be in the possession of the highly dangerous chemical other than for criminal activities.

Following this morning's discovery what could be more of the highly explosive material, State Crime A/Commander Scott Higgins told a press conference that while police were still trying to establish what it was intended for, the substance is used in terrorist attacks.

Earlier police confirmed the material destroyed at Gloucester Park yesterday was TATP, or 'Mother of Satan', the volatile chemical used in the 2005 London bombings.

Police officers in Australind, where two suspicious packages have been found at the Leschenault estuary. Photos Bohdan Warchomij Source: News Limited

Acting Commander Higgins said police were not ruling out any line of inquiry and confirmed the Major Crime Squad is looking at a list of people but was not close to making an arrest.

He also said TATP had previously been found in other locations in Australia.

"There's a whole range of different possibilities (for why) from prank to the more sinister and those are the ones we are looking in to," he said.

"This is not an unknown material and it has been found in other locations on previous occasions.

"There's no information to indicate there is cause of concern (regarding threats).

"One of the things we are trying to work out is exactly what it was intended for and we don't know that yet. And that is the reason we are asking for the public's help."

Questioned by the opposition in parliament about the risk to the public during the operation to move the original cache of TATP from the city to Gloucester Park, Premier Colin Barnett said he would not disclose details of confidential briefings.

``This is an extremely serious situation. But it is confidential and you are not to use it politically,'' Mr Barnett said.

Second 'object' discovered

POLICE are investigating the discovery of a second "object" found in the Leschenault Estuary, near where a haul of volatile TATP chemical explosives were found on Tuesday.

Police divers made the discovery while sweeping the estuary this morning.

Meanwhile, Federal authorities have been drafted in to help investigate the first discovery of a large haul of chemical explosive in the estuary, which has been confirmed to be the highly-volatile TATP - also known as "Mother of Satan".

A large haul of TATP - the substance used in the London terrorist bombings in 2007 - had to be destroyed by bomb squad officers at Gloucester Park in the Perth CBD early yesterday.

Counter terrorism officers joined a major task force to investigate the origin of the chemical explosives which were hidden in water near Australind, 165km south of Perth.

Senior police say nothing is being ruled out in determining what the explosives could have been used for, including a terrorist attack.

State Crime Commander Scott Higgins says federal police are helping to try and trace the origin of the large haul.

"We are treating it as TATP," Commander Higgins told ABC radio. "We had enough to cause real damage to people and property. The amount we had was very dangerous."

Bunbury Councillor Brendan Kelly said the community was shocked to hear about the discovery of explosives in a popular recreational area.

"There's a lot of curiosity amongst the local folk. They are as curious about getting to the bottom of it as anybody," Mr Kelly said.

"It is quite serious because the substance isn't a benign substance and the area that the package was found is a community area.

"People walk down that way, they walk along the jetty. It's not as if it was found out in the middle of nowhere.

"The community is waiting to see what the outcome is. It's something you would read about on the international news, not sleepy old greater Bunbury."

Police have also set up an information van at the Australind jetty where the substance was found and called on the public to come forward with any information.

Acting Commander Higgins said the amount of chemicals discovered was enough to cause "real damage to people and property."

"We're trying to work out a number of different aspects of this. Where did it come from, who made it, why was it there and what was the purpose of the material?

"We're asking for information that the public may have, no matter how potentially insignificant.

"Someone may have seen someone, noticed people purchasing different types of chemicals, or glassware or unusual smells. Or people might have been at the jetty and seen someone doing something unusual around that area."

Acting Commander Higgins said police were investigating all possible motives for the production of the explosive substance, including the most "sinister and dangerous".

"It's important that we look at all possible avenues from where this came from. We don't want people closing their minds down to one particular reason why it was there," he said.

"From people doing this for a prank, through to really serious criminal offences."

Premier Colin Barnett said while the discovery was disturbing, it was also being handled well.

"It is a serious situation that is being handled by the WA police and federal authorities," Mr Barnett said.

"However there is no reason for concern for the wider community. The police are in control of it and there is a detailed investigation taking place."

The drama began late on Tuesday when a member of the public found the haul near a groyne in the estuary near Bunbury.

Police were called, and after initially believing the chemicals were drug-making ingredients, transported them from the southwest to Perth.

But after realising their error, a major operation was launched. In five separate trips, the chemicals were delicately driven from police headquarters to the Gloucester Park racetrack where they were buried and detonated.

State security officers, chemical experts and major crime squad personnel will probe the case at state command centre premises last used during the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in 2011.

TATP is a crystalline explosive which can be manufactured from household ingredients.

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Trapped workers freed from BHP mine

Nine workers are trapped in a BHP Billiton mine in Leinster. Source: AFP

NINE mine workers trapped in an underground mine in central Western Australia have been bought to the surface safely, the operator BHP Billiton says.

Nine fitters had to go to a refuge chamber within the company's Perseverance underground nickel mine at Leinster after a 3.7 magnitude earthquake struck the northern goldfields region this morning.

"This is standard safety procedure during an event such as this,'' BHP Billiton said in a statement.

Just before 4pm (WST), the company said the fitters had all been returned to the surface.

No one was injured during the seismic event.

The fitters had access to water and communications while in the refuge chamber for nine hours.

The mine will remain closed until it is declared safe by inspectors.

Mines Minister Bill Marmion earlier told the WA parliament that the site operators successfully ran an unmanned cage through the shaft to confirm the stability.

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This century Australia's for the taking

One of the ambitions of the Lowy Institute is to amplify Australian voices on the world stage, and no Australian businessman has had more success on that world stage than Rupert Murdoch.

THE 21st century is Australia's for the taking. Australians are a naturally competitive people. Maybe it's because of where Australia sits geographically. Whatever the reason, Australians are curious about the world - and the great Australian diaspora proves we have never been shy about taking it on.

That is a testament to our competitive streak. You see it in our sport and hear it in our everyday language: "Have a go, mate."

Don't look for entitlements, have a go!

This should be the spirit of the 21st-century global economy. And Australia is well suited by character and culture to be a great success in it.

For Australia is on the cusp of becoming something rare and valuable in this new world: an egalitarian meritocracy, with more than a touch of libertarianism. But we can't wait for later. In the past few years, we have all seen how advances in communications and travel have eliminated the tyranny of distance. The same might be said for size.

Think about Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong. These are all small places, and hardly blessed with natural resources. Yet they have carved out a competitive position in the world because of their free, open and dynamic economies.

Australia can and should do better than all of them. Three factors will make the global Australian even more competitive in the world ahead.

First, Australian values. Some people say we need to abandon Australian values. The truth is if we want to lead rather than follow, we need to promote Australia's values and strengthen the institutions that sustain them.

Second, immigration. Having a diverse immigrant population is a precious resource as we engage the world.

Rupert Murdoch delivers the 2013 Lowy Lecture at the Sydney Town Hall / Picture: James Croucher Source: News Limited

Finally, disruption. One of the few certainties we can have is that the 21st century will be a century of disruption. Australia must be the economy that thrives on disruption. Primarily we will do this through the key drivers of prosperity: trade, technology, and free markets.

If we do these things, I promise you this: Australia will do more than prosper. Australia will lead.

Australia had a long history before it became a British colony. But that colonisation resulted in class pretensions that have lasted a long time. These pretensions include not only the stuffy, narrow-minded elitism that still exists in some small quarters of society, but more recently, the faux class war that has been stirred by contemporary politicians grasping for an election theme.

Thankfully, Australia has emerged from its inauspicious colonial beginnings to become a proud nation - a nation that overcame those primeval prejudices. We have a perfect example: Many of you will remember when a Catholic was rare in a Liberal Cabinet. Those days are now behind us. And Prime Minister Tony Abbott is part of the proof.

The heart of Australia today is our belief in a fair shake for all - no man or woman is above any other.

We applaud achievement and innovation. We want people to strive, to make the most of their talent and not to be content with their lot. That is the essence of an egalitarian meritocracy.

That's an appealing message, and a competitive edge in a competitive world. If we wish to continue to punch above our weight, we must cultivate the values and institutions that sustain this ethos; our churches and our social organisations.

The values that define Australia depend on more than good government and strong allies. They depend on sound and vigorous institutions - especially private institutions.

You can't have the rule of law if the courts aren't free and independent - or if you have lawyers running amok as they do in the American system. We cannot allow the rule of law to become the rule of lawyers!

You can't have a free democracy if you don't have a free media that can provide vital and independent information to the people.

You can't have a competitive, egalitarian meritocracy if only some of your citizens have the opportunity for a good education. In a world as competitive as ours, the child who does not get a decent education is condemned to the fringes of society.

In the decades since World War Two, Australia has gone through many changes. But for all this progress, there is still a strand among some who seem to value every culture except our own. These people are gravely confused about what real multiculturalism is.

Rupert Murdoch delivers the 2013 Lowy Lecture at the Sydney Town Hall / Picture: James Croucher Source: News Limited

Multiculturalism is not relativism, and tolerance is not indifference. Australia has clear values and strong institutions. One key value is an openness to all comers - provided they are willing to abide by our way of life. The result is a great model for the world - a prosperous, multicultural society of people living together in peace and freedom.

The nations that lead this century will be the ones most successful at attracting and keeping talent. We need to get the brightest of them here. That is how we will strengthen our human capital. Australia is on its way to becoming what may be the world's most diverse nation. This is an incredible competitive advantage.

Which brings me to my last point: Australia must be the world's disruptive economy. The economist Schumpeter once described the process of "creative destruction" as essential to capitalism. The current fashionable word to capture that sense of creative chaos is "disruption."

I guess some would say that I have been a disruptive influence at times. I will take that as a compliment, even if it wasn't intended that way.

When I think of the newspaper industry today, and the transition that has taken place from Gutenberg to Google, I know the status quo is being disrupted yet again.

Perhaps the most revolutionary disruption in the last decade has been the stunning growth of mobile communications. For a company like News Corp, that disruption has actually been a shot of adrenalin. Now, each and everyone of us can have our news and information when and where we want it.

That is a huge leap for an industry that once had to rely on trucks and news agents alone to deliver news.

The same opportunity for global growth is there for Australia, if we can make ourselves more nimble.

While the lack of a huge domestic market presents challenges, it also means we have fewer huge industries demanding the government protections common in large industrial nations - and fatal for any society that hopes to advance in a disruptive world. And it means we are always forced to think outside the box.

The disruptive forces in the world economy today are as relentless as they are remorseless. But once we embrace that reality, we can make sure they are rewarding.

It is the Australian people who will, collectively, define this nation's destiny.

We must be leaders, not followers. We must be egalitarian, not elitist. We must be victors, not victims.

It won't be easy.

But the Australia that I know and love has never shied from a challenge.

This is an edited version of the speech given Thursday night to the Lowy Institute by Rupert Murdoch, chairman of News Corp.

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Male beauty salon worker guilty of sex assault

A male beauty salon worker has been found guilty of sexual assault. Source: News Limited

A male beauty salon worker has been convicted of seven counts of sexual penetration without consent after he touched clients' vaginas during hair removal treatment. But Don Chaminda Prabath Subasinghe, 43, was found not guilty of seven other counts of the same charge in the West Australian District Court today.

The jury had deliberated for 11 hours after a nine-day trial. The offences occurred at the Cut N Curl Beauty Salon in the southern suburb of Canning Vale in late 2010 and early 2011. Subasinghe was performing the "Brazilian" treatment known as IPL when he committed the offences.

During the trial, the court heard all of the women did not immediately complain and most were contacted by police after two initial complaints.

But Judge Stephen George Scott told the jury there could be good reasons for a delayed complaint.

One of the women had said she "just wanted to forget it" and another thought Subasinghe's digital penetration was an accident. Another said she "felt like an idiot" because she let him continue and didn't want her boyfriend to know.

Defence lawyer Tom Percy told the jury that none of the women had told Subasinghe to stop or looked distressed when they left the salon.

And Mr Percy said it beggared belief that, while they claimed to have felt uncomfortable, some of the women made further appointments.

Subasinghe was granted bail, subject to conditions including a surety of $20,000, daily reporting to police and that he not leave WA or come within 100m of a point of departure.

The state had opposed bail, but Mr Percy argued Subasinghe was not a flight risk because he had a family and had surrendered his passport, and had medical issues.

He will be sentenced on December 19.

"The only appropriate sentence would be a term of immediate imprisonment," Judge Scott said. ###

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Australia's most haunted places

By day, the Monte Cristo homestead at Junee looks like any other grand manor. Source: Supplied

By night, it's Australia's most haunted house. Spooky. Source: Supplied

REGINALD Ryan and his wife Olive had just moved into a beautiful homestead in Junee, NSW, when they drove downtown for supplies one foggy night in 1963.

When they turned up their driveway on the return trip, a brilliant fierce light was streaming out of every door and window of the house.

They thought they were being burgled, but as they drove cautiously closer to the house, the lights suddenly switched off and the house was again lost in the ghostly fog and darkness.

The Ryans had no idea the Monte Cristo homestead was the country's most haunted home. And it doesn't seem to have fazed them - they still live there.

Reginald's nephew and his wife once visited Monte Cristo and were looking for the loo late one night. A young woman dressed in white appeared before them, whispered "Don't worry, it will be all right" and vanished.

Olive once found dead and mutilated cats in the kitchen. Visiting children inexplicably throw tantrums around the staircase, where a child once died. There are phantom footsteps, strange apparitions and haunting noises.

It's little wonder the home's ghost tours are booked out months in advance.

But Monte Cristo isn't the only haunted place in the country, of course. Here are seven more of our spookiest.

STUDLEY PARK HOUSE, NSW

The eerie house at dusk. Source: News Limited

On October 15, 1909, in the grounds of the then Camden Grammar School, 14-year-old Ray Blackstone drowned in the dam after failed rescue attempts by his school mates, ancestry.com.au tells us.

His body was placed in the cold, dark cellar of the school until his burial.

Three decades later, while living in the transformed school house, 13-year-old Noel William Gregory - son of Twentieth Century Fox sales manager Arthur Adolphus Gregory, died from appendicitis.

It's believed that the spirits of both boys play together and remain in the house as a constant reminder of their tragic lives.

REDBANK RANGE TUNNEL, NSW

The disused tunnel is said to be haunted by a death that occurred in 1914. Source: News Limited

Emily Bollard entered a railway tunnel at Picton (no longer in use) and met the oncoming train. It didn't end well.

Emily's ghost is said to wander the tunnel.

NATIONAL FILM AND SOUND ARCHIVE, ACT

The National Film and Sound Archive in Canberra. Fine by day, but would you wander around at night? Source: Supplied

In its current incarnation, this grand art deco building in Canberra is a living archive of important images and sounds deemed worthy of preservation.

But until 1984, it operated as the Australian Institute of Anatomy, where notable body parts were kept and collected.

Some people believe the spectres of the dead haunt the hallways.

The downstairs corridor, which once housed hundreds of human skulls, is said to be a hive of poltergeist activity.

And a contractor claims to have been pinned against a wall in the basement by an unexplained presence.

BOGGO ROAD JAIL, QLD

The Boggo Road Jail, in Brisbane's inner-south, has a checkered history of violence. Source: News Limited

It's one the country's most infamous prisons - known for tough inmates and even tougher wardens.

Boggo Rd was a place of execution until 1913, and held some of Australia's most dangerous men and women including the Whiskey Au-Go-Go firebombers James Finch and Andrew Stuart, and the only woman hanged in Queensland, Ellen Thomson.

Given its long history of rooftop riots, executions and fatal overcrowding, Boggo understandably has a ghostly folklore surrounding it.

No longer running as a prison, the historic site is now open to ghost tours.

FREMANTLE ARTS CENTRE, WA

A bustling cultural hub today. A lunatic asylum in the past. Source: Flickr

Before this 150-year-old building was Fremantle's home of live music and weekend crafternoons, it was the local insane asylum.

It's believed to be one of the southern hemisphere's most active haunted places.

Visitors have reported all the spooky hallmarks of a haunted house: cold spots, ghostly touches, apparitions, moving lights and generally strange feelings.

Ghost hunters investigated it recently and heard creepy voices saying creepy things like "Those are chains" and "It's not cold". CREEPY.

PORT ARTHUR, TAS

Ghost tours operate at Port Arthur. Source: Supplied

Hundreds of men died during Port Arthur's first decades as a convict settlement, and many people believe those lost souls have hung around.

Tour guides show interested rubber-neckers around the spooky historic town, convinced that the wall separating the worlds of the living and the dead is at its thinnest in Port Arthur.

Some of the local accommodation houses even have an "Unusual Occurrence Form" that guests can fill out when they've seen something ghostly.

Recurring visions include the Lady in Blue - apparently the weeping spectre of a young woman who died in childbirth.

More than 2000 apparitions have been lodged in the past two decades.

PRINCESS THEATRE, VIC

The grand old dame of Melbourne's theatre scene in 1908. Source: Flickr

In March 1888, the baritone Frederick Federici was performing a scene from Faust when he had a sudden heart attack and died.

It's said his phantom still haunts the opera, and for many years a seat was reserved for him in the third row of the dress circle. Touching. But creepy.

Got any ghost stories or haunted haunts? Tell us everything about it in the comments below or continue the conversation on Twitter @newscomauHQ

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