Fatal shore: the deaths of three teenage lifesavers

Coming up this Sunday 30th December 2012 This week on Background Briefing: FATAL SHORE: THE DEATHS OF THREE TEENAGE LIFESAVERS Reporter: Wendy Carlisle Matthew Barclay, Saxon Bird and Robert Gatenby all died while competing at national surf championship events on the Gold Coast. Their deaths occurred in different years but at the same beach, and all in heavy surf conditions. Were their deaths preventable? Did Surf Life Saving Australia fail in its duty of care? There's grief, anger and calls for a Royal Commission. (Originally broadcast on the 13th May 2012.)   Background Briefing is now broadcast after the 8am news bulletin on Sunday morning. Recently on Background Briefing: LEAD POISONING: A SILENT EPIDEMIC Reporter: Ian Townsend There's growing evidence that lead poisoning shaves IQ points in children and has an insidious effect on behaviour. While experts debate safe exposure, a boom in home renovations could increase the risks. The suburbs of Queensland flooded earlier this year are lead-dust hot spots but residents haven't been warned.  (Originally broadcast on the 6 May 2012) FROM CATTLE TO CARBON Reporters: Caddie Brain and Di Martin Once a cattle empire, Henbury Station in Central Australia is now a multi-million dollar, carbon farming experiment. But with the cattle gone the neighbours are angry, and while the government says restoring land can be a good business, the future of this taxpayer assisted project is in doubt. THE MISSING EMISSIONS Reporter: Wendy Carlisle The claim that coal seam gas is 50% cleaner than coal is coming under renewed scrutiny as more science comes in. The government is now reviewing the situation, but in the meantime investors are getting the jitters over the real carbon exposure.  So why hasn't the Government insisted on better science?  THE PARROT SMUGGLERS Reporter: Hagar Cohen Australia has some of the strongest laws in the world to tackle wildlife crime, yet the trade in native and exotic birds continues virtually unchecked. Two high profile attempts to prosecute the smugglers have failed. Why? To access the Background Briefing website go to: Home | Contact | Newsletter Subscribe or Unsubscribe

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