Briefs

Leighton Holdings' contracting arm was awarded a $146 million contract by LandCorp to deliver the Ord East Kimberley expansion project in Kununurra, a development that will create 7,500 hectares of new farmland.

The Ord East Kimberley expansion project in Kununurra will provide 7,500 hectares of new farmland and is being delivered under a $146 million contract awarded to Leighton Holdings' contracting arm by LandCorp.

Keith Rhoades, president of the NSW Local Government Association, told a state parliamentary inquiry that a West Australian-style royalties program would be needed to help NSW communities cope with any expansion of the coal seam gas industry.

Harley-Davidson is shutting down its Adelaide wheel-manufacturing business at North Plympton and moving production to China, which will result in the loss of more than 200 jobs; the South Australian government criticized the company for providing no prior indication of the closure.

AGL Energy has deferred plans to drill six natural gas exploration wells in NSW to allow for more consultation and completion of an independent study. The company said it does not plan to use hydraulic fracturing (fracking) for the drilling.

Alcan Gove Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of Rio Tinto that operates the Gove alumina refinery in the Northern Territory, was fined $160,000 after admitting to a large fuel spill in June last year.

While the national unemployment rate rose to 5.3 percent last month, NSW was the only state to record a fall in unemployment. NSW Treasurer Mike Baird said the better employment figures would help boost consumer confidence as Christmas approaches.

NSW winners at the Australian Export Awards included Laservision (a lighting entertainment firm), Finisar Australia (a technology manufacturer), and Health Projects International (a health planning business), all taking top state prizes.