Daniel Palmer JUNE 17, 2016 THE AUSTRALIAN Bracknell dairy farmer Lindsay Thompson supplies milk to Fonterra and has been hit hard by price cuts. The dramatic slashing of farmgate milk prices by Fonterra has had an immediate impact on supply by local farmers, with May milk collection plunging 18 per cent compared to last year’s corresponding period. The fall represents a sharp deceleration from a lacklustre April, when production slid 5 per cent. It follows a backdated price cut from Fonterra on May 5, which sees the price offered to its network of 1100 farmer-suppliers slashed from $5.60 a kilogram of milk solids to between $4.75 and $5. The move by Australia’s second-largest milk processor was a response to the same price cut from the nation’s largest processor Murray Goulburn just a week beforehand. Fonterra’s milk collection for the financial year-to-date is down just 3 per cent, highlighting the rapid…

Michael Heath June 17, 2016 The Age Australians have to fork out less than $10 to buy a pack of 30 painkiller tablets that are banned over-the-counter in most developed nations because they partially convert into morphine after taken. Futile attempts to regulate the sale of codeine pain killers such as Panadeine or Nurofen Plus despite addiction risks, and the lack of debate on the issue in the run-up to next month’s election, serve to show the strength of the pharmacy lobby. It’s also an example of a wider impasse on structural reforms that’s put a brake on the the nation’s productivity. Changing the rules on codeine sales would be a small step compared with the broader overhaul of the industry that economists say would boost competition and spur the kind of efficiency gains that the economy needs. Pharmacy-ownership restrictions, along with protection within the taxi, shipping, medical and legal…

Hartley Henderson June 17, 2016 Food & Beverage The British Government’s recent decision to combat the rising incidence of obesity in the UK by introducing a 20 per cent tax on sugary drinks has stimulated debate about whether a similar tax should be introduced in Australia. Hartley Henderson investigates. But is a tax an appropriate way to address the issue of overweight and obesity in Australia? Or is more education and better labelling needed, and should more be done by the beverage industry sector to reduce the amount of sugar added to non-alcoholic beverages? The Obesity Policy Coalition (OPC) points out that in Australia two thirds of adults and one quarter of children are overweight or obese, that sugary drinks are a major contributor to this, and that they are a risk factor for overweight and obesity, which can increase the risk of many common diseases such as type 2…

Melissa Kress June 16, 2016 Convenience Store News JERSEY CITY, N.J. — Convenience stores are traditionally known for tobacco, snacks and beverages, but more consumers are turning to the channel for non-perishable items, particularly in times of emergency. The U.S. convenience store industry is coming off one of its best years ever in 2015, as the latest Convenience Store News Industry Report showed. And while key product categories like foodservice, packaged beverages and snacks continue to drive the channel’s in-store sales performance, c-store retailers are also keeping an eye on the future as fuel margins decline and prices at the pump increase, CSNews Editorial Director Don Longo explained. “While other product categories [like foodservice and packaged beverages] get more attention and hype, non-perishable products — such as household cleaning, paper, health, beauty and personal care items — are also key products to have on hand to attract convenience store shoppers,…

AAP JUNE 17, 2016 The NSW government is being urged to trial driverless cars on major state highways in a bid to get the vehicles operating by 2021. Roads in Newcastle, Wollongong and Sydney Olympic Park are potential areas where the cars could be tested safely, the NRMA says. Carmaker Volvo Australia has told a parliamentary inquiry looking into the technology major Sydney highways such as the M5 or M7 would also be good locations. Volvo, which has already conducted trials of its semi-autonomous vehicles in Adelaide, says its cars would be ready for sale in NSW within five years if road rules changed. “Volvo believes it is feasible to conduct a safe driverless car trial in Sydney on a connected road system like the M5, M7, M2 and M1,” Volvo Car Australia managing director Kevin McCann said. “This would pave the way for changes to the road laws prior…

GERARD WALDRON JUNE 17, 2016 THE AUSTRALIAN Driverless vehicles have the potential to drastically improve road safety, reduce congestion and save the NSW economy billions of dollars over the coming decade. It’s the most important transport innovation of the century, but NSW risks falling behind other state governments if it doesn’t take the opportunity to introduce new policy and legislative measures that can drastically reduce the road toll. The significant road safety opportunity and need for a more collaborative national approach, is the message the Australian Driverless Vehicles Initiative (ADVI) will present today at the NSW Staysafe Committee Inquiry into Driverless Vehicles and Road Safety. ADVI’s partnership of more than 60 government, industry and academic organisations, including ARRB Group, led the first ever demonstrations of driverless vehicles on Australian roads in SA last year and assisted the SA government in the development of the country’s first driverless vehicle legislation. While…