Advanced demographic modelling of water consumption patterns in Adelaide suggest that pricing models preferred by governments punish the poor and discourage water saving.

Australian company Intelligent Software Development claims that its modelling of water use data from more than 580,000 households has shown that a "flat rate per kilolitre" charge for water would encourage greater water savings than the current tiered system while earning a greater level of revenue. In a report called "A Fairer Water Pricing Policy for Adelaide Residents", Intelligent Software Development also condemns a three tier water pricing model that is proposed to replace the current two-tier system.

"With the current two-tier and proposed three-tier pricing policies, low income households unfairly pay a greater per kilolitre rate for water than high income households," says the report. "This is due to the supply charge added to the household water bill for all households. With the three-tier policy, low income households are forced to save a greater percentage of water (from current two-tier usage) due to financial constraints."

John Harris has 25 years experience working in the communication industry, holding senior roles in the media and in Public Relations. Since establishing Impress Media Australia in 1991, he has developed and implemented media strategies for many entrepreneurial businesses. He has also contributed articles to newspapers and magazines in Australia and New Zealand. John regularly receives commissions to write technology documents for major organisations that want to communicate the business value of their solutions.

National freight company Northline expects strong growth in North Queensland after appointing Steve Mulley, a Cairns native who returns from a decade in Brisbane, as its North Queensland Manager.

Steve, who first came to Cairns as a lad with his family in 1969, has more than two decades of experience in the freight industry, and since 2005, as Operations Manager at Northline's Brisbane branch.

Northline Chief Operating Officer Phillip Taylor said Steve brought a wealth of local knowledge to his new role. "Steve knows the needs and challenges of businesses operating in North Queensland," he said. "By appointing a freight specialist who has lived in the north for 30 years, we expect to configure our services to meet local conditions, so we can make it easier for businesses to get the supplies they need.

"One of Steve's best qualities is that he is very approachable, so we are encouraging people to call him to discuss their freight management needs."

Australia’s PC Range has launched the Billion BiPAC 2070, a 200 megabit-per-second Ethernet-over-power plug that delivers the super-fast connectivity needed for High Definition home networks.

Costing just $309 for a pack with two HomePlugs, Billion’s BiPAC 2070 lets you stream High Definition movies from a PC to your TV without the worries of wireless network interference or costly cabling.

Compliant with the latest HomePlug AV standards supporting data speeds as fast as 200Mbps, the BiPAC 2070 lets you share bandwidth-hungry applications such as video, IPTV and video-on-demand with anyone in the house by setting up a data network based on your home’s electrical cabling system.

Australia’s PC Range has launched the Billion BiPAC 2070, a 200 megabit-per-second Ethernet-over-power plug that delivers the super-fast connectivity needed for High Definition home networks.

Costing just $309 for a pack with two HomePlugs, Billion’s BiPAC 2070 lets you stream High Definition movies from a PC to your TV without the worries of wireless network interference or costly cabling.

Compliant with the latest HomePlug AV standards supporting data speeds as fast as 200Mbps, the BiPAC 2070 lets you share bandwidth-hungry applications such as video, IPTV and video-on-demand with anyone in the house by setting up a data network based on your home’s electrical cabling system.