PERTH: Mining billionaire Gina Rinehart (pictured above during her recent trip to Italy) has changed tack in her dispute with the ABC over its Race Around the World (RATW) program that involves six young filmmakers travelling the globe to make original short films on a variety of topics.

Rinehart threatened the national broadcaster with legal action over comments by Kate McGuinness in her short film, A Very Relaxing Video, made as a RATW contestant.

In her film, McGuiness said: “When the revolution comes will you hide under the bed or will you know exactly how to shove a stick right up Gina Rinehart’s butthole, stirring it round, mixing her guts up nice and smooth, to make one big sausage roll to make something out of nothing?”

After it was screened, Rinehart sought the film’s withdrawal from all ABC platforms, a public apology, and an investigation into how the McGuiness script was approved.

But a source within Rinehart’s company, Hancock Prospecting, said the mining magnate had changed her plans, would drop thoughts of legal action, and would instead finance a TV series of her own as a rival to Race Around the World.

“It will have the same broad format and will screen on her favourite channel, Sky… I mean News24,” the spokesperson said.

“It will see six One Nation branch members visiting countries where people might be thinking about migrating to Australia, and making films showing how they stopped them coming here.

“She is very confident that Racists Around the World will be a big hit and will put the ABC in its place,” the source said.

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WELLINGTON: The New Zealand government says it will monitor the impacts of its decision to ban greyhound racing.

The total ban on greyhound racing took effect on Saturday after being announced two years ago because of what the government said was an unacceptably high rate of injury and death among the racing dogs.

Greyhound owners have been winding down their operations in recent weeks and months in preparation for the ban and some have begun to fly their animals out of New Zealand to continue running them on Australian tracks. (below)

A spokesperson for the NZ Government said some impacts were expected to become apparent in local and regional economies because of the ban.

“Things like dog food manufacturing and retailing will no doubt show a dip.” the spokesperson said. “We will also be monitoring the impacts we expect to see on veterinary clinics which will now have fewer animals to treat.”

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Opposition Leader, Anus Taylor, has drawn criticism for choosing not to issue a congratulatory statement on the clean sweep of gold, silver, and bronze medals by three members of Australia’s Commonwealth Games athletics team in the women’s mile event.

Sporting observers and political analysts have question Mr Taylor’s failure to congratulate Abbey Caldwell, Jess Hull and Claudia Hollingsworth on their individual and collective wins.

But Mr Taylor told a news conference that he had a good reason for his silence.

“As I say repeatedly when asked even the most basic of questions– I don’t give a running commentary,” Mr Taylor said. “So I certainly won’t be giving a commentary on a running race, no matter who won it.”

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WELLINGTON: Invasive pest experts in New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries say they are puzzled by a recent sudden upsurge in the brushtail possum population across the nation’s north and south islands.

The possums were introduced from Australia in the mid 19th century with the aim of establishing a fur industry but have long been considered an invasive feral pest because of a lack of natural predators.

“We have noticed a huge jump in possum numbers in recent weeks and months, and quite an upsurge since last Saturday, all of which we so far can’t explain,” a ministry spokesperson said. “But our researchers are working with dogged determination to find out the cause.”  

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