Fears flight may have spread measles

Passengers on a Garuda flight may have been exposed to measles. Source: News Limited

PASSENGERS who took a flight from Jakarta to Perth on the weekend may have been exposed to measles, WA Health has warned.

The warning to passengers on Garuda flight GA724 on Sunday comes after a passenger was confirmed to have been infectious with the disease.

Local health officials are contacting passengers who were seated closest to the infected passenger and are most at risk.

Passengers seated elsewhere on the plane may have been exposed to the virus and should also be alert for symptoms.

Director of Communicable Disease Control Paul Armstrong said passengers who developed symptoms should seek medical attention.

"But it is important they phone ahead first to ensure they don't share the waiting area with other patients and risk infecting them," Dr Armstrong said.

Symptoms can include fever, tiredness, runny nose, coughing and sore red eyes, which usually last for several days before a red, blotchy rash appears.

"Complications can range from an ear infection and diarrhoea to pneumonia or swelling of the brain," Dr Armstrong said.

He said people aged up to 47 years who have not received two doses of measles vaccine were particularly susceptible to the disease, but people born before 1966 were usually immune because they had measles during childhood.

Susceptible passengers could expect symptoms to appear any time between December 22 and January 2.

The passenger also attended a number of sites in Perth while infectious on Monday, including Kings Park, University of WA, Forrest Chase, Willetton and Nedlands.

Although the risk of infection is lower, people who were in these areas on that day should also be alert for symptoms.

Dr Armstrong said children should receive two doses of measles vaccine at 12 and 18 months of age.

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We settle the world's biggest arguments

Daniel crosses to Channel Ten's Wake Up to chat about Google's top trending searches for 2013.

Kim Kardashian vs. Emma Watson. It was a bit of a landslide. Source: NewsComAu

EMMA Watson or Kim Kardashian? Game of Thrones or Breaking Bad?

These are the questions we ask each other in the pub every Friday evening. The problem is, there's never any way to answer them objectively.

Until now, that is. We've found a way to settle those arguments once and for all using a tool called Google Trends, which tracks how often certain words are used in Google searches.

Think of it as a tech-savvy popularity contest.

We plugged in a bunch of different terms, limiting the results to searches from Australians over the last 12 months.

1. BATTLE OF THE BRATS

Miley blew the Biebs away with her performance at the MTV Video Music Awards. She grossed out a lot of people too, but it was the most successful piece of attention-seeking by any musician this year. You'd better Beliebe it.

Winner: THE TWERKSTER. Source: NewsComAu

2. BATTLE OF THE BOX

We plugged in five of the TV shows people love to rave about and it turned into a duel between Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad. Check out the spike from the fantasy show's "Red Wedding" episode.

Winner: TYRION LANNISTER. Source: NewsComAu

3. BATTLE OF THE SEXES

We thought "hot women" would be a far more popular search term than "hot men". I mean, blokes have something of a reputation for looking at attractive women on the internet. But the surprisingly close margin suggests there are quite a few women surfing Google Images as well.

Winner: HOT PEOPLE. Source: NewsComAu

4. BATTLE OF THE BABIES

Kanye West and Kim Kardashian had a baby girl, and joined a long tradition of celebrity stupidity by giving her a silly name. Meanwhile, Prince William and Kate Middleton went all old-fashioned on their son.

Winner: COMPASSES. Source: NewsComAu

5. BATTLE OF THE FOREIGN PLACES

We picked out four of your favourite holiday destinations, and London was consistently the top rater. That presumably has something to do with the lovely weather.

Winner: LONDON, INNIT. Source: NewsComAu

6. BATTLE OF THE HEARTTHROBS

Ryan Gosling and Mila Kunis are probably the two most-desired people on the planet. They're closely matched, but the Gos grabbed the win by a sultry whisker.

Winner: "HEY GIRL". Source: NewsComAu

7. BATTLE OF THE POTTERHEADS

You could also call this one "the Triwizard Tournament". Emma Watson was far more popular than her fellow Harry Potter stars, particularly Rupert Grint, who has red hair. That probably didn't help him.

Winner: NERDY GIRLS. Source: NewsComAu

8. BATTLE OF THE SUPERHEROES

A few superhero films came out this year, including Iron Man 3, but that big yellow spike wasn't enough to push Robert Downey Jr's character past Batman.

Winner: BEN AFFLECK. Source: NewsComAu

9. BATTLE OF THE SUPERCARS

Ferrari is still the undisputed king of fast cars, at least among people who spend their lives searching for things on the internet instead of driving.

Winner: RED PAINT. Source: NewsComAu

10. BATTLE OF THE SLIGHTLY LESS BRATTY SINGERS

One Direction was tracking marginally above Taytay until the boy band came to Australia on tour. At that point, all the fangirls started feverishly Googling their crushes, pushing 1D to an easy win.

Winner: HARRY STYLES' EGO Source: NewsComAu

11. BATTLE ROYAL

For all the enduring talk about Pippa Middleton's backside, not to mention her social life, she was still well beaten by her sister. Meanwhile, bad boy Prince Harry edged out his brother, who will probably be King one day, if that's any consolation.

Winner: PERSONALITY. Source: NewsComAu

Winner: LACK OF PERSONALITY. Source: NewsComAu

12. BATTLE OF THE POLLIES

Australians seem to despise their politicians in fairly equal measure, and they Google their leaders in equal measure as well. You'll notice spikes for Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard during the final round of leadership speculation, then a big one for Tony Abbott on election night.

Winner: NOBODY. WE ALL LOSE NO MATTER WHAT. Source: NewsComAu

13. BATTLE OF THE DOCTORS

Doctor Who fans got super-excited about the show's recent 50th anniversary special, which featured the two most recent incarnations of the character, played by Matt Smith and David Tennant. The two men can't be split. Let the debate over who's better continue in earnest.

Winner: PEOPLE WITH MICROSCOPES WHO CAN ACTUALLY PICK A WINNER ON THIS GRAPH. Source: NewsComAu

14. BATTLE OF THE TREKKIES

Let's stick with the sci-fi theme and settle the argument between Star Trek and Star Wars forever. Sorry Trekkies, lasers beat phasers. That blue spike corresponding with the release of the new Star Trek movie wasn't enough to close the gap.

Winner: DARTH VADER'S VOICE. Source: NewsComAu

15. BATTLE OF THE BRUTES

Which Australian footy code is officially the most popular? The AFL. By a mile. Before you go off your rocker, soccer fans, even "football" didn't come close. We checked.

Winner: SLEEVELESS JERSEYS. Source: NewsComAu

16. BATTLE OF THE TWANKERS

Facebook stalkers rejoice! Mark Zuckerberg's creation is easily the top social media site by this metric, and everything else is an afterthought. Even Google Plus. Who would have thought?

Winner: FACEBOOK STALKERS. Source: NewsComAu

17. BATTLE OF THE GEN Y STUFF

There are two types of people in Generation Y - those who take selfies and those who make memes. Think of them as takers vs. makers. The selfie-obsessed sap our collective will to live, while the meme-obsessed give us cheap laughs. Thankfully, even though selfie is the "word of the year", the memes still win this battle.

Winner: INTERNET WIT. Source: NewsComAu

18. BATTLE FOR HUMANITY'S SOUL

In the blue corner, Emma Watson, who's smart, classy and refreshingly modest. In the red corner, Kim Kardashian, who's self-centred, and alsmost married to Kanye West. The results are in, and they're terrible.

Winner: NOT HUMANITY. Source: NewsComAu

19. BATTLE FOR THE INTERNET'S SOUL

Australian internet users are kind of interested in money and sport. They're very interested in food. But nothing compares to porn. Absolutely nothing. We tried a gazillion different search terms, and none of them were even competitive. This graph's as sad as it was predictable.

Winner: SELF-LOVE. Source: NewsComAu

What did we leave out? Continue the conversation on Twitter: @SamClench | @newscomauHQ

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'A $20 cab fare would have saved Luke's life'

Luke Beyer with his mum Colleen. Luke, 17, was killed by a drunk driver in May 2011. Source: Supplied

COLLEEN Beyer, whose son was killed by a drunk driver in 2011, has thrown her support behind The Sunday Times and PerthNow Summer Slowdown road safety campaign, urging drivers not to speed.

She's issued a specific plea to young drivers to plan ahead, adhere to speed limits and especially don't drink and drive.

"I urge everyone to support this campaign. The life you save could be your own. Not only that, but you will prevent another family like ours going through the heartache and despair which we face everyday of losing a loved one," Ms Beyer said this week.

Road crash statistics reveal summer is often the most dangerous time on WA roads, with the state recording 48 deaths from December to February this year. So far this summer there have been seven road fatalities.

Ms Beyer's son Luke was killed by a drunk driver in May 2011. Luke was only 17.

A brilliant soccer player for the Balcatta Soccer Club he had just started studying sports science at university and had a part-time job at the Ballajura IGA store.

Tom Davies, left, a close friend of Luke Beyer's, pictured with Matt Beyer, is a founder of Enough is Enough WA, a campaign against drink driving. Picture: Theo Fakos

It was after leaving that IGA store on the night of May 27, 2011 that his life was cut short and his parents, family and friends' lives would change forever.

That night, Luke had kindly agreed to pick up a few mates from the movies and drop them off home.

As Luke sat in his Toyota Camry at the intersection of Illawarra Crescent and Sloop Rise in Ballajura with two of his mates in the car, another young driver slammed his Mazda utility into Luke's vehicle.

That other young driver was Cory Nepia-Keelan.

Nepia-Keelan was at the wheel of the white Mazda when it lost control and slammed into Luke's car, killing him and injuring his two mates.

The Sunday Times anbd Perthnow has launched the Summer Slowdown road safety campaign.

Nepia-Keelan, who was 22 at the time, also had a passenger with him.

He didn't have a licence and later recorded a blood-alcohol level of 0.107 - more than double the legal limit.

Last year, he was jailed for four years over the crash. He could be released on parole as early as February.

Two and a half years on and Colleen Beyer, her husband Martin and her other son Matt are still grieving.

"The devastation and trauma of losing Luke that day is still as painful two and a half years on as it was then," Ms Beyer said. "In ways it's worse because as the time goes by you realise that he's never coming home."

Ms Beyer said special occasions like birthdays and Christmas were "marred with sadness.''

"As Christmas approaches I dread going to the shops," she said.

"I used to enjoy Christmas so much. I loved decorating the home and buying presents. I now find it really hard to put up our own tree as we used to do it all together.

"Every part of who we used to be has changed forever because of one stupid action of another …. I miss who I used to be and I miss Luke even more."

Ms Beyer said her son would still be alive today had Nepia-Keelan and his passenger spent just $20 on a cab to get home that fateful night.

"The devastation we face every day could have so easily been avoided if he (Nepia-Keelan) chose to catch a cab," she said.

"A $20 cab fare would have saved my sons life."

Ms Beyer said young drivers in particular, because of their lack of experience on the roads, had to watch their speed and plan ahead if they went out with friends to avoid drink driving.

"I know first-hand about the dangers of speeding especially when combined with alcohol," she said.

"It's so easy to lose control of your car, especially when you are young and inexperienced. Don't risk a few seconds of fun for a lifetime of regret. It's not worth risking your life or someone else's."

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WA's most profitable suburbs revealed

NEW data has revealed Perth's most profitable suburbs for 2013.

All residential properties in 55 locations across WA sold for above their previous purchase price over the 12 months to August, RP Data records show.

Most of the areas were within the Perth metropolitan area but the Pilbara town of Onslow recorded the highest average gain for houses.

Sixteen houses were sold in the mining town over the year with an average profit of $795,344.

North Coogee, a suburb south of Fremantle, was the metropolitan suburb with the highest average gain for the period.

Fourteen homes were sold with an average gain of $680,978.

The next most profitable suburbs were Menora (with an average gain of $663,476) in North Perth, Newman ($580,516) in the Pilbara, Daglish ($573,682) in the western suburbs, Baynton ($560,068) in Karratha, and Hilbert ($555,036), southeast of Perth.

WA recorded some of the highest average gains nationally, along with NSW and Victoria, according to RP Data.

Western suburbs such as City Beach ($856,194) and Churchlands ($838,670) recorded high average gains on houses sold over the time period although not all houses across these suburbs sold above the previous purchase price.

Over the year to November, values across Perth rose by 8.9 per cent, RP Data figures show.

WA's top 25 most profitable suburbs

Suburb (Total sales, average gain)

1. Onslow (16, $795,344)

2. North Coogee (14, $680,978)

3. Menora (21, $663,476)

4. Newman (29, $580,516)

5. Daglish (11, $573,682)

6. Baynton (25, $560,068)

7. Hilbert (14, $555,036)

8. Wandi (19, $502,184)

9. Trigg (32, $467,359)

10. Inglewood (57, $433,851)

11. Champion Lakes (18, $409,392)

12. Murdoch (20, $404,083)

13. Walliston (13, $328,981)

14. Joondanna (40, $324,720)

15. South Hedland (11, $320,409)

16. White Gum Valley (35, $318,786)

17. Highgate (11, $318,091)

18. Ashfield (15, $301,507)

19. West Perth (16,$297,484)

20. Boya (10, $297,100)

21. Alkimos (29, $296,617)

22. Karawara (16, $291,188)

23. Bennett Springs (84, $267,061)

24. Hamersley (81, $261,812)

25. Samson (24, $260,708)

Source: RP Data

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Eagle Newman should be jailed over punch: victim

Brett Marris leaves court after Murray Newman was found guilty of grievous bodily harm. Picture: Jordan Shields Source: News Limited

Brett Marris had his jaw broken after being punched by West Coast Eagle Murray Newman. Picture: Channel 7 Source: Supplied

THE man who suffered a broken jaw when he was punched by West Coast Eagles player Murray Newman in a nightclub fight wants his attacker jailed.

Brett Marris, whose jaw is held together by metal plates, said did nothing to incite the attack despite what he claimed was a defence attempt to portray him as a "homewrecker".

"I do (have sympathy for Newman) in the sense that I hope he hasn't ruined his career personally, but you do the crime, you got to do the time," Mr Marris told Seven News tonight.

A District Court jury yesterday found Newman guilty of fracturing Mr Marris' jaw at a Northbridge nightclub for sleeping with his girlfriend.

Marris admits he slept with Newman's former girlfriend, but claimed the Eagle's defence tried to portray him as a homewrecker.

"I definitely did not incite the fight, definitely never laid a hand on him apart from after I'd been hit to defend myself," he said.

Newman was supported in court during his trial by a string of teammates including Eagles captain Darren Glass, Dean Cox, Nic Naitanui, Josh Kennedy and Sharrod Wellingham.

Mr Marris said he had been concerned about the high-profile players "being able to sway the jury".

The West Coast Eagles are standing by the troubled player despite his grievous bodily harm conviction.

Prosecutors alleged Newman had a grudge against Mr Marris because he had slept with Newman's girlfriend when the couple were on a break.

After weeks of threats from Newman on Facebook, including one message to "start digging a grave", the pair saw each other at the Library Nightclub in Northbridge in November last year. They fought for about 10 seconds before bouncers broke up the fight, the court heard.

But Newman claimed he acted in self-defence against a taller man who grabbed his throat.

Newman, who has no prior record, was bailed ahead of his sentencing on March 7.

In a statement yesterday, the Eagles confirmed Newman would remain on the rookie list.

``We believe it is important to support Murray through a pivotal time in his young life,'' general manager of football Craig Vozzo said.

``Since the incident, we have noticed very positive changes in Murray's life and we feel we need to assist that progress.

``With our support, understanding and direction, we believe Murray can mature into a young man who can contribute positively to the Western Australian community.''

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Train Robber Ronnie Biggs dead at 84

Great Train Robber Ronnie Biggs has died at the age of 84 after years of ill health, Sky sources say.

British fugitive criminal Great Train Robber Ronald (Ronnie) Biggs in 1965. Source: News Limited

RONNIE Biggs, famous for his part in the Great Train Robbery of 1963, has died at the age of 84.

The notorious criminal spent decades on the run after breaking out of prison, and returned to Britain in 2001.

He suffered from poor health in his last few years, and died in the early hours of this morning, according to Sky News.

IN PICTURES: RONNIE BIGGS

Biggs was part of a gang that robbed a Glasgow to London mail train in 1963.

British fugitive criminal Great Train Robber Ronald (Ronnie) Biggs with Detective Superintendent Jack Slipper and Detective Inspector Peter Jones after his arrest 1974. Source: News Limited

Biggs, who could not speak due to his strokes and communicated through a spelling board, said in 2009 he had no regrets.

"If you want to ask me if I have any regrets about being one of the train robbers, my answer is, 'No'.

"I will go further: I am proud to have been one of them. I am equally happy to be described as the 'tea-boy' or 'The Brain'.

"I was there that August night and that is what counts. I am one of the few witnesses - living or dead - to what was 'The Crime of the Century'."

He did admit to some regrets.

"It is regrettable, as I have said many times, that the train driver was injured," he said.

He was last seen in public in March at the funeral of Bruce Reynolds who masterminded the audacious robbery.

Ronnie Biggs, notorious for his role in the Great Train Robbery of 1963 arrives to attend the funeral of the mastermind of the robbery, Bruce Reynolds. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

The gang pounced shortly after 3am as the train passed through the Buckinghamshire countryside close to Cheddington.

The train driver Jack Mills was struck with an iron bar and never worked again.

Biggs was jailed for his part in the robbery itself but escaped from jail after serving just 15 months of a 30-year sentence.

He escaped by scaling a prison wall and leaping on to the roof of a furniture van.

He avoided British justice for almost 40 years, mainly living in Brazil and Australia.

A poster of British fugitive criminal Great Train Robber Ronald (Ronnie) Biggs, which was circulated by South Australian police. Source: News Limited

Biggs lived under an assumed identity in Sydney, Adelaide and Melbourne for four years.

When authorities started closing in, he moved to Brazil.

Signature and fingerprints of British fugitive criminal Great Train Robber Ronald (Ronnie) Biggs from 1965. Source: News Limited

With no extradition agreement between the UK and Brazil, he flaunted his freedom before he voluntarily returned home in 2001 for treatment.

Biggs was taken from Norwich prison to hospital.

Convicted train robber Ronnie Biggs leaves Chiswick Police Station on his way to court in 2001. He was granted a release by British Justice Secretary Jack Straw on compassionate grounds in 2009. Source: News Limited

In 2009, he was granted compassionate release from his prison sentence after suffering pneumonia.

Biggs's release, dubbed his "final escape" in the UK, divided opinion.

The train drivers' union was among those to hit out at Biggs for dodging his sentence, lacking remorse and profiting from his notoriety.

British fugitive criminal Great Train Robber Ronald (Ronnie) Biggs being kissed with son Michael on their way back to Britain. Picture: Supplied Source: News Limited

In his 2011 biography, Biggs said he believed the public saw him as a "lovable rogue".

While on the run for 35 years, he did attract some popularity for his ingenuity in evading capture and for cheekily thumbing his nose at the law from sun-soaked beaches.

Great Train Robber Ronald "Ronnie" Biggs lying on the beach. Source: News Limited

In 2011, Biggs apologised to his Australian family and expressed regret for never having met his grandchildren in his latest and last book.

Biggs spent more than four years Down Under after escaping prison and a 30-year sentence for his role in the robbery, which netted him and his 15 accomplices Pound2.6 million.

Great Train Robber, escapee Ronald "Ronnie" Biggs with wife Charmaine in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1981. Source: News Limited

In a one-off media appearance before "retiring from public life", Biggs faced reporters for the launch of his updated autobiography, Odd Man Out.

"My wife, Charmian, and our sons, Chris and Farley, I am truly sorry for everything I put you through. It was not fair, and I know that," Biggs writes to his Australian family in the opening of the new book.

Charmian, wife of British fugitive criminal Great Train Robber Ronald (Ronnie) Biggs with sons Farley and Chris in 1974. Source: News Limited

"I love you all very much and never stopped loving you, despite what I may have given you good reason to think.

"To my 'Australian' grandchildren, who I have never had the chance to meet, I will always regret that I could not be there for you and play the role of doting grandfather. Hopefully I would not have been a bad influence but your grandmother will probably not agree."

Ronnie Biggs, one of the masterminds of Britain's Great Train Robbery in 1963, holding up a poster of himself during promotions for his book "Odd Man Out". Picture: AFP Source: AFP

Due to ill-health in the later part of his life, Biggs, could not speak and communicated through a spelling board.

When asked if he had any regrets, he said: "If you want to ask me if I have any regrets about being one of the train robbers, my answer is, 'No!'

Great Train Robber, Ronald (Ronnie) Biggs. Source: News Limited

"I will go further: I am proud to have been one of them. I am equally happy to be described as the 'tea-boy' or 'The Brain'.

"I was there that August night and that is what counts. I am one of the few witnesses, living or dead, to what was then 'the Crime of the Century'."

Ronnie Biggs, one of Britain's most notorious criminals, marks the release of his autobiography "One Man Out: The Last Straw" in London in 2011. Picture: AP Source: News Limited

Some of Biggs's famous quotes while he was on the run include:

On being a fugitive:

"One report said that since my time on the run I've had 2,500 girlfriends. I mean you got to realise, I've been on the run for more than 30 years, I have got to have had more than that."

On being a criminal:

"There's a difference between criminals and crooks. Crooks steal. Criminals blow some guy's brains out. I'm a crook."

"I am no longer a criminal. I gave up that practice years ago."

On being the brains of the robbery:

"It has been rumoured that I was the brains of the robbery, but that was totally incorrect. I've been described as the tea boy, which is also incorrect."

On growing up:

"I used to have a list of things from my school buddies of what kind of art material they wanted. I'd go up to the West End of London and spend the whole day knocking stuff off."

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WA's light rail shelved for three years

PERTH'S $2 billion light rail plan has been pushed back three years after the Government delivered its mid-year budget review.

PERTH'S $2 billion light rail plan has been pushed back three years because the loss of the AAA credit rating has forced the Barnett Government to focus on "better value for money to taxpayers".

Treasurer Troy Buswell today unveiled the 2013-14 midyear review of the state's finances, which includes a "three-year deferral of the MAX Light Rail project".

Last month, The Sunday Times revealed that the project would stop short of the CBD in a bid to save costs.

At the March election, the Government promised to start construction in 2016 - but now it has decided to significantly delay the project, which aimed to connect Mirrabooka to the CBD and then branch out to the western and eastern suburbs.

JOE SPAGNOLO: Shelving light rail makes mockery of election

Mr Buswell said the reform agenda - which also includes $995 million cuts to the Housing Authority, Water Corporation and Main Roads programs - was "aimed squarely at recovering the state's AAA credit rating".

"Our number one priority is to return the State to AAA status and that will mean constant evaluation of programs and projects to deliver better value for money to taxpayers," he said.

"This will effectively reduce net debt from around $28.3 billion to $26.9 billion and reduce gross borrowings by $2.2 billion from $50.2 billion to around $48 billion and put the brakes on the State's debt which is one of the key components in returning to our AAA credit rating."

Previously planned $104 million spending on the Kwinana bulk jetty and terminal facilities will also be removed.

Public net debt would fall by around $1.5 billion, which includes a decline in gross borrowings by $2.2 billion, over the next three and a half years.

Mr Buswell said the Government introduced a new policy to hold public sector salary increases to the CPI from November 1, 2013 and legislation to enable the WA Industrial Relations Commission to take account of the State's finances when deliberating on wage claims, which would contribute savings of $2.7 billion over the forward estimates.

The Treasurer said voluntary redundancies were the other major contributor to the savings figure, with the Government spending $132 million to pay out 1,000 public sector employees in order to reap the longer term benefits.

Mr Buswell said that while the State's economy continued to grow at around double the growth in the national economy in 2012-13, a population influx of more than 1,000 people per week continued to place extraordinary pressure on areas such as health and education.

The route of the proposed Light Rail Network. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied

Reaction: Greens label decision 'appalling'

WA Greens MP Lynn McLaren said the Government decision was appalling.

"I am appalled that the Treasurer will slash housing and transport to deliver a bigger surplus at the expense of those who are struggling with job cuts and the nation's highest cost of living.

"WA voters have a right to expect the delivery of the MAX light rail after the Barnett promised it in the March election. Yet nine months later they are abandoning this pivotal cornerstone of their election platform. We are justifiably outraged.

"While we don't have the breakdown of the $995m cut to the Housing Authority, Water Corp and Main Roads, I do fear for those vulnerable families among the thousands on the waiting list for public housing.

"A social impact assessment of the re-jigged budget wouldn't look good.

"In the week before Christmas, and within nine months of an election, these announcements remind me of the Grinch."

Curtin University's Peter Newman, a proponent of light rail, believes it is time the State Government considered different ways of funding rail infrastructure.

He said a study by the Curtin University Sustainable Policy Institute showed that 60 per cent of the funding needed for the Mandurah rail line could have been raised by value capture.

"(This is) a type of public financing that recovers some or all of the value that public infrastructure generates for private landowners," he said.

"For light rail, that percentage would be even higher and enable WA to build the project entirely as a public-private partnership," he said.

"Consortiums would compete to build-own-operate the entire light rail system and which could include land development options.

"Capital and ongoing operating costs would come from a special fund based on value capture."

Perth Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi said the decision was concerning in the face of anticipated population growth.

"While the City of Perth and the general community were clearly concerned about the CBD routes for this light rail, we remained fully supportive of the need for this type of transportation," she said.

"It is concerning that such commitments can be curtailed in such a way."

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Fast and Furious hoons' cars seized

Perth's rev-heads hit the streets for a Paul Walker tribute cruise at City Beach, Perth

THREE hoons who allegedly drove recklessly during a car club cruise dedicated to the memory of Fast and the Furious actor Paul Walker have had their cars seized.

Perth's Unforgotten Car Club organised and promoted a memorial cruise following the death of Walker, who died last month when the powerful Porsche he was being driven in crashed into a tree in California.

Police issued more than 180 traffic infringements to participants and investigations were launched after video footage of the driving was supplied by the public.

Today, WA police said they had seized three cars and impounded them for 28 days.

Screen grabs taken from YouTube footage of a car cruise in memory of Fast and Furious actor Paul Walker.

A 19-year-old man from Bicton was charged with creating excess noise and smoke and had his Mitsubishi Mirage impounded.

A 21-year-old man from Mirrabooka has been charged with reckless driving and had his Holden Commodore impounded.

A 19-year-old man from Kenwick has also been charged with reckless driving and had his Holden Commodore Ute impounded. Inquiries into other vehicles involved in dangerous driving behaviour are continuing, while all three men charged will appear in court at a later date.

Screen grabs taken from YouTube footage of a car cruise in memory of Fast and Furious actor Paul Walker.

Screen grabs taken from YouTube footage of a car cruise in memory of Fast and Furious actor Paul Walker.

Screen grabs taken from YouTube footage of a car cruise in memory of Fast and Furious actor Paul Walker.

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10km/h between life and death

The head of the RPH Trauma Unit, Dr Sudhakar Rao, talks about the road accident victims he sees at the hosptial every day. Picture: Theo Fakos Source: News Limited

JUST 10 kilometres an hour. That's what is seen as the difference between surviving or dying in a car wreck.

With The Sunday Times and PerthNow launching our Summer Slowdown campaign this week, Dr Sudhakar Rao, the head of trauma at Royal Perth Hospital, believes a slight easing in speed is all you need to stay alive.

So far, in just 18 days of summer, seven people have already lost their lives on WA's roads. Last summer there were 48 fatalities.

"A 10km/h drop at any speed makes a big difference to the level of injury," Dr Rao said. "The higher the speed, the higher the energy of the impact that goes without saying.

"The types of injuries that are more magnified with high speed are pretty much everything.

"You can multiply all the injuries by some sort of exponential factor and say that the injuries you get are very, very serious at high speed.

Join PerthNow's Summer Slowdown and be vigilant behind the wheel. Source: Supplied

"Once you go above 80km/h in a crash your risk of internal injuries substantially goes up, as well as head injuries.

"When people don't make it out of a car and into an ambulance and they die at the scene, the usual cause of death is massive internal haemorrhaging or a severe head injury.

"The ones that come to us and survive and die despite everything we do … that's usually due to massive internal injuries."

Dr Rao admitted those injured in crashes involving speeds above 100km/h were always fighting for their lives. But he said some injuries were "less likely" to occur in crashes at low speed.

"Internal injuries to the lungs and organs and inside the abdomen, which are the (injuries) that bleed and kill people, they are less likely to occur under 60km/h or 50km/h," he said.

Dr Rao's message to all drivers, not just this summer, but at all times is a simple one: Watch your speed, wear seatbelts in the car and your helmets on bikes.

"Use all your safety features and buy a vehicle that has a safe rating," he said.

"If you drive at a lower speed too your chances of having a crash are lowered but if you do have a crash your risk of serious injury is much less also."

To keep the safe driving message at the forefront of drivers' minds, The Sunday Times and PerthNow will continue to publicise our Summer Slowdown message for the next three months as a constant reminder to West Aussies to be vigilant behind the wheel.

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Eagle Newman found guilty of assault

THE career of West Coast footballer Murray Newman could be in doubt after he was found guilty of grievous bodily harm.

THE career of West Coast Eagles footballer Murray Newman could be in doubt after he was found guilty of fracturing a man's jaw at a Perth nightclub for sleeping with his girlfriend.

Tonight, the Eagles issued a statement saying that Newman will remain on the club's rookie list.

The statement read: "The club accepts the jury's verdict and does not condone Murray's actions, however, it intends to stand by him and he will remain on the club's rookie list."

The Eagles' general manager of football, Craig Vozzo said: "We believe it is important to support Murray through a pivotal time in his young life.

"Since the incident, we have noticed positive changes in Murray's life and we feel we need to assist that progress.

"With support, understanding and direction we believe Murray can mature into a young man who can contribute positively to the Western Australian community."

However, a jail sentence remains a posibility for Newman.

He was supported in court during the trial by teammates including captain Darren Glass, Dean Cox, Nic Naitanui, Josh Kennedy and Sharrod Wellingham.

Newman has been on trial in the Perth District Court for three days, accused of causing grievous bodily harm to Brett Marris, then aged 20, in November last year.

Prosecutors alleged Newman had a grudge against Mr Marris because he had slept with Newman's girlfriend when the couple were on a break.

After weeks of threats from Newman on Facebook, the pair saw each other at the Library Nightclub in Northbridge, where they fought for about 10 seconds before bouncers broke up the fight, the court heard.

But Newman claimed he acted in self-defence against a taller man who grabbed his throat.

It took a jury about three hours to convict Newman on Wednesday.

Judge John Staude ordered pre-sentence and psychological reports.

He also scolded Newman as he told the footballer he had been found guilty of a serious offence that could carry a jail term.

"Take your hands out of your pockets,'' Judge Staude said.

But he noted Newman had no prior record and that he was young when he committed the offence.

During the trial, Newman's threatening Facebook messages were shown to the jury including one in which he told Mr Marris to "start digging a grave''.

Newman also called Mr Marris a "little girl'' and asked why he did not want to meet for a "crack''.

In another message, Newman wrote: "I won't rest til you ey (sic) hurt.''

Newman will be sentenced on March 7 and has had his bail renewed, with conditions including not entering licensed premises except for official West Coast Eagles business.

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