But the money seems to have dried up, and some of our biggest sporting events are struggling to obtain or retain naming rights sponsors. The makers of Panadol have lost a bid for a temporary stop to the broadcast of advertisements by their main rival Herron. The Herron ads promote their product as Australian owned and attack Panadol as a foreign owned company. Panadol says that's not fair, because while it is foreign owned, it's products are made locally. They've made a direct link between an 18 per cent rise in robberies and the heroin drought.
Police say a lack of heroin and a decrease in purity are forcing addicts to commit more robberies.
On the other hand, far fewer addicts are overdosing. Victoria's legal system's also making headlines today, with the new Chief Magistrate strongly defending the need for an independent judiciary. Ian Gray says judges should preserve their independence from government by refusing to take up judicial appointments on fixed-term contracts, which he considers dangerous. A report on today's developments on the finance and share market. Tourist operators on the Gold Coast say the forecasters get it wrong more than half the time, driving tourists away and costing them money.