Updated November 23, 2018 13:40:43
Map: Lismore 2480 Forty years ago, a group of men known as the 'magnetic drill gang' broke into the Bank of NSW in the quiet town of Murwillumbah in the wee hours and stole almost $2 million. To this day, no-one knows what happened to the cash worth around $8.5 million in today's money. The bank is now Westpac. Photo: The bank is now the Westpac bank in Murwillumbah. (ABC North Coast: Donna Harper) The money $1.7 million and the gang, whose signature was to use an electromagnetic diamond-tipped drill, were never seen again. The thieves broke through the bank's back door and used clever techniques to crack the safe open and lock it again, once they had stolen all the cash. The following morning, a security guard found the back door ajar, and the vault locked from the inside. A locksmith tried to break the safe open, but failed. Former Tweed mayor, Max Boyd, who was a councillor at the time of the infamous robbery, said a council work crew, who were repairing roads nearby, were called in to help. "The robbers had spiked the vault door so the bank staff couldn't get inside to see how much money had been stolen, so a council work crew were called in and they had to smash a hole through the bank's thick brick wall to get access inside the vault," Mr Boyd said. A bank official finally managed to get into the safe and told police "they got the lot". This slogan was to become famous and was printed on T-shirts and beer glasses that were sold around Australia and the world. Mr Boyd said many in the community thought it was an inside job. "The crooks knew that the Murwillumbah branch of the Bank of New South Wales kept cash supplies from other banks in the area, so someone must have told them this as why would they target a country branch?" he said. He said there were also suggestions that a new police officer in town or one of the security guards could have been involved. Photo: 'They got the lot' became a slogan for T-shirts and beer glasses, after the daring heist. (Supplied: Tweed Regional Museum) Mr Boyd said he and his brother, Jack Boyd, who was the state member for Byron at the time of the robbery, had concerns about gangsters leaving the big cities of Sydney and Melbourne to move into the Tweed Shire to start up criminal syndicates. The Boyd brothers successfully stopped former premier Neville Wran's plans to build a casino in south Tweed Heads in the late 1970s. "Jack was strongly opposed to the casino because he didn't want to see the underworld getting established up in this part of the world and he fought strongly against it during his time in State Parliament and I did too as a Tweed councillor," Mr Boyd said. Mr Boyd said the famous robbery was part of the Tweed's colourful history, and he wondered if the case would ever be solved. Police said the case was still open, and they welcomed any new information. "Even though today marks 40 years since this robbery occurred, the NSW Police remain dedicated to arresting those responsible," NSW Police said in a statement. "Anyone with any information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000." Topics:law-crime-and-justice,crime,police,community-and-society,history,history-education,consumer-finance,business-economics-and-finance,lismore-2480,north-lismore-2480,murwillumbah-2484,tweed-heads-2485 First posted November 23, 2018 06:14:07 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-23/murwillumbah-remembers-magnetic-drill-gang-bank-robbery/10519858?source=rss
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Blackmores vitamin chief says $10m for naturopathic centre at university will not influence research1/16/2019 Posted November 29, 2018 16:52:45
The man behind a $10 million donation to Southern Cross University in northern New South Wales says he will not try to influence what is taught in holistic medical courses. The head of the Blackmores vitamin empire, Marcus Blackmore, and his wife Caroline handed over the money this week to the university at a ceremony in Sydney. The funds will be used to establish a National Centre for Naturopathic Medicine at the University. Mr Blackmore said the donation had no strings attached and is to fulfil his father's dying wish. "My father, who is regularly referred to as Australia's pioneering naturopath, said on his death bed that it saddened him not to see naturopathy as a profession in his lifetime," Mr Blackmore said. "I want to change the perception of natural medicines being something for hippies only and now have a wonderful opportunity to grow the professional side of naturopathy at Southern Cross University." Southern Cross University's vice chancellor, Professor Adam Shoemaker said the donation would not buy the company any influence over research. "I can absolutely guarantee you that this is a personal gift, at arm's length and not from the company. Photo: Marcus and Caroline Blackmore with Southern Cross Vice-Chancellor, Professor Adam Shoemaker at the donation ceremony. (Supplied: Blackmore Foundation) "Second thing is we've absolutely been scrupulous about a contract which enables the science and the rigour of the university and our laboratories to be there on the back end and not on the front end of anything to do with potential commercial products," Professor Shoemaker said. He said the university's reputation would not be compromised. "It's actually more about teaching people about naturopathic medicine as a profession, and giving that the respect it deserves in Australia and overseas. "I think the world has moved on, and I think those things which a decade ago some people might have felt some discomfort, now they realise they're mainstream," he said. Impact on standards But Emeritus Professor, John Dwyer, from the Friends of Science in Medicine group thinks SCU is being compromised by accepting the personal gift. "Blackmores is a company that's made a fortune capitalising on the poor health of Australians and convincing them they need a whole lot of supplements and vitamins they don't need," Professor Dwyer said. "Naturopathic medicine has got a long way to go to get the respect from clinical-based evidence scientists. "This will only downgrade the level of tertiary academic standards at the university, not improve them," he said. "To spend more money on doing research on homeopathy would almost be unconscionable," Professor Dwyer said. Orthodox medicine showing interest Mr Blackmore said the people who would be running these courses had proper status. "They're not some turkey we've just pulled off the street," Mr Blackmore said. "Doctors in orthodox medicine often aren't taught about nutrition and that's concerning. The world has to change," he said. "Some doctors trained in orthodox medicine are showing interest in holistic medicine, so there's movement in traditional medicine to embrace these ideas. "This centre will run seminars for practitioners interested in naturopathic medicine,". Work is expected to start immediately on the new National Centre for Naturopathic Medicine with a planned opening in 2019. Topics:health,medical-research,science-and-technology,research,research-organisations,diet-and-nutrition,health-policy,university-and-further-education,business-economics-and-finance,lismore-2480,north-lismore-2480,tweed-heads-2485,southern-cross-university-coffs-harbour-2450,coffs-harbour-2450 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-29/blackmores-pledges-donation-will-not-compromise-scu-research/10567286?source=rss Updated January 15, 2019 18:01:44
Photo: Lochie House, 10, and his siblings are homeschooled. (ABC News: Allyson Horn) Michelle House starts to cry when she talks about how her family's life has changed since they became homeschoolers. Key points:Michelle House says homeschooling her children has reduced their stressThe number of children being homeschooled in Queensland has tripled in five yearsThe Education Minister says it's still only a small percentage of Queensland students "It has brought us closer together," she said. "I see a bond in my children that wasn't there before. And it's changed me so much as well." Five years ago, the Brisbane mother was "constantly busy" running a full-time coaching business, which funded an expensive private school education for her three children. But as her oldest child, Sophie, was about to enter high school, Mrs House noticed her daughter had become increasingly stressed, anxious and exhausted. "I feel like there was this constant umbrella of having to achieve academic success to reach these benchmarks all the time," she said. "And that there was this stress that my children were feeling at the ages of 10, 11 and 12. "For me, that was an alarm bell, and I didn't want my kids having to go down that path." So she swapped her full-time career to become a full-time, at-home teacher pulling all of her children out of mainstream schooling. Photo: Michelle House gave up her full-time career to teach her three children. (ABC News: Allyson Horn) "I'm just a normal mum who saw a fault in the system that was not going to expand my children's learning, it was suppressing their learning," she said. Mrs House now teaches Sophie (15), Kate (13) and Lochie (10), reading, writing and maths, with other subjects supplemented by private lessons with teachers, and other homeschooled children. "I was concerned about not knowing enough, but the resources are there," she said. "But I don't miss getting everybody out the door and ready by 8:00am, and people shoving breakfast down their throats and they're running out the door and tying up their shoe laces," she said. "We don't have that kind of stress anymore. And I think that just helps kids live a calmer existence." Queensland homeschooler numbers triple The House family is part of a growing number of Queenslanders who are becoming homeschoolers. The numbers of children have nearly tripled over the past five years, from 1,108 in 2013 to 3,232 in 2018. Photo: Michelle House and her daughter Sophie who his homeschooled. (ABC News: Allyson Horn) Dr Rebecca English from the Queensland University of Technology said she was shocked, but not surprised, at the growth in homeschooling. "I think more and more students are figuring out their schooling isn't working for them," she said. "Maybe they have a diagnosis, maybe they're bullied, maybe school just doesn't fit, and more and more parents are realising this is a legal and attractive options for their families. "The growth has been phenomenal not just in Queensland but across the whole country." Dr English said there hadn't been much Australian research into whether homeschooling increased a child's educational outcomes, but said overseas research showed colleges in the United States had sought out homeschooled applicants because they were considered more able to complete a degree. "They're able to think for themselves, they're able to learn on their own, and they're able to manage their study," she said. Queensland's Education Minister Grace Grace acknowledged the numbers had grown but denied mainstream models of schooling were failing. "We're talking about homeschooling representing 0.4 per cent of all the students that attend school here in Queensland," she said. "It's a very small percentage, and parents do homeschooling for a variety of reasons." Topics:education,distance-education,schools,teachers,activism-and-lobbying,government-and-politics,public-sector,family-and-children,community-and-society,family,qld,australia,brisbane-4000 First posted January 15, 2019 16:55:25 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-15/parents-turn-to-homeschooling-rates-triple-in-queensland/10716022 An unidentified powder found in a Melbourne mail sorting centre is undergoing testing, days after asbestos-filled packages were sent to embassies and consulates across Australia.
Fire crews were called to the Nathan Road centre at Dandenong South just before 11pm on Sunday after a yellow powder leaked from a package, a CFA spokesman said. Ten people were checked over by paramedics and the substance has been sent to industrial chemists for testing. The incident was officially declared safe about 1.40am. Australia Post says operations have returned to normal. "Authorities evacuated the Dandenong Letters Centre for a short time following the detection of a suspicious substance," a spokesman said. "The impacted area was isolated while police and emergency services conducted tests on the item, who deemed the facility safe for our staff, and operations returned to normal. "Fortunately none of our people were affected." The incident follows the discovery of a suspicious package at the Samoan consulate in Sydney, forcing its evacuation on Friday. It came a day after Savas Avan appeared in Melbourne Magistrates Court, accused of sending asbestos-filled packages to embassies and consulates across Australia. The 49-year-old is charged with posting 38 dangerous articles to foreign diplomatic offices in Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney. Avan, of Shepparton, was remanded in custody last Thursday and ordered to reappear in court on March 4. Originally published as Yellow powder found at mail sorting centre https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/breaking-news/yellow-powder-found-at-mail-sorting-centre/news-story/bbb545d44031d39e4d8d3899627a7759 Posted January 13, 2019 09:32:09
Photo: Trish Jackson says dressmakers are scared off by the clothing alterations she needs. (ABC News: Rachel Riga) Related Story: Mum inspires clothing line for children with disabilities Map: Brisbane 4000 When Trish Jackson goes shopping at any department store, she knows it will be a difficult experience to find items that suit her needs. More than 4 million Australians are estimated to have a disability, yet there are only a handful of boutique manufacturers across the country making inclusive and adaptive clothing for them. "Most shopping days when I'm desperate for clothes I end up in tears, absolute tears because you just get so frustrated nothing fits you," Ms Jackson said. She is a thalidomide survivor, one of 10,000 babies affected by the world-wide pharmaceutical tragedy half a century ago. She was born without arms and also endures other chronic health issues. She said up until 10 years ago her mum would make all her clothes, which would allow her to use her feet as hands and get dressed independently. "I've tried online shopping and to find dressmakers, but the minute you say you want something different they all seem to get scared and don't want to do it or they charge ridiculous prices that you can't afford," she said. "We all wear clothes so I don't know why there isn't a market. I know a lot of my disabled friends would absolutely yearn to walk into a shop and buy something like everyone else." What is adaptive clothing? This is a specialised class of garment designed for people with disabilities who find it difficult to dress independently, as well as for the elderly, infants with medical devices or for people sensitive to certain textiles and materials. Buttons and zippers on the clothes can be replaced with velcro or magnets to enable easier dressing. Australian adaptive clothing label Timeless by Heather Hill designs clothes for women who want to maintain a sense of style as they age, fall ill, or become injured. Photo: Adaptive clothing should look and feel great, designer Hayley Clarke says. (ABC News: Rachel Riga) Co-founder Hayley Clarke said she had been surprised by the lack of fashionable and affordable options available in Australia for adaptive clothing. "Adaptive clothing should look beautiful, it should be elegant," she said. "I think it's really important for people that they don't lose that sense of dignity, that sense of pride in themselves and that they have the ability to wear something that makes them look and feel great." Ms Clarke said their clothes were also designed to make assisted dressing easy. "Adaptive clothing isn't always for the individual, it's also for the family or carers to provide a little bit of assistance to somebody," she said. In 2016, Tommy Hilfiger became the first mainstream fashion label to create adaptive clothing options for children, and has since launched a line called Tommy Adaptive. Target Australia has also started stocking sensory-friendly T-shirts for children, with other adaptive clothing pieces available to customers in the United States through its online store. Charlotte Coory launched Brisbane's first online inclusive clothing store, Hello Yello, late last year, inspired by her sister, who struggled to find clothes while being treated for terminal stomach cancer. Photo: Ms Coory's online store is the first of its kind in Brisbane. "We looked for various clothing options and there were some out there, but often they put function over fashion so those clothes didn't necessarily reflect her and her fashion style," she said. Ms Coory said her store focused on inclusive clothing mainstream garments for a range of ages designed to include people with disabilities, different abilities and different needs. "Inclusive design is good design," she said. "We can get stuck into thinking shirts should be designed a certain way because we've always done it that way but the button is a man-made invention. "It doesn't have to be done that way. Inclusive design makes people think more creatively and will bring everyone better solutions for clothing." Universal design for clothes needed Photo: Angel Dixon said people with disabilities were often ignored by the fashion industry. (Supplied: Angel Dixon) Disability advocate and model Angel Dixon was named Queensland's Young Australian of the Year for 2019 and said the fashion industry needed to embrace universal design principles. "Universal design is the concept of creating all of our things to be as usable by all people without the need for specialised design or adaptation," she said. "It's something brands are becoming more aware of, so if we move a zipper from the back of a dress and turn it into a magnetic strip in the front, then everyone can use it and that creates freedom within dressing for everyone." Ms Dixon said a long history of segregation of people with a disability has led to a lack of diversity within fashion but she acknowledged some progress has been made. "It's important to honour the fact we are seeing change, there have been people within the disabled community fighting for this for a long time," she said. "Fifty-three per cent of our global market has a direct connection to disability through either family or friendship or lived experience, so you're missing out if you're not including us in your designs or selling to us." Topics:disabilities,fashion,manufacturing,textiles,carers,community-organisations,human-interest,people,brisbane-4000,qld http://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-13/fashion-designers-focusing-on-people-with-disabilities/10710098 Updated January 11, 2019 20:39:05
Map: Yass 2582 A B-double truck carrying aerosol cans has erupted in flames on the Hume Highway at Yass north of Canberra, backing up traffic as further explosions ignited inside the truck. The fire was reported shortly before 6:00pm near the Yass bypass on the highway, which connects Sydney and Melbourne. Police said officers were on the scene managing traffic, and said it appeared the truck was carrying aerosol cans. Photo: Witnesses reported several explosions coming from the burning B-Double. (Supplied: Herman van de Brug) Witness Herman van de Brug said "every now and again" there was a fresh explosion inside the truck, pushing more black smoke into the air. "There's quite a number of explosions with big plumes of smoke and fire, but no-one's going past," he said. A spokesman for NSW Fire and Rescue said the fire spread to grass nearby, and that fire crews were working with the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) to contain the grass fires. He said the B-double truck was carrying a mixed load including aerosol cans. The RFS said no injuries had been reported, and that motorists should avoid the area and allow extra travel time. The fire was contained by 7:40pm, according to an RFS Facebook post, but crews remained on scene to mop up. Topics:fires,disasters-and-accidents,accidents,accidents---other,yass-2582,nsw,australia,canberra-2600,act First posted January 11, 2019 19:00:48 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-11/aerosols-in-back-of-b-double-truck-begin-exploding/10710060 8 Ravensthorpe Avenue, Millswood is on the market with Ouwens Casserly Real Estate. It will be auctioned on Saturday, February 2 with a price guide of $760,000.
It was the family home of acclaimed SA botanist and OAM recipient Darrell Kraehenbuehl for more than 50 years. But now, this Millswood character home is crying out to be restored and could offer one lucky buyer the opportunity to enter a sought-after city-fringe locale on a budget. The renovators delight at 8 Ravensthorpe Ave will be auctioned on Saturday, February 2 through Ouwens Casserly with a price guide of $760,000. Kraehenbuehls daughter Raelene Murphy, said the home held many fond memories and was only being sold to settle her fathers deceased estate. MORE NEWS: Art Deco style on the Fleurieu Governors coastal retreat oozes charm Suburbs to watch in 2019 SA botanist Darrell Kraehenbuehl (deceased) examining a short-leafed salt bush, one of many native plants under threat at the West Terrace Cemetery. 8 Ravensthorpe Avenue, Millswood is on the market with Ouwens Casserly Real Estate. It will be auctioned on Saturday, February 2 with a price guide of $760,000. Kraehenbuehl died in August last year, age 84 after spending almost a lifetime campaigning for native flora (read more here). My parents bought the home over 50 years ago and I was still a baby literally under one year old when we moved in, Ms Murphy said. Im one of four children who grew up in the home which is set on one of the most wonderful streets. 8 Ravensthorpe Avenue, Millswood is on the market with Ouwens Casserly Real Estate. It will be auctioned on Saturday, February 2 with a price guide of $760,000. We really loved growing up in the area and would play in the streets with the neighbours kids. Back then, in its hay days, it was a beautiful home and dad actually had a mini golf course in the backyard and even built us a sandpit in the shape of Australia. Set on a 828sqm block, the home currently features three bedrooms, one bathroom, a kitchen, a formal living room with a fireplace, a second family room, and a rear sleep-out or study. 8 Ravensthorpe Avenue, Millswood is on the market with Ouwens Casserly Real Estate. It will be auctioned on Saturday, February 2 with a price guide of $760,000. Outside, a separate studio could be updated to create an appealing retreat, while a large backyard offers scope for an extension. Ms Murphy said she would be sad to see the property sold but hoped it would be snatched up by a family with a love for renovation. 8 Ravensthorpe Avenue, Millswood is on the market with Ouwens Casserly Real Estate. It will be auctioned on Saturday, February 2 with a price guide of $760,000. My parents are both deceased now but would have loved to see the home brought back to its original glory, she said. I know new developments is what happens these days but this is a quiet street and not a lot of houses come up for sale, so it would be nice to see the character of the area preserved. Millwood is located 4km from Adelaides CBD and has a median house price of $1.097 million. https://www.couriermail.com.au/real-estate/south-australia/east-hills/have-you-got-what-it-takes-to-restore-this-millswood-character-home/news-story/f862b51d208bc2f8d5aa716ce11ef1f6 French World Cup winning defender Benjamin Pavard will join Bayern Munich from Stuttgart on a five-year contract as of July 1, the defending German champions revealed Wednesday.
Media reports in Germany put the transfer at 35 million euros ($40 million) for the 22-year-old who can play at right-back or centre-back. TRANSFER RUMOURS CHELSEA EYE $178M STRIKER SWOOP AS YOUNG GUN NEARS EXIT SPURS PUT HUGE PRICE TAG ON REAL TARGET, UNITED PLOT PL HIJACKING PROUD ROBBEN WEIGHS UP A FEW OFFERS AS SUMMER BAYERN EXIT LOOMS media_cameraPavard scored the goal of the tournament at the 2018 World Cup in Russia He is young and a world champion, so we are happy and proud to have won over such a player, said Bayerns sports director Hasan Salihamidzic at their winter training camp in Doha. Pavards status skyrocketed last summer when the centre-back scored the goal of the World Cup with a stunning net-busting strike in a 4-3 last-16 win over Argentina that set France on their way to the Russia 2018 title. Pavard has been at struggling VfB Stuttgart, who are currently third from bottom in Germanys top flight, since 2016 after he joined from French side Lille for five million euros. Originally published as French World Cup hero finally signs for Bundesliga heavyweight https://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/football/benjamin-pavard-finally-signs-for-bayern-munich-after-months-of-speculation/news-story/7ada1ae120f1fdc4d0c0a47fdb3c901d Updated January 08, 2019 18:02:38
Photo: Geraldton fisherman Jake Suckling says he is concerned for his 19-month-old son Hale's future. (ABC News: Chris Lewis) Western Australia's lucrative rock lobster fishery has already lost value due to uncertainty over a proposed shake-up, fishers have argued, prompting fears for the future of the industry and their families. Key points:The WA Government is planning a phased increase to commercial rock lobster quotasFishermen fear the shake-up could lead to a possible glut and more changesThere has also been a dispute over who is consulting industry on the plan Fisheries Minister Dave Kelly announced sweeping changes to the industry in early December, which included a phased increase to commercial quotas for the lucrative western rock lobster. The changes will see the current total allowable commercial catch increased from 6,300 tonnes to 8,000 tonnes. But as part of the move the Government will directly control 1,385 tonnes or more than 17 per cent of the catch. Rock lobster fishers claim the planned changes, which are yet to come into effect, have already cut the value of their pots, and they fear further falls if the proposal goes ahead. Fisherman counts a million-dollar cost Geraldton fisherman Jake Suckling downsized his boat prior to the decision, to free up capital to buy more pots. It is a decision he is now questioning. "We recently just purchased 25 A-zone pots in the industry [and] we stand to lose a million dollars overnight if this is implemented," he said. "It's also very nerve-wracking for the two guys I employ. They're family people and their jobs aren't safe at the moment. "They're good friends and it's a bit scary." Photo: There are concerns the value of the catch could also fall. (ABC Landline: Glyn Jones) Mr Suckling said the changes could lead to a possible glut that would not only damage the value of the pots, but also the catch. There are also concerns the Government could expand its plan down the track, sending jitters through the banks, with some reportedly already hesitant to lend money to rock lobster fishers amid the uncertainty. "It's very hard to borrow against something that is so risky, especially now it's known the Government can just create pots, which is totally against what a limited fishery is," he said. "The loss of value is a very concerning one because that's what we borrow against without borrowing we can't go ahead. "We've got a young son here who we are hoping will fish one day, as I did for my family. "It just makes it very concerning for his future." Photo: Mr Suckling says it is also a nerve-wracking time for the people he employs. (ABC News: Chris Lewis) Boat builders also feeling the pinch It is not just the rock lobster fishers who are under pressure. Geraldton boat builder Peter Ellis from Xtreme Marine said he had seen many ups and downs during his 37 years in the industry, but this was one of the lowest points. "This decision has cost us a contract worth $3 million," he said of the Government's proposal. "It was a 10-month job which would have engaged over 30 contractors and local people around town, and a lot of suppliers local and state. "We had 2019 already planned out and now we've got nothing after March." Mr Ellis said the effects of the proposal would be felt across the Geraldton business community. "There's so many people that rely on the industry and make a living out of the industry," he said. "The service providers, the product suppliers, there's so many businesses in town that rely on fishing and most of the small towns up and down the coast rely on the fishing." Consultation confusion muddies the water The industry wants more time to air its concerns about the plan, which it claims is integral to ensuring the sector WA's most valuable fishery remains viable. Photo: A consultation period over the lobster fishery changes will end later this month. (Supplied: WA Fisheries) However, an issue making the stoush even messier has been the recent dispute over who is responsible for consulting industry on the changes. The Western Rock Lobster Council (WRLC) told ABC Rural it had only found out last week halfway through the consultation period that it should be leading and facilitating on behalf of its members. WRLC chief executive Matt Taylor said the council found out after it made contact with the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development to ask why the draft management plan amendment was not on its website. "I would have thought that if a department truly wanted to get feedback on what it was proposing, that it would very openly put it on its website and seek public comment," Mr Taylor said. "But it seems like they have sort of supplied it to us, not told us it was our responsibility and done it over a festive season. "You know it's a pretty good plan if you were trying to minimise the feedback." Photo: Dave Kelly says the WRLC is "well aware" it should've been facilitating the consultation. (ABC News: James Carmody) But Fisheries Minister Dave Kelly said he could not understand how the council did not know that facilitating the consultation was its responsibility. "That's their job," he said. "They are paid by the Government to facilitate industry consultation so they were perfectly well aware that that was their role, because that's always been the role of the Western Rock Lobster Council." Mr Taylor said the WRLC was aware of its obligations but the body was responsible for consulting industry, not other stakeholders. "We've always known our job is to lead and facilitate consultation with our 650 members and we're doing that in the strongest possible terms," he said. "But it is government's responsibility, not WRLC, to consult with other affected parties such as the public, Recfishwest and the banking sector." Consultation will finish at the end of this month with the Government showing no signs of backing down on its plans. Topics:fishing-aquaculture,industry,geraldton-6530,perth-6000,wa First posted January 08, 2019 09:19:54 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-08/wa-rock-lobster-fishers-fear-for-futures-amid-industry-shake-up/10696192 By Fiona Blackwood
Updated January 07, 2019 20:12:52 Fire crews working on a large blaze at Gell River in Tasmania's south-west wilderness area are hoping to bolster containment lines before predicted hot weather on the weekend. Key points:Smoke from the fire is expected to affect Hobart and surrounds in the coming days The blaze is being fought by crews on the ground and in the airAuthorities say a big rain event is what is needed to extinguish the fire conclusively The fire came dangerously close to threatening ancient vegetation at Lake Rhona but authorities have credited a new sprinkler system with protecting the area. Remote area firefighters and aircraft are now focusing on containing the south-western edge of the blaze, which has now burnt in excess of 20,000 hectares. The fire also caught the south-east corner of forestry plantations worth hundreds of millions of dollars, but Sustainable Timbers Tasmania said it cannot assess the damage until the blaze is under control. The Gell River fire began as two separate lightning strikes 10 days ago. It now has a 90-kilometre perimeter, with infrared imagery taken by helicopters showing spot fires and flames burning up mountainsides. Photo: Terrain at Lake Rhona has been burnt but most of the sensitive vegetation has been saved so far. (ABC News) Parks and Wildlife Service (PWS) deputy incident controller Nic Deka said sprinklers at Lake Rhona halted the threat at Lake Rhona for now. "It was a good sight because the protection works that we've done there with the sprinkler systems have been very effective at halting the fire and protecting the higher value vegetation in that particular site," he said. "There's pencil pines, there's cushion plants, there's species that are typical of alpine vegetation types." About 60 crews are fighting the blaze, with 40 personnel stationed at nearby Strathgordon. "Getting crews onto the fire ground as early in the day is critical because that's when you get the best conditions for containing and supressing fire," he said. "Because of the relatively benign weather over the next two to three days, the work we do will be critical as we work into next weekend when the weather is expected to warm up a bit." Photo: Sprinklers are being trialled as part of efforts to protect environmentally sensitive areas in Tasmania's south-west. (Supplied: Parks and Wildlife) Wilderness conservationist Geoff Law has concerns about what is at stake if the weather changes. "East of the fire are some majestic tall eucalypt trees, eucalyptus regnans are the tallest flowering plant on earth, and that particular area has one of Australia's largest stands of unlogged, untouched old growth eucalypt regnans," he said. "And this fire is a dire threat to that stand of ancient majestic trees." He believed lessons have been learnt from a world heritage area blaze in 2016 when large tracts of high-value wilderness was destroyed. "This fire is being taken very very seriously, clearly there have been a lot of crews, there a lot of aerial crews have been deployed," he said. "It does seem some lessons have been learned but we won't know all the answers until the fire has been extinguished." He is relieved Lake Rhona has so far been spared. "These glacial lakes are extraordinarily beautiful, they are occur next to jagged mountains, there's beach there and ancient eucalypt trees. For that area to be destroyed would be tragic," he said. Photo: About 60 crews are now tackling the Gell River blaze. (ABC News) The Tasmania Fire Service (TFS) said there was no immediate threat to the small communities in the upper Derwent Valley, but that the greater Hobart area was likely to be affected by smoke in the coming days. Despite favourable weather conditions over the next few days, TFS incident controller Rod Sherrin said crews were preparing for a drawn-out battle in difficult terrain. "It's a large fire on the landscape and history will tell us it will take some considerable time to bring it to a conclusion," he said. A temporary bridge has been placed across the Florentine River to access the plantation so large earthmoving machinery can move into the area and bolster containment lines. External Link:TFS Gell River dump Rain needed to reduce risk Fire ecologist Grant Williamson said smoke would continue to be an issue. "The impact of smoke at the moment is going to be the major worry," he said. "There's no severe fire weather forecast over the coming period. Certainly if the fire continues to burn over the coming weeks that could happen again." He said lower wind speeds and temperatures over the coming days would help firefighting efforts but a big rain event was needed. "[The fire] is going to have difficultly getting into those wet forests, they don't usually burn under these sort of mild weather conditions so hopefully that gives the opportunity for TFS and Parks to get it under control," he said. The speed of the response has been the subject of criticism from environmentalists and a union representing PWS workers with Emergency Services Minister Michael Ferguson hitting back, describing the comments as "pathetic". But Mr Williamson said the response was about managing priorities, with authorities deeming it important to have crews in reserve. "There was a severe fire weather forecast and they have to balance fighting wilderness fires with having resources available around populated areas around Hobart," he said. "On Friday we saw a lot of small fires cropping up around Hobart and the surrounds, so it's important to have crews available for those as well." Mr Sherrin said the speed of the response was appropriate, describing the activities of PWS as "admirable". "It was in a difficult spot to get to, it was a lightning strike, they had waterbomber aircraft as soon as practicable and as soon as they could they inserted their remote area teams to do some active firefighting," he said. "They were actively fighting on that fire prior to the total fire ban day," Mr Sherrin said. As the fire is affecting a national park, the State Government can make a claim for the expenses associated with fighting the blaze to the Federal Government but it would need to demonstrate that the costs incurred for the disaster were extraordinary. Photo: Authorities say the fire, which is in difficult terrain, may burn for most of the summer. (Supplied: NSW Rural Fire Service) Topics:fires,disasters-and-accidents,community-and-society,emergency-incidents,environmental-impact,environment,maydena-7140,strathgordon-7139,tarraleah-7140,hobart-7000 First posted January 07, 2019 12:01:39 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-07/gell-river-fire-threatens-tasmanian-eucalypt-plantation/10688530 |
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