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AEDT = Australian Eastern Daylight Savings Time which is 11 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-13/nangs-2/10584662
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Updated December 12, 2018 15:57:38
![]() The former CEO of a regional Victorian council has been convicted after pleading guilty to five charges of financial deception for misusing his council credit card. Mark Johnston, 58, appeared in the Maryborough Magistrates court where he admitted he 'cut corners' and misused nearly $10,000 of Central Goldfields Shire money. He has been fined $26,000 and also been ordered to pay $10,000 in costs but has not been ordered to reimburse council. The prosecution claimed Mr Johnston, who was on a yearly salary of $240,000, misused his council credit card 112 times, which included buying his family meals and claiming expenses for meetings that did not occur, between 2009 and 2013. "Mr Johnston would pay for his wife and four children's meals as well as their partners at various locations as well as buying them takeaway meals," Prosecutor Andrew Palmer told the court. "This is dishonest conduct over a period of four years, by the highest person at the council, who was well remunerated for his work." Other offences related to transactions in Broadbeach, Queensland when Mr Johnston was on annual leave and transactions relating to meetings with Capilano Honey and Regional Development Victoria which the companies claim did not occur. Mr Johnston also used his council credit card at cafes in Ballarat when his son was playing basketball as well as AFL games he attended in Melbourne, as a Western Bulldogs member. There were also transactions for accommodation unrelated to council business. A 'breach of trust' During sentencing Magistrate Megan Aumair told Mr Johnston he abused his position of trust. "This was a multitude of deceptions over a significant period of time and blatant dishonesty," she said. "You breached the trust of the community in one of the most disadvantaged areas in the state. "You were motivated by a sense of entitlement." Not 'bent on living a lavish lifestyle' Defence Layer Jeremy Rapke claimed the 58-year-old's actions were "reasonable" because he was often interrupted by members of the community during his dinners with his family. "Mr Johnston never missed an opportunity to advance the interest of the shire," Mr Rapke said. "In his mind his family would help sell the shire's benefits." The defence said the Central Goldfields Shire had no policy relating to buying meals for family members and said Mr Johnston misjudged where the line was to be drawn. "Mr Johnston worked taxing hours and he was under enormous pressure in his role, which is why his diary entries relating to his expenses lacked detail," Mr Rapke said. "These transactions were not fraud on a grand scale. "Some transactions were as small as $10 they weren't large, selfish transactions by a public official bent on living a lavish lifestyle." The defence also claimed Mr Johnston saved the council $160,000 each year by taking on two roles, working as the CEO and economic development manager. Offending 'out of character' Several character witnesses told the court they were shocked and stunned when they learnt of Mr Johnston's offending. "Mark has lost a lot of weight and he's become very withdrawn [since the charges were laid," Former Central Goldfields Shire employee Janet Boynton told the court. "I was in disbelief [when I learnt of the offending] it just didn't meet up with the person I had worked with on and off for 20 years." CEO of the City of Greater Bendigo Shire Craig Niemann who has known Mr Johnston since 1986, told the court his behaviour was 'out of character'. "It's not the Mark I know," he said. The court heard there has been no reimbursement by Mr Johnston for the transactions. Mr Johnston was stood down from his role as the CEO of the Shire in July 2017 and formally resigned in August 2017. After his resignation, the elected Councillors of the Central Goldfields Shire were sacked by the Victorian Government and replaced by administrators and a new CEO. Former councillors 'happy he has been convicted' Speaking outside court, former Central Goldfields Shire Councillor Paula Nixon, who was sacked by the Victorian Government in response to the subsequent investigation into the council, said she was pleased with the result. ![]() "I'm happy it's over and we can move on it's been almost three years of absolute hell," Ms Nixon said. "The good people at the shire have suffered, and so have our businesses. "I hope our community will feel if you do the wrong thing there is some form of punishment. "This was a person in a trusted position who was earning a considerable wage in a poor community, I'm happy he has been convicted." Former Councillor Helen Broad, who also lost her position as a result of the investigation, said she welcomed the conviction. "We are a very disadvantaged Shire and to think he felt he was entitled to more than he was getting, it just disappointing," she said. "25 years of being in that position you think he would know right from wrong, it's just common sense." Topics:courts-and-trials,local-government,law-crime-and-justice,corruption,maryborough-3465,ballarat-3350,broadbeach-4218 First posted December 12, 2018 14:19:23 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-12/former-council-ceo-convicted-for-credit-card-misuse/10610856 This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced.
AEDT = Australian Eastern Daylight Savings Time which is 11 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-13/nangs-2/10584662 This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced.
AEDT = Australian Eastern Daylight Savings Time which is 11 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-12/helen-broad-and-paula-nixon/10612012 This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced.
AEDT = Australian Eastern Daylight Savings Time which is 11 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-13/nangs-2/10584662 This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced.
AEDT = Australian Eastern Daylight Savings Time which is 11 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-13/nangs-1/10584644 Updated December 06, 2018 15:42:21
Former teacher Chris Dawson has been denied bail after being charged with the murder of his ex-wife Lynette, who disappeared on Sydney's northern beaches 37 years ago. Key points:Mr Dawson spent the night in the Southport watch house before his extradition order to NSWThis morning he flew from the Gold Coast to Sydney, where he was chargedHe still maintains he had nothing to do with the disappearance of his former wife Lynette Dawson The 70-year-old was extradited to Sydney this morning after he was arrested at his home on the Gold Coast yesterday. He has always denied killing Ms Dawson, whose body has never been found. Mr Dawson appeared via audio-visual link in Central Local Court from Surry Hills Police Centre this afternoon. His lawyer, Greg Walsh, told the court his client did not wish to make a bail application today but would do so on Friday December 14. Throughout proceedings, Mr Dawson sat with his arms crossed and appeared to be listening intently. ![]() When the magistrate asked if he was Mr Dawson he replied, "yes, yes I am sir". Outside court, Mr Walsh said he had been given "a huge amount of material" by Mr Dawson's brother, who is a solicitor. "I worked most of the night and today to try and read as much as I can, but it's a very important application for bail," he said. "It has to be prepared properly. I want to assist the court in doing it properly there's no need in rushing these cases like this." ![]() Mr Dawson spent the night in the Southport watch house on the Gold Coast and left in an unmarked police vehicle just after 5:00am (AEST) before travelling to Sydney on a Qantas flight. The extradition order for Mr Dawson was approved yesterday, but there were delays in flying him to Sydney, as police liaised with commercial airlines over security arrangements. Mr Dawson is a former Newtown Jets rugby league player and was the centre of the popular Teacher's Pet podcast. His wife Lynette disappeared from Sydney's northern beaches on January 9, 1982. She was 33 at the time. Mr Dawson, a former PE teacher, moved his schoolgirl lover into the family home just days after his wife went missing. Mr Dawson told Lynette's family she needed time away and did not report her missing to police for almost six weeks. He maintains he had nothing to do with his wife's disappearance. Mr Walsh said his client was entitled to the presumption of innocence. "He will plead not guilty, he strenuously asserts his innocence, and he should be afforded that fundamental right," he said. Mr Walsh also cited the "extraordinary amount of publicity" around the case and "inadequacies" in the police investigation. "I think that he's got a good basis on which to seek conditional bail." Yesterday Mr Dawson was arrested at Biggera Waters by detectives from Queensland Police Service's Homicide Squad. He appeared in Southport Magistrates Court and made an application for bail, which was denied by Magistrate Dennis Kinsella, who said there was an unacceptable risk of failing to appear. NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said Ms Dawson's family was relieved after being told of the arrest. "I have said from the start, what is important to me was justice for Lynette Dawson and her family," he said. Ms Dawson's sister-in-law, Merilyn Sims, said the family had been overwhelmed by support after being phoned by detectives with news of the arrest. "I think the word we'd have to use at the moment is numb," she told the ABC. "We gave each other a big hug. There was a sense of relief, but knowledge that we've got a pretty tough road ahead of us now." Ms Sims said the family's ultimate hope was to find Lynette. One of Mr Dawson's former students, Stacey Colgan, sat in the public gallery of the courtroom to support him. Outside court Ms Colgan told the ABC she did not wish to comment because it was a matter for Mr Dawson's family. Earlier in the day she posted a message on Facebook to the St Ursula's and St Brendan's school community saying she would be coming to court to show her support for "Dawso and his family". "I know he would appreciate your support also if you're in the area, or I could pass on your messages to his brother," the post said. "Mr Dawson was an amazing teacher and that's what I know for sure." Topics:law-crime-and-justice,crime,murder-and-manslaughter,missing-person,southport-4215,sydney-2000,sydney-airport-2020,qld First posted December 06, 2018 07:44:33 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-06/chris-dawson-extradition-southport-gold-coast-to-sydney-murder/10588092 Posted December 07, 2018 18:18:41
![]() It is as busy as any hospital emergency room and has its own ambulance bay, but at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital the patients have feathers or fur, and waiting times are never more than 30 minutes. The custom-built wildlife hospital is one of the busiest in the world, treating an average of 8,000 injured, sick, or orphaned native animals a year. In summer the emergencies peak as 'trauma season' takes its toll. Trauma season traditionally begins when the weather warms up and more animals are on the move many of them juveniles looking for food or a mate. The animals' natural habitat comes with its own risks of injury through storms, fires, nest falls, and attacks by predators. However, those risks soar when humans and habitat destruction enter the mix, with car strikes and pet attacks two major causes of injuries to native wildlife. On the day the ABC visits the emergency hospital, a wildlife carer is waiting in reception with six orphaned baby wallabies and kangaroos in her charge all bundled up cosy in handmade fabric pouches. The orphans have a range of illnesses and injuries, including fractured legs and pelvises and skin conditions. One joey has an injured tail after it was thrown from its pouch and attacked by crows when its mother was hit by a car. ![]() Today it is that joey's turn for a check-up to see how its tail is healing and to have its bandages and splint changed. The other joeys have come along too as they are still being bottle-fed and cannot be left on their own while their carer visits the hospital. Third of admissions via public As the joeys wait their turn, a couple arrives holding a small cardboard box and the receptionist takes the details of the injured noisy miner bird inside found on the ground after a thunderstorm the night before. Hospital director Dr Rosemary Booth said one third of the hospital's patients were animals rescued by the public. Another third come from wildlife carers and a third are brought in from the zoo's dedicated wildlife ambulance, which has two staff driving it to rescue animals across the region. ![]() In the next room, lights are dimmed and the door is closed as Dr Ludo Valenza opens a box and releases a young boobook owl. It had been delivered to the hospital from Maryborough on the Fraser Coast after it became trapped inside a house, thrashing itself against windows and walls as it attempted to flee. Unless the animal is in a critical condition and needs immediate treatment, animals are brought to this triage room, equipped with multiple perches for the birds to land upon and be assessed to see how they walk or fly and what injuries they may have. As the box lid is opened, the boobook immediately flaps its way up to a perch, but while it has no trouble flying, when taken back into emergency and examined under anaesthetic, a problem with its chest is diagnosed. The owl is carried to the radiography room where its sharp talons are covered and its wings spread and weighted down for an x-ray. The x-ray reveals a chest trauma, fortunately bruising only, and four days later, after being given extra fluids and rest, the bird is successfully released back to the wild. "We're pretty happy with the outcome for this little bird," Dr Valenza said. ![]() Eros the koala is not quite as lucky. His stay at hospital will be an extended one. The two-year-old a teenager in koala years was hit by a car and has head trauma and a fractured radius in his arm which is now in a plaster cast that needs to be changed weekly. He will be in the hospital's long-term koala care facility for at least six weeks while the fracture heals. Wide range of injuries Today the hospital has 45 koalas in care, but it can cater for up to 75 of the animals in long-term care and even has its own eucalypt plantation onsite to keep their patients fed. Down the hall from the koala room is a state-of-the-art operating room for animals, both large and small. It has glass walls, allowing zoo visitors to watch procedures if they choose which, along with organised tours inside the hospital, is designed to spread the organisation's conservation message to the public. Even the tiniest patients are candidates for surgery, such as baby Gonzo, the fuzzy whistling kite fledgling who fell from his nest and is recovering after surgery two days ago. ![]() Weighing only 410 grams and at only 130 days old, the bird had pins inserted into its broken tibiotarsus (shin) and ulna (forearm) and now awaits the next part of his journey removal of the pins in two weeks' time. ![]() It will have a lot more care as a wildlife carer hand-feeds him fish while he recovers from his injuries and grows old enough to fend for himself back in the wild. For now, Gonzo stays in the nursery ward housing the smallest of the patients needing the warmth of a humidicrib. Next to Gonzo is Piggy the squirrel glider, bandaged up after tearing her delicate gliding membrane on a barbed-wire fence. It is a common injury for the nocturnal animals, which do not see the danger as they glide from tree to tree. "We've had 800 barbed wire injuries since we started, which is quite shocking," Dr Booth said. "There are 80 different species affected by barbed wire, but it's primarily gliders, flying foxes, tawny frogmouths, and kookaburras most likely to get trapped in barbed wire." Wildlife versus development The correlation between wildlife admissions and increased human development is backed up by data from 80,000 patients since the hospital opened in 2004. In addition, other wildlife hospitals such as Currumbin on the Gold Coast have admission figures of approximately 11,000 per year. The RSPCA in Brisbane is also recording a silent crisis unfold as native wildlife habitat is lost to human development. At the state's largest wildlife hospital, the RSPCA's Wacol facility west of Brisbane, hospital admissions have tripled over the past five years, rising from 8,000 to 24,000 per year in a jump attributed to increased development. ![]() Numbers are also increasing at the RSPCA's Sunshine Coast facility at Eumundi, with admissions rising from 1,700 per year to 2,700 in the past 12 months. While the mission of a wildlife hospital is to help these animals, often the only way to do that is by sending them to their death, Dr Booth said. ![]() "Ending suffering is a big part of our job," she said. "If the animals are assessed as being able to recover and be released back to the wild, they come into care and their issues are treated. "If they cannot be released back to the wild, then euthanasia is what's required. "But it's a worthwhile thing to do because it's very important animals are not kept with one limb missing, or unable to see. "If you are a wild animal knowing what it is to be free and you suddenly find yourself living in a captive situation it's stressful, it's depressing, it's not good animal welfare." Topics:animal-welfare,animals-and-nature,animal-science,conservation,zoos,community-and-society,work,animals,human-interest,beerwah-4519,currumbin-4223,wacol-4076,landsborough-4550,maroochydore-4558 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-07/wildlife-emergencies-peak-as-trauma-season-begins-australia-zoo/10563978 This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced.
AEDT = Australian Eastern Daylight Savings Time which is 11 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-12/mark-johnston-court/10610870 Posted December 04, 2018 14:44:45
A Queensland court has overturned the Gold Coast City Council's approval for a Coolangatta high-rise in what is being described as an "exceptional, unique and different" case. In April last year, the Gold Coast City Council approved the 27-storey Komune building, which was to include a hotel and apartments on the Greenmount end of Coolangatta. The council's planning department had recommended councillors support the project. But things took an unusual turn when the body corporate for the neighbouring Lindor building appealed to the Queensland Planning and Environment Court. After that legal action was launched, the Gold Coast City Council reversed its position and submitted to the court that the project should be rejected because its height, density and scale conflicted with the city planning scheme. Judge Michael Rackemann agreed and after nine months of deliberations, he upheld the appeal, finding significant conflicts with both the 2003 and 2016 planning schemes. Decision on public interest grounds University of Queensland planning academic, Laurel Johnson, said the court case was decided on public interest grounds. "What the judge found was there was no public interest in a 27-storey tower being approved at Coolangatta and that the public interest was in the planning scheme as it existed, which was a much lower height and bulk for that site," she said. "So the judge was really, really in favour of the planning process in a lot of ways and in favour of the planning scheme." ![]() She said this case was peculiar because of council's decision to change its position. "It feels like there has been some waste of public money and time, I am sure the developer is frustrated, I am sure council is frustrated and most of all the local residents are frustrated," she said. Ms Johnson said council should look closely at what happened with the Komune case. "It would be in the interest of council to really scrutinise this decision-making process and to really try what figure out happened in this case because it is so exceptional, unique and different." Neighbours happy with win Lindor's Don Gordon said its residents were happy with the court outcome. "We just hope that is the end of the matter, but the developer still has the opportunity to appeal that decision and he has 30 days to do that," he said. Mr Gordon said the Komune building would have had a big impact on the 10-storey apartment building he lived in. ![]() "This building was going to be 27 storeys high, within one metre of my bedroom, with amplified music okayed by the council from 8 o'clock to midnight," he said. "There was going to be 194 bedrooms with parking only for 155, and if you know Coolangatta and Greenmount, on a Sunday morning people just wouldn't get a park." Councillor wanted project approved But Coolangatta-based councillor Gail O'Neill said she was disappointed with the court decision. ![]() "It is in an area where 50 metres up the road there is a 21 and 20 storey building it did not cast a shadow on the beach at all, it did not cast a shadow on the neighbours, it had three street frontages," she said. Cr O'Neill said Coolangatta would miss out on the economic opportunity the project would have provided. She also backed the planning process. "I know the assessment period for some of these development applications is lengthy and it should be and again that proves the process works." Topics:courts-and-trials,urban-development-and-planning,building-and-construction,local-government,coolangatta-4225 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-04/queensland-court-overrules-council-planning-approval/10581410 |
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