7-year-old boy missing and later found next to flood waters – Casino
February 8, 2010
A 7-year-old boy was reported missing by his grandmother in Casino yesterday after it was thought that the child was heading to the local river with a friend and that he couldn’t swim.
At around 4.50pm on (Sunday 7 February), police were contacted and told that a 7-year-old boy in company with a 12-year-old boy had headed to the Richmond River after jumping out of a bedroom window of his home, against his grandmother’s wishes.
Grave fears were held for the young boy’s safety due to flooding on the Richmond River, and police immediately set up a Command Post, activating VRA and Westpac Lifesaver 4 to commence searching for the two boys.
Police and VRA made extensive patrols of the riverbank on foot whilst patrols were happening in the air by the Westpac helicopter.
Police seize around $5m in cannabis during drug squad raids
February 7, 2010
Police have seized cannabis valued around $5m during a major drug squad operation on the State’s Far North Coast.
Strike Force Farrelly comprised detectives from the State Crime Command Drug Squad, the Tweed/Byron Local Area Command, the NSW Police Air Wing, the Dog Squad and the Radio Electronics Unit.
The Cannabis Eradication Program (CEP) targeted the areas of Burringbar, Murwillumbah, Mullumbimby, Uki and surrounding national parks over five days last week.
A total of 2446 plants, ranging from one to five metres in height, were located.
Seven rescued after outrigger vessel capsizes on Ballina bar
February 4, 2010
Surf lifesavers have rescued at least seven people in extremely hazardous conditions on the Ballina bar after their outrigger vessel capsized.
Surf Life Saving NSW said that at around 6.30 this morning, Surf Life Saving NSW received a call for assistance at the entrance to the Richmond River. The Ballina Jet Rescue Boat and surf rescue jet skis were immediately tasked, along with the Westpac Rescue helicopter.
When they arrived on the scene, the Jet Rescue Boat retrieved four people from the water and transported them back up the river to waiting ambulances, while the jet ski remained with another two people still in the water.
The boat returned to pick up the two and another person, who had managed to clamber up the breakwall at the rivermouth.
Busiest January ever for rescue helicopter
February 3, 2010
Aircrew at Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter knew they’d had a busy Christmas/New Year period, but until today were unaware they had officially experienced their busiest January ever.
Figures just released show Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter flew 44 missions in January – the busiest January ever, and the second busiest month on record. The only busier month recorded was May 1988 when the region was hit by two floods.
Court rules on Belongil Beach property stabilisation
February 2, 2010
An agreement was achieved on Monday in the Land and Environment Court proceedings between the owners of a Byron Bay property and Byron Shire Council over the issue of interim beach stabilisation at Belongil Beach following the May 2009 storm event.
The council said the agreement reached between the parties confirms that maintenance and repair of the interim protection works originally constructed by the council are permissible by the property owner on their Belongil property under the council’s existing Development Consent.
The original development consent allowed for the provision of interim sand-bag works at Manfred Street.
Government warns of tax-refund phishing scam
February 2, 2010
The Assistant Treasurer, Senator Nick Sherry, is warning Australians of a new email phishing scam using the lure of a tax refund to try to steal private information.
“This particular scam is quite sophisticated and uses convincing fakes of what could be easily mistaken for Australian Tax Office web pages,” the Assistant Treasurer said.
“The email claims to be from the Australian Taxation Office and shows a fake Tax Office email address as the sender.
“Reports coming into the ATO suggest there is a high volume of these emails going out over the internet.
Man, woman charged over alleged aggravated indecent assault
February 1, 2010
A man and woman will appear in court charged after an alleged indecent assault on a Casino woman last weekend.
On the afternoon of Saturday (30 January) a 23-year-old Casino woman met a 44-year-old man and a 42-year-old woman, both from South Grafton, at a licensed premises in Casino.
Police will allege that the three people went to a caravan park in South Grafton before the man and woman offered to drive the 23-year-old back to her home in Casino later in the evening.
As the trio drove towards Casino the 44-year-old man allegedly pulled the car into a camping ground at Lillydale and threatened the Casino woman.
Man’s body identified – Brunswick Heads
January 30, 2010
Police have positively identified human remains located in bushland at Ocean Shores as missing man Kevin Kirk.
Mr Kirk, 70, was last seen walking a small Staffordshire dog through Ferry Reserve Caravan Park at nearby Brunswick Heads on 18 January.
A series of searches for Mr Kirk were conducted in the area by police and other emergency services after he was reported missing but failed to locate any trace of him.
His remains were found during a search on Thursday.
A post mortem examination will be conducted on Monday to try to establish the cause of Mr Kirk’s death.
A report is being prepared for the Coroner.
Woolworths Mullumbimby approval granted for five years
January 29, 2010
The Land and Environment Court has given approval for Woolworths to install and operate their proposed on-site sewerage management system which is to service the supermarket development at Mullumbimby.
Byron Shire Council’s executive manager of environment and land use Ray Darney said the approval was valid for five years and subject to conditions granted by the court.
“One of the conditions included is that installation cannot commence until the approval issued by the Minister has been modified to incorporate the redesigned on-site system,” Mr Darney said.
He said the council was yet to see a final copy of the court’s conditions of approval.
Southern Cross University to lobby for broadband on North Coast
January 29, 2010
Federal Member for Page Janelle Saffin will champion a Southern Cross University submission to get the Australian Government’s $43 billion National Broadband Network (NBN) rolled out early to the NSW North Coast.
Southern Cross University’s Professor of Information Technology and Information Systems, Professor Peter Croll, today handed the submission to Ms Saffin during a ceremony at the Student Services Centre, at the Lismore campus.
NSW Minister for Planning, Infrastructure and Lands, Tony Kelly, who was in the region for a series of infrastructure funding announcements, also attended to receive a briefing from Professor Croll.
The submission was simultaneously electronically lodged for assessment with NBN’s government relations and external affairs chief Mike Kaiser and with Federal Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy.
