Three charged with child sex offences – Ballina

Three men are due to appear in Lismore court charged with sex offences allegedly involving a 15-year-old girl.

Strike Force Bissenberger was formed in June last year to investigate alleged offences involving a child within the Richmond Local Area Command.

Police arrested two men at one house shortly after midnight today (Saturday 2 March), while a third man was arrested at his home about 1.30am; all were taken to Ballina Police Station.

A 39-year-old man has been charged with two counts of aggravated sexual assault – victim under the age of 16.

A 37-year-old man and a 41-year-old man have been charged with one count each of aggravated sexual assault – victim under the age of 16.

The men were refused bail overnight and will appear in Lismore Court today.

Crime Manager, Detective Inspector Greg Moore, commended the work of his detectives.

“The Strike Force Bissenberger team has worked tirelessly to reach the point where we were able to make these arrests,” Det Insp Moore said.

“It is a tribute to their dedication and skill that we have been able to put these people before the court.”

Woman injured when lounge thrown off balcony

A Ballina man has been charged after a woman was seriously injured after being hit by a lounge thrown from a balcony in a hotel at Tamworth overnight.

The woman was on the ground floor of the hotel in Brisbane Street about 10pm yesterday (Friday 1 March) when the two-seater lounge was allegedly thrown over the first floor railing, falling about 7m.

The 43-year-old woman suffered spinal injuries and was taken to Tamworth Base Hospital to be stabilised before being flown to John Hunter Hospital. The woman is from Tamworth.

A 32-year-old man from Ballina and a 27-year-old man from Queensland were arrested at another hotel nearby a short time later.

They were taken to Tamworth Police Station where they have each been charged with:

• Recklessly cause grievous bodily harm in company;

• Assault occasioning grievous bodily harm.

Both have been bail refused and held overnight to appear in a Tamworth Local Court today (Saturday 3 March).

Fatal crash – near Ballina

Police are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding a fatal crash in the state’s far north this morning.

Just after 10.30am (Thursday 21 February 2013), Richmond Local Area Command police and other emergency services were called to Teven Road, Teven – about 15km west of Ballina – following reports of a collision between a car and truck.

NSW Ambulance paramedics attended to the middle-aged female driver and sole occupant of the car, however she died at the scene.

The man who was driving the truck escaped injury. He was taken to hospital for mandatory blood and urine tests.

Anyone with information about this incident, and who hasn’t already provided a statement, should call Ballina Police on 6681 8699 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Community College seeks new directors

Ballina Region Community College is calling for board members to see their dynamic business through the next phase.

Having recently moved to new larger premises in Alstonville, the college is expanding.

“New blood is what we are after,” director Tony Gilding said.

The owner of Macadamia Castle, an active conservationist and president of Borneo Orangutan Survival Australia, Tony has been an active Board Member. “And we strongly encourage women to apply,” he said.

“There is an underrepresentation of women on our board which we would like to address. We are committed to a director composition which reflects the community the college serves. We are losing Marilyn Perkins, an experienced female director who has been incredibly active in the community for decades.”

A well-known community advocate, Marilyn Perkins is the longest serving member of the board.

After joining the college Committee in 2003, she later became deputy chair and then chair of the board in 2007. She continued in that role until 2011. At the upcoming AGM Marilyn will retire, making way for at least one new board member and possibly more.

“Making strategic decisions about the future of the college is exciting,” Marilyn said. “The rewards are always there – it is great to be part of a dynamic and interesting team. I’ll miss that.

“Our college is proactive in pursuing innovation, including new ways of teaching and learning. So we must have new people with fresh ideas to ensure the continuation of a dynamic, forward-thinking organisation.”

A not-for-profit education facility, the Ballina Region Community College has campuses in Ballina, Alstonville and Yamba. The college offers courses in three streams – vocational education and training, work skills and general lifestyle. Courses cover diverse areas including business, IT, fitness, health and wellbeing, languages, hospitality, visual arts, cooking and photography most subjects are VET accredited.

Board members attend meetings every two months, serve on board sub-committees and occasionally represent the college at functions. Participation in the board enables members to gain valuable experience in governance, actively participate in the community, be part of a committed team and undertake college courses free of charge.

Applications close 10th March. Potential applicants may contact Richard Hughes on admin@ballinarcc.edu.au

www.ablcc.com.au

PICTURE: Marilyn Perkins and Tony Gilding.

Man dies in crash – Ballina

A man has died following a crash north of Ballina this morning.

About 3.45am, a semi-trailer and a sedan collided in the southbound lanes of the Pacifc Highway 2km north of Ballina.

The male driver of the sedan died at the scene.

The truck driver was not injured and has been taken for mandatory blood and urine tests.

Traffic diversions were put in place after the crash. For the latest traffic information, visit www.livetraffic.com or call 132 701

Anyone with information about this incident should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or use the Crime Stoppers online reporting page: https://www1.police.nsw.gov.au/. Information you provide will be treated in the strictest of confidence. Police remind people they should not report crime information via our Facebook and Twitter pages.

Man arrested following investigations into indecent assaults – Ballina

Child Abuse Squad detectives investigating two indecent assaults at Ballina department stores this week have arrested a man.

Detectives have been investigating assaults upon a six-year-old girl at a store on Tuesday afternoon (13 November 2012), and a 13-year-old girl at a different store yesterday (14 November 2012).

About 4.30pm today (15 November 2012), detectives arrested a man at a shopping centre on Bangalow Road, Ballina.

The man has been taken to Ballina Police Station.

Inquiries are ongoing.

Police appeal after girl indecently assaulted in Ballina

Police are appealing for information after a girl was indecently assaulted by a man in a shopping centre in Ballina on Tuesday.

About 4pm (Tuesday 13 November 2012), a six-year-old girl and her younger brother were in the toy section of a large department store at Ballina when they were approached by a man.

Police have been told the man indecently assaulted the girl, before she and her brother ran to their mother located nearby.

The mother notified store security and police.

Police from Richmond Local Area Command attended and conducted a search of the area but were unable to locate the man.

The child was not injured during the incident and did not require medical treatment.

Detectives from the Child Abuse Squad at Ballina are now looking for a man who has been described as having a slim build, with a dark olive complexion, aged in his 40s, approximately 185cm tall or taller. The man is believed to have a large gap between his front teeth and teeth missing either side of the two front teeth.

At the time of the incident he was wearing a grey T-shirt, light grey shorts and thongs.

Anyone with information about this incident should call the Ballina Child Abuse Squad on 6681 8642, Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or use the Crime Stoppers online reporting page: https://www1.police.nsw.gov.au/. Information you provide will be treated in the strictest of confidence. We remind people they should not report crime information via our Facebook and Twitter pages.

Teenager charged after man knocked unconscious – Ballina

A teenager has been charged over an attack on a man at his North Coast home.

About 1.30am today (Saturday 22 September 2012), the 34-year-old man was woken by someone banging on the first floor balcony doors at his Greenhalgh Street, Ballina, home.

The man went to investigate and found a 17-year-old boy, who is known to the family, standing outside.

Concerned for the teenager’s welfare, the man brought him inside the residence before asking him to leave via the front door.

The pair allegedly became involved in an altercation during which the man was knocked unconscious.

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Woman dies in crash on The Coast Road

A report will be prepared for the Coroner after the death of a woman in a crash on the Far North Ccoast yesterday.

About 4.40pm (Friday 21 September 2012), a 75-year-old woman was driving a Mazda MX5 south on The Coast Road, Lennox Head, when it collided head-on with a Toyota Seca being driven by a 57-year-old woman.

As a result of the crash the 75-year-old died at the scene. The other driver was taken to Lismore Base Hospital with back and neck soreness.

Police from Richmond Local Area Command are conducting inquiries into the crash.

 

Digby Moran a dual finalist in NSW Parliament art award

Bundjalung artist Digby Moran has been selected as a finalist in the Parliament of NSW Aboriginal Art Prize for not one, but two artworks.

Both Starlight and Someone’s Always Watching You, painted by Digby this year, have been selected. The Prize is an annual acquisitive prize of $40,000 and is awarded to the finest example of contemporary Aboriginal art in New South Wales.

Each of Digby’s selected artworks is currently on display at the Northern Rivers Community Gallery as part of Digby’s solo exhibition Bundjalung Dreaming. The exhibition continues until 2 September, however the two selected works will leave early to travel to Sydney for the Art Prize exhibition.

Starlight takes inspiration from the diamond pattern carved on the narrow Bundjalung Boondie (c1850) also currently on display at the Gallery. The painting has a sophisticated composition that features the intersection of four concentric diamond patterns marked out by white lines, at regular intervals, on a black background. Two of the concentric diamonds are further detailed with grey lines alternating with the white.

Centre yourself to this painting, stand back and the result is something quite hypnotic and to many, optically unsettling.

The sophisticated use of a limited palette, line and space creates a lenticular-like image that moves and vibrates like shimmering or shooting starlight.

Someone’s Always Watching You is another example of the artist’s incredible ability to create images that seem to move right before your eyes. A series of black lines that suggest form around two eyes start to ‘move’ against the white background. As this occurs eyes look as though they are flickering and following you around the room.

Of the inspiration for this painting, Digby said: “Growing up an old wise man said to me ‘No matter what you do, someone’s always watching you’. Now I am older and wiser I understand he was telling me that my ancestors’ spirits are always around me, protecting me.”

The Gallery is open from Wednesday to Friday between 10am and 4pm and on weekends between 9.30am and 2.30pm. The Gallery is closed on public holidays.

 

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