Law & order

Meet newly appointed senator, the former barrister Varun Ghosh who recently took his place in the Senate after he was officially confirmed as Labor’s choice to replace the retiring Patrick Dodson. ... The bit in Ghosh's CV that talks about constitutional law is what every sheep farmer in WA should be interested in, as it hints that our new senator might actually understand the concept of States' rights and that any move to ban a trade that is almost exclusively out of one State may well impinge upon section 52 of the Constitution.

A $26.2 million initiative to tackle regional crime launched last week by the NSW Government that aims to address the increased rate of offending and community safety doesn’t go far enough claims Clarence MP Richie Williamson, who has called for locals to share experiences of crime on a new website.

Neither the Shire of Gingin nor the Department of Local Government will clarify if the shire is being investigated due to complaints and issues raised by ratepayers and residents ... “This means we cannot comment on whether there is an active investigation or complaint or provide any details on progress of matters being looked into,’’ a spokeswoman said.

The Coffs Coast community is urged to come forward and share their experiences about how they’ve been affected by crime, said Member for Coffs Harbour Gurmesh Singh. Mr Singh said it was clear regional NSW was in the midst of a crime crisis.

In relation to the discontinuation of the case brought by the Nature Conservation Council (NCC) of New South Wales (NSW) against the NSW Water Minister and NSW Environment Minister in 2021 to challenge the validity of the Border Rivers Water Sharing Plan, media releases have been issued by the Ministers and the NCC.

News of an escalation in youth crime in the Clarence Valley has gone right to the top of the Coffs Clarence Police District, with the Commander, Superintendent Joanne Schultz involved in implementing prevention and intervention strategies to prevent re-offending. Superintendent Schultz told the CV Independent the police district has deployed resources locally to tackle the problem of youth crime.

Restoring our Rivers Bill debated at Agribusiness Australia event. The profound implications of the Commonwealth’s Restoring Our Rivers Bill was unpacked in a wide-ranging discussion about the Murray Darling Basin Plan at an Agribusiness Australia event in Melbourne last week in front of nearly 150 guests.

When Bobbie Hill went to bed on Thursday night, the last thing she expected was a car plummeting through the wall of her shop, Bobbie's Baits, Balls and Bullets, at two o'clock in the morning ... They were racing each other when suddenly the driver lost control of his vehicle and went flying through Ms Hill's tin fence, over her lawn, before embedding itself inside the store.

Member for Benambra, Bill Tilley, fears laws designed to protect livestock from wild dogs will be scrapped and promised consultation with people in the Upper Murray is nothing but lip service. Member for Northern Victoria Region, Wendy Lovell, told the Victorian Parliament last Wednesday that the Victorian government had surrendered to ill-informed propaganda from lobby groups without talking to the farmers who will be most affected.

A Supreme Court bombshell in Queensland this week as dozens of police and health workers, including paramedics, won a mammoth legal battle over mandatory vaccination, with the Supreme Court declaring they were unlawful ... It’s been nearly three years since Australian state premiers and chief medical officers forced Australians to choose between a novel Covid-19 vaccine within a phase three trial and feeding their families.

Farmers across Australia have been left bamboozled this morning by the Government’s attempt to legislate a new tax on farmers, despite a tidal wave of expert criticism. The Albanese Government this morning tabled new laws to establish the ‘Biosecurity Protection Levy’ - intended to raise $50 million from farmers to bankroll activities that assist importers, airlines and other risk creators.

Agricultural levy payers and industry bodies have a chance to give their feedback on draft regulations and rules that are part of modernising the agricultural levies legislation. Last year, the Australian Government introduced six bills to make agricultural levies legislation simpler and more consistent.

Forestry Corporation is monitoring state forests in the Bathurst area after a recent spate of illegal dumping incidents. Forest rangers have found piles of plastic coating that has been burnt off cabling ... “A key concern for Forestry Corporation is the risk that the fires will spread into the pine plantations."

Public safety was mentioned frequently during the public consultation about “regenerating” the Alice Springs town centre but the resulting report provides little of value. In the Town Council’s latest Mall initiative the final presentation, now up for public comment, does not contain the words CPTED, vandalism, anti-social nor crime.

Western Australia's firearm buyback compensation scheme will commence on Wednesday, 21 February 2024 ... "There are more than 360,000 licensed firearms owned by fewer than 90,000 Western Australians, and the new legislation will impact all of them in a responsible way": Premier Roger Cook.

A Tennant Creek pensioner who has endured 117 burglaries over six years has estimated he has lost $20,000 worth of cash and property. Tony Jeffs lives in the Haddock Street Pensioner flats, and it was just over a week since the town’s rampaging youth hit his home again.

Remember the Toodyay Boygerring Brook case that fired up the Aboriginal Heritage debate in March 2023? Tony Maddox will see his day in court with the trial starting on 22 February ... The outcome of the case will be pivotal in how farmers approach Aboriginal cultural heritage going forward. Mr Maddox has engaged Christian Porter as his barrister ...

After serving the community for more than three generations, Naracoorte’s very popular Morris Bakery has shut its doors after losing about $300,000 in alleged theft. The bakery closed its doors on February 5, leaving the community devastated, with many lamenting the loss of a good old business.

Social media is continuing to experience a rising trend in the number of users reporting crimes and suspicious behaviour. Across the Clarence Valley, residents are regularly posting CCTV footage and photos taken by private security cameras which predominantly feature alleged attempted break-ins (vehicles and properties) and antisocial behaviour online to notify and warn neighbours in surrounding areas.

Youth on bail in Tennant Creek will be able to stay on Country and close to home with construction commencing on a new Youth Justice Accommodation Facility. Part of the $100.5 million Barkly Regional Deal, civil works at the Peko Road facility will begin this month.