Law & order

Police officers have an important, but sometimes dangerous job in the community; for this reason Police Remembrance Day marks those officers who have either been killed on duty or died whilst serving. First commemorated in 1989 it occurs on 29 September each year.

Since the beginning of March this year, an extra 9,499 proactive police patrols and activities have been conducted on the Darling Downs as part of a leading police operation aimed at enhancing community safety ... Police have charged 385 adults with 744 offences while 186 juveniles have been charged with 328 offences.

Three Palmers Island prawn farms at the centre of the White Spot outbreak in the Clarence River have entered the final stage of decontamination as part of the NSW Department of Primary Industries DPI eradication response ... The extension of the Control Order was a devastating blow for the Clarence prawn trawl industry and trawler operators like Dean Opalniuk, who received no income from prawns this year, where he would usually average $3000 a week in season, leaving him with a business that was worth more than $200,000, now being worthless.

Stronger powers to allow NT Police to stop and search individuals for knives and other dangerous weapons are now in operation in the Northern Territory. Earlier this year, the Territory Labor Government strengthened the Police Legislation Further Amendment Bill 2023 to allow our Police to use hand-held scanners to detect concealed weapons.

Michelle Daw. General practitioners warn a move by the state government to enforce payroll tax on GPs who are not employees could make their practices unviable and force them to close. Revenue SA announced the proposed imposition of payroll tax on South Australian GPs in June...

The National Farmers' Federation Horticulture Council is calling on the Albanese Government to respond to the decision to stop the Varroa Mite eradication effort with a clear commitment to conclude its review of the legality of levying containerised cargo under international law before the end of the year. Council Chair Jolyon Burnett said ... it is abundantly clear more support for the biosecurity system will be required.

Corryong’s annual Ping-Pong-A-Thon event last weekend returned to a 24-hour marathon format, with more than 30 men playing table tennis and being sponsored by generous donors. That country spirit saw a total of $7026 raised to support the fight against human trafficking.

Yorke Peninsula Council has isolated two sites on southern Yorke Peninsula after material containing asbestos was found at an unsanctioned Marion Bay dump ... The Marion Bay site has been used as an undocumented and unapproved community dumping area for decades, a practice dating back to before smaller councils amalgamated to form YPC in 1997.

Young car joyriders likened the adrenalin rush from car theft to the effects of drug or alcohol use. Some noted, yet often disregarded, fears of death or injury as the result of a car accident. And the prospect of gaining, or losing, a job is a stronger motivator than incarceration for joyriders.

You are all aware that the new Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2021 (WA) is still in force, at least I hope you are, as nothing has gone through Parliament yet to reverse it ... The problem is the new Act is still live and could remain so well into next year if the State government runs into problems with its amendments with an Opposition that has woken up to the politics of the issue.

The Water Legislation Amendment Bill delivers on a key commitment by the government to strengthen water measurement in Queensland to improve management of the state’s precious water sources ... New arrangements will help Queensland meet its Murray-Darling Basin commitments, including through telemetry and better measurement of overland flows.

Farming groups have come together in Canberra to call out the misinformation peddled in Parliament this week regarding the Government’s rewrite of the Murray Darling Basin Plan. National Farmers’ Federation Chief Executive Tony Mahar said the fact the Government felt the need to stretch the truth just revealed how flawed the proposal is.

A recent inquiry into Victoria’s duck hunting had more than 10,500 submissions, a record for a Victorian parliamentary inquiry. Labor chair Ryan Batchelor said Victoria should end recreational native bird hunting on all public and private land from 2024 ... The report did also recommend transforming hunting reserves into state recreation reserves, and excluding non aboriginals, whilst allowing traditional owners to continue to hunt ducks.

New local laws to better regulate short stay rental accommodation in Bass Coast come into effect, supported by an online portal to streamline applications and approvals for property owners … to better manage short stay rental accommodation across the municipality, paving the way for a more structured, efficient system as visitor numbers surge.

A water bill proposed by the Federal Government, which could see buybacks take 450GL of water from local irrigators, will have detrimental effects on the Greater Shepparton region and its horticulture industry … Known for being the food bowl of Australia, Cr Sali said Greater Shepparton would feel the brunt of the Water Amendment (Restoring Our Rivers) Bill 2023...

A number of fires which have severely impacted sugarcane crops in the Lower Clarence during the past week are being treated as suspicious. Around 11:45pm on August 25, emergency services were called to three properties along Serpentine Channel South Bank Road, Bewleys Lane, and Beckmans Lane in Harwood, following reports of fires in sugarcane crops.

Farmers are warning that a bill introduced today by Water Minister Tanya Plibersek would obliterate consensus on the Basin Plan and give the Government unchecked power to shut down irrigation farms in Australia’s food bowl. NFF Chief Executive Tony Mahar said the proposal would blow up the Basin Plan and destroy trust and livelihoods in Basin communities.