Tag Archives: oceania

Firefighters battle multiple blazes south of Perth

Homes on the outskirts of Perth are under threat from a bushfire sparked by lightning.

The fire has burnt through more than 200 hectares at Mandurah in Western Australia.

An emergency alert was issued for residents in the Serpentine National Park which is 50 kilometres south-west of the city yesterday.

As the situation is constantly changing, visit the DFES website for the latest advice and alerts.

Patients at Peel Health Campus were put on alert, with the hospital taking extra precautions.

The facility was closed on Saturday night to visitors and staff requested any non-urgent patients to the emergency department go to other medical facilities instead.

It is now operating normally.

The fire began near Serpentine Dam, around 50 kilometres southwest of Perth, in the Serpentine National Park.

An emergency warning is in place for the area from Scarp Road to Day Road and east to Ronan Road.

READ MORE: Major WA hospital on alert from bushfire sparked by lightning

Flames crossed a local freeway and raced toward homes, which forced residents to evacuate on Saturday after the blaze started near Patterson Road.https://twitter.com/dfes_wa/status/1721026447199117672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

The western boundary includes the Serpentine Reservoir and the southern boundary extends to the intersection of Scarp Road and Keysbrook Road, excluding the Jarrahdale town site.

"You are in danger and need to act immediately to survive. There is a threat to lives and homes," Emergency WA said.

The bushfire is moving in a south westerly direction and is not contained or controlled authorities say.

Hundreds march against youth crime in Brisbane

Hundreds of Queenslanders have joined a rally against the ongoing youth crime crisis in the state, as the state's government announced new laws to ban under 18s buying knives or replica weapons.

The Voice For Victims event demanded action on the issue.

Karl Boevink was seriously injured by an allegedly stolen Ute driven by youths.

READ MORE: 'Exhausted' family arrive home in Australia after fleeing Gaza

Voice For Victims

He told Today it will take months of recovery until he can walk.

The allegedly stolen ute drove in front of him before suddenly stopping.

"I hit them like a wall," Karl said.

Organisers of the movement met Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to push for more financial support, and a 'zero tolerance' approach.

READ MORE: Man charged with murder after body found in tree trunk

Voice For Victims

Voice For Victims leader Ben Cannon claimed offenders are using the court system and police stations "like turnstiles."

"That's costing the community" he said.

Minister for Police and Corrective Services Mark Ryan announced Queensland will move to ban under-18s from buying knives, other bladed weapons and replica firearms in new laws.

Under the newly proposed legislation, anyone attempting to use fake ID to purchase these items could also be charged.

"Retailers will be required to display signage regarding the prohibition of sales to juveniles," Ryan said.

They will also be required to maintain secure storage for certain other bladed items like "machetes, axes, swords, sickles, daggers, double-edged blades and spears," he said.

"These laws will assist in keeping dangerous items out of the hands of young criminals, before violent offences can occur," he said.

READ MORE: Pilot dead, man rushed to hospital after light aircraft crash

Voice For Victims

"This will go hand in hand with the expansion of Jack's Law, which is saving lives and reducing violence across Queensland every single day.

Jack's Law was passed in attempts to reform Queensland's knife crime legislation.

It is named in honour of 17-year-old Jack Beasley, who was stabbed to death on the Gold Coast in 2019.

Since the law was passed more than 31,800 people have been scanned with handheld scanners, resulting in 904 people being charged with almost 1,600 offences, mostly related to weapon and drug matters.

Prime Minister “very positive” on ending trade disputes with China

Anthony Albanese has said he is "very positive" of ending long-standing trade tariffs on Australian produce with China.

Albanese met China's Premier Li Qiang as part of the first visit to the nation by an Australian prime minister in seven years, with the trade war firmly on the agenda.

However, he gave little away ahead of his upcoming meeting with President Xi in Beijing.

READ MORE: Albanese to protest Aussie's detention while meeting Xi Jinping

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks from China.

"The views that he put forward in his speech today are consistent with the views that he put to me, where we spoke about the importance of the relationship, and the importance of China getting access to our wines," he said.

In August, China agreed to remove its highly restrictive tariffs on the importation of Australian barley in a major boost to the relationship between the two nations.

Australia had pursued legal action over the tariffs through the World Trade Organisation (WTO) but suspended that in April of this year in an agreement that saw China review the restrictions.

However, a similar dispute is still running between the two countries in regard to Australian wine.

"Our wine's pretty good product. Our barely is the best in the world. It will be feeding into Chinese beer production," Albanese said.

READ MORE: Man accused of murder in 'cold blood' after body found in tree trunk

Minister for Trade, Tourism, and Investment Don Farrell.

Don Farrell, Australia's Trade Minister, who is on the trip, said a resumption of the trade in seafood and red meat could be expected soon.

"I raised those issues directly with my counterpart last night," he said.

"I expect that as part of the stabilisation process that's going on with with China, and as part of this our ambition to remove all of the impediments, I would expect that in a very short space of time."

Giant Panda

On a lighter note the prime minister addressed reports Australia's only two giant pandas, which are currently on lease to Adelaide Zoo could return to China.

"It is it is obviously a positive thing, that they have been able to be there in Adelaide but my understanding is that pandas do get homesick," he said.

"My understanding is that discussions between Adelaide Zoo and their Chinese counterparts are ongoing.

"But on behalf of Australia's kids and families, I would like to see pandas maintain a presence in Australia."

The prime minister will travel to Beijing later today.

'Tragic end': Pilot dead, man rushed to hospital after gyrocopter crash

A man has died and another man has been airlifted to hospital with serious injuries after a light aircraft crash in Victoria's Goulburn Valley.

A gyrocopter carrying two men crashed onto a private property on Snipey Road in Goulburn Weir, about 146km north of Melbourne, at about 7.15am, according to police.

"The gyrocopter has come down in a field by itself, " Acting Inspector Darron Huffer told media.

READ MORE: Two fighting for life after car hits pedestrians in inner Melbourne

He said the crash was "a tragic end" to a leisurely activity.

The pilot, who is yet to be formally identified, died at the scene.

The passenger is a man in his 70s, who was taken to The Royal Melbourne Hospital in a stable condition, according to Ambulance Victoria.

SES and CFA crews also rushed to the scene.

A gyrocopter is similar to a helicopter in appearance, but its rotor is turned by relative airflow instead of a motor.

"It's a small open-cockpit style gyrocopter," Acting Insp Huffer said.

Police will prepare a report for the coroner, with the incident to then be referred to the Australian Sport Rotorcraft Association.

The exact cause of the crash is yet to be determined.

Anyone who witnessed the incident, has CCTV, dashcam footage or any other information that could assist police is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.