A man has been fined more than $400 for hand-feeding a dolphin while on a fishing trip after Queensland's environment department was tipped off to a social media video showing the incident.

Footage of the man cutting up a fish into small pieces and feeding it to the dolphin at Tin Can Bay, south of K'gari (Fraser Island), was posted online and later reviewed by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS).

"The video then shows the man cutting a mullet in pieces and feeding it to one of the adult dolphins on several occasions," senior wildlife officer Tina Ball said.

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"During the investigation, the man admitted to hand-feeding a wild dolphin at Snapper Creek while his brother recorded the interaction.

As a result, the man was fined $431 – although it could have been far worse for him.

"The fine of $431 is much lower than the maximum fine a court can impose for feeding a wild dolphin, which sits at $11,500," Ball said.

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"People in boats and swimming in the water also need to give dolphins space, and must keep at least 50 metres away if they are in the water.

"Skippers must not approach within 150 metres in front of and behind a pod of dolphins and 50 metres if approaching from the sides of the pod.

"If a dolphin approaches a boat within these distances the skipper must disengage the gears or withdraw from the area at a speed less than six knots.

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"People who ignore these rules risk maximum penalties up to $17,000."

Ball said feeding dolphins can create unexpected dangers.

"There are other risks that people must be aware of, including dolphins associating boats and people with free food," she said.

"This can put wild dolphins in danger of being struck by vessels or becoming entangled in fishing gear if they begin to approach boats for food."

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A man has been found lying in the middle of a road after a truck rollover in Victoria.

Police said the truck rolled while travelling along Heathcote Road in Redesdale just after 2.30pm.

It's understood the driver was attempting to turn right before it overturned over a bridge and into the Campaspe River, about 121km from Melbourne.

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The man in his 60s was airlifted to the Alfred Hospital in a critical condition.

About 20,000 litres of food waste also spilled during the incident.

Police are investigating the incident and urge anyone who witnessed the crash to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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A Melbourne couple has recounted the moment they thought they would die after they were bashed in a random, daylight attack while walking along the Yarra River.

Claude and Emma Bennett were beaten by a pair of thugs near the Flinders Street Station underpass around 1pm on March 28.

Claude, 60, was left with a broken eye socket after he was thrown and pinned to the ground, then repeatedly punched and kicked in the face.

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The attacker then turned on his wife.

"In that moment I tried to pull him off and then he turned his attention to me," Emma said.

"He punched me in the face, grabbed me, shoved me, threw me… and everything else was a bit of a blur."

The male and female offender had already assaulted a young woman eating lunch on a bench when they turned on the older couple.

"I was just helpless on the ground, I couldn't move at all," Claude said.

"He had a knee on my chest, I was pinned directly to the ground."

He believes he was knocked unconscious.

The attack lasted less than a minute before the offenders walked off, continuing to shout and make rude gestures.

Detectives say the "atrocious" assault was completely unprovoked.

"I can only describe it as vicious, violent and brutal," Detective Senior Sergeant Andrew Eyries said.

"When the young woman was attacked, no words were exchanged at all."

It's been more than two weeks since the assault but the perpetrators remain in the public.

Police believe they may be from outside of Melbourne, or Victoria.

"Their heightened state suggests to me they're not first-time offenders. They're not known to my investigations team and certainly not known to me," Detective Senior Sergeant Eyries said.

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CCTV of the aftermath shows a caucasian man and woman walking away from Flinders Street Station.

Emma and Claude, who are both disability support workers, say they were on their way to lunch at Arbory Bar and had just crossed the Evan Walker Bridge.

"It was a beautiful, bustling afternoon in Melbourne," Emma said.

"We never dreamt this would happen to us or anyone in broad daylight in this area."

Claude spent the evening at St Vincent's Hospital. Both he and his wife are still struggling with the mental toll of the attack.

Anyone who witnessed the incident or has information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au

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It seems like a deal too good to be true: an entire laundrette, recently renovated and in a central urban location in Melbourne, on sale for the bargain price of $5.

That's approximately $149,995 less than what current owner David Crowe paid for the business eight years ago.

"Back then, we were making a good profit," he told 9News.

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"It turned out to be a nightmare."

That's why the special $5 offer has a catch.

A surge in crime in the vicinity of the Jackson Street Laundrette in St Kilda has turned the area near Fitzroy Street into a "ghost town".

"There's a lot of antisocial behaviour. The problem is not getting addressed, it's getting pushed aside," David said.

"This place is a graveyard for businesses."

Customers are scared off by a group that has set up camp on the corner.

They brawl amongst themselves and even threaten and attack pedestrians.

While it was once his pride and joy, David now wants nothing to do with the laundrette, and is keen to offload the overheads and lease to a willing buyer.

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He has a sign spruiking the opportunity but also warning of the risks plastered to the window.

"I need someone who is going to come in and be aware of the issues," he said.

Port Phillip's Deputy Lord Mayor Andrew Bond concedes more could be done to address the problem.

"We're certainly working with our police and our local law officers to get down there and attend to those issues as they arise," Bond said.

He says the area has been revitalised with new restaurants and pub renovations.

"We think the street is undergoing a bit of a renaissance and it is certainly on the up," he said.

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If elected Ethan Reille will be the youngest ever member of Parliament.

The most destructive storm in more than a decade will hit Western Australia in the coming hours.

Cyclone Ilsa has been upgraded to a category 5 storm and is expected to cross the coast between Port Hedland and Wallal Downs around midnight or in the early hours of Friday morning.

It's too late for residents between Bidyadanga and Port Hedland to flee, with a red alert issued for people to take shelter as the "very destructive core" of the cyclone formed.

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At 2pm (4pm AEST) the powerful weather system was 180 kilometres north of Port Hedland and had sustained winds near the centre of 205km/h and gusts up to 285km/h.

Extreme wind gusts of up to 315km/h are expected to impact the areas near Pardoo Roadhouse and De Grey tonight.

Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) Commissioner Darren Klemm told the community this afternoon people under red alert need to shelter in place and cannot go outside.

Residents can stay up to date with the latest warnings on either the Emergency WA website or the bureau's website.

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"It is incredibly dangerous to be out in those environments and it risks the lives of first responders to go out there and protect those people," Klemm said.

"We do not want to see anyone outside of rated structures once the red alert is put on."

The red alert does not include Bidyadanga or Marble Bar.

A yellow alert has been issued for people in or near Port Hedland to Whim Creek, including Telfer and Nullagine, with residents told to take action and get ready to shelter from the cyclone.

Abnormally high tides are also possible between Bidyadanga and Port Hedland as the system crosses the coast tonight or during early Friday morning.

Meteorologists have predicted in some locations the tide may be close to or exceed the highest astronomical tide of the year.

People hunker down, head to evacuation centres

This afternoon, people started hunkering down in Port Hedland ahead of the red alert.

Others left for evacuation centres where authorities were sandbagging.

Josh Lockyer, who moved to Port Hedland from Newman recently, told 9News he was "preparing for the worst just in case" as he collected sandbags this afternoon.

"We've had a few cyclones come through there but not like this," Lockyer said.

"We've got sandbags here to fill up, make sure the house doesn't flood."

Fellow resident and TAFE lecturer Dylan Whiteley also stocked up on sandbags this afternoon.

"The houses are built for it up here – should be alright – just got a bit of stuff in case of a surge in the backyard," Whiteley said.

"All in all, I think we're as prepared as we can be.

"Plenty of food, a few beers, it should be alright."

SES Armadale team leader Ron Stroet is among the volunteers helping out on the ground.

"We're all volunteers that have come up from our jobs in Perth, our families in Perth and it's great to come up and help," Stroet said.

Rain intensified between Port Hedland and Pardoo Roadhouse as the cyclone neared the coast.

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By 11pm (1am AEST), the cyclone will have a "very destructive core", the BoM said.

"Very destructive wind gusts up to 170km/h are possible at Telfer during Friday if the centre of Isla passes close by," the BoM said.

Authorities are checking on remote Aboriginal communities in the region, along with mines and tourist sites.

For the area south of Broome to Port Hedland, wind gusts of up to 90km/h are forecast and will move towards Whim Creek.

Telfer, Parnngurr and Kiwirrkurra are next in the firing line by Friday night.

Heavy rainfall from the western Kimberley to the eastern Pilbara will bring 150 to 300mm of rain when Isla hits.

The system is expected to weaken overnight on Friday as it moves east into southern parts of the Northern Territory.

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'I am really scared right now'

Campers have evacuated from popular tourist spot Eighty Mile Beach, 250km north of Port Hedland, after warnings the sanctuary could take a direct hit.

Roadhouses along the Great Northern Highway are shutting up shop, including in Pardoo, which was hit by Cyclone Rusty 10 years ago.

Chef Robert Declaro served his final customers and headed for Port Hedland to seek refuge.

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"Since yesterday I can't sleep much because this isn't ordinary. I'm really scared right now," he said.

However, others aren't rushing off as quickly.

Queenslander Lisa Ashford, who is on a record-breaking ride around Australia, is hoping to outcycle the cyclone.

"I'll shoot past Port Hedland today and end up in Karratha," she said on Wednesday afternoon.

"Tomorrow night I'll be another 200 kilometres south."

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Emergency services said the winds were likely to pick up on Thursday, prompting Port Hedland residents to collect and dispose of debris on Wednesday.

An estimated $300 million of trade that moves in and out of the local port daily was halted.

"It's just a case of securing as best you can and get yourself in a safer place, away from the main impact of the storm," Philip Christy from Pilbara Ports Authority said.

A State Emergency Service (SES) taskforce manned the ground with another small army of 10 volunteers arriving from Perth and packing sandbags.

Closer to Ilsa's path, the De Grey River is about to be inundated with more than 200 millimetres of rain a day.

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"Some of those areas in the inland parts of the Pilbara might see a year's worth of rain in a couple of days," Todd Smith from the BoM said.

Communities can call the State Emergency Service on 132 500 for assistance and triple zero in the case of a life-threatening emergency.

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A Sydney woman who allegedly supplied information used in the gruesome kidnapping of a man in the city's west has been granted bail.

Sira Elkheir, 21, appeared at Burwood Local Court on Thursday, one day after the NSW government agency employee was arrested for aiding the alleged kidnappers.

Police claim that Peter Vuong was snatched from his home in Smithfield on March 9, forced into a vehicle and held for nearly a week and tortured as ransom demands were made.

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The 26-year-old was rescued from a home in Belmore by tactical police officers on March 14.

Elkheir was arrested on Wednesday in Greenacre after an investigation by detectives and police officers under Strike Force Kkuoa.

The Yagoona woman has been accused of illegally accessing Traffic for New South Wales data and then passing these details onto the alleged kidnappers prior to Vuong being abducted.

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She has been charged with kidnapping for the intent of ransom, causing an unauthorised computer function to commit a serious indictable offence, accessing restricted computer data, and participating in a criminal group.

Her bail conditions include the surrender of her passport, the imposition of a nightly curfew, and the payment of a $300,000 surety which will be forfeited if she skips court.

Police in March described the kidnapping as a "very serious crime" involving an "extreme" level of violence.

READ MORE: Cyclone upgraded as it gets closer to coast

During the ordeal Vuong, who was not known to police, was bound and had his teeth forcibly removed.

Six other men – Sunia Tu Ineau Junior Siasau, John Totau Fahamokioa, Viliami Siasau, Valali Tonga, Lolo Liavaa and Kiteau Tatafu – were arrested in March over the alleged plot and are currently before the courts.

Elkheir will next appear at Parramatta Local Court on June 8.

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The team have become New Zealand’s first Māori national cricket champions.

Thieves have driven off from a petrol station with the servo's owner clinging onto the stolen car's bonnet in south-east Queensland.

Owner Clint Weber was working at his service station in Toowoomba when he recognised a car on the shop's security camera feed, as it had stolen fuel earlier in the week.

When the thieves got back inside the car without paying yesterday, Webber stood in front of it but they hit the accelerator and collected him on the bonnet.

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"He just decided he was going to run over me so he proceeded to do that," Webber said.

"At that point, I held on for grim death I suppose."

His wife and other customers watched as the thieves drove off with Webber still on the bonnet.

They eventually stopped and Webber was able to walk away.

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Queensland Police senior investigator Jason Kitto confirmed the vehicle was stolen from a home in Toowoomba on Saturday.

"We believe those responsible for the offence yesterday at the service station are also responsible for a number of other offences within the Darling Downs district," Kitto said.

Police are still searching for the driver and passenger who stole the fuel.

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This 97-year-old Western Australia resident is no stranger to a cyclone. He's experienced 27 of them, but Tropical Cyclone Ilsa has him worried.

Arnold Carter has lived in Port Hedland for 63 years, where he worked as an accountant in the iron ore industry.

The great-great-grandfather has lived through 27 cyclones and says not one of them has been the same as the other.

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"You always feel a little anxiety – first of all you don't know what's going to happen," he said.

But Tropical Cyclone Ilsa, which is steamrolling towards Western Australia's north coast between Port Hedland and Broome, has an extremely destructive core bringing nearly 300km/h winds, heavy rainfall and abnormally high tides.

Residents between Port Hedland and Pardoo Roadhouse are preparing to hunker down ahead of an expected red alert this afternoon, which will mean it's too late to leave and they must ride out the storm.

"I'm a bit concerned about this one, about where it's going to come across – I do think it will be Pardoo and Pardoo is only about 80km away," Carter said.

"We'll get the outside of it.

"We'll get some (wind) and we'll get a lot of rain."

READ MORE: Cyclone upgraded as it gets closer to coast

But Carter, who is a tropical cyclone veteran, has been preparing for Ilsa's landfall for days.

He said the key to getting through the storm is being prepared well in advance.

"Make sure food is there, make sure you've got water, make sure your car's all ready to go," he said.

"They're the basic things you do in the last two or three days."

Carter and his family have stocked up with seven days worth of food and water supplies to weather the storm.

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"You got to remember once the cyclone's gone you won't be able to go shopping, so you've got to have your seven days," he said.

As Carter and his family bunker down, their pet pug Razor will join them – although he isn't too fond of a storm.

"The only thing about Razor, soon as the thunder starts, Razor starts barking and when he starts barking it sounds like there's a cyclone in the house," Carter said.

READ MORE: A simple error at work cost tradie both his arms

Emergency services in Western Australia's north said communities in coastal areas should already be "hunkered down to ride this one out" while communities inland are finalising their preparations.

"We do not want to see anybody outside, outside of structures, once the red alert is put on," DFES commissioner Darren Klemm said.

"Category 5 cyclones are incredibly dangerous, wind gusts in excess of 250km/h, that's going to cause a heap of damage to trees and vegetation."

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