Tag Archives: oceania

How to beat the Easter traffic this long weekend

The Easter long weekend has a reputation for miserable road traffic as families head off on holiday to make the most of the last of the warmer weather causing gridlocks on major roads.

Good Friday and the Thursday evening beforehand are traditionally the busiest times to be on the road, as well as Easter Monday and then when school holidays end, which differs from state to state.

But there are a few ways to make Easter travel less stressful, according to experts. Here's what they say.

READ MORE: When and where do Easter double demerits apply? 

Sydney

Sydney and NSW Easter traffic

In New South Wales, the expected chokepoints are the major roads heading out of Sydney, specifically:

• M1 Pacific Motorway
• Great Western Highway
• Hume Motorway
• Princes Highway
• Hume, Princes, Kings, Great Western and Pacific highways in the regions

"Transport for NSW will have traffic management initiatives in place at the major known pinch points, but travellers should still be prepared to experience delays," the NSW government said in a statement.

"There may also be other corridors in regional NSW that could experience higher than normal traffic volumes during the Easter holidays."

READ MORE: Easter public holidays differ all over Australia – so when do you get yours?

Cityscape image of Brisbane skyline, Australia with Story Bridge during dramatic sunset.

Brisbane and Queensland Easter traffic

The Royal Automobile Club of Queensland (RACQ) recommends that if you can't avoid travelling on the busiest days, try not to drive at peak times, typically between mid-morning and mid-afternoon.

"If you plan on hitting the road for the Easter break, our advice is to allow as much time as possible for delays and aim to drive outside of peak hours if you can," RACQ Traffic and Engineering Manager Greg Miszkowycz said.

"Traffic can be frustrating, but we must keep a cool head and not let it get the better of us, and the best way to do that is to leave earlier or travel during off-peak times to make sure we're not stressed about being late."

He said motorists travelling in Queensland should expect congestion both north and south of Brisbane, on the Gateway and Bruce Highway towards the Sunshine Coast and on the Pacific Motorway towards the Gold Coast.

Many of the state's major motorways are also undergoing roadworks, which will also add to delays, he said.

The RACQ Road Conditions website can help drivers plan their route.

READ MORE: Easter long weekend forecast across Australia

City skyline Melbourne CBD property houses suburb

Melbourne and Victoria Easter traffic

In Victoria, the main exit points out of Melbourne are expected to be very busy on Thursday and Friday.

Those roads are likely to include:

• West Gate Freeway
• Princes Freeway
• Western Freeway
• Maroonday Highway
• Monash Freeway

Following that initial Melbourne exodus, regional roads are expected to be busier than usual over the weekend.

Police are urging drivers, especially those in rural and regional Victoria, to be careful on the road.

"With so many lives lost on rural roads this year, we'll be particularly focused on the major arterials leading to regional Victoria and popular holiday hotspots," Victoria Police's assistant commissioner of road policing, Glenn Weir, said.

Over 60 per cent of road deaths in Victoria happen in rural areas.

READ MORE: Trump has been charged. What happens now and why didn't we see a mug shot?

South Australia 

In South Australia, police are preparing for a busy weekend, focused on reducing road fatalities as the state continues to suffer from preventable road deaths.

The Sturt Highway will be busy with interstate and regional travellers.

Police are urging motorists to drive safely as the state is on track for the most road fatalities it has seen in 20 years.

"So far this year we have lost 41 lives on our roads compared to 20 this time last year," assistant commissioner of state operations Ian Parrott said.

"This number is too high, and we don't want to add to it this weekend.

"As thousands of South Australians flock to our regions this weekend, we're urging everyone to drive to the conditions and make sure they get to their destination and back home safely."

READ MORE: China hits out at Australia's TikTok government ban

Perth

Western Australia 

Motorists in Western Australia have been issued a similar warning, with police warning drivers of the dangers on the roads during the long weekend. 

Western Australia's busiest roads include:

• Mitchell Freeway, West Perth
• Great Eastern Highway
• Great Northern Highway

Police are asking all motorists to be alert and drive with caution, as the state has lost 40 lives to crashes this year.

On average, two people die every Easter from a fatal traffic incident in Western Australia.

"Take your time, be patient and return home," police told 9News in a statement.

Sign up here to receive our daily newsletters and breaking news alerts, sent straight to your inbox.

Urgent appeal after platypus taken from wild and shown on train

Police in Queensland are appealing for a platypus, which is believed to have been taken from the wild, to be urgently taken to a vet or handed over to officers.

Two people were seen boarding a train and showing the animal to passengers about 11am yesterday in Morayfield in Moreton Bay.

The pair was seen "with the animal wrapped in a towel, patting it and showing it to fellow commuters" as it's believed they travelled toward Caboolture.

READ MORE: Liberals to oppose Voice to parliament

Police are appealing for a platypus thought to have been taken from the wild to be urgently taken to a vet or handed into police

Caboolture Police and the Queensland Department of Environment and Science fear the animal could die if not given immediate veterinary help.

"The animal may become sick, be diseased or die the longer is it out of the wild and should not be fed or introduced to a new environment," Queensland Police said in a statement.

READ MORE: RBA boss warns more rate hikes on the way

"It may also have venomous spurs which can cause significant injury to people and animals.

"The animal's timely surrender will ensure its welfare."

Unlawfully taking and keeping a platypus, which is endangered in some parts of Australia, is an offence that carries a maximum fine of $431,250.

Anonymous reports can be made via Policelink on 131444.

READ MORE: Trump lashes prosecutors after unprecedented criminal charges

Sign up here to receive our daily newsletters and breaking news alerts, sent straight to your inbox.

Boyfriend of mum killed alongside three kids in horror crash arrested

The boyfriend of a woman killed in a horror crash alongside three children on a rural New South Wales road has been arrested.

Tania Murphy along with two of her sons and her nephew – aged between 10 and 12 – were travelling along a remote road when their car hit a pole, flipped and landed upside down in a farming canal in Yanco near Leeton, about 550km inland of Sydney, late last night.

The 36-year-old and the three boys were killed in the crash.

READ MORE: Liberals to oppose Voice to parliament

Tania Murphy was killed in a crash near Leeton.

Late this afternoon, two people were arrested and taken into custody

Murphy's boyfriend Dean Ingram, 32, is one of the people being questioned by police.

Police are investigating whether the pair were arguing moments before Murphy and the three children drove off.

The other person in custody is a 50-year-old woman.

The horror crash has left the Leeton community devastated.

Family members told 9News: "We're devastated, we simply can't believe they're all gone".

The family said they were in shock and what had happened still had not hit them.

READ MORE: Charges against Donald Trump revealed

Dean Ingram, 32, was arrested to help police with inquiries into Leeton crash, New South Wales.

Leeton Shire Mayor Tony Reneker said a feeling of "disbelief, shock and despair" is resonating throughout the town.

"It is such a tragedy to lose four people in a single-vehicle accident especially when three children are involved," he said.

"It is a ripple effect to the whole community."

Acting Assistant Police Commissioner Tracy Chapman said it was a tragic accident.

"A mother and three children have been involved in a motor vehicle collision. Our thoughts go out to their family, friends and community," she said.

READ MORE: RBA boss warns more rate hikes on the way

READ MORE: Easter holiday warning over Japanese encephalitis in south-east Australia

The fatal crash comes as police warn drivers against driving while fatigued or under the influence over the Easter weekend.

"The message is simple: drive to the speed limit, focus on the road, not your phone, and make sure you have a plan B if you are drinking," Chapman said.

"For the last two years, we've seen seven fatalities on the road each Easter long weekend.

"The goal this year is to reduce that number."

The crash takes the road toll in NSW this year to 83.

Sign up here to receive our daily newsletters and breaking news alerts, sent straight to your inbox.

Service station chain OTR sold for $1.15b

A chain of petrol stations and convenience stores with more than 160 branches across parts of Australia has been sold for $1.15 billion.

Family-run chain OTR, which has brands such as Subway and Oporto within some of its branches, has been sold to Viva Energy.

Viva already owns service stations including Coles Express and Liberty convenience stores, as well as the Shell brand.

READ MORE: Petrol prices expected to remain high for weeks

Service station chain OTR has been acquired by Viva Energy.

The 6500 OTR staff across stations in South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and the NT will be asked to move across to the new business as part of the deal.

OTR headquarters will remain in Adelaide.

OTR executive director Yasser Shahin, whose family will remain major shareholders, says the deal will see the company go nationwide.

"The OTR Group is one of the most successful and innovative retail convenience and fuel offerings in Australia," Shahin said.

"I am immensely proud of what the OTR Group has achieved in just 30 years."

READ MORE: Liberals to oppose Voice to parliament

The deal is still subject to regulatory approvals, which could take between six to 18 months.

OTR is part of Peregrine Corporation group, South Australia's largest private employer, with more than 6500 staff.

Sign up here to receive our daily newsletters and breaking news alerts, sent straight to your inbox.

Popular online book retailer to close this month

Book Depository, a popular online bookstore that has been owned by Amazon since 2011, will close down later this month.

The UK-based retailer, which has a fulfilment centre in Australia, confirmed the news in the early hours of Wednesday morning (Sydney time), saying it will close on April 26 but that support for orders will last until June.

"We are sorry to let you know that Book Depository will be closing on 26 April 2023," it said.

READ MORE: 'A resounding no': Liberals to oppose Voice to parliament

Generic image of books on a shelf

"You can still place orders until midday (12pm BST) on 26 April and we will continue to deliver your purchases and provide support for any order issues until 23 June 2023.

"From all of us at Book Depository we want to say 'thank you'. Delivering your favourite reads to you since 2007 has been a pleasure."

The store had around 20 million different titles for sale and offered free worldwide shipping on all orders as part of its vision to "improving range, access and affordability of books".

READ MORE: Cleo Smith's kidnapper was high on meth when he abducted her

https://twitter.com/bookdepository/status/1643260488560652291

Founded in the UK in 2004 by Andrew Crawford and Stuart Felton, Book Depository was bought by online retail giant Amazon in 2011.

The store's looming closure comes months after Amazon announced it would be cutting thousands of jobs from its devices and books department.

"Between the reductions we made in November and the ones we're sharing today, we plan to eliminate just over 18,000 roles," Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said in January.

"Several teams are impacted; however, the majority of role eliminations are in our Amazon Stores and PXT organizations."

It is not known how many of the 18,000 job losses impacted Book Depository.

Sign up here to receive our daily newsletters and breaking news alerts, sent straight to your inbox.