Daily Archives: 30/03/2015

Protestor charged near Newcastle

A woman has been charged after allegedly failing to move from railway lines in Newcastle this morning.

Just after 7.10am (Monday 30 March 2015), police were called to a railway line near Mangrove Street, Sandgate, about 10km northwest of Newcastle, following reports of a woman on the railway track.

On arrival, officers attached to Newcastle City Local Area Command found a woman who had an apparatus attached to her body and the railway lines.

Officers asked the woman to leave the tracks; however she allegedly declined.

Just before 10am, rescue officers released the woman, aged 54, from the apparatus. She was uninjured during the incident and arrested at the scene, before being taken to Waratah Police Station.

The woman has been charged with cause obstruction to railway locomotive, and go onto or remain on running lines. She has been granted conditional bail, to appear at 16 April 2015 at Newcastle Local Court.

COUNTRY MUSIC, KELPIES AND CAMPERS COMBINE FOR RIVERINA FESTIVAL

The Ardlethan Country Music Festival and Talent Quest is taking place at the Ardlethan Showground in the Riverina from Friday 17 – Sunday 19 April 2015.

With plenty of space for caravans and campers, the Festival program includes a concert featuring well-known country artists Tom Maxwell, Grant Luhrs and Aimee Maree, a talent quest, weekend markets and a Kelpie howling competition!

Everyone is welcome to enter the talent quest, with categories across all age groups. There will be cash prizes for all section winners and the overall winner will also take home an acoustic electric Cutaway solid top guitar thanks to the generosity of major sponsors IBANEZ and CUSTOM MUSIC from Wagga Wagga.

Festival program:

Friday – From 7pm: Entry is $5 per person. Children under 17 are free.

Start of the talent quest and Kelpie Howling competition

Saturday – From 9am: Entry is $20 per person, $15 for pensioners, children under 17 are free.

The talent quest will take place on Saturday, with the concert featuring Tom Maxwell and Aimee Maree taking place on Saturday night. The markets will also take place on Saturday.

Sunday – From 9am: Entry is $15 per person, $10 for pensioners, children under 17 are free.

Gospel section and talent quest awards, including a special appearance by Grant Luhrs

For further information or to enter the talent quest, please visit www.coolamonshire.com.au contact Janet Popple on 02 6978 2550

 

Officials welcome new limit for McKoy St intersection

A motorist was caught travelling nearly 30km/h over the limit only hours after the speed at a dangerous Hume Freeway intersection was cut from 110km/h to 80km/h.

VicRoads unveiled the speed reduction at the accident hotspot on the outskirts of Wodonga, where a senior policeman was amazed no one had been killed.

The approaches to the McKoy Street-Old Barnawartha Road intersection now have an 80km/h speed limit between 7am and 7pm.

Temporary electronic signs were installed at the site yesterday and will be eventually replaced by permanent signage.

There have been 18 crashes and 31 people injured at the intersection since 2007, and Sergeant Cameron Roberts said it was only “dumb luck” there hadn’t been a death.

“We really welcome these changes,” he said.

“There have been a few times where we look at the circumstances of a crash, where if a car had have been a metre or two forward, or a metre back, it could have been disastrous.

“Ideally what we’d have here is on-ramps, off-ramps and overpasses, but that’s a fairly expensive fix.

“I think the next best option is reducing speed and making sure people stick to it.”

VicRoads is investigating long-term solutions to the problem with Wodonga Council, which may include an interchange at the site or modifications to other interchanges.

Installing an on-ramp from Melrose Drive into the southbound lanes is one option.

“One question will be, is this the right location for an interchange, or is another location a better one?” VicRoads regional director Bryan Sherritt said.

“(We’ll be) looking at other interchanges as well.

“It’s about how Wod- onga interfaces with the freeway and making it work.”

VicRoads is looking at funding from the Transport Accident Commission to upgrade the highway, which could include Wodonga.

Cr Mike Fraser said the council was also looking to install rumble strips on McKoy Street and welcomed the reduced speed.

“Anything that’s going to help make this interchange safer has to be a plus,” he said.

Police will be targeting motorists who speed along the stretch of road.

Albury drug detection operation

Police have conducted a two-day operation targeting street level drug crime resulting in 10 people found carrying drugs in the Albury area.

Between Friday 27 March 2015 and Saturday 28 March 2015, Operation Albury Gold Cup was held within the Albury Local Area Command at various venues in the towns of Albury, Corowa and Mulwala.

The operation targeted street level drug crime and involved local police, licensing police and the dog unit.

The operation resulted in 10 drug detections, one warrant executed and one person charged with resist arrest. The results were as follows:

Court attendance notices were issued to:

A 21-year-old man from Thurgoona allegedly in possession two ecstasy tablets.

A 27-year-old man from Lavington allegedly in possession of 0.34 grams of amphetamine and also charged with an outstanding conviction warrant.

A 26-year-old man from Albury allegedly in possession of an ecstasy tablet.

A 25-year-old man from Albury allegedly in possession of two grams of amphetamine.

A 32-year-old man allegedly in possession of 1.20 grams of cannabis and was also charged with resist arrest.

A 36-year-old man allegedly in possession of 0.20 grams of cannabis.

A 22-year-old man allegedly in possession of three ecstasy tablets.

Police will continue to conduct these types of operations targeting street level drug possession in the Albury area.

Police investigate after off-duty officer threatened – Albury

Police from Albury Local Area Command are investigating an incident after an off-duty officer was assaulted and threatened in Albury on Friday.

About 6.35pm (Friday 27 March 2015), a female off-duty officer and her friend were near a building site in Albury when they saw a woman inside the fencing on the site and a vehicle parked adjacent on the road side.

The officer identified herself as a police officer and spoke to the woman.

A man appeared from near the vehicle and both attempted to leave.

The officer and her friend attempted to stop the pair from getting into the vehicle to leave, when a struggle ensued and the man pushed the officer a number of times and threatened her and her friend with a bladed weapon.

The man and woman then drove away in the vehicle.

Albury Local Area Command commenced an investigation, and as a result of inquiries a 40-year-old woman was arrested at a home on Swan Street yesterday (Saturday 28 March 2015)

She was taken to Albury Police Station and charged with stealing, trespass and shoplifting for an unrelated matter.

The woman was given conditional bail to appear at Albury Local Court on Tuesday 14 April 2015.

Inquiries into the incident are continuing and Albury Detectives want to speak to a 30-year-old man who may be able to assist them with their inquiries.

Man charged with allegedly indecently assaulting boy – Police Transport Command

A man has been charged after allegedly indecently assaulting a 13-year-old boy on a train yesterday.

About 4.40pm (Saturday 28 March 2015), police will allege a 48-year-old man sat next to the boy and his two friends on a Newcastle bound train.

The man allegedly offered the boy alcohol before indecently assaulting the boy.

The boy and his friends stood up and walked away from the man, who started to follow the group before being stopped by another passenger.

Police were notified of the incident and met the train at Woy Woy Railway Station and arrested the man.

He was taken to Gosford Police Station and charged with indecent assault upon person under 16, common assault and stalk / intimidation.

He was granted strict bail conditions to appear before Gosford Local Court on Tuesday 31 March 2015.