Flag of Convenience threatens national security

BY JESSICA ROUSE

The murder of two sailors on board the Sage Sagittarius on its way to Newcastle in 2012 sparked a senate inquiry into the Flag of Convenience (FOC) shipping company and now it's been found to be posing a huge threat to our national security.

The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITWF) is calling on the government to step in and stop using FOC in Australia after the inquiry also found murder, gun-running, slave labour and harassment are just some of the things which happen on board. The inquiry found the Captain of the Sage Sagittarius was doing just that, ruling his ship with intimidation, but nothing was done.

The findings come one day after the Government announced they would create a Ministry of Home Affairs, but the ITWF National Coordinator Dean Summers doesn't think it will make a difference to the national security threats posed by FOC.

Sage Sagittarius Image wikipedia

"The Australian government doesn't seem too concerned about the security vulnerabilities in the shipping sector. If the same things were even suggested in the aviation sector or anywhere else, you'd have the whole intelligence organisation in Australia focusing on it,"

Dean Summers also says our national security is simply becoming vulnerable under the FOC shipping company. The organisation is accusing the Turnbull Government of replacing Australian seafarers with the lawlessness of FOC sailors probably because they're cheaper.

"Our national security have vulnerabilities when replacing Australians with Flag of Convenience. Even our Australian  Border Force (ABF) has stated very very clearly Flags of Convenience offer Terrorist organisations and organised crime groups the capacity to operate within Australia and around Australia," said Dean Summers.

The committee at the inquiry also made mention they were very concerned that FOC vessels were carrying dangerous goods around Australia's coast, "including ammonium nitrate and petroleum products. Last financial year, only 1,072 of the 15,715 commercial vessels arriving in Australia were searched by ABF".

The committee has made several recommendations in a bid to stop the use of the FOC shipping company.

Transport Worker's Union want investigation into number of fatal crashes

BY JAMES WARD

The Transport Worker's Union(TWU) is calling for an investigation into the number of fatal truck crashes on NSW roads.

Six people were killed in the last 24 hours in truck related crashes calling for an investigation into the industry.

Two people were killed north of Gloucester this morning which comes after two people were killed near Sutton Forest yesterday evening and another two people were also killed at Bendemeer yesterday.

TWU National Assistant Secretary, Michael Kaine, says these incidents are tragic and says drivers are under far too much pressure to meet demands.

"This is an industry under increasing pressure, it is being squeezed by wealthy retailers and manufacturers that are cutting transport contracts to the bone and the result is drivers are working too fast and too long," Kaine said.

"The Federal Government just abolished a tribunal a year ago, a tribunal that on its own reports said that 28% of truck crashes would be reduced if the tribunal stayed in place, since the tribunal was cut by the federal government there has been a spike in horrific incidents on our roads.

Between January and March this year, deaths from trucks have increased by 7.2% compared to last year according to the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics.

Also, 40% of all workplace deaths this year have involved transport workers according to Safe Work Australia.

"The government needs to put a body back in place that has the ability to do exactly what the one it tore down could do and that is look at the pressures that are on this industry and lift these pressures, look at the pressure put on the industry by major economic forces that are forcing transport companies to push drivers too hard," Kaine stated.

Source: Truck and Bus News Australia

Two tragically killed north of Gloucester

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Two people who died in a truck accident north of Gloucester this morning are yet to be identified.

Emergency services were called to Thunderbolts Way at Giro at around 4:30am after a southbound truck ran off the road and crashed.

Police say the two people were travelling in the truck at the time of the crash.

Police are yet to confirm what the truck was carrying.

New road to help ease the oncoming congestion

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Revitalising Newcastle is working to make driving around the CBD a little easier.

Construction is underway on a new road connecting Honeysuckle Drive and Hunter Street at Worth Place. The idea is that the new road will assist traffic flow in the city centre during light rail construction and when light rail is operational.

The work is due to be completed in the coming weeks.

Another road connection will be built at Steel Street next year.

Michael Cassel says "we are transforming the way people move around the city".

Image supplied.

One year on and still no answers

BY IAN CROUCH and JESSICA ROUSE

One year on and the family of a Raymond Terrace woman who died in police custody 12 months ago say they're still waiting for answers.

Rebecca Maher became the first Aboriginal person in 16 years to die in police custody in NSW. The 36-year-old was found dead in a holding cell at Maitland Police Station no more than five hours after police had arrested her for appearing intoxicated on the side of Wollombi Road at Cessnock.

Fairfax reports police are still preparing a report for the Coronor.

Hunter police overstretched and overworked

BY JESSICA ROUSE

The Hunter's police are already overstretched and overworked with a rapidly growing population in Maitland and the Lower Hunter, but the mass security expansion of the Cessnock Gaol will make matters worse according to a Hunter MP.

NSW Police Association figures say NSW and the Hunter region have the lowest police to population ratio across any Australian state.

The figures also revealed in rural areas such as some places in the Hunter, are doing the same job as those in Newcastle, but with about 80 less officers.

Cessnock MP Clayton Barr says in doubling the size of the gaol, the police presence needs to be doubled as well.

"If our police officers are up there taking care of other crimes in other areas then what they are unable to do is look after our local community and that's not a criticism of the police themselves, these guys, our local cops work harder than any other cops across the state and that's a statistical fact. But they need to have the human resources and the numbers of police required."

Police say they're regularly being called to investigations and new crimes within the Cessnock facility rather than dealing with community matters.

"The size of the Cessnock gaol is bigger than any of the government reports have ever considered, the increase of 1,000 prisoners is bigger than any other increase across the state so the impact on Cessnock is going to be felt greater than it has ever been felt anywhere in NSW," said MP Clayton Barr.

He adds police numbers are just one of the issues which must be addressed with the jail expansion. 

"The impact on Cessnock is going to be felt greater than it has ever been felt anywhere in NSW before and yet this government refuses to acknowledge that there are any needs for any extra support in Cessnock. Not just police, but social services, road infrastructure, health infrastructure, the list goes on and on and on."

Accused murderer's trial begins

BY JESSICA ROUSE

The toddler who went missing from Scone more than 16 years ago still hasn't been found, but her mother and accused murderer's trial began yesterday in Newcastle Supreme Court.

The 44-year-old woman, who can't be identified for legal reasons, stands accused of murdering her 16 month old daughter between Christmas 2000 and Christmas 2001.

She was arrested in Scone last year when community services became involved with another child - she has been diagnosed with mental illness and Crown Prosecutor Lee Carr alleges when asked where her daughter was she gave varying accounts and never told authorities her exact whereabouts.

One such account includes the mother alleging she sent the toddler to live with an elderly couple. But investigations into the alleged couple found they didn't even exist.

The Crown said in his opening address: "the accused killed the child and disposed of the body. That body having never been found".

The trial continues.