Mass Galah Death Raises Alarm Over Mouse Poison

BY OLIVIA DILLON 

Bird experts are warning against mouse baits which are set to be distributed across the Hunter Valley, for fears wildlife could die in large numbers.

BirdLife Australia, the Difficult Research Bird Group from the Australian National University and researchers at Edith Cowan University are again calling for regulators to prevent the distribution of second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGAR) in mass quantities, as part of the NSW government’s mouse plague response. 

The government plans to distribute up to 10,000 litres of bromadiolone, a SGAR which is highly toxic to birds and other wildlife and causes internal bleeding. 

BirdLife Australia Urban Birds Program Manager, Holly Parsons, said where experts were already concerned with the effect of the chemicals on birds of prey, the latest mass galah deaths indicate the impact it may have on seed-eating birds who may ingest the poison by feeding on laced grains. 

"Scenes of piles of dead galahs are heart-breaking, but even more concerning is the prospect that these poisons could push an endangered bird species closer to extinction," she said. 

Parsons hopes the government will choose to hand out alternative pesticides in consideration of species such as the Superb Parrot, a threatened bird with less than 8000 individuals left. 

"There are a range of poisons that are available that are far less likely to have an impact. We have what are called "first-generation rodenticides", which are much less likely to impact other wildlife as they break down quite quickly. There is also a product called zinc phosphide, which is specifically designed to be used on a broad scale in these kind of situations." 

Image Credit: 7News

"FineMania" Hits Newcastle

BY OLIVIA DILLON

New data revealed by the State Opposition shows fines issued to motorists in Newcastle from mobile speed cameras have increased 11-fold since warning signs were removed last year.

The data is broken down according to the residential postcodes of drivers and compares January, February and March 2021, after warning signs were removed, to the same months in 2020, when warning signs were still in place. 

The data indicates suburbs within the 2299 postcode suffered the biggest surge, with 122 fines being handed out in the first three months of the year, compared to just five fines given during the same period the year before. This represents a 2340 per cent increase. 

Whole-of state data reveals the increase is also replicated throughout NSW.

State member for Newcastle, Tim Crakanthorp gained access to the numbers through the NSW Upper House and is now accusing the government of revenue raising. 

Crakanthorp noted the figures from February 2021, in which the revenue from 28,000 fines totalled $6.1 million. This amounts to more than the entire 2019/20 financial year, which brought in $5.7 million. 

"I think we all expected to see some kind of rise when the warning signs were removed, but it has gone into absolute overdrive," he said. 

"When we see numbers like this it's hard not to believe that it isn't the Government revenue raising."

"The NRMA was completely opposed to the removal of warning signs because signs educate drivers and make them change their behaviour in real time, rather than when they receive a fine in the mail a few weeks later.

It's unpopular with drivers, unpopular with the NRMA and even the Nationals have spoken out against it, but I'm sure this move was very popular with the Treasurer."

In response to the exponential rise in fines, the NSW Parliament has launched an inquiry into the changes.  

State Member for Newcastle, Tim Crakanthorp

Investigation Launched Into Suspicious Fire At Morpeth

 BY IAN CROUCH

Investigations are continuing into a suspicious fire which destroyed several buildings at Morpeth.

Around 60 firefighters were called to a seminary on Morpeth Road just after 10 o'clock on Friday night to find three derelict buildings up in flames.

It took crews around 4 hours to fully extinguish the fire, which also threatened the historic Closebourne House.

No-one was in the buildings when the fires broke out and no-one was injured. 

One of the buildings up in flames at Morpeth Picture: Fire&Rescue NSW

Man Facing Court Over Brutal Bashings At Woodberry & Beresfield

 BY IAN CROUCH

A man is due to face Maitland Local Court today (Monday 7 June 2021) accused of viciously assaulting two men in separate incidents at Woodberry and Beresfield.

Police say a 23-year-old man pulled into the driveway of his Woodberry home on Friday night where he was assaulted by a man wielding a baseball bat and treated in hospital for a broken elbow.

A 24-year-old man was found with serious head injuries on the rail overpass at Beresfield Railway Station in the early hours of Saturday morning - he's in a stable condition in the John Hunter Hospital.

Inquires led officers to a home on Fairfield Street, Lambton on Saturday afternoon where a 22-year-old man was arrested.

He's been charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm, wounding with intent and malicious damage.

Police say the men are all known to each other.  

Cliftliegh Woman Charged With Animal Cruelty

BY JARROD MELMETH 

A Cliftleigh woman has been charged with animal cruelty offences for failing to provide veterinary treatment for her horse.

The Mare named Lady was found in a paddock with a chest wound that transected her chest muscles and exposed her ribcage, measuring 50 centimetres long and almost 40 centimetres deep.

On February 10, 2020, following a torrential storm, Lady was found in a paddock with the injuries. A local vet was notified and attended to property after being contacted by the owner of the paddock. Lady was shaking profusely in pain.

The 48-year-old Cliftleigh woman arrived later that evening where she was presented with treatment options by the vet. The woman refused all the options and took the horse home with her. She told the vet she would treat the horse with "silver and honey, and she will be right as rain in [six] months of so."

The vet contacted the RSPCA who attended the defendants property and found Lady standing in full sun, on a very hot day, with greying flesh and muscle spilling from the chest wound. The inspector confirmed the horse had been without vet treatment for 20 hours and was in excruciating pain.

An on-call vet was contacted who came and euthanised Lady.

The Cliftleigh woman was sentenced to an 18-month Community Corrections Order, as well as being handed a $2,000 fine with money awarded to the RSPCA.

RSPCA NSW Chief Inspector Scott Myers says it is appalling that someone could choose to remove and animal from the care of a qualified vet.

"This horse very clearly needed emergency vet treatment and was in a position to recieve that treatment, but by the owners callous decision, she was forced to endure hours of suffering.

"Animals feel pain just as people feel pain, and it is the responsibility of owners to do the right thing," Mr Myers said.

Pictured: Lady.

WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT BELOW:

Sand Transfer System Could Be Clogging Myall River

BY DAKOTA TAIT

Efforts to repair erosion on Jimmys Beach could be causing silt to build up in the Myall River, say community members.

A multi-million dollar sand transfer system was recently activated to nourish the beach, but it's believed swells are moving sediment back to the river's mouth.

Sediment and sand bars in the river haven't been able to clear up since floods in March.

Myall River Action Group spokesman Gordon Grainger says something needs to be done before the channel ends up completely closed.

"The blockage of the natural, eastern channel has serious health deficiencies," Mr Grainger said. 

"The salinity levels go right down to almost drinking water and it becomes basically lake-like and murky water, and all sorts of unhealthy diseases like blue-green algae and red spot on fish." 

There's also concern the blockage could stop boat travel between Port Stephens and Tea Gardens.

Mr Grainger says the council's next scheduled dredging isn't soon enough and immediate action needs to be taken to sort out the siltation issue.

"Nature itself is trying to rebuild Myall Point," Mr Grainger said. 

"If we can assist that by removing a couple of little sand islands that are in the middle of the entrance, that would help, that would get a lot longer life out of it."

Image credit: http://environment.nsw.gov.au/

One National Leader Attacks Lake Macquarie School Over Curriculum

 BY IAN CROUCH

The Independent Education Union has jumped to the defence of a Lake Macquarie Catholic school after it was targeted in a social media spray by NSW One Nation Leader, Mark Latham.

The outspoken MP took aim at a Personal Development, or PDHPE assessment task for Year 8 students at St Paul's Catholic College at Booragul, claiming they were being taught political lessons on diversity, racism and LGBTIQ discrimination.

Mr Latham says there's no place in the school system for political indoctrination.

The union has hit back saying the assessment task clearly addresses the syllabus content and there is nothing controversial about it.

NSW One Nation Leader Mark Latham