Saturday 24 December 2005

Police prepared as beachgoers urged to return, Weekend Australian, 24 December, 2005.

Police prepared as beachgoers urged to return: [2 All-round First Edition]

Stapleton, JohnWeekend Australian; Canberra, A.C.T. [Canberra, A.C.T] 24 Dec 2005: 8.
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AN extra 800 police officers will work Sydney's beaches this weekend despite assurances from politicians and police that the worst of the Cronulla race riots is now over.
In a separate case, two 17-year-olds allegedly involved in a violent incident at Cronulla train station were granted bail under tight conditions.
In further developments, two more people were charged for allegedly sending offensive and inciting text messages in the days following the Cronulla riots.

Friday 23 December 2005

Charges over riot messages, The Australian, 23 December, 2005.

Charges over riot messages: [1 All-round Country Edition]

Dan Box, John StapletonThe Australian [Canberra, A.C.T] 23 Dec 2005: 6.
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A 33-YEAR-OLD man has become the first person to be charged for inciting racial violence by forwarding text messages in the aftermath of the Sydney race riots.
Former Cronulla Sharks captain Andrew Ettingshausen is one of several high-profile sportspeople recruited for the NSW government- funded, $250,000 print and radio tourism campaign designed to promote Sydney's beach suburbs as safe for everyone.
The campaign also will feature swimmer Susie Maroney, Sydney Swans star Nick Davis, retired Cronulla Sharks prop Jason Stevens and former Wallaby Mark Ella. "These measures will attract residents and visitors back to the beach and help businesses turn things around," Mr [David Campbell] said.

Thursday 22 December 2005

Drug victim's dad 'predicted' violent death, The Australian, 22 December, 2005.

Drug victim's dad `predicted' violent death: [1 All-round Country Edition]

John Stapleton, Tracy OngThe Australian; Canberra, A.C.T. [Canberra, A.C.T] 22 Dec 2005: 5.
[Tony Vincent Jr.] patriarch Tony Sr faces trial next July on charges including making false statements. Tony Jr is in jail for supplying drugs, as is Shamus Vincent. Jamieson Vincent faces sentencing for supplying drugs.

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Wednesday 21 December 2005

Leopard cubs arrive after a spot of bother, The Australian, 21 December, 2005.

Leopard cubs arrive after a spot of bother: [6 NSW Country Edition]

Stapleton, JohnThe Australian [Canberra, A.C.T] 21 Dec 2005: 6.
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THEY may be the product of a rocky relationship but the 10-week- old snow leopards that made their public debut at Sydney's Taronga Zoo yesterday were showing no signs of stress.
The cubs -- a male and a female -- are the first to be bred in Sydney. [Leon] was transferred to Taronga from Nindorf Zoo in Germany and [Samarra] from Mulhouse Zoo in France to be the Australian zoo's new glamour breeding couple.
Male snow leopards typically have little involvement in the rearing of cubs, prompting zoo staff to separate Samarra and her offspring from Leon.

Monday 19 December 2005

Fears of a fiery summer ahead, The Australian, 19 December, 2005. Additional reporting.

Fears of a fiery summer ahead: [1 All-round Country Edition]

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"We anticipate a severe season kicking off around Christmas," NSW Rural Fire Commissioner Phil Koperburg said.
Mr Koperburg said recent rains had lowered the drought-affected areas of NSW from more than 60 per cent to just 25per cent, but at the same time had increased the volume of combustible material available.
On South Australia's Eyre Peninsula the Country Fire Service is facing a volunteer shortage as locals fear civil liability suits in the aftermath of the deadly Black Tuesday bushfires in January. The fires killed nine people -- including two CFS volunteers -- and is the subject of a coronial inquiry in Port Lincoln, where allegations are being heard of failures within the CFS chain of command.

Saturday 17 December 2005

Highway jinks solved by western spaghetti, The Australian, 17 December, 2005.

Highway jinks solved by western spaghetti: [1 All-round Country Edition]

Stapleton, JohnWeekend Australian [Canberra, A.C.T] 17 Dec 2005: 4.
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As of last night, it became possible to travel from Baulkham Hills in Sydney's northwest to Canberra without hitting a single traffic light. Motorists faced 48 sets before the construction of the 144 bridges, the movement of more than 15 million tonnes of earth andthe pouring of more than a million tonnes of concrete that made the M7.
The M7, which is expected to improve the traffic flow on the city's other tollways -- the M5, M4 and M2 -- is the first major plank in a 20-year plan known as Auslink, aimed at transforming the much-criticised national highway network.
NSW Premier Morris Iemma, who has suffered in the polls as a result of the public relations disaster of the Cross City Tunnel, dismissed suggestions there were similarities between it and the M7. He described the M7 as an "engineering masterpiece".