logo
Search resumes for plane missing in ‘rugged and inaccessible alpine terrain' after failing to land at NSW

Search resumes for plane missing in ‘rugged and inaccessible alpine terrain' after failing to land at NSW

Independent6 days ago
A major search is underway for a small plane that failed to make a scheduled landing at the Moruya airport in Australia 's New South Wales (NSW).
The plane carrying just one person took off from Wangaratta in Victoria and was due to land at Moruya airport on the Far South Coast at about 4.30pm local time on Tuesday.
Emergency services were notified after the plane failed to land at the estimated time. The plane's last known position was over Khancoban in the Snowy Mountains, according to reports.
The NSW police believe the plane could have crashed about 500m off Dargals Trail in the Snowy Valleys, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.
The plane's disappearance prompted a multi-agency search operation, which included the NSW police, wildlife and national parks crews.
Australian Maritime Safety Authority's (AMSA) Challenger jet, Victorian ambulance emergency medical helicopter and a toll rescue helicopter have been deployed to conduct an aerial search, the police said.
The multi-agency aerial search resumed on Thursday morning after it was suspended at around 4pm Wednesday due to limited visibility. 'The ground search teams will be faced with rugged and inaccessible alpine terrain, impacted by recent heavy snowfalls,' the AMSA said in a statement.
Temperatures in Khancoban dropped to around 5°C on Tuesday, the day the plane went missing, while conditions remained cold on Wednesday. Temperatures are forecast to fall further to 1°C on Thursday, with snow again possible above 1,000m, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
The missing small plane is reportedly a Beechcraft 35-C33 Debonair – owned by a man in Bega, NSW, about 120km south of Moruya. The single-engine four-seater had flown from Moruya to Frogs Hollow airstrip, south of Bega, on Sunday. The next day, the aircraft flew from Moruya to Wangaratta, according to the Border Mail.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Nearly one in five NSW trains ran late in past year, falling well short of own performance target, data shows
Nearly one in five NSW trains ran late in past year, falling well short of own performance target, data shows

The Guardian

timean hour ago

  • The Guardian

Nearly one in five NSW trains ran late in past year, falling well short of own performance target, data shows

Sydney Trains have hit a new low for on-time services with only 82.5% of trains arriving within five or six minutes of scheduled times over the last year. The result, based on data in the year to 30 June, represents a significant slide in performance from the previous year, when 87.9% of trains ran on time. The New South Wales government aims for 92% on-time running, with punctuality defined as running within five minutes of scheduled times for suburban trains within the Sydney metropolitan area and six minutes for intercity trains. 'Whilst Sydney Trains did not reach its own 92% performance target over the past three years in part due to protected industrial action during this period and severe weather events, on-time running in 2022 was 92.1%, 95% in 2021 and 92.5% in 2020,' a spokesperson for Sydney Trains told the Guardian. 'On-time running or punctuality can also be impacted by other unforeseen factors, including fatalities, sick passengers, trespassers, police operations, and maintenance requirements,' the spokesperson said. Sign up: AU Breaking News email The transport minister, John Graham, said: 'Settling the rail agreement means all energy can now be focused on reliability. We have got that message loud and clear.' Punctuality was particularly bad for intercity trains, which include the Newcastle and the Central Coast, Blue Mountains, South Coast and Southern Highlands (Goulburn) lines. Only 70.5% of those trains recorded on-time running. Sydney CBD trains did better, with 84% arriving on time. For the Blue Mountains, the last financial year was the worst on record, with just 69% of services running on time. For the Central Coast, it was also the worst on record, with just 68.7% of services running on time. There are no signs of improvement on either line in the first weeks of July, according to data. The Southern Highlands line is showing signs of improvement but off a very low base of only 60% on-time running. Protracted negotiations with the Rail Tram and Bus union over a new enterprise agreement, which resulted in strikes and work bans, affected the network during the period. Sydney, the Central Coast and the Illawarra were also hit by torrential rain on several occasions including in January, May and June. The opposition leader, Mark Speakman, accused Labor MPs in the Blue Mountains, Central Coast and South Coast of being 'nowhere to be seen' on the deterioration in service. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion 'Chris Minns, John Graham and every Labor MP in these areas should ride the trains their communities are forced to suffer,' he said. 'If they did, they'd see the delays, the breakdowns, the frustration – and they'd know just how badly they've failed. The truth is Labor thinks they can take these seats for granted.' In response, Graham said 'it was a much simpler task for government running a train network when it was also asking the population to stay behind a locked front door during the pandemic. 'The Liberals understand the challenge because under them on-time running fell to an all-time low of 71% in one month in 2022 and the 92% target was missed in 10 of their last 12 months in office,' he said. Sydney Trains said it had introduced several initiatives to increase reliability of services and enable the network to recover faster from disruptions, such as an adjusted timetable in October 2024 that saw some stations receive increased service frequencies, a new intercity fleet on some lines and a train repair plan. The poor train results come as the state government announced it was shedding 950 jobs from the department, Transport for NSW. It is believed the cuts are not to front line jobs.

‘Devastating' toxic algal bloom declared natural disaster in Australia amid warnings Bondi beach could be next
‘Devastating' toxic algal bloom declared natural disaster in Australia amid warnings Bondi beach could be next

The Independent

timea day ago

  • The Independent

‘Devastating' toxic algal bloom declared natural disaster in Australia amid warnings Bondi beach could be next

South Australia has declared its toxic algal bloom a natural disaster following weeks of pressure from scientists, local officials and community members over what has been called an 'unprecedented' marine crisis. The bloom – fuelled by the toxic algae Karenia mikimotoi – has devastated marine life along more than 500km of the coastline since March, killing thousands of fish, rays, sharks, and dolphins, and threatening local fisheries and coastal livelihoods. South Australia premier Peter Malinauskas described the bloom as a natural disaster that 'should be acknowledged as such' and urged leaders not to get 'caught up in technicalities'. 'This is so entirely unprecedented we don't really know how it's going to play out over coming weeks and months ahead,' he told ABC's News Breakfast, noting over 400 marine species had been impacted. Federal environment minister Murray Watt visited some of the affected areas this week and pledged a $14m assistance package but said the event did not yet meet the criteria for formal natural disaster status. South Australia, however, invoked state authority to make its own declaration, unlocking additional emergency support. Marine experts have been sounding the alarm over the crisis for months. In May, conservationists said the boom had already killed over 200 marine species. 'It's hard to overstate the extreme severity of the algal bloom environmental crisis in South Australia,' Adriana Vergés, a marine ecologist at the University of New South Wales, said. 'We are talking about extensive mortality of nearly 500 different marine species, including key habitat-forming sponges and other invertebrates, as well as fish over more than 500 km of coastline. It's completely devastating.' Described as a 'toxic blanket', the bloom suffocates fish by damaging their gills and attacking their red blood cells and the nervous system. It can lead to haemorrhaging and erratic behaviour in the affected animals. Photos from beaches around Adelaide show carcasses of snapper, stingrays and other dead sea creatures lining the shore. According to local records cited by The Guardian, over 13,800 animals are confirmed dead but the real toll is likely far higher. Professor Shauna Murray, a harmful algal bloom expert at the University of Technology Sydney, said the bloom had impacted several hundred square kilometres of coastline since mid-March and was now impacting Adelaide, a city of 1.5 million. She warned that brevetoxins – neurotoxins produced by the algae – had already been detected in some seafood. 'It's not just having an ecologically disastrous effect, it's now severely impacting fishing and aquaculture industries as well as tourism. We need regular monitoring and financial support for all affected,' she said. The crisis has already led to the closure of Coorong's pipi fishery and parts of the state's oyster aquaculture due to health concerns. Scientists warn that less mobile species, like seahorses, flatheads and leatherjackets, may take years to recover. John Morrongiello, associate professor at the University of Melbourne, described it as 'an ecological catastrophe' that could have long-term consequences for marine food webs and coastal economies. Climate and nutrient pollution are believed to have played a role in the crisis. Scientists say it is being fuelled by an ongoing marine heatwave, with sea temperatures 2.5C above average, and calm conditions that allow it to thrive. 'This is climate change in real time,' Dr Nina Wootton from the University of Adelaide said. 'The consequences of years of inaction are now unfolding before our eyes.' The algae species behind the toxic bloom has traits that may explain its unusual scale and persistence, according to scientists. 'This species of algae has several adaptations that may have enhanced its ability to grow in the context of the South Australian blooms,' professor Perran Cook from the School of Chemistry at Monash University said. 'It can 'swim' up and down in the water column, which allows it to take up nutrients from the deeper layers of water when there is little mixing, as has been the case in the waters off South Australia this year,' he explained. 'The warmer conditions typically favour most algal growth, and this species is no exception. It also has a wide temperature tolerance, which might help explain its persistence into winter.' Dr Cook noted the algae's ability to 'assimilate the 'remains' of other algal blooms' could link it to the 2023 Murray River floods, which 'released vast amounts of nutrients that stimulated algal growth then, and it is possible that these nutrients are still rippling through the food web.' Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said the $14m assistance announced by the federal minister was just a 'downpayment' and criticised the government for failing to declare the crisis a federal emergency. Speaking in the parliament, she warned that such events were becoming more likely due to the climate crisis. 'It's Adelaide beaches today but it could be Bondi tomorrow,' she said, calling for a parliamentary inquiry into the bloom and the introduction of a 'climate trigger' in Australia's environmental laws. In response, prime minister Anthony Albanese said the government's support was timed 'appropriately' given the event was unfolding primarily in state waters. 'What is important is that there be a response,' he told ABC's 7.30 show. 'We are responding, giving support to the South Australian government.' Dr Christopher Keneally from the University of Adelaide said the toxic bloom's scale, potential to cross state boundaries and long-term ecological legacy placed it 'on par with the bushfires and floods that routinely trigger federal interventions'. 'This is not just an environmental event – it's an ecological disaster,' added Dr Lucille Chapuis, a marine biologist at La Trobe University. 'Like a bushfire or floodwater, a toxic bloom can sweep through an ecosystem, and we must treat it with the same urgency.' Scientists are calling for a national response strategy and long-term investments in monitoring and early warning systems for such events. 'We cannot just treat this as a one-off event that should be monitored. This is a complex problem and we need a coordinated science–industry–governance response,' professor Martina Doblin, director of the Sydney Institute of Marine Science, said.

Toxic algae bloom off South Australia devastates marine life, tourism
Toxic algae bloom off South Australia devastates marine life, tourism

Reuters

timea day ago

  • Reuters

Toxic algae bloom off South Australia devastates marine life, tourism

SYDNEY, July 22 (Reuters) - A massive outbreak of toxic algae off South Australia, which has devastated hundreds of species of marine life and disrupted local tourism and fishing, is a "natural disaster," state Premier Peter Malinauskas said on Tuesday. The algal bloom, first detected in March, spans an area 4,500 square km (1,737 square miles) in size and has been aggravated by rising ocean temperatures, according to environment officials. 'There are over 400 different species of marine life that have been killed off or have had deaths as a result of this algal bloom,' Malinauskas told national broadcaster ABC's News Breakfast program. 'This is a natural disaster and should be acknowledged as such.' Malinauskas announced a A$14 million ($9.11 million) support package to tackle the outbreak, matching a package by the federal government. The combined A$28 million would assist with clean-up efforts, research, and business support. The toxic bloom has been caused by overgrowth of the Karenia mikimotoi algal species, which affects fish gills and sucks oxygen out of the water as it decomposes, the state's environment department said. Contributing to its growth was a marine heatwave that started in 2024, when sea temperatures were about 2.5 degrees Celsius (36.5 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than usual. The bloom has impacted tourism and forced oyster and mussel farms to temporarily shut due to a waterborne toxin caused by the algae, local media said. Over 13,850 dead animals, including sharks, rays and invertebrates, have been recorded by the public on the iNaturalist app. Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt said on Monday the algal bloom was a "very serious environmental event," but stopped short of declaring it a national disaster, which would allow for greater federal support. ($1 = 1.5363 Australian dollars)

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store