Celebrity croc wrangler pleads not guilty to charges
It comes more than three years after a chopper crash in remote Arnhem Land in the NT, which killed Mr Wright's close friend and television co-star Chris "Willow" Wilson in February 2022.
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ABC News
28 minutes ago
- ABC News
WA government broadens scope of e-rideable inquiry following woman's death in dirt bike incident
The WA government will expand an inquiry into the safety of e-rideables to include electric dirt bikes, following the death of a 59-year-old woman in Perth. She died in Picnic Cove Park in Edgewater after a crash involving a high-powered electric motorcycle on Saturday. A 17-year-old boy has since appeared in court charged with manslaughter, driving without a license and using an unlicensed vehicle on a road in relation to the woman's death. It comes as a state parliamentary committee probes the safety, regulation and penalties associated with electric powered personal mobility devices, known as e-rideables. In Western Australia, an e-rideable is defined as something that weighs 25 kilograms or less and has a speed limit of 25 kph on level ground. The bike involved in the crash would not be considered an e-rideable under that definition. But Road Safety Minister Reece Whitby said he would be asking the committee to expand its scope. The review is also looking at the usage and policing of e-rideables in entertainment precincts and other highly used pedestrian areas. Ahead of any recommendations by the inquiry, the minister said he had his own ideas around how to limit the use of e-rideables in built-up areas. "For instance the circumstances where they can be used on footpaths, the speed, I think there's new technology that can automatically limit an e-scooter on a footpath," he said. The pedestrian's death in Edgewater was not the first involving a battery-powered vehicle this year. In June, 51-year-old Thanh Phan was the first pedestrian to die after being hit by an e-scooter in WA. In a plea to prevent further serious incidents, Mr Phan's family called for a review of the governance and safety regulations regarding hired e-scooters. The City of Perth subsequently suspended the hiring of e-scooters, in response to the tragedy. Royal Perth Hospital's head of trauma services Dieter Weber told the ABC his team saw serious injuries from e-scooter incidents "daily". WA Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas said including e-bikes into the parliamentary inquiry was crucial. "There are too many fatalities and now too many incidents with these forms of transportation," he said. Mr Zempilas said safety had to be "the top priority". "We understand accessibility and transportation methods that aid people getting around is really useful, but not at the expense of people's safety," he said.
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
‘Ridiculous' for convicted Kiama MP Gareth Ward to stay on: NSW Premier Chris Minns
Kiama MP Gareth Ward could be booted from parliament as early as next week after he was convicted of assaulting two young men, with the state government preparing a motion to have him expelled. The former Liberal MP was found guilty of three counts of assault with act of indecency against an 18-year-old man at Meroo Meadow in 2013 by a jury on Friday. The jury also found the one-time families minister guilty of a fourth offence of intercourse without consent against a 24-year-old man in Potts Point in 2015. It is understood the state government will move a motion when parliament resumes on Tuesday, August 5 to expel Ward. On Monday, Premier Chris Minns praised Ward's accusers as 'incredibly courageous people' and again called on the disgraced MP to resign from parliament. 'Firstly, he should resign,' Mr Minns said. 'It is completely ridiculous to be in a situation where someone has been not accused, not charged, but convicted of incredibly serious offences and stay as a member of parliament.' Mr Minns said the NSW Legislative Assembly needed to 'be in a position where it protects its integrity'. 'One of the positions it can take to protect its integrity is to say that if you've been convicted of these serious charges, it's not reasonable that member stay as a member of parliament,' he said. 'I haven't spoken to all of my colleagues, and I haven't spoken to the crossbench or the opposition about it, but it would seem ridiculous that he would continue as a member of parliament.' Mr Minns confirmed the parliament had the power to remove Ward but noted it was important that the Legislative Assembly's decision 'is not punitive'. 'The punitive measure is up to the NSW court. It's not up to parliament,' he said. 'They'll make the decision about what punishment is applied, not us.' Asked on Monday if he would support a motion to expel Ward from parliament if he did not resign, Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said he would. 'Subject to the government indicating its legal advice that the power is there, we would support that motion,' Mr Speakman said. 'And look, on the face of it, the power is there. But I would like to see the legal advice.' Both Labor and the Liberals have called on Ward to resign following Friday's verdict. 'Gareth Ward should not be in parliament,' Mr Speakman said. 'The jury finding is of behaviour that is completely reprehensible. It's sickening. 'He should not be in the parliament. His position is untenable. He cannot represent the constituents of Kiama. 'He obviously can't represent them when he's incarcerated, and even if he remains out of incarceration for the time being, there is no way he can effectively represent his constituents. 'So he must resign, and if he doesn't resign, then parliament has to take all the steps it can to protect its integrity, and if the power is there to expel Mr Ward, he should be expelled.' Neither Mr Minns nor Mr Speakman confirmed whether they were involved in discussions about preselecting candidates for a potential by-election. 'I'm sure there are conversations under way,' Mr Speakman said. He later went on to clarify: 'I'm just surmising the nature of politics these sort of conversations happen.' Ward only narrowly beat out Labor's Katelin McInerney in the 2023 state election. Ward is yet to be sentenced and will next appear in court on Wednesday.
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
A social media threat to Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin will go unpunished after an AFL investigation
Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin opted against the AFL taking any further action after the league's Integrity Unit investigated an online threat made in the wake of the Demons last quarter capitulation against St Kilda on Sunday. Two goals in the final 60 seconds to Saint Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, including one after the siren, sealed the biggest three-quarter-time comeback in AFL history and consigned the Demons to a famous defeat. As he was conducting his post-match press conference, a post from an anonymous account on X included an image of a ute in a car park and a chilling caption. 'I'm currently waiting outside Simon Goodwin's car: Don't fret, Melbourne fans you won't need to worry any further,' the post read. It came after a Collingwood member was banned from the AFL, and MCG, for five years after posting a message on the ground's anti-social behaviour hotline about Carlton coach Michael Voss. Melbourne made the AFL Integrity Unit aware of the post but confirmed on Monday there would be no further action, confirming the car in the photo did not belong to Goodwin and it wasn't taken in the Marvel Stadium car park. 'The AFL Integrity Unit has investigated the reported tweet regarding Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin post-game,' the league said in a statement. 'The image posted was not Goodwin's car, nor was it from Marvel Stadium. 'Goodwin has been consulted and does not wish to take the matter further, and there is currently no further action from Victoria Police. 'The AFL is currently working with the platform 'X' to help identify the owner of the account.' Melbourne captain Max Gawn defended Goodwin, who is now in the spotlight after the loss, and said the players were to blame to the chaotic finish. He also said Goodwin, the 2021 premiership winning coach who is contracted for another season, had hit support. 'He's my favourite coach and he's a premiership coach, Gawn said. 'I find him extremely smart tactically and, in the end, he's had us 50-points up against St Kilda, a team that we were down by 50 [points] in Alice Springs. He's in it with us, but the last quarter is not solely on him,' Gawn said.
