BREAKING NEWS Major trucking company announces shock closure as brutal message is sent to its 300 staff
Don Watson Transport will wind up operations after 77 years of trucking, with an internal memo revealing bosses no longer believed the business to be viable.
The family company had more than 300 staff operating more than 290 vehicles nationwide. The company covered an estimated 22million kilometres per year.
Drivers will finish their last trips with the business this week.
The company began in Melbourne as a stock transport company using ex-military Austins in 1948. It later expanded across the nation's east coast.
The business was passed down to the third generation of the Watson family and most recently managed cold storage and refrigerated transport nationwide.
Managing director Lyndon Watson confirmed the closure to staff in a memo last week.
'We understand that this may come as a shock but we have formed the view that is simply no longer possible to continue to operate,' the memo read.
'To be clear, all employees will be impacted by this decision.
'All employees (that are made redundant) will receive all of their entitlements in full in accordance with the terms of relevant legislation and enterprise agreements.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
40 minutes ago
- BBC News
Spending Review appeal for Devon railway link
Rail campaigners are battling for £1.5m government cash in the upcoming Spending Review to make a business case for a railway link in campaign group would like to see a five-mile (8km) section of track between Tavistock and Plymouth to Tavistock ended in the 1960s during the cuts by Dr Richard Beeching when the railways were Department of Transport (DfT) said it was "committed" to delivering transport infrastructure to "boost growth and opportunity". 'Value for money' It added: "The Government inherited an extremely challenging financial position, and these projects will be considered as part of the upcoming Spending Review."TavyRail said only £1.5m of the project's £150m budget was needed to complete its business case and obtain necessary reports, with the remainder not required until construction in Searight, Tavyrail chairman, said the initial outlay would pay for experts to consider whether the line to Plymouth via Bere Alston would be "practical and value for money".He said by 2028 the government would hopefully be in a "more secure" financial position. The previous Conservative government said savings from scrapping the northern leg of the HS2 project could be used to reopen the line between Plymouth and County Council (DCC) submitted a business case for restoring the line in 2022, with hourly trains to Plymouth via Bere 2024, the Labour government outlined plans to cancel or shelve a number of rail projects because they were promised without funding or a plan to deliver them. Deputy mayor of Tavistock, Anne Johnson, who is also vice-chairman of TavyRail, said housing plans had been agreed "off the back of the railway" and there was a "desperate need" for it to go ahead. Steve Hipsey, Mayor of Tavistock, said: "The current estimate is that we have about 1,600 people commuting into Plymouth every day along the A386, and that can't be a good thing in terms of sustainability and carbon emissions." "I think the whole thing makes a lot of sense in terms of economy, sustainability and social aspects as well."
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Alleged money laundering scheme is busted as cops uncover complex network in Australia
A security company allegedly used an armoured transport service to smuggle cash around the nation as it laundered millions of dollars of criminal proceeds. Three men - aged 32, 48 and 58 - and a 35-year-old woman have been charged with multiple money laundering offences, Australian Federal Police say. Investigations continue into the scheme that allegedly transferred $190million into cryptocurrency between October 2022 and May 2024. Authorities have restrained 17 properties, bank accounts and luxury cars in NSW and Queensland worth more than $21million, allegedly purchased with tainted money. 'This investigation has unravelled a sophisticated operation that allegedly moved illicit cash around the country,' AFP Detective Superintendent Adrian Telfer told reporters on Monday. 'It was truly a national operation, laundering the profits of criminal ventures across the country, (and) these cash profits were being flown into Queensland to be washed and returned to individuals.' Investigators allege the Gold Coast-based security company used a complex network of bank accounts, businesses, couriers and cryptocurrency accounts to launder millions of dollars of illicit funds over 18 months. 'The results we are announcing today will deliver a significant blow to alleged individuals, whoever relied on this operation to turn their ill-got profits into property portfolios, luxury cars and cryptocurrency,' Mr Telfer said. AFP Detective Superintendent Adrian Telfer claimed the alleged operation was a 'sophisticated operation that allegedly moved illicit cash around the country' (pictured, a Nissan GT-R seized by police) The 48-year-old man and the woman, who were the director and general manager respectively of the security business, were each charged with a money laundering offence. The couple was granted bail to face Southport Magistrates Court on July 21. The 58-year-old man is accused of funnelling laundered money through a business account to a separate business account controlled by the 32-year-old man. He was also charged with two money laundering offences and was granted bail to face Brisbane Magistrates Court on August 1. The 32-year-old man is accused of laundering $9.5 million through the operation over 15 months. He has been charged with money laundering and failing to provide the password to a mobile phone. He has been remanded in custody and is scheduled to face Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Shock discovery at Vinnies sparks outrage: 'I am blown away'
Aussies have been left outraged after a shopper complained about the insane price for a basket at an op-shop. Queensland op-shopper Jennifer Zervas found the simple carry basket at a north Brisbane Vinnies with an asking price of $60. She took to TikTok to share her disappointment upon finding the item. '$60 for what? Oh my God, man, are you actually serious?' she asked. 'I just am blown away.' Many Australians said the basket was a sign second hand stores were no longer what they once were. 'All the Australian charity shops are rip offs now,' one wrote. 'Thrift shops are meant to promote reusing unwanted items, and try and steer away from fast fashion and waste,' another said. 'It's meant to be a non-profit thing. It's so upsetting to see this.' 'I'm officially too poor for the op-shop,' a third said. 'Vinnies lost my respect about 11 years ago, they upped the price at the only local store my family could afford clothes at ... Scamming a***holes,' another said. Others agreed shops operated by registered charities, like Vinnies, were no longer useful for those who needed them most. 'It's criminal. the government needs to crack down on this corruption from thrift stores. the have lost the message, which is to help the poor,' one wrote. 'How is a $60 basket helping the unfortunate? They could buy that but better for $10 elsewhere,' another said. 'Op shops have forgotten that their actual role in giving back to community is making clothing and second hand goods accessible and affordable to the community, not raising money for their other 'community initiatives',' a third added. Others said they had seen cheap goods marked up past their original price at op-shops. Many claimed they had seen Kmart and Target home-brand clothes on sale for more than double their original prices. 'I'll never forget donating my clothes and finding one of my dresses there selling for double what I originally paid for it new,' a woman claimed. But others said 'scalpers' had ruined the stores for everybody. They claimed people looking for fashionable and branded items in the stores to resell at used clothes markets and online had led to stores 'following suit'. 'Blame the people who started upselling everything they could get their grubby, (little) mitts on, why wouldn't the original shop just follow suit,' one wrote. 'Especially if it's meant to be for charity this way they get the same (money) as scalpers.' 'Scalpers and well off people have ruined (it) by taking advantage of op shops,' another said.
