Latest news with #Kempsey

News.com.au
7 days ago
- Climate
- News.com.au
Casino, Goulburn previews: Trainer Colt Prosser overcomes Mid-North Coast floods and sets his sights on prestigious double
Wauchope trainer Colt Prosser has spent the best part of last week cleaning up after the devastating floods on the Mid-North Coast. Now, he will be hoping for a clean sweep of Casino's two big annual features. Wauchope is an hour's drive from Taree and while that essentially makes the two towns neighbours, Taree was more or less ground zero for the big weather event. 'It was not too bad, just a lot of flooded stables,' Prosser said. 'Safety-wise we were all good. The town coped a lot and went under and everyone was isolated. 'It was a big weekend on the tools and the wheelbarrow and shovels but we'll be okay, a lot of people did it a lot worse than us.' Cenotes makes it three wins in a row 3ï¸�⃣ He wins easily at Kempsey and gives Ben Looker a double! @ColtProsser â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) September 19, 2024 Prosser's Beef Week Cup participant, Cenotes, will tackle the $45,000 1400m feature first-up having last been seen on October 11 when down the order in the Port Macquarie Cup. This will be only his second 'Cup' but certainly not the last, according to Prosser. 'Cenotes is going to be in for a nice campaign,' the trainer said. 'He is going to be in all the Country Cups around the corner. 'He is first-up and he's just been ineffective at anything under a mile so if he can run good race, I'll be happy. 'I expect him just to improve with a run under his belt.' Cenotes will be ridden by Country Championship Final winning jockey Ben Looker who boasts a favourable record on the son of Rebel Dane of three wins and a second from six rides. Looker was also Prosser's choice for Bjorn Ironside who will square off with stablemate, Dis Is Heaven, in the Casino Flying over 1000m. Bjorn Ironside's current personal best was his close and closing third in this season's MNC Championship Qualifier over 1200m but his one and only 1000m test was hard to forget, even for Prosser. Bjorn Ironside and @ashmorgan6 sail down the centre of the course to take out Race 7 at @_TJC â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 21, 2024 'He's only had one go at 1000m and he smashed them,' the trainer said. 'This is up in grade and he hasn't had a run since he went to Brisbane but I brought him home and he's freshened-up good.' Dis is Heaven, meanwhile, will be taking a step back in class when he steps out in the Casino co-feature. That's because his last run was at the midweeks where he finished third in the 1000m Benchmark 72, $60,000 affair. 'He's going great and he doesn't mind a soft track,' said Prosser. 'I just would have liked to draw a little bit better at Casino with him but he can be a run-on horse so if they happened to be put a bit on pressure on, he can relax and finish off. 'I was really disappointed I couldn't go back to Sydney with last week when we were flooded in, I couldn't get there. 'He hasn't had too many dramas. He's nice and fit and he's going well.' â– â– â– â– â– Former jockey, now Hawkesbury-based trainer Blake Ryan is hoping the well-bred two-year-old Nothing But Net can pull of a slam dunk on debut at Goulburn Nothing But Net was one of 138 foals to emerge from the first crop of ATC Sires' Produce and Champagne Stakes winner, King's Legacy. His grandam is Georgette Silk whose single win came on debut in the 2020 ATC Widden Stakes. 'He has always shown me a little bit,' Ryan said. 'He was in our Ready 2 Run draft and he breezed up the quickest of the lot but was passed in. 'He went online and when the client sold him, Matthew (Sandblom) bought him and gave him back to me to train. 'He seems to be a horse that a 1000m isn't going to be his go. He is bred to be a 1400m horse so he is going to improve.' Asuriito was always in control under James Innes Jnr and he brings up his second win in as many starts for the @blakeryan86 stable ðŸ'� @moruyaraces â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) September 17, 2024 Nothing But Net won't be alone on the trip to Goulburn. He'll be accompanied by another blue blood, namely Asuriito, who lines-up in the Pat Murphy Racing Class 2 Handicap (1000m). A son of Brazen Beau, Asuriito, went to the Sapphire Coast on May 4 armed with an impressive record of two wins and a third from five starts. And while costly in defeat for his many supporters, he left Bega with excuses. 'That track was very, very heavy and gluey,' Ryan said. 'On paper its says it was a Soft 7 but the grass was very long and it was very boggy. That, coupled with the weight, made it hard for him. 'He is an honest little campaigner. He had a tough run at Canberra before that but he keeps bouncing out of it, I'll give him that much. 'I would have liked to have a little bit better but only that dog-leg corner there at Goulburn from the 1000m, it shouldn't be too much of a hassle for him.' Granted, Ryan's immediate focus is on Goulburn but once he's done there, he will be in countdown mode to Saturday's Midway Handicap at Rosehill where he is represented by the always reliable Lady Extreme. 'I'm really happy with her. 'I think she is going as well as she has ever gone,' Ryan said. 'And a heavy track wouldn't bother me. She's a duck.'

ABC News
26-05-2025
- Climate
- ABC News
Flood rescuers use makeshift bamboo raft to save couple and six dogs
Surrounded by pitch-black, swampy floodwaters and using a makeshift bamboo raft, a rescue crew pulled off an extraordinary feat. Late on Friday evening the team of five Fire and Rescue in-water technicians responded to a call from an isolated farm near Kempsey on the New South Wales mid-north coast. The crew paddled their rescue boat 2 kilometres to reach 62-year-old Troy Irwin and his 52-year-old partner Mirasol Page, whose property had been cut off for three days. Their rubber dinghy had space for the couple, but not their six working dogs. Rescuers discovered Mr Irwin in floodwaters in his underwear. He was suffering from mild hypothermia but refused to leave his dogs. Senior firefighter Gav Smith said when they arrived at the home the floodwater was 2 to 3 metres deep and there "was not a bit of dry land anywhere". "We said, 'Look, we're going to get you guys out of here. We're going to get all your dogs out of here,'" he said. Firefighter Scott O'Shea said there wasn't enough room to get them all back to safety — so they decided to improvise. "We looked around and were like, 'What are we going to do to get out of this?'" Mr O'Shea said. Rescuers initially planned to transport the dogs on the makeshift raft but it wasn't stable enough, so they again had to think on their feet. "We put the dogs in our boat, and Troy and his wife and two other firefighters and their bags," Mr Smith said. With seven lives in their hands and daylight gradually disappearing, Mr O'Shea jumped on the raft himself. "It was long enough and stable enough that I could manoeuvre it and we were confident then we were going to make it," Mr O'Shea said. After watching the floodwaters rise for three days, Mr Irwin's main concern was keeping his partner, who is not a strong swimmer, safe. "I was really concerned, I didn't want Mirasol exposed if anything went wrong, I just wanted her up and safe out of the flood," he said. But Mr Irwin also remembers the relief he felt seeing the rescue team after days of isolation. "It was great to see them paddle around the bend and sing out to us," he said. Ms Page said she was told the experience was "an adventure" but she is glad it's over. "It was lucky we did not tip over and that we're alive," she said. As the sun set the rescue team followed marks they'd left on their route on the way in to help guide them back to safety. "We left what could be better described as Hansel and Gretel cookies," Mr O'Shea said. "We tied tape to trees because we knew it was getting late and we needed to know how to get out of there and navigate at night." The markings along with a spotlight from a Fire and Rescue drone flying above helped keep them on track back to the safety point. Strike team Charlie's leader, Inspector Gaven Mullet, described the rescue as outstanding, saying the rescuers showed the utmost resilience and resourcefulness. "We got everyone back, it was a huge mission," Mr Smith said.

ABC News
24-05-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Supermarket supply chains face disruptions as NSW flood recovery begins
Major supermarkets in flood-affected parts of New South Wales are continuing to face disruptions, with some stores still closed and supply chains under pressure due to damaged roads and limited access. In Kempsey, both Coles and Woolworths stores remain closed this weekend. Coles has also confirmed its Wingham store remains shut, while Woolworths says its Kempsey site will stay closed "for the remainder of the weekend". In Kempsey's town centre, café owner Mouy Diep reopened her doors on Saturday as soon as the power was restored. The Macleay River overtopped the levee on Thursday and the town's CBD was under evacuation orders. Ms Diep said she prepared with sandbags, and although some water entered the café, the clean-up wasn't too severe. A Coles spokesperson said most of the company's NSW stores remain open and stocked, but deliveries are being prioritised to flood-impacted areas. "Our Wingham and Kempsey stores have had to unfortunately close at this stage and we will reopen these as soon as it is safe to do so," the spokesperson said. "Our teams are working hard to ensure we have extra food deliveries on their way to our stores." Woolworths said it was working to restock affected locations but warned there may be gaps on shelves for now. Its Macksville store reopened on Saturday afternoon, although not all departments are fully stocked and deliveries will resume Sunday morning. Flooding has also disrupted key freight routes. The Pacific Highway (M1) near Taree, the last major closed section, was set to reopen from 6pm Saturday with a single lane operating in each direction. Lane and speed restrictions will be in place on the highway between Purfleet and Coopernook as water recedes and crews continue to remove debris from the road. "[We have] a plan to restore full access over the next couple of days. We ask motorists to take extra care while driving through this part of highway, which is an active worksite," a Transport for NSW spokesperson said. Transport for NSW said it was prioritising assessments of the damage to roads and rail, and should continue to carry out emergency repair work when it was safe for crews to do so. It has stood up its Freight Supply Chain Group to provide operators and industry stakeholders, including major supermarkets, daily updates about impacted road and rail networks. NSW Minister for Roads Jenny Aitchison said debris removal has been extensive, and crews have been working around the clock. "There is some good news on the horizon for freight and transport routes," she said. "[But] we need people to really comply with restrictions for the safety of workers." Ms Aitchison said the emergency response was beginning to transition to recovery. "We are still waiting on flood waters to fall in many areas before we can make assessments," she said. Kempsey farmer Ben Thorley had a 10-hour detour through Glen Innes and Grafton to reach his property at Austral to check on his herd. "[I found] my cows at Kempsey on the flats at Austral on my property, Eden," he said. "We are the lucky ones, all cows are accounted for."

News.com.au
24-05-2025
- News.com.au
NSW Police arrest 30-year-old man after alleged car pursuit at Nambucca Heads
NSW Police have arrested a 30-year old man without incident and taken him to Kempsey Police station following an alleged active pursuit and stand-off. Police say the man discharged shots towards a police officer in the early hours of Saturday morning. The saga began after the 30-year-old allegedly failed to stop his Subaru Impreza on the Giinagay Way, Valla, north of Nambucca Heads. Police initially pursued the vehicle before terminating the attempt to stop the man on the back of safety concerns, the police claimed in a statement on Saturday. But the Police said they continued to patrol the area and then found the vehicle again turning onto Jellico Street Macksville, where they re-engaged the suspect. The driver eventually crashed the car and became bogged, the police said. He then allegedly fled the scene on foot and hid under a nearby house. After establishing a perimeter, NSW Police say the man 'discharged a number of shots' towards officers. The residents in the house were evacuated and specialist police were sent in to negotiate with the man. Following negotiations, the 30-year-old man was arrested about 9am without incident.

RNZ News
23-05-2025
- Climate
- RNZ News
Family rescued from floods near Kempsey in NSW horrified at what was in the water
By Emma Siossian , ABC Julie Botfield described the flooding at her property like having a "river in my front and backyard". Photo: ABC / Emma Siossian Floodwaters aren't the only dangers facing those being inundated this week on the NSW Mid North Coast. As rising water lapped the bottom storey of her Clybucca home, Julie Botfield was horrified to see what was coming with it. "There was spiders galore, all different varieties, lots of frogs, lots of snakes, so, yeah, quite scary," the single mother told the ABC. Julie Botfield and two of her children evacuate their home. Photo: Supplied / Julie Botfield Botfield, two of her children, aged 10 and 19, and their two dogs evacuated their home near Kempsey early on Friday morning, after watching water come closer during the night. "The water rose really quickly, to my surprise, I wasn't really expecting it to rise that much," she said. She woke up and checked her rented property at 2am on Friday and said water was not near her paddock. "By 4am it was definitely in my paddock and then it just continued to rise up and up, and up until we basically had a river in my front and backyard." It took just a few hours for floodwaters to inundate Julie Botfield's home. Photo: Supplied / Julie Botfield While she was safe on the second storey of her home, her shed had gone under. "I was devastated because I knew that all of my belongings, including my car were in the shed, so they're not going to be there any longer. "It's going to be a really big clean-up." Botfield had called the SES and triple-0 during the night, however, she had not been evacuated by the morning, so she called a friend who had a boat. "It was really hard to get everyone in the boat and the spiders were everywhere and the snakes and the frogs, and I didn't want to put the kids in the water to get into the boat," Botfield said. Once in the boat, she said she was amazed to see how much water had surrounded her home, which had turned from its usual yellow colour to black by the swarming spiders. Just down the road, Botfield's neighbour Holly Gaddes stayed put. The pair had kept in touch over recent days and Gaddes had urged Botfield to evacuate. "Pretty much all throughout the night we were texting each other, just checking the situation at her place, situation at my place, what we were thinking to do," Gaddes said. Having lived on her cattle farm since 2011, and even longer in the region, Gaddes said she felt prepared to stay, but she did pack some things in a tub just in case. Holly Gaddes has lived in the region for a long time and on her cattle farm since 2011. Photo: Supplied / Julie Botfield She said while floods do not surprise her after living so long in the area, the speed of this one was different to others. "The floods that we've had here before usually take a lot longer to get here, this happened a lot quicker," Gaddes said. "I mean, this time it's a shock because it's a high flood, but higher floods have happened before, so we were prepared, but I guess when it does happen, it is a bit of a shock and especially if it happens quickly." Despite the latest inundation, Gaddes said she and her husband have no intentions of leaving. "[My husband] grew up in the house across the road and his family's been farming this land for a very long time, so that's not going to be an option. "It's such a beautiful part of the world." - ABC