Latest news with #NPWS
Perth Now
15 hours ago
- General
- Perth Now
Whale and calf hit by speedboat off east coast
Boat carrying three passengers hits calf off NSW coast. Australian boaties have been urged to remain vigilant after three people aboard a speedboat collided with a whale and its calf south of Sydney. Troublesome vision was captured of a southern right whale and its calf south in waters off Stanwell Park on Saturday afternoon. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Speedboat whale collision The pair were swimming just beneath the surface when they were hit by the boat. It is understood both the whale and calf escaped without major injuries. The whales have just begun their annual migration and will continue travelling north this week. The mother was first detected off Bass Point on June 12 without the calf, and then near Meriumbula on July 10 with her baby. Whale expert Dr Barry McGovern from Pacific Whales Foundation said southern right whales often stay just below the surface and can be very hard to spot. 'They also don't have dorsal fins like your humpback whales so they can be really difficult to see and if you're travelling at speed it can be very easy to miss them, to not see them,' he said. 'The larger boats can really impact them. 'Whales can suffer some serious injuries from vessel collisions and in some cases they can be fatal, particularly with the larger vessels.' A southern right whale and her calf were hit by a speedboat off Sydney's south coast. Credit: 7NEWS The whales managed to avoid injury. Credit: 7NEWS He urged any boaties off Sydney's coast to stay vigilant and said the best thing to do is to slow down if they are travelling through the area. 'If you're in an area where you know there are whales, or people have seen whales previously, it's best to keep it slow,' McGovern said. 'If there's whales below, keep it slow — that's what we always say. 'Our research has shown boats (that) are travelling less than 12 knots, which is about 22km/h, there's a much lower chance of hitting a whale. 'It allows you to see if the whales are there in the first place and even if there is a collision, at the slower speeds, the injuries are less likely to be as severe.' There is an exclusion zone of 300m for whales with calves, and 100m for whales without newborns. This not only applies to vessels in the water but also drones in the air. 'While seeing one in Sydney is exciting, it's important to remember that this whale and her calf must be given space and quiet as they travel north,' NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) ranger Natasha Funke said. 'Southern right whales rely on sheltered coastal bays to rest and feed their young, and they need to do this without interference, so we encourage people to enjoy this spectacle from land or a safe distance on the water.' A list of national park viewing spots to watch the whales as they migrate is available on the NPWS website.
7NEWS
16 hours ago
- General
- 7NEWS
Southern right whale and calf hit by speedboat off Sydney's south coast
Australian boaties have been urged to remain vigilant after three people aboard a speedboat collided with a whale and its calf south of Sydney. Troublesome vision was captured of a southern right whale and its calf south in waters off Stanwell Park on Saturday afternoon. The pair were swimming just beneath the surface when they were hit by the boat. It is understood both the whale and calf escaped without major injuries. The whales have just begun their annual migration and will continue travelling north this week. The mother was first detected off Bass Point on June 12 without the calf, and then near Meriumbula on July 10 with her baby. Whale expert Dr Barry McGovern from Pacific Whales Foundation said southern right whales often stay just below the surface and can be very hard to spot. 'They also don't have dorsal fins like your humpback whales so they can be really difficult to see and if you're travelling at speed it can be very easy to miss them, to not see them,' he said. 'The larger boats can really impact them. 'Whales can suffer some serious injuries from vessel collisions and in some cases they can be fatal, particularly with the larger vessels.' He urged any boaties off Sydney's coast to stay vigilant and said the best thing to do is to slow down if they are travelling through the area. 'If you're in an area where you know there are whales, or people have seen whales previously, it's best to keep it slow,' McGovern said. 'If there's whales below, keep it slow — that's what we always say. 'Our research has shown boats (that) are travelling less than 12 knots, which is about 22km/h, there's a much lower chance of hitting a whale. 'It allows you to see if the whales are there in the first place and even if there is a collision, at the slower speeds, the injuries are less likely to be as severe.' There is an exclusion zone of 300m for whales with calves, and 100m for whales without newborns. This not only applies to vessels in the water but also drones in the air. 'While seeing one in Sydney is exciting, it's important to remember that this whale and her calf must be given space and quiet as they travel north,' NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) ranger Natasha Funke said. 'Southern right whales rely on sheltered coastal bays to rest and feed their young, and they need to do this without interference, so we encourage people to enjoy this spectacle from land or a safe distance on the water.' .
Extra.ie
20 hours ago
- Extra.ie
Did State pay my sister's killer after conviction?
The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has refused to clarify if was still being paid by the State as recently as February, almost six years after murdering his wife Valerie French. Mr Kilroy, a former park ranger with the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), has been behind bars since beating, stabbing and strangling his wife to death in Kilbree Lower, Co. Mayo, in June 2019, while the couple's three children slept. Today's top videos STORY CONTINUES BELOW After two collapsed trials, he was convicted of her murder last July, the jury rejecting his plea of not guilty by reason of insanity. Valerie French However, received information in February this year that the Co. Meath native was still being paid by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, which oversees the NPWS. When the reasons for this were queried in February by Extra, a spokesman for the department said on February 19: 'The matter is currently the subject of legal correspondence, however, the department does not comment on individual circumstances of existing or former members of staff.' But that comment changed this week, with the department giving an outright denial anybody serving time for a serious offence like murder was on the State payroll. The case around the brutal murder had already shone a light on the legal anomaly that has seen Mr Kilroy retain guardianship of the couple's three children after murdering their mother Valerie, a 41-year-old occupational therapist originally from Leap, Co. Cork. Valerie French Kilroy. Her brother David French, who is leading efforts to have this law changed and has recently published a book about his sister and the aftermath of her murder, has had three Freedom of Information (FOI) requests rejected since February in trying to establish if and when the State stopped paying Mr Kilroy a salary. An initial FOI submission to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage was rejected on the grounds that specific personal information could not be shared. A second request asking for a description of protocol when someone is convicted of a serious crime such as murder received the response that it 'would fall under the category of serious misconduct. It is the case that all serious misconduct cases are dealt with on a case-by-case basis having regard to the relevant guidelines and procedures and legal advice, as appropriate.' A final request asked for the number of people on the payroll who have not presented to work in the past five years. This was refused on the grounds that it 'would involve the disclosure of personal Information'. Extra asked the department this week if it had any update to its comment in February. A spokesman responded: '…you have raised a query about a conviction for a serious criminal offence (murder) and the department can confirm that there are no persons currently serving a prison sentence for such a conviction who are in receipt of any payments (whether by way of salary or otherwise) paid by the department, which includes the NPWS.' Asked if that was true at the time of our initial queries in February, and what the 'legal correspondence' mentioned in the initial response referred to, a spokesman said the department 'won't be adding anything to the response' provided this week. Mr French said it is 'hard to find words to describe the situation' of Mr Kilroy potentially receiving a salary over six months after his conviction and almost six years after being arrested for murder. 'From child guardianship to property ownership, the legal situation following a homicide needs serious reform,' he told People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger raised the issue in the Dáil this week, with Taoiseach Micheál Martin responding that he did 'not have the background in respect of the NPWS and how it is dealing with this, but I will find out'. Ms Coppinger told Extra: 'It's very concerning someone who was very publicly tried and convicted for the murder of his wife could continue to be paid by the State.' An employment law expert told they 'can think of no legal reason why somebody convicted would still be getting paid'. 'If somebody is arrested for a really serious charge, such as murder, I would expect that they would immediately be put on administrative – i.e. paid – leave, because they have the presumption of innocence. 'But on conviction, that ought to have been withdrawn and his employment terminated. And I suspect what has happened is simple human error, he wasn't removed from the payroll, because as far as they were concerned, he was still on 'special leave.'' The solicitor added the 'only other angle I could see' is that, 'perhaps on humanitarian grounds, they're placing his salary in trust for the kids, because he's not in a position to provide for them and the mother has passed away'. But he further explained there was 'no legal authority' for such an arrangement. A spokesman for the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform told 'In the event a civil servant is convicted and incarcerated for a serious offence, dismissal would be highly probable, subject to the specific circumstances and the application of internal disciplinary procedures. 'The reasons for warranting the sanction of dismissal are cited in Appendix A of the Civil Service Disciplinary Code which states that any serious misconduct is misconduct which is sufficiently serious to warrant dismissal or other serious sanction.' A source in a union that represents civil servants said their experience aligns with the department's comments that judgments are made 'case by case' when someone is convicted of a crime. 'There's no one-size-fits-all process that I'm aware of,' they said. 'If you go down to the Four Courts and listen to a whole day's proceedings, there's no one-size-fits-all when it comes to criminal law. 'Criminal law is vast, and with good reason, because the nature of what transgresses the law varies widely. The law has different ways of dealing with cases of different individual criminal activity.' Mr Kilroy's legal team, Thomas J Walsh Solicitors in Castlebar, Co. Mayo, did not respond to an approach for comment.
The Independent
4 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Humpback whale in Sydney Harbour treats commuters to a surprise
Watch the remarkable moment that a humpback whale is spotted in Sydney Harbour on Wednesday (16 July). Eyewitness footage taken onboard a passing ferry shows the mammal poking above the waters at Circular Quay – Sydney's central ferry terminal - before diving back down. The appearance of the whale resulted in ferries having to be temporarily paused during the morning commute on advice of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). Crews from the NPWS guarded the animal as it swam freely in the harbour until it left the area a few hours later, a NPWS spokesperson said.
ABC News
5 days ago
- General
- ABC News
Humpback whale makes its way through Sydney Harbour, pauses ferries during morning commute
A humpback whale making its merry way through Sydney Harbour resulted in ferries having to temporarily pause during the morning commute. The juvenile whale first entered the harbour about 8am on Wednesday. At approximately 9am, "ferries paused their services" briefly following advice of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), spokesperson Mel Hall said. Footage taken from a passenger inside one ferry showed the whale's tail out of the water as it swam near the vessel. "Transport for NSW Maritime is managing ferry and other boat traffic to allow safe passage of the whale through the harbour," the spokesperson for Transport for NSW said. The whale did not appear to be entangled or injured and instead may have "taken a detour" on its migration north. NPWS and Maritime NSW crews said they were escorting the humpback on its journey in a bid to protect both the animal and the public. Transport for NSW said whale scientist Vanessa Pirotta from Macquarie University was also on board the crew vessel to provide expertise. Given how busy the harbour can be, the crew's vessels marked an exclusion zone around the freely travelling whale to prevent other boats from getting too close. Prior to the crew's intervention, the whale had been heading towards Circular Quay. "Since that time it has gradually been making its way east, and we believe now around lunchtime it has exited the harbour or its lingering at the harbour entrance," Ms Hall said. "This is a reasonably common event now in Sydney Harbour. "When a whale does come into the harbour, the government organisations in the harbour then step up to escort the whale." Each year about 40,000 humpback whales journey north from Antarctica up to Queensland. As per Transport For NSW, boaters are advised to keep a minimum 100 metres from adult whales and 300m from a calf at all times and follow directions of control vessels. Boaters are not permitted to stop and wait in the path of the whale. NPWS thanked the public and the transport system for their cooperation.
