Latest news with #TfNSW
Yahoo
5 minutes ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Major trend among drivers after mobile cameras generate millions in fines
Drivers in their late 20s to early 30s have emerged as the biggest mobile phone offenders in the country's most populous state. The latest data shows the cohort is far worse than their younger counterparts. A Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW) spokesman confirmed to Yahoo that motorists aged between 26 and 35 are being caught on roadside mobile detection cameras at a significantly higher rate than those in other age brackets. They received a whopping 84,000 fines in 2023 and 2024, a jump up from the next group of offenders — 36 to 45-year-olds — who received 77,000 in the same two-year timespan. While the overall number of drivers penalised has decreased since the introduction of mobile detection cameras in the state just over five years ago, hundreds of thousands of motorists continue to get caught out. Forty-six to 55-year-olds copped 57,000 fines in the same timeframe, while the youngest group on the roads, motorists aged 17 to 25, received just 41,000. Mobile phone penalties plunge as drivers become aware Before mobile phone detection cameras were rolled out in NSW in 2020, distracted driving was clearly far more common on the state's roads. In 2019, around one in every 82 drivers was caught using their phone behind the wheel. But now, that figure has dropped dramatically, closer to one in every 1,084 drivers. There are dozens of fixed and portable cameras currently operating across NSW, recording offenders who are caught scrolling, texting or taking calls without a hands-free setup. The consequences are steep. Getting caught will cost drivers $423 and five demerit points — enough to push many close to suspension. The penalties are even harsher during double demerit periods, when the point count doubles. Authorities argue the steep decline in offences is proof that the cameras are working as a deterrent, as safety advocates warn that even a single moment of distraction behind the wheel can be deadly. 🚘 Driver highlights 'terrible' problem with roadside cameras 📸 Fears of 'mistakes' with new cameras targeting Aussie drivers 💰 Driver hit with $387 fine for 'using a phone' awarded $4000 NSW's most-fined road revealed Earlier this week, it was revealed that just a year after a new set of speed cameras were switched on to enforcement mode inside a notorious inner city tunnel, over 20,000 drivers have been caught speeding — generating almost $5 million in fines. According to TfNSW data, analysed by the state opposition, motorists in Sydney continue to get penalised by speed cameras at the Rozelle Interchange, in the city's inner west, more than at any other spot in the state. The cameras only began issuing fines last year, but since then, the westbound cameras have detected more than 21,000 speeding drivers, generating $4.6 million in fines. It's all part of a wider trend, with the state's total fine revenue hitting $414 million last financial year, marking a 25 per cent rise on the year before. The figures showed that high-earning hotspots include the NorthConnex tunnel at Normanhurst (southbound) — bringing in $4.7 million — and the WestConnex tunnel at Newtown (southbound), with speeding fines totalling $4 million. While the numbers seem eye-watering, TfNSW said there are signs of improvement. At one point, a quarter of drivers in the Rozelle Interchange were caught speeding, but now it's dropped to one in 40. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
The Advertiser
3 days ago
- The Advertiser
Needles reportedly spotted at Horseshoe beach amid ongoing clean-up
Needles have been spotted on Horseshoe beach amid the ongoing clean-up of the surrounding area. Novocastrians reportedly stumbled upon what looked like discarded needles along the waterfront last week. While Transport for NSW said they weren't aware of needle waste specifically, they were working with Maritime Environmental Services to arrange a clean-up of the beach and surrounding waterfront areas around Newcastle Harbour as soon as possible. A spokesperson for TfNSW said they planned to alert the appropriate authorities about needle wastage in the area. "The amenity and cleanliness of Transport assets is a top priority," the spokesperson said. "Horseshoe beach was impacted by recent severe weather, resulting in debris, such as logs and sticks, washing up on the sand," they said. "Members of the public are reminded not to touch or pick up needles." TfNSW has been cleaning up the beach car park and nearby dunes after the area had become overrun with "vagrants", littered with needles and drug paraphernalia and was apparently so unsafe that the council's own regulatory staff have been told not to go there. Member for Newcastle Tim Crakanthorp said he was aware of the community's concerns and was pushing for the clean-up of the area to be expedited. "TfNSW have been conducting a progressive clean of this area, with officers making multiple trips to the site this week and very regularly over the last few months," Mr Crakanthorp said. Following the removal of some vans and the relocation of others who have been long-term in the car park, TfNSW has completed a clean-up in the car park and is progressively working through adjacent spaces," he said. In a Facebook post last week, Mr Crakanthorp said the issue was complex, as many of the people occupying Horseshoe beach were homeless. "Police and Homes NSW have been working to move on vans and rehouse rough sleepers at Horseshoe Beach with appropriate housing," he said. The federal MP encouraged people to report all needle waste to the Needle Clean up Hotline at 1800 633 353. Needles have been spotted on Horseshoe beach amid the ongoing clean-up of the surrounding area. Novocastrians reportedly stumbled upon what looked like discarded needles along the waterfront last week. While Transport for NSW said they weren't aware of needle waste specifically, they were working with Maritime Environmental Services to arrange a clean-up of the beach and surrounding waterfront areas around Newcastle Harbour as soon as possible. A spokesperson for TfNSW said they planned to alert the appropriate authorities about needle wastage in the area. "The amenity and cleanliness of Transport assets is a top priority," the spokesperson said. "Horseshoe beach was impacted by recent severe weather, resulting in debris, such as logs and sticks, washing up on the sand," they said. "Members of the public are reminded not to touch or pick up needles." TfNSW has been cleaning up the beach car park and nearby dunes after the area had become overrun with "vagrants", littered with needles and drug paraphernalia and was apparently so unsafe that the council's own regulatory staff have been told not to go there. Member for Newcastle Tim Crakanthorp said he was aware of the community's concerns and was pushing for the clean-up of the area to be expedited. "TfNSW have been conducting a progressive clean of this area, with officers making multiple trips to the site this week and very regularly over the last few months," Mr Crakanthorp said. Following the removal of some vans and the relocation of others who have been long-term in the car park, TfNSW has completed a clean-up in the car park and is progressively working through adjacent spaces," he said. In a Facebook post last week, Mr Crakanthorp said the issue was complex, as many of the people occupying Horseshoe beach were homeless. "Police and Homes NSW have been working to move on vans and rehouse rough sleepers at Horseshoe Beach with appropriate housing," he said. The federal MP encouraged people to report all needle waste to the Needle Clean up Hotline at 1800 633 353. Needles have been spotted on Horseshoe beach amid the ongoing clean-up of the surrounding area. Novocastrians reportedly stumbled upon what looked like discarded needles along the waterfront last week. While Transport for NSW said they weren't aware of needle waste specifically, they were working with Maritime Environmental Services to arrange a clean-up of the beach and surrounding waterfront areas around Newcastle Harbour as soon as possible. A spokesperson for TfNSW said they planned to alert the appropriate authorities about needle wastage in the area. "The amenity and cleanliness of Transport assets is a top priority," the spokesperson said. "Horseshoe beach was impacted by recent severe weather, resulting in debris, such as logs and sticks, washing up on the sand," they said. "Members of the public are reminded not to touch or pick up needles." TfNSW has been cleaning up the beach car park and nearby dunes after the area had become overrun with "vagrants", littered with needles and drug paraphernalia and was apparently so unsafe that the council's own regulatory staff have been told not to go there. Member for Newcastle Tim Crakanthorp said he was aware of the community's concerns and was pushing for the clean-up of the area to be expedited. "TfNSW have been conducting a progressive clean of this area, with officers making multiple trips to the site this week and very regularly over the last few months," Mr Crakanthorp said. Following the removal of some vans and the relocation of others who have been long-term in the car park, TfNSW has completed a clean-up in the car park and is progressively working through adjacent spaces," he said. In a Facebook post last week, Mr Crakanthorp said the issue was complex, as many of the people occupying Horseshoe beach were homeless. "Police and Homes NSW have been working to move on vans and rehouse rough sleepers at Horseshoe Beach with appropriate housing," he said. The federal MP encouraged people to report all needle waste to the Needle Clean up Hotline at 1800 633 353. Needles have been spotted on Horseshoe beach amid the ongoing clean-up of the surrounding area. Novocastrians reportedly stumbled upon what looked like discarded needles along the waterfront last week. While Transport for NSW said they weren't aware of needle waste specifically, they were working with Maritime Environmental Services to arrange a clean-up of the beach and surrounding waterfront areas around Newcastle Harbour as soon as possible. A spokesperson for TfNSW said they planned to alert the appropriate authorities about needle wastage in the area. "The amenity and cleanliness of Transport assets is a top priority," the spokesperson said. "Horseshoe beach was impacted by recent severe weather, resulting in debris, such as logs and sticks, washing up on the sand," they said. "Members of the public are reminded not to touch or pick up needles." TfNSW has been cleaning up the beach car park and nearby dunes after the area had become overrun with "vagrants", littered with needles and drug paraphernalia and was apparently so unsafe that the council's own regulatory staff have been told not to go there. Member for Newcastle Tim Crakanthorp said he was aware of the community's concerns and was pushing for the clean-up of the area to be expedited. "TfNSW have been conducting a progressive clean of this area, with officers making multiple trips to the site this week and very regularly over the last few months," Mr Crakanthorp said. Following the removal of some vans and the relocation of others who have been long-term in the car park, TfNSW has completed a clean-up in the car park and is progressively working through adjacent spaces," he said. In a Facebook post last week, Mr Crakanthorp said the issue was complex, as many of the people occupying Horseshoe beach were homeless. "Police and Homes NSW have been working to move on vans and rehouse rough sleepers at Horseshoe Beach with appropriate housing," he said. The federal MP encouraged people to report all needle waste to the Needle Clean up Hotline at 1800 633 353.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Discovery along 1km stretch of road prompts $272 warning to Aussie drivers
Australian learner and provisional drivers are being urged to properly secure their plates after authorities found more than 100 of them strewn along a one-kilometre stretch of road. Transport for NSW (TfNSW) said that over a six-month period, a total of 111 learner and P-plates were found on Samantha Riley Drive in Kellyville, in Sydney's northwest. "And there's likely many more across the state," the department said on Wednesday. In the state, learner and provisional drivers face fines of $272 and two demerit points if they fail to properly display their L or P plates. The plates must be clearly visible on both the front and rear of the vehicle, and motorists can be penalised even if the plates have "flown off" prior to being stopped. Given learners and provisional licence holders have lower demerit point limits, not displaying plates correctly can put their licence at risk. To mitigate this, TfNSW advises "using a clip or holder" on their vehicle. "[This] will help keep the plates on your vehicle and out of the environment — remember to always have the right one on for your licence type so that drivers behind you know the maximum speed you can travel," it said. Pictures shared by the department show dozens of plates collected by authorities, with more seen scattered in gutters, on the roadside, and in a skip bin. Why are L and P plates so important? Displaying L and P plates is a legal requirement in every Australian jurisdiction because it allows other drivers and authorities to easily identify inexperienced motorists. Major driver's licence change for Aussie drivers from today Aussie L-plater's surprise response after copping $1,689 fine Warning over rumoured driver's licence loophole Learner and provisional drivers are subject to specific restrictions, such as lower speed limits, zero blood alcohol content and visible plates help police enforce these rules. The plates also promote road safety by encouraging other motorists to be more patient and give extra space, reducing the pressure on novice drivers and lowering the risk of accidents. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
The Advertiser
7 days ago
- Politics
- The Advertiser
'Glass jaw and a keyboard': councillor aims fiery tirade at Newcastle MP over Horseshoe beach
LIBERAL councillor Callum Pull has had a crack at Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp in a fiery tirade over what he called the 'embarrassing' state of the Horseshoe beach precinct. The car park and the nearby dunes have become overrun with "vagrants", littered with needles and drug paraphernalia and are apparently so unsafe that the council's own regulatory staff have been told not to go there. Cr Pull and his colleague Cr Jenny Barrie put forward a motion to Tuesday night's council meeting calling on Transport for NSW (TfNSW) to come to the table and fix the "dangerous eyesore". Just hours before the meeting, Mr Crakanthorp took to Facebook, describing Cr Pull's motion as not only "disheartening" but "disingenuous". "Transport for NSW has been conducting a progressive clean-up of the carpark, beginning last week," Mr Crakanthorp said. "The councillor's decision to raise this motion now that the site has been cleaned is opportunistic and disappointing." The post evidently did not sit well with Cr Pull, who suggested Mr Crakanthorp, "once crowned the whinger in chief of the NSW Parliament," deserves the new title of "professional buck-passer". "The Member for Newcastle has had two years to do something about it, and the moment that Cr Barrie and I did something about it, his response was to make a sulky Facebook post," he said. "Whilst I'm glad to see that the NSW government decided to start cleaning up this precinct after the notice of motion was submitted and published, if the Member for Newcastle Tim Crakanthorp wants to take credit for the work of the past week, he also needs to take responsibility for the lack of action in the past two years. "You don't fix issues like this by sitting behind a keyboard with a glass jaw typing up a sulky Facebook post; only action yields results." Councillors unanimously voted to call on TfNSW to address safety issues around Horseshoe beach, signpost parking restrictions, and finalise a service agreement with the council. A report to councillors said City of Newcastle (CN) had not been able to resolve an agreement with TfNSW, which would ensure maintenance and management of the precinct, since the end of Newcastle 500. The council stopped all regulatory action in the Horseshoe beach area about 12 months ago. Independent lord mayor Ross Kerridge said efforts to resolve problems in the precinct had been under way for several months, particularly with Homes NSW liaising with rough sleepers in the car park. "Look, it has been a lot of work, and it has been an issue, and the fact that it got to this point is regrettable," he said. "But I think the citizens of Newcastle should be assured that I think it's going to be a whole lot better in a month's time, or two months' time, than it's been for a long time." With no signposted parking restrictions in place, the car park is being used for short and long-term parking and has become home to rough sleepers living out of their vehicles. In his Facebook post, Mr Crakanthorp said the issue was complex, as many of the people occupying Horseshoe beach are experiencing homelessness. "TfNSW, NSW Police, and Homes NSW have been working together to find a long-term and permanent solution for Horseshoe Beach and those living there," he said. "Police and Homes NSW have been working to move on vans and rehouse rough sleepers at Horseshoe Beach with appropriate housing. "I share the community's frustrations about the delays in this process, and that is why I went directly to the Minister to escalate this issue." TfNSW told the Newcastle Herald last week it planned to replace "no overnight camping" signs, which were removed by unknown persons. The new signs will permit four-hour parking and the towing away of vehicles as required. This week, a TfNSW spokeswoman confirmed crews had cleaned the site on Friday and were working with NSW Police to identify owners of some personal belongings in the car park. A report to councillors said the council has made recommendations to TFNSW to address long-term parking in the area and has offered to make and install signage once TFNSW decides what actions it wants to take. The council will write to Mr Crakanthorp, Minister for Regional Roads and Transport Jenny Aitchison and TfNSW to ask for the matter to be resolved. LIBERAL councillor Callum Pull has had a crack at Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp in a fiery tirade over what he called the 'embarrassing' state of the Horseshoe beach precinct. The car park and the nearby dunes have become overrun with "vagrants", littered with needles and drug paraphernalia and are apparently so unsafe that the council's own regulatory staff have been told not to go there. Cr Pull and his colleague Cr Jenny Barrie put forward a motion to Tuesday night's council meeting calling on Transport for NSW (TfNSW) to come to the table and fix the "dangerous eyesore". Just hours before the meeting, Mr Crakanthorp took to Facebook, describing Cr Pull's motion as not only "disheartening" but "disingenuous". "Transport for NSW has been conducting a progressive clean-up of the carpark, beginning last week," Mr Crakanthorp said. "The councillor's decision to raise this motion now that the site has been cleaned is opportunistic and disappointing." The post evidently did not sit well with Cr Pull, who suggested Mr Crakanthorp, "once crowned the whinger in chief of the NSW Parliament," deserves the new title of "professional buck-passer". "The Member for Newcastle has had two years to do something about it, and the moment that Cr Barrie and I did something about it, his response was to make a sulky Facebook post," he said. "Whilst I'm glad to see that the NSW government decided to start cleaning up this precinct after the notice of motion was submitted and published, if the Member for Newcastle Tim Crakanthorp wants to take credit for the work of the past week, he also needs to take responsibility for the lack of action in the past two years. "You don't fix issues like this by sitting behind a keyboard with a glass jaw typing up a sulky Facebook post; only action yields results." Councillors unanimously voted to call on TfNSW to address safety issues around Horseshoe beach, signpost parking restrictions, and finalise a service agreement with the council. A report to councillors said City of Newcastle (CN) had not been able to resolve an agreement with TfNSW, which would ensure maintenance and management of the precinct, since the end of Newcastle 500. The council stopped all regulatory action in the Horseshoe beach area about 12 months ago. Independent lord mayor Ross Kerridge said efforts to resolve problems in the precinct had been under way for several months, particularly with Homes NSW liaising with rough sleepers in the car park. "Look, it has been a lot of work, and it has been an issue, and the fact that it got to this point is regrettable," he said. "But I think the citizens of Newcastle should be assured that I think it's going to be a whole lot better in a month's time, or two months' time, than it's been for a long time." With no signposted parking restrictions in place, the car park is being used for short and long-term parking and has become home to rough sleepers living out of their vehicles. In his Facebook post, Mr Crakanthorp said the issue was complex, as many of the people occupying Horseshoe beach are experiencing homelessness. "TfNSW, NSW Police, and Homes NSW have been working together to find a long-term and permanent solution for Horseshoe Beach and those living there," he said. "Police and Homes NSW have been working to move on vans and rehouse rough sleepers at Horseshoe Beach with appropriate housing. "I share the community's frustrations about the delays in this process, and that is why I went directly to the Minister to escalate this issue." TfNSW told the Newcastle Herald last week it planned to replace "no overnight camping" signs, which were removed by unknown persons. The new signs will permit four-hour parking and the towing away of vehicles as required. This week, a TfNSW spokeswoman confirmed crews had cleaned the site on Friday and were working with NSW Police to identify owners of some personal belongings in the car park. A report to councillors said the council has made recommendations to TFNSW to address long-term parking in the area and has offered to make and install signage once TFNSW decides what actions it wants to take. The council will write to Mr Crakanthorp, Minister for Regional Roads and Transport Jenny Aitchison and TfNSW to ask for the matter to be resolved. LIBERAL councillor Callum Pull has had a crack at Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp in a fiery tirade over what he called the 'embarrassing' state of the Horseshoe beach precinct. The car park and the nearby dunes have become overrun with "vagrants", littered with needles and drug paraphernalia and are apparently so unsafe that the council's own regulatory staff have been told not to go there. Cr Pull and his colleague Cr Jenny Barrie put forward a motion to Tuesday night's council meeting calling on Transport for NSW (TfNSW) to come to the table and fix the "dangerous eyesore". Just hours before the meeting, Mr Crakanthorp took to Facebook, describing Cr Pull's motion as not only "disheartening" but "disingenuous". "Transport for NSW has been conducting a progressive clean-up of the carpark, beginning last week," Mr Crakanthorp said. "The councillor's decision to raise this motion now that the site has been cleaned is opportunistic and disappointing." The post evidently did not sit well with Cr Pull, who suggested Mr Crakanthorp, "once crowned the whinger in chief of the NSW Parliament," deserves the new title of "professional buck-passer". "The Member for Newcastle has had two years to do something about it, and the moment that Cr Barrie and I did something about it, his response was to make a sulky Facebook post," he said. "Whilst I'm glad to see that the NSW government decided to start cleaning up this precinct after the notice of motion was submitted and published, if the Member for Newcastle Tim Crakanthorp wants to take credit for the work of the past week, he also needs to take responsibility for the lack of action in the past two years. "You don't fix issues like this by sitting behind a keyboard with a glass jaw typing up a sulky Facebook post; only action yields results." Councillors unanimously voted to call on TfNSW to address safety issues around Horseshoe beach, signpost parking restrictions, and finalise a service agreement with the council. A report to councillors said City of Newcastle (CN) had not been able to resolve an agreement with TfNSW, which would ensure maintenance and management of the precinct, since the end of Newcastle 500. The council stopped all regulatory action in the Horseshoe beach area about 12 months ago. Independent lord mayor Ross Kerridge said efforts to resolve problems in the precinct had been under way for several months, particularly with Homes NSW liaising with rough sleepers in the car park. "Look, it has been a lot of work, and it has been an issue, and the fact that it got to this point is regrettable," he said. "But I think the citizens of Newcastle should be assured that I think it's going to be a whole lot better in a month's time, or two months' time, than it's been for a long time." With no signposted parking restrictions in place, the car park is being used for short and long-term parking and has become home to rough sleepers living out of their vehicles. In his Facebook post, Mr Crakanthorp said the issue was complex, as many of the people occupying Horseshoe beach are experiencing homelessness. "TfNSW, NSW Police, and Homes NSW have been working together to find a long-term and permanent solution for Horseshoe Beach and those living there," he said. "Police and Homes NSW have been working to move on vans and rehouse rough sleepers at Horseshoe Beach with appropriate housing. "I share the community's frustrations about the delays in this process, and that is why I went directly to the Minister to escalate this issue." TfNSW told the Newcastle Herald last week it planned to replace "no overnight camping" signs, which were removed by unknown persons. The new signs will permit four-hour parking and the towing away of vehicles as required. This week, a TfNSW spokeswoman confirmed crews had cleaned the site on Friday and were working with NSW Police to identify owners of some personal belongings in the car park. A report to councillors said the council has made recommendations to TFNSW to address long-term parking in the area and has offered to make and install signage once TFNSW decides what actions it wants to take. The council will write to Mr Crakanthorp, Minister for Regional Roads and Transport Jenny Aitchison and TfNSW to ask for the matter to be resolved. LIBERAL councillor Callum Pull has had a crack at Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp in a fiery tirade over what he called the 'embarrassing' state of the Horseshoe beach precinct. The car park and the nearby dunes have become overrun with "vagrants", littered with needles and drug paraphernalia and are apparently so unsafe that the council's own regulatory staff have been told not to go there. Cr Pull and his colleague Cr Jenny Barrie put forward a motion to Tuesday night's council meeting calling on Transport for NSW (TfNSW) to come to the table and fix the "dangerous eyesore". Just hours before the meeting, Mr Crakanthorp took to Facebook, describing Cr Pull's motion as not only "disheartening" but "disingenuous". "Transport for NSW has been conducting a progressive clean-up of the carpark, beginning last week," Mr Crakanthorp said. "The councillor's decision to raise this motion now that the site has been cleaned is opportunistic and disappointing." The post evidently did not sit well with Cr Pull, who suggested Mr Crakanthorp, "once crowned the whinger in chief of the NSW Parliament," deserves the new title of "professional buck-passer". "The Member for Newcastle has had two years to do something about it, and the moment that Cr Barrie and I did something about it, his response was to make a sulky Facebook post," he said. "Whilst I'm glad to see that the NSW government decided to start cleaning up this precinct after the notice of motion was submitted and published, if the Member for Newcastle Tim Crakanthorp wants to take credit for the work of the past week, he also needs to take responsibility for the lack of action in the past two years. "You don't fix issues like this by sitting behind a keyboard with a glass jaw typing up a sulky Facebook post; only action yields results." Councillors unanimously voted to call on TfNSW to address safety issues around Horseshoe beach, signpost parking restrictions, and finalise a service agreement with the council. A report to councillors said City of Newcastle (CN) had not been able to resolve an agreement with TfNSW, which would ensure maintenance and management of the precinct, since the end of Newcastle 500. The council stopped all regulatory action in the Horseshoe beach area about 12 months ago. Independent lord mayor Ross Kerridge said efforts to resolve problems in the precinct had been under way for several months, particularly with Homes NSW liaising with rough sleepers in the car park. "Look, it has been a lot of work, and it has been an issue, and the fact that it got to this point is regrettable," he said. "But I think the citizens of Newcastle should be assured that I think it's going to be a whole lot better in a month's time, or two months' time, than it's been for a long time." With no signposted parking restrictions in place, the car park is being used for short and long-term parking and has become home to rough sleepers living out of their vehicles. In his Facebook post, Mr Crakanthorp said the issue was complex, as many of the people occupying Horseshoe beach are experiencing homelessness. "TfNSW, NSW Police, and Homes NSW have been working together to find a long-term and permanent solution for Horseshoe Beach and those living there," he said. "Police and Homes NSW have been working to move on vans and rehouse rough sleepers at Horseshoe Beach with appropriate housing. "I share the community's frustrations about the delays in this process, and that is why I went directly to the Minister to escalate this issue." TfNSW told the Newcastle Herald last week it planned to replace "no overnight camping" signs, which were removed by unknown persons. The new signs will permit four-hour parking and the towing away of vehicles as required. This week, a TfNSW spokeswoman confirmed crews had cleaned the site on Friday and were working with NSW Police to identify owners of some personal belongings in the car park. A report to councillors said the council has made recommendations to TFNSW to address long-term parking in the area and has offered to make and install signage once TFNSW decides what actions it wants to take. The council will write to Mr Crakanthorp, Minister for Regional Roads and Transport Jenny Aitchison and TfNSW to ask for the matter to be resolved.
News.com.au
14-07-2025
- News.com.au
Former Transport for NSW employee accused of ‘staggering' corruption now on the run
A former Transport for NSW (TfNSW) employee who is accused of pocketing about $11.5 million from allegedly corrupt dealings with roadworks contractors is on the run. Ibrahim Helmy is at the centre of an Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) inquiry that alleges a 'staggering' $343 million of taxpayer-funded contracts were awarded to businesses that he is suspected to have had corrupt relationships with. After he failed to attend an ICAC summons in May, NSW Police issued a warrant for Mr Helmy's arrest. A family member told the Commission he 'took the rubbish out on a Sunday night and did not return', and counsel assisting Rob Ranken, SC, told the inquiry, 'we believe he remains in the jurisdiction and that individuals have been collaborating to conceal his whereabouts.' His family has not reported him missing. It is alleged that between 2012 to 2024, Mr Helmy masterminded a web of corruption involving at least four other TfNSW employees that saw a number of businesses awarded lucrative contracts in return for kickbacks which came in the form of gold bullion nuggets, cryptocurrency, gift cards and other valuables. Invoices for the contracts, which were worth between $12 million to $99 million, were allegedly 'falsely inflated' and according to one of the business owners, the excess was split 50/50 between the business and Mr Helmy. Mr Ranken said there is evidence suggesting that on one occasion Mr Helmy helped a business prepare a tender submission and provided 'confidential documents prepared by other contractors to assist with the preparation' of their submission. It is also alleged that Mr Helmy stacked tender evaluation committees 'in a way that allowed him to manipulate the committee's recommendations'. The inquiry heard that one of the businesses involved, Protection Barriers, had received 'very little' work from TfNSW prior to mid 2020 when Mr Helmy is alleged to have begun a corrupt relationship with them. Protection Barriers founder Jason Chellew told the inquiry on Monday he was contacted by Mr Helmy and that he 'proposed, giving us jobs, for yeah, kickbacks.' 'The problem we had at that sort of time, we were worried that if we said 'no', we would have got nothing,' Mr Chellew said, referring to a fear that rejecting Mr Helmy's offer would result in the business being passed up by TfNSW for lucrative contracts in future. 'I didn't really want to do it but that was what we did at the time,' he said. Between 2020 and 2024, Protection Barriers was awarded approximately $99 million worth of contracts and it is alleged that Mr Helmy received about $9m in kickbacks from the business, most of which was paid in cryptocurrency. A police search of Mr Helmy's premises in September last year seized 12 bars of silver weighing 1kg each, three platinum bars weighing 1 ounce each, 20 gold bullion nuggets and five gold bullion bars each weighing 1 ounce, nine 100 gram gold bullion bars and $12,317 in cash. The Crime Commission also found the equivalent of about $8 million in cryptocurrency stored in the account of an associate of Mr Helmy, the inquiry heard. Mr Helmy and Mr Chellew have not been charged with any criminal offence. This is the fourth public inquiry into TfNSW since 2019 and in his opening statement, Mr Ranken said: 'In each of the previous investigations, (other) TfNSW officials were found to have manipulated procurements and/or contract management processes for corrupt benefit. We expect the evidence is likely to establish that also to be the case in this investigation.'
