Latest news with #Ulverstone
ABC News
07-08-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
North-West Thunder to risk club closure in high-stakes solo bid for basketball licence
The North-West Thunder will defy the wishes of Basketball Tasmania and refuse to engage in any merger talks with the Launceston Tornadoes, as the battle for northern Tasmania's sole NBL1 basketball licence intensifies. Instead, the Thunder will adopt an all-or-nothing approach and chance its arm on a standalone bid for the license, which could shape the future of basketball in the region. It is a move that Thunder chair James Leslie knows could spell the end of the club, but one he described as a "risk we have to take". "We want what's best for basketball, and if it's not the model we've put forward, then we just hope that with the decisions that are made, there is accountability [from Basketball Tasmania] to results in the longer term." Currently, the Thunder and Tornadoes share the sole northern Tasmanian licence. The Thunder, based in Ulverstone, are the league's sole standalone men's team, while the Launceston Tornadoes are the only standalone women's team. But the operators of the NBL1 South competition, Basketball Victoria, want just one club — consisting of both a men's and women's team — to hold the licence, citing logistical and travel challenges for rival clubs based in Victoria. It means the Thunder and Tornadoes have had to enter a fight for the licence, which will only be granted with the endorsement of Basketball Tasmania. While the Tornadoes have been open to a joint venture with the Thunder, that would see operations split between Launceston and Ulverstone, the Thunder have long held reservations about that model. "Basketball Tasmania obviously has a mandate which must be to try and please everybody in the process, but we don't think that's possible. "The biggest issue is a lack of a home base, trying to work equally in each region. It just doesn't work." "It doesn't work practically, it doesn't work financially, and it puts us in a position that gives us duty of care issues with the amount of travel that's involved with these athletes," he said. With the Thunder reluctant to participate in a joint bid, both clubs submitted standalone applications for the licence last month. The Thunder's bid included a proposed 6-5 split of home games between Ulverstone and Launceston, with the club's operations remaining based on the coast. But in a twist, Basketball Tasmania refused to endorse either application, citing a desire for the two clubs to further develop a "unified submission" akin to a merger. That has angered the Thunder to the extent that it will now revert to an original plan that included a 9-2 split of home games between Ulverstone and Launceston. And if that bid proves unsuccessful by the August 29 deadline, the Thunder said it would "remove ourselves from consideration accordingly". The Tornadoes declined to provide comment, but did confirm that representatives from the club would attend a "meeting with key stakeholders" that was scheduled for last night. However, the Thunder, which was invited, told the ABC it would not be in attendance. Basketball Tasmania declined to comment. The impasse leaves Basketball Tasmania in the position of likely having to choose between the Tornadoes or the Thunder, with the unsuccessful club to be consigned to the sidelines next year and beyond. The exclusion of either team would heavily impact basketball in the north and the north-west. The Launceston Tornadoes were established in 1993 and are a mainstay of Tasmanian women's sport. In 1995, they became the first Tasmanian team to win the Australian Basketball Association national championship, under coach Michael House. Launceston Basketball Association general manager Kelly Renny backed a joint venture between the Tornadoes and Thunder. "Excluding either region from access to this licence would be detrimental. It risks fragmenting the sport, limiting opportunities for development, and reducing the quality of the experience for participants and spectators." The Thunder represent Tasmania's north-west coast, considered the state's basketball heartland, and the region that has produced perhaps the highest level of talent relative to its population. That includes Golden State Warriors' Taran Armstrong, current Australian Boomer Reyne Smith, and strong NBA prospect Jacob Furphy. The eight clubs of the traditionally strong North West Basketball Union (NWBU) have all formally backed the North West Thunder's stance. In a statement, Greg Miller, president of Penguin Basketball Association, said on behalf of eight NWBU clubs, that what "little was known" of the proposed merged model with the Tornadoes "simply didn't offer the clarity, connection, or confidence that our clubs — and more importantly, our communities — need". "The Thunder program already has a proud history in the north-west, a loyal supporter base, and strong links to local junior and senior competitions. It has a clear identity and a proper home base at Ulverstone's Harcourts Stadium — something the merged proposal doesn't adequately address," he said. "We want a team in NBL1 that is of the north, for the north — one with a home and a long-term future. We believe a standalone model delivers on that, rather than a forced merger of two diametrically opposed sides that have too many differences to be solved in such a short time frame.
News.com.au
18-06-2025
- News.com.au
New details emerge on fatal shooting of Tasmanian police officer
A Tasmanian police officer killed after arriving to carry out an arranged house repossession had built a 'rapport' with the alleged gunman who shot him. Despite the presence of Special Operations Group (SOG) officers, it is believed the visit to the Allison Rd, North Motton property was expected to be a high-risk situation. Constable Keith Anthony Smith, 57, was fatally shot as he and a colleague attended the address on Monday to serve a court warrant to repossess the rural home. A 46-year-old man – the alleged offender – was shot in the hand and was receiving treatment at Launceston Hospital on Wednesday as investigations continued. Police Association of Tasmania president Shane Tilley told Constable Smith's death had 'put a shockwave' through the department and devastated his family. 'We haven't had an incident like this for over 100 years,' he said. Mr Tilley said officers would have conducted background checks and reviewed any intelligence records before attending the property, located in a small northwest Tasmanian hamlet near Ulverstone. He said SOG officers were there to support Constable Smith and his colleague, adding it was not unusual for the tactical unit to be present for such tasks. 'My understanding is it was an arranged meeting at a particular time, and there was some sort of rapport between Keith and the alleged offender,' he said. 'No one expected this outcome.' Constable Smith, a 25-year police veteran and father, has been remembered as a distinguished officer whose loss 'will be deeply felt across our policing family and the wider community'. Tasmania Police Commissioner Donna Adams said in a statement on Wednesday she believed the incident could have been 'even worse' had the SOG not been present. She explained how the SOG's role had changed in recent years since being established as a full-time unit. 'The 20-member SOG is now primarily used for frontline assistance jobs, supporting uniformed staff with tasks such as family violence and breach of bail matters, and assisting investigators with general searches and property entries,' Commissioner Adams said. 'This is in addition to the high-risk special operations deployments that the community would be familiar with – for example, where tactical capability is provided to safely resolve incidents such as a siege or threat of violence. 'As I have said already, I fear this horrific event would have had even worse outcomes had our dedicated SOG officers not responded so quickly and professionally, with such bravery. 'They and their colleagues from uniform and investigative areas should (be) commended for their efforts.' Commissioner Adams is expected to front a press conference on Wednesday afternoon. Mr Tilley said he had a 'highly-emotional' visit with Constable Smith's wife and daughter, who were 'just devastated'. 'We're just there to support and let (them) know who we are and, and how we can assist in moving forward.'
ABC News
16-06-2025
- ABC News
What we know about the fatal shooting of a Tasmania Police officer
The Tasmanian police community is in shock after an officer in the process of executing a "routine" job was shot dead on Monday morning — the first shooting death on duty in more than 100 years. The 57-year-old constable, a "genuine, dependable police officer who served the Tasmanian community well for the past 25 years", according to Tasmania's top cop, died while attending a house in North Motton, in the state's north-west. During a media conference on Monday afternoon, Tasmania Police Commissioner Donna Adams said the officer, along with one other uniformed officer, attended the property to serve a warrant. The Specialist Operations Group (SOG), the state's heavily armed specialist tactical unit, was stationed at the bottom of a long driveway at the property. But questions remain about why the alleged offender opened fire on the officer — and why the police specialist tactical group remained at the end of a driveway, sending the uniform officers in first. Here's what we know about the incident so far. The uniformed officers were attending a residence on Allison Road in North Motton, a remote town south of Ulverstone. The officers were there to serve a court-approved warrant to repossess a home — described as a "routine" operation. The deceased officer has not been named yet out of respect for the family, some of whom had not been advised of his passing at the time of yesterday's press conference. However, Commissioner Adams confirmed the officer was a 57-year-old "senior and experienced" male who had a "distinguished 25-year career" and held the rank of constable. He was accompanied by one other "senior experienced sergeant". "As soon as those contacts have been made, we'll provide further information about the identity of the police officer." The occupant of the residence was present when the officers arrived, Commissioner Adams said. At some point between the officer leaving his vehicle and making his way to the front door, he was fatally shot. The SOG were stationed at the end of the property's driveway near the gate. They responded once they heard the shot. She confirmed a number of first responders, police and "other services" attended the incident. At Monday's press conference, Commissioner Adams said she was "struggling to give you the information". "I've been a police officer for 38 years and I've never seen an incident like this that's resulted in the loss of a life of one of our colleagues and friends," she told reporters. The last police shooting death in Tasmania occurred over a century ago, in 1922, according to Tasmania Police Association president Shane Tilley. Police have not provided any details about the identity of the alleged offender, other than confirming he is a male. Commissioner Adams said she did not know his age at the time of yesterday's presser. Asked if the alleged offender was known to police, she said a Professional Standards investigation will look into understanding "the profile of the offender and whether there were any circumstances that may have led to him having a firearm". As of Monday evening, the offender was in hospital receiving treatment for non-life threatening injuries and yet to be charged. The SOG is Tasmania Police's tactical response unit, with similar units in other states and territories. In August 2024, the Tasmanian SOG transitioned from a part-time to full-time unit. Commissioner Adams said the unit was at the North Motton property "to support the frontline officers". When pressed by reporters as to why the SOG was required, Commissioner Adams said the investigation will "look at the request for the special operations group to provide the front-line response". "Now that we have a permanent special operations group, we can deploy [them] in a wider, broader manner," she said. When pressed further as to why the SOG were at the end of the long driveway at the time of the incident, Commissioner Adams did not answer directly. "There's lots of questions that we all have as a result of the incident and that's why we need to be really methodical in our investigation," she said. Commissioner Adams said the SOG had attended around 800 "frontline response jobs" in the last 18 months. The Police Association of Tasmania's Shane Tilley said it was common for them to assist frontline police officers in a wide range of jobs, including drug squad investigations, searches, or jobs where buildings may need to be breached. "Some would be high-risk searches … others would have a lower level of risk attached to them … they may not be required to go into an address, or simply just run a little bit of security around the perimeter," Mr Tilly said. He said delivering a court warrant was an "unusual type of job", but this outcome would not have been expected. Mr Tilley said the police crew assigned to any given job could reach out to the SOG "if they thought that there was potential for things to develop". Commissioner Adams said every police commissioner from around Australia had reached out to express their support, including "a number of other senior colleagues". She said she would remain in the north-west for the next few days to support the family and all those who were in attendance. "Officer safety is my highest priority, and this incident is a stark reminder of the risks our officers face every day," she said. Wellbeing support is being provided to all officers and individuals affected by the incident, she said. "We are doing everything we can to support our officer's colleagues and family, who are understandably devastated." "The trauma for each of those officers attending in a critical response when one of their own has been killed — I can't imagine the grief they are feeling at the moment.
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Yahoo
Australian police officer shot dead at rural property
An Australian police officer has been shot dead on a rural property in Tasmania. The officer was undertaking "routine duties" at a house in North Motton, near the town of Ulverstone, on Monday morning when he was fired at by "a member of the public", Tasmania Police said in a statement. A second police officer returned fire, injuring the suspect, who then surrendered. The alleged offender was not seriously injured, but the police officer died of his injuries at the scene. Shootings are relatively rare in Australia, which introduced some of the world's strictest firearm regulations after 35 people were killed in a massacre by a lone gunman at Port Arthur, Tasmania, in 1996. Following Monday's shooting a crime scene was established in North Motton and the coroner was notified, a police spokesperson said, adding that "there is no ongoing threat to the public". "This is a traumatic incident and well-being support is being provided to those involved and affected," the statement said. Police are expected to update the media on Monday afternoon. In a statement, Tasmanian premier Jeremy Rockliff called the incident a "heartbreaking tragedy". To everyone who had the honour of knowing this officer, especially his family and his colleagues... the love of an entire State is with you today."
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Yahoo
Australian police officer shot dead at rural property
An Australian police officer has been shot dead on a rural property in Tasmania. The officer was undertaking "routine duties" at a house in North Motton, near the town of Ulverstone, on Monday morning when he was fired at by "a member of the public", Tasmania Police said in a statement. A second police officer returned fire, injuring the suspect, who then surrendered. The alleged offender was not seriously injured, but the police officer died of his injuries at the scene. Shootings are relatively rare in Australia, which introduced some of the world's strictest firearm regulations after 35 people were killed in a massacre by a lone gunman at Port Arthur, Tasmania, in 1996. A crime scene was established and the coroner was notified following Monday's shooting, a police spokesperson said, adding that "there is no ongoing threat to the public". "This is a traumatic incident and wellbeing support is being provided to those involved and affected," the statement said. Police are expected to update the media on Monday afternoon.
