Motorcyclist dies after crash with car

A 62-YEAR-OLD man has died after his motorcycle and a car collided at Narrabeen, on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.

The crash happened about 8:45am today (Tuesday) on Pittwater Rd, Narrabeen, police say.

The motorcyclist was taken to hospital with severe head injuries but died a short time later.

The driver and sole occupant of the car, a 65-year-old man, was not injured.

A report will be prepared for the Coroner.

Woman dies after car crashes into tree

A 19-YEAR-OLD woman has died after her hatchback left the roadway and crashed into a tree near Guyra, north of Armidale.

The crash happened about 7:20pm yesterday (Monday) on Guyra Rd, Guyra.

Police say the woman, from Sydney’s Kirrawee, died at the scene.

Reports from witnesses indicate the driver may have been attempting to avoid a dead kangaroo on the road, police say.

And a 41-year-old man has been found dead after he was ejected from a utility when it overturned near Bookham, west of Yass, between 9pm on Sunday and 4:10am yesterday, police say.

The utility appears to have rolled down an embankment on Childowla Rd, police say.

The 41-year-old male driver, and sole occupant of the vehicle, was ejected.

A local resident found the man and contacted emergency services, but he could not be revived.

Reports on both crashes are being prepared for the Coroner.

Woman’s body found after house fire

A BODY believed to be that of a 66-year-old woman has been found after a house fire on the Far-North Coast, police say

About 11.30pm yesterday (Saturday), emergency services responded to reports of a fire at a residence on Carrs Drive, Yamba, about 11:30pm yesterday (Saturday).

The fire was extinguished by Fire & Rescue personnel and a body was found inside the dwelling.

While the deceased is yet to be formally identified, police say they believe it’s that of a 66-year-old woman who lived at the address.

A crime scene was established and examined by specialist forensic officers.

At this stage, the cause of the fire is unknown, police say.

A report will be prepared for the Coroner.

Shooting prompts hunt safety doubts

NEW South Wales Premier Barry O’Farrell remains committed to plans to allow hunting in national parks despite a ban on a similar program in South Australia.

South Australia’s pest eradication program was shut down earlier this month after a hunter was shot in the ankle by another shooter during a supervised cull of feral goats at Onkaparinga River National Park.

Mr O’Farrell says the incident “reaffirms” the importance of a risk assessment the government is holding into its plans to allow amateur hunting at national parks in NSW.

“The fact is that we need to more effectively eradicate feral pests from our national parks,” he told journalists in Sydney today (Sunday).

“They not only damage national parks, they do enormous damage to adjoining farmland.”

Mr O’Farrell also pointed to other states, including South Australia, that have “successfully and safely” run similar plans.

“We are determined to bring those sorts of models to NSW,” he says.

The State Opposition meanwhile says the shooting accident in South Australia proves the program is not safe.

The incident highlights “the very real risk to public safety” when national parks are open to hunters, Opposition environment spokesman Luke Foley has told Sydney mediac.

He says safety measures in South Australia are also stricter than those required of licensed hunters in NSW.

Legislation for hunting in national parks has been put on hold until a review of the NSW Game Council is conducted.

State crackdown on fine defaulters

NEW South Wales fine defaulters have been paying back their debts to the tune of about $700,000 a day after a special debt recovery unit was established to chase them up.

NSW Finance Minister Greg Pearce says the State Government is owed more than $909 million in overdue fines but has been collecting an average of $1 million each business day.

The government announced last year it had passed legislation giving state authorities beefed up powers to chase up defaulters.

It has also set up a special debt collecting unit in the Office of State Revenue (OSR) and engaged four private debt collection agents.

Since then, property seizures had doubled, Mr Pearce says in a statement today (Sunday).

“The Fines Act has been changed to give OSR more options to track down fine defaulters, including extending powers to collect information from other government agencies and credit reporting bodies,” he says.

Anyone who believes their debt will go away if they ignore it should think again.

“The longer the debt is outstanding, the more it is going to cost,” says Mr Pearce.

“I urge those people with outstanding fines to act now.”

Teen charged with child snatch attempt

A TEENAGER has been charged with trying to abduct a five-year-old girl while threatening her family with a knife at a shopping centre on the North Coast.

Police allege the 17-year-old boy entered a supermarket in Ballina about 4pm on Friday with his face covered and stole a knife before heading to a nearby children’s ride.

He then allegedly grabbed the arm of a five-year-old girl and dragged her away from her mother and siblings while brandishing the knife.

Police say several people implored him to release the girl, who managed to slip from his grasp.

A fight then broke out between the teenager and a 32-year-old man who tried to apprehend him.

During the fracas the man was stabbed in the hand and suffered a large head wound after smashing into a shop counter.

Onlookers came to help the man and together they disarmed and detained the teenager.

Police arrived and took the teenager to Ballina Police Station, where he was charged with taking or detaining a child with intent to remove from parental control, reckless wounding, being armed with intent to commit an indictable offence, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and shoplifting.

Bail was refused and he was due to appear before Lismore Children’s Court yesterday (Saturday).

Bill to ban ‘anti-vax’ children

UNVACCINATED children will be banned from New South Wales pre-schools and childcare centres under legislation to be introduced into State Parliament.

Labor Leader John Robertson will introduce amendments to the Public Health Act which will give early childhood centres the right to refuse children who haven’t had their shots.

The move comes amid concern about high rates of unvaccinated children in some parts of NSW, as well as the emergence of so-called “anti-vaxers” who oppose vaccination.

Mr Robertson says the move will remind those who’ve forgotten to fully vaccinate their children to do so.

He says parents who chose not to vaccinate their children are putting the lives of others at risk.

“This shouldn’t be about the alternative wishes of parents who choose to ignore the advice of doctor, it has to be about the health of our children and young people,” Mr Robertson says in a statement today (Sunday).

“Parents who choose not to vaccinate aren’t just putting their own children at risk, they are putting other people’s innocent children at risk of preventable diseases as well.

“There is quite simply no reasonable argument against childhood vaccination.”

Mr Robertson says he will consult with the community and early childhood sector before drafting the legislation.