King Charles protester Lidia Thorpe, a Victoria Senator interrupts the great hall after speech pic.twitter.com/d02hoKW1rh
— Kate Mansey (@KateMansey) October 21, 2024
Saturday, 26 October 2024
Tweet of the Week
Friday, 25 October 2024
In 2024 road fatalities in NSW rural & regional areas continue to outnumber those in metropolitan areas - at least 24 of these deaths occurred in the Northern river region
In 2024 from 1 January through to 23 October Transport NSW preliminary road fatality data recorded 245 fatal vehicle crashes across the state which caused 273 deaths - 20 of which occurred in the first 23 days of October.
The number of drivers killed outnumbered the combined total of passengers, pedestrians, motorcyclists & cyclists (139 to 134). While males far out number females among the dead (217 to 56). The largest road fatality by age cohort was the those 70 years of age and older.
Fatalities in country areas continue to outnumber those in metropolitan areas - 181 deaths on rural and regional roads compared to 92 deaths on metropolitan roads.
Up to the end of September this year the Australian Road Deaths Database revealed that NSW road fatalities included 24 deaths on Northern Rivers roads:
Clarence Valley - 8 people
Ballina Shire - 5 people
Tweed Shire - 4 people
Richmond Valley - 3 people
Lismore City - 3 people
Byron Shire - 1 person
Kyogle Shire - 0 persons.
Thursday, 24 October 2024
A rather hurried Senate Inquiry is currently considering reforms to Australia's privacy laws which may have a chilling effect on news delivery and political debate amongst ordinary citizens
On 19 September 2024, the Senate referred the Privacy and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2024 [Provisions] to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee, for inquiry and report by 14 November 2024.
This parliamentary inquiry has a very short timeframe for consideration of legal reform which apparently intends to capture the content found on all digital news and social media platforms, as well as content found on websites and online chat rooms.
Officially the Bill be considered by the Inquiry:
...would enact a first tranche of reforms to the Privacy Act 1988 to implement a number of legislative proposals agreed by the government in its Response to the Privacy Act Review (September 2023). The Bill would also introduce a new statutory tort for serious invasions of privacy and targeted criminal offences to respond to doxxing. [my yellow highlighting]
The definition of "doxxing" according to the Explanatory Memorandum displayed with the draft Bill is "the release of personal data using a carriage service in a manner that would be menacing or harassing".
A clearer description is probably along these lines; "doxxing is the act of publicly providing personally identifiable information about an individual or organization, usually via the Internet and without their consent" [Wikipedia retrieved 23.10.24].
There are concerns being expressed that the Bill as it now stands may invite misconstruction or legal overreach, as well as have a chilling effect on investigative reporting, political discourse and, the implied freedom of opinion and expression that Australian citizens now enjoy under the Australian Constitution and specifically by way of four of the seven core international human rights treaties Australia is a party to.
The Committee received 68 submissions by the 11 October 2024 closing date.
One public hearing was held in Canberra on 22 October, at which representatives from 21 different different Australian government departments/agencies, independent commissions, public broadcasters, industry and consumer groups, charitable organisations, news agencies & multinational social media corporations.
Among those submissions were 4 pages from Google, 17 pages from Meta and a 39 pages from the Law Council of Australia.
The Law Council's submission is recommended reading as it sets out its concerns and recommendations concisely and clearly.
Its submission can be found and downloaded at
https://www.aph.gov.au/DocumentStore.ashx?id=ab37ee62-de00-4125-8791-711143f3b13a&subId=768485
Wednesday, 23 October 2024
Sixty-five long unsolved murders along the NSW North Coast made the news this week - 64 being females aged between 4 & 84 years & one a teenage male
The Daily Examiner/Daily Telegraph online, 22 October 2024:
A list of more than 60 women who were brutally murdered or disappeared on the NSW North Coast, but whose perpetrators were never caught can be revealed among fears some of them could be the work of one or more serial killers.
NSW Upper House MP Jeremy Buckingham will today receive a briefing from the NSW Police over the devastating list of women who were found dead or vanished between Newcastle and Byron Bay over a 30-year-period. In all these cases, no culprit was brought to justice.
For years police have suspected that some of the deaths or disappearances of the women were connected, but while some had operations set up to explore the potential connections, others may never have been properly investigated.
Former NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Mick Willing, who commanded the homicide squad between 2011 and 2017 said the way cold cases from decades ago are prioritised has led to many not being properly reinvestigated, leaving police open to missing possible connections between cases.
“There are a lot of these cases that just sit in databases and have never been reviewed,” he said.
“There are unsolved homicide cases that sit there - there are many cases that are not even looked at.
“So you could miss things that are connected to other things - ideally what you need is a database that links all these cases together across Australia.”
Mr Willing said while there had not been a serial killer identified in NSW since Ivan Milat murdered multiple hitchhikers along the Hume Highway in the 1980s and 90s, there was a possibility some of the disappearances along the North Coast could have the same perpetrator, though many would also be isolated incidents.
“You would think there’s a possibility that some of them could be connected,” he said.
“The thinking around a few of the cases was that maybe Milat might be responsible - but there is no evidence of that,” he said.
What people don’t realise about unsolved homicides is that most of them were solved by DNA but some of the old exhibits that were collected have been destroyed.”
A NSW Police spokesperson said there had been multiple investigations including taskforce Fenwick and strike force Arapaima had been established to investigate links between some of the north coast abductions...
Mr Buckingham will request parliament call for papers from police detailing how the unsolved crimes have been investigated including any possible connections.
“When I looked at the list of country towns, Coffs harbour, Taree and Grafton, what you see in all these towns stretching all the way down to Newcastle there were murders everywhere that had a similar modus operandi,” he said.
“That is young women who had been picked up hitchhiking, gone walking, seen getting in cars who had either disappeared or had almost egregiously been found dumped in remote areas.”
Criminal psychologist Tim Watson-Munro said the number of women who had been killed on the north coast was “extremely disturbing”
“If people are going missing at the same time and place it’s a massive red flag,” he said.
“Beyond Milat there may have been another serial killer or possibly two operating in the area.”
“With such a significant number of people involved, there’s an argument to reopen those cases and drill down a bit further.”
WARNING: linked news articles below contain the names and images of people who have passed away.
The full paywalled article can be read at
Paywalled article with full list of names and images at
There has also been a NSW Police reappeal issued on 21 October 2024 concerning the murders of three children between 1990 & 1991 in the town of Bowraville in the Nambucca Valley on the Mid North Coast hinterland. With the aim of finally finding the remains of the eldest girl.
Tuesday, 22 October 2024
Byron Shire local government still making the news re domestic violence allegations against a former mayor and now current councillor
In September 2024 Michael Lyon lost his bid for re-election as Byron Shire mayor by a very wide margin and limped into the ranks of shire councillors.
Since then.......
ECHO, 11 October 2021:
While Cr Michael Lyon was affirming himself to undertake the duties of office on Thursday morning in the Byron Shire Council Chambers, most people in the room wouldn’t have known that the ex-mayor had recently spent a night in the police watch house after allegedly breaching an AVO placed on him in August.
Staff from the Tweed Byron Police say that at about 2.20pm on Sunday, October 6, police were called to a home at The Pocket, following reports of a domestic incident.
Officers attached to Tweed Byron Police District arrived and were told a man, Cr Michael Lyon, had allegedly breached an enforceable AVO.
Cr Michael Lyon arrested at The Pocket
No injuries were reported at the premises on the day. Following inquiries, police arrested Cr Lyon at the scene.
He was taken to Byron Bay Police Station where was charged with breach apprehended Domestic Violence Order, intimidation (DV) and breach of bail.
Cr Lyon was refused bail to appear before Lismore Local Court on Monday, October 7....
As well as the new charges from the weekend incident, Cr Lyon will face two charges – one count of assault and one count of stalk/intimidate, to be heard on March 11, 2025 at Tweed Heads Courthouse, with a mention of the AVO also scheduled for that date.
ECHO, 21 October 2021:
Byron Bay’s former mayor and current councillor Michael Lyon was back in court today, following his alleged breach of an AVO earlier this month at The Pocket....
...the court was told Michael Lyon was pleading not guilty to the most recent charges of stalk/intimidation and breaching the existing apprehended violence order, both in relation to his wife.
There was then some discussion about whether all the charges could be heard on the already established date at Tweed Heads Court House on 11 March 2025. Cr Layon’s lawyer, Mr Weller, said he had made preliminary enquiries with the court, and estimated an additional 90 minutes would be required to hear the latest charges.
Magistrate Stafford asked, ‘What’s the more substantive charge?’ Mr Weller replied, ‘assault’ before attempting to say something about the alleged victim filing documents to withdraw the charge, but Magistrate Stafford cut him off abruptly.
Mr Croner confirmed that the DPP had carriage of both matters, and was happy for the cases to be run together at Tweed Heads on 11 March. The magistrate said all this was a waste of the court’s time, and that the parties should have organised themselves better in advance.
Why Tweed?
Apparently unfamiliar with the Lyon case, Magistrate Stafford then asked why the matter was ever sent to Tweed Heads. Croner explained that the case was heard outside Byron Bay because of the defendant’s position in the local community (Cr Lyon was mayor at the time of the original alleged DV charges in August 2024).
Mr Weller next sought to bring the matter forward to next Monday, but the magistrate said that was too soon, as the court’s listings were overwhelmed.
She then decided to fix the next court date (another mention, to fix a hearing date) to 11 November 2024 in Tweed Heads. Michael Lyon looked visibly distressed at this news.
A discussion of AVO and bail conditions followed, with nothing being substantively changed. Cr Lyon remains unable to visit the property at The Pocket without the prior written agreement of his wife, and he is only able to contact her via a lawyer.
Note: The most recent domestic violence crime statistics released by NSW BOCSAR show that in the twelve months to June 2024 there were 1,074 females in the Richmond-Tweed statistical area reported by NSW Police as experiencing domestic violence.
With 116 of these domestic violence assaults occurring in the Byron Shire local government area, producing a Byron domestic violence assault rate per 100,000 population of 317.7.
Monday, 21 October 2024
HOUSING RENTAL STATE OF PLAY 2024: Residential rental costs in coastal towns at the mouth of the Clarence River in Sept-Oct 2024
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| Yamba, NSW Image: Getty Images |
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| Iluka, NSW IMAGE: Visit NSW |
The small coastal townships of Yamba and Iluka in north-east New South Wales are on opposite sides of the Clarence River as in empties into the Pacific Ocean.
Respectively they have estimated resident populations of 6,467 (382.2 persons per square km & over 4,000 residential dwellings) and 1,793 (139.5 persons per square km & est. 1,313 residential dwellings).
Looking at the rental situation in Yamba using realestate.com.au data for Oct 2023 to Sept 2024:
Three bedroom house average rental was $590 per week
Two bedroom unit average rental was $450 per week.
According to NSW Government Rent Check tool using data for postcode 2464 as from 16 Oct 2024:
That three bedroom house rental cost falls within the $550 - $633 median price range for similar rentals
That two bedroom unit rental cost falls within the $408 - $495 median price range for similar rentals.
In relation to the est. 49 social housing dwellings in Yamba (ABS 2021), rental prices are understood to be approximately 30-50% lower than the aforementioned weekly private rental prices.
Looking at the rental situation in Iluka using realestate.com.au data for Oct 2023 to Sept 2024:
Three bedroom house average rental was $460 per week
Two bedroom unit average rental was $450 per week.
According to NSW Government Rent Check tool using data for postcode 2466 as from 16 Oct 2024:
That three bedroom house rental cost falls outside the $500 - $525 median price range for similar rentals, being $50 to $75 lower across median price range.
Available two bedroom unit median price range data is insufficient to calculate a range.
The rental situation in both coastal towns is tight with only est. 358 residential dwellings (1-4 bedrooms) available over the last 12 months in Yamba and very limited residential rental stock available in Iluka.
According to both rental yardsticks, rental properties in these two coastal towns are unaffordable for a single person on unemployment benefits and likely to cost on average est. 70-80% of a single person's disability or age pension.
Sunday, 20 October 2024
On 18 October 2024 the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel delivered a position paper which left no doubt that Australia must cease to render financial, military and political aid or support to the State of Israel
United Nations News
Palestine: International law obliges Israel to end occupation, says rights panel
Human Rights | 18 October 2024
_________________________
All States and international organizations, including the United Nations, have obligations under international law to bring to an end Israel’s unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, according to a new legal position paper released Friday by a top independent human rights panel.
_________________________
It details the obligations for Israel, third-party States and the UN to bring to an end the unlawful occupation, according to the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel.
“Israel’s internationally wrongful acts give rise to State responsibility, not only for Israel, but for all States,” said Navi Pillay, chair of the UN Human Rights Council-mandated commission.
“All States are obligated not to recognise territorial or sovereignty claims made by Israel over the occupied territories.”
Read the commission’s full position paper here.
States must not provide assistance
Explaining the commission’s paper, Ms. Pillay said that States must demonstrate how their dealings differ regarding Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
As an example, she noted that a State must not recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel or place its diplomatic representatives to Israel in Jerusalem, which Palestinians claim as the capital of their future State.
In addition, States must not render aid or assistance in maintaining the unlawful occupation, which includes financial, military and political aid or support, the commission chair said.
How the UN can implement action
The paper also details how the General Assembly and the Security Council can identify and implement the precise actions required to bring the occupation to an end as rapidly as possible.
The commission found that the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the legal consequences arising from the policies and practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, is authoritative and unambiguous in stating that Israel’s continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is unlawful.
“The commission has always stated that the root cause of the protracted conflict and cycles of violence is the occupation,” Ms. Pillay said, noting that its 2022 report to the General Assembly had concluded that the occupation is unlawful under international law.
“The Commission welcomed the historic advisory opinion from the highest court in the United Nations system,” she said.
Work to end occupation
“It is incumbent on all States to work cooperatively in order bring the unlawful occupation to an end and to work towards the full realisation of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination,” Ms. Pillay said, calling on all States to implement the General Assembly resolution passed on 13 September 2024.
On 17 September, the General Assembly adopted a resolution during its 10th emergency special session calling for an end to Israeli occupation of the Occupied Palestinian Territory within one year.
Read our explainer on UN emergency special sessions here.
The UN Human Rights Council mandated the commission in May 2021 to “investigate, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel, all alleged violations of international humanitarian law and all alleged violations and abuses of international human rights law leading up to and since 13 April 2021”.
Find out more about the commission here.
~END~
The United States of America is warned that its actions as a member of the United Nations Security Council are not fulfilling its obligation to uphold the peremptory norms of international law.
"38. If there is continued refusal by Israel to comply with its obligations under international law as set forth in the advisory opinion and the General Assembly resolution, the Commission recommends that the Security Council or the General Assembly establish an ad-hoc Committee to comprehensively review the non-compliance and propose mechanisms to ensure implementation. The Commission is aware that, in the Namibia situation, the Security Council acted to establish such an ad-hoc subcommittee.
However, in the current situation the Security Council has failed to act due to the veto power of one of the permanent member States. The Commission is of the view that, when peremptory norms of international law are violated, the Permanent Members of the Security Council should not be allowed to exercise their veto as this is contrary to the obligation to uphold peremptory norms of international law."
[Position Paper of the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, 18 October 2024, p.9 excerpt]
The
12 page position paper can be found
at
https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/hrbodies/hrcouncil/coiopt/2024-10-18-COI-position-paper_co-israel.pdf
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