Strike Force Plante

Hydro house raided, over $335,000 worth of cannabis plants seized – Fairfield East

A man will face court today on alleged drug charges after police raided a house in Fairfield East yesterday.

Strike Force Plante comprising of officers from Wetherill Park Region Enforcement Squad was established to investigate the cultivation of prohibited drugs within the region.

About 8:10am, (Thursday 5 November) police conducted a search warrant at a home on Tangerine Street. During the search, it will be alleged officers located a sophisticated hydroponic cannabis system in a rear shed on the property.

Police allegedly seized 168 cannabis plants with a potential estimated street value of over $335,000 as well as equipment used in the cultivation of the drug including lamps and watering systems.

A 35-year-old Marrickville man was arrested at the home and taken to Fairfield Police Station for questioning.

He was charged with cultivate prohibited plant (commercial quantity), being found on drug premises and using/wasting electricity without authority and refused bail to appear at Fairfield Local Court today.

Investigations into the matter are continuing and police urge members of the public to get behind their efforts to remove prohibited drugs from the streets.

Anyone with information about potential drug houses or the cultivation, production or supply of prohibited drugs is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Ashfield Local Area Command

Police are appealing for witnesses to come forward following the serious assault and robbery of a woman at Canterbury last night.

During the incident the woman suffered facial injuries including a suspected broken jaw.

The woman was allegedly punched more than sixteen times.

Acting Superintendent Scott Whyte is appealing for anyone with information about the robbery to contact police.

Anyone with information about this most serious assault and robbery is urged to contact Ashfield Police on 9797 4099 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Ashfield Acting Superintendent Scott Whyte

Victor P Taffa

TENS OF MILLIONS LOST IN UNCOLLECTED FINES

According to Shadow Treasurer Mike Baird, the Auditor General has revealed the Rees Labor Government wrote off $62.4 million in fines last year after failing to collect most of these fines for more than seven years, said today.

“Tens of millions of dollars are being lost because of a lack of financial discipline from a broken Rees Labor Government,” Mr Baird said.

NSW Lottery

“With the State Budget almost a billion dollars in deficit, you would think Eric Roozendaal would insist on discipline and rigour across government.

“Instead the Treasurer has forfeited more than $60 million in revenue owed to the taxpayers.”

Treasurer Eric Roozendaal

The Auditor-General’s Report to Parliament 2009 Volume Five has found that during 2008-09, the State Debt Recovery Office identified and wrote off 305,770 fines valued at $62.4 million.

“That’s tens of millions of dollars that should have been invested into front-line services and into building a long list of promised infrastructure,” Mr Baird said.

Shadow Treasurer Mike Baird

“Not only did the Rees Labor Government fail to collect more than 300,000 fines last year – most of these fines were overdue for more than seven years.

“This incompetence would not be found in any other organisation or business, yet it is commonplace in the Rees Labor Government.”

In 2007-08 the NSW Government failed to collect $56.5 million in uncollected fines, rising by $5.6 million in the last financial year.

Not only does the Rees Government fail to collect millions from fines it also has overseen the following:

• Devaluation of the Electricity Industry.
• Sale of the State Lotteries at a LOSS of $50 million
• TCARD electronic ticketing at a LOSS of $90 million
• Transport administration amendment (rail trails) bill 2009 if passed would ensure that the New South Wales Railways have no chance of expansion in the future and the financial LOSS to the State is unable to be estimated. Railway expansion expands the economy. Railway contraction contracts the economy.

John Bradfield

 “As the NSW economy slid into recession and families across the State tightened their belts, the Rees Labor Government’s financial discipline deteriorated even further.

“If Nathan Rees and Eric Roozendaal insisted on rigour and discipline across their government, there’s no doubt NSW taxpayers would be tens of millions of dollars better off,” Mr Baird said.

When Treasurer Eric Roozendaal oversaw fundraising for Labor’s Sussex Street Head Office, party finances boomed. However when Treasurer Eric Roozendaal transferred to the Treasury Benches the question that must be asked is was this financial wizardry left behind?

Far South Coast Local Area Command

The badly decomposed body of a man has been located on a beach on the State’s Far South Coast this morning.

About 7.30am a tourist was walking along Pebbly Beach, near Bateman’s Bay, when they saw human remains apparently washed up during high tide.

Police were called and upon arrival, they located the badly decomposed remains of a man.

The body has been removed and a post mortem will conducted to determine the cause of the man’s death.

The discovery follows an incident which occurred about 11am on Saturday 10 October 2009, where a 51-year-old man disappeared when he was swept off rocks into water at Pebbly Beach.

At the time the man was trying to assist a 22-year-old man who had been washed into the water.

The younger man was found on a nearby beach about an hour later, alive and well.

Police conducted a large scale search for three days but the 51-year-old man was not located.

Police are investigating whether the body located today is that of the missing man.

A report will be prepared for the information of the Coroner.

Belmont Police

Police are appealing for public assistance to help locate a woman missing in the Lake Macquarie area.

50-year-old Joanne Marie Dunk has not been seen since she left her home in Bowman Street at Swansea on Monday 2 November.

She was last seen by a relative and has made no contact in the days since.

Ms Dunk is described as being of white/European appearance, between 150 and 160cm tall, with a large build. She has red shoulder length curly hair.

Police have concerns for her welfare as her disappearance is out of character.

Anyone with information about Ms Dunk’s whereabouts is urged to contact Belmont Police Station via Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Traffic Services Branch

Commander of Traffic Services Branch, Assistant Commissioner John Hartley

Police are warning anyone that chooses to drink and drive this weekend that they will be caught, with police out in force for operation ‘Drink Drive II’.

With this year’s road toll climbing well above last year’s record low of 386, motorists can expect a formidable police presence on the roads to address the concerning rise in fatal crashes.

The operation will begin at 12.01am on Thursday and run until 11.59pm Saturday.

Princes Highway Waterfall RBT

With alcohol impairment proven to be a leading cause of fatal crashes, the operation will target drink-driving offences as well as other irresponsible driving behaviour in the lead up to the busy Christmas and New Years’ driving season.

Commander of Traffic Services Branch, Assistant Commissioner John Hartley, said driver need to be responsible for their own actions when getting behind the wheel.

“There are no excuses. A car can be a deadly weapon and people who drive when drunk risk the lives of not only themselves but other road-users,” Assistant Commissioner Hartley said.

“It is an extraordinarily selfish thing to do; you are risking your own safety and that of others.”

During last year’s operation, police conducted 111,423 breath tests with 469 charges laid for drink-driving offences.

Particular attention will be paid to certain problem areas in Sydney, which repeatedly record a high number of Prescribed Concentration of Alcohol (PCA) offences.

Top Ten Drink Drive Charges for Metropolitan Sydney 2008

• Northern Beaches LAC 589
• Botany Bay LAC 499
• Sutherland LAC 452
• Penrith LAC 445
• Kuring Gai LAC 440
• Hurstville LAC 416
• Macquarie Fields LAC 409
• Fairfield LAC 381
• Harbourside LAC 361
• Rose Bay LAC 342

Assistant Commissioner John Hartley

At the top of this list is Northern Beaches Local Area Command (LAC), which had more PCA charges in 2008 than any other LAC in the metropolitan region. With 589 offences recorded last year, it was followed by Botany Bay LAC with 499 charges and Sutherland LAC with 452.

The Northern Beaches LAC also has the highest number of offences so far in 2009, and will come under particular scrutiny by police involved in the operation.

Other Local Area Commands, such as Kuring- Gai and Fairfield, which have had a significant increase in PCA offences this year, will also be targeted by police.

“The message is clear. There is nowhere to hide from us if you plan to drink and drive. Driving whilst drunk is a crime and if you do it, you’re a criminal. You will be locked up,” Assistant Commissioner Hartley said.

NSW Police Force

Wollongong Local Area Command

Seven-year-old boy suffers minor injured after car goes over cliff-Austinmer

Inquiries are continuing to determine the circumstances leading up to a car going over a cliff at Austinmer, on the state’s South Coast.

About 9.35am, a four-wheel drive has been parked at the top of the driveway at Mountain Road. Two adults and a seven-year-old boy have gone into the house.

A few moments later the adults had noticed the boy had gone from the house.

Witnesses have told police they saw the boy in the car as it was heading down the 30m long driveway.

The four-wheel-drive has gone through two fences and down an embankment.

It appears the child has been ejected from the vehicle, landing in lantana, before it went over an 8m high embankment to the beach below.

The boy has suffered cuts and bruises and was taken to Wollongong Hospital for further medical checks.

Wollongong Police are continuing their inquiries into the circumstances leading up the incident.

Rosehill Local area Command

Police from the Rosehill Local Area Command are investigating a serious assault that occurred in Ermington yesterday.

About 5pm the victim was at his home in Macartney Street when he heard a noise outside.

As he stepped outside his front door, the 48-year-old man was confronted by two men and struck over the head and assaulted.

He fell to the ground and the men fled the scene in what was described as a white Holden Commodore.

The victim was taken to Westmead Hospital where he received treatment for lacerations to his head and a swollen eye.

A crime scene was established and detectives will continue their investigations today.

Police are appealing for anyone who may have information about this assault to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Raymond Terrace Police

Police are appealing for information after a service station on the Pacific Highway at Heatherbrae was robbed.

About 10.50pm yesterday, the service station attendant was approached by a man armed with a knife who demanded money.

The man was given a quantity of cash and coins before he left the shop. The man with the knife was last seen heading south.

Police are investigating whether the man went into a nearby industrial estate.

The service station attendant was not injured during the robbery.

The man who entered the store has been described to police as being of white/European appearance, aged in his mid 20s, 173-175cm tall, with brown hair and is of a lean build.

At the time he was last seen the man, who had a three-day growth, was wearing a black zip-up jacket and dark pants.

Raymond Terrace Police are investigating the robbery and appeal to anyone with information on the man to contact them via Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. 

Fairfield Local Area Command

Police from the Fairfield Local Area Command are investigating two drive-by shootings that occurred overnight.

The first incident occurred about shortly before 1am where a number of shots were fired into a home on Triten Avenue, Green Field Park.

Five occupants of the premises were home at the time and escaped injury.

Shortly after, a second shooting occurred in Condello Crescent, Edensor Park, where a number of shots were fired into a home where four people were sleeping.

None of the four occupants were injured.

A crime scene was established at both location and investigations will continue.

Fairfield Police are appealing for anyone with information surrounding either of these incidents to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.