Netball NSW is pleased to announce the following athletes who have been selected for the 2020 NSW 19/U Team.
The team will travel south next year when Australia’s emerging netballers descend on Hobart in April for the National Netball Championships.
The tournament will be held from the 18-23 April at the Hobart Netball and Sports Centre, with teams representing each state and territory.
Netball NSW Head of Netball said it was a very important milestone for every athlete selected.
“Nationals are one of the big benchmarks on along the Netball NSW pathway and to be selected for a state team is a huge achievement,” she said.
“Last year NSW was very competitive in reaching both the 19/U and 17/U Grand Finals and in 2020 we’ll be hoping to take the next step and bring silverware back to the state.
“I would like to commend every athlete who took part in what was a very long, and rigorous selection process, especially the athletes who have made it to the end.
“We now look forward to working with them and the coaching team as we get ready for Tasmania.”
2020 NSW 19/U Team
Name Association
Amy Sligar Camden
Annie Miller Manly Warringah
Brooke Paterson Randwick
Chelsea Mann Manly Warringah
Courtney Castle Blacktown City
Dakota Thomas Newcastle
Eliza Perkins Blacktown City
Jemma Donoghue Manly Warringah
Lauren Woods Blacktown City
Leilani Rohweder Eastwood Ryde
Matisse Letherbarrow Baulkham Hills
Sophie Dwyer Eastwood Ryde
Author: admin
Fatal single vehicle crash sparks bushfire – Hunter region
Police remain at the scene of a fatal single vehicle crash in the Hunter region.
About 10.15am today (Tuesday 3 December 2019), emergency services were called to Leggetts Drive, south of Pelaw Main, following reports a vehicle had left the road and collided with a pole.
A driver was located deceased at the scene; they are yet to be formally identified.
Officers from Hunter Valley Police District attended and established a crime scene.
As a result of the crash, the vehicle caught alight and has sparked several spot fires around the area.
Leggetts Drive is currently closed in both directions between Neath Street and Lake Road. All vehicles are advised to use the M1 Motorway or the Hunter Expressway.
Drivers are urged to avoid the area as firefighters work to extinguish the blazes.
Religious Discrimination Bill
The Greens urge the Government to use the parliamentary break to amend the serious problems in the proposed religious discrimination laws.
“This is a chance for the Prime Minister to fix the obvious flaws in the Bill which allow for harmful discrimination,” Greens Justice spokesperson Nick McKim said.
“But it’s no secret that some church groups want to be allowed to discriminate even more than they were already being offered.”
“As drafted, the Bill undermined state and Commonwealth discrimination protections for women, people with disability, senior Australians and LGBTIQ+ people.
“We will be watching this very closely because the danger here is that the bill will come back worse than it already was.”
Greens LGBTIQ+ spokesperson Janet Rice said:
“I’m relieved the Bill won’t be introduced to Parliament this coming week. The current draft is a Trojan horse for hate, designed to make discriminating against LGBTIQ+ people legal.”
“The Greens support legislation that protects the rights of people to hold and practice their religious beliefs, but this must not come at the expense of LGBTIQ+ people and other minorities.”
Stepping up Australia’s response against foreign interference
Our Government is strengthening Australia’s response to the threat of foreign interference with a new taskforce to disrupt and deter anyone attempting to undermine our national interests.
The number one priority of our Government is to keep Australians safe which is why we’re investing $87.8 million for a new Counter Foreign Interference Taskforce. It highlights our focus on stepping up our efforts as the threats to Australia evolve.
The Taskforce will work in to the National Counter Foreign Interference Coordinator that we established last year in the Department of Home Affairs and expand the resources the Coordinator has at their fingertips. It will be led by a senior ASIO officer and bring together a new team of Australian Federal Police investigators and representatives from AUSTRAC, the Australian Signals Directorate and the Australian Geospatial Intelligence Organisation. The Office of National Intelligence will also support the Taskforce.
This is a boost to our ability to discover, track and disrupt foreign interference in Australia.
The increase in intelligence collection, assessment and law enforcement capabilities will help turn more intelligence assessments into operational disruptions to better protect Australians from foreign interference.
The new dedicated capability of the Taskforce will also increase the collaboration and streamline the decision-making between agencies, and strengthen Australia’s analysis of the sophisticated disinformation activities happening across the world, particularly against democratic processes and elections.
Importantly, this investment will deliver a new capability without detracting from agencies’ continued and necessary efforts on other security challenges.
Today’s announcement builds on the $38.8 million we’ve invested since 2018‑19 to counter foreign interference, which includes establishing a Foreign Interference Threat Assessment Centre in ASIO and funding to support criminal prosecutions under new foreign interference offences.
We have already taken significant steps to strengthen Australia’s capacity to defend against foreign interference, including through the package of legislation introduced in 2018.
We will continue to take strong action to deter acts of foreign interference as the threat evolves, defend against them when they occur, and uphold our laws.
$1BN OF SCHOOL INFRASTRUCTURE OPENED IN 2019
2019 has been a major year of school infrastructure delivery across NSW with more than $1 billion of works completed by the NSW Government, including 42 schools new and upgraded schools.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning Sarah Mitchell visited students at Cecil Hills Public School today to open a $16 million upgrade eight months ahead of schedule.
Ms Berejiklian said Cecil Hills Public School is the latest to benefit from the NSW Government’s historic $6.7 billion investment in school infrastructure over four years, and one of seven school projects to open early.
“As we’ve shown this year, it’s not just about investing historic amounts into building new schools,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“We’re getting on with the job of turning those dollars into new and upgraded schools for communities right across the State. And it’s very pleasing to see students and teachers moving into their new classrooms months ahead of schedule.”
Ms Mitchell said the NSW Government recognised the importance of investing in children’s education, as well as ensuring students and teachers have great places in which to learn and teach.
“This year we have completed 42 school infrastructure projects, representing a $1 billion investment in future generations, delivering 679 new classrooms and other world-class facilities,” Ms Mitchell said.
“We will continue to work hard to deliver the very best for our schools, with more than $1.1 billion of infrastructure investment scheduled for next year.”
Other school projects that are being delivered ahead of schedule in 2019 include:
Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning Sarah Mitchell visited students at Cecil Hills Public School today to open a $16 million upgrade eight months ahead of schedule.
Ms Berejiklian said Cecil Hills Public School is the latest to benefit from the NSW Government’s historic $6.7 billion investment in school infrastructure over four years, and one of seven school projects to open early.
“As we’ve shown this year, it’s not just about investing historic amounts into building new schools,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“We’re getting on with the job of turning those dollars into new and upgraded schools for communities right across the State. And it’s very pleasing to see students and teachers moving into their new classrooms months ahead of schedule.”
Ms Mitchell said the NSW Government recognised the importance of investing in children’s education, as well as ensuring students and teachers have great places in which to learn and teach.
“This year we have completed 42 school infrastructure projects, representing a $1 billion investment in future generations, delivering 679 new classrooms and other world-class facilities,” Ms Mitchell said.
“We will continue to work hard to deliver the very best for our schools, with more than $1.1 billion of infrastructure investment scheduled for next year.”
Other school projects that are being delivered ahead of schedule in 2019 include:
- Oran Park Public School
- Terrigal Public School
- Queanbeyan East Public School
- Rutherford Public School
- Prestons Public School
- Coffs Harbour Public School
The NSW Government is investing $6.7 billion over the next four years to deliver more than 190 new and upgraded schools to support communities across NSW.
NEWCASTLE CLIMATE CHANGE SOLIDARITY SIT DOWN
I recognise the commitment and determination of those taking part in the climate change ‘Solidarity Sit Down’ in Newcastle today to highlight the Morrison government’s unconscionable lack of action on climate change.
If there ever was time to act on climate change, it is now, as we witness some of the most severe and widespread fires Australia has ever seen.
While no weather event can be attributed directly to climate change, there can be no question that it is feeding longer, more intense weather patterns and an increased likelihood of natural disasters.
This isn’t about politics. It’s about scientific reality. Climate change is real and it requires real leadership to address it.
The Morrison Government urgently needs to get over its pathological aversion to science and take meaningful action on climate change.
Regretfully, the Liberals have not only failed to deliver an energy policy and set a wholly inadequate emissions reduction target, but they’ve also set about trying to axe every mechanism put in place by the former Labor Government to assist.
Labor went to the last election with a strong plan to reduce emissions and meet Australia’s climate targets. Regretfully, we weren’t able to form Government.
While Labor remains deeply committed to real action on climate change, it’s the Morrison Government that must ensure that Australia does its share to avoid a global climate catastrophe.
I encourage students and activists to keep putting strong pressure on the Morrison Government to act in the interests of the planet and future generations, as I and my Labor colleagues will continue to do.
Man in court over attempted sexual assault of girl and child exploitation offences
A man will re-appear in court today charged over child exploitation offences and the attempted sexual assault of a young girl in the Hunter region.
In June this year, detectives from the State Crime Command’s Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad commenced an investigation following reports a man attempted to sexually assault a young girl known to him.
The investigation was assisted by the Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (NSW-JACET), which comprises of members from the Australian Federal Police and NSW Police Force.
Following extensive inquiries by the Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad and NSW-JACET, detectives arrested a 34-year-old man at a home in the Hunter region about 1pm on Saturday (30 November 2019).
Shortly after the arrest, police searched two homes in the Hunter region, where detectives seized several electronic storage devices.
The man was taken to Cessnock Police Station and charged with attempt sexual intercourse with child under 10 years (DV x5), use carriage service transmit/publish/promote child porn (x2), possess/control child abuse material using carriage service, produce child abuse material, disseminate child abuse material, and possess child abuse material.
Police will allege in court that the man attempted to sexually assault the girl at a home on a number of occasions between December 2018 and June 2019.
It will be further alleged that the man produced, sent and received child abuse material online.
He was refused bail and appeared at Newcastle Bail Court on Saturday where he was formally refused bail to re-appear at Cessnock Local Court today (Monday 2 December 2019).
The Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad is comprised of detectives who are specially trained to investigate matters against children and adults, including sexual assault, serious physical abuse, and extreme cases of neglect.
Girl dies after being found in family car – Tanilba Bay
A girl has died in hospital after being found in a vehicle at Port Stephens last week.
Emergency services were called to a home at Tanilba Bay about 4.30pm on Tuesday (26 November 2019), after reports a five-year-old girl was found unresponsive inside a car parked in the driveway of the home.
The girl was airlifted to John Hunter Hospital in a critical condition.
She died early this morning (Sunday 1 December 2019).
Officers from Port Stephens-Hunter Police District will prepare a report for the information of the Coroner.
Fatal fail to stop pedestrian crash – Maitland
Police have appealed for witnesses to come forward after a pedestrian was killed and the vehicle involved failed to stop at Maitland last night.
About 11.30pm (Saturday 30 November 2019), emergency services were called to Flat Road, near the intersection of Paterson Road, Bolwarra, following reports of a crash.
Officers from Port Stephens-Hunter Police District attended and found a male pedestrian who had been struck by a vehicle.
The 62-year-old man was treated at the scene by NSW Ambulance paramedics before being taken to John Hunter Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.
The vehicle left the crash scene and was last seen travelling south on Paterson Road.
Officers from the Metropolitan Crash Investigation Unit attended and examined the crime scene.
Investigators are now appealing for anyone who may have witnessed the crash or have dashcam vision or information about the vehicle involved to come forward and contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
A report will be prepared for the Coroner.
Labor Statement – Vale Clive James
Clive James was a giant of Australian letters, and one of the greatest poets and intellectuals this country has ever produced.
Clive passed away at his home in the UK at the weekend after a long illness, aged 80.
The “Kid from Kogarah” started his working life as an assistant editor at The Sydney Morning Herald before forging a 50-year career as a scholar, poet, lyricist, essayist, novelist, memoirist, critic and broadcaster.
At home and abroad, he entertained and moved readers and TV audiences with his profound and provocative insights, acerbic wit and boundless sense of humour.
“Common sense and a sense of humour are the same thing, moving at different speeds,” Clive once wrote. “A sense of humour is just common sense, dancing. Those who lack humour are without judgement and should be trusted with nothing.”
Despite all the impressive achievements that made him a household name in Australia and the UK, he never lost his connection to his working-class roots or his commitment to a “fair go for the workers”.
He was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 1992 and that was upgraded to Officer level in 2013. He was similarly honoured in the UK for his services to literature and the media.
As Clive once said: “Fiction is life with the dull bits left out”.
Clive’s life was certainly not dull – but the world without him is a less intelligent and less colourful place.
Vale Clive James.