Daily Archives: 27/05/2015

Joint Traffic Taskforce cracks down on non-compliant trucks – Operation Austrans

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Thirty truck drivers have tested positive to drugs and more than 1200 defect notices were issued in New South Wales since the beginning of Operation Austrans, which commenced on Monday (18 May 2015).

Officers from the Joint Traffic Taskforce comprising the NSW Police Force Traffic and Highway Patrol Command working alongside Roads & Maritime Service Inspectors have been conducting the operation, part of a nationwide campaign focussing on heavy vehicle compliance and load restraint.

Since the operation began on Monday (18 May 2015) until Tuesday (26 May 2015), 1941 truck drivers were tested for drugs and 30 of them returned a positive result. In total, Traffic and Highway Patrol officers made 6208 intercepts and inspected 12388 heavy vehicles ranging from small rigid local trucks to interstate b-doubles.

Officers issued 1240 defect notices for a range of violations, including 53 non-compliant Engine Control modules, allowing those trucks to travel at speeds of more than 100km/h, brake, ancillary equipment and body and chassis faults.

In another incident around 10am (Monday 25 May 2015), officers from the Traffic and Highway Patrol Command observed an over-height B-double heavy vehicle stationary in a lane on General Holmes Drive.

Upon questioning the driver allegedly indicated he was distracted and mistakenly turned onto General Holmes Drive before stopping when the over-height warning lights had activated.

Officers closed General Holmes Drive in both directions and the vehicle was turned around toward Foreshore Road for inspection.

The driver was issued with two penalty notices for being off route and disobeying road access signs and one penalty notice for a work diary offence.

Traffic and Highway Patrol Command’s Assistant Commissioner John Hartley said Operation Austrans was aimed at ensuring road safety for all by focussing on heavy vehicles.

“Any tampering with trucks, incorrect and unrestrained loading, driving fatigued, while under the influence of drugs or alcohol or exceeding the speed limit is violation of the law. Police officers are out in force to make sure that those offenders are stopped for the safety of the entire community,” Assistant Commissioner Hartley said

“The Joint Traffic Taskforce Officers are out there everyday to prevent heavy vehicle related crashes on our roads.”

Operation Austrans, a month-long operation, began across Australia and New Zealand on Monday May 18 2015.

 

CCTV images released following hotel break-in – Tamworth

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Police have released images of two people they wish to speak to following a break-in at a hotel in Tamworth yesterday morning.

About 3.45am (Tuesday 26 May 2015), two men were disturbed by staff after breaking into the hotel on Ringers Road.

The two men entered the adjacent bottle shop a number of times, stealing several bottles of spirits.

A staff member attempted to stop the men and became involved in a struggle.

The men managed to get away from the staff member and escaped by breaking a window.

The staff member suffered bruising and a laceration to his hand during the struggle. His injuries are not considered life threatening.

Detectives from Oxley Local Area Command were called to the scene and established a crime scene.

Following investigations, police have released closed-circuit television images of two people they believe might be able to assist with inquiries.

The first man depicted in the images is described as being of Caucasian appearance with a thin build and blonde hair. He is shown wearing a green hooded top, black pants and white shoes.

The second man is also described as being of Caucasian appearance with a medium build. He is shown seen wearing a green top with a dark coloured hood, black pants and white shoes.

COLD CHISEL ANNOUNCE THEIR ‘ONE NIGHT STAND’ NATIONAL TOUR

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Tonight, ahead of State Of Origin 1, and in front of an audience of 80,000 live spectators, more than 2.5 million TV viewers and many millions more online, the legendary Cold Chisel announced their One Night Stand tour of Australia.  It will be a tour unlike any the band has previously undertaken and will include a number of unique performances and ‘firsts’ for an Australian band.

The band revealed tonight that they will ‘kick-off’ the tour with a special mini-concert at the NRL Grand Final at ANZ Stadium on Sunday, 4 October, where they will be the only artist performing. That same weekend they will play a full headline set at the 2015 Deni Ute Muster on Friday, 2 October. From there, Cold Chisel will traverse the nation (full details below), headlining festivals like The V8 Supercars Castrol Gold Coast 600 and the Decades Festival in Strathpine, Qld, playing arenas and a number of special performances – including being the first Australian band to headline the mythical Hanging Rock in Victoria and also Hope Estate in the New South Wales Hunter Valley. There are also big shows in new venues for the band, like 1300SMILES Stadium, Townsville (Saturday, 7 November) and Perth Arena (Saturday, 14 November) which wasn’t completed when the band last played Perth in 2012. Cold Chisel is excited to confirm that The Living End will be joining them at the Decades Festival, Hope Estate and Hanging Rock.

Frontman Jimmy Barnes revealed tonight that the band felt compelled to undertake the tour as a direct response of the incredible reaction they received when they recently announced two special shows under the banner of ‘The Last Stand of Sydney’s entertainment centre’ to mark the closing of the Qantas Credit Union Arena (formerly known as the Entertainment Centre). Promising a show that referenced their classic 1983 Last Stand tour, which finished at the iconic venue, these two new shows captured the fascination of music fans around the country with all 20,000 tickets selling out within minutes – and with interstate fans screaming to be included.

“In March we played a homecoming show in Adelaide to 35,000 people,” said Barnes. “Then when we announced these two shows in Sydney the reaction was ballistic. The demand blew our minds, suggesting that it was time for us to get back out there.” The band then hatched the idea of One Night Stand, with each venue being a definite ‘for one night only’ experience – with the exception of Sydney where the tour concludes with the two already sold-out shows at QCUA.

Of course Barnes and his band mates Ian Moss (guitar/vocals), Don Walker (piano/keyboards), Phil Small (bass) and drummer Charley Drayton shouldn’t have been surprised by the excitement: With a history that spans forty years and a reputation forged through blistering live shows and a catalogue of much-loved songs and albums, Cold Chisel has become a part of the nation’s psyche. Their story is colourful, volatile and proud and their music continues to be ingrained in the hearts of generations of Australians. They’ve sold almost 7 million albums across bona-fide Australian classics like East, Breakfast at Sweethearts and Circus Animals, while songs like Cheap Wine, Choir Girl, When The War Is Over, Flame Trees, Bow River, Saturday Night and Khe Sanh remain the staple of radio playlists, pubs, jukeboxes, concert halls and karaoke bars across every part of the country.

Their reunion in 2009, for a one-off performance at Sydney’s Olympic Stadium, saw the band play in front of 50,000 people – the biggest crowd of their career. This sparked a renewed enthusiasm for working together again – onstage and in the studio. In 2011 they undertook the Light The Nitro tour, one of the biggest tours ever by an Australian band with over 285,000 tickets sold. And in 2012 they released the critically hailed and Gold-selling No Plans album, which debuted at #1 on the ARIA Australian Album chart.

After a three year break, 2015 feels like the right time to get back in the saddle.

“We love playing together,” said guitarist Ian Moss. “We’ve come to realise that there’s a certain magic and chemistry in Cold Chisel that we don’t get anywhere else and it makes a special connection with Australian audiences. We can’t wait to make that connection once again on our One Night Stand tour. See you there!”