The Port Wakefield Highway has reopened following a fatal truck crash at Inkerman yesterday.
About 6.50am on Thursday 17 April, police were called to Port Wakefield Highway near Prime Road after two trucks crashed. The trucks burst into flames upon impact.
Firefighters spent several hours at the scene trying to extinguish the blaze and to ensure the area was safe.
The driver of one truck, a 77-year-old man from Port Augusta, sadly died at the scene. The second driver and his passenger, a 57-year-old man from Marleston and a 39-year-old man from Elizabeth Downs, sustained minor injuries and were taken to hospital for treatment.
Major Crash Investigators attended the scene to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Southbound lanes of the highway were blocked for the entire day with traffic being diverted from Port Wakefield to Balaklava and Mallala.
Northbound lanes remained open with speed restrictions in place.
Port Wakefield Highway was fully reopened early this morning.
The man’s death is the 26th life lost on SA roads this year.
The term ‘in-house audit’ refers to an auditor who works for a firm, or network firm, that also provides services like accounting or administration to the same self-managed super fund (SMSF) clients.
Since 1 January 2020, auditors have not been allowed to perform in-house audits unless:
It is hard for firms to meet these rules, demonstrating the ‘routine or mechanical’ test is difficult due to the professional judgment involved. When we review auditors, we contact SMSF trustees to check their role in preparing the funds accounts and statements.
In a recent review using data matching we focused on auditors who still perform in-house audits. Our risk assessment shows around 800 auditors might still be doing in-house audits.
This financial year, we reviewed 30 auditors suspected of doing in-house audits. As a result of these reviews:
14 auditors were referred to ASIC
6 auditors were deregistered voluntarily
8 auditors received education
2 auditors were compliant.
Since 1 July 2021, we have referred 42 auditors to ASIC for various reasons including doing in-house audits, this was 32% of all referrals. In March 2024, ASIC released a statementExternal Link detailing the actions taken against 15 of the 42 auditors we referred.
Firms must follow independence requirements when planning their structure and their audit engagements. They should not rely on one referral source for their fees. ASIC suspended three high-volume SMSF auditorsExternal Link linked to an SMSF administration provider for not considering these factors.
Looking for the latest news for SMSFs? – You can stay up to date by visiting our SMSF newsroom and subscribingExternal Link to our monthly SMSF newsletter.
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
Queers Past presenter Zev Aviv says the podcast production process has been transformative.
In brief:
A new podcast about Canberra’s queer history is now available.
The podcast was supported by funding through the Office of LGBTIQA+ Affairs’ Capital of Equality grants program.
The latest round of grants funding is open now.
From Gorman Arts Centre to the Braddon car yards, a new podcast, Queers Past, explores iconic and overlooked LGBTQIA+ sites around the ACT.
Sita Sargeant received an ACT Government Capital of Equality grant in 2023 to produce the podcast.
Her company, She Shapes History runs popular walking tours around Canberra.
One of these, a tour revealing the city’s queer secrets, fuelled her next project.
About Queers Past
Zev Aviv, also from She Shapes History, presents the podcast and brings a trans perspective to the conversation.
Once they started researching and writing the podcast, Zev realised they couldn’t simply reproduce the tour.
“Unlike a tour, where you can gauge your audience’s knowledge and adjust in real-time, a podcast doesn’t allow that interaction. You don’t know what your audience already knows or what gaps need to be filled in, which fundamentally changes the storytelling process,” Zev said.
“So, turning the tour into a podcast wasn’t as straightforward as we’d imagined – it meant adapting and transforming it into something entirely new.”
Sita and Zev’s hopes for Queers Past echoes the program’s aim of supporting and strengthening Canberra’s LGBTIQA+ communities.
“I really hope it helps LGBTIQA+ Canberrans feel more grounded in this city – more connected to its history and the knowledge that people like them have always been here,” Zev said.
“LGBTIQA+ people have always been part of this community, contributing, pulling their weight, and often going above and beyond to support one another.”
How the grants work
The Capital of Equality grants program offers funding across three streams:
The goal is to create a sense of community and belonging for LGBTIQA+ people, through:
improved understanding of LGBTIQA+ experiences
improved wellbeing of LGBTIQA+ people
increased participation of LGBTIQA+ communities
increased capacity and leadership.
Zev says the podcast would not have existed without the Capital of Equality grant.
“It has allowed us to pay for all the recording equipment. As a small business I’m not sure we could have justified the spend otherwise,” Sita said.
The application process
Sita found the grant application process simple, with plenty of support available.
“This grant was the second I’d applied for – I was unsuccessful the first time, and I took away some key learnings from that. I’d really encourage people to apply for a grant, but not to be discouraged if they don’t get it the first time,” Sita said.
While the production process had its ups and downs, both Zev and Sita are extremely proud of the result.
“I love Canberra and the ACT so much. We often get a bad rap, but this place is so special. I want those who feel connected to it to feel even prouder and more rooted in its past, while also inspired by the possibilities for its future. My hope is that the podcast helps people feel more at home here – more connected, more proud, and more at ease in their place in this story,” Zev said.
Applications for the Connection Fund and Partnerships and Capacity Building are open until Monday 27 January 2025. Applications for the LGBTIQA+ Leadership Grant are open until 5 January 2025.
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
When CJ worked in a patient-facing role, it was common for staff to accept occupational violence as just part of the job.
Everyone has a role to play in creating a safe public health care setting.
Nurses make up half of the healthcare workforce, with roles in clinical care, leadership, education, and research. It is without question that nurses are pivotal to the healthcare system and wellbeing of communities.
Of course, when you’re a nurse, there are plenty of not-so-pleasant things you may encounter during a shift. From blood and other bodily fluids to challenging conversations, and an entire range of germs – it all comes with the job of helping people and making a positive difference to the health of others and the broader community.
But there’s something else nurses are likely to encounter in a shift that should not be a part of the job: violence and unacceptable behaviours. It was when working in different settings, such as on the ward, the emergency department, and outpatients that CJ* really witnessed and experienced it first-hand.
“It happens every day. Some members of the public might think violence is typically perpetrated by people who are intoxicated, or it is related to mental health. But the truth is, what we see is that perpetrators of occupational violence and unacceptable behaviours can be anyone,” she said.
The violence not only comes from the patients, but can come from relatives, carers, partners, visitors and other members of the public who engage with the health service. And it’s not always as clear cut and obvious as physical assault or verbal abuse.
Occupational violence also includes unacceptable behaviours such as snide comments, undermining and gaslighting, sexism, racism, sexually inappropriate behaviours, intimidation, and discrimination. It can also take the form of defamatory comments on social media, or filming staff without their consent.
“I have brown skin and I have an Asian background and I’ve had people ask for a white nurse. Another example – people try to pretend they can’t understand what I’m saying, when you know that they can understand,” says CJ.
“Verbal aggression and inappropriate behaviours are more common than physical assault, and they’re just as hurtful and detrimental to our wellbeing.”
Everyone has a role to play in creating a safe and positive health care setting. This includes nursing and clinical staff, and patients and members of the public being kind and respectful when communicating.
“I always try to do my best to deliver quality care in an imperfect system, but sometimes, I just felt like it’s not enough,” says CJ.
“Say you look after five people, and four people you had positive interactions with, and they were thankful. But then all it takes is that one person to make an awful comment. For some reason, it’s always the negative comment that would stick with me.”
CJ says when she worked in a patient-facing role, it was common for staff to accept that occupational violence was just part of the job, and nurses didn’t always speak up. CJ’s passion for trying to shift this culture and make a positive change to violence against health workers led her to complete a PhD in the area, with a focus on preventing occupational violence in emergency departments.
She is now Director of Occupational Violence Prevention and Management for Canberra Health Services and is working hard to effect change in the industry and be part of the solution.
“In our research, we found that nurses want a comprehensive strategy to feel safer at work. For example, a good strategy should at least strive to identify and meet patients’ health needs, have education and training for nurses, include a team response to occupational violence, and ensure that nurses are supported to recover from incidents if they occur. This is what we are actively working on at Canberra Health Services, and I’m happy to be a part of it.”
She closely consults and collaborates with health workers, managers and agencies in patient-facing roles to ensure everyone feels supported and safe to report incidents, and that appropriate action is taken to prevent incidents. She also works to influence policies and procedures to help prevent incidents happening in the future and to reduce the harmful impacts of occupational violence on nurses. This work contributes to the Towards a Safer Culture ‘The Next Steps’ Strategy – a government funded initiative supporting the fundamental rights of nurses and midwives working in ACT public health services to be safe and protected in their workplaces.
“I really try to be the support that I wished for when I was facing violence and unacceptable behaviours as a nurse,” says CJ.
“What I would also like to tell other nurses is that their safety is just as important as patient safety! Don’t be afraid to call out violence and unacceptable behaviours. And don’t be afraid to report incidents, as each report helps us to better manage these risks and make decisions on what is best and safest for both patients and health care workers”.
* For personal privacy, surnames of interviewees have been removed.
Sadly, a 27-year-old woman has died and a 32-year-old man is in a serious condition after a two-vehicle crash on Johnston Road St Leonards, in Launceston this evening.The crash occurred on Johnston Road, St Leonards about 5.20pm. The woman was the driver and the man a passenger of a Mazda sedan which collided with a Subaru wagon. Luckily the sole female driver of the Subaru was not physically injured in the crash.Upon police arrival, CPR was provided to the woman however sadly, she died at the scene. Our thoughts are with the woman’s family and loved ones at this difficult time.The man was flown to the Royal Hobart Hospital in a serious condition.Police and emergency services remain on the scene, with Johnston Road remaining closed to allow crash scene investigations to be conducted.Police are calling for witnesses to the crash to come forward.Anyone with dash cam footage or information should contact Police on 131444 or report anonymously to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or crimestopperstas.com.auA report will be prepared for the Coroner.
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
The Northern Territory Police Force is investigating a structure fire that occurred in Alice Springs yesterday afternoon.
Around 5:10pm, police received reports of a fire at a residence on Woods Terrace in Braitling.
Police and Northern Territory Fire and Rescue Service members attended, and the fire was extinguished. It was confirmed the premises was unoccupied at the time of the fire and no injuries were reported.
A crime scene was declared, and a fire investigator has attended the site.
While inspecting the building for safety reasons, police identified what was believed to be cannabis inside.
A search warrant was executed, and the Dog Operations Unit, including Drug Detection Dogs Yeva and Callen, were called to the scene, resulting in 1.8kg of cannabis being seized.
No arrests have been made at this stage and investigations remain ongoing.
Anyone with information is urged to contact police on 131 444. Please quote reference NTP2500039709. Anonymous reports can also be made through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via https://crimestoppersnt.com.au/.
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
The Northern Territory Police Force Search and Rescue Section (SRS) has been busy keeping their skills sharp between operational deployments.
The SRS respond to several high-risk land and marine search and rescue incidents across the NT.
To ensure interoperability, particularly as it relates to response times and technical aptitude, the SRS frequently train with other specialist agencies.
Over the past two weeks, the SRS has undertaken a range of specialised training activities, including:
Dive training focused on zero-visibility search techniques
Hi-line and rescue swimmer training
Deployment of remotely piloted aircraft systems for land search and rescue operations
Underwater helicopter escape and sea survival training
Acting Sergeant Chris Grotherr of the Search and Rescue Section said, “Joint training initiatives form a critical part of our training framework.
“The SRS would like to thank ERGT, Toll Aviation, Surf Life Saving NT and the 1st Combat Engineers Regiment for their ongoing commitment in supporting the NTPF SRS capabilities.
“With the Easter break kicking off tomorrow, we want to remind Territorians that if you plan to go hiking or out on the water, your best chance of survival in a distress situation is with a registered EPIRB or Personal Locating Beacon.
“Enjoy the long weekend and make sure you are appropriately prepared for the adventures you set out on.”
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
The Northern Territory Police Force is calling for information in relation to a ram raid that occurred at a grocery store in Alice Springs earlier this morning.
Around 4:05am, police received a report of an alarm activation at a grocery store on Lyndavale Drive in Larapinta. Unknown offenders had allegedly attended the store in a white Toyota Hilux and used it to ram the front roller door of the building to gain access. The Hilux is believed to have been stolen earlier in the night.
Four male offenders allegedly stole a quantity of items, including cigarettes, before fleeing the scene in the Hilux.
Investigations are ongoing and anyone with information is urged to contact police on 131 444. Please quote reference P25105093. Anonymous reports can also be made through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via https://crimestoppersnt.com.au/.
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
The Northern Territory Police Force has arrested a 24-year-old man in relation to an aggravated assault that occurred in Gapuwiyak yesterday afternoon.
Around 2:10pm, the Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre received reports of a stabbing at a residence within the community.
While police were enroute to the residence, they located a 66-year-old man with a stab wound to his stomach.
The victim was conveyed to the clinic for treatment in a serious but stable condition and was transported by Careflight to Gove District Hospital.
A short time later, a 24-year-old man known to the victim, was identified and arrested. He remains in police custody with charges expected to follow.
Investigations into the assault remain ongoing.
Police urge anyone with information about the incident to make contact on 131 444. Please quote reference number P25104232. Anonymous reports can be made through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via https://crimestoppersnt.com.au/.
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
The Northern Territory Police Force has arrested five adults and seized a large quantity of kava in the East Arnhem Region.
On Wednesday 16 April 2025, police received intelligence of a large quantity of kava expected to be transported to Ramingining and Gapuwiyak.
Dog Operations Unit (DOU) coordinated a response, creating a cordoned area to intercept the alleged offenders along the Stuart Highway. They subsequently evaded police and returned in the direction of Katherine.
Additional resources were then deployed from Katherine including, the DOU with Patrol Dog Boss and Drug Dog Rambo and their handlers, Specialist Response Division, Territory Safety Division, and the National Substance Abuse Intelligence Desk.
Two vehicles were apprehended on the Stuart Highway and officers conducted a lawful search, locating several bottles of spirits, 250g of cannabis and 121kg of Kava.
Two females and three males, aged between 47 and 59, were charged with:
Possess commercial quantity kava
Supply commercial quantity kava
Supply dangerous drug, schedule 2 to indigenous community
Senior Sergeant Meacham King said, “This operation demonstrates the ongoing commitment of the DOU in disrupting the flow of destructive substances into vulnerable communities.
“We will continue to target individuals who facilitate the illegal supply of regulated substances.
“This was an excellent collaboration between all our divisions, and I would like to thank all the officers involved in the swift action and apprehensions.”