Death – Darwin

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

The Northern Territory Police Force is investigating a death in Darwin.

Around 11:15pm last night, the Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre (JESCC) received a report that a woman had been found unresponsive on a walking path in the Casuarina Coastal Reserve.

Emergency services responded, however the 52-year-old woman was declared deceased at the scene.

Her cause of death is not being treated as suspicious, and detectives from the Crime Division have carriage of the investigation.

A report will be prepared for the Coroner.

Serious crash at Lameroo

Source: New South Wales – News

Police are responding to a serious crash at Lameroo.

Just before 8am Saturday 27 September, police and emergency services were called to Yappara Road following reports of a single vehicle crash.

Major Crash investigators are making their way to the scene.

Road closures are in place and motorists are asked to avoid the area.

Australian icebreaker heads off on critical science, resupply voyage

Source: Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission

Australia’s icebreaker RSV Nuyina has made its way down the River Derwent and is heading for Casey research station – the first of three stops on its 52-day research and resupply voyage.
The ship has 99 expeditioners on board, almost 40 crew, three inflatable boats and two helicopters.

“There are really three stages to this voyage,” Voyage Leader Samantha Climie said.
“When we get close to Casey, we’ll fly some of the Traverse and Million Year Ice Core crew off, so they can get an early start on those projects.
“Some of the Wilkins Aerodrome crew will be flown off too, to help prepare and open the ice runway.”
The helicopters will also fly in some critical cargo that is too fragile to be included in an airdrop, planned for mid-October.
Once the fly off is complete, the ship will head to Heard Island for ten days to conduct a range of science, environmental management and research activities.
Then it’s on to Davis research station for an over-ice resupply.
RSV Nuyina ‘parks’ in thick sea ice about a kilometre from the station and is then unloaded by truck and tractor.
It will take just over a week to transfer 500 tonnes of cargo – including 12,600 eggs, 500 kilos of bacon and 600 kilos of cheese – 140,000 litres of water and around 800,000 litres of fuel.
“Importantly, we’re also taking people down, so we’re inserting next season’s team, who will spend a year in Antarctica, and bringing the winterers home,” Ms Climie said.
“We will leave the helicopters at Davis, and later in the summer they will fly across to Mawson station, meaning we touch every Australian Antarctic station with this voyage.”
Sam Climie lives in Tasmania and started her Antarctic career as a watercraft operator and then a Deputy Voyage Leader.
She led her first voyage at the age of 25 and has recently returned from Oxford in the UK, where she was a Rhodes Scholar, studying climate law and policy.
“It takes a lot of people to make a voyage like this happen and a lot of it happens behind the scenes,” she said.
“Support staff and crew do an incredible job making it all happen.”
The ingoing Davis Station Leader is Jenny Bonser from Adelaide, who was most recently Director of Operational Services at South Australia Police.
“I’ve also spent the last 30 years as a volunteer firefighter with the Morphett Vale Country Fire Service,” she said.
“My professional skillset is planning, organisation and operations delivery, with a focus on emergency management, and my passion is for leading people.”
Ms Bonser said professionally, the station leader role is a chance to bring all her skills and experience together.  
“Personally, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the beauty of Antarctica and contribute to the amazing science program,” she said.
“I am very excited about Midwinter celebrations – it’s a uniquely Antarctic experience.
“Of course, I’ll miss my friends and family but I think I’ll probably miss some other things too, like patting dogs and petrichor (the smell of rain after a hot spell).”
This content was last updated 24 minutes ago on 27 September 2025.

Strong Foundations rollout continues

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

Students at Neville Bonner primary school participating in the Year 1 Phonics Check.

In brief:

  • All ACT public primary and early childhood schools have now participated in the Year 1 Phonics Check.
  • The Phonics Check helps teachers see how well students understand sounds and letters.
  • It forms part of the ACT system-wide literacy and numeracy program, Strong Foundations.

The Strong Foundations program has reached a major milestone, with all ACT public primary and early childhood schools participating in the Year 1 Phonics Check.

The Phonics Check helps teachers see how well students understand sounds and letters.

It shows where students are doing well and where they might need more help to decode words.

In 2024, 28 ACT schools helped trial the Phonics Check. Feedback from schools improved how the check was administered this year.

Schools use the data from the check to choose the right literacy and numeracy resources for teaching, like decodable readers.

The Year 1 Phonics Check is now a regular part of learning across the ACT public school system.

Creating Strong Foundations for ACT students

The Year 1 Phonics Check forms a key part of the ACT system-wide literacy and numeracy program called Strong Foundations.

The program aims to ensure all ACT public schools have access to consistent, high-quality literacy and numeracy education.

Under Strong Foundations, Canberra families can access:

  • evidence-informed and consistent teaching practices in every classroom
  • common assessments, including a year 1 phonics test
  • advice and resources for parents, to support their children with literacy and numeracy
  • multitiered systems of support for students in every public school.

Progressive Achievement Tests (PAT)

All kindergarten to year 10 schools have also been provided with the Progressive Achievement Tests (PAT) for Reading and Maths. These are created by the Australia Council for Educational Research (ACER).

PAT helps teachers understand how students are learning over time.

It shows their strengths and helps set learning goals.

It will also give each student a digital learning record across the ACT public school system.

Professional learning for teachers

This year, teachers have also been enhancing the way they teach phonics.

Teachers have taken part in training about phonemic awareness — understanding that words are made of sounds and how those sounds connect to letters.

More training sessions will happen in term 4.

Strong Foundations achievements in 2025

So far in 2025, the ACT government has:

  • worked with schools and experts to agree on a shared way to teach and assess learning
  • appointed Literacy and Numeracy leaders in every primary and early childhood school
  • created a new Learning and Teaching Policy ready for 2026
  • delivered 26 more training sessions for teachers with 9543 registered attendances across all sessions
  • scheduled training for teachers on Explicit Teaching that will happen in Term 4 and Term 1 2026
  • provided a $1.7 million package to support students in Years 3–6 with extra resources for literacy and numeracy.

Your school will share information with families about learning and teaching in 2026.

For more information, visit Education and training – ACT Government.


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It’s time to renew your pet registration

Source: South Australia Police

Our furry family members give us love, laughs and loyal companionship – the least we can do is make sure they’re properly registered.

All cat and dog registrations are due by 31 October, whether you’ve opted for a one or three-year registration.

If you’re the forgetful type, make life easier by choosing a lifetime registration – set and forget for good!

In WA, all dogs over three months old and all cats over six months must be registered with your local government. The City’s pet registration period runs annually from 1 November to 31 October, regardless of the month in which the pet is registered.

Registration helps our rangers reunite lost pets with their owners quickly and safely.

If you’re registering your pet for the first time, you’ll need to complete a Cat and Dog Registration form and provide some key documents, like proof of microchipping and sterilisation.

Not only does lifetime registration save you time, it can also save money, and if your pet sadly passes within three years, you may be eligible for a partial refund.

Things to know:

Dogs

  • Must be registered and microchipped from three months of age.
  • Must wear a registration tag and a name/address disc.
  • Residential homes: maximum two dogs.
  • Rural properties over four hectares: up to six dogs allowed.
  • Sterilised dogs: you’ll need a vet certificate if registering online.

Cats

  • Must be registered, sterilised and microchipped from six months of age.
  • You can have up to three cats per household.
  • Proof of sterilisation is required.

To complete your registration or renewal, visit wanneroo.wa.gov.au/registeryourpet

Fatal crash – Stuart Highway – Erldunda

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

The Northern Territory Police Force is investigating a fatal crash that occurred on the Stuart Highway earlier today.

Around 8:35am, the Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre (JESCC) received a report of a single vehicle crash on the Stuart Highway about 20 kilometres north of Erldunda. The vehicle involved was carrying two occupants and had allegedly rolled.

Emergency services responded and an adult male was declared deceased at the scene. The passenger suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was conveyed to hospital for assessment.

A crime scene has been declared, and both lanes of the Stuart Highway remain closed while investigations are ongoing.

The closures are expected to remain until at least 5pm today and motorists are advised to avoid the area.

Detectives from the Major Crash Investigation Unit urge anyone with information to make contact on 131 444. Please quote reference number P25257248.

The lives lost on Territory roads now stands at 29.

25 new constables boost Tasmania Police ranks

Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

25 new constables boost Tasmania Police ranks

Friday, 26 September 2025 – 3:23 pm.

A former paramedic, an ex-truck driver, and a disability support worker are among the 25 new police officers who graduated today from the Tasmania Police Academy.
Ranging in age from 19 to 50, the 15 men and 10 women bring various experiences to policing, but all now share the common goal of keeping the public safe and serving their Tasmanian communities.
Commissioner Donna Adams and Acting Commander Education and Training Vanessa Castle were among senior officers in attendance at the police academy at Rokeby to congratulate the new constables on their achievements.
Recruits will be assigned to Burnie, Devonport, Launceston, Hobart, Bellerive and Bridgewater stations.
Constable Claire Eaton, of Hobart, and Constable Patrick Denny, also of Hobart, have been awarded the dux of course and runner-up dux of course, respectively.
Acting Commander Castle said the new officers had worked hard over a 28-week training course and were ready to begin serving the community.
“I congratulate all our recruits on their graduation. While they should be justly proud of their efforts so far, this is just the start of their journey with Tasmania Police,” Acting Commander Castle said.
“Our recruits are stepping into roles which are anything but ordinary, with each shift offering a new opportunity to serve and engage with our communities.”
The police constables bring a range of past career and life experiences to their new roles.
Dux of the course Constable Eaton, 24, is starting her policing career after previously studying in Canberra and working as a soccer referee. She will be station at Bridgewater.
Runner-up dux of course Constable Denny, 25, previously worked as a radio dispatch officer with Queensland Police. He will be stationed at Hobart.
Constable Eaton said she was excited by the opportunities ahead and thanked the support of her recruits over the 28-week course.
“I’ve always been really passionate about giving back and getting involved in the community and when I started considering the idea of police, it just felt right,” Constable Eaton said.
“I love nature and the cold, so what could be a better choice than Tassie.”
“I am really excited to see where my career goes with Tasmania Police and I am looking forward to learning the job and just getting stuck in.”
Also graduating on Friday was Lynda Deverell, 46, of Burnie.
Constable Deverell, whose husband is a serving police officer in the Western district, previously had a 25-year career as a registered nurse. She will be stationed at Burnie.
“I just woke up one morning and I said to my husband ‘I just want a career that is new and exciting’,” Constable Deverell said.
“My husband is a career police officer, he’s been in the force 25 years. I just really respect the role, I wanted to see what he did, and I haven’t looked back. I’m really excited to take on this journey.”
Friday’s ceremony marked the fourth graduating class of new constables in 2025, with 22 constables graduating in January, 15 constables in April, and 30 in July.
Acting Commander Castle said policing was a dynamic and rewarding career and encouraged people interested in becoming a Tasmania Police officer to take the next step.
For more information about Tasmania Police recruitment, visit https://recruitment.police.tas.gov.au/

Caption: New Tasmania Police constables Patrick Denny, left, Claire Eaton, Bethany Reid and Lynda Deverell at the police academy at Rokeby.

Strong community support for need to upgrade Queanbeyan East intersection

Source: Mental Health Australia

More than 1000 pieces of feedback were received by Transport for NSW in relation to the Yass Road, Bungendore Road and Ellerton Drive intersection in Queanbeyan East, with most supporting the need for an upgrade.

More than 1000 pieces of feedback were received by Transport for NSW in relation to the Yass Road, Bungendore Road and Ellerton Drive intersection in Queanbeyan East (PDF, 250.51 KB), with most supporting the need for an upgrade. 

In March and April, the community was invited to comment on the proposed design which would see the existing roundabout replaced with traffic signals and additional lanes, and signalised pedestrian crossings at the intersection. 

Temporary closure of Old Pitt Town Road between Cattai Road and Airstrip Road

Source: Mental Health Australia

Transport for NSW is building the Pitt Town bypass to take traffic, including heavy vehicles out of the town centre. This will make travel safer and more efficient for all road users.

For upcoming work to relocate existing utilities and build the northern roundabout, Old Pitt Town Road between Cattai Road and Airstrip Road will be temporarily closed for approximately five months from 20 October 2025. While Old Pitt Town Road is closed in this area, temporary detours will be in place.

Road users will need to use the detours via Cattai Road, Pitt Town Dural Road and Airstrip Road.

Local access to properties on Old Pitt Town Road will be available at all times.

We appreciate the patience and understanding of road users and the community while these detours are in place.

View a larger version of the map here (PDF, 1.18 MB).

UPDATE: Arrest – Assault police and escape custody – Wadeye

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

A 28-year-old male has been arrested in relation to an assault police and escape custody incident yesterday afternoon.

The alleged offender presented at the Wadeye Police Station and was taken into custody without further incident.

He remains in custody with charges expected to follow. 

An additional two males and one female have been arrested in relation to the incident with charges expected to follow.