The new Mount Ousley interchange has hit another milestone with major work complete on the upgraded pedestrian bridge at Northfields Avenue.
The upgraded bridge includes a new, more accessible, ramp that improves pedestrian access to the bridge by providing a gentler slope rather than a steep spiral ramp.
The improved bridge opened to the community on the evening of Monday 1 September, reinstating access across the M1 between the University of Wollongong and the TAFE at Northfields Avenue.
Cabonne Shire has commenced much needed disaster recovery works to rebuild and strengthen transport infrastructure impacted by the 2022 floods, which caused widespread damage across the Central West LGAs.
Work is now underway to improve the drainage capacity and efficacy of causeways along key roads in the shire, with planning and design being prepared for improvements to a number of bridges across the shire.
These two transport infrastructure upgrade packages are made possible through the Regional Transport Resilience Fund (RTRF) provided jointly by the NSW and Australian governments under Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
A 36-year-old male has been arrested and charged following a traffic apprehension in Leanyer yesterday afternoon.
Around 3pm, police observed a black Subaru Impreza driving dangerously along Vanderlin Drive and the vehicle was apprehended.
The driver was subject to a roadside breath test, which returned a positive result for drug use. As a result, officers conducted a lawful search of the vehicle, where they located and seized just over 3 grams of methamphetamine.
During the alleged offender’s arrest, he broke free and fled into nearby bushland.
A cordon was established and a short time later, the 36-year-old offender was apprehended by Patrol Dog Drax from the Dog Operations Unit.
He was conveyed to Royal Darwin Hospital for assessment and was later charged with multiple offences including:
Escape from lawful custody
Drive with prohibited drug in body
Possess schedule 1 drug traffickable quantity
Possess thing to administer drug
Drive a motor vehicle while unlicensed
Careless driving
Drive motor vehicle unsafe to drive
He has been remanded to face Darwin Local Court on 8 September 2025.
Police continue to urge anyone who witnesses a crime or anti-social behaviour to make contact on 131 444. Alternatively, you can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Murray Bridge’s Senior Constable First Class David Brown has been named the 2025 South Australia Police Officer of the Year for his dedication to crime prevention in the Murray Mallee region.
The annual award is presented by the Rotary Club of Unley, in partnership with South Australia Police (SAPOL), and acknowledges police officers who have made a lasting and profound impact on community service and development.
Fondly referred to as ‘officer everywhere’ by many in the Murray Mallee community, SC1C Brown is a familiar face across several initiatives, including Neighbourhood Watch, the Murray Bridge Blue Light boxing program, and ‘Coffee with a Cop’.
His role as a crime prevention officer also includes the delivery of regular school and community talks on bullying and violence, cybercrime awareness, home security advice, and more.
Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police Simon Watkins congratulated SC1C Brown on the esteemed recognition and acknowledged his instrumental efforts to better the regional community.
“Through his strong desire to make a difference, SC1C Brown has built trust with countless community members, including young people,” he said.
“His work in Murray Mallee crime prevention and commitments outside of policing have made a lasting impression, and he demonstrates the exemplary qualities of a great police officer.”
SC1C Brown felt “gob smacked” when notified about the award. “I am very humbled to be announced Police Officer of the Year,” he said.
“Although this is an individual award, a lot of the achievements I have had would not be possible without the backing of SAPOL and a trusting Sergeant and team members.
“Personally, I would like to acknowledge my wife Christy Brown who has been with me every step of the way during challenging times, offering me the support needed, and my three kids (aged 14 and 11-year-old twins), for keeping me grounded.”
Originally from Liverpool in the United Kingdom, the 49-year-old formerly worked as a Cadbury chocolate sales consultant before making the journey down under in 2006.
“My house was always a hit when it was Halloween, with all the kids wanting to go to ‘the chocolate man’s’ house for trick or treat,” SC1C Brown remembered.
“However, I was a kid of the ’80s and early ’90s and grew up watching the likes of Starsky and Hutch, Dukes of Hazard, CHiPS and Police Academy which sparked my interest in policing as an action-packed and exciting career.
“As I got older and gained a more realistic view of the world, I quickly realised the importance of policing and considered how rewarding it would be to make a difference in peoples’ lives and help them in times of need.”
After visiting family in Sydney and a 1998 trip backpacking around Australia, SC1C Brown and his wife Christy decided to emigrate here in 2006 and haven’t looked back since.
When driving in Adelaide’s city centre, a SAPOL recruitment advert on the back of a bus caught SC1C Brown’s eye and he joined the police academy as a cadet in Course 3 on March 3, 2008.
His 17-year career has so far seen an eight-year stint at Port Pirie as a Probationary Constable, Senior Constable and Acting Sergeant, and periods at smaller Port Germein and Port Broughton stations.
In 2016, SC1C Brown transferred to Grenfell Street for a 6-month period before moving to Murray Bridge.
“In Murray Bridge I was initially on the road and spent a great deal of my time as acting Sergeant or 2IC of the team before being recognised and promoted to Brevet Sergeant,” he said.
“When the opportunity came up to transfer into crime prevention in 2022, I jumped at it and have taken on the role as Vice Chair for Murray Bridge Blue Light and Police Co-ordinator for Murray Bridge Neighbourhood Watch.
“Policing is the best job in the world. You get to work with some strong people and make lifelong friends. You also get to work in a team and have access to a multitude of career opportunities.”
In his spare time, SC1C Brown enjoys exploring outdoors with his family or playing the guitar (badly). He is also a huge fan of English Premier League football, supporting Liverpool Football Club, and also enjoys watching the ‘mighty Reds’, Adelaide United, play at Hindmarsh Stadium.
“I am currently in training to walk the Kokoda trail next year as part of my 50th birthday celebrations,” he added.
“Other future aspirations include leaving a lasting legacy on the community I work in, becoming a Sergeant in a crime prevention section to share my experiences, and to see my children grow up and achieve their full potential.”
The official ceremony was held today at the Royal Adelaide Show where SC1C Brown was presented with the title by the Rotary Club of Unley’s President Rhonda Hoare and District 9510 Governor Rajeev Kamineni, joined by Acting Deputy Commissioner Watkins.
President Hoare commended the 47-year award partnership with SAPOL, and SC1C Brown’s achievements towards safer communities.
“The quality of officers nominated continues to honour and exemplify the contribution South Australia Police makes to our state communities,” she said.
“Rotary is very pleased to make this award to Senior Constable First Class David Brown – a dedicated police officer worthy of such recognition – and hopes to see the collaboration continue with SAPOL well into the future.”
Murray Bridge’s Senior Constable First Class David Brown has been named the 2025 South Australia Police Officer of the Year.
SC1C David Brown working in Port Pirie 2011, pictured with a man walking from Perth to Sydney dressed as a Stormtrooper for a mental health charity. (Right) SC1C Brown pictured at a NAIDOC Family Fun Day after being ambushed by kids during a colour run.
SC1C Brown at Tailem Bend Raceway for a Ronald McDonald House fundraiser. He led a parade lap around the racecourse with some very expensive and fast super cars behind him. (Right) SC1C Brown is the Police Co-ordinator for Murray Bridge Neighbourhood Watch.
Major Crime Detectives can confirm the remains found at Port Lincoln in late July are that of murder victim Julian Story.
On Thursday 31 July, a member of the public located human remains while they were walking in scrubland adjacent to Hindmarsh Street, Port Lincoln.
The remains were forwarded to Forensic Science SA for a detailed scientific examination which has confirmed their identity.
Police extend their gratitude to the many members of the Port Lincoln community who have come forward with information to aid this investigation.
Detectives continue to investigate Julian’s murder and ask anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at www.crimestopperssa.com.au – you can remain anonymous.
The speed limit through Cudgen Tunnel will remain reduced for weeks as repairs continue to infrastructure severely damaged in a copper wiring theft on Saturday. The act of vandalism shut down the tunnel’s lighting system, which requires the speed limit through it to drop from 110 to 80 kilometres per hour for the safety of motorists. A control room housing the main switchboard that supplies communications for the 134-metre-long Pacific Highway tunnel had its copper wiring ripped out, while the nearby high voltage transformer providing the power supply was also vandalised. The power supply was isolated before inspections and repairs to cut cables began on Sunday. Repairs are likely to take all of this month to complete due to the damage. Transport for NSW Executive Director Regional Road Network Maintenance Alistair Lunn said this should not be considered a petty act. “This copper theft has interrupted the tunnel’s power supply and inconvenienced thousands of motorists who take this route on the Pacific Highway,” Mr Lunn said. “It’s an extensive and expensive repair job but what’s worse is that this malicious damage could have put lives at risk, including those responsible. “For anyone driving through the Cudgen Tunnel please turn your headlights on while tunnel lighting is out and drive to the reduced speed limit of 80 kilometres an hour.” The matter has been reported to NSW Police who are investigating. If anyone has any information about the incident contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Seven major road corridors in Sydney’s rapidly growing south-west have been identified for future upgrades under a $65 million joint planning initiative by the Australian and New South Wales governments.
The expanded South West Sydney Roads – Planning Project aims to ease traffic congestion, improve road safety, and support ongoing housing and job growth in Sydney’s Greater Macarthur and South West regions.
Business cases and planning investigations will be prepared for the seven priority corridors, which together comprise some 76.5 km of roads that carry more than 100,000 vehicles daily.
These will provide a road map of staged delivery of improvements including widening key routes, adding new entry and exits points, new intersections and town centre bypasses.
The focus is on busting road congestion, improving safety and supporting ongoing housing and job growth as the South West and Greater Macarthur communities grow.
These routes are vital links between residential communities, employment hubs and freight routes. It is essential to plan for the infrastructure the region needs now, and to plan for the next round of major road infrastructure projects. Planning for jointly funded upgrades have been identified for four key corridors, including:
Hume Motorway – Narellan Road to Picton Road: A strategic options plan and access strategy will examine improvements to entry and exit points and traffic flow along this critical freight route, which carries more than 52,000 vehicles daily.
Cowpasture Road – M7 Motorway to Camden Valley Way: Widening from four to six lanes is proposed to support housing development around Bradfield City and the Western Sydney Airport precinct. The corridor currently sees more than 41,000 vehicles each day.
Camden Valley Way – M5 Motorway to Narellan Road: Also set for widening from four to six lanes, this route services suburbs that have grown significantly in recent years, adding over 20,000 residents and 5,000 jobs.
Menangle Road – Tindall Street, Campbelltown to Cummins Road, Menangle Park: Widening is planned to boost capacity along what is seen as an increasingly important local corridor.
Additionally, three more corridors will now be investigated and plans developed as part of the $65 million program:
Campbelltown Road – between the Hume Highway and Brooks Road – proposed to expand from two to four lanes to improve safety and reduce congestion for the 34,000 vehicles using it daily.
Appin town centre bypass – to divert traffic away from the historic village and prepare for future demand.
Jersey Road – from Oran Park to Bradfield – subject to a planning study to support better public transport connections and road access between two of the region’s fastest-growing centres. Oran Park is forecast to create more than 2,500 jobs by 2026.
This consolidated program of planning for South West Sydney roads sits alongside a broader pipeline of committed infrastructure investments across Western Sydney, including:
More than $2 billion for the toll-free M12 Motorway linking the M7 Motorway to the new Western Sydney Airport (Australian and NSW Government funding).
$1 billion (Australian and NSW Government funding) to upgrade Fifteenth Avenue, including a six-kilometre section between Cowpasture and Devonshire roads.
$380 million (Australian and NSW Government funding) to upgrade the M5 westbound between Moorebank Avenue and the Hume Highway.
$800 million for the upgrade of the priority section of Elizabeth Drive upgrade to improve safety and reduce congestion (Australian and NSW Government funding).
Source: Australian Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry
Today we’re releasing letters from 38 Commonwealth regulators containing more than 400 ideas to reduce regulatory burden and support productivity growth in our economy.
We’re cutting red tape where we responsibly can to ease the burden on businesses and consumers and make our economy more prosperous and productive.
As part of the Reform Roundtable, we wrote to 38 Commonwealth regulators requesting new ideas to improve regulation and reduce unnecessary compliance burdens.
Regulators have responded. Today we’re releasing these letters which include more than 400 ideas including around 150 new actions to consider that could be taken without budget or legislative change.
We won’t always agree with every suggestion but we will give them careful consideration. The ideas will inform more targeted engagement with industry and regulators to identify priority areas.
Today I have written to the Council of Financial Regulators (CFR) and other financial sector regulators asking them to identify additional actions to de‑clutter and improve regulation, including facilitating a deep dive on financial sector regulation.
The CFR will coordinate this work, with input from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, the Australian Taxation Office, AUSTRAC and the Australian Financial Security Authority.
I have asked the CFR to prioritise the streamlining and harmonising of data collection and consult with stakeholders on other priority areas.
Better regulation was a big focus of the Economic Reform Roundtable and it will be a big focus of Labor’s economic agenda moving forward.
The Government will progress further work identified at the Roundtable.
We will:
Alter statements of expectations for Commonwealth regulators to emphasise the reduction of red tape and a better balance between outcomes and risk.
Progress the ‘tell‑us‑once’ principle on how individuals and businesses engage with the government, to remove frustrating duplicative processes.
Conduct deep dives for priority sectors to streamline regulation.
Whether it’s our occupational licensing reforms, the Single Front Door for investment, or our work on approvals, we’ve made plenty of progress on regulatory reform already, but we recognise there’s more to do and that’s what these efforts are all about.
We’re grateful for the clear consensus that was built around regulatory reform at the Roundtable and leading up to it, and these contributions will continue to inform the government’s decisions on economic reform in the lead up to the budget and beyond.
Better regulation will deliver big benefits to businesses, workers and the broader economy.
An augmented reality (AR) project is bringing meaningful art murals inspired by local geography, flora, fauna and culture to life in a small country town on the Southern Yorke Peninsula.
Warooka’s Moving Murals Project blends technology with art, transforming static artworks on main street buildings and infrastructure into immersive experiences for residents and visitors.
The innovative project was initiated by local community members to extend the popular Yorke Peninsula Art Trail with interactive mural experiences in aim of attracting more visitors to the southern part of the region.
Lead artist Jasmine Swales worked with a team of local artists to create the three public art murals located in the main street of Warooka;
‘Molly’s Tank’ a large, concrete water tank, depicting an ‘under the jetty’ ocean experience.
The side of the Foodworks supermarket, illustrating what is found in the local native landscape and creatures such as the brush-tailed bettong, goanna and mallee fowl.
The side of Warooka Hardware, showcasing the dramatic coastal landscape and its flora and fauna; the nautilus shell, osprey, coastal saltbush, plovers, oyster catchers and a sea eagle.
The Molly’s Tank and Foodworks murals include ‘trigger images’; designs embedded within the artwork that visitors scan to access an AR story that expands on the artworks’ design and content.
The local artists worked with students from the Warooka Primary School who also contributed to the murals’ designs, stories and painting.
Molly’s Tank.
Researchers from UniSA’s Australian Research Centre for Interactive and Virtual Environments (IVE), Dr Ben Stubbs and Dr Kim Munro from UniSA’s Creative People, Products and Places Research Centre (CP3) were engaged for the AR technology used in the project and travelled to Warooka to meet with the project team.
They presented at a series of workshops and community consultations on how AR could be used in storytelling, and activated AR for two of the three murals. The hardware store mural requires further funding before the AR technology is developed.
“When visitors scan the QR code, they are taken to an immersive AR app where they access stories about the murals and how they reflect local life and environments,” Dr Stubbs says.
“While we could help with the technology, the planning, and the logistics of thinking about story and place, this was a community-instigated and led project where stories that were meaningful to the people who lived in the region were created.
“The underwater themed mural on Molly’s Tank includes an AR story of an underwater diver, and a local Narungga story of the shark. Across the road at Foodworks is the local, native landscape mural that includes AR stories of the re-wilding (natural restoration) process and local habitats.”
Project coordinator and local resident Carolyn Ramsey says the AR technology brings the mural artworks to life, telling stories and sharing culture by creating immersive story experiences that connect audiences of all ages more deeply with the art.
The AR sign next to one of the murals.
“Moving Murals contributes to Warooka’s cultural vibrancy and helps attract regional art tourism,” she says. “By combining technology with visual art, the murals appeal to a broad audience and foster a deeper connection and understanding of the area’s artistic, natural and cultural heritages.”
Ramsey says the project would not have been possible without the collaboration of UniSA and the region’s many remarkable artists.
“The partnership between UniSA and the local artists has been a great success,” she says. “The trialling of this new technology and the creative thinking that was done would not have occurred otherwise. With Warooka being 300km from Adelaide, we are always open to any opportunity to attract more visitors, showcase local creativity, support local businesses and exceed people’s expectations.”
Warooka’s Moving Murals Project was funded by Warooka Progress Association, Foundation for Regional and Remote Renewal, Northern and Yorke Landscape Board and Country Arts SA, Yorke Peninsula Council, Ballara Art and Lifestyle Retreat and Warooka Hardware.
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
The Northern Territory Police Force is investigating after a young child was injured after being struck by a slow-moving vehicle on an outstation north of Alice Springs yesterday.
Around 5:40pm, the Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre (JESCC) received a report that a 2-year-old child had been struck by a reversing vehicle on the property.
Emergency services met the family halfway to Alice Springs and the child was conveyed to Alice Springs Hospital by St John Ambulance with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
Southern Traffic have carriage of the investigation.
Anyone with information is urged to contact police on 131 444. Please quote reference P25236217. Anonymous reports can be made through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via https://crimestoppersnt.com.au/.