King Charles visits National Centre for Indigenous Excellence
As part of today’s royal itinerary, King Charles has been meeting with Indigenous leaders in Sydney.
The palace had previously said the king would meet Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives and groups to learn about their work in supporting local communities and strengthening culture.
Here are some photos that have begun filtering through from the event, held at the National Centre for Indigenous Excellence:
Vision is currently being broadcast of the king watching a ceremony inside the centre.
Key events
Caitlin Cassidy
King Charles’ motorcade still approaching Parramatta barbecue
The King’s motorcade is still approaching Parramatta park for a barbecue thrown in his honour this morning as a Welcome to Country gets underway.
The theme is quintessentially Australian heavy – two sheepdogs sit patiently on barrels waiting to muster a herd of sheep, and a windmill slowly twirls above a barrel of hay.
A number of vendors are sampling their goods, including gelato-heavyweights Messina, offering “regal scoops” of ice cream, surf living dishing out an “Aussie barbecue” and sustainable Murray cod. Elsewhere, Henna and traditional dance is on offer, as are Anzac biscuits from the Country Women’s Association – who have spent hours sewing a scone onto an apron for the King.
Guests lucky enough to nab an invite includes Vietnamese-Australian writer Anh Do, singer and actress Delta Goodrem, former cricketer Dave Warner, Young Australian of the Year Dr Nikhil Autar and students from local schools across Western Sydney.
Malaysian-Australian chef and TV show host Adam Liaw is MC’ing. Prior to proceedings kicking off, he told Guardian Australia he was waiting to sample the goods on offer after the formalities, having already spilt coffee on his shirt, but was particularly excited about the banh mi.
Allan calls out Queensland LNP for ‘threatening a woman’s right to chose’
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, has marked 16 years since abortion was decriminalised in Victoria. In a post to social media, she wrote that this “gave women and practitioners the peace of mind that their choice, was exactly that – their choice”.
She continued, pointing to the Queensland election this weekend:
Yet, 16 years later, women are still facing uncertainty around their health and safety when it comes to abortion.
Right now in Queensland, on the eve of their state election, the Liberal opposition leader is threatening a woman’s right to choose. And in the United States, well, we all know what happened there.
Women’s bodies shouldn’t be up for debate in 2024. They never should have been in the first place. Abortion is health care. Simple as that.
As Ben Smee reports, LNP leader David Crisafulli and his party have repeatedly said they have “ruled out” changes to the state’s 2018 laws that decriminalised abortion. But candidates have all refused to say how they would vote if a reform bill came before the next parliament, amid speculation of a conscience vote.
NSW police respond to new data on strip searches
NSW police have provided a response to data from the Redfern Legal Centre showing police had strip-searched 66 children aged between 10 and 17 at train stations in the state over the past eight years.
You can read the full post earlier in the blog from Jordyn Beazley, here.
NSW police responded with the following statement:
A strip-search will only be conducted if at a police station the searching officer suspects on reasonable grounds that the strip-search is necessary for the purposes of the search, or in any other place if the officer suspects on reasonable grounds that the strip-search is necessary for the purposes of the search and that the seriousness and urgency of the circumstances make the strip-search necessary at that place.
Our reporter Caitlin Cassidy is on the scene at Parramatta, and says the Country Women’s Association have spent hours creating an apron for King Charles, featuring their iconic scone:
Latest from the royal itinerary across Sydney
Pool reporters have let us know that a small crowd gathered outside the National Center for Indigenous Excellence in Redfern earlier this morning to meet King Charles, as we flagged earlier.
Chairperson of the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council, Allan Murray, told the king “we’ve got stories to tell and I think you witnessed that story yesterday” as she welcomed him to Gadigal land.
The king was led to meet Beryl Booth, who served his majesty 40 years earlier during another Australian tour. Aunty Beryl served the king kangaroo pies, before he was rushed off to the sports hall.
King Charles greeted by traditional Indigenous dancers from Brolga Dance Academy and the Mui Mui Bedlam dance group. He then went into a private meeting with key Indigenous Elders.
The royal couple are now attending a barbecue in Parramatta, where NSW police inspector Amy Scott will be in attendance.
Their royals will also meet Noemie Fox, who won gold in kayak cross in Paris, Indigenous entertainer Casey Donovan, writer, artist and comedian Anh Do, and Paralympian swimmer Timothy Hodge. The emcee will be chef Adam Liaw.
Rafqa Touma
NSW MP claims unsolved disappearances and deaths inadequately investigated because victims were women ‘from the regions’
Continuing from our last post: Jeremy Buckingham said “every police officer in the state would be on the case” if the 67 unresolved disappearances and deaths of women on the NSW north coast were incidents in Sydney’s eastern or northern suburbs.
These women were regional, they were poor, they were black, and they weren’t at the front of mind for the police. That’s clear. The coronial inquests have made damning findings about the quality of those investigations.
Imagine if this was the situation in the eastern suburbs of Sydney or the northern beaches of Sydney. Sixty women had been brutally murdered or disappeared. There would be public outrage, and every police officer in the state would be on the case.
But these women were from the regions. They were poor, they were young, they were black, they were hippies, and so if you don’t look, you don’t see.
As we just flagged, Buckingham is calling for an inquiry into these unresolved deaths and disappearances from the 1970s to mid-2000s (which he says could be attached to “the worst serial killer or killers in Australian history”).
NSW police said a number investigations over the years investigated the disappearance of women on the state’s north coast. A spokesperson said:
To this date, there is no evidence to indicate a common offender was responsible for the disappearances. The matters remain under investigation by state crime command’s homicide squad unsolved homicide team and the missing person registry.
Rafqa Touma
NSW MP calls for inquiry into unresolved deaths and disappearances of women on state’s north coast
Jeremy Buckingham, MP for the Legalise Cannabis NSW Party, is calling for an inquiry into the unresolved deaths and disappearances of dozens of women on the state’s north coast over three decades – which he says could be attached to “the worst serial killer or killers in Australian history”.
Buckingham told press his investigations found 67 unresolved homicides and disappearances of women on the north coast from the late 1970s to the mid 2000s.
Speaking from state parliament, he said the incidents are “a complete anomaly” in Australia:
It is utterly unacceptable, completely egregious, that this has come to pass. The victims, their families and communities demand to know what happened to their daughters, their mothers … the people of New South Wales need to know what has happened, and the perpetrator or perpetrators of these crimes must be brought to justice.
This may well be the worst serial killer or killers in Australian history, and it has not been public knowledge, and they have not been brought to justice, that is an utterly unacceptable situation.
Buckingham pointed to the small population, the modus operandi (a pattern in a mode of operating), the type of women and the way the women were killed. He said criminologists and senior police, such as former NSW police deputy commissioner Michael Willing, say it is likely the cases are linked.
Buckingham also said the investigation should take the same form as the special commission of inquiry into LGBTIQ hate crimes.
Victorian trial to make developers fund infrastructure in areas where new housing built
Adeshola Ore
The Victorian government will trial charging developers to fund infrastructure like schools and parks in areas where new housing will be built, as part of a shift to a state-wide infrastructure contribution scheme.
The premier, Jacinta Allan, is announcing a new scheme which will be trialled in ten of the government’s “activity centres” – which it has earmarked for fast-tracking of high-rise developments. It is one of a series of housing policies the Victorian government had announced this week in an effort to boost supply of homes across the state.
Speaking to reporters, Allan said the scheme will link infrastructure funding to the building of new homes:
Communities that build more homes should also have the opportunity to receive the funding they need for the things that make those communities great. It’s only fair to take that approach.
The development charge will be rolled out from 1 January 2027 in the first ten activity centres in Broadmeadows, Camberwell, Chadstone, Epping, Frankston, Moorabbin, Niddrie, North Essendon, Preston and Ringwood.
The government says a working group will create a new state-wide infrastructure contribution scheme. It will replace an existing model made up of levies that exist in half of Victoria’s local government areas.
Tamsin Rose
Efforts to rescue cockatoo stuck inside Sydney supermarket for four weeks
Efforts continue to rescue a cockatoo that has been “living on brioche” inside a Sydney supermarket at Macarthur Square for four weeks.
The New South Wales environment minister, Penny Sharpe, has pledged to save the cockatoo, called Mickey, and said:
Mickey the cockatoo is not going to be shot. I have directed the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service to find out how we can help Mickey and the team at Coles. National Parks is in contact with wildlife rescue groups and staff at Coles Macarthur Square.
Mickey will be freed.
The bird has been stuck in the Coles at Macarthur Square in Campbelltown for weeks, according to the Sydney Metropolitan Wildlife Services. A post from the group this morning stated that while efforts were being made to save the bird, it had been a “nightmare”.
The poor bird hasn’t had any dark for over four weeks and has been living on brioche and illegally placed water by the night manager – who is very fond of the bird.
Two traps [were] left but with so much food in the store, who knows if that will work. Hopefully we exhausted him so much he will come down to a trap for water.
Coles has been contacted for comment.
Jordyn Beazley
NSW police provide more information on critical incident on Great Western Highway
NSW police have said it’s too early in the investigation to say what arose police suspicion before they followed a car that soon after crashed into another, resulting in the death of a driver on his way to work.
Police have declared the crash that occurred on Sydney’s Great Western Highway at around 4am this morning a critical incident, with the alleged driver arrested but yet to be charged.
This morning, NSW police assistant commissioner Gavin Wood told reporters the police weren’t in pursuit of the 43-year-old driver, but had turned their lights and siren on to pass through a red light and follow the driver.
He said the two officer’s next vision of the car was it crashed into a Toyota Corolla. The driver of the Corolla, a 49-year-old male who is yet to be formally identified, was pronounced dead at the scene after police provided first aid. Wood said:
This is a tragedy beyond belief. You have an innocent 49 year old mile going to work, he doesn’t go to work, he doesn’t go home, his family don’t get to see him.
You’ve got young police out doing their job, protecting the community at 4am so this is a tragedy in a number of ways, but for that poor man and his family and friends, their life has changed from this incident. There’s no question about that.
Wood alleged the driver ran away from police following the crash, and was soon after found at a residential home attempting to take clothes from a clothes line.
Police said the investigation into the incident will undergo an independent review.
SA police commissioner speaks to media following court outcome
Just earlier the South Australian police commissioner, Grant Stevens, addressed the media following news the 19-year-old who struck his son, Charlie, at schoolies last year had been handed a suspended sentence.
Stevens agreed with comments from the judge that no matter what happened in the courtroom “today will not change anything for our family”, and said he was “grateful” this part of the process is over:
Each court date that has come up has been difficult, stressful and emotional for our family. We are grateful that he chose to plead guilty to a defence because that was part of it to a conclusion much more quickly. It is one of those things that we are continuing to learn how to live with every single day without Charlie.
He thanked South Australians for their support, and said the family will “always reminded of his absence.”
Teen driver spared jail over causing death of South Australian police commissioner’s son
The young driver who fatally struck South Australian police commissioner Grant Stevens’ son Charlie has avoided going to jail over the hit-run tragedy during Schoolies week in 2023.
As AAP reports, 19-year-old Dhirren Singh Randhawa from Encounter Bay was sentenced in the SA district court to one year, one month and seven days in jail, with a non-parole period of seven months – suspended on condition he is of good behaviour for two years. He has also been banned from driving for 10 years.
He had pleaded guilty to aggravated driving without due care and leaving the scene of a crash at Goolwa Beach, south of Adelaide, on 17 November 2023.
The court was told Charlie, 18, and three friends were celebrating schoolies and had flagged down Randhawa at 9pm to ask for a ride to Victor Harbor. But he declined, explaining that he did not want to risk demerit points on his P-plates.
He performed a U-turn and accidentally struck Stevens, causing irreversible brain damage. Stevens died at Flinders medical centre the next day.
Randhawa drove away in “shock and disbelief” but stopped when he saw a police car and told them what happened.
In court on 3 October, Randhawa addressed Stevens’ family, telling them that learning Charlie’s life support had been switched off “was the most difficult thing I’ve heard in my life”:
There’s so much I’d like to say, but mostly I want to say I’m sorry. And I’m sorry Charlie.
King Charles visits National Centre for Indigenous Excellence
As part of today’s royal itinerary, King Charles has been meeting with Indigenous leaders in Sydney.
The palace had previously said the king would meet Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives and groups to learn about their work in supporting local communities and strengthening culture.
Here are some photos that have begun filtering through from the event, held at the National Centre for Indigenous Excellence:
Vision is currently being broadcast of the king watching a ceremony inside the centre.
Jordyn Beazley
Data shows NSW police conducting around 100 strip-searches on average each year
Police have strip-searched 66 children aged between 10 and 17 at train stations in New South Wales over the past eight years.
The data, obtained by Redfern Legal Centre (RLC), showed from 2016 to 2024 NSW police conducted a total of nearly 900 strip-searches, equalling around 100 on average each year.
A disproportionate number of these searches were conducted on First Nations people, the data showed. Eighty-two searches were conducted on First Nations people over the eight years, making up approximately 9% of the total number.
Samantha Lee, supervising solicitor at RLC, said the strip-searches were conducted with a lack of privacy and were therefore in violation of the law.
The Law Enforcement Powers and Responsibilities Act states police, when carrying out a strip-search, are required to conduct it “as far as is reasonably practicable in the circumstances” in a “private area.” Lee said:
There is no privacy at a train station. Sometimes police set up curtain-like structures on the platform, but commonsense tells you this is incredibly inadequate. Subjecting children to this invasive procedure in such a public space is appalling.
RLC said police powers to conduct strip-searches were only meant to be exceptional circumstances, but are instead being routinely applied by police. RLC called on the NSW government to take immediate action to reform strip-search laws.
Redfern Legal Centre and law firm Slater & Gordon are currently running a landmark class action against the state government to pursue compensation for people who allege they were illegally strip-searched at music festivals.
NSW police have been contacted for a response.
