Pair plead innocence over Mt Lawley PS fire

GUTTED: Mt Lawley Primary School was destroyed by fire on July 7. Source: PerthNow

TWO teenage boys have pleaded not guilty to starting a fire which gutted Mt Lawley Primary School.

The pair, aged 15 and 16, told the Perth Children's Court today they were not guilty of a charge of criminal damage by fire.

Police claim the boys set fire to chairs on a veranda at the school on July 7. 

Fire spread out of control, destroying most of the school and causing $9 million in damage.

The boys must reappear on January 21.

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Massive milk spill causes highway chaos

A truck carrying 45,000 litres of milk has rolled on Albany Hwy, spilling its cargo. Source: Supplied

A TRUCK has rolled near Mt Barker and spilled thousands of litres of milk onto Albany Hwy.

The accident happened 20km north of the town in WA's Great Southern at about 1.40pm today, after the driver lost control of the two tankers carrying 45,000 litres of milk.

Diesel also poured onto the road after the accident ruptured the truck's fuel tank.

Albany Hwy, near Gough Rd north of Mount Barker, is down to one lane and will be closed for several hours.

The truck driver has a suspected broken wrist and lacerations, and St John Ambulance is attending.

A replacement truck has left Harvey and will siphon the remaining milk from the overturned tankers.

A Department of Fire and Emergency Services crew is at the clean up and police are investigating the accident.

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Dangerous escapee on WA revenge mission

Convicter armed robber Jason Robert Herbert has fled from supervision while on parole in NSW and is feared to be on his way to Western Australia to harm two police officers.
  Source: PerthNow

A DANGEROUS armed robber who has fled from supervision while on parole is feared to be on his way to Western Australia to harm two police officers.

Jason Robert Herbert reportedly escaped from his lodgings near Newcastle, in NSW, on Saturday after being released from prison two weeks ago.

He was wearing an electronic monitoring device on his leg and is understood to have simply cut it off.

Media reports say Herbert is seeking revenge for his brother, Troy Matthew Herbert, who was killed on his motorbike in 2009 as he tried to outrun the police officers in Perth.

The officers are now being offered protection.

"We're aware of the situation and have taken all the necessary actions to ensure the safety and security of all WA police officers,'' a WA police spokesman said.

Herbert escaped authorities in July, but was captured and imprisoned for four months, so this is the second time he's been on the run.

The chase was part of a 2010 inquest into deaths during or shortly after police pursuits, which found the police car reached 198 km/h in a 60 km/h zone, but aborted the chase before the crash.

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One inmate burned in Hakea cell fire

An inmate was injured after a cell fire at Hakea Prison. Source: PerthNow

AN inmate has been taken to hospital suffering from burns after a fire broke out in a cell at Hakea Prison.

A Fire and Emergency Services Authority spokesman says four other people were treated for smoke inhalation after the fire started in a cell of the jail which acts as a remand centre as well as housing a maximum security section.

Five firetrucks attended the blaze, which broke out about 4.40pm and was extinguished 30 minutes later.

The FESA spokesman said the cause of the blaze was still being determined.

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Firearm threat after police attend robbery

POLICE have charged two men over a home invasion in West Busselton yesterday during which two people were allegedly assaulted and a loaded firearm was pointed at a police officer.

Police will allege the incident started shortly after 4.30am on Saturday morning when two officers were called to an address in Moore Street where a man and a woman were found with head injuries.

The victims directed the officers to the rear of the house where two men were allegedly attempting to flee the scene.

It is alleged that the men used an axe to force entry into the property before assaulting the pair with the makeshift weapon.

As police pursued the men on foot, one of them allegedly raised a loaded firearm at one of the officers who immediately deployed his taser and arrested the man.

It will be further alleged that the second man confronted the other officer with a club-style weapon.

That officer also deployed his taser and was able to secure the offender.

Neither the officers nor the alleged offenders were injured during the incident.

The man and the woman from the home were taken to Busselton Hospital where their injuries are not considered life threatening.

Police have since charged two men, a 30-year-old Busselton man and a 19-year-old Broadwater man over the incident.

The 30-year-old man is facing seven charges including aggravated burglary, aggravated armed robbery and point a firearm at another person.

The 19-year-old man is facing four charges including aggravated assault occasioning bodily harm and being armed in a way that may cause fear.

Both men will appear in the Bunbury Magistrates Court tomorrow.

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Police move in on Beaconsfield party

POLICE were forced to shut down an out of control party in Perth's southern suburbs last night after it was advertised on Facebook.

Officers were called to the party at a house on Briggs Court in Beaconsfield just before 9pm amid reports there were about 100 youths at the party creating a disturbance.

Police closed down the party and dispersed the crowd without incident.

Five juveniles were detained and returned to the care of responsible adults and two liquor infringements were issued.

Police say the party had been advertised on Facebook.

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Police united against druken violence

OPERATION UNITE: A 23-year-old man is issued with a move on notice for street drinking. Picture: Justin Benson-Cooper Source: PerthNow

OPERATION UNITE: A 23-year-old man is issued with a move-on notice for street drinking. Picture: Justin Benson-Cooper Source: PerthNow

POLICE dished out more than 250 move-on notices and 62 liquor infringements across WA last night in a nationwide crackdown operation targeting alcohol-fuelled violence.

Officers were out in force last night across WA as part of Operation Unite, a nationwide operation aimed at tackling drunken violence and anti-social behaviour.

Between 6pm last night and 6am this morning a total of 289 people were charged with 336 offences.

Police figures from the operation released this morning show there were seven assault charges laid, three charges of assault a public officer and 75 counts of disorderly behaviour.

Nineteen people were charged with driving in excess of 0.05 and 44 people were charged with driving in excess 0.08.

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American drowned in South-West rip tragedy

A surfer has died and another is missing after they were caught in a strong rip near Margaret River in WA.

POLICE have named the man who died near Margaret River yesterday after he was caught in rough surf as 29-year-old American Ian Bradley Vincent.

"He is from the United States and his relevant family overseas have been notified," a police spokeswoman said this afternoon.

A 22-year-old man who was also in the water yesterday is still missing and has not been found.

Authorities launched a massive search yesterday afternoon after reports several people had been swept out to sea in a rip at Redgate Beach just before 1.30pm.

Police pulled Mr Vincent out of the water but CPR attempts made by St John Ambulance officers were unsuccessful.

A marine and air search commenced at first light today with a helicopter, three Volunteer Marine Rescue vessels and two jet skis looking for the other man.

A number of State Emergency Services personnel were also deployed on the beach today.

Police have said Mr Vincent was surfing yesterday afternoon on a boogie board when conditions became treacherous.

Surf Life Saving WA posted a photo on Twitter about 4.30pm to alert swimmers to the dangerous conditions at the popular South-West beach.

The Royal Life Saving Society of WA released a report this week which found about 20 people drowned in WA each year and a further 100 were hospitalised after "near-drowning incidents."

The number of near drowning incidents has doubled in the last five years, the report said.

Men continue to drown at significantly higher rates than women, accounting for 76 per cent of deaths.

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Milk industry 'struggling to survive'

PRICE WAR: Farm gate prices have to increase to ensure the sustainability of the industry, farmer says.  Picture: Sarah Reed Source: The Advertiser

WA DAIRY farmers are being paid so little for their milk that the industry will struggle to survive, a new report has found.

A report prepared for the dairy section of the WA Farmers Federation has found that farm returns in the 2012 financial year were "inadequate to sustain the industry" because the farm gate milk price was between 40 and 42.5 cents a litre.

Though the report did not recommend an acceptable return for the industry, it did suggest farmers needed between 45 and 65 cents a litre for their milk.

To maintain cash flow throughout the 2012 financial year, the report found a "typical" family operate dairy farm did three things:

* Reduce personal remuneration or cut back on paid labour

* Allow assets to depreciate without replacement

* Sold assets such as replacement heifers to fund working capital.

"All three strategies create problems in the future – health/life balance issues,  rundown equipment and reduced herd numbers," it said.
 
"These problems in turn create an inability to respond positively to improved milk prices and the businesses become self limiting."

 WA Farmers dairy section president Phil Depiazzi said the report confirmed what farmers already knew and proved that farm gate prices had to be increase to ensure the sustainability of the industry.

He said he would be take the report to the major processors – Brownes, Harvey Fresh and Lion – as well as the major supermarkets.

"We will seek meetings with these companies to ensure they are fully aware of the effect their policies and strategies are having on the farm," he said.

"I ask Western Australian consumers to support local farmers by purchasing WA-based processor-branded dairy products," Mr Depiazzi concluded.
 

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WA bushfire started by humans

Bremer Bay Volunteer Marine Rescue Service on the water at the Doubtful Island Peninsula fire on the South Coast of WA. Picture Bremer Bay Volunteer Marine Rescue Service Source: PerthNow

Pictures from the Bremer Bay Volunteer Marine Rescue Service of the fire at Doubtful Island Peninsula on the South Coast of WA. Picture Bremer Bay Volunteer Marine Rescue Service Source: PerthNow

A BUSHFIRE on a remote West Australian peninsula was likely caused by humans, not lightning as initially thought, the incident controller says.

The fast-moving bushfire on Doubtful Island Peninsula triggered an emergency alert on Friday morning and efforts were swiftly under way to evacuate eight people staying there in a fishing shack as firefighters worked on containment lines.

All eight campers who rushed to the beach for refuge were offered evacuation by boat, but by late afternoon, the fire had burnt out the peninsula and the immediate danger had passed.

Incident controller Roger Armstrong said it was a positive outcome thanks to the work of firefighters and favourable winds that pushed the blaze to where it could burn no more vegetation.

"The ignition point was in a fortunate position for us. If it had been slightly further to the west, it would have been more difficult,'' Mr Armstrong told AAP.

"The wind was particularly in our favour.

"Basically, it started in a narrow neck of a peninsula that bumps out into the sea and the wind was pushing it straight down the peninsula, so all we had to do was keep it on that peninsula and not let it get back onto the mainland.''

The fire was initially thought to have been started by a lightning strike - considering that's what happened in nearby Bremer Bay earlier this week - but it was now clear humans had caused it, Mr Armstrong said.

The fire began close to the shack where the eight campers, who had been there for several days, were staying, he said.

"We've got a fire cause investigation going at the moment,'' Mr Armstrong said.

"Now that we've got a bit more intelligence, it's likely to be a human-caused fire.''

Mr Armstrong said the experts who investigated fire causes could determine the point of ignition to ``within metres''.

It was likely the cause would be confirmed on Saturday, he said.

Mr Armstrong said he was confident remaining spot fires would remain contained.

"We'll mop it up tomorrow and hand it back to local government,'' he said.

The sight of smoke had been worrying for Bremer Bay residents, who had only just been let back home after the much bigger bushfire near the town this week, Mr Armstrong said.

Are you near the fire? Do you have any pictures? Email us here

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