Four youths charged – Smithfield

Tuesday, 24 September 2024 11:53:46 AM

Officers from Strike Force Sweetenham have charged 4 teens following a pursuit in Sydney’s south west yesterday.

About 11.40am (Monday 23 September 2024), officers attached to Cumberland Highway Patrol attempted to stop a grey SUV on Woodpark Road, Smithfield.

When the vehicle failed to stop as directed, a pursuit was initiated.

The pursuit was terminated and a short time later, the vehicle allegedly collided with a white SUV at the intersection of Merrylands Road and Cumberland Road, Greystanes.

The driver of the white SUV, a 75-year-old man, was trapped for a short time before self-extricating.

He was treated at the scene by NSW Ambulance paramedics before being taken to hospital as a precaution.

The driver of the grey SUV, a 14-year-old boy, and his four passengers ran from the scene.

Three boys, and 11-year-old, two 14-year-olds, and 18-year-old man, were arrested nearby and taken to Granville police station.

A fourth female passenger ran from the scene and has not been located.

The driver was charged with police pursuit and drive conveyance taken without consent of owner. He was given conditional bail to appear before a Children’s Court on Monday 14 October 2024.

The18-year-old man was charged with be carried in conveyance and breach of bail. He was refused bail to appear before Parramatta Local Court today (Tuesday 24 September 2024).

The other 14-year-old boy was taken to Westmead Hospital for treatment of a broken arm, and he will be dealt with under the Young Offender’s Act.

The 11-year-old boy was dealt with under the Young Offender’s Act.

Inquiries are ongoing into the incident.

Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages.

The Northern Rivers Times Newspaper Edition 202

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The Northern Rivers Times Newspaper Edition 199

The Northern Rivers Times Edition 164

‘Don’t Forget Us!’ say Bungawalbyn, Woodburn and Coraki Residents.

By Kate Coxwell.

The Resilient Homes Program, which was created to provide assistance to home owners to restore and flood protect their homes and lives from future events has rejected over 5000 of the applicants out of just over 6000 in total, resulting in a rally which last weekend saw the Clarence electorate, Woodburn, Coraki, Bungawalbin, Broadwater, Wardell and surrounding rural townships came out in force, back to the bridge where National media had filmed them stranded, in the floods, nearly 18 months ago.

$750 million dollars of promised flood recovery funds seemingly disappeared the week prior, and over 5000 residents affected by floods were called by Service NSW staff to say “you are ineligible” as the NRRC also released new flood zone maps excluding the 2022 data and itself dissolved within days in the same week, the buck now stopping with the Northern Rivers Reconstruction Authority.

The Resilient Homes Program, which was created to provide assistance to home owners to restore and flood protect their homes and lives from future events has rejected over 5000 of the applicants out of just over 6000 in total, resulting in a rally which last weekend saw the Clarence electorate, Woodburn, Coraki, Bungawalbin, Broadwater, Wardell and surrounding rural townships came out in force, back to the bridge where National media had filmed them stranded, in the floods, nearly 18 months ago.

Arguably, these communities were the hardest hit, with some residents being stranded for over 3 weeks with no access in or out, some stranded for 6 in the worst hit areas of Bungawalbyn, and no one other than their own community, coming to provide life saving medical and supply runs of food and water. This community says it is still feeling forgotten, as many homes, being classed as rural, have been made automatically ineligible, while some others, where water reached the ceiling fans, due to the new mapping, deemed ‘safe’.

With over 300 people attending the rally, standing across the span of the Woodburn Bridge, it was very well attended. Local MP’s Janelle Saffin (State for Lismore) and Richie Williamson (State for Clarence) as well as Mayor Robert Mustow.

In an address to the crowd MP Richie Williamson said “This is a humanitarian crisis we are dealing with, the Premier agreed. We need to do better- the Government, the politicians-everyone in the decision-making chain needs to do better.”

Whilst MP Janelle Saffin said “You say you feel forgotten. I have not forgotten you. It was an inland tsunami. Despite not representing Woodburn, you are in my heart!”

Both MP’s and the Mayor were supportive of the Tranch 2 funding proposed, and had recently attended Sydney, speaking to Parliament as a group, about the needs of the community.

One member of the Coraki community recalled “how even in the second major 2022 flood, there was only 2 SES on that day, despite all warnings and extra support sent from around the State, we were forgotten, and the community who had been helping us with supplies, people who live among us who had also lost everything, they were the ones who came, with emergency medical supplies, food and assistance for those trapped again.”

Lyndall Murray from the Hands and Hearts Project, a project which has come together to do what the Government simply hasn’t, and that is to restore 100 homes, with their small team of 16 volunteers, said “The Hands and Hearts Project is doing what the Government won’t. The NRRC decision broke my heart.”

This time, the community is coming together to say “We count- Don’t Forget us!” and has formed a petition, asking for all who care about them to sign it. The petition can be found here: www.dontforgetus.com.au

To see more news on the 2022 floods, please see our other recent posts.