Torres Strait Island News and Current Affairs
Saturday, 03 April 2010 11:07
Opening of the Magistrate's
Court at Mabuiag.
Magistrates
Court has held for the first time on Mabuiag Island.
The Opening was celebrated with
a traditional welcome for Magistrate Trevor Black by Chief Clan Member
of Mabuiag Island Dimple Bani.
A welcome mat was set out in
front of the Community Centre where court was to be held.
This mat represented a welcome
and come in peace pathway as well as the coconuts that were placed on
the mat. Magistrate Black walked over this mat to the doorway of the
building.
Before entering, Mr Dimple Bani
welcomed the court and Magistrate Black.
This was followed by Magistrate
Black making a speech in return and prayers being said.
The Mabuiag Justice Group also
welcomed Magistrate Black as did Councillor Keith Fell.
Many residents of Mabuiag also
attended the welcome ceremony as did the children and teachers from the
Primary School.
Everyone present was then
welcomed inside to watch the court process.
Before court commenced,
Magistrate Black paid tribute to the Late Mr Ephraim Bani as a great
friend of the court and a friend of Magistrate Black.
The Late Mr Bani played a major
role in having the court sit at Mabuiag Island. Reference was also
made to the former Court building.
Symbols of the old justice
system of Mabuiag Island, a club, mask and spears were placed on the
bench to represent the old justice system that has gone and the new
justice system that has replaced it.
Under the Magistrate’s bench
was another welcome mat.
Also present for the opening
were staff from Thursday Island Legal Service (ATSILS), Thursday Island
Probation and Parole, Child Safety, Youth Justice, the Police
Prosecutor, Court staff and Mr Ted Wymarra.
Magistrate’s Court being held
on Mabuiag Island is an extension of the Torres Strait Court Circuit
which commenced in 2008 and now visits the communities of Boigu, Saibai,
Mabuiag, Badu, Kubin, Mer, Erub, Iama, Masig and Warraber on a
rotational basis.
Mabuiag Island was able to be
added to the list of Outer Island communities that hold court when
appropriate air transport was organised for the shorter airstrip at
Mabuiag.
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Saturday, 03 April 2010 11:16
Police have urged the community
to be more proactive with safety measures when travelling by water
across the Torres Strait.
The request following the
release of figures which show there were 195 marine Search and Rescue
operations across the Torres Strait in 2009, about one every two days.
Police Inspector Don McKay.
Regional Specialist Units, Far Northern Region, told the Torres News:
“We don’t want to see anyone lost at sea. But by taking some
precautions, many will reduce the risk to themselves and their
passengers.
“They have to make decisions to
better look after themselves and their passengers.”
The most-common categories of
Search and Rescue incidents occurring in the Torres Strait last year
were:
EPIRB activations; and Overdue
vessels, due mainly to running out of fuel and breakdowns.
Inspector McKay said the figure
was probably the highest in the State, and many were preventable.
“There is nowhere else where
dinghies are the primary source of transport and that is a relevant
factor.
“People in the Torres Strait
travel some phenomenal distances between islands.”
No figures of the cost of the
Search and Rescue operations across the Torres Strait are kept, but,
taking into consideration all the costs of the agencies and manpower
involved, the figure could run into several million dollars a year.
Inspector McKay said the costs
impact upon Policing in the Torres Strait.
“Search and Rescue has priority
over all other matters, and cost is not considered. But staff can work
only so many hours which, in turn, impacts on other areas.”
Inspector McKay says the Torres
Strait has some excellent assets.
The PV Wilson arrived back on
Thursday Island late last week after an extensive refit in Cairns, with
the PV Conroy filling in during its absence.
The PV Wilson was also towing
two, five-metre station boats for Thursday Island and Horn Island.
A new seven-metre rigid
inflatable vessel (RIV) is due for delivery within the next two months,
and will replace the vessel currently on loan from Cairns.
Both the new RIV and the PV
Wilson will be fitted with night radar, as is the VMR’s Pedro Stephen.
There were three Search and
Rescues last week, although one involved the accidental tripping of an
EPIRB.
The other two involved
breakdowns, but only one had a current EPIRB.
Search and Rescue (SAR)
operations in the Torres Strait can involve a number of Queensland
Police Service (QPS) personnel from 30 minutes to a number of days.
The estimated number of
Queensland Police Service personnel hours involved in each operation is
approximately 12.
Agencies involved in SAR
operations include QPS (Water Police and general staff), AusSAR,
Australian Customs Service, Torres Pilots, Australian Reef Pilots,
Australian Helicopters, Coast Watch, Department of Immigration,
Australian Federal Police, AVCG (Coast Guard), commercial aircraft,
Australian Defence Force, Dornier SAR aircraft.
Most SAR operations would
include at least three of these stakeholders, but any SAR could include
all of the afore-mentioned agencies.
Typically, a SAR can involve
3-4 hours of helicopter operations; and 3-4 hours of vessel operations,
along with 6-8 hours of personnel involved in coordination from an
operations centre, such as T.I. Police Station.
Tips for prevention of
Search and Rescue
Allow for at least 20% more
fuel than is needed for the journey.
Carry all compulsory safety
equipment.
Ensure the EPIRB carried is
a registered 406 EPIRB (the old 121 EPIRBs are no longer detected by
satellite, and it is sheer luck if they are detected by commercial
aircraft).
Do not use vessels with
engines which are known to be unreliable.
Tell someone where you are
going, when you expect to be there and when you expect to return.
Don’t stay out overnight if
you have told someone you will return by dark.
Check weather reports
before venturing out to sea.
Consider purchasing a VHF
radio.
Fit and use navigation
lights.
Anyone with information which
could assist police with their investigations should contact Crime
Stoppers anonymously via 1800 333 000 or crimestoppers.com.au 24 hours a
day.
Crime Stoppers is a charitable
community volunteer organisation working in partnership with the
Queensland Police Service.
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Saturday, 03 April 2010 11:14
An emergency situation has left
the residents of Hammond Island once again calling on Queensland Health
to provide their community with a healthcare centre.
On the night of the 5 February,
a visitor to Hammond Island fell unconscious. With no healthcare centre
and no medical staff residing on the Island, it was left to residents
at the scene to deal with the situation.
Mr Fred Gela, Mrs Maryrose
Gela, Mr Daniel Sabatino and community youths – Lorraine Emeny, Byron
Sabatino, Patricia Pearson, Stewart Pryce, Tevin Gela, Charlie Mudu and
Richard Gela - took it upon themselves to save the man.
“It was fortunate that we were
there at his side and able to respond as soon as he went unconscious,”
said Mr Fred Gela, Hammond resident and Mayor of the Torres Strait
Island Regional Council.
“I called 000, briefed the
operator and was provided with advice on what to do.
“We had to decide locally to
move him in a tinny or wait for a chopper. From experience we knew the
chopper could take longer and, with the situation getting worse, we
opted to take him to hospital in a tinny,” he said.
While unconscious both on the
Island and in transit the man had to be revived eight times.
“He was passing in and out of
this state, which meant dealing with the situation in the middle of the
road, on the beach and even in the boat,” Mayor Gela said.
“Luckily, the ambulance met us
at the Rose Hill boat ramp and the man reached the Thursday Island
Hospital before it was too late.”
Councillor Nancy Pearson, from
Hammond Island, says that this is just another example of why her
community desperately needs a healthcare centre and permanent nursing
staff.
“It is only thanks to the
involvement of active community members and their forward thinking that a
life was sustained that night,” Cr Pearson said.
“Who knows what would have
happened if the community members had panicked or if the Hammond First
Responders’ Coordinator had not taken the defibrillator for maintenance
only the day before.
“We need professional staff and
facilities to take care of these emergency situations.
“I can’t tell you how many
community members have been rushed to hospital in a tinny because we
simply do not have the resources.
“Hammond has been asking for a
health care centre and a clinic nurse to be stationed in the community
for 19 years. Every day without one is needlessly putting the lives at
risk,” she said.
Mayor Gela says that Queensland
Health is well aware of the issue and has even identified it in its own
reports and recommendations.
“The Torres Strait & NPA
District Health Services Regional Strategic Plan 2004-2008 refers to the
construction of a healthcare centre on Hammond by 2001. The Torres
Strait & NPA Health Services Resource Strategy 2004-2014 makes
similar recommendations,” Mayor Gela said.
“The people of Hammond know
there is an issue. Clearly, Queensland Health know there is an issue, so
why is nothing being done?
“How many more times does this
type of situation need to happen before action is taken?” he said.
The Mayor says he is very proud
of the young people in his community.
“Saving that man’s life was a
group effort but I believe our young community members are the real
heroes; they worked well as a team and kept their cool in a stressful
situation,” Mayor Gela said.
“It took them a while to
realise what they achieved that night. They assisted with preserving a
life.”
Sunday, 28 March 2010 09:07
The decision by the Crime and
Misconduct Commission not to conduct an independent inquiry - into how
police handled the investigation that followed the Malu Sara tragedy -
has been described as “disappointing”.
Lawyer Mrs Laura Neil (Maurice
Blackburn) said: “It’s disappointing and is just another kick in the
teeth for the families”.
Ms Neil said she had now been
advised by the CMC that no inquiry would be held because Coroner Michael
Barnes had not recommended the matter be referred to the DPP
(Department of Public Prosecutions) in his findings and that the Police
are conducting their own internal inquiry.
No indication has yet been
given when the Internal Police Inquiry might had down its decision.
Police media told the Torres
News that the ESC investigation into the conduct of Sergeant Warren
Flegg is now finalised.
“The matter is currently being
considered within the QPS’s discipline process and Sergeant Flegg is
currently performing duties in the Cairns Watch House.”
Mrs Neil said: “There’s no
indication on how long it will take. We certainly will be keeping an eye
on what the Police investigation reveals, and, if we feel there is a
need, we can refer the issue back to the CMC again.”
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