Vic Liberal minister to stand down at poll

VICTORIAN government minister Nicholas Kotsiras has announced he will step down at the November state election.

The Greek-born member for Bulleen, whose portfolios include multicultural affairs and energy and resources, says he will end his parliamentary career to spend more time with his family.

"Fifty years ago my parents landed at Station Pier, so it's symbolic that I announce my retirement today," a teary Mr Kotsiras told reporters at the same Port Melbourne pier on Sunday.

Mr Kotsiras, 54, said his proudest achievement is his work in multicultural and "the fact that we live in the most harmonious state in Australia".

The exit of the former school principal who was elected in 1999 raises the prospect that frontbencher Matthew Guy, touted a Liberal leadership aspirant, will move from the upper house to take over his lower house seat.

Mr Kotsiras said while branch members will elect the new candidate, he backed Mr Guy if he chose to run.

"I think he'll make a very, very good member. I would support Matthew Guy," he said.

Mr Kotsiras said it has been a great privilege to serve in public life but he is looking forward to spending time with his grandchildren.

"Family is very important and I've missed my children growing up and I've got four wonderful grandchildren today," he said.

Premier Denis Napthine said Mr Kotsiras had made an outstanding contribution to Victoria, particularly in multicultural affairs.

"Nick is the epitome of achievement for somebody who arrived here as a young person, who worked hard and has really reached the pinnacle in our democratic institution," he told reporters.

Dr Napthine said a decision on whether Mr Kotsiras will remain minister until the November 29 election will be made after Liberal and National party preselections are finalised and he discusses the make up of the cabinet with deputy premier and Nationals leader Peter Ryan.

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Police hunt gang who set WA man on fire

POLICE in Perth are searching for a gang of men who set another man on fire during an argument, leaving him with burns to almost half his body and fighting for life in hospital.

The police station in Cannington, south-east of Perth, had to be closed on Sunday after the 20-year-old man from East Cannington collapsed there while seeking help.

WA police said he was shirtless when he arrived at the police station as he had taken it off as he put out the fire.

Investigators say they are searching for a gang of five men they believe are responsible for the man's injuries, which are mainly to his legs and stomach, with minor burns to his face.

The victim is in Royal Perth Hospital in a critical but stable condition.

Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Rob Jamieson told reporters authorities believed the incident happened near Mallard Road and Hamilton Street between 4am and 4.30am.

Acting Det Sen Sgt Jamieson said the victim was out walking when he was approached by five dark-skinned males.

"During an altercation some form of accelerant is believed to have been poured or sprayed onto the victim and he was set alight," he said.

At the time of the incident the victim was wearing black jeans or shorts, white sneakers and a black singlet.

One of the offenders is described as aged between 18 and 25, about 175 centimetres tall, of slim build, wearing black-and-red basketball shorts and no shirt.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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More charged in Qld drive-by shootings

A SECOND man has been charged following suspected drug-related drive-by shootings in North Mackay last week.

Police said a 21-year-old man from Blacks Beach was charged with wilful damage and maiming an animal.
He is expected to appear in the Mackay Magistrates Court on January 13.

The Courier-Mail reported yesterday that in addition to five homes that were fired at early Wednesday morning, a bullet had been found in Meadow Street, North Mackay.

``Some of the houses were either mistaken identity or targeted," Mackay District Acting Superintendent Andy Graham said.

``The incident itself is drug-related … some of (the residents) appear to have no linkage at all."

Anyone with information which could assist with this matter should contact Crime Stoppers anonymously via 1800 333 000 or crimestoppers.com.au 24hrs a day.
 

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Aussie soldier missing in US

AN Australian soldier has gone missing while on leave in the United States.

Captain Paul McKay was last seen in Saranac Lake, New York State, on New Year's Eve.

"Captain McKay was reported missing to US authorities by family members," Defence said in a statement on Saturday.

He arrived in the US on December 29 and local police believe he was headed to Lake Placid in the state's north, the ABC reports.

Defence said support is being provided to Captain McKay's family and US and Australian agencies are working to locate him.

No further information was available.

"Due to privacy legislation, Defence will not provide any further personal or service details relating to Captain McKay," Defence said.

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Perth gas odorant leak tracked to centre

THE mystery gas smell which worried hundreds of Perth residents was likely to have been a leak of gas odorant from the industrial centre in Kwinana, south of the city.

An investigation was launched by authorities on Thursday, after hundreds of complaints were made to ATCO Gas Australia, with some residents claiming the smell was so strong it woke them up.

ATCO ruled out a gas leak from any of their infrastructure, with the Department of Environment Regulation (DER) taking over the investigation.

In a statement, DER said it was continuing its inquiry into the cause of the smell, but confirmed they were focusing on premises in the Kwinana industrial area.

"It is likely the odour was the result of a leak of gas odorant which is generally injected into otherwise odourless gases so they can be detected by people," a statement said.

"These gas odorants can be detected in the air at extremely low levels - as little as one part per billion."

The DER said they believed the emissions had ceased, however, investigations were continuing.

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Police hunt teen after farmer threatened

A FARMER was threatened by a teen armed with a stolen firearm after a break-in on the NSW north coast.

Police say two teenagers forced entry into a farmhouse on Greens Lane at Swan Creek between 2pm and 5pm (AEDT) on Thursday and stole a firearm, two hunting knives and a quad bike before fleeing.

A short time later a farmer confronted the pair on another property, believing they were shooting at his cattle.

Police have been told one of the teenagers pointed the firearm at the farmer before attempting to flee on the quad bike.

They escaped on foot into bushland.

A search for the pair resumed at 7am on Friday after they were spotted on Coldstream Road at Tyndale.

Just after midday a 15-year-old boy was found by a police dog in a cane paddock at Tyndale and is now assisting police.

A search is continuing for the second teenager who was last seen crossing the Clarence River in a stolen boat.

It's believed he is in the Maclean/Yamba area.

He is described as being of Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander appearance, aged in his mid to late teens and approximately 170cm tall, wearing blue shorts and a blue shirt.

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Remaining Brothers in police sights

A Brothers for Life gang leader has been caught and arrested on Sydney's central coast. Source: AAP

POLICE have vowed to go after other members of violent western Sydney gang Brothers for Life after the arrest of three key members, including alleged leader Farhad Qaumi.

Fourteen members of the gang have been arrested since November and while police believe membership is shrinking by the day, they say their work is not yet done.

NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Nick Kaldas said speculation the group was finished was premature but he was optimistic those who had caused the damage were in custody or "neutralised".

The gang, linked to murder and shootings, was further disrupted when police raided homes in Sydney and the NSW central coast on Wednesday, arresting Qaumi and two others.

"In many ways this is just the beginning," Mr Kaldas told reporters on Thursday.

"We pretty much know what has happened with just about all of the shootings that have occurred in the last 12 months."

Middle Eastern Organised Crime Squad commander Detective Superintendent Deborah Wallace said gang members should hand themselves in to police before officers go to them.

"They know who you are," she said.

"I suggest you knock on our door before they knock on yours."

Mr Kaldas said on Thursday that police realised they needed to act quicker to curb the gang's violent activities after a shooting at Rose Bay on New Year's Day.

Qaumi, 31, was found at Bondi Beach with a bullet wound after being hit when a chartered luxury cruiser was peppered with shots at Rose Bay on January 1. He was treated at St Vincent's Hospital but discharged himself within hours.

Police allege Qaumi, also known as "the Afghan", is the head of the Brothers for Life Blacktown chapter, which has been at war with the original Bankstown chapter, with the infighting linked to shootings on Sydney's streets and a murder.

"It will be alleged he is a leader of a group and leader of a faction that has been involved in most of the shootings that have occurred in Sydney in the last three or four months," Mr Kaldas said.

Qaumi and his brother, 29-year-old Mumtaz Ahmed Qaumi, a senior gang member, were charged with firearm and drug offences on Wednesday.

The elder brother was flanked by police as he appeared in Wyong Local Court on Thursday.

They were also charged with knowingly directing the criminal activities of a group.

The brothers did not apply for bail, which was formally refused.

Masieh Amiri, 27, who was also arrested in the Wednesday crackdown, was charged with drug and gun offences and did not apply for bail when he appeared in Parramatta Local Court.

Last November police arrested 11 alleged senior members of Brothers for Life members following a shooting in 2012 and another last year.

Among them was Mohammed Hamzy, the Bankstown faction leader and cousin of Brothers for Life founder Bassam Hamzy, 34.

Police say Brothers for Life initially started as a group loyal to Bassam Hamzy, who is serving a jail term for the 1998 murder of Kris Toumazis outside a Sydney night club.

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Mystery Bali deaths haunt friends, family

Hundreds of mourners have attended a service for a Queensland mother and daughter who died in Bali. Source: AAP

SUNSHINE Coast mother and daughter Noelene and Yvana Bischoff played together and travelled together, but the mystery of how they died together in Bali lingers.

The pair died after becoming violently ill on Saturday, less than 24 hours after checking in to a beachfront resort on the holiday island.

There has been speculation they ate toxic fish and although Indonesian authorities have agreed for an autopsy to be done in Queensland, they also want to continue their investigation after finding 29 types of medication in the Bischoffs' hotel room.

A family spokeswoman, however, says the Indonesian investigation isn't expected to hold up the repatriation of the bodies for more than 48 hours.

The day before they died, the mother and daughter, 54 and 14, were seen seemingly fit and well at an elephant farm.

More than 400 mourners remembered them at a memorial service in Caloundra on Thursday, hearing that the two were inseparable from the start, when Noelene, a nurse, drove herself to hospital for Yvana's birth.

Yvana's words were heard at the service when a brief written assignment on her life was read by Noelene's cousin and principal of her Caloundra Christian College, Mark Hodges.

She talks about her love of animals and her passion to become a horse vet, but her relationship with her mother is what truly shaped her.

"My mum is my greatest hero, she made me who I am today," she wrote.

"She is amazing, simply amazing.

"She has been my biggest influence, she has taught me everything, how to talk - literally - and how to be a friend."

Their bond was demonstrated early on when, as a baby, Yvana would scream at everyone but her mother.

"She was a bit of a handful for the first couple of years and only accepted Noelene," brother-in-law Kevin Bowe said.

"She finally settled down and from there on they were the best of friends and it was a pleasure to be in their company."

Noelene was a nurse at Caloundra hospital, but avoided promotions to dedicate time to her daughter and her mother, Jean.

Colleague Linda King said that most of the staff knew Yvana, who'd call to say good morning or good night when her mother worked shifts.

Ms King said of Noelene: "She brought grace, composure and competence to the most hairy situations.

"She didn't live presuming she had time left over, she didn't, they didn't."

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WA swelters with forecasts for 50C day

THE town of Onslow in Western Australia's Pilbara has roasted through one of its hottest days on record, with temperatures soaring to an almost unbearable 48.7C.

And forecasters are warning of an even hotter day to come on Thursday, with the national heat record of 50.7C likely to come under threat.

The weather station at Onslow Airport, nearly 1400 kilometres north of Perth, was in danger of frying as it recorded temperatures of more than 40C at 9am local time on Wednesday.

It peaked at 48.7C at 2.12pm (WST).

The Bureau of Meteorology predicts the Pilbara region around Emu Creek will potentially reach more than 50C on Thursday afternoon.

Temperature higher than 50C has been documented three times in Australia since records began over a century ago.

Mardie, also in the Pilbara, was the most recent to reach the level, in 1998, failing to beat the record set in the South Australian outback town of Oodnadatta on January 2, 1960, which reached 50.7C.

Soaring temperatures in the west follow an unprecedented new-year heatwave in which 34 locations - mostly in Queensland and NSW and with at least 40 years of data - recording their hottest-ever days between December 30 and January 4.

Queensland recorded its hottest day on January 2, with a statewide average maximum of 41.82C.

Narrabri in NSW broke the record high temperature by 3.6 degrees - the largest margin by which a long-term record has been topped.

And cities and towns including Tamworth, Gunnedah, Moree, Glen Innes and Inverell in NSW, and Toowoomba, Roma, Blackall, St George and Gympie in Queensland all experienced their hottest-ever days.

The heat in the Pilbara is caused by the super-heated air mass that hit the east coast earlier in the month, and which has circled the continent since forming over the Nullarbor in late December.

The bureau's Annual Climate Statement from 2013 confirmed last year was Australia's hottest on record.

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Fund public transport, Labor tells Abbott

Labor says the PM has made a "strategic mistake" by eschewing federal funding public transport. Source: AAP

LABOR says Prime Minister Tony Abbott has made a "strategic mistake" by eschewing federal funding for public transport, after a report calling for a better balance with private car use.

The Infrastructure Australia report says there is a need for equilibrium and a "system-wide focus" when it comes to urban transport.

The federal infrastructure body said the "right balance" between car use and public transport was key to tackling issues such as road congestion, and its impacts on travel time and freight.

IA's Urban Transport Strategy was seized on by Labor's transport spokesman, Anthony Albanese, who said the government's opposition to federal funding of commuter rail had to be reassessed.

"It's time for the Abbott government to recognise that they've made a strategic mistake in saying that public transport is off-limits," he told reporters in Canberra.

The government's approach ensures that public transport suffers and that roads are not as efficient because they are more congested, he said.

The former Labor government's last budget pledged almost $4 billion to two rail projects, the Cross River Rail in Brisbane and the Melbourne Metro.

However, Mr Abbott has said the coalition won't match the funding and is focusing instead on road projects such as Melbourne's East West Link and Sydney's WestConnex.

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SA ex-funeral director charged with fraud

A FORMER funeral director has been arrested for allegedly submitting fraudulent funeral bond claims to insurers.

The 45-year-old man, who has been charged with 119 counts of fraud, has been granted bail to appear in Adelaide magistrates court on March 3.

Police allege that the man arranged prepaid funeral bonds on behalf of clients between 2008 and 2013.

He then allegedly submitted fraudulent funeral bond claims to insurers, falsely claiming that the policy holder clients had died.

Police have advised people who are concerned about their prepaid funeral bonds to contact their funeral director, insurer or the Funeral Directors Association for further advice.

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Indonesia warns anew on boat turnbacks

INDONESIA has again warned the federal government against asylum-seeker turnbacks following reports the Australian Navy secretly turned around at least one boat in recent weeks.

Reports from Indonesia and Australia say an Ashmore Island-bound boat was turned back either in December or on Monday - or possibly on both occasions - and subsequently became stranded on Rote Island, near West Timor.

The Indonesian reports quoted local police, while Fairfax Media cited unnamed Australian Defence sources and the Indonesian water police.

Immigration Minister Scott Morrison would not comment on the conflicting reports for "operational security reasons", despite the coalition having a pre-election policy to turn boats back when safe.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa also refused to comment on the specifics when asked about the reports on Tuesday.

"But as a policy, I shall repeat this once again: Indonesia rejects and is against the policy of boat turnbacks because it's not a solution," he told reporters in Jakarta, speaking in Indonesian.

Agus Barnas, a spokesman for Indonesia's Coordinating Ministry for Politics, Law and Security - which has responsibility for people smuggling - said he was unaware of any turnbacks.

He said Indonesia was still observing a moratorium on co-operating with Australia on people-smuggling after last year's spying scandal.

"So far, there's no policy that the co-operation would resume," Mr Barnas said.

"The talk on forming a code of conduct is still in process."

Speculation about possible boat turnbacks follows a stand-off in November when Australia tried to force a vessel back into Indonesian waters.

The Abbott government backed down after Indonesia refused to accept the asylum seekers, who were eventually transferred to Christmas Island.

Mr Morrison says that Australia respects Indonesia's territorial sovereignty "and will continue to do so".

"It is not the policy or practice of the Australian government to violate Indonesian territorial sovereignty," he said in a statement on Tuesday.

Dr Natalegawa said Indonesia's relationship with Australia was still in a "difficult phase" in the wake of the spying revelations.

But he said he was in daily contact with Foreign Minister Julie Bishop in an effort to repair the damage.

"What's needed is a gradual process of restoration of confidence or trust, and this is where we are just now," he said.

The Greens want Mr Morrison to provide details of any turnback operation, saying the lives of asylum seekers could have been endangered.

"These people could have drowned," Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

"How many other boats has this occurred to that we've never heard about?"

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Families tell of Vic explosion horror

THE families of three police officers badly injured in an explosion at a Melbourne flat say they are extremely proud of their loved ones and horrified at what happened.

Sergeant Tony Scully, First Constable Emma Quick, and a female constable known as "Varli" were injured alongside two firefighters and a resident in an explosion at the Middle Park flat on Saturday night.

They had been responding to reports of a man threatening self-harm when there was a blast caused by an exploding gas bottle.

Both constables remain in a serious but stable condition at the Alfred Hospital after undergoing surgery on Monday.

Sgt Scully's wife Mitzi said she was proud of all her husband had achieved during his 34 years as a police officer.

"It is typical of Tony that he should get injured in this way - helping a person when they needed help," she said in a statement on Monday.

Sgt Scully, 51, is in a stable condition.

Constable Varli, 32, graduated from the academy last July, while Constable Quick, 28, has only been a police officer since 2011.

Constable Varli's parents Kathy and Tony said being a police officer was the fulfilment of a 10-year dream.

The families of all three officers issued a joint statement expressing their gratitude to those who had helped.

"We would like to send our thanks to Victoria Police, the hospital staff who have worked so hard to help our loved ones, and those kind and caring people who all helped out at the scene," they said.

"This has been a deeply distressing experience for all of us.

"We are horrified that this has happened."

Firefighter Andrew Wood has received praise for his bravery and actions in the aftermath of the explosion.

Mr Wood suffered facial injuries in the blast, but pulled two police from the explosion scene before going back in to save a third officer.

United Firefighters Union president David Hamilton commended Mr Wood and said he was doing his job.

"We're mandated to protect life and property and Andrew has done a sterling job," he told AAP.

"I mean it is extraordinary that he has put himself in that situation, but I don't think there are any firefighters that would have done anything else.

"With Andrew his training kicked in: he didn't consider himself, he considered his job as a firefighter to help people in need and in particular to help the police members."

Fellow firefighter Wayne Sheridan was also injured in the explosion after being showered with glass.

Both Mr Wood and Mr Sheridan have been released from hospital and are recovering at home.

The 40-year-old male resident remains in a serious but stable condition at The Alfred Hospital and is under police guard.

Police believe it was a suicide attempt gone wrong and not a trap for emergency services workers.

* Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Suicide Call Back Service 100 659 467.

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WA prison escapees face court

A RAPIST and a remand prisoner recaptured after two nights on the run in remote Western Australia have faced court charged with escaping custody, aggravated robbery and stealing a vehicle.

Rapist Cameron John Graham, 22, and Kelden Edward Fraser, 23, who was on remand, escaped while being transferred from Greenough Regional Prison in Geraldton, in the state's Mid West, back to Perth on Friday afternoon.

Graham was jailed in November for 11 years for breaking into a woman's home and repeatedly raping her. He had been sent to Geraldton to be closer to his family at Christmas.

The prisoners were not handcuffed and the door of the van was not locked.

They allegedly stole a car and were captured at 1am (WST) on Sunday when police used a plane to find their camp around Mullewa, near Geraldton.

Both appeared in Geraldton Court via video link from Greenough Regional Prison on Monday and will appear again on January 30.

Meanwhile, the father of Graham's victim has spoken on her behalf, saying the family felt let down by the justice system and the state government.

"This person breaks in and commits this horrendous crime and yet he gets the privileges," he told The West Australian newspaper.

"He's sent to Geraldton at the taxpayers' expense to be near family, yet my daughter - who is the victim in this crime - can't be near her family.

"She has to be overseas away from her family because she's too terrified to be in this country."

Graham threatened to murder the woman's sleeping children before repeatedly raping her and forcing her to drive to an ATM to withdraw cash.

The woman's father said she could not be on her own any more and was on antidepressants.

"It's put a strain on her relationship with her husband, it's affected the children, it's affected the whole family," he said.

The cost of the operation to capture the escapees has not yet been revealed, but the state government may bill Serco, the company responsible for prisoner transport.

Prisoners can be temporarily transferred to another facility to maintain family relationships if it is deemed helpful to their rehabilitation.

But Corrective Services minister Joe Francis told AAP someone had made a "very, very dumb" decision in allowing this transfer, and said Serco had failed in its obligations.

He said he would try to contact the woman to apologise.

Serco is investigating the incident.

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