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Australia

Dog baiting on Sunshine Coast investigation ramps up as deaths sicken owners

A man holding a picture of a dog stands next to a woman on a set of stairs leading to a beach

For Samantha Barrass and her family, the loss of their golden labrador Pepper this week has been made even harder by the knowledge it may have stemmed from a deliberate, malicious act.

“It’s unbelievable… it just makes you sick to the stomach… there’s no words,” Ms Barrass said.

“I don’t know how you could harm let alone kill an innocent, defenseless animal and a dog… that provides so much joy.”

Pepper was one of five dogs to die after visiting Buddina beach — a popular off-leash area on the Sunshine Coast.

Pepper exhibited poisoning symptoms several hours after her walk.

Ms Barass said her dog died at the vet clinic on Tuesday

Breaking the news to her five-year-old daughter was one of the hardest things she’d had to do.

“She just wants Pepper to be home and can’t kind of comprehend what’s happened,” Ms Barass said.

“She was the happiest dog…stupidly happy…she was the brightest of all of us.”

A cream dog with a collar sits looking at the camera
Pepper’s family are devastated after she succumbed to poisoning symptoms on Tuesday.(Supplied: Samantha Barrass)

Dog bowls removed

Sunshine Coast police and the RSPCA are investigating, with at least seven dogs affected, including the five that have died.

A picture of a beach access sign in front of some trees and the beach
Sunshine Coast Council has removed a dog drinking bowl from beach access 210.(ABC Sunshine Coast: Jessica Ross)

Several of the owners told authorities their dogs had drunk from water bowls at Buddina, near beach access 210.

Sunshine Coast councilor Joe Natoli said portable drinking bowls had been removed while fixed bowls had been sealed to prevent further contamination.

“We’ll increase our surveillance of the area,” Mr Natoli said.

“Council is actually asking people that if they if they have their dogs, and they’re in off leash areas, to be very vigilant to make sure that they keep an eye on their dogs.”

Man with gray hair looking at camera with field behind him.
Joe Natoli says water bowls have been removed or sealed.(ABC Sunshine Coast: Kylie Bartholomew)

Kawana Waters police officer-in-charge Mark Cordwell encouraged pet owners to make an official report.

“We would like to try and pinpoint the location where all these dogs were may have frequented, as well as the times,” Senior Sergeant Cordwell said.

If found to be a deliberate act, those responsible could face up to seven years in jail.

“It’s certainly serious matters,” Senior Sergeant Cordwell said.

“It is concerning enough for us to commence an investigation.”

Beagle looking at camera
Billy the beagle is one of five dogs that have died after a spate of suspected poisonings.(Supplied: Doggie Adventure Playhouse)

dog lovers in shock

The news has rocked the Sunshine Coast community, particularly dog ​​park regulars.

Many took to social media to say they wouldn’t be visiting the area until the source of the poisoning had been found.

Buderim resident Gary, who didn’t want to give his full name, didn’t take his dog I went to the park on Wednesday but spent the morning warning other walkers.

“I thought I’d come down here and sit for half an hour and anyone with a dog coming along, I would mention to them just in case they hadn’t heard the news,” Gary said.

“So that they can be wary and maybe keep their dog on the leash and prevent them from eating something, if there’s something around.”

A man sits in the front seat of a car and a dog sits in the back
Gary, from Buderim, didn’t want to walk his dog I went after hearing of suspected poisonings.(ABC Sunshine Coast: Kylie Bartholomew)

Meanwhile, Ms Barrass said she was determined to help with the investigation into the dog deaths to ensure there was justice for the animals lost.

“Pepper was only four… it would be different if she went from old age or she developed a health complaint,” she said.

“For someone… an individual or a group of people… to be part of the death… that’s just viciousness.”

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Categories
Australia

Kalgoorlie journalist Amber Lilley allegedly groped at a bar after Diggers and Dealers Forum event

A woman stands with her hair out and arms folded

The Goldfield’s largest newspaper says reform in the mining industry is needed after a 23-year-old journalist was allegedly groped after this year’s Diggers and Dealers Mining Forum.

Kalgoorlie Miner deputy editor Amber Lilley made the allegations on the front page of Tuesday’s newspaper in the wake of last week’s showcase mining event.

Ms Lilley alleges she was groped and sexually propositioned in a crowded bar after a conference event which left her “shocked and disgusted” and “feeling vulnerable”.

“A man in mining told me he had a ‘rager’ over me,” she said.

“He then proceeded to tell me to ‘call him daddy’ before groping me as I walked away through the crowd, and he followed.”

The Kalgoorlie Miner, owned by the West Australian, which also ran an editorial titled ‘Diggers is done unless it cleans up its act’, has lodged a complaint with the man’s company and West Australian Police.

Not an isolated incident

The incident came after the June release of a scathing report into sexual assault and harassment within WA’s fly-in, fly-out mining industry, which found women had been subjected to “an appalling range of behaviours”.

Ms Lilley said the groping was not the only instance of inappropriate behavior she experienced while covering the event, with comments on her appearance and gender also made by event goers while at a bar.

“Those comments included how great I looked in my outfit, how maybe I could do skimpy bar work, how grateful women should be for their current standing in the industry, and how there aren’t many female industry leaders,” she said.

A balding man in foreground in pink shirt in front of town hall.
John Bowler says the Diggers and Dealers Forum has been unfairly targeted.(ABC Goldfields-Esperance: Nathan Morris)

Kalgoorlie-Boulder Major John Bowler called the article an unjust criticism of the conference.

“Diggers is getting an unwarranted bad rap because of one poor joke by one poor comedian and one sexist comment by one stupid delegate,” he said.

Mr Bowler said he applauded Ms Lilley for calling out the man who made the sexist remarks at a bar but, said the connection to Diggers and Dealers was “ridiculous”.

“The organizers cannot do any more to distance the event from the skimpy barmaid image and they cannot be made responsible for any drunken behavior late at night,” he said.

“What about the other 2,599 delegates and more importantly, what about the women who own and run the forum, who were justifiably proud after last week, but must now feel devastated at what seems like a smear campaign that will only end when Diggers moves out of Kalgoorlie.”

Professionalism needed beyond conference

Speaking on ABC radio, Ms Lilley said her experience did not apply to the conference itself, but was instead a reflection of the behavior she witnessed while covering all aspects of the forum.

“My observations and experience do not apply to the conference itself,” she said.

“Diggers and Dealers in the daytime was an outstanding display of professionalism.

“Outside of the conference and away from the main event, when conference-goers let their guards down, things were often very different.”

A close image of a man in a blue suit.
Rob Carruthers says more needs to be done to stamp out sexual harassment.(ABC Goldfields-Esperance)

West Australian Chamber of Minerals and Energy chief executive Rob Carruthers said more needed to be done to eliminate sexual assault in the industry.

“This type of behavior has no place in any part of society, including extensions of the work environment,” Mr Carruthers said.

He said the chamber and its member companies condemned the behavior in the strongest terms.

“We again reiterate our commitment to ensuring it is not only eliminated from the workplace, but from all work-related environments,” he said.

“As an industry, we must do better, by continuing to educate our people about what is and isn’t appropriate and by clearly calling out behavior when it doesn’t meet the required standards.”

Ms Lilley said industry leaders had the “right attitude” and a “willingness” to stamp out sexual assault in the mining industry, but said “it would never be enough until zero women were sexually harassed.”

The organizers of Diggers and Dealers have been contacted for comment.

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