Three children under the age of four walked out of a childcare center in Perth’s south and were found playing on a footpath, prompting a fine for the operators of the service.
Service provider ES5 Ltd, trading as Buggles Child Care Beeliar, was ordered to pay $22,000 and $2000 in costs by the State Administrative Tribunal for contravention of education and care service laws.
A Department of Communities investigation found that in August last year the children left the center through an outdoor gate.
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A mother who was leaving after collecting her child noticed the children and ushered them back inside.
The investigation found educators at the center had noticed the gate left open more than once during the day and failed to notify the responsible person.
They also failed to ensure the gate was securely locked while the center failed to notify the Department of Communities Education and Care Regulatory Unit about the incident within the required 24 hours.
“This is the ninth time over the past two years where disciplinary action has been taken against a service where children have left the service unattended, and staff have been unaware of them leaving,” Department of Communities Executive Director Phil Payne said in a statement on Friday.
“Childcare service staff must focus on active supervision of children in their care.
“Checks around outdoor areas should include a physical, not just visual, check of gates to ensure they are securely locked.”
In other unrelated incidents, a Mandurah center was ordered to pay $20,000 in penalties and costs after four young children climbed through a fence and were found on the verge of a four-lane highway, in August 2020.
While in November that year a childcare center at Thornlie left a two-year-old girl unsupervised on a bus for almost two hours.
Beaudy talks about Sunday’s scary collision and looks ahead to this week’s game at Ellis Park. Video / All Blacks
A South African rugby writer has called out the All Blacks’ “whinging” over Springboks winger Kurt-Lee Arendse’s poor tackle on Beauden Barrett during last weekend’s test in Mbombela.
Arendse was red carded – and subsequently banned for four weeks – after he collided with Barrett mid-air during an aerial contest, causing the All Blacks first-five to fall dangerously on his head.
In an article on South African website Super Sport, rugby writer Brenden Nel admitted it was a “clumsy” challenge but said Ian Foster and the All Blacks were “trying to claim victimhood” and detract from their poor performances in their post-match reactions.
“They have tried to turn the attention to Kurt-Lee Arendse’s poor aerial attempt that left both him and Beauden Barrett leave [sic] the field after the horror clash,” Nel wrote in a piece titled ‘All Black whinging unbecoming of a great side’.
“No South African fan, pundit or anyone watching the game from these parts has defended Arendse. The team even said – politely – he got his timing wrong.
“The referee saw red – rightly so – and the judicial committee gave Arendse four weeks. It was deserved and he was a bit lucky not to get more.
“It was at best clumsy, at worse negligent and it was dealt with. End of story.
“On Sunday though, Foster came out firing, trying to claim victimhood in an arena where he needed something to cling to. So he took aim at Arendse.”
After the match, Foster said the tackle was “one of the worst I’ve ever seen” and claimed the All Blacks needed “more protection” in the air.
Beauden Barrett is tackled by Kurt Lee Arendse. Photo / Photosport
But Nel claims Foster’s reaction was “cynical” and “desperate”, after what was a disappointing performance leading to the All Blacks’ fifth loss in six tests.
“This after they won just six of the 16 aerial battles during the game. There were no other incidents even close to what happened in the 77th minute, and none warranting such an outcry. Yet here we are,” Nel wrote.
“Foster vowed to take the matter up with World Rugby and even sent Beauden Barrett out on Wednesday to front up in an interview and talk about how scared he was. Fair enough, it was a bad incident, and player welfare is always important.
“But the timing, along with the way the All Blacks have played it, has come across cynical, as if they want to influence referee Luke Pearce with their whinge. As if they want to deflect from their own failings by placing the spotlight on the Boxes.
“The aerial challenge is a part of modern rugby and most teams know it is coming when playing the Boks. In fact, normally the All Blacks use the tactic more than the Boks in these clashes, but they were outgunned in Mbombela.
“Still, when you think back to some of the All Black sides who have had controversy, who have shrugged and told their players to get on with it, the noise being made by Foster smacks of a desperate side looking for desperate measures to deflect from their own shortcomings.”
Ian Foster during an All Blacks press conference. Photo / Photosport
Nel also pointed to another aerial incident last year, when Jordie Barrett was red carded after his boot collided with Wallabies winger Marika Koroibete’s face during the All Blacks’ 38-21 win in Perth, suggesting Foster was hypocritical in his reaction to Arendse.
Barrett later had his red card expunged from his record and was cleared of a ban after the Sanzaar judicial committee found that the challenge was accidental.
“After all, it was the same Foster who denied the All Blacks had a problem when Jordie Barrett was rightfully red carded for a ‘kung-fu kick’ in the Bledisloe Cup test in Perth last year,” Nel wrote.
“At the time, this was Foster’s reaction to the red card – surprise.
“Fast forward to this week and you’d be right for seeing the irony in the whinging.”
Nel said SA director of rugby Rassie Erasmus, who tweeted a sarcastic response to a Beauden Barrett interview recounting the incident, was “perhaps a bit miffed” at the irony.
Spot on! An area of the game that requires courage and technique, and as you say injuries are part of the contest. We hope you get well soon and recover from this traumatic experience. pic.twitter.com/A5Be2ougVR
Nel also suggested Arendse and other Springboks chasers were consistently blocked by All Blacks players during aerial challenges.
“What Foster didn’t mention, and what the Boks could easily have complained about, are the blocking lines run by multiple players in their teams to try and put off chasers. An argument can be made that this – in all games – leads to the aerial contest being more dangerous, as players have to evade obstacles in their path while keeping their eyes on the ball.
“It’s something that is a blight on the game and all teams do it, but the All Blacks on Saturday did this multiple times which wasn’t picked up by the ref.”
Ultimately, Nel concluded that the All Blacks’ “victimhood mentality” was unbecoming and “desperate.”
“The bottom line though is, the All Black brand deserves better. They have been admired across the world for their style of play and success. The victimhood mentality doesn’t suit them and doesn’t suit the brand.
“We, as South Africans, are often faulted for complaining and are accused of playing victims. We have to get better as a rugby nation when things don’t go our way.
“But it was surprising to see the All Blacks so desperate to play this card this week. They should follow their own mantra and ‘just get on with it’.”
A group of Perth friends are set for the group holiday of a lifetime after winning millions of dollars in Lotto.
The two couples have been playing together for more than two decades but finally hit the jackpot on July 30, winning $2.1 million.
The ticket they bought from Rossmoyne Newsagency was one of 14 winning tickets from around Australia.
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“We’ve been playing Lotto together basically since we met, and we love it,” one winner said.
“We love knowing that our money stays in WA and supports so many great projects.
“And now we’ve won! It’s all pretty surreal.”
The cash has come in very handy, with the group set to finally embark on a holiday they canceled during the COVID pandemic.
Except, this time, there will be no expense spared!
“My 50th was in 2020, and the plan was for the four of us to go to Europe to celebrate, however the pandemic had other plans,” one of the winners said.
“This win has really boosted our holiday fund, so I think the 50th celebrations are back on the cards, only this time we’ll be going business class.”
The group joins a host of Lotto winners in the past few months.
The group were among 14 winners to share in the jackpot. Credit: Lotterywest Media & Communication/TheWest
Recently, a woman from Perth’s northern suburbs scored a six-figure sum after a “sign” drew her to buy a ticket.
“The newsagency is right across from my local supermarket, and I noticed the draw was for $30 million so I wandered over,” she said.
“There was this ticket on the front counter flapping in the wind, and it was a syndicate ticket for the Megadraw.
“I’d never bought into a syndicate before, but I just felt drawn to it for some reason. Looking back now I think it was a sign.”
After finding out the news, her first thought was to celebrate with her dog.
“I was in complete shock… I said to my dog, ‘I’m off to Lotterywest, but I’ll be home soon with a big juicy bone’,” she said.
“She’s 16 years old and on all sorts of medication, so this win will be a huge help in looking after her.”
Murdoch University students have helped uncover a missing piece of the puzzle and an Australian twist in a decades-old European murder investigation.
As part of the International Cold Case Analysis Project, Murdoch students, alongside criminology and forensic science students from UK universities, dusted off a mysterious murder case known as “The Gentleman” which had sat unanswered for 28 years.
On July 11, 1994, a male body was found by police in the North Sea, west of the German island of Helgoland. The body showed signs of trauma and had been weighed down with cast iron cobbler’s feet, a shoemaker’s tool.
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An artist’s reconstruction of The Gentleman. Credit: Murdoch University/Supplied
The body was brought to the city of Wilhelmshaven for a post mortem, but the man’s identity remained a mystery and he became known as ‘The Gentleman’ due to his apparent ‘middle-class’ clothing.
Initial investigations by German police in the 1990s suggested ‘The Gentleman’ was about 45 to 50 years old when he died and from an English-speaking country, but they were never able to confirm his identity or homeland.
The students, along with Germany’s Police Academy of Lower Saxony, recommended a range of further actions to be taken by local authorities which resulted in a surprising discovery — ‘The Gentleman’ likely spent most of his life in Australia.
This vital clue came from isotope ratio analyzes on a sample of bone. Isotopic compositions of food, water and dust differ across the globe due to variations in climate, bedrock, soil and human activity, and so do the isotopic compositions of the tissues of humans who ingest them.
A complete DNA profile was achieved in December last year, as well as photographic facial reconstruction.
Murdoch’s Cold Case Review group directors Brendan Chapman and Dr David Keatley are now using their local law enforcement connections to help German authorities progress the case in Australia, with hope it may lead to ‘The Gentleman’ finally being identified.
“It’s almost unbelievable,” Mr Chapman said.
Murdoch Cold Case Review group co-director Brendan Chapman. Credit: Murdoch University/Supplied/Supplied
“What are the chances that from this small collection of universities working on this case, one would be from the country where the man originated?”
“We’ve built such a great relationship with ICCAP course leader Karsten Bettels over the years and we are really privileged to be afforded the trust by the German Police Academy to work on live cases with our students.”
Duane Vermeulen of South Africa speaks to his team during the Rugby World Cup final between the Springboks and England in Yokohama. Photo/Getty Images
Duane Vermeulen is back at No. 8 for his first test this year as South Africa made five changes to its starting lineup today for its second Rugby Championship game against New Zealand.
Two of those changes were forced, with Jaden Hendrikse at scrumhalf in place of Faf de Klerk, who was ruled out with concussion. Jesse Kriel is called in on the right wing to replace Kurt-Lee Arendse, who was sent off and also sustained a concussion in the Springboks’ 26-10 win over the All Blacks in Mbombela on Sunday.
Arendse was suspended for four weeks for the dangerous midair tackle on Beauden Barrett that led to his red card and his injury.
South Africa coach Jacques Nienaber also made two tactical switches in the front row for the game at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Saturday by bringing in Ox Nché for Trevor Nyakane at loosehead prop and restoring Bongi Mbonambi as starting hooker in place of Malcolm Marx. Tighthead prop Frans Malherbe is set for his 50th test.
Herschel Jantjies was called up to the reserves as scrumhalf cover and Jasper Wiese dropped to the bench to make way for the return of the 36-year-old Vermeulen, who has recently undergone knee surgery.
“Duane has a massive presence on the field and there is no bigger game for him to make his comeback from injury than facing the All Blacks,” said Nienaber.
The Springboks are seeking back-to-back wins over the All Blacks for the first time since 2009 and another defeat for New Zealand is expected to see coach Ian Foster lose his job. The All Blacks have lost five of their last six tests to slip to an all-time low of No. 5 on the world rankings.
Foster is expected to name his team for Ellis Park on Thursday and has injury doubts over Beauden Barrett at flyhalf and his brother Jordie at fullback.
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South Africa: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Jesse Kriel, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Jaden Hendrikse; 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nché. Reserves: Malcolm Marx, Steven Kitshoff, Vincent Koch, Franco Mostert, Jasper Wiese, Kwagga Smith, Herschel Jantjies, Willie le Roux.
Sam Cane and Ardie Savea look on during a New Zealand All Blacks training session. Photo/Getty Images
By Liam Napier in South Africa
Mbombela Stadium’s towering stands were empty as the All Blacks briefly strolled around the venue, with its giraffe-shaped roof supports and miniature in-goals, one day out from the first of two tests against the Springboks. On Sunday morning (NZT), though, those same stands will be rocking.
Mbombela is a city abuzz with anticipation. Accommodation venues – right through to the unlisted guest house – are sold out. Newspaper front pages promoting the match adorn near every post on the main streets. Locals sell Springboks jerseys and flags while air-conditioned cars wait at the lights.
For the 45,000 in attendance this is a match 31 months in the making. On February 4, 2020, South African Rugby officially announced Mbombela would host the Springboks and All Blacks on September 26 that year – only for the global pandemic to postpone the occasion until now.
By the time the 5pm local kickoff arrives, the warm Lowveld air will carry a fever pitch.
Noise has followed the All Blacks on their first venture to South Africa in four years. Even a continent away, Ian Foster’s quest to save his job is inescapable. For a moment in time this weekend, though, that noise will be replaced by the intimidating, hostile atmosphere of Mbombela Stadium where fans sit a matter of meters from the field.
Such a scene paints a daunting picture of a venue to arrest a decline that’s seen the All Blacks lose four of their past five tests.
All Blacks captain Sam Cane gathered his men in a huddle for a quiet word on the pitch before departing back to their isolated Ingwenyama Resort but it was Ardie Savea who delivered the public call to arms.
“I think this week is the turning point,” Savea, one of the All Blacks best performers this year, proclaimed. “Don’t worry about next week, we’ve got to nail this week. It’s a turning week for us. Every week we put on the black jersey is important for us. It’s a chance to stake our claim and do the jersey proud .”
Rectifying their poor starts – Ireland scored first in all three tests last month and led 22-3 at half time in Wellington – is a non-negotiable for the All Blacks.
“I enjoy coming here with the bus ride in and the fans having braai outside. It’s going to be loud – we just have to adjust,” Savea said. “We know the crowd give the Springboks a bit of edge so we have to hone that in and try and keep them quiet.
“The place we’re staying is quite secluded and we’re on our own so it’s nice to be there and be close, be together, and do the things we needed to do. It’s been a good week of preparation. I can’ t wait. We haven’t been in South Africa for four years so it’s really exciting to be here and to play the Springboks.”
The All Blacks have waited three weeks for the chance to harness the hurt from their last loss to Ireland in Wellington and, for all the focus on Foster’s future, the players must now assume their responsibility to lead the response.
“There’s only so much coaching the coaches can do. We’re the ones that are out on the field and have to execute the game plan,” Savea said. “It’s one thing talking about it during the week and another actually doing it. That’s a massive challenge for us as players.
“We’re wounded. We didn’t get the result we wanted a couple of weeks ago but today is a new day, this week is a new week so it’s a new challenge for us and there’s no bigger challenge than the Springboks here.
“It’s very exciting, it’s nerve-racking as well to be honest, but we’re excited for the challenge of rectifying a few things.”
Savea, who boasts a 6-2 record that includes four tries against the Boks, knows the All Blacks pack must deliver a vastly improved performance for the visitors to have any chance of causing an upset.
The All Blacks have also, however, expressed the desire to rekindle their attacking flair; to impose their up-tempo style and breath of skill on the Boks. While hidden away at their enclosed resort, this is the approach they have attempted to embrace.
“There’s a lot that goes into it but we’ve got to turn up physically. We know how the Springboks play and the physicality they bring and even their skill sets. We’ve had a bit of time to hone our skills and hopefully take a deep look at ourselves so come this weekend we can put out a performance we can be proud of.
“We’ve got great athletes in our team and ones that if you give them time and space with ball in hand they can be very dangerous. We’ve been working on that the last couple of weeks to try and give us opportunities where we can showcase that and put us in the right areas of the field. Hopefully it can come out on Saturday.”
History tells us the All Blacks rise for the Springboks more than any other opponent. Even if that notion again proves true, they require a giant leap from their underwhelming Irish series.
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