Firefighter dies, homes lost

With a time scale of 6 minutes per second, this amazing footage shows how quickly fire swept through the Warrumbungles forest on Jan 13 2013. VISION: Mopra radio telescope (operated by CSIRO) and the Siding Springs Observatory (AAO)

TWELVE homes have been destroyed by an out of control bushfire in northern NSW while a firefighter has died battling Tasmania's bushfires.

Rural Fire Service (RFS) spokeswoman Laura Ryan said the homes were lost on Timor Road near the Warrumbungle National Park, west of Coonabarabran.

One building at the Siding Spring Observatory had also been destroyed, but the main telescope has survived.

"This is a large and dangerous bushfire," the RFS said this morning.

"The fire is burning in a northerly direction away from Timor Road and the Siding Spring Observatory and is currently approximately 1km south of Bugaldie."

More than 65 firefighters and 17 trucks were on site in the early hours, with more expected to arrive throughout Monday.

A photo taken by Canadian astronaut Commander Chris Hadfield aboard the International Space Station shows smoke clouds from bushfires across Australia. Picture: Chris Hadfield/Twitter

Meanwhile, more than than 110 people have been evacuated to Tattersalls Hotel at nearby Baradine, as the RFS warns people not to return home.

Ms Ryan said aerial photographs taken of the Siding Spring Observatory at first light today showed the main telescope had survived; however, it was not yet known if it had been damaged.

The pictures show the charred remains of bush surrounding the observatory and one of the buildings on the site had been completely destroyed.

Eighteen staff from the observatory were evacuated on Sunday to nearby Coonabarabran, and a watch and act remains in place for the fire, which has burned through more than 32,000 hectares of bush, scrub and grass.

The Australian National University, which owns the site, said five buildings had either been "severely affected or damaged", including the lodge used to accommodate visiting researchers and a number of cottages and sheds.

The Warrumbungle bushfire threatens the Siding Spring Observatory. Picture: AFP

"A fire has been extinguished at the visitors centre this morning," ANU said in a statement on Monday.

"We expect the visitors centre has been severely damaged."

It said no telescopes appear to have sustained major damage, but the impact on the site's instruments will not be known until later on Monday.

The NSW fire emergency comes as Victoria's Department of Sustainability and Environment

confirmed one of its firefighters

Helicopters attempt to control fires in New South Wales after lightning sets more areas ablaze. Lindsey Parietti reports.

, a man in his 60s from Gippsland, died yesterday while battling fires in Tasmania.

DSE Secretary Greg Wilson and Chief Fire Officer Alan Goodwin said the firefighter was found near Taranna, a hamlet on the Tasman Peninsula, where he had been working on foot on the southern boundary of the Forcett Fire about 2 to 3km from the fire's edge.

"It is with deep regret that the Department of Sustainability and Environment can confirm that a DSE firefighter has died in Tasmania this afternoon where he was part of the Victorian contingent of firefighters sent to assist with the Tasmanian bushfires," Mr Wilson and Mr Goodwin said in a joint statement.

"The firefighter's family have been notified and no further personal details are available at this time."

It was unclear exactly how the man died or if he was working alone.

The Warrumbungle bushfire threatens the Siding Spring Observatory. Picture: AFP

DSE spokeswoman Kim Payne said the circumstances around the man's death were being investigated.

DSE staff have been sent to Tasmania to support firefighters still on the ground.

The man's death is believed to be the first fatality among firefighters during a horror fire across eastern Australia.

In Tasmania, police have opened the Arthur Highway on the bushfire-ravaged Tasman Peninsula - nine days after it was closed when a large bushfire tore through communities along the road.

Fire crews are continuing to patrol two separate fires on the Tasman Peninsula that have burned about 24,060ha.

A picture taken from Coonabarabran shows the size of the blaze. Picture: Twitter user Paul Dutton.

The Forcett fire remains uncontrolled in the Kellevie, Bream Creek and Marion Bay areas and residents have been urged to stay vigilant.

Planned backburning operations in the Lagoon Bay area will cause increased smoke in Dunalley through to Eaglehawk Neck today.

Some 150 personnel, 39 fire fighting tankers, interstate crews, private contractors and four aircraft continue to work on the fires which have a 200km perimeter.

Battle-weary firefighters are bracing themselves for another round of horror conditions later this week, with temperatures forecast to reach up to 40C across most of the east coast on Thursday.

January has already seen a number of heat extremes with Australia recording its highest ever temperature in 15 years when the mercury hit 49.6C at Moomba in South Australia's Far North East on Saturday.

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Underworld link to Rotto head

The man's head was found wrapped in a plastic bag at Rottnest Island on Sunday, January 6. Source: PerthNow

WA POLICE say they are still not in a position to officially release the name of the man whose severed head was found at Rottnest Island last week, amid media reports today it could be that of a man in his mid 50s who is due to face court on drugs charges this week.

PerthNow understands that police handling the case are investigating the movements of Stephen Raymond Cookson, who is due to face court on Friday on serious drugs charges.

Mr Cookson, 54, has not been seen for several weeks but police said they would not reveal a name until family had been notified.

"As we have stated continuously police will not confirm the identity of the person until next of kin are notified," a police spokesperson said.

Mr Cookson is listed to appear in the District Court this Friday for a "trial listing hearing" on one count of possession of a prohibited drug with intent to sell or supply, namely methylamphetamine.

According to court documents, his solicitor for that matter is well-known criminal lawyer Linda Black.

But Ms Black told PerthNow Mr Cookson was no longer a client of hers and the case had been passed onto another lawyer.

Major Crime Squad detectives confirmed last week they had identified the severed head, which was found at Rottnest Island last Sunday afternoon.

Police say the head belonged to that of a Caucasian man aged between 30 and 60.

The severed head was found by an 11-year-old girl while she was with her family at Porpoise Bay.

Dozens of police officers spent the weekend at the Quattro apartment complex on Hay Street in East Perth where it's understood the severed head victim lived.

Police started sifting through the apartment for clues and asking other residents from the complex for information from about 4pm on Friday.

Police, who are treating the matter as a murder, say the man had a moustache and a beard.

He was also missing seven upper front teeth.

It is believed the teeth had been missing for several years and police described his other teeth as being in a bad state.

Detectives have been consulting with experts and the state pathologist since the head was found.

They also have collected CCTV from the apartment complex and nearby businesses including the Carlton Hotel.

It is also understood that police have not yet found the other body parts and it is not known where the victim died.

They have not ruled out that the plastic bag was dumped at Rottnest rather than washing ashore.

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

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Party time for info leading to thief arrest

ANYONE with solid information to help identify a High Wycombe Tavern thief will be thrown a party.

Pub manager Rob Cinnani made the promise after the theft of a number of items, including a garden misting system pump, a cash till and floor mats, from the pub early this morning.

Police said a man backed up his white van to the pub after breaking into the beer garden about 12.50am.

Mr Cinanni said the pump was worth about $2000 but the other things "wouldn't be of any use to anyone".

He said anyone who could provide police with a name or car registration plate that leads to an arrest would receive a $1000 bar tab and nibbles for them and their mates.

"We are hoping it is enough incentive for people help us out," he said.

CCTV footage of the incident revealed the offender was wearing light-coloured shorts, a black T-shirt, white cap and white shoes.

He is described as between 18 and 25 years old, with fair skin and brown hair.

For more on this story, click here

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New Yorkers in a Kimberley state of mind

A file shot of El Questro Station in the Kimberley region. Source: Supplied

Aerial view of King George Falls at Faraway Bay in the Kimberley region. Source: The Australian

WESTERN Australia's remote Kimberley has been recommended by The New York Times as one of the best places on the globe to visit.

And while the iconic newspaper has raised fears about the industrialisation of the vast area, WA Premier Colin Barnett says they're unfounded.

In the Times' list of The 46 Places to Go in 2013, the Kimberley region was cited as finally being open to the travellers "willing to trade big bucks for land-based access to some spectacular spots".

Naming The Berkeley River Lodge, Kuri Bay, and El Questro as potential spots for the adventurous, the paper also warned visitors "the region was loaded with iron, and mining companies will continue to go after it".

Woodside's Browse joint venture project, which controversially proposes bringing gas and condensate onshore for processing at a planned gas hub at James Price Point, 60km north of Broome, is the major proposed industrial development in the area.

But Mr Barnett says despite vocal opposition, the vast landscape still remains largely untouched.

"I think people are discovering the Kimberley and it is one of the world's great wilderness areas," he said.

"The Kimberley is twice the size of the state of Victoria. It is a vast area, and this government has created four new marine parks, one new major terrestrial park and also spent around $60 million on conversation protection.

"There has been a lot of debate about James Price Point. I understand that and I respect people's point of view.

"But that is a tiny area of the Kimberley - if the Kimberley was the MCG then James Price Point would be one seat."

BHP Billiton exited the controversial $30 billion Browse LNG project late last year, while legal action has been launched over the environmental approval process surrounding the project.

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Barnett predicts hotly-contested election

WEST Australian Premier Colin Barnett predicts the March 9 state election will be closer than a poll that shows his Coalition government has a commanding lead.

A Newspoll taken between October and December, reported in The Australian newspaper today, gives the coalition a 58-42 two-party-preferred lead over Labor.

The poll indicated 48 per cent of voters prefer Mr Barnett as premier, compared to 29 per cent for Opposition Leader Mark McGowan.

Ahead of his official campaign launch next week, Mr Barnett said he was anticipating a tight election, with as many as 20 seats genuinely contested.

"At the last state election the Liberal party won 10 seats off Labor, each of those ten seats will be under contest,'' he said.

The poll put Labor's primary support unchanged from the previous three-month polling period at 30 per cent, and the coalition on 49 per cent.

Mr Barnett said the government had a job ahead of it to win another term.

"I am not going to run around and play that game of pretending to be an underdog, but I also am a realist and the Liberal party holds less seats than Labor,'' he said.

"The reality today is the Labor Party has 26 seats, and the Liberal Party has 24.

"I am optimistic about the election result but I know it will be far closer than those poll figures suggest.''
 

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True blue Jesinta caps a great day

Australian model and TV personality Jesinta Campbell wearing the Australia Day trucker hat. Picture: Sam Ruttyn Source: PerthNow

SHE knows what it's like to have the universe at her feet, but on Australia Day there's nowhere else Jesinta Campbell would want to be.

The former Miss Universe Australia will celebrate the national holiday on January 26 with friends and family.

And to show her pride at being true blue  and to keep her safe in our glorious sunshine  she'll be sporting The Sunday Times trucker's cap, emblazoned with the national flag.

"My ideal Australia Day involves getting up in the morning, going for a walk along the beach and going for a big swim, then setting up a picnic rug in the park," she said.

"Australia Day is about celebrating your community and your friends and family.

"I'll probably come down to the beach, put my bikini on and chuck a steak on the barbecue."

The popular 21-year-old TV celebrity said the national celebration was a great time to reflect on how lucky we are to live in Australia.

"It's so beautiful and we have everything  the sun and the surf and the beach," she said.

"I've done a lot of travel and have been to Third World countries and we have it so lucky here."

Modelling The Sunday Times' Australia Day Aussie flag mesh cap, Campbell said the new look was fit for a supermodel. "It's a pretty cool style," she said.

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Lance Armstrong TV admission may mean jail

Lance Armstrong's tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey could cost hime jail time. Picture: Nathalie Magniez. Source: AFP

LANCE Armstrong could lose more than his ravaged reputation if he confesses in a TV interview with Oprah Winfrey to doping, he could end up in jail.

The disgraced Texan's decision to talk to  Winfrey has divided opinion, as some say he needs to do something radical to rehabilitate his public profile, while others say speaking out will only make matters worse.

The crux of the matter is whether Armstrong, having been stripped of his seven Tour de France titles, will finally admit that he was a drugs cheat. Such a confession would overturn more than a decade of strenuous denials.

"If I were his lawyer, I'd be telling him not to do it. I think he's crazy," said Peter Keane, law professor at Golden Gate University in San Francisco, of the cyclist's decision to give the interview, which will be aired on Thursday.

"He's in considerable jeopardy of some sort of criminal prosecution ... for which he could go to prison," Keane said.

The threats to Armstrong's liberty stem from the fallen icon's role in the US Postal Service team, where he spent his most successful years in the saddle.

Lance to 'admit all' to Oprah

Having been paid by the government, the former team leader could face criminal charges for making fraudulent statements to his bosses.

He could also be accused of perjury over disclosures made under oath to a US federal jury in 2005. If convicted, each false statement could lead to five years in jail.

Armstrong has always maintained that he did not use banned substances during his stellar career, but in August last year he chose not to contest charges put forward by the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) that he was a serial drugs cheat.

The pitfalls of speaking to Winfrey, considered the favored TV forum for "tell all" confessional style interviews, appear to have been weighed, and a decision taken that it is worthwhile to reveal something new.

"I'm anticipating a major announcement," said Jordan Kobritz, chair of the State University of New York at Cortland's International Sport Management graduate program, noting that Armstrong would otherwise have no reason to talk.

"You don't have to go on Oprah to do what he's been doing in his entire athletic life, and that is deny, deny and deny that he ever engaged in illegal drugs," Kobritz said, agreeing with Keane that perjury and criminal charges are possible.

One possibility is that justice officials in California will re-open a file they closed last year concerning alleged drug use and misuse of funds when Armstrong was with the US Postal Service team.

Swiss lab denies helping Armstrong

Another case that could come back to haunt the cyclist is an arbitration hearing in Dallas in 2005 where he said under oath that he had never taken banned substances, a statement which raises the specter of perjury charges.

But Armstrong's profile, albeit diminished, as a cancer survivor who raised awareness and hundreds of millions of dollars to fight the disease, is likely the chip that could spare him the worst possible outcome.

"Regardless of whether he comes out and makes a flat admission, I guarantee there will still be a majority of US citizens who will say 'I don't care what he did, he's still my hero,'" Kobritz said, citing Armstrong's cancer survival.

"Unless there's a prosecutor who wants to stake his reputation and his future political career," on putting Armstrong in the dock, "I suspect they're going to leave him alone," Kobritz added.

But Michael McCann, director of the sports law institute at Vermont Law School, said there could be an upside to speaking out, if not immediately then in the mid-term, even if that means going to jail beforehand for perjury.

"It wouldn't be five years, but it could be six months, any amount of time would be pretty bad," he said.

But there could be "a sense of coming clean, having a cleaner conscience... public forgiveness, and relief maybe," added McCann, who is soon to head up a new sports and entertainment law institute at the University of New Hampshire.

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Head-in-bag victim's family don't know

EVIDENCE: Forensic police investigating the head-in-a-bag case, remove items from an East Perth unit. Picture: Justin Benson-Cooper Source: PerthNow

TWO days after WA police established the identity of a man whose head was found stuffed in a plastic bag on a beach at Rottnest Island, they still have not been able to contact his family.

Detectives said on Friday that the man was from Perth, but would not reveal any more details until his family was located and advised.

Police said today that they had no further updates as the Major Crime Squad continued its investigation.

"The man's next of kin has still not been notified, therefore, his name will not be released,'' a spokeswoman said.

The human head was found by a holidaymaker on the beach at Porpoise Bay, on the south-east side of the island on January 6.

An 11-year-old girl is believed to have made the horrific discovery when she opened the plastic bag and saw a human ear.

Police later confirmed the head belonged to a Caucasian male, possibly aged between 30 and 60.

Seven of the man's upper front teeth were missing - and had been for some time - but the man did not wear a plate or dentures, forensics have revealed.

His other teeth were also in a poor condition.

Forensic officers have searched several locations since identifying the man, including an apartment in East Perth where the he is believed to have lived.

The matter is being treated as a homicide and anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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Narelle no longer a threat to mainland

EYE OF THE STORM: The NW has been high alert for days as Cyclone Narelle builds off the coast. Source: PerthNow

CYCLONE Narelle is no longer a threat to WA communities but residents have been warned to avoid potential hazards caused by storm damage.

The all clear has been given to the state's north in and near Exmouth and Coral Bay.

However, Coral Bay residents should remain cautious with strong winds still impacting the area.

The Bureau of Meteorology said at 2.30pm today the category three cyclone was about 355km west of Exmouth and 440km northwest of Carnarvon, and moving south southwest at 14km/h.

It is expected to continue south southwest and not come closer to the coast before weakening.

The bureau says the cyclone is also unlikely to produce gales on the coast, although a severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for Sunday afternoon and evening for parts of the Gascoyne and Central West districts, including coastal areas between Cape Cuvier and Northhampton.

Tides along the west Pilbara coast and down the west coast are likely to rise above the normal high tide mark with flooding of low lying coastal areas possible, the bureau said.

Road users have been advised gusty winds, thunderstorm activity and high tides may affect driving conditions, and road conditions could change.

"Please approach all floodways with extreme caution, obey road closure signs and do not drive into water of unknown depth and current,'' the State Emergency Service advises.

"If driving through heavy rain, please slow down and turn your lights on, or if visibility becomes poor, pull over and park until it passes.''

Authorities said there was no damage to homes or other infrastructure during the cyclone threat.

Incident management teams in Karratha and Carnarvon have both begun demobilising.

Earlier today
A blue alert was current for people in or near coastal and island communities from Exmouth to Coral Bay and a cyclone warning was current for people in or near Exmouth to Denham.

But a cyclone warning was cancelled for people in or near Onslow to Exmouth.

The Bureau of Meteorology said that at about 11.30am today the category three cyclone was estimated to be 335km west north-west of Exmouth and 460km north north-west of Carnarvon, and was moving south south-west at 15km/h.

The cyclone is expected to continue to move south south-west and will pass west of the Northwest Cape today.

If the cyclone moves on a track that brings it closer to the coast, then gales with gusts to 100km/h may develop in coastal areas between Exmouth and Cape Cuvier during Sunday and may extend south to Carnarvon and Denham late today or early tomorrow, the bureau said.

Tides along the west Pilbara coast and down the west coast are also likely to rise above the normal high tide mark with flooding of low lying coastal areas possible.

The State Emergency Services is continuing to monitor the situation while incident management teams in the Pilbara have begun demobilising and will continue to do so throughout the afternoon.

Teams in the Midwest Gascoyne region remain active as the cyclone travels down the coast.

Meanwhile, residents living near or between Cape Cuvier, Carnarvon, Denham, Kalbarri, Northampton and Meekatharra have been warned to get ready for severe thunderstorms developing from late Sunday morning and continuing into the evening.

WA police told AAP today that no emergency incidents had been reported as a result of Cyclone Narelle.

Wind speeds over 215kph can bee seen in this NASA animation of Cyclone Narelle, created using data from NASA's TRMM satellite.

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'Top timber wasted to refurbish railway'

TOP TIMBER: Jarrah railway sleepers in a Picton holding yard before being sent out to fix railway lines. Picture: Kim Redman Source: PerthNow

ANGRY: Clint Clarke from Port Jarrah Furniture in Fremantle says using prime-grade jarrah for railway sleeper is 'ridiculous' and 'totally wrong' . Picture: Justin Benson-Cooper Source: PerthNow

WA'S finest jarrah trees are being cut down and sold for railway sleepers by the State Government's logging agency despite a policy banning the practice, according to insiders.

Jarrah in WA is harvested by the Government-run Forest Products Commission, which rates logs as first, second or third-grade.

Only lower-quality logs are allowed to be used for railway sleepers, while higher-grade jarrah must be ``value-added'' and used for high-quality products such as furniture or floorboards.

But big swaths of WA's freight rail lines are being re-sleepered, fuelling a big rise in demand.

To meet the orders, the FPC stands accused of downgrading top-quality jarrah.

It logged more than 170,000 tonnes of jarrah in the past financial year and the demand for third-grade logs used to make the sleepers was double the previous year at 20,000 tonnes.

Al Corbet, former owner of the Australian Craftwood Timbers mill near Manjimup, claimed fine jarrah was being used for sleepers in a ``rampant waste of WA's finest timber''.

Other mill workers in the South-West also said the FPC appeared to be supplying top-grade jarrah for sleepers.
WA Forest Alliance spokeswoman Jess Beckerling said she, too, had testimony from those working in the industry of fine jarrah being turned into sleepers a practice ``straight out of the Dark Ages''.

"We're talking 200-year-old logs, prime grade something you'd make a beautiful dining room table with,'' Mr Corbet said. ``Most Third World countries have a better harvesting regime than WA. It's appalling.''

Forestry Minister Terry Redman said the claims were a matter for the FPC.

A spokesman for the agency said as much profit as possible was derived from harvested timber. He said timber sleepers were eco-friendly because they stored carbon, while concrete ``requires large quantities of energy to produce''.

"Accusations that logs are deliberately downgraded for any reason are false,'' he said. ``Those making such claims should be asked to provide evidence. It is too easy to make such statements which are aimed at damaging the integrity of FPC's staff.''

Fremantle-based Port Jarrah Furniture owner Clint Clarke said using fine jarrah for sleepers was ``wrong'', while South-West Environment Centre convenor Mark Sheehan said concrete or plantation timber should be used instead.

An Auditor-General's report into freight railways found concrete sleepers lasted 50 years compared with 20 for jarrah.
 

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