Man flown to hospital after crash

A MAN has been flown to Royal Perth Hospital with serious injuries following a traffic crash in Nowergup this afternoon.

It is understood two cars travelling along Wanneroo Road collided just before 12.45pm.

Emergency services are at the scene where a male had to be freed from his vehicle after he became trapped.

The RAC Rescue helicopter was called in to fly the man to Royal Perth Hospital for treatment.

A spokesman for St John's said he was being treated for major trauma.

Wanneroo Road has been closed in both directions to allow the chopper to land.
 

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Severe fire warning for regions

There is a severe fire warning for the Pilbara and coastal areas of the Gascoyne. Source: PerthNow Source: PerthNow

SEVERE fire warnings have been issued for parts of the Pilbara and the coastal parts of the Gascoyne.

The Bureau of Meterology has forecast very hot, dry and windy conditions for the inland part of the Shire of Asburton, the Shire of Exmouth as well as the coastal parts of Carnarvon and Shark Bay for Sunday.

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services have urged residents in the area to be aware of the conditions and watch for signs of fire, especially smoke and flames.

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Retirement home evacuated after fire

RESIDENTS had to be evacuated from a northern suburbs retirement home this morning after a fire broke out.

The blaze began just after 8am at the RAF retirement village in Merriwa.

A total of six fire-fighting crews attended the scene and were able to bring the blaze under control a short time later.

No-one was injured during the incident.

A FESA spokesman said it is believed the fire could have been the result of a faulty air-conditioning unit.

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Beach closed after shark spotted

A shark was spotted near Floreat Beach. Picture: Supplied Source: AFP

A 2.5 metre shark has been spotted by a helicopter patrol in the waters off Floreat Beach.

Surf Lifesaving WA said the ocean predator was tracking north.

Floreat Beach has been closed.
 

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Teen suffers spinal injuries at beach

A TEENAGE girl has been taken to Bunbury Hospital with possible spinal injuries.

An ambulance was sent to Bunbury's Back Beach after 3pm to treat a 19-year-old girl who had been dumped by a wave.

She was treated by Bunbury Surf Life Club lifeguards before an ambulance was called.

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Fears for missing Byford man

MISSING: Police and family fear for the safety of missing Byford man Jeffery Loermans, 40, last seen at his home early yesterday. Source: PerthNow

POLICE hold serious concerns for a missing man who was last seen at his Byford home early yesterday.

Jeffrey Alan Loermans, 40, was last seen at his home address about 1am.

He is described as being Caucasian, 183cm tall, with a medium build, short brown receding hair and blue eyes.

It is believed he may be driving a 1998 white Ford flat-bed tray truck, registration number 1DET 386.

Police and his family are concerned for his welfare.

Anyone who knows his whereabouts is asked to contact police on 131 444.

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Health ends former Parole boss' career

STEPPING DOWN: Former Parole Review Board boss, Justice Narelle Johnson has retired due to ill health. Source: PerthNow

STEPPING DOWN: Former Parole Review Board boss, Justice Narelle Johnson has retired due to ill health. Source: PerthNow

JUSTICE Narelle Johnson, former head of the Prisoners Review Board, has retired from the Supreme Court due to ill-health.

Justice Johnson was due to return to the Supreme Court bench earlier this year after her term at the board expired, but has been forced to retire early because of ill-health.

Attorney General Michael Mischin today thanked the retiring Judge for her service to the Supreme Court and the Prisoners Review Board.

Justice Johnson joined the then-Crown Solicitor's Office in 1982, rising to the rank of Senior Assistant Crown
Counsel. She joined the Independent Bar in 1994 and practised from Francis Burt Chambers for many years.

She was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1998.

Among her many notable achievements, Justice Johnson was counsel assisting the Coal Contract Inquiry in 1994; junior counsel assisting the Easton Royal Commission in 1995; counsel assisting the Royal Commission into the City of Wanneroo in 1996 to 1997; the president of the Equal Opportunity Tribunal between 2001 and 2003; and was appointed to the bench of the Supreme Court in July 2003.

Justice Johnson also served the profession as president of the Women Lawyers of WA (1997 to 2000); director, Australian Women Lawyers in 2003; and as a member of the WA Bar Association Steering Committee on Women at the Bar (2000 to 2001). She was also a member of the WA Medical Board (2001 to 2002) and the Water Authority Board (1994 to 1996).

In 2009, she was appointed for a three-year term as second chair of the Prisoners Review Board.

Mr Mischin said Justice Johnson had made a significant contribution to the WA justice system.

"As my predecessor remarked when appointing her to the board, Justice Johnson is an experienced and highly-capable Supreme Court judge," he said.

"She did a tremendous job in the difficult role of chair of the Prisoners Review Board over three years.

"Her professionalism and worth ethic was extremely valued by the legal fraternity and she has every reason to be proud of her contribution to the administration of justice in this State and to the advancement of women in the profession. I wish her all the best in retirement."
 

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Decmil accused of 'corporate bullying'

AN ugly stoush has erupted between WA-based Decmil Group and the operator of its four-star mining camp in Gladstone, Queensland.

The operator, small Queensland firm Evolution Facility Management (EFM), has accused Decmil, who purchased the business in November last year, of "corporate bullying''.

Decmil's public relations consultant David Ikin today confirmed the company had terminated a deal with Evolution - which was contracted to run the 1300-room Homeground Gladstone remote accommodation facility until 2016 - and put in place a new facility manager Cater Care.

He said Cater Care was offering jobs to all Evolution staff under the same terms that they were currently paid.

"There are about 40 people employed by the facilities manager to carry out a range of activities at the village, administration, food and beverage, services and also general utilities. Most are local Gladstone people but there are some fly-in, fly-out as well,'' he said.

"Instead of Evolution Facility Management, they're all being offered positions under Cater Care to carry on doing what they're doing.''

Mr Ikin would not go into details over the stoush but said ASX-listed Decmil was "unable to go into details of what the issue was that's driven the change but it's been a purely contractual thing''.

EFM general manager Alex Ferguson said the firm had tried to come to an amicable solution with Decmil over the existing contract to run Homeground as a four-and-a-half star facility.

"Our business virtually has just lost a huge contract and all our staff, so we're absolutely (devastated) and we feel we've been bullied to get to this point,'' he said.

"We're a small Queensland private company. I don't think that the tactics that a large public company has used in this case are appropriate.

"We will obviously have our day in court, but it's something that's a shame for our business. Our staff have to look after themselves so I absolutely understand their stance if they are to accept roles. It's absolute corporate bullying."

The Calliope facility was founded by Gold Coast-based Maroon Group, which sold 50 per cent of the business to Decmil for $40 million.

It then sold the remaining 50 per cent in August this year for around $18 million. Decmil was due to make the final $3 million payment to seal full ownership yesterday.

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WA icon: Artist Robert Juniper dies at 83

COMMUNITY SPIRIT: Robert Juniper with one of two paintings he donated to raise money for the Mundaring Shire Volunteer Bush Fire Brigades. Picture: Stewart Allen Source: PerthNow

LIFE LONG PARTNERS: Artist Robert Juniper with wife Trish. Picture: Alf Sorbello Source: PerthNow

WA LEGEND: Robert Juniper, landscape artist and Member of the Order of Australia died in Perth today. Picture: Colin Murty Source: The Australian

LOVE THIS COUNTRY: Juniper at Cottesloe Beach for the 2010 Sculptures by the Sea. Picture: Stewart Allen Source: PerthNow

POPULAR West Australian artist Robert Juniper has died at the age of 83.

His wife Trish confirmed today that Juniper had died from an illness.

Juniper was a painter, illustrator, art teacher, sculptor and printmaker.

He received a Member of the Order of Australia honour in 2011 for services to the visual arts. Juniper said at the time that he was "chuffed'' to receive the accolade.

"I love my country and I'm very much in tune with the landscape,'' he said.

Born in the Wheatbelt town of Merredin in 1929, Robert Litchfield Juniper studied commercial art and industrial design at Beckenham School of Art in England.

He returned to WA in 1949 and since 1974 devoted himself full-time to painting, sculpting and printmaking.

Juniper's work can be found in all major Australian public collections and around the world including the US, Asia and Europe.

Despite his success, Juniper continued living in the same place for the past 60 years in Darlington in Perth's Hills.

Juniper received many accolades for his work including the Wynne Prize in 1976 and 1980.

For his services to the arts, he was awarded a WA Week Council's Citizen of the Year award in 1979 and an honorary doctorate from the University of WA in 1984.

In 1998, he was named an inaugural State Living Treasure and in 2003 received the Centenary Medal.

He also designed the coat of arms for the Commonwealth Law Courts in Perth in 1992.

Juniper suffered a stroke 10 years ago that robbed him of the use of his left hand and became ill in October last year when fluid gathered on his lung.

Culture and the Arts Minister John Day paid tribute to Juniper, saying he was one of the state's most successful artists.

"He will be remembered for not only his outstanding works, but also his generosity to local artists" he said.

"Mr Juniper was very successful in making art accessible to all West Australians with his many public commissions, including murals, public sculptures, installations and posters."

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Onion bling costs Hungry Jack's a whopper

Hungry Jack's in Beechboro has been fined $75,000 after metal was found in an onion ring. Source: The Advertiser

FAST-FOOD giant Hungry Jack's has been fined $75,000 for selling an onion ring at a Perth store that had a 1.5cm shaving of metal in it.

The burger chain was convicted in the Perth Magistrates Court of selling unsuitable food after a woman nearly choked on the 1.5cm piece of metal that was in an onion ring purchased in February from its Beechboro store, in Perth's northern suburbs.

It is understood the shaving was likely to have come from maintenance work that had been done at the fast-food outlet the day before.

A lawyer for Hungry Jack's said the matter had been the subject of much "soul searching'' for company management.

A spokesman for Hungry Jack's said the company was "surprised and disappointed'' by the findings and intended to appeal the decision.

"We have sophisticated quality assurance and rigorous training systems, which we believe stand up to scrutiny,'' he said.

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