Walid Ahmad shot down in Bankstown

Walid Ahmad

Ex-Prime Minister John Howard, who introduced national gun control laws 20 years ago after the Port Arthur massacre, says the laws are now inadequate and should be tightened.

After police employee Curtis Cheng was shot and killed in Parramatta last year, Mr Howard said "If 15-year olds can get hold of weapons like that, there is something wrong with the laws."

And he's right, because shootings in Sydney and Melbourne are now such a common occurrence, we hardly notice anymore.  The latest happened yesterday, in broad daylight at a Sydney Shopping Centre.

Apparently there is another gang war going on and Walid Ahmed was shot down at Bankstown Central in a well-planned ambush and died at the scene.

His bodyguard and a 31 year old woman were also shot and are recovering in hospital.  A manhunt is now underway for the shooter and the driver of the white Mercedes getaway car.

Ahmad was wanted by police for questioning over the fatal shooting of Safwan Charbaji at his smash repair business earlier this month in Condell Park.  Police believe this could be pay-back for that murder.

Bodyguard

"There are two distinct crime groups now involved in a feud and they are extremely violent" one officer said.  It's been reported that a large drug debt was at the centre of a long-running dispute between the two gangs.

"Someone didn't pay protection for their coke run" one source said. "Someone owes 10 grand and that's what this is all about."

Police believe the Mercedes was driven into a car park at the Bankstown Central Shopping Centre about 11.50 yesterday.  A gunman left the car and opened fire on three people sitting at a table at a cafe.

No arrests have been made and police continue to run around in circles, unable to protect shoppers going about their business on a ordinary Friday morning in Sydney. 

Tom Jones loses the love of his life

Lady Melinda Rose Woodward passed away on 10 April from cancer in Los Angeles, aged 75 years. Her husband Sir Tom, was by her side.

The famous singer cancelled a string of performances because of his wife's illness.  Over the years she had two cancer scares and as a heavy smoker, she developed emphysema.

The childhood sweethearts met when they were 12 in the Welch town of Pontypridd and married when they were just 16.  Their only child Mark 59, is Sir Tom's manager.

Despite his self-confessed adultery, he remained devoted to his wife and said his marriage was 'rock solid' and all the rest was just 'fun and games.'

They had an arrangement since the sixties - Linda stopped going with him on the road and never asked about what went on.

Throughout his career, she remained at their Los Angeles home and was never seen at his concerts. She didn't even join him at Buckingham Palace when he received his knighthood in 2006.

In an interview in 2014, Sir Tom said his wife was reluctant to fly because of paparazzi at the airport.

"She's not crazy about the way she looks.... it has always bothered her....she never wanted her picture taken or take part in interviews, she didn't want to be part of any of that.

Today 25 April is Anzac Day

Sculptor Gary Grant conceived and created this larger-than-life poppy sculpture in commemoration of our nation's history.

Made of fabricated steel, it's on display at The Rocks today and later in the year it will return for Remembrance Day on 11 November.

The poppy is a symbol of ANZAC remembrance to show we have not forgotten the sacrifices of those who fought in the Great War.

If you are passing the sculpture today, you may be lucky enough to receive one of the 4,000 free vials containing sands from the shoreline at Albany (the last point where our soldiers left Australian soil before embarking on their troop ships to Gallipoli) and a pine needle from a tree whose ancestor was the original Lone Pine.  The vials, which lie within the flower head, will be signed and authenticated by the sculptor.

Another view of the sculpture

First abalone ranch in WA

Growing abalone in a natural environment in the pristine waters of Flinders Bay near Augusta in Western Australia is now a reality.
It's not aquaculture, it's called 'ranching' because nature produces the sea snail all by itself.

It's the brainchild of Brad Adams, a former abalone diver and marine scientist.  He's the man responsible for hatchery-bred abalone grown to maturity on artificial reefs (concrete blocks) that are now being harvested in a world first 'sea ranching' enterprising.

As we know, there is a huge demand for green-lipped abalone in Asia, especially China.

"It really started when I was a wild catch diver, I was seeing lots of areas out there where everything was right - the oceanic environment was right, the sea grass beds, there was good food there" Mr Adams said.

"And whenever you found a rock, it would be loaded with abalone and over time, we thought why not just put a rock down there, put an abalone on it and see what happens, and that's how the business started."

The abalone are being grown on 900 kilo concrete blocks designed to become part of the marine environment and support up to 400 abalone each.  They call them "abitats" and it took them three years of research to get them just right.

"Building them and transporting them by barge to the Flinders Bay lease was the only real set-up cost" Mr Adams said.

"There's really not much else to do because nature takes care of it all for you....we are completely reliant on nature to provide that pristine environment which allows the abalone to grow naturally."

About 11 tonnes will be harvested this year and sold as snap-frozen single serve units for the restaurant trade but there is a huge untapped market for live abalone to China and the price will hopefully be the same as wild abalone because they are ocean-grown and only eat seaweed.

"We are not aquaculture, we're ranching because once they're in the water, they look after themselves."

WA's Dept of Fisheries Agriculture Manager Steve Nel said protecting the marine environment was crucial.  "The key biosecurity elements we look at are making sure that disease isn't introduced into the area." 

Mr Adams has two brothers who are wild catch abalone divers and he is confident that transferring juvenile abalone from the hatchery farm at Bremer Bay to the ranch will have no impact on the wild abalone industry.

He has begun trials for a second ranch at Esperance and the company hopes to start a third lease at Port Lincoln in South Australia.

Farmer Ian Turnbull murder trial begins

81 year old Ian Turnbull

Farmer Ian Robert Turnbull's court case has begun.  He is charged with murdering 51 year old NSW Office of Environment worker Glen Turner when he came to his property in July 2014.

Yes he did a terrible thing - he killed a man who was just doing his job - but there is more to this tragic story that needs to be told. 

The Native Vegetation Act is the reason Ian Turnbull lost his mind and killed an innocent man.

His family said he was a broken man, crushed by worry and continual government harassment over his land-clearing plans on his Croppa Creek property, 55 kms from Moree. 

The aggressive stance by government officials wanting information on his plans and the constant court struggles and substantial fines over the years ground him down.

The family also said they hoped the tragedy would help to bring about change to the Native Vegetation Act.

A member of the family said "he was not like a hermit living in a cave, he was out in the community helping to build old people's homes, collecting trampolines at school fetes, he did Meals on Wheels, he was a respected elder who people turned to."

"It is not about objection to authority, there are rules and regulations" his son said. "But it is how they are administered, that is the issue with dad."

RED TAPE NIGHTMARE

 NSW farmers wishing to clear land containing native vegetation must obtain a property vegetation plan or development consent from the state government.

Approval can take months or even years

Permission from councils and the federal government may be required as well

Penalties include fines of more than $1 million

There is deep resentment felt by landowners to the Native Vegetation Act 2003 which prevents even the smallest of land clearances without strict and cumbersome consents and these laws are enforced by spy satellites.

Todd Alexis is Ian Turnbull's Defence Counsel and I hope he does a good job and brings about the best possible outcome for this hard-working farmer.

Mr Alexis said in court yesterday "The question arising is this - whether this was a planned encounter or one that happened by chance." 

He told the jury the court proceedings brought by OEH had led Turnbull to have a "major depressive illness, which substantially impaired his moral judgement and capacity of self-control" and that they (the jury) would need to consider whether Mr Turner harassed and intimidated Turnbull and if the farmer was worn down and provoked.

Turnbull was tipped off that the officers were on his property and when he found them taking pictures and video evidence, he drove up behind their ute. 

He got out of his car and without warning fired a shotgun, hitting Turner in the neck and chin.  He fell to his knees and began to bleed heavily before getting up and hiding behind his car.

His co-worker Robert Strange will give evidence that over the next 40 minutes, he pleaded with Turnbull to allow him to get his injured colleague medical help, to no avail.

As Mr Turner darted around the cars trying to save himself, Turnbull fired two more shots, one hitting him in the chest.  He then made a run for it and was shot in the back, level with his heart and died.

Turnbull then drove off before telling Robert Strange "You can go now, I'll be home waiting for the police."

The trial is expected to last four weeks.

Uluru climbers declining

It's rather intimidating when you arrive at Uluru and read the signs that plead with you to respect the decision of the Aboriginal custodians not to climb their sacred rock.

But that doesn't mean you are forbidden to climb, you are just made to feel very uncomfortable if you do.

If you are intent on climbing there is another problem - the wind.  The day you arrive, the climb may be closed due to high winds.

There is a lot of opposition to the ban.  At a sitting of the Northern Territory Parliament in Darwin yesterday, NT Chief Minister Adam Giles said that if the Nguraritja and Anangu people changed their minds and allowed tourists to climb, it would foster a better understanding of Indigenous culture and lead to more jobs.

He pointed out that the Sydney Harbour Bridge climb is one of the world's most spectacular and exhilarating tourist adventures and the same could be said for climbing Uluru.

There were plenty of examples worldwide where culturally sensitive sites and tourism combine successfully, he said - the Temple of Angkor Wat in Cambodia, the Taj Mahal and Machu Picchu for example.

"Uluru is as spectacular as any of those, it's higher than the Eiffel Tower and a lot more beautiful" he said.

Mr Giles conceded that the first part of the 1.6 kilometre climb was arduous and aided by a chain strung between poles.

On the park website people are warned not to attempt the climb "if you have high or low blood pressure, heart problems, breathing problems, a fear of heights, or if you are unfit."

Mr Giles said "we could get a professional expert in to look at stringent safety requirements" and "rules enforcing spiritual respect......would be endorsed, supported, and even managed by the local Aboriginal community."

The park data shows that between 2005 and 2014, visitor numbers have fallen significantly and the 2010 10-year plan states the climb would be "permanently closed when the proportion of visitors climbing falls below 20 per cent."

But the bottom line is that the custodians said they "continue to emphasise their wish that people do not climb Uluru and have expressed disappointment that the activity still continues."

Why you need to think twice about being a surrogate

It's illegal in Australia to pay someone to have your baby.  You have to find a relative or a woman kind enough to go through the ordeal for free.  

The only stipulation is that the intended parents must pay "all reasonable expenses" which include health costs, travel and separate legal representation for the surrogate mother. And in this particular case, those expenses amounted to $8,300.

But the parents refused to pay, so last week, when the baby boy was born, the mother was left with a huge bill and a baby who was the product of someone else's egg and sperm.

However, she held the trump card - the baby - and she wasn't giving him up until they did what they promised, and the problem has now been resolved - the parents took their baby home and the bill has been paid.

This case highlights that fact that Australia's surrogacy laws need revising because relying on goodwill doesn't always work.

Alexa (whose last name cannot be used) was understandably upset when her relationship with the intended parents, to whom she was related, broke down.

"It started out for love....with me wanting to do something for them" she said.  "And then without support, without gratitude or any thanks, it just got worse."

Things started to go wrong in the first trimester when the fertility clinic put her on a very high dose of progesterone to help maintain the pregnancy.  But the high hormones made her very sick and some days, she couldn't get out of bed.

The clinic refused to lower her dose so after seeking another opinion, she lowered the dose herself, without telling the clinic.

Both the intended parents and Alexa only had about three hours of compulsory counselling before the IVF clinic went ahead and transferred the embryo.  Had the counselling been longer and more intense, perhaps problems might have been discovered and dealt with before going ahead.

Alexa's lawyer Stephen Page has extensive experience in surrogacy arrangements.

"I can't say whether there was enough preparation" he said.  "What I can say is that preparation is absolutely essential with any surrogacy arrangement - prevention is better than cure."

Relations did not improve even after the 12 week scan showed a healthy baby boy.

It seems the intended mother believed her baby would be stillborn and she refused to prepare for it. Throughout the pregnancy, she rarely called Alexa and only occasionally attended ante-natal appointments, something she promised to do.

"When we went into it, they promised to be there, we're going to support you, we are going to help you with my three year old son Jaxon, and it never started" Alexa said.  She felt so alone and unhappy at the 16 week mark she asked for an abortion but was told it was too late.

Just weeks before the birth, the parents said they would only pay two thirds of her expenses and refused to pay $3,000 in legal fees for Stephen Page, saying she had adequate legal representation from the solicitor they had previously hired for her.

So there is another glaring error that needs fixing - surrogates need their own solicitor.

Alexa refused to give them the baby until the full amount was paid and four days after he was born, the baby went home with his parents.

Alexa still feels a lack of appreciation.  "It's just sad, he will never know where he came from, he will never know what I did for him."

Asked if she had held the parents to ransom she said "I have every right - it's a business deal isn't it? It's not a friendship."