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"Pathetic" fine for killer of beloved 40-year-old blue groper

<p>In a shocking act of disregard for both marine life and the law, a 26-year-old individual has plunged a spear into the heart of Sydney's Cronulla community by illegally spearing and killing the beloved blue groper known as Gus.</p> <p>Blue gropers, revered for their non-aggressive nature and inquisitive demeanour, have been the official fish of New South Wales since 1996, enjoying legal protection against spearfishing and commercial exploitation.</p> <p>After visiting and entertaining locals in the area for over 40 years, Gus, affectionately named by the community, met a tragic end at Old Park in Cronulla, a well-signed no-spearfishing zone. The incident has left the local community seething with anger and grief, prompting demands for harsher penalties and increased community education.</p> <p>A local Facebook post on the incident quickly garnered more than 100 comments and 500 reactions, reflecting the collective outrage of concerned locals. One individual expressed their frustration, saying, "Omg what an a**hole! I've been trying to find that groper for ages, and now I'll never get to see him. I hope this guy gets a massive fine."</p> <p>Witnesses to the distressing incident, including Tenielle Piek, reported the callousness of the spearfisherman to <a href="https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/outrage-over-fishermans-pathetic-punishment-for-killing-iconic-blue-groper-in-cronulla/news-story/7dec503e9b95ec1fd8d7e7b0f8438036" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a>, who proudly displayed the lifeless groper. Piek lamented the loss of the "Labrador of the Sea" and the vulnerability of these tame and curious creatures to spearfishing. She fears that future generations may be deprived of the opportunity to experience these beautiful creatures in their natural habitat along the shores of Cronulla.</p> <p>Despite the gravity of the crime, the spearfisherman was initially handed a meagre fine of $500, sparking outrage among locals who believed the punishment to be woefully inadequate. NSW Fisheries then tacked on an additional $300, and while the culprit displayed remorse during the interview with fisheries officers and was a first-time offender, the community clearly still feels shortchanged by the leniency of the penalty.</p> <p>A spokesperson from the Department of Primary Industries claimed that the individual was provided with education and awareness material to understand the rules of spearfishing. However, the paltry $300 fine out of a potential $11,000 seems insufficient to deter future acts of this nature.</p> <p>As the investigation appears to conclude, the Cronulla community remains on edge, grappling with the inadequacy of the penalties issued. The tragic fate of Gus demands justice and a resolute commitment to preserving the delicate marine ecosystem. Anything less than a substantial deterrent risks further harm to these innocent creatures and the cherished natural beauty of Cronulla's shores.</p> <p><em>Images: Facebook</em></p>

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Mysterious liquid turns popular rock pool green

<p>A mysterious liquid has turned a popular public rock pool at Cronulla beach fluorescent green.</p> <p>The liquid, believed to be a natural fluorescent dye, fluorescein, was seen pouring into the usually clear waters of the pool on Friday.</p> <p>The dye is often used to help experts track the flow of water to identify any leaks and has low toxicity, which means it is harmless despite the daunting colour.</p> <p>“We believe the discolouration is likely to be fluorescein dye, which is commonly used in plumbing/drain testing and dissipates quickly once diluted,” a spokesperson for the New South Wales Environmental Protection Authority said.</p> <p>According to Australian dye manufacturer, Tintex, the dye is also used to “locate leaks in plumbing, tracing pipe locations, detect drain damage and water pathways,” and is odourless and non-toxic to the environment.</p> <p>However, in a safety data sheet, Tintex has also warned about the potential health effects which include eye irritation, skin irritation, irritation of the digestive tract and respiratory tract irritation.</p> <p>Many locals are cautious despite the claim that the dye is mostly harmless.</p> <p>One user wrote on a Facebook page for Cronulla locals that dye was “legal to use in a stormwater drain”.</p> <p>“Doesn’t look good whatever it is,” another responded, while other cautious residents replied that they wouldn’t swim in the area until the dye fully dissipates.</p> <p><em>Images: Facebook</em></p>

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“Never be forgotten”: Uncle of NRL star drowns while saving swimmers

<p>The man who died, Talitiga Taupau, was trying to save the lives of two others caught in a dangerous rip with him.</p> <p>The father-of-six entered the rip at Cronulla’s Shelly Beach on Saturday afternoon. One swimmer made it back to the beach, while Talitiga and one other were pulled unconscious from the water. </p> <p>Talitiga died at the scene, while the second unconscious man was revived and taken to St George Hospital in a critical condition after allegedly being underwater for three minutes. The swimmer who returned to shore was reported to be in a stable condition and receiving further treatment. </p> <p>Talitiga’s death brings the state’s summer drowning toll to 14 (with the count commencing on December 1). </p> <p>The 44-year-old has been identified as the uncle of Brisbane Broncos player Martin “Marty” Taupau. </p> <p>“It's really sad that this has happened but he will never be forgotten for his actions," Marty told 9News of his uncle’s passing. Marty was reportedly driving to Brisbane with his family for training with his team when he heard the news. </p> <p>“There’s just so much happening,” he added, “so much to process.” </p> <p>Talitiga and the second man were pulled from the water by nearby lifeguards. Joel Wiseman, director of lifesaving for Surf Life Saving NSW, stressed the strain on volunteer lifesavers across the state in the wake of the recent drownings, including the tragedy at Shelly Beach on the weekend. </p> <p>“We are experiencing one of our busiest summers ever with huge rescue numbers,” Wiseman stated, “and our volunteers have put in a massive effort to try to keep people safe along the coast.</p> <p>"Despite the growing drowning toll, volunteers and lifeguards should be very proud of what they've achieved so far this summer. There are a combination of factors making this summer so deadly, including people taking risks, alcohol consumption, and crowded beaches which can lead beachgoers to seek out unfamiliar and unpatrolled locations.</p> <p>"Rip currents remain the number one coastal hazard and the 14 coastal drowning deaths this summer have all occurred at unpatrolled locations."</p> <p>An investigation is underway into the latest drowning, with Sutherland Shire police set to prepare a report for the coroner. </p> <p>Talitiga Taupau is being remembered as a hero for his actions, with tributes flowing for his family.</p> <p>Marty Taupau posted one such tribute to his Instagram, sharing 9News’ segment on his uncle’s story with the caption “Manuia lau malaga uncle“ (Have a good trip uncle) and the hashtag “hero”. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cn_oTOwJwJ9/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cn_oTOwJwJ9/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by 🧿 M A R T Y K A P O W 🧿 (@martykapow)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“Prayers and condolences to you and your family brother,” wrote Australian basketball star Dejan Vasiljevic. </p> <p>Fellow rugby league player Brad Takairangi commented, “much love my bro.” </p> <p>“So sorry for your loss @martykapow,” shared one supporter, echoing the sentiments of many who had come to the post to share their condolences for Marty and Talitiga’s loved ones, “sending sympathy and love to you and all your family.”</p> <p>As Marty told 9News, “I know I’ve got the right people and support networks around … I’ll be okay.” </p> <p><em>Images: 9News</em></p> <p> </p>

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Scott Morrison finally moves out!

<p dir="ltr">Former prime minister Scott Morrison has finally moved out of The Lodge - 16 days after the federal election. </p> <p dir="ltr">He shared a photo of himself wearing a Cronulla Sharks jacket while hugging his pet dog Buddy on Facebook on June 6.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Home! Thanks to everyone in the Shire and St George for their warm welcome home,” Mr Morrison wrote. </p> <p dir="ltr">“It has been a great privilege to serve as PM, but my first honour has always been to serve as the Member for Cook. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Look forward to seeing you around more often. And as always #upupcronulla”</p> <p dir="ltr">At time of publishing, Mr Morrison’s photo received more than 19,000 likes and around 1,400 comments, many wishing him well and to spend time with his family. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Just enjoy being with your family and make up time with them,” someone wrote. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Thank you Scott Morrison for being a wonderful Prime Minister through such tough times in history, you and your party were amazing and we appreciate all that you have done. I don’t know how you kept up with everything. You are fabulous. Enjoy your well deserved family time,” another wrote. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Thank you Scott Morrison for being an amazing PM during very difficult times. You have kept us safe and looked after Australia. Best wishes in the next chapter of your life and enjoy family time,” one wrote. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Great photo. Enjoy a well earned rest ScoMo,” another read.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Morrison has since been replaced by Peter Dutton as leader of the Liberal Party following their loss at the election. </p> <p dir="ltr">In his first interview since being defeated, Mr Morrison admitted to being disappointed but accepted the result. </p> <p dir="ltr">“You accept the result and you move on and you’re thankful for the opportunity that you’ve had to serve the country,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“When I was standing there on the Saturday night I was very mindful of what was happening in Ukraine, there is a country fighting for its very liberty and here we are a democratic nation changing a government through peaceful means.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The party will come together, it’s not the first time the Liberal Party has lost an election.”</p> <p dir="ltr">On May 30, the Labor party secured a majority government in the federal election after gaining the 76 seats they needed in order to govern in their own right.</p> <p dir="ltr">With a majority government, Labor won’t have to negotiate with an expanded crossbench in order to get legislation through the lower house.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Facebook</em></p>

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John Howard slammed over “bloody arrogant” comments

<p>Former prime minister John Howard has come under fire after he said he didn’t believe Australia had any existing underlying racism issues.</p> <p>Mr Howard, 81, spoke candidly on ABC’s <em>Australia Talks</em> on Monday night, making it clear to host Nazeem Hussain that he did not believe the 2005 Cronulla Beach riots were fuelled by racism.</p> <p>It is not a far cry from the same sentiments he had made in the aftermath 16 years ago, as prime minister.</p> <p>Thousands rallied in Cronulla to "protest", after it was reported two volunteer surf lifesavers were assaulted when they responded to complaints of young men with a Middle Eastern appearance who were verbally harassing girls on the beach in Sutherland Shire.</p> <p>A text message that went around the suburbs labelled the day of the riot as a “Leb and Wog bashing day.”</p> <p>While numbers are not clear, several people with Middle Eastern appearances were violently assaulted.</p> <p>Mr Howard appeared on Australia Talks and was probed for whether he agreed with a National Survey that ruled 76 per cent of 60,000 Australians said the nation is lurking with underlying racism.</p> <p>"That has not been my experience. I have to respectfully, to that 76 per cent, say I don't think there is underlying racism in Australia," he responded.</p> <p>He went on to say that while he does believe there are racists in Australia, it is a “supremely pessimistic view” to suggest there is a racism problem in the country.</p> <p>His comments did not sit well with viewers at home, with dozens taking to social media to accuse him of being detached from reality.</p> <p>ABC radio host Beverly Wang took to Twitter to say it was obvious a white male being asked about racism would say he hadn’t experienced it.</p> <p>"Yes that can be his answer but it doesn't speak to the reality of systemic racism, which definitely exists," she said.</p> <p>One woman went on to call his remarks “bloody arrogant”.</p> <p>Activist and equality advocate Tarang Chawla, the brother of Nikita Chawla who was murdered by her husband in 2015, said it is time for those who deny racism to open the ears.</p> <p>"Hearing former PM John Howard say it's pessimistic to think there's underlying racism in Australia tells me that he, like other men with privilege, have little knowledge of what life is like for many of us," he wrote.</p>

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The heart warming story behind this shark wrestling video

<p>A real estate agent has become an overnight internet sensation, after wrestling a shark and removing it from a rock pool in Cronulla, in Sydney’s south.</p> <p>Melissa Hatheier was going for a swim early Monday morning when she noticed the slippery customer had found its way into the popular rock pool. </p> <p><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FCronullaRE%2Fvideos%2F1691960757505213%2F&amp;show_text=0&amp;width=268" width="268" height="476" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p> <p> “I got home from the gym, and my gorgeous mum who swims every morning down here in the rock pool rang and said this there is a shark in the pool,” she told Channel 9’s <em>Today show</em>.</p> <p>“And I said, OK don’t worry, I will come down. So I came down, there was a bit of a crew down here, and had a look and he was a little Port Jackson and was doing laps of the pool and I said, you know I’m going to go in and check him out.</p> <p>“I jumped in and I thought, ‘I reckon I can probably get him out.’ And Mum, god love her, called 000 so the police came down as well.</p> <p>“And they didn’t know what to do. So I said, I think I can just grab him. So I herded him into the shallows and then I just sort of got on my knees. With his fins, I picked him up and helped him back.</p> <p>“He was getting stressed because he was bumping into the rocks and I was thinking I just need to put him back where he is meant to be.”</p> <p>A heart warming family story explains Hatheier’s heroics.</p> <p>“You know what, I lost my beautiful dad nearly a year ago, to cancer,” she said. “The last thing he said is, ‘Please look after Mum. So we are looking after Mum. I made sure the pool was safe and she can swim.”</p> <p>Have you seen this video before? Were you aware of the touching story behind it?</p> <p><em>Hero image credit: Facebook / Cronulla Real Estate</em></p> <p><em><strong>Have you arranged your travel insurance yet? Save money with Over60 Travel Insurance. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://elevate.agatravelinsurance.com.au/oversixty?utm_source=over60&amp;utm_medium=content&amp;utm_content=link1&amp;utm_campaign=travel-insurance" target="_blank">To arrange a quote, click here.</a></span> Or for more information, call 1800 622 966.</strong></em></p>

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