Port Pirie mayor hits back at viral 'sh*t town' ranking

The mayor of what's just been dubbed one of the nation's "sh*ttest towns" isn't taking the ranking lying down.

The mayor of what's just been dubbed the "s**test town of South Australia" has hit back at the popular Facebook page that publishes the rankings.

The "Sh*t Towns of Australia" Facebook page today published the results of its South Australia poll.

Port Pirie, three hours north of Adelaide, ranked first, with 38 per cent of the vote.

Speaking to the ABC, Port Pirie Mayor Leon Stephens said the joke was getting old.

"I might be showing my age or whatever but I think this is getting pretty tired," he said.

"It's a bit like a dad joke that's continually going on and I think that it's time that we changed it up a little bit."

Mr Stephens also had his own dig at one of the founders of "Sh*t Towns of Australia", Geoff Rissole, and said the town's top ranking was "probably about as impressive as a name called Geoff Rissole".

You can read more about this in the blog below.

Updates

6:21 pm May 10, 2021 Highlight

Port Pirie mayor lashes s**t town ranking

The mayor of what's just been dubbed the "s**test town of South Australia" has hit back at the popular Facebook page that publishes the rankings.

The "Sh*t Towns of Australia" Facebook page today published the results of its South Australia poll.

Port Pirie, three hours north of Adelaide, ranked first, with 38 per cent of the vote.

Speaking to the ABC, Port Pirie Mayor Leon Stephens said the joke was getting old.

"I might be showing my age or whatever but I think this is getting pretty tired," he said.
"It's a bit like a dad joke that's continually going on and I think that it's time that we changed it up a little bit."

Mr Stephens also had his own dig at one of the founders of "Sh*t Towns of Australia", Geoff Rissole, and said the town's top ranking was "probably about as impressive as a name called Geoff Rissole".

"I do really want Mr Rissole to make himself known next time he comes to Port Pirie, so that we can actually show him some of the good side of things, and maybe we might drop down to fifth or ninth on the list," he said.

5:16 pm May 10, 2021 Highlight

Trespasser triggers major train delays

Afternoon commuters are being warned to expect major delays today after a trespasser jumped onto the train tracks at a station in western Sydney.

Police rushed to the scene at Westmead train station just after 4.30pm today to reports of a “trespasser on the tracks”.

“Please allow plenty of extra travel time,” Sydney Trains warned.

Some trains on the Western Line, which runs into the Blue Mountains, are being held. 

#BlueMountainsLine Services are experiencing major delays due to a trespasser on the tracks at Westmead. Police are on site attending the issue.

Please allow plenty of extra travel time..

Some trains are currently held on the Western Line. More info to follow. pic.twitter.com/dieQoieA7W

— NSW TrainLink West (@TrainLinkWest) May 10, 2021

3:33 pm May 10, 2021 Highlight

‘Significant’ weather event to hit south, east

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has warned of a “late season severe storm outbreak” for the coming days in New South Wales, Victoria and the ACT.

It comes amid forecasts of a “significant” weather event approaching much of the country’s south and east bringing rain, colder temperatures, hail and snow.

A series of cold fronts is set to barrel through the eastern states ending the run of mild and sunny weather seen in many places over the weekend.

A cold, wet, and windy start to the week tomorrow for south east Aus as a powerful cold front moves through #SA, #Vic, #Tas and southern #NSW (seen here on satellite moving up from the Bight 🛰️)

Check warnings over the coming days ❄️🌂🌧️https://t.co/onZUqsEjdf pic.twitter.com/4U69K8Y0y4

— Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) May 9, 2021

Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Brisbane could all see heavy showers as the week progresses. Some places could see more than 100mm.

“Mid May is a very unusual time to see severe storms in NSW,” said BOM senior forecaster Jake Phillips.

“It’s due to a relatively large amount of humidity round for this tie of year and a powerful upper level system moving through.

“We can’t rule the storms out for Sydney”.

3:30 pm May 10, 2021 Highlight

More Aussies to be paid compulsory super under new changes

– Samantha Maiden

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg is set to scrap the $450 a month threshold to pay compulsory super in the 2021 federal budget, boosting the retirement incomes of thousands of part-time workers and mums.

News.com.au has confirmed the threshold will be scrapped in Tuesday’s budget, a modest change that will ensure more workers are paid super when they earn even small amounts with a single employer.

It’s the threshold that causes almost twice as many women as men to miss out on a super contribution when working in insecure, part-time jobs.

Abolishing the requirement that workers earn $450 a month with a single employer would also not cost employers much – adding only a couple of hundred dollars on average to their costs for each employee.

But over time it’s hoped it will help bridge the retirement incomes gap between women and men because women are more likely to miss out under the current rules.

3:27 pm May 10, 2021 Highlight

'Nothing short of heroic': Cops praise hero bystanders in NZ stabbing

Police have praised the heroic bystanders who tackled a man allegedly in the middle of a stabbing rampage in a New Zealand supermarket.

Southern police district commander Paul Basham told reporters that officers responded in minutes but it was the people in the supermarket who fought the armed man that deserved most of the credit.

"It is nothing short of heroic," Mr Basham said, referring to the shoppers who intervened.

"I have viewed the CCTV footage, which is quite traumatic, and what I can say is that those that intervened, some of who became injured themselves, I think have acted selflessly and with great courage to prevent this man from hurting anybody else and, indeed, I think they did just that."

The man is under police guard and his four victims are in hospital.

3:18 pm May 10, 2021 Highlight

Jack de Belin jury dismissed

A jury has found NRL star Jack de Belin not guilty of one count of sexual assault after his trial in the NSW District Court.

The jury of eight men and four women, however, were ultimately dismissed after declaring they could not agree on five other counts before the court.

St George Illawarra Dragons forward Mr de Belin, and his friend Callan Sinclair, had each pleaded not guilty to five counts of aggravated sexual assault stemming from an incident inside a North Wollongong unit on December 9, 2018.

On Monday they were both found not guilty on one count of aggravated sexual intercourse without consent relating to one specific sexual act during the incident.

The jury reached the unanimous verdict after five full days of considerations, but said given even more time on Monday weren’t able to agree on verdicts for five outstanding charges.

“We can confirm that after further deliberation each juror remains steadfast in their or decisions,” their note read. “As such, as we are unable to reach a majority verdicts of 11 to one.”

#Breaking Jack de Belin and Callan Sinclair have both been found not guilty on one of the five sexual assault charges they both faced at trial. The jury, however, has been dismissed after failing to reach verdicts on the remaining counts

— Heath Parkes-Hupton (@heath_parkes) May 10, 2021

2:32 pm May 10, 2021 Highlight

Supermarket stabbing in New Zealand

Multiple people have been stabbed at a supermarket on New Zealand's South Island.

Five people were injured – three critically – after a man armed with a knife allegedly began stabbing people at the Dunedin supermarket.

Dozens of shoppers were inside the Countdown supermarket, the New Zealand version of Woolworths, when the stabbing occurred.

Of the four injured, two are Countdown staff.

A number of brave shoppers attempted to tackle and subdue the armed man however witnesses said he was able to get free.

Police arrived soon after to take him into custody.

A witness told the New Zealand Herald she saw "someone being dragged out by police, bloody, out onto the street".

Spencer Sonn, Countdown managing director, told the the company was "shocked and devastated".

"Our priority right now is our injured team members and caring for our wider team in the wake of this extremely traumatic event," he said.

"We are deeply upset that customers who tried to help our team members were also injured.

"We have been concerned about the escalating violence towards our team, and this is something we have continued to talk and raise as an issue over the last year.

"Our amazing team comes to work to serve Kiwis every day, and our customers visit our stores knowing that they will be safe. We are heartbroken that this wasn't the case today.

"Our Dunedin Central store will remain closed today and tomorrow while we support our team, and we are co-operating fully with the police."

1:10 pm May 10, 2021 Highlight

Wild video shows housing madness

In a sign that the housing market has reached new levels of madness, a video from over the weekend shows hundreds of potential homebuyers packed outside a Sydney auction in almost festival-like scenes.

As property prices continue to soar, even coronavirus restrictions didn't keep crowds away from attending auctions over the weekend.

One filmed by a lifestyle blogger in the city's northern suburbs, believed to be in North Sydney, on Saturday has been met with shock after going viral on social media.

The clip shows both sides of the street packed with potential homebuyers, including young families.

In nearby suburbs like Mosman, one four-bedroom home sold for $8.25m prior to auction, while another four-bedder went for $5.65m.

In nearby Cremorne, one three-bedroom home went for $7.04m.

Many viewers said the video was a reflection of the housing market not just in Sydney but nationwide.

"For those of you who don't know, Australia is in a huge housing and rental market crisis, pretty much every open house and auction is like this," one person commented.

Another added: "Overpriced market on Earth and it's going to crash big time next year or 2023, 100 per cent!"

However, some suggested many of those watching neighbours sticky beaking.

"House auction is a spectator sport in Sydney," one person said.

Across Australia, values climbed by 1.8 per cent in April, a sharp drop from March's 2.8 per cent pace which was the fastest since October 1988, where Sydney's median house climbed by 4.3 per cent in one month to $1.112million, according to CoreLogic data.

House and apartment prices have soared by 10.2 per cent since the short-lived pandemic downturn in property prices ended in September last year.

Pictures by jeanisara on TikTok

12:07 pm May 10, 2021

Woman, baby abducted after assault

A Sydney man’s alleged violent rampage on his ex-partner before holding her and her baby against their will has landed him in court.

The 36-year-old man is accused of repeatedly hitting the 28-year-old woman as a heated argument allegedly escalated into physical violence.

Officers were told the trio were at a home on Ivy Street, Greenacre, when a dispute broke out about 9am Sunday.

Read more from NCA NewsWire

11:42 am May 10, 2021 Highlight

Pfizer open to a million more Aussies

New South Wales residents aged between 40 and 49 can put their hands up from Monday afternoon to receive the Pfizer jab “in the coming weeks”, Premier Gladys Berejiklian has announced.

People aged between 40 and 49 can register expressions of interest online from 5pm to go on a waiting list to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination.

NSW Health officials will then contact those on the registry once it is their turn.

Read more from NCA NewsWire