Sydney news: WIN closes three NSW newsrooms, spoon used as weapon in Merrylands home invasion

Updated

June 20, 2019 08:15:15

Here’s what you need to know this morning.

Regional news cuts

WIN management have told staff at their Albury, Wagga Wagga and combined Orange and Dubbo offices that local news bulletins are no longer commercially viable.

Staff were told of the decision in a memo yesterday that news bulletins would no longer be produced at the three offices in New South Wales, as well as their Wide Bay office in Queensland.

Griffith City Council Mayor John Dal Broi said it was disappointing and he would consider seeing if other networks were interested in providing news services to the region.

Labor’s spokesman for rural affairs Mick Veitch said losing any job from the regional economy was a critical issue, especially with communities battling the devastating impact of drought.

Spoon attack in home invasion

Police are investigating an aggravated home invasion in Sydney’s west in which the offenders allegedly struck the residents with a large spoon.

Officers said a 30-year-old man was confronted by three men outside his Merrylands unit after receiving a call from someone who he believed was interested in buying his phone.

After becoming concerned, he returned to his unit, but the three men then forced entry and badaulted two occupants, aged 20 and 29, with a large spoon taken from the kitchen.

The three men stole two phones and a laptop computer.

Another hospital hit with bullying claims

The intensive care unit at St George Hospital in Sydney’s south has lost its licence to train junior doctors amid allegations of bullying.

The South East Sydney Local Health District said the College of Intensive Care Medicine withdrew the unit’s teaching accreditation due to “cultural issues”.

Opposition health spokesman Walt Secord said it was the third Sydney hospital the college had taken action against.

“The RPA, Westmead and St George Hospital … clearly there’s a problem, it’s across the system, enough is enough, these are young doctors and they do not deserve to be treated like this,” he said.

Children as young as eight using ice, inquiry hears

The state’s special commission of inquiry into the drug ice continues today in East Maitland after hearing evidence that children as young as eight are needing treatment.

A NSW health manager told the inquiry about an eight-year-old child from the mid-north coast who was referred to him by Family and Community Services for drug abuse.

William Robertson oversees the drug and alcohol clinical services at the Hunter New England Local Health District and told the inquiry the child was being paid with marijuana and ice by his brothers to deliver drugs.

Greens block long-service leave cuts

The Greens will today move to block the State Government’s plan to cut long service leave for public servants in order to save money in the budget.

NSW public servants receive 8.5 weeks of leave after 10 years of service, and a further 21.5 weeks after 20 years of service.

The Government wants to cap the total amount of leave at 17 weeks, to bring it into line with the private sector.

Greens MP David Shoebridge said the savings gained by slashing leave entitlements would be minimal, given it was no longer common for people to work for the same employer for two decades.

Gamblers given free alcohol

Anti-gambling groups have welcomed an investigation into two venues owned by supermarket Woolworths, that allegedly gave free alcohol to patrons using poker machines.

The venues in West Ballina and South Tweed Heads on the state’s north coast are owned by the ALH group, in which Woolworths has a 75 per cent stake.

It is the first investigation by the NSW Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority into a complaint about alleged illegal gaming practices.

The venues face large fines and a possible licence suspension.

Topics:

law-crime-and-justice,

crime,

journalism,

drugs-and-substance-abuse,

gambling,

sydney-2000,

nsw

First posted

June 20, 2019 07:01:00