Hume Crime Investigation Unit detectives have recovered several stolen vehicles and arrested five people in recent days as part of Operation Sandstone, which is tackling burglary and vehicle crime across Hume.

Detectives attended Fir Close, Broadmeadows and located three allegedly stolen vehicles, a Nissan Nivara and two Nissan Pulsars, about 3.30am on Wednesday January 4.

Police conducted a search of the area and within 30 minutes of locating the stolen vehicles, five youths were arrested.

A 16-year-old Meadow Heights boy was charged with theft of motor vehicle and bailed to appear before a children’s court at a later date.

A 14-year-old Meadow Heights boy was charged with theft and is expected to be charged with two counts of aggravated burglary at a later date.

He was bailed to appear before a children’s court at a later date.

A 14-year-old Mickleham boy was charged with two counts of theft of motor vehicle, attempted theft from motor vehicle and bail offences.

He has been remanded to appear before a children’s court at a later date.

A 16-year-old Coolaroo boy was charged with handle stolen goods and remanded to appear before a children’s court at a later date.

A 16-year-old Meadow Heights boy was charged with handle stolen goods, theft of motor vehicle and bail offences.

He has been remanded to appear before a children’s court at a later date.

Officers also located an allegedly stolen Audi sedan abandoned on the Keilor Park off ramp of the Western Ring Road about 1.30am on Wednesday, Jamuary 4, believed linked to the investigation.

The Audi and Navara was allegedly stolen during an aggravated burglary in Greenvale on January 3.

The Pulsars was allegedly stolen in from separate addresses in Avondale Heights on January 3.

The arrests were made as part of Operation Sandstone, which has recently kicked off again this year, targeting burglary and vehicle crime across Hume.

Police have rescued a 9-year-old boy with autism in Avondale Heights in recent days, after he travelled via the Maribyrnong River from Braybrook.

The boy was located swimming by a member of the public in the river near Peerless Court about 7.30pm on Monday, January 2.

When police from Avondale Heights Police Station arrived a short time later, the boy appeared to be lost, exhausted on the river embankment, and struggling to communicate.

Members jumped down the river embankment to rescue the child, who was unable to walk as his legs were so numb from the cold.

They carried him around 1.5km up a steep hill to Peerless Court, where he was treated by paramedics.

It was later confirmed the boy had been reported missing from Braybrook two hours earlier.

Police would also like to thank the member of the public who spotted and reported the boy swimming in the river.

First Constable Jesse Kozak from Avondale Heights uniform police, who rescued the boy, said: “The child was not only struggling in the water, we soon realised he was also struggling to communicate and was unable to shout for help.

“He was shivering in the water, and when we managed to rescue him, he was exhausted and unable to walk. We were shocked when we realised that he was reported missing in Braybrook and had managed to travel down the river to Avondale Heights.

“I’d like to thank the member of the public who noticed the boy in the river and reported this to us. If they hadn’t done this, the consequences would have been tragic.”

Renewables remain the cheapest new-build electricity, but technology costs are surging across the board a new report shows.

CSIRO’s annual GenCost report, released recently as a draft for public consultation, has found technology cost increases averaging 20 per cent for new-build electricity generation in Australia.

Despite these cost increases, the report remained consistent with previous years, showing that renewables (onshore wind and solar PV) remain the lowest cost technologies.

GenCost is an annual collaboration between national science agency CSIRO, and the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), taking input from industry stakeholders to update electricity generation, storage and hydrogen production costs.

The 2022-23 consultation draft examines a range of future scenarios to analyse global technology deployment and associated costs for each pathway.

Modelling released last month found that global supply chain constraints and inflation have placed upward pressure on technology costs following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rises, as low as 9 per cent for solar PV and up to 35 per cent for wind, were not uniform due to variations in material inputs and exposure to freight prices.

Modelling suggests that the inflationary cycle is likely to peak in 2022 and 2023, returning to normal cost levels by 2027.

CSIRO Chief Energy Economist Paul Graham: “Innovation in electricity generation technology is a global effort that’s strongly linked to climate change policy ambitions.”

“Technology costs are one piece of the puzzle, providing critical input to electricity sector analysis. To limit emissions, our energy system must evolve and become more diverse.”

The 2022-23 consultation draft found that renewables are the fastest growing energy source globally, led by wind and solar.”

Alex Lloyd is getting set to return to the stage at The Palais, Hepburn with his ‘Live & Amazing’ tour, next Friday January 27.

The multi-platinum ARIA award-winning musician will bring all his hits to the stage for one incredible night of music, singing and nostalgia.

Performing his classic songs like Amazing, Black the Sun, Lucky Star, Green, Coming Home and Never Meant To Fail, together with some much loved and well known covers, Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen), Better Be Home Soon (Crowded House).

Lloyd’s electronica inspired pop tunes come to life through a tapestry of soulful singing, masterful playing and clever arrangements.

It’s a chance for an up close and personal night with Alex Lloyd. Support: McDermott and North.

Emergency services had last week responded to a collision in Pine Lodge near Shepparton that left four people dead.

Anyone who witnessed the collision, has dashcam footage or information is being urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report via Crime Stoppers online.

It’s believed a car and ute have collided on Pine Lodge North Road, near Cosgrove-Lemnos Road, about 4.45pm last Wednesday, January 4.

The driver of the ute was not seriously injured and stopped to assist at the scene.

There were five people in the vehicle that ended up in a nearby paddock.

Four people died at the scene.

The driver of the vehicle had been airlifted in a serious condition.

Major Collision Investigation Unit detectives had attended at the scene amid police efforts to establish the cause of the collision.

Detectives from Bendigo Crime Investigation Unit are appealing for information as part of their investigation into a series of incidents on New Year’s Eve in Bendigo’s Golden Square where two men were seriously assaulted.

It’s believed a 28-year-old Portland man and a 28-year-old North Bendigo man were travelling in a ute along Specimen Hill Road about 4.20pm on 31 December when two vehicles started following them.

It’s believed one of the cars, a dark coloured Holden station wagon, rammed the ute at a roundabout where Laurel Street, Breen Street, Allingham Street and Bellevue Road all intersect.

Police have reported that both vehicles then continued down Laurel Street towards High Street, and the ute then parked outside an associate’s property on Laurel Street and the two men went inside.

About 30 minutes later, four vehicles including a white Nissan Patrol, a red Holden ute, a red Mazda 3 and a dual cab ute pulled up outside the address.

Police have been told up to 15 men armed with an array of weapons including bats and knives attempted to enter the property.

The group managed to enter by smashing a window and the four occupants of the house, including the two men who had been in the ute, fled.

It’s believed a number of the group chased the occupants of the house up the street.

The two men who lived at the property were uninjured, however the window, front door and fence of their house were damaged.

The North Bendigo man was subsequently located on Allingham Street suffering serious injuries from an assault. Family members subsequently conveyed him to hospital, police reported.

The Portland man got back into his ute and was chased by a number of people travelling in the convoy of four vehicles.

While on High Street, they went through a red light at the intersection of Oak Street and the ute and one of the cars, a red Mazda, were involved in a collision with an unrelated vehicle.

All three cars were damaged, however no one was physically injured during the collision.

The ute and the Mazda took off from the scene with the ute subsequently crashing into a ditch on Panton Street.

The Portland man was chased by a number of people and then seriously assaulted, police reported.

The group then returned to their vehicles and left the area.

A number of witnesses called triple zero (000) and the victim was conveyed to hospital with serious injuries.

The red Mazda was later found dumped on McLaughlin Street and the driver has been described as a male aged in his late teens or early 20s, average height, thin build, fair complexion and black or brown hair.

Police have been told he got into a white 4WD after leaving the Mazda, with the male driver of the 4WD described as being in his 20s.

At this stage the motivation for the assault is yet to be determined, however it’s believed some of the parties are known to each other.

Detectives are keen to speak to anyone who witnessed the series of incidents or has any CCTV or dash-cam footage.

They would also like to speak to anyone with information about those involved and this information can be provided to police anonymously.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report via Crime Stoppers online.

Rufino and the Coconuts and Mikelangelo come together to host the first ever Hepburn Beach Party at the Palais, Hepburn next Saturday night, January 21.

Grab your boogie board and your cozzies and surf down Main Street to the Palais for a night of tasty tunes and summer fun.

Mikelangelo and Rufino have played together for over 20 years in their legendary band Mikelangelo and the Black Sea Gentlemen. While the Gentlemen are on their summer holidays, Mikey and Rufino are cooking up some sizzling sounds that will get you twisting on your beach towel. Two of the most charismatic frontmen you’re likely to see this side of the equator, this will be a night to delight.

For this doublebill, Rufino will take the stage with his seven piece band The Coconuts. Their self-styled Tropical Noir is part Afro-Latin groove, part Jamaican rocksteady, part Caribbean holiday sleaze-pop, part bone-shaking voodoo mayhem. There is no other band that gets a beach party swinging like Rufino and the Coconuts.

Mikelangelo will be joined by Rufino and members of the Coconuts to play a selection of oceanic classics from his repertoire with The Black Sea Gentlemen and surf’n’western instrumentals from his erstwhile band The Tin Star. Action is his middle name, and he’ll be proving that once again on the Palais stage.

Dress code: City Beach

Climate models indicate La Niña is on the way out, with El Niño conditions expected later this year.

CSIRO Climate Scientist Dr Wenju Cai has this month explained what this is expected to mean for Australia’s weather and how changing conditions will likely affect the country.

Dr Wenju Cai, CSIRO climate scientist: “We are in the mature season of the current three-consecutive La Niña years. During the three years, heat has been stored in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. There is no precedent for four-consecutive La Niña years. Models that predict the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycles are indicating a demise of the current La Niña condition.

Dr Wenju Cai was asked if this means an El Nino event is now on the horizon?

“With so much heat charged in the equatorial Pacific, an El Niño is readily triggered by relaxation of the trade winds over the equatorial Pacific. Many models are predicting an El Niño by the northern hemisphere summer months,” he said.

“ENSO predictions are more accurate after June, when noise is low. Several previous three-consecutive-year La Niña events, such as the 1973-1975 or 1983-1985 events, were followed by an El Niño.”

Dr Cai was also asked what El Niño means for Australia?

“During El Niño, drought occurs over eastern and north-eastern Australia in spring and summer,” he said.

“During winter and spring, a developing El Niño often drives an Indian Ocean Dipole (cooling in the eastern Indian Ocean), inducing droughts over southern Australia in the rain seasons. Overall, Australia experiences drought, higher temperatures, bushfires and more intense and frequent heatwaves on land and sea, and these extremes are likely exacerbated by warming from increasing greenhouse gases.

Droughts and heat waves cause damage to Australia’s iconic ecosystems, such as the drying of the Murray and Darling Rivers, and coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef.  Drought in the Murray Darling Basin and the drying Murray and Darling Rivers affect agriculture and mining activities, often reducing economic outputs by tens of billions of dollars. Bushfires kill and displace wild animals, and affect them in the aftermath by causing starvation, lack of shelter and predator attacks. One estimate suggested that the 2019/20 Black Summer Fires affected over three billion wild animals, most of which likely perished.”

Dr Wenju Cai also explained El Niño and La Niña generally.

“Both El Niño and La Niña are known as climate phenomena. The oceans switch between these states roughly every two to seven years, depending on the wind and ocean conditions across the equatorial Pacific Ocean between Australia and South America,” he said.

“El Niño is known as the warm phase and La Niña the cold phase, but it’s also possible to be in a neutral ENSO phase.

“The equatorial Pacific features trade winds blowing from the far east to the west which push surface warm water to the western Pacific and store heat in the equatorial Pacific. The trade winds also bring cooler subsurface ocean water to the surface in the eastern Pacific. The warm water in the west and cool water in the east support the trade winds through the associated west-minus-east temperature gradient.

“The pool of warm water in the western Pacific Ocean is the engine for high-moisture air to rise which produces a rainband over the western Pacific and eastern Indian Oceans that benefits eastern and north-eastern Australia directly, and southern Australia indirectly through northwest cloud band events from the eastern Indian Ocean.

“During El Niño the trade winds weaken, releasing heat to the atmosphere and the warm pool and rainband shift to the east, causing dry and hot conditions in Australia. During La Niña, the trade winds and warm pool intensify, leading to more rainfall and lower temperatures in Australia.”

Police have been investigating the circumstances surrounding a fatal crash in Tallarook last week.

It is believed a truck came off the Hume Freeway and became wedged under a tree around 4am last Wednesday, January 4.

Emergency services attended the scene but the driver could not be revived.

Police were investigating whether the man experienced a medical episode prior to the crash.

Victoria Police were also preparing a report for the coroner.

Anyone who witnessed the collision, has dashcam footage or information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report via Crime Stoppers online.

Armed Crime Squad detectives have charged four men following an aggravated home invasion in St Albans last month.

A 30-year-old Collingwood man was last week arrested in Collingwood with the assistance of the Special Operations Group.

He has subsequently been charged with a range of offences including aggravated home invasion with a firearm, armed robbery, prohibited person possess firearm and serious assaults.

He was remanded to face Melbourne Magistrates’ Court.

Search warrants were previously executed at three residential addresses in Keysborough, Oakleigh and Springvale on Friday, 16 December.

A 24-year-old Keysborough man and a 29-year-old Springvale man were both arrested with the assistance of the Special Operations Group.

The duo was subsequently charged with a range of offences including aggravated home invasion, armed robbery, theft, assault with weapon and false imprisonment.

Both were remanded to face Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on 27 January.

Police subsequently seized five machetes, a large sum of cash, a flick knife, knuckle dusters and small quantities of what appears to be cocaine, methylamphetamine and GHB.

On 21 December, a 26-year-old Kurunjang man was arrested and charged with a range of offences, including aggravated home invasion with a firearm, armed robbery, prohibited person possess firearm and serious assaults.

He was also remanded to face Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on 27 January.

The activity follows an alleged aggravated home invasion in St Albans shortly after midnight on Wednesday, 7 December.

Police have been told four armed males forced entry into the house, before waking the residents – a 22-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman – and making demands for money.

Both residents sustained minor injuries and the man was taken to hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Detective Inspector Mick Daly, Armed Crime Squad: “We understand incidents such as these cause significant concern across the broader community. Solving crimes of this nature will always be a priority for Victoria Police.

“It’s critical that those who choose to engage in this kind of violent behaviour understand that they will be identified. Police will ensure that all necessary resources are utilised to identify those responsible and hold them to account.”

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via Crime Stoppers online.

One lucky coin enthusiast was able to make history at the Royal Australian Mint at the start of this month, pressing and taking home the first coin for 2023, not only in Australia, but around the world.

The Royal Australian Mint CEO Leigh Gordon welcomed back keen coin collectors for the first time since the start of the COVID pandemic.

“After a two-year hiatus, we are excited to bring back this annual tradition and have members of the public gather in person to collect the first coins, as well as observe the exciting new theme of the collection – Creatures of the Deep,” Mr Gordon said.

“This year, we collaborated with CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, to showcase the incredible discoveries of scientists aboard the CSIRO’s research vessel Investigator.”

The newly released 2023 coin collection will celebrate the CSIRO’s flagship vessel, as well as rarely seen deep sea creatures including bigfin squid, brittle star, dumbo octopus, gold coral, blob fish or tripodfish, cactus urchin and the spiny king crab.

CSIRO Acting CEO, Professor Elanor Huntington said the discoveries were made during several voyages along Australia’s southern and eastern coastline, reaching some of Australia’s deepest marine habitats.

“So much of our deep ocean remains a mystery – we know more about the surface of Mars than we do about our deepest oceans. This area is one of the least explored areas on the planet, with depths of up to 6km below sea level,” Professor Huntington said.

“The 2023 new coin collection highlights these collaborative voyages and the significant contribution they have made to better understand life in our oceans.”

An image of Queen Elizabeth II features on the other side of the coins and includes the dates 1952 to 2022, which are the dates of Queen Elizabeth II reign.

An emergency beacon is being credited with saving the lives of four men whose boat sank off Mount Eliza in recent days.

The group was about 1km offshore when the vessel began taking on water on Friday 30 December about 8.45pm.

They activated an emergency position indicating radio beacon which raised the alarm.

The Water Police Squad – overseeing the emergency response through its rescue co-ordination centre – notified the Volunteer Marine Rescue’s Mornington unit which raced to the scene.

Victoria Police’s Air Wing was also dispatched, monitoring the incident from overhead.

The four men – three aged 27 and one aged 26 – clung to a lifejacket before Volunteer Marine Rescue members pulled them to safety.

They also used an esky to help stay afloat, saying they had other lifejackets on board but didn’t have time to retrieve them.

One of the men used his phone torch to help guide the group’s rescuers in the darkness.

The men were bought to shore at Mornington.

Nobody was injured.

Victoria Police is reminding all boat operators to make sure their vessel is in working order, check the weather conditions before heading out, carry the required safety equipment and always wear a lifejacket.

The Water Police Squad is out this summer staging proactive patrols across inland and coastal waterways.

It also has special strike teams at key locations targeting anti-social behaviour, water safety and boating offences.

Sen-Constable Kristina Clappison, Water Police Squad: “Incidents like this show just how crucial it is for boaties to carry the right safety equipment.

“There is no doubt the outcome could have been very different if these men didn’t have an emergency beacon.

“They’ve also bought crucial time until help arrived by having a life jacket.

“We’d like to commend the outstanding efforts of the Volunteer Marine Rescue’s Mornington unit.

“Their quick response and professionalism in difficult conditions was exemplary.”

Western Region Crime Squad detectives have charged a further two people, including a Creswick woman, allegedly linked to a series of offending across western and eastern Victoria.

As part of the investigation, detectives located an allegedly stolen Jeep in Delacombe at about 12pm on 3 January.

Whilst conducting enquiries, another allegedly stolen Nissan with a woman behind the wheel parked in the vicinity of detectives.

Officers attempted to intercept the Nissan, which evaded police, but not before driving over stop sticks strategically placed by officers.

Detectives didn’t pursue the Nissan but instead entered a property police suspected linked to the stolen Jeep on Chifley Drive and arrested a male in relation to the ongoing investigation.

Approximately 10 minutes later, police were called to reports of a car fire in Mount Clear.

Detectives attended the fire to investigate and saw the stolen Nissan ablaze.

They located a woman hiding in thick shrubbery nearby and she was subsequently arrested.

A 32-year-old man from Sebastopol will face more than 20 charges including:

• burglary

• theft

• theft of motor vehicle

• offences against the bail act

A 26-year-old woman from Creswick will have to answer six charges including:

• theft

• theft of motor vehicle

• driving and bail offences

The couple have been remanded in custody to appear before Ballarat Magistrates’ Court at a later date.

The Jeep was allegedly stolen in Werribee on 30 November.

The Nissan was allegedly stolen in Wodonga on 26 November.

Four people were charged late last month in relation to the investigation, which includes the theft of up to 10 high-end vehicles from Ballarat, Horsham, Shepparton, Wodonga, Cobram, Wangaratta, Deer Park and Yarrawonga, remains ongoing.

Casey Crime Investigation Unit detectives have charged a teenage boy after an allegedly stolen car crashed into playground equipment in Narre Warren on January 2.

It is alleged a sedan drove erratically along Anaconda Road before entering a reserve, at the intersection of Anaconda Road and Maramba Drive, crashing into a swing-set about 7.20pm.

No one was injured during the incident.

Police arrested a youth in a nearby street.

The 17-year-old Pakenham boy was charged with theft of motor vehicle.

He was bailed to appear at a children’s court at a later date.

It is believed that other occupants of the vehicle fled the scene on foot.

Anyone who witnessed the incident, has dashcam or CCTV footage or information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential crime report via Crime Stoppers on line.

The state government has delivered ten Priority Primary Care Centres (PPCCs), with 15 more on the way – giving Victorians a free alternative to visiting a busy emergency department (ED).

Premier Daniel Andrews and Acting Minister for Health Colin Brooks earlier this month visited the opened Heidelberg PPCC to announce that another 12 are on track to open by early February.

Nine other PPCCs have opened recently in Ballarat, Dandenong, Epping, Frankston, Glen Waverley, Moonee Ponds, Narre Warren, Prahran and Sunshine, with the remaining centres to support:

• Albury Wodonga Health – Wodonga
• Box Hill Hospital
• Footscray Hospital

• Goulburn Valley Health – Shepparton
• Latrobe Regional Hospital
• Maroondah Hospital
• Mercy Werribee
• Northern Health – Craigieburn
• Royal Children’s Hospital
• St Vincent’s
• University Hospital Geelong
• West Gippsland Healthcare Group

Work is also underway to finalise the locations and timing of an additional three centres in Bendigo, Mildura and Sunbury.

Working in close partnership with local Primary Health Networks, the ten existing PPCCs have seen more than 6,000 patients – many of whom would otherwise have gone to an ED, despite needing lower-level care. 

Premier Daniel Andrews: “Far too many Victorians can’t get in to see a GP at all, let alone one who bulk bills. It is a basic right that if you’re sick, you should be able get care at no cost – so we’re doing something about that.”

“Our primary care system is broken, and National Cabinet must make reforming the system its priority for 2023 – so every Australian has easy access to the affordable healthcare they deserve.”