Latest news with #Ute
Perth Now
28-06-2025
- Perth Now
Roof repair conmen scamming West Aussies out of thousands
Door-knocking conmen are swindling WA households out of tens of thousands of dollars for minor roof repairs that they don't complete. Consumer protection issued a warning on Wednesday after an elderly Hillman couple were approached at their home by two men who said their roof required cleaning, tile tuckpointing and minor fascia board repairs. Without providing a quote the men began the job and instructed the couple to acquire a cheque for $18,645 and deposit it directly into their bank account. This allowed them to bypass bank surveillance security cameras and cover the money trail. A Parmelia couple suffered a similar ordeal when they were approached at their door by a man driving a white Ute who used sales tactics to convince them to let him clean their roof. Initially quoted $1,950, the couple were coerced into paying $2,145 – allegedly to cover GST. Shortly after the man left the couple noticed he did not complete any of the tasks promised and new water leaks emerged from the roof. The homeowners later discovered their security camera had been deliberately repositioned away from the front of the property, preventing any footage of the man being captured. Consumer Protections commissioner Trish Blake urged WA households to turn away door-knocking tradesmen if approached. Credit: Jackson Flindell / The West Australian Consumer Protections commissioner Trish Blake urged WA households to turn away door-knocking tradesmen if approached. 'These conmen move from town to town using high-pressure tactics to push overpriced roof restoration jobs – often delivering little to no actual work,' Ms Blake said. 'They are in clear breach of the Australian Consumer Law by disregarding the mandatory 10-day cooling-off period for unsolicited approaches. During this time, no payment should be made and no work is legally permitted. 'What's particularly concerning in these latest reports is the group's failure to provide formal quotes or contact details, leaving consumers with no way to follow up. 'Without a written quote – which sets expectations and offers legal protection – victims are further being denied their right to seek a remedy. 'Consumers looking to get this work done should always seek multiple written quotes to compare price and value, and research traders in advance by requesting references and viewing examples of previous work.' Anyone who receives a knock at the door from traders offering roof restoration services should say 'no' and call Consumer Protection on 1300 30 40 54.
Scoop
20-06-2025
- Business
- Scoop
PM's Intervention To Kill Simon Watts' Ute Tax 2.0 Welcomed By Taxpayers
The Taxpayers' Union is welcoming the Prime Minister's intervention to rule out the Inland Revenue Department's proposal to apply Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) to all utes worth $80,000 or more and other work vehicles — a plan directed by Climate Change and Revenue Minister Simon Watts. In response to media comment issued by the Prime Minister's Office last night, Taxpayers' Union Executive Director Jordan Williams said: 'Simon Watts was pushing a new Ute Tax, without his Cabinet colleagues or the public even knowing. Had it gone ahead, farmers and tradies would have been slammed with thousands of dollars in additional tax each year – not just once like Labour's Ute Tax, but every year.' 'The documents are crystal clear. IRD was instructed by Minister Watts to proceed with and consult with the tax industry on the implementation of a new FBT regime that would capture work vehicles, regardless of how they're actually used. This was a massive tax hike by stealth.' "As far as we can tell, the Revenue Minister didn't consult with any taxpayer, business, or farming groups, despite work having been done on this for nearly a year. Had he bothered to engage, the unfairness and political risk would have been obvious. That lapse saw the Government facing backlash because it was tax boffins who blew the whistle and it took everyone by surprise. Minister Watts should learn the lesson." 'Within hours of our campaign launch yesterday, the National Party was in damage control. Within six hours, the PM's team overruled Watts and confirmed the policy would not proceed.' The Taxpayers' Union yesterday revealed documents showing that IRD had been working on changes to remove the logbook exemption for work vehicles and impose FBT on the assumed private use of double cab utes. According to IRD's own estimates, the tax grab would have cost farmers, tradies and other ute owners $100 million per year. 'We give credit to the Prime Minister and his office for stepping in quickly and pulling the handbreak.' says Mr Williams. 'This is a clear win for taxpayers and proof that grassroots pressure works. We thank the thousands of Kiwis who used our online tool to email National MPs and demand the Ute Tax 2.0 be scrapped."
Scoop
17-06-2025
- Scoop
Name Release: Fatal Crash, SH2, Maharahara
Police are now in a position to release the name of the woman who died following a crash involving two Ute's on State Highway 2, Maharahara on 13 June. She was 69-year-old, Philipa Beech. Police extends our condolences to her family and friends during this difficult time. Enquiries into the circumstances of the crash are ongoing.
Herald Sun
04-06-2025
- General
- Herald Sun
Thomas Howden in Bairnsdale court for drug driving in Glenaladale
Don't miss out on the headlines from Bass Coast News. Followed categories will be added to My News. A methed-up stock and station agent has been booted off the roads again after he was busted drug driving for the second time in three months. Thomas Fredrick Howden, 31, faced the Bairnsdale Magistrates' Court on Wednesday where he pleaded guilty to failing an oral fluid test and driving while his licence was suspended. Howden was driving a Ute in Glenaladale when he was pulled over by police in December last year. After officers discovered he was driving without a licence, he was drug tested, which returned positive for methamphetamine. His car was impounded for 30 days. The court heard Howden had previously been caught drug driving. Howden told the court he had completed a behavioural change program as part of a community corrections order. He said he was working as a stock and station agent where he sold cows and sheep and was trying to rebuild his reputation. Magistrate Mia Stylianou asked what was going through his head at the time — to which Howden replied 'a lot of stupid things'. 'Around country roads — you've got to have your wits about you, you really do,' Ms Stylianou said. Get the latest news straight to your inbox. Subscribe to our email newsletters. 'Some of these roads are really tricky to navigate and if you're affected by drugs in any way — it's beyond my comprehension how anyone can get behind the wheel and thinking that they're going to drive to the best of their ability. 'There's a reason why these offences are offences.' Howden's licence was cancelled and disqualified for a year with a conviction recorded and was fined $1200. 'Hopefully there won't be a next time,' Ms Stylianou said.
International Business Times
26-04-2025
- International Business Times
Virginia Giuffre: Chilling New Details Emerge About Epstein's Sexual Abuse Victim's Death as Family and Friends Reach Her Mansion
New details have surfaced about Virginia Giuffre's final moments after she was found unresponsive in a small rural town in Western Australia — as her loved ones were seen gathering at the family's $1.9 million mansion in Perth. Giuffre, who was trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein when she was a teen, died by suicide at her farmhouse in Neergabby on Friday night. A spokesperson for the WA Police Force told Daily Mail Australia that initial investigations suggested her death was "not suspicious" and confirmed that paramedics had provided "emergency first aid" moments after they reached the scene. The police also said that her death is not being investigated as a homicide case. Moments Before Death "About 9.50pm Friday 25 April, emergency services received a report a woman had been located unresponsive at a residence in Neergabby," police said, adding, "Police and St John WA attended and provided emergency first aid. Sadly, the 41-year-old woman was declared deceased at the scene. "The death is being investigated by Major Crime detectives; early indication is the death is not suspicious." On Saturday morning, friends and family members were seen arriving at Giuffre's upscale six-bedroom beachside home in Ocean Reef. A man and a woman arrived in a black Ute believed to belong to Giuffre's former husband, Robert. However, Robert was not in the vehicle. The man, dressed in a white t-shirt and black pants, was seen carrying a stack of cake boxes into the house. The woman, wearing a dark hoodie, also went inside the home. Giuffre's family confirmed her death in a statement, revealing that she died by suicide after a long struggle with the trauma of being sex trafficked during her teenage years. "It is with utterly broken hearts that we announce that Virginia passed away last night at her farm in Western Australia," her family said in a statement. "She lost her life to suicide, after being a lifelong victim of sexual abuse and sex trafficking. Virginia was a fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse and sex trafficking. "She was the light that lifted so many survivors. Despite all the adversity she faced in her life, she shone so bright. She will be missed beyond measure. Tribute to Loving Sister Earlier on Saturday, Giuffre's heartbroken brother, Danny Wilson, paid a touching tribute to her by sharing a sweet photo on Facebook that shows the two of them alongside another man. It is believed to be the final photo of Giuffre. In the photo, Giuffre is seen smiling candidly at the camera with her arm wrapped around Danny. The third person in the photo is believed to be their older brother, Sky. Wilson also updated his Facebook cover photo to a photo of a sunset over Perth, seemingly as a tribute to his sister's death. Giuffre gained attention in 2015 when she filed a lawsuit against billionaire financier Jeffrey Epstein, claiming she was sex trafficked at the age of 16 after being recruited by his former partner and convicted madam, Ghislaine Maxwell, while working as a locker room attendant at President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort. The mother of three also accused disgraced Prince Andrew of forcing her into having sex on three separate occasions when she was 17 — including incidents at Epstein's private island, Little St. James, in New Mexico, and at Maxwell's home in London, where the infamous photo of her with King Charles' brother was taken. Giuffre allegations went on to become the biggest scandal to hit the royal family in decades. Although Prince Andrew has repeatedly denied the claims, he reached an out-of-court settlement with Giuffre in 2022, paying a whopping $12 million. Giuffre suffered abuse by a family friend when she was a child, which set her on a troubled path that eventually left her homeless as a teenager, according to NBC News. In recent years, Giuffre had been living in Australia with her young family. Just last month, she made headlines after sharing a photo of her bruised face on social media, claiming she had been hit by a bus and only had "four days to live." "This has been the worst start to a new year," she wrote in the caption of the disturbing Instagram post. "I'm ready to go, just not until I see my babies one last time, but you know what they say about wishes," Giuffre's caption read. Giuffre later alleged that she was physically abused by her husband, Robert Giuffre, for years. The two recently ended their 22-year marriage. According to The Independent, Robert Giuffre also violated a restraining order that Virginia had filed against him in their hometown of Perth.
